Intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIg) therapy is widely used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Recent evidence suggests that in mice, splenic resident cells might be important for the anti‐inflammatory activity of IVIg in a model of serum transfer arthritis. Splenectomized human immunothrombocytopenia (ITP) patients, however, still respond to IVIg therapy. To investigate whether the requirement of the spleen is essential for mouse ITP, we used a passive model of induced ITP and demonstrated that IVIg activity was functional in splenectomized animals. Further analysis showed that the IVIg‐mediated amelioration of platelet phagocytosis was fully dependent on terminal sialic acid residues in the IVIg preparation and could be blocked with a specific ICAM3 grabbing nonintegrin‐related 1 (SIGNR1) specific antibody. These results suggest that, similar to the human system, a spleen‐independent but sialic acid‐ and SIGNR1‐dependent pathway is responsible for IVIg‐mediated suppression of autoantibody‐dependent platelet depletion in mice.


The change of periphral blood picture was relalively examined after the lumbal sympathectomy and even operation by no sympathectomy of dogs, and the results obtained were as follows: 1) No shortened the recovery from the decrease of hemoglobine and erythrocyte count. 2) No reduced the decrease of hemoglobin, but reduced clearly decrease of erythrocyte count. 3) Inconstant about leukocyte count. 4) Inconstant about staff neutrophils, but reduced the increase of total neutrophils. The above concludes that the interception of sympathic nerve of dogs promotes the increase of erythrocytes and represses the increase of neutrophils in peripheral blood.


This study is concerned with a design method of the robust servo system which is optimal in the sense that a performance index, comprising the quadratic forms of both the output error vector and the deviation control vector, is minimized. The design method is an exact model matching with pole-zero cancellations. The model is an optimal control system without servo compensator, designed with the optimal regulator technique. The initial values of the servo compensator are set according to the initial conditions of the plant and the reference signal generator. The sensitivity can be reduced utilizing the configurations of cancelled pole-zero pairs. The order of the Butterworth pole pattern is constant regardless of the dimension of the servo compensator. Moreover, this servo system has the same stability robustness, in the sense that the criterion for optimizing is satisfied, as typical optimal servo systems designed using different performance indices. A numerical example illustrates the efficiency of this servo system.


ABSTRACT In this paper, creep damage and remnant life of a rotating hollow shaft made of niobium-modified 9Cr-1Mo steel is investigated based on the design strain and Robinson's rule. The shaft is subjected to an internal pressure and a temperature gradient. Creep behavior of the material is described by the Θ projection concept the parameters of which are taken from the existed literature. The initial thermoelastic solution is achieved from the equilibrium, strain-displacement and stress-strain relations by setting the total accumulated creep strains equal to zero. Later with considering creep strains and differentiating the constitutive differential equation with respect to time, a differential equation for displacement rate containing radial and circumferential creep strain rates is obtained. Using Prandtl–Reuss relations and the theta projection model, creep strain rates are evaluated. Displacement rates are then calculated and stress rates are determined. The stress histories are finally calculated iteratively. Having the effective stress histories and the temperature distribution, the time required to reach certain amount of creep strain such as 0.1%, 0.5% and 0.9% are calculated based on which the damages and remnant lives are evaluated. It has been found that the inner region of the shaft is the most damaged zone with minimum remnant life while the outer part of the shaft carried minimum damages for all three cases.


The Atlanta Sociological Laboratory is the moniker bestowed on scholars engaged in sociological research at Atlanta University between 1895 and 1924. Under the leadership of W. E. B. Du Bois, 1897–1914, this school made substantive yet marginalized contributions to the discipline. Its accomplishments include, but are not limited to, its establishment of the first American school of sociology, the first sociology program to institutionalize the use of the insider researcher, the first sociology program to institutionalize the practice of method triangulation, and the first sociology program to institutionalize the acknowledgment of limitations in its publications. Despite these accomplishments, the Atlanta Sociological Laboratory remains unknown to most professional sociologists. This article examines why the accomplishments of this school should be incorporated into the sociology curriculum, where this school should be incorporated into the sociology curriculum, and how this school can be incorporated into the sociology curriculum.


Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a part of the family of mycotoxins called
 trichothecenes which are produced by a number of different Fusarium mold
 species. The presence of DON in 25 wheat and 25 maize samples was examined by
 Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and High Performance Liquid
 Chromatography (HPLC) methods. The presence of DON was detected and
 determined in 5 (20%) maize and 6 (25%) wheat samples by both of the methods.
 Correlation between ELISA and HPLC results was established, with the
 correlation coefficients (r) of 0.9691 and 0.9735 for wheat and maize
 samples, respectively. The results obtained by ELISA method were
 significantly higher than those obtained by HPLC method. This fact can be
 explained by the presence of conjugated or masked mycotoxins in the samples,
 especially DON-3-glucoside (DON-3-Glc), which could not be determined by HPLC
 method due to the lack of external standards. Contrary to this, being
 insufficiently selective towards masked DON, ELISA method measures total DON
 content of a sample. According to the obtained results, ELISA can be used as
 a reliable screening method, but the confirmation of positive results must be
 done by HPLC method.


This comment pertains the recent manuscript by Morissette {\it et al.} [arXiv:2206.08354v1]. The authors claim to have found signatures of collective excitations in electron spin resonance experiments that would be linked to the correlated structure of magic angle bilayer graphene. However, identical resonance features have already been reported in previous works on mono- and few-layer graphene, voiding their theoretical framework. A straight forward theoretical picture within the single-particle topologically non-trivial band structure of graphene delivers satisfactory explanations for the observation of the resonant features and applies as well to the data presented by Morissette {\it et al.}. However, this intuitive picture has been disregarded by the authors.


The invention relates to the field of measures to improve the steering of projectiles and more particularly to a control device of a missile or a projectile, such low caliber particular of the order of about 40 mm, having a side main face with a nose at one end thereof, this device comprising at least one constituent of a cavity combustion chamber and filled at least partially, by an explosive powder, and means initiation of the explosive powder, a device characterized in that the blasting powder comprises nanothermites, or gas generating nanothermites.


ABSTRACT The one hundredth anniversary of American independence was celebrated with a huge world's fair or "International Exhibition" in Philadelphia, commonly referred to as "The Centennial," a central theme of which was post-bellum reconciliation. This article argues that the Centennial served as a catalyst for reflection about sectional distinctiveness. It examines the highly politicized discourse around the commemoration, the ways in which white southerners' self-definition was bound up in perceived differences from their Northern counterparts and the extent to which exaggerated or re-affirmed southerness in reaction to the Centennial detracted from post-war affirmations of renewed American nationalism.


Techno-economic analysis has been carried out for a single-step noncatalytic esterification process which produces biodiesel from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD). A simulation model for this biodiesel production process has been developed, which provided the basis for the estimation of capital expenditure and operating cost. Although the process considered in this work has been observed as nonprofitable even at considerably large-plant capacity, the net cash flow becomes surplus at the capacity of 100 kt·y–1. Effects of raw material cost and biodiesel product price on the economic feasibility of the process have also been evaluated. With techno-economic analysis, it was found that the current biodiesel process would be economically viable with favorable changes in the economic parameters, i.e. $50·t–1 reduction for raw material purchase cost or $50·t–1 increase for biodiesel sales price.


This article elaborates on the development of a DMAIC Manual for the restructuring of an Integrated Management System of a Brazilian company that builds real estate and corporate works, with a focus on Lean Six Sigma. The Manual was designed to lead the XYZ construction company toward a management focused on Lean Six Sigma, reducing waste and variability of its delivery processes to customers. The five DMAIC steps—define, measure, analyze improve and control—were reviewed and structured to add value to activities. The structuring and implementation of this Manual are detailed, including the management history of the company and how the Integrated Management System relates to the DMAIC.


We set out the foundations for developing robust models of community recovery from earthquake disasters. These models are a core requirement of decision support tools for increasing community resilience and reducing social vulnerability. We first present a comprehensive conceptual model of recovery. The conceptual model enumerates important relationships between attributes of a community's lifeline network, households, and businesses. The conceptual model can be operationalized to create a numerical model of recovery. To demonstrate this, we present a prototype model and graphical user interface. Being intended for decision support, it is important to involve potential model users in model development. We conducted a workshop involving Puget Sound, WA area disaster management practitioners to elicit model development needs using the prototype as stimulus.


There is great interest in wide-bandgap semiconductor devices and most recently in vertical GaN structures for power electronic applications such as power supplies, solar inverters and motor drives. In this paper the temperature-dependent electrical behavior of vertical GaN p–n diodes and vertical junction field-effect transistors fabricated on bulk GaN substrates of low defect density (104 to 106 cm−2) is described. Homoepitaxial MOCVD growth of GaN on its native substrate and the ability to control the doping in the drift layers in GaN have allowed the realization of vertical device architectures with drift layer thicknesses of 6 to 40 μm and net carrier electron concentrations as low as 1 × 1015 cm−3. This parameter range is suitable for applications requiring breakdown voltages of 1.2 kV to 5 kV. Mg, which is used as a p-type dopant in GaN, is a relatively deep acceptor (EA ≈ 0.18 eV) and susceptible to freeze-out at temperatures below 200 K. The loss of holes in p-GaN has a deleterious effect on p–n junction behavior, p-GaN contacts and channel control in junction field-effect transistors at temperatures below 200 K. Impact ionization-based avalanche breakdown (BV > 1200 V) in GaN p–n junctions is characterized between 77 K and 423 K for the first time. At higher temperatures the p–n junction breakdown voltage improves due to increased phonon scattering. A positive temperature coefficient in the breakdown voltage is demonstrated down to 77 K; however, the device breakdown characteristics are not as abrupt at temperatures below 200 K. On the other hand, contact resistance to p-GaN is reduced dramatically above room temperature, improving the overall device performance in GaN p–n diodes in all cases except where the n-type drift region resistance dominates the total forward resistance. In this case, the electron mobility can be deconvolved and is found to decrease with T−3/2, consistent with a phonon scattering model. Also, normally-on vertical junction field-effect transistors with BV = 1000 V and drain currents of 4 A are fabricated and characterized over the same temperature range. It is demonstrated that vertical GaN devices (diodes and transistors) utilizing p–n junctions are suitable for most practical applications including automotive ones (210 K < T < 423 K). While devices are functional at cryogenic temperatures (77 K) there may be some limitations to their performance due the freeze-out of Mg acceptors.


In an effort to direct the attention of residents to important aspects of the patient's expressive communication, the authors present methods which are designed to help the novice focus on the infracontent aspects of the patient's vocal productions by removing confusing, conflicting, or more insistent cues or content. These methods include manipulation of temporal, intensity, frequency, and intelligibility aspects of the voice signal.


A novel choline oxidase electrode was constructed by entrapping choline oxidase into polyaniline-polyacrylonitrile composite film. The enzyme film was prepared by in situ electropolymerization of aniline into porous polyacrylonitrile-coated platinum electrode in the presence of choline oxidase. The enzyme electrode exhibited sensitive and stable electrochemical response to choline. The kinetics analysis showed that the mass transport is partially rate-limiting. The influences of pH, applied potential and temperature on the response of the enzyme electrode were also described.


Vertical distribution of the horizontally integrated heat injected into the atmosphere by an Arctic lead is investigated, based upon large-eddy simulations of its convective plume. The horizontally integrated heat flux varies exponentially with height except under conditions of relatively weak cross flow, when vertical advective transport becomes significant. Its vertical scale, which depends upon the lead size, surface heat flux, atmospheric stratification, and cross-lead wind component, is approximately one fourth of the maximum plume height, indicating that the depth of largest heat transfer is significantly shallower than the depth of the plume. A parameterization is developed to incorporate this small-scale heat injection into large-scale models which cannot resolve individual leads. The amount of heat recaptured by the ice downwind of a lead is significant when cross-lead flow is relatively strong and when the plume depth is shallow.


Witton advises Clark that as a consequence of not engaging a hall in Adelaide but securing a hall in Tasmania, then Smythe will take Conway on the Tasmanian tour via Launceston. Conway has been poular in Melbourne and his audiences have been increasing and he should be a success in Tasmania.Letters between Andrew Inglis Clark, Tasmania and Joseph G. Witton, Melbourne, 13 Sept 1882 - 9 Dec 1885 regarding his work as a law clerk in Melbourne, his friends, especially Walter Gill, religion, the Unitarian Church, George Walters, Mrs Webster, visit of Moncure Conway in 1883, family, health, Miss Witton's estate in England, books, chess and the foundation of the Chess Club 1883-4, visit to Ballarat, U.S. Independence Day 1883.
C4/C331


PURPOSE: To synchronize write clocks with reference signals by comparing a clock signal number during the reference cycle of a VCO with a desired clock frequency and controlling the VCO by error signals generated corresponding to the difference and the reference signals. CONSTITUTION: A counter 11 counts the number of clock signals 15 during the reference cycle of a variable frequency oscillator(VCO) 10 and a comparison means 12 compares the value Ny with an inputted estimated counted value Nx. The value Nx accurately matches with a desired bit interval frequency and the means 12 generates the error signals 16 corresponding to the difference of the compared value and sends them to a control logic means 13. The means 13 generates control signals 14 by the reference signals 17 proportional to a spindle rotation speed at the frequency less than 1/20 of a desired write clock signal frequency and the signals 16. The VCO 10 increases and decreases the frequency of the signals 15 by the signals 14 and a control loop is constituted of the counter 11 and the means 12 and 13. Thus, the write clocks synchronized with the signals 17 are obtained.


In healthcare studies adopting a sociological neoinstitutional perspective the impact of the complementarity or incompatibility between heterogeneous institutional logics is frequently under theorized, whilst the consequence of such complexity, expressed through the reciprocal co-construction of organizations and their institutional environments, remains under explored. To further inform this debate we present an empirical examination of institutional complexity in the United Kingdom's (UK) fractured healthcare field, centered on the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales; the latter, a sub-state nation with recently devolved responsibility for healthcare. Our paper interweaves the notion of 'theorization' (Strang & Meyer, 1993, p. 492) elaborated by Greenwood et al., (2002) with Lawrence and Suddaby's (2006) taxonomy of institutional work, generating a bi-focal lens through which to perceive institutional complexity. In this manner, we address a threefold research question and thus explore th...


In this paper we prove a common fixed point theorem for a class of generalized Kannan type mappings with continuous t-norm T of Hadžic-type (in short H-type) in generalized Menger spaces. In fact, our result generalizes the result of Choudhury et. al.[4] for weakly compatible maps. At the end, we give an example in support of our theorem.


The Argo array provides nearly 4000 temperature and salinity profiles of the top 2000 meters of the ocean every 10 days. Still, Argo floats will never be able to measure the ocean at all times, everywhere. Optimized Argo float distributions should match the spatial and temporal variability of the many societally important ocean features that they observe. Determining these distributions is challenging because float advection is difficult to predict. Using no external models, transition matrices based on existing Argo trajectories provide statistical inferences about Argo float motion. We use the 24 years of Argo locations to construct an optimal transition matrix that minimizes estimation bias and uncertainty. The optimal array is determined to have a 2°×2° spatial resolution with a 90 day timestep. We then use the transition matrix to predict the probability of future float locations of the Core Argo array, the Global Biogeochemical Array, and the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) array. A comparison of transition matrices derived from floats using Argos System and Iridium communication methods shows the impact of surface displacements, which is most apparent near the equator. Additionally, we demonstrate the utility of transition matrices for validating models by comparing the matrix derived from Argo floats with that derived from a particle release experiment in the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE).


In this paper, it has been proposed a multi-product economic order quantity (EOQ) model, assuming the presence of some imperfect items. They are inspected 100 percent as they are delivered, and defective items are withdrawn. We do not access to supplier to replace the imperfect items with perfect one. So for meeting the demand, there are two options for imperfect items: buy or repair. In buy option, we sell the imperfect items in second market with lower price, and then buy the imperfect items from local supplier with higher price; but in repair option, we will send the imperfect items to repairing workshop, and after they are delivered from repair facility, they are sold as perfect items. There are also some limitations in available budget and warehouse space, and thus we should determine the economic order quantity for each item by considering these limitations. Additional in repairing option, we have some constraints for repairing rate. In the proposed model, the shortage is not allowed, and we have considered this issue in employing alternatives. This paper extends the supposed assumes by Jaber et al. (سال؟؟؟). The Proposed problem is a Mixed Integer Non-Linear problem (MINLP). This field of problems are NP-Hard, and they are solved by Meta heuristic algorithms, but they can be solved by exact methods in small scale. So, the proposed problem in this paper is solved by exact method. We also solved numerical examples, and applied the sensitivity analysis for important parameters.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate if increased body mass index (BMI) had an effect on the accuracy of scoliometer measurements in AIS screening.

Patients presenting for evaluation of AIS between February and December 2014 at a tertiary pediatric medical center were prospectively enrolled. A …


Reported here is the ability of utilizing the Energy Finite Element Method (E-FEM) to predict the vibro-acoustic sound fields within the International Space Station (ISS) Node 1 and to compare the results with actual measurements of leak sounds made by a one atmosphere to vacuum leak through a small hole in the pressure wall of the Node 1 STA module during its period of storage at Stennis Space Center (SSC). While the E-FEM method represents a reverberant sound field calculation, of importance to this application is the requirement to also handle the direct field effect of the sound generation. It was also important to be able to compute the sound fields in the ultrasonic frequency range. This report demonstrates the capability of this technology as applied to this type of application.


This work presents the feasibility studies to convert the UO2 core of the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor to a U/Th core aiming at U/Th fuel recycling. The focus of the work is to establish a first core which allows normal operation of the AP1000 reactor and investigate a possible route for generating the 233U for U/Th fuel recycling. The converted core named AP‐Th1000 is divided in three homogenous zones with different UO2/ThO2 mass proportions. The reprocessing procedure envisioned is to separate fission products and Pu isotopes, retain Uranium, use this fuel material in subsequent fuel cycles and complement the required fissile material with U with enrichment below 20%. The goal was to gradually reduce the mass proportion of mined Uranium fuel and eventually attain a Th‐233U core with similar operation characteristics of current AP1000 core. We perform a detailed three‐dimensional full core analysis with the SERPENT code examining core reactivity, power density distribution, and also a preliminary closed cycle study for the first 4 cycles where the production of 233U are evaluated. The goal of converting the AP1000 reactor core to a U/ThO2 fuel cycle was partially accomplished. While the first cycle was thoroughly examined and met all requirements we were not able to find a route to migrate it to a prevalent Th cycle. Basically, two of the set of criteria adopted in the study proved to be too restrictive to attain this goal with homogenous assembly, namely U enrichment below 20% and not recycling Pu. The results indicate that removing these two criteria the conversion factor in the ensuing fuel cycles can be increased and possibly attain a Th cycle without compromising the economics of power generation. The design changes were the elimination of IFBA burnable absorbers and replacement of gray control bundles by black control bundles.


Scope We modeled red blood cell (RBC)‐folate response to supplementation and developed personalized folate supplementation concepts. Methods and results The changes of RBC‐folate were modeled in a time‐ (4 or 8 weeks) and dose‐ (400 or 800 μg d−1 folate) dependent manner. Post‐supplementation RBC‐folate levels were predicted from folate‐loading capacities (= measured RBC‐folate – [baseline RBC‐folate × RBC‐survival]). The prediction equations were validated in 119 participants. The median increase of RBC‐folate was higher in the 800 μg d−1 than in the 400 μg d−1 group (275 vs 169 nmol L−1 after 4 weeks, and 551 vs 346 nmol L−1 after 8 weeks). Medians (interquartile range) of RBC‐folate loading were (4 weeks: 299 (160) vs 409 (237) nmol L−1) and (8 weeks: 630 (134) versus 795 (187) nmol L−1) in the 400 and 800 μg d−1 group, respectively. The individual measured and predicted RBC‐folate values (after 4 weeks/400 μg d−1 = 25 + 1.27 × baseline RBC‐folate) and (after 4 weeks/800 μg d−1 = 65 + 1.41 × baseline RBC‐folate) did not differ significantly. The measured and predicted concentrations showed high agreement in the validation cohort. Conclusions The models can guide nutritional recommendations in women when baseline RBC‐folate concentrations are measured and the time to pregnancy between 4 and 8 weeks.


Abstract: The adenosine receptors in the plasma membrane of chromaffin cells from bovine adrenal medulla were characterized. The presence of A1 receptors was discounted owing to the absence of R‐[3H]phenylisopropyladenosine (R‐PIA) and [3H]8‐cyclopentyl‐1,3‐dipropylxanthine ([3H]‐DPCPX) binding. The binding of the specific A2a. ligand CGS‐21680 was low. In contrast, the binding of 5′‐(N‐[3H]‐ethylcarboxamidoadenosine ([3H]NECA) was relatively high (1.7 pmol/mg of protein at a ligand concentration up to 90 nM). This binding did not correspond to non‐adenosine receptor NECA binding sites because the specific [3H]‐NECA binding was similar when unlabeled adenosine, NECA, or R‐PIA was used to measure the nonspecific binding. The rank order of potency of different ligands for the displacement of specific [3H]NECA binding was DPCPX > NECA > chloroadenosine > R‐PIA > theophylline = CGS‐21680. These results indicate that the receptors present on the plasma membrane of chromaffin cells are exclusively of the A2b subtype.


The composites discussed in this review are prepared using techniques similar to those used in the new sol-gel approach to ceramics. Organometallics such as silicates, titanates, and aluminates are hydrolyzed in the presence of polymer chains (for example polysiloxanes and polyimides) that typically contain hydroxyl or amino groups. The functional groups are used to bond the polymer chains onto the silica, titania, or alumina being formed in the hydrolysis, thus forming organicinorganic composites. When the polymer chains are present in excess, they constitute the continuous phase, with the ceramic-type material appearing as reinforcing particles. When present in smaller amounts, the polymer is dispersed in the continuous ceramic phase, to give a polymer-modified ceramic. Under some conditions, bicontinuous systems are obtained. The composites thus prepared are characterized by electron microscopy, X ray, and neutron scattering intensities, density determinations, and stress-strain and impact-strength measurements.


Project scoping of features and functionalities required to meet the system objectives is critical for project success. An accurate determination of the system boundary to develop software has long been identified as a challenge that practitioners have been attempting to overcome. It is, therefore, important to understand the causes along with the consequences of poor project scope. This study presents the findings pertaining to project scope that influence the requirements elicitation activity and thereby impact the overall requirements engineering process. The causes that lead to such scope issues and related consequences are summarized. The challenges encountered due to poor scope are depicted using a cause-and-effect diagram. This study provides guidance that can assist practitioners to identify areas for improvements in determining project scope and that which can have a positive influence on the overall requirements elicitation process.


Simple Summary Polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressive cells (PMN-MDSCs) have been associated to bad prognosis and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in metastatic melanoma (MM). In this study, we describe an immature subset of PMN-MDSCs capable of a high cytotoxicity against T cells mediated by a MAC-1 interaction, characterized by the absence of expression of the signal regulatory protein alpha. This subset is increased in patients responding to ICI therapy. Although the processes involving these cells in vivo are unknown, low-density CD15+SIRPα− cells might constitute a useful biomarker to monitor clinical response in MM patients. Abstract PMN-MDSCs support tumor progression and resistance to ICI therapy through their suppressive functions but their heterogeneity limits their use as biomarkers in cancer. Our aim was to investigate the phenotypic and functional subsets of PMN-MDSCs to identify biomarkers of response to ICI therapy. We isolated low-density CD15+ PMNs from patients with metastatic melanoma and assessed their immune-suppressive capacities. Expression of CD10 and CD16 was used to identify mature and immature subsets and correlate them to inhibition of T cell proliferation or direct cytotoxicity. Frequencies of the PMN-MDSCs subsets were next correlated to the radiological response of 36 patients receiving ICI therapy. Mature activated cells constituted the major population of PMN-MDSCs. They were found in a higher proportion in the pre-treatment blood of patients non responders to ICI. A subset of immature cells characterized by intermediate levels of CD10 and CD16, the absence of expression of SIRPα and a strong direct cytotoxicity to T cells was increased in patients responding to ICI. The paradoxical expansion of such cells during ICI therapy suggests a role of PMNs in the inflammatory events associated to efficient ICI therapy and the usefulness of their monitoring in patients care.


K–Ar dating was applied on authigenic potassic minerals which are abundant in sandstones from the south of the Sanfranciscana Basin, Western Minas Gerais State, central Brazil. The Quintinos Member fluvial sandstones (Três Barras Formation, Areado Group) contain significant amounts of authigenic K‐feldspar as microcrystals of adularia and sanidine habits. The ages of these microcrystals cluster into three groups: 106.1 ± 2.2, 89.9 ± 1.9 and 88.8 ± 1.8 Ma (from Albian to Coniacian). The older age of 106.1 ± 2.2 Ma was obtained from the coarse fraction analysed (10–20 µm) that can contain a mixture of detrital potassic minerals (K‐feldspar, muscovite, biotite and illite) and different authigenesis of K‐feldspar (overgrowths and microcrystals). Thus, only the younger ages were interpreted as precipitation of K‐feldspar microcrystals during the Late Cretaceous into the Quintinos Member sandstones. Moreover, these ages can document the formation of microcrystals within a few million years after deposition of the sandstones. The ages of authigenic illite from the Capacete Formation epiclastic sandstones (Mata da Corda Group) range from 88.5 ± 1.9 to 71.5 ± 1.9 Ma (Coniacian–Campanian). These results suggest the timing of the illitization event in these sandstones as well as a synchrony with K‐feldspar authigenesis in the Quintinos Member sandstones. These results are well constrained and are in agreement with stratigraphic, biostratigraphic and radiometric ages previously reported for the Sanfranciscana Basin. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Techniques for assessing the worth of natural resources and determining the cost of development projects on the basis of a demand curve have error bounds besides those already described in the literature by Willig (1976) and by Bockstael and McConnell (1980), but Hanemann shows how these can be minimized. Bockstael and McConnell, in reply, question the use of consumer's surplus to measure the value of natural-resource facilities and point out the range of evidence from interested parties and the arbitrary assignment of rights. Outcome of benefit cost analysis can be defined only in terms of the assignment of rights. 8 references. (DCK)


Analytic continuation of imaginary time or frequency data to the real axis is a crucial step in extracting dynamical properties from quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The average spectrum method provides an elegant solution by integrating over all non-negative spectra weighted by how well they fit the data. In a recent paper, we found that discretizing the functional integral as in Feynman's path-integrals, does not have a well-defined continuum limit. Instead, the limit depends on the discretization grid whose choice may strongly bias the results. In this paper, we demonstrate that sampling the grid points, instead of keeping them fixed, also changes the functional integral limit and rather helps to overcome the bias considerably. We provide an efficient algorithm for doing the sampling and show how the density of the grid points acts now as a default model with a significantly reduced biasing effect. The remaining bias depends mainly on the width of the grid density, so we go one step further and average also over densities of different widths. For a certain class of densities, including Gaussian and exponential ones, this width averaging can be done analytically, eliminating the need to specify this parameter without introducing any computational overhead.


Objective To evaluate the effects of Valsartan or Indapamide on sexual activity in middle-aged hypertensive men. Methods One hundred and twenty hypertensive men aged 35 to 55 years, all married and without any previous sexual dysfunction were randomly assigned to receive valsartan(80 mg/d) or indapamide(1.5 mg/d) for 8 weeks. Sexual activity was evaluated by using the international index erectile function-5 (IIEF-5) and the number of sexual intercourse episodes per week. Results The antihypertensive effects was similar in two groups. Valsartan significantly increased the score of sexual activity (from 14.1±5.4 to 17.7±4.6, P0.01) and the episodes of sexual intercourse (from 2.2±1.1 to 3.6±1.2, P0.01). In the Indapamide groups, antihypetensive treatment had no impact on the sexual activity in patients (score from 13.7±6.1 to 12.9±5.9; the episodes from 2.4±1.3 to 2.1±0.9, P0.05). No one complained of sexual dysfunction in the Valsartan group, however, 6 men (10) treated with Indapamide complained about sexual dysfunction symptoms. Conclusion Beside antihypertensive effect, valsartan may obviously improve the sexual activity in hypertensive men. Indapamide appears had no influence on sexual function.


This paper gives an overview of the history, design, and building of incrementally launched bridges. Sections are devoted to the conditions appropriate for this type of bridge, its primary features and advantages, design considerations, launching and construction aspects, and the sequence of work normally involved.


Market relationships built on trust and governed by commonly accepted ethical norms are generally viewed as economically positive and beneficial to both parties; however, such relationships are occasionally the situs of a variety of unexpected and ethically questionable behaviours. This study examines the narratives provided by participants who share their experience as an exchange partner in a market relationship or as a close observer of an exchange partner in a market relationship to identify the use of short-term deceptions and ethics defections in managing these relationships. The data demonstrate a number of instances in which one exchange partner is willing to deceive another. Situations identified include deceiving current customers, new customers, current suppliers, governmental bodies, and employees and managers for the purposes of: protecting an existing relationship, pursuing a new relationship, ensuring product or service quality, and exerting control over a relationship. This research develops a general analytic framework for the occurrence of deception and defection from ethical norms in market relationships from elements of the study participants' narrative reports. This framework can be used by future researchers to design studies that examine the specific antecedents of these behaviours.


The use of the data-processing networks, for the transmission and the transfer of the data, must satisfy two objectives which are: the reduction of the volume of information to free, the maximum possible, the public networks of communication, and the protection in order to guarantee a level of optimum safety. For this we have proposed a new hybrid approach of encryption-compression, which is based on the AES encryption algorithm of the dominant coe‐cients, in a mixedscale representation, of compression by the Faber-schauder Multi-scale Transform (FMT). The comparison of this approach with other methods of encryption-compression, such as Quadtree-AES and DCT-partialencryption, showed its good performance.


Abstract : Volume I of this report attempts to put the strategic airlift problem in perspective. The intent is to provide a basis for better understanding the complex factors that influence the program. This volume concludes that although national war contingency plans currently depend heavily on strategic airlift, the existing combined capability of the Military Airlift Command (MAC) and the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is inadequate to meet the strategic airlift demands of those plans and that the readiness of MAC to respond to a war emergency is being jeopardized. Each of several interrelated factors which underlie these strategic airlift deficiencies is examined.


Professional development for the learning and application of interprofessional skills in health care is becoming common in many places. The World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) and World Health Organization (WHO) advocate for IPE, recognising that educational purposes and methods necessarily vary country by country.1,2 The implementation of IPE varies depending on health care delivery systems and models, and on regional and local educational practices, cultural characteristics and other unique interprofessional work factors. Interprofessional and collaborative learning approaches, addressing teamwork and communication barriers relating to patient safety factors, have been developed, described and widely disseminated in western cultures; one example is the TeamSTEPPS curriculum, initiated in the USA in 1999.3 The WHO Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice in 2010 reported that IPE was taking place in 42 countries, and it endorsed IPE learning domains including teamwork, roles and responsibilities, communication and ethical practice.2 Optimising health services through IPE is a function of contextually relevant objectives, such as the dissemination of collaborative practice concepts, patient safety, health system improvements, workforce knowledge enhancement and community engagement.2,3


This research aims to explain the knowledge structure, characteristics, and global trends of smart education research from the past to the present. This article is a bibliometric study with open-source tools, such as R-Studio, the biblioshiny package, and VOSviewer, to analyze the data and help visualize the network for presenting knowledge structure, characteristics, and global research trends, such as the production of annual publications, influential resources, most relevant or prolific authors, publication networks that co-citations, authors' international collaboration, the scientific production of each country or each institution, and future trends. This study examined 1,580 articles published in international journals in the Scopus database on smart education from 1986 to 2022. The most annual scientific production will be in 2021, at 296 articles. The most relevant sources are Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies. The most influential author is Gwo-Jen Hwang. The most cited article has 293 citations. Trend topics that began to gain attention from 2021 – the present is Artificial Intelligence, COVID-19 and Smart Education, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things in Motor Themes will be developed further and remain the dominant topics in this research field. This article summarizes an overview, knowledge structure, characteristics, and global research trends of smart education research.


It is shown that Born-approximation calculations for the excitation of atomic oxygen are in reasonable agreement with recent close-coupling calculations using a single-configuration ground state, when the one-electron orbitals are determined via an approximation to the central potential of Herman and Skillman. This is in contrast to Born-approximation calculations using the independent-particle model of Green, Sellin, and Zachor, where the cross sections tend to be larger than those of the close-coupling calculations, but closer to the multiconfiguration ground-state calculations than the single-configuration ground-state calculations. (AIP)


This paper deals with the thermo-aerodynamical analysis of one-dimensional steady flow in a combustion chamber for gas turbine or jet engine. The phenomena, which were taken into account in this report, include : (1) area change, (2) wall friction, (3) external heat exchange and (4) chemical reaction (combustion). The distribution of heat release by combustion, dqc/dx, is assumed as follows : (i) dqc/dx=200Hu(Gf/G)xe-100x2 ( ii ) dqc/dx=30Hu(Gf/G)e-30x where qc : heat release by combustion per unit mass of flow, kcal/kg x : coordinate (in the direction of flow), m Hu : heat of combustion of fuel, kcal/kg Gf/G : fuel-air ratio (weight) and dqc/dxc0 at x=0.3m. The following results were obtained : Though the temperature, velocity and pressure-distribution in the direction of flow are different in the both cases of dqc/dx until x=0.3 m where the combustion ends, but those which are obtained by completion of combustion have almost no concern with the type of dqc/dx. The increases of temperature and velocity and also the decrease of pressure are linearly proportional to the fuel-air ratio in the case of constant area of duct. The pressure drop of convergent flow is larger than those of divergent flow and constant area flow.


cultural system levels. Workers involved in gender-related issues who deal with male violence and women survivors of abuse in the family and community will benefit directly from the book. This book, however, does not significantly explore the roots of patriarchal society in terms of gender identity construction and violence against men themselves through masculine culture, despite paying attention to patriarchal oppression in every aspect of women's lives from the most private to the most public political issues. Anyone interested in social change and the crucial role demasculinization plays in it should read the book. Without this kind of attention, any reaction to gender questions is likely to be too simplistic and lacking in awareness of all the issues involved.


The present analysis is focused on studying the effect of ferroelectric (FE) insulator layer and non-uniform doping on the performance of short channel planar SOI Junctionless transistor. The channel is considered to be non-uniformly doped in vertical direction and hafnium oxide based ferroelectric material is considered in the gate stack. The device behavior has been studied by obtaining various device characteristics and the effect of FE insulator layer thickness along with doping profile parameters such as straggle and projected range has been explored. It has been observed that incorporation of non-uniform doping and ferroelectric layer significantly improves the performance of planar SOI Junctionless transistor.


For the dimensional measurement using industrial co mputed tomography (CT), we ideally use precise voxel gray value information from the tomographic r econstruction of the object of interest, an ideal surface representation extracted from this informat ion, or both. However, tomographic reconstructions are influenced by a series of artifacts, for exampl e ring artifacts, as these disturb the surface extr acted from the volume. In this article, we will focus on the influence of ring artifacts and discuss possibl e improvements using a software-based ring artifact r eduction method for the dimensional measurements. We compare a sinogram-featured algori thm with the original results in this survey, and provide an overview whether it should be applied in order to achieve dimensional measurements by CT as precise as possible.


It is now recognised that the followers of Inazō Nitobe and Kanzō Uchimura played a highly important role in the development of post-war democratic education in Japan. In particular, Tamon Maeda is considered to have determined the direction of post-war education. This article briefly reviews the achievements of the followers of Nitobe and Uchimura and then focuses on Tamon Maeda and his philosophy on education. Like the other followers, Maeda firmly believed that the development of individuality and personality was necessary for the establishment of a democracy. Nevertheless, Maeda's belief lacks the factor of 'otherness' that helps to achieve self-establishment. As a result, there is only the possibility of realising a self-sufficient self in an intimate relationship with the highest being. On this point there is a definite contradiction within Maeda's idea of self-establishment.


Large doses of ibuprofen are often used for emergency department (ED) patients, despite evidence that doses above 400 mg increase rates of side effects


Linear programming Data Envelopment Analysis is used to determine the relative efficiency of 184 libraries in New York (U.S.A.). Efficiency is defined as whether or not a library could reduce the inputs it uses equiproportionately and still produce the same output. Inputs are defined programmatically: holdings, opening hours, serials and new books. Output is internal and external circulation.

The subject libraries operate at just 67% efficiency, i.e., inputs could be reduced by one-third without sacrificing output if all libraries were as efficient as the benchmark 23 identified by DEA. Too many hours of opening is the main source of inefficiency.


A vacuum processing technique is described that permits encapsulation of the sample in metal tubing by application of a cold‐weld pinch‐off. It is particularily useful for annealing samples of materials that are capable of gettering glass surfaces. The hardware involved are standard commerical items.


: Herein we report the electroanalytical determination of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) using glassy carbon electrode and graphene modified glassy carbon electrode. Glassy carbon electrode (GCE) does not show a peak corresponding to the electrooxidation of 4-NP whereas the commercial graphene (CG) modified glassy carbon electrode (CG/GCE) exhibits an oxidation peak at 0.10 V corresponding to the oxidation of 4-nitrophenol. From cyclic voltammetric studies, it is observed that the sensitivity of graphene modified glassy carbon is two-fold higher than that of glassy carbon electrode.


The present research explored the construct of Perceived Organizational Support(POS).Using a sample of 391 employees,the exploratory factor analysis(EFA) indicated that wording effect exists in negatively worded items.A confirmatory factor analysis(CFA) and multitrait-multimethod(MTMM) were used to evaluate the effect of item wording.The results indicated that method effects associated with negatively worded items were significant.Method variance has important effect on total variance of POS.The research not only explored the cause of wording factor but also suggested the necessity to develop Chinese scale of POS.


This paper concerns imagesegmentation andpresents amethod toautomically determine optimal regions ofinterest (ROI) according totopological information. TheuseofROIavoids theprocessing ofirrelevant imagepoints, therefore improvingandaccelerating segmentations. ROIdetermination is based ontheoptimal useofboththeapriori knowledge about topological structure ofanimageandthecontextual information. Contextual information concerns thenature ofalready segmented regions inthecaseofthehierarchical segmentation approach weconsider. Wedescribe this general purpose method andpropose aformulation fortheoptimal determination ofROIsaccording tobothinformations. Then, weillustrate theuseandtheimplementation ofsuchamethod inthe particular caseofmedical image segmentation. Index Terms-Biomedical image processing, Knowledge based systems, Topology, Imagesegmentation, Interactive systems


Introduction In May 2017, a service evaluation of the management of primary biliary cholangitis in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board was performed. The evaluation identified three groups of patients: 1) non-responders to optimal ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), 2) patients on sub-optimal UDCA ( Methods Of 112 patients evaluated in 2017, 30 were identified for review of their management. 11, 15, and 4 patients were in groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Clinical letters, weight, medications, and liver biochemistry results of these 30 patients were reviewed again in January 2020. Treatment response to UDCA was assessed using the Toronto criteria (ALP of >1.67 the upper limit of normal). Optimal UDCA therapy was considered to be ≥15 mg/kg based on most recent patient weight available. Results UDCA-non-responders (n=11) 3 did not have information available since 2017; 1 since deceased and 2 did not attend follow-up. Of the 8 reviewed 5 now have an ALP Sub-optimal UDCA patients (n=15) 2 did not have information available since 2017, both deceased. Of the 13 reviewed, 8 had an ALP Patients intolerant to UDCA (n=4) 2 patients have since died, and 1 was discharged due to old age and frailty. 1 patient would be eligible for OCA if pruritus resolves. Discussion Of the 22 patients that were reviewed, 13 now have an ALP


Over the last decade, there have been major advances in the area of "e-sensing", in both, technical and commercial aspects. An e-nose is a device that mimics human olfactory system. It perceives odor/flavor and characterizes each odor with a unique signal pattern. E-nose comprises of sensor block followed by an analysis block which performs feature extraction and pattern recognition. This paper reviews different types of gas sensors employed in electronic noses till date. It describes the operating principles of major sensor types and their applications. It lists the various advantages and disadvantages of all the mentioned types that are used in e-nose. Keywords—Electronic nose (e-nose), Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), conducting polymers, Surface acoustic waves (SAW), metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), optical sensors.


This paper highlights the importance of recognizing behavioral determinants in public health. Public health has evolved over the decades from those that focused on disease prevention to the all encompassing health promotion which places the interactive nature of participating components. Public health occurs within cultural contexts within which social and behavioral factors play important roles. Though it has long been recognized that people's socioeconomic status, attitude and behavior hinder them from using the health services, the challenge to bring forth greater equity and centrality of people in public health remains to be realized. In the meantime, health professionals have to increase their health literacy - knowing and learning more about the people's perspectives. Topics of past and current importance that require more concern and research in public health are compliance, stigma, gender, health education messages. Finally, a call for multidisciplinary approaches in public health is made.


Higher education is a key pillar in constructing new knowledge economies for the 21 century, and digitalsation of higher education is a central focus area for national authorities. In Norway, the strategy from the authorities holds the premise that the decision-making authority for digitalisation should be at a strategic level. Digitalisation is driven by key features of modern technology but may also lead to the transformation of traditional educational methods as well as educational practices. Since the university contains several disciplines, different strategies can be used when products or processes within the discipline are digitalized. In what ways do different disciplines proceed to digitalise their educational practices? Based on these interests, our research question is what strategies do university faculties pursue to solve challenges regarding digitalisation of higher education? Our empirical evidence is two cases from respectively medicine and law, and our contribution is an investigation into the strategies pursued in the digitalisation approaches, and the contextual differences that may explain the chosen strategies. We provide two models that describe and clarify the chosen strategies, thus providing a way of understanding strategies within digital infrastructures in higher education.


During one of our editorial meetings, I realized that everybody was mixing up picture books with young adult fiction. I said it and Giulio Einaudi seized the moment – Why don't you do it yourself, a picture books series? – So, I did it.These words are Bruno Munari's, who directed the Tantibambini series from 1972 to 1978. Munari conceived a cutting-edge revolutionary template design: square-sized books, without hardcover, which kept production costs low; every cover had an oval colour spot for the author's and illustrator's names, and the title was written in a different type consistent with the book content, logotype and, especially, the first lines of the story. This was totally new.This article, after defining the Italian historical and publishing context of the late sixties, analyzes the paratext as an important space for dialogue with the readers. Exploring the achievements and the commercial failure of the project, the article also analyzes the ferocious critique of the series, written by Natalia Ginzburg, a fine intellectual, and the critical consciousness of Einaudi publisher. In the end, it presents a metamorphosis: a new collection started by another publisher which harked back to the shape and the idea of Munari's project to narrate other stories.


Nectins, Ca2+‐independent immunoglobulin (Ig)‐like cell–cell adhesion molecules and cadherins, Ca2+‐dependent cell–cell adhesion molecules, are associated through their respective cytoplasmic tail‐binding proteins, afadin and catenins and play roles in formation of adherens junctions (AJs) in epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Nectin‐like molecule‐5 (Necl‐5) is a Ca2+‐independent Ig‐like molecule which does not homophilically trans‐interact, but heterophilically trans‐interacts with nectin‐3, one member of the nectin family. Necl‐5 does not directly bind afadin and therefore is not associated with cadherins. Necl‐5 regulates cell motility and proliferation in cooperation with integrins and growth factor receptors, when it does not interact with nectin‐3. We studied here a role of the heterophilic trans‐interaction of Necl‐5 with nectin‐3 in cell–cell adhesion using L cells stably expressing Necl‐5, nectin‐3 and E‐cadherin (Necl‐5‐nectin‐3‐EL cells). Afadin, E‐cadherin and catenins were recruited to the nectin‐3 side, but not to the Necl‐5 side, of the contact sites formed by the heterophilic trans‐interaction between Necl‐5 and nectin‐3. The anti‐Necl‐5 monoclonal antibody, which specifically inhibited the heterophilic trans‐interaction of Necl‐5 with nectin‐3, inhibited the formation of the E‐cadherin‐based AJs in Necl‐5‐nectin‐3‐EL cells. These results indicate that Necl‐5 plays roles not only in cell motility and proliferation but also in cell–cell adhesion in cooperation with nectin‐3.


In persons with normal renal function, renal length has been found to be the most important marker for assessing renal function. Ultrasound is readily available, non- invasive and provides a direct and easy method of determining renal length. The aim of this study is to determine the range of normal renal measurements among the students of College of Health Sciences, BUK. Renal lengths of apparently healthy volunteered students were measured using Mindray DP-7700 digital ultrasound scanner with a 3.5MHz curvilinear transducer. Maximum bipolar length for each kidney was measured with participants in supine position. Differences between renal length with age and gender was assessed while its relationship with BMI were assessed statistically for right and left kidneys. A total of 201 consenting participants were recruited into the study. Average mean bipolar length among the student's was established to be 9.28±0.94cm and 9.42±1.02cm for the right and left kidneys respectively. Mean renal length in males was found to be 9.51 ± 1.11cm for the left and 9.47 ± 0.93cm for the right which are slightly higher than those of the females 9.29 ± 0.87cm for the left and 9.07 ± 0.91cm for the right. The left kidneys were longer than the right kidneys. The mean renal length did not correlate with age and BMI. Nomogram of renal dimension among students of BUK were established. This will form basis for renal diagnosis especially for health Institutions like the BUK health services. Keywords: Normal students, Renal length, Ultrasonography


Abstract Essential oils from citrus peels were extracted and separated with CO2 under supercritical conditions in a single process. The peels were placed together with ethanol, as an entraining solvent, inside a high pressure cell filled with carbon dioxide at a pressure < 130 bar and a temperature of 35°C. The extract was fractionated in various pressure ranges after achieving equilibrium, and it was analyzed with a gas chromatograph. The initial fraction contained most of the water content of the peels while the following fractions were rich in essential oils. A mechanism for the extraction and separation is also given.


An object of the present invention is to provide an EUV light generator. A particular one or using a variety of 2 Motoso material for use in a plasma generating EUV light source chamber is more reactive than the MLM stack and single and binary plasma source material MLM material equipment and method for forming a plasma generated EUV light source optical element comprising a cap layer, for example, a reflector comprising a cap layer. .FIELD 6


The production of thermal muonium in a vacuum region has been investigated using an array of 200 thin (approximately 1000 A thick) gold foils exposed to a stopping ..mu../sup +/ beam. By examining the observed time-dependence of the ..mu../sup +/-decay spectra in various transverse magnetic fields, we estimate that the lower limit of the probability of muonium formation by these gold foils placed in vacuum was 0.28 +- 0.05.


The key to an. understanding of the Statute of the International Tribunal for the prosecution of persons responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia (hereinafter International Tribunal or Tribunal) is the context within which the Security Council took its decision of principle to establish it By the end of February 1993 the conflict in the former Yugoslavia had been underway for more than 18 months, the principal focus of the conflict shifting from Slovenia to Croatia and then to Bosnia. United Nations involvement, through UNPROFOR, which at its inception had been conceived of as a protection force to shield pockets of Serbs in a newly independent Croatia (the United Nations Protected Areas) had gradually evolved into a multi-dimensional peace-keeping force whose main activities then centred on Bosnia. The character of the conflict had also evolved. While from the very beginning great brutality had marked the conduct of the parties, it was in Bosnia that the first signs of international crimes began to emerge: mass executions, mass sexual assaults and rapes, the existence of concentration camps and the implementation of a policy of so-called 'ethnic cleansing'. The Security Council repeatedly enjoined the parties to observe and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law but the parties systematically ignored such injunctions. In October 1992 the Security Council, unable to control the wilful disregard by the parties for international norms, sought to create a dissuasive effect by asking the Secretary-General to establish a


TiAlN films were deposited on ASTM A36 steel by RF reactive sputtering process using a TiAl (60/40%) target. Films were sputtered at two different relative pressures, 0,05 and 0,1, keeping constant the Argon pressure. The films were deposited on samples with different pretreatments: as received material, hardened and quenched, plasma-nitrided, and with initial coatings of Ti and TiN. Film deposition was conducted at 230°C. The TiAlN films showed composition Ti0.4Al0.6N with preferred orientation (200). The best properties of hardness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance were observed at a relative pressure of 0,1 and best adherence at a relative pressure of 0,05. The highest was 2500 HK.


We compare therateofamultiple-antenna relaychannel, underdifferent channel state information (CSI) and channel tothecapacity ofmultiple-antenna systems tocharac-powerallocation assumptions. Itwasshownthattransmitter terize thecooperative capacity indifferent SNRregions. Whileit cooperation ismore favorable withCSIatthetransmitter isknownthatintheasymptotic regime, atahighSNRorwitha cooperation is mrfvab wi C ate trmit large numberofcooperating nodes, cooperative systems lackfull(CSIT), whilereceiver cooperatIon issuperor underopima multiplexing gain, inthis paper weconsider cooperative capacity powerallocation without CSIT. gainatmoderate SNR witha fixed numberofcooperating Thecapacity ofcooperative systems hasbeenstudied inthe antennas. Weshowthat uptoalower boundtoanSNRthreshold, asymptotic regime. In(16), itwasshownthat atasymptotically acooperative system performs atleast aswell asaMIMO systemhighsignal-to-noise ratio (SNR), themultiplexing gainofan withisotropic inputs; whereas beyond anupperboundtotheSNR ' threshold, thecooperative system islimited byitscoordination N-source-destnation-pair


The note contains two remarks to the authors note (Mathematical Notes, Vol. 94, 2013, p. 154 -- 156; in Russian) which was also devoted to sufficient conditions of global operator monotonicity.


To treat male urinary incontinence, transobturator surgery has been developed. This operation helped to design around the sciatic ramus male pelvis from the inside to the outside a dedicated instrument (i.e., the suburethral space to thigh groove) passes. From inside transobturator sling to the outside, and a dedicated instrument, from inside the closed pores in the threaded pulled to compress upwards the bulbar urethra two being bundled across the midline to the outside using a polypropylene mesh with an arm. Mesh, are bound under bulbar urethra after passing around the ischial pubic ramus, where the tensioning and support.


The purpose of this study was to explore factors that affected the satisfaction of students' experiences in an education course, with the educational method and educational technology designed with a blended learning strategy. Blended learning is currently recognized as a good solution for the problems posed by both online and face-to-face learning, because it has features like flexibility and accessibility by using tools supporting both individualization and socialization. This study is one case that illustrates how blended learning can be applied at the university level. Subjects were 56 students who had participated in the class and responded to the survey questions. The gathered data were analyzed by using Factor Analysis and the Structural Equation Model. Based on the results of Factor Analysis, data revealed 5 factors: learning motivation, previous experience, ability to use information & technology, capability of self-regulated learning, and learning satisfaction. The results of the Structural Equation Model revealed causal relationships among the aforementioned factors as follows: (a) there was a statistically meaningful causal relationship between "learning motivation" and "capability of self-regulated learning", (b) there was a statistically meaningful casual relationship between "previous experience" and "capability of self-regulated learning", and (c) "capability of self-regulated learning" directly affected "learning satisfaction".


A comprehensive rainfall-runoff database for the Mulde catchment in Central Germany was developed to support flood risk assessment and flood management. A large number of randomly generated 20-day rainfall scenarios and several combinations of model initialization states are the basis for the simulation of basin response by applying a metric conceptual rainfall-runoff model. The rainfall scenarios are divided into three periods; a five day initialization period to represent pre-conditions, a two day storm period representing a rainfall extreme event, and a final period characterized by low rainfall volumes to study streamflow recession behaviour. The rainfall-runoff database can be used as an effective tool to easily assess possible streamflow situations assuming different rainfall volumes for the following days. The benefit of the database approach is that it can be easily used by persons who are not necessarily familiar with hydrologic modelling, because the modelling step has already been accomplished. The study area was strongly affected by the extreme flood event in August 2002. In order to study the rainfall-runoff models' capabilities to capture this extreme event it was calibrated to training sets of input data including and not including this event. The model was calibrated using different objective functions, the NashSutcliffe efficiency and a modified Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency adapted to high flow conditions. Only simulations with model settings calibrated to time series including the extreme event were capturing the flood event sufficiently. Due to the growing complexity in rainfallrunoff modelling during seasons affected by snowmelt processes, the applicability of the database in the current state is limited in snow affected catchments to the warm season.


Normal hemoglobin levels generally differ in both men and women. According to the WHO normal hemoglobin levels in adultwomen 12.0 gr/dl, adult males 13.0 gr/dl, pregnant women 11.0 gr/dl. The prevalence of anemia is estimated to be about 14percent in developed countries and 51 percent of developing countries (Vanamala, et al, 2018). In 2011, the prevalence ofanemia in pregnant women was 29 percent and pregnant women aged 15-49 were 38 percent. The World HealthOrganization (WHO) is targeting a 50 percent decrease in the prevalence of anemia in WUS by 2025 (WHA, 2015). Anemiain pregnant women is a problem that needs to be taken seriously, because it has a bad impact on the fetus, the laborprocess and postpartum period. Fe tablets have been given to prevent anemia but the prevalence of anemia until now is stillhigh. Maternal Mortality Rate (AKI) and Infant Mortality Rate (AKB). Morbidity and perinatal maternal mortality are still high indeveloping countries. According to a 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) report, the world maternal mortality rate is289,000. The number of maternal deaths decreased from 385 in 1990 to 216 in 2015 per 100,000 live births. The WorldHealth Organization (WHO) estimates 800 women die every day from pregnancy complications and the birth process. About99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries. About 80% of maternal deaths are due to increased complicationsduring pregnancy, childbirth and after childbirth (WHO, 2014).


In Food revolution of Korea, colorimetries or a titration methods are introduced for the analysis of alcoholic liquors. But, these wet analyses have disadvantages such as individual errors, long process time, and sometimes tedious pretreatments. In the process of making alcoholic liquors, fusel oils are produced as by products. Five main fusel components that could be produced are 2-propanol, n-propanol, iso-butanol, n-butsnol, and isoamyl alcohol. Also acetaldehyde and methanol could be produced as by-products of ethanol. With using capillary FFAP column in GC or GC/MSD, we analysed these five fusel components as well as internal standard (acetonitrile) including methanol, acetaldehyde and ethanol simultaneously. We obtained excellent mass spectra as qualitative data of all species. We also took excellent quantitative data with GC by using the internal standard method.


The inverted nipple is not only abnormality in morphology,but also in dysfunction in mammary as well as depression in psychology.The plastic operations for inverted nipple were mainly divided into 2 types according to disconnection of mammary duct.The varied operative methods were considered and Sakei method was improved according to protection of mammary function.The 5 classes based on clinical symptom were taken as selection of operative indication and new method had controlled operative injury as possible as it could be and simplified operative performance.The mammary duct and vessels were protected after resection of duct fibro-brand and musle,then 2 "Z" flaps were performed to make neck of nipple and kept nipple morphology so that prevent relapse after operation.This method might keep continuous of mammary duct and its main function,flap blood supply and prevention of necrosis of flap.


The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia on November 13, 1985, caused the death of 25,000 people. The potential for tragedies of similar or greater dimensions exists at many other volcanos, expecially those in developing countries. The International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAV-CEI), on the occasion of the International Volcanological Congress in New Zealand (February 1986), strongly urged that programs to reduce the risk of major volcanic catastrophies be initiated and given lasting support.


Poly(3-hydroxybutanoic acid) having a number average molecular weight of not less than 500,000 is oriented at a draw ratio of 2-fold or more to reproducibly obtain a film made of poly(3-hydroxybutanoic acid) having biodegradability and biocompatibility as well as sufficient strength and flexibility (for example, tensile strength of not less than 30 MPa and elongation to break of not less than 15%).


A wind turbine working in a harsh environment is prone to generate abnormal data. An efficient algorithm based on the combination of an Isolation Forest (I-Forest) and a mean-shift algorithm is proposed for data cleaning in wind power curves. The I-Forest is used for detecting the local anomalies in each power and wind speed interval after data preprocessing. The contamination of I-Forest can be flexibly adjusted according to the data distribution of the wind turbine data. The remaining stacked data is eliminated by the mean-shift algorithm. To verify the filtering performance of the proposed combined method, five different algorithms, including the quartile and k-means (QK), the quartile and density-based spatial clustering (QD), the mathematical morphology operation (MMO), the fast data cleaning algorithm (FA), and the proposed one, are applied to the wind power curves of a prototype wind farm for comparisons. The numerical results have positively confirmed the reliability of the universal framework provided by the proposed algorithm.


Constructing an objective with a higher number of objective functions may turn out to be necessary, especially when an objective with a single target function, supplemented with relevant constraints, fails to describe the posed problem in a proper way. Taking into account a higher count of criteria, which are usually contradictory to each other and are mutually incalculable, causes a situation where they cannot be brought down to a single, scalar criterion. Instead of a single objective function (1), a vector of functions is obtained and a search for the optimal compromise among them is under way [1].   ) x ( F ),..., x ( F ), x ( F ) x ( F m 2 1  (1) Increasing the number of objective functions increases the objective's difficulty. The designer should properly define the problem by introducing relevant expressions that can be described in a natural manner. Multiobjective optimization consists in minimizing or maximizing the vector of objective functions, which is subject to constraints (2). ) x ( F max min n R x , subject to


A study on vulcanization systems consist of conventional (CV), semi-efficient (SEV) and efficient (EV) was carried out by fabricating the CCTO/ENR50 composites. The rubber compound was mixed in internal mixer at 60°C and 60 rpm rotor speed for 13 min. Then, followed by hot pressing at 160°C. The effect of the vulcanization system of the composites was closely monitored on mechanical properties (stress versus strain, tensile strength, elongation at break and hardness. As a result, the CCTO/ENR50 composites with the SEV system exhibit higher modulus strength, which is related to the stiffness of the composite. Hence, it reduced the elongation at break (%) from 591 (CV system) to 495% (SEV system). It also gives high tensile strength, 5.47 MPa, and 47.74 Shore A in hardness compared to other vulcanization systems.


Leach (Nature, 199:486, 1963) has shown that sialic acid is released from mucin and broken down at once in incubated human whole saliva. On the other hand, Eggers-Lura (Arch. oral Biol., 4:1i41, 1961) has demonstrated that the sialic content of submaxillary saliva is greatly increased when incubated with sucrose. Freshly collected human whole saliva was incubated at 370 C. with sugar, and the amounts of total and free sialic acid were measured at various times using Warren's method (J. biol. Chem., 234:1971, 1959). The difference between these two values was regarded as the amount of mucin-bound sialic acid. In order to eliminate the sugar and its degradation products, the sialic acid in the saliva was purified before measurement by passing the samples through a column of Dowex 1-X10. Total sialic content of whole saliva samples from 42 persons was equal to 4.5 + 1.7 mg. per 100 ml. saliva, and the amount of sialic acid obtained from the caries-active group was some 1.6 times greater than that obtained from the caries-resistant group. But the difference between these two groups is not significant. When saliva was incubated at 37° C., the changes in the amounts of bound and total sialic acid were similar to those found by Leach. Bound sialic acid decreased and free sialic acid showed no increase. However, when incubated with 25 mg. sucrose per milliliter of saliva, though there was no change in


BACKGROUND
L2-based human papillomavirus (HPV) prophylactic vaccines, containing epitopes from HPV minor capsid proteins, are under investigation as second generation HPV vaccines. No such vaccine has passed clinical trials yet, mainly due to the low immunogenicity of peptide vaccines; so efforts are being continued. A candidate vaccine composed of two HPV16 L2 epitopes, flagellin and a toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 agonist (RS09) as adjuvants, and two universal T-helper epitopes was designed in silico in our previous researches.

METHODS
The designed vaccine construct was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and purified through metal affinity chromatography. Following mice vaccination, blood samples underwent ELISA and flow cytometry analyses for detection of IgG and seven Th1 and Th2 cytokines.

RESULTS
Following immunization, Th1 (IFN-γ, IL-2) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10) type cytokines as well as IgG were induced significantly compared to the PBS group. Significant increases in IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-5 levels were observed in the vaccinated group versus Freund's adjuvant group.

CONCLUSION
The obtained cytokine induction profile implied both cellular and humoral responses, with a more Th-1 favored trend. No significant elevation in inflammatory cytokines, (IL-6 and TNF-α), suggests lack of unwanted inflammatory side effects despite using a combination of two TLR agonists. The designed vaccine might be capable of inducing adaptive and innate immunity and deserves more specific future investigations.


Objective and design  Gross cystic disease (GCD) of the breast is reported to occur in 7% of women in the developed world and, although not premalignant, is thought to be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Hormone and growth factor concentration levels were measured in breast cyst fluid (BCF) to correlate them with their mitogenic activity in tumour (MCF‐7) or nontransformed (MCF‐10A) cells.


Lymphocytes are critical "moving parts" of the dynamic defense system protecting us from invading pathogens and internal enemies. A recent report from Milner et al. has pinpointed a way to position T lymphocytes at strategic locations in the body. This insight may ultimately improve our approaches to vaccination and cancer treatment. T cells patrol the body, by proxy, wandering from lymph node to lymph node until encountering evidence that a barrier has been breached or that a tissue has undergone malignant transformation. When selected T cell clones are presented evidence of "intrusion," they undergo vigorous division and produce cellular descendants with heterogeneous differentiation fates (Figure 1). Cells that differentiate (effector cells) leave the lymph node to exert function in relevant tissues, and subsequently die. Memory T cells persist following control of infection and serve specialized functions. Less differentiated (central memory) cells recirculate through lymph nodes and upon rechallenge give rise to differentiated effector cells while selfrenewing the central memory cell pool. Effector memory cells are typically more differentiated than central memory cells and circulate more widely, even passing through non-lymphoid tissues. Tissueresident memory cells populate nonlymphoid tissues neither dying like bona fide effector cells nor recirculating like other memory cells. Tissue-resident memory cells thereby provide heightened defense in organs and barrier surfaces during recurrence of infections. The ontogeny of tissue-resident memory T cells is incompletely understood but the paper by Milner et al. provides important insight into the transcription factor network that governs the establishment and maintenance of tissue residence by CD8 T cells. Conventionally, candidate transcription factors of lineage specification would be uniquely expressed in said lineage. Instead, Milner et al. used a discovery approach not requiring unique gene expression of a transcription factor for its candidacy. The authors exploited a Google-like algorithm that combines chromatin accessibility and gene expression data to predict key transcription factors, followed by validation of potential candidates using RNA interference. Milner et al. discovered that Runx3, a transcriptional regulator important in development and function of CD8 T cells as well as intestinal tissue residence of CD4 T cells is a key transcription factor for tissue-resident memory cell localization. Despite being expressed at relatively similar levels in all memory CD8 T cells, genetic experiments indicated that Runx3 is necessary and sufficient for establishment and maintenance of non-lymphoid tissue residence by CD8 memory T cells. In addition to promoting expression of genes associated with tissue residence and repressing genes associated with circulating memory cells, Runx3 also positively regulated cell survival and expression of Granzyme B in tissueresident memory cells. Because tissue-resident memory cells share characteristics with tumor-infiltrating T cells, the authors used genetic approaches to test the role of Runx3 in cancer models. As observed in infectious disease models, Runx3 overexpression promoted tumor-infiltrating T cell abundance and tumor clearance, while loss of Runx3 was deleterious for T cell persistence in tumor and control of tumor burden. In human cancer specimens, Runx3 expression in tumor-infiltrating T cells correlated with the tissue-resident gene expression signature, suggesting that Runx3 may be an important biomarker as well a mode of immune enhancement in nonlymphoid tissues. The study by Milner et al. adds important and therapeutically relevant information about the establishment and maintenance of tissue residency among memory T Correspondence Steven L Reiner, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


: The Fuzzy set theory has numerous real-life applications in almost every field like artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, medical diagnosis etc. There are so many techniques used for solving decision-making problems given by various researchers from time to time. To be able to make consistent and correct choices is the essence of any decision process pervade with uncertainty. Fuzzy matrix theory plays an important role in scientific development under uncertain conditions. Nowadays there are huge varieties of mobile phones with varying features available in the market. Everyone wants to purchase such a mobile phone which has as many features as possible within it but under his/her budget. This has become an important issue in this modern era where everyone wants to have the most preferred mobile handsets for himself/herself as compared to others. So, in this paper, the Fuzzy matrix approach is used in a decision-making problem where a number of buyers can be able to choose their preferred mobile phones with varying features.


Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic chemical compounds with a similar structure comprising at least two joined aromatic rings. PAHs have different chemical characteristics and environmental sources, and are found as gases and associated with particles; in the environment, they always appear as mixtures. After absorption into the human body, PAHs may be altered into substances that can damage the genetic material cells and initiate the development of cancer, although individual PAHs have different capacities to damage cells thus. There is clear evidence that PAH mixtures are carcinogenic in humans. This report discusses: (1) sources of exposure to PAHs, including emissions from vehicles with petrol or diesel engines; (2) the measurement and monitoring of PAHs; (3) the effects of PAHs on human health; (4) the choice of a marker compound for PAHs; (5) the justification of an air quality standard for PAHs; and (6) a recommendation for an air quality standard for PAHs. There are several tables, including those giving the estimated UK emissions (particulate and gas phase) of PAHs and benzopyrene from selected emission sources, and ambient concentrations of selected non-volatile PAHs in London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, and a semi-rural UK site.


In 1865, Walt Whitman commemorated the American Civil War with a slim poetry collection, Drum-Taps, but before he could distribute the book, it became "incomplete" when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in April of that year. Whitman knew that he could not honor the war's legacy without recognizing the sacrifice of the Commander-in-Chief, and so retained the books until he could print Sequel to Drum-Taps and sew in these final pages to round out the volume. As in Drum-Taps, not all the poems in Sequel relate battles or muse on militaristic themes; one such poem is "Chanting the Square Deific," a surprising broadening of Trinitarian theology by the introduction of Satan as third person of a Quaternity and the gender inversion of the Holy Spirit as "Santa Spirita," thereby introducing femininity into the traditionally masculine triad. Reading the poem in dialogue with his more famous Lincoln elegy, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," reveals a condensed theology and its application: Whitman's theological "Squaring" of Father, Son, Satan, and Santa Spirita, reinforcing the quaternity of lilac, star, hermit thrush, and memory that helps him articulate his—and his nation's—grief over its loss.


l‐Ficolin, like mannan‐binding lectin (MBL), is a lectin pathway activator present in normal human plasma. Upon binding ligand, l‐ficolin similarly initiates C4 cleavage via the serine protease MBL‐associated serine protease‐2 (MASP‐2). We sought further insight into l‐ficolin binding reactions and MASP‐2 activation by passing plasma through GlcNAc‐derivatized Sepharose. l‐Ficolin bound in 1·0 M NaCl‐ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and remained bound in NaCl‐free EDTA, while MASP‐2 eluted in proenzyme form (∼20% yield, > 40 000‐fold purification). l‐Ficolin was eluted with GlcNAc in 1·0 M NaCl (∼10% yield, > 3000‐fold purification), with trace amounts of C3, α2‐macroglobulin and both native and activated MASP‐2. These preparations were utilized to investigate l‐ficolin reactivities with acetylated low‐density lipoprotein (A‐LDL) as a model ligand in albumin‐free systems. l‐Ficolin bound strongly to A‐LDL in the absence as well as presence of calcium, including saline‐EDTA, and was optimal in 1·0 M NaCl‐EDTA, but binding failed to occur in EDTA in the absence of NaCl. The addition of l‐ficolin to immobilized A‐LDL resulted in activation of MASP‐2 in unmodified but not ficolin‐depleted plasma unless l‐ficolin was restored. We conclude that A‐LDL is a useful ligand for investigation of l‐ficolin function; both binding and activation are optimally examined in systems free of albumin; and ligand binding in 1·0 M NaCl in EDTA can be useful in the isolation of l‐ficolin and native MASP‐2.


Lily flower colors are derived mainly from anthocyanins and carotenoids,and anthocyanins are the major pigment in pink and chocolate brown cultivars,whilst carotenoids in yellow and orange cultivars,and both anthocyanins and carotenoids contribute to red ones. The genetic mechanism and biosynthetic pathway of pigments are complicated in lily. It is documented that several genetic linkage maps of lily populations have been preliminarily constructed,and several quantitative trait locis related with flower color were also mapped. Many structural genes involved in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin and carotenoid have been isolated and identified. The transcription factor Lh MYB12 involved in anthocyanin pathway regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis and determines the presence or absence of anthocyanin pigmentation in tepals,its transcript level affects the intensity and pattern of anthocyanin color. The better understanding on pigment biosynthetic pathway is helpful for breeding to change flower color by engineering the pathways in lily cultivars.


The programmable processors newest technologies, as for example the multicore Digital Signal Processors (DSP), offer a promising solution for overcoming the complexity of the real time video encoding application. In this paper, the SHVC down sampling module was effectively implemented on a single core of TMS320C6678 DSP for a Common Intermediate Format (CIF)input video sequence res-olution(352x288). Results show the implementation of the down sampling module on TMS320C6678 with verifying the presence of the three LCrCb components on the output down sampled video sequence.


The influence of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the output and productivity of software companies was analysed using corporate financial data of Japanese software companies. The analysis was done on the basis that FDI improves productivity through more effective development, and increases output through market expansion. To solve the endogeneity of self-selection, whereby enterprises with higher productivity and output are more likely to engage in FDI to increase their productivity and output, propensity score analysis was used. As a result, it was recognised that FDI significantly improved output growth rate, but did not necessarily improve productivity growth rate. This result likely derives from the difficulties faced by Japanese software companies in developing and managing foreign country branches.


The value of contrast enhancement for the diagnosis of the ischemic brain infarct is discussed critically. In some publications there were hints to possible deterioration of the clinical prognosis of patients with brain infarcts if contrast medium had invaded into the brain parenchyma. The pathophysiological base is briefly discussed. The leading idea is the restrictive use of the contrast medium. Our opinions of different publications are controversial, and therefore useless for the diagnostic consequences. We have gained by working out detailed rules for the indication of a intravasal contrast application in patients with brain infarcts.


Despite the overall increase in students' educational level, the college graduates' employment rate has decreased. Unlike other fields of education, the fields of culinary and baking in community colleges require students to engage in practical experience. Management undergraduate is the key of the maintenance of community colleges because of the decrement of the entrance resources. In these circumstances, it is meaningful that we inquire the correlation between major selection motivation and practical class attitude through an empirical analysis. The results of this study were as follows; first, we set the theoretical foundations and drew the composition of individual motive and social motive by the conceptual approach. Second, major selection motivation affected practical class attitude partly through multiple regression analysis. Individual motive was affected preparation attitude, practice attitude and review attitude. Social motive affected review attitude only.


Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) belongs to human retrovirus family and transmitted by blood transfusion and blood products. 36.9 million People were living with HIV infection worldwide in 2014 approximately 1 , during which 2 million (1.9–2.2 million) new infections with HIV had occurred. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients treated by hemodialysis (HD) are more susceptible for infection by human immunodeficiency virus infection. Renal failure can be an associated condition or could be a direct consequence of HIV infection 2 , 3 . Advanced HIV disease which is indicates by a low CD4 cell count is development of renal diseases subsequently 4 , however many other causes now may cause renal failure in patients with HIV, including drug-induced toxicity, hypertensive nephroangiosclerosis, and diabetes 5 . HIV infection and hemodialysis have same consequences such as cardiovascular diseases, immunosuppression, anemia, weight loss, and osteodystrophy 6 , 7 . Compared with rate of infection with other viral infection such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV), the risk of HIV infection among hemodialysis patients is lower as the contact with contaminated sources. Although intensive HIV research has been done for 20 years, we have a little knowledge about mortality risk factor in ESRD on HIV-infected patients. Hemodialysis patients who have HIV-infected are assumed to a high risk for death 4 . The finding the current study demonstrated the prevalence of HIV in hemodialysis patients which was conducted in 5 hemodialysis centers in Tehran province, Iran, in the 2016. All the enrolled participants were informed about study and written informed consent was obtained. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 16 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA).  Among 360 patients, 213 (59.17%) of patients were men and 147 (40. 83%) were females; the mean age of patients was 53.43. HIV Ab was negative in all cases. This result has been confirmed in other studies as well 8 . The highest frequency for duration of dialysis is 1-5 years. Nowadays viral transmission via hemodialysis routes is controlled and limited since more effective screening of blood donor. Screening and early diagnosis of kidney disease will improve outcomes in patients with HIV infection. Considering all of these evidences, further studies are recommended strongly to evaluate the real prevalence of HIV in these patients.


Gamma‐ray binaries have been uncovered as a new class of Galactic objects in the very high energy sky (>100 GeV). The three systems known today have hard X‐ray spectra (photon index ∼1.5), extended radio emission and a high luminosity in gamma‐rays. Recent monitoring campaigns of LSI +61°303 in X‐rays have confirmed variability in these systems and revealed a spectral hardening with increasing flux. In a generic one‐zone leptonic model, the cooling of relativistic electrons accounts for the main spectral and temporal features observed at high energy. Persistent hard X‐ray emission is expected to extend well beyond 10 keV. We explain how Simbol‐X will constrain the existing models in connection with Fermi Space Telescope measurements. Because of its unprecedented sensitivity in hard X‐rays, Simbol‐X will also play a role in the discovery of new gamma‐ray binaries, giving new insights into the evolution of compact binaries.


We have analyzed global transcriptome in yeast strains lacking the NMD component Upf1p or Xrn1p using tiling microarrays. Using these arrays, we showed recently that NMD eliminates many unspliced precursors that arise from inefficient splicing (Sayani, Mol.Cell 2008). We pursued this analysis by generating double mutants where splicing factors and the NMD are both inactivated. Arrays of these double mutants showed that unspliced precursors of many genes are detectable only when both NMD and these splicing factors are inactivated, indicating that NMD eliminates unspliced precursors resulting from splicing factors inactivation. This is a new function for NMD, as the nuclear exosome was thought to be responsible for degrading unspliced RNAs resulting from splicing factors mutations. Finally, we found that many subtelomeric genes accumulate 5′‐extended species in NMD mutants. These extended RNAs function to repress transcription at the normal promoters. NMD mutants are deficient for induction of these genes, but inactivation of the Histone Deacetylase Hda1p is sufficient to rescue this defect, suggesting a connection between silencing due to these 5′‐extended RNAs and chromatin modifications. Overall, these results have revealed novel functions for NMD in quality control of splicing in yeast, and identified an intriguing connection between NMD function and subtelomeric gene silencing.


Introduction: Despite having emerged as a definitive treatment for diabetes mellitus (DM), pancreas transplantation remains a formidable surgical task owing to complications like graft pancreatitis, enteric leaks, and rejection. This becomes more challenging in the setting of underlying bowel pathology, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which has a strong immune-genomic association of co-existence with DM. Risk of anastomotic leaks, dose adjustments of immunosuppressants and biologicals, and management of IBD flares constitute some of the major perioperative challenges calling for a protocol-based, systematic, multidisciplinary approach. Patients and methods: This was a retrospective case series of patients between January 1996 and July 2021, with all patients being followed up until December 2021. All consecutive patients with end-stage DM who underwent pancreas transplantation (alone, simultaneous with kidney transplantation or after kidney transplantation) and had pre-existing IBD were included in the study. A Comparison of 1-, 5-, 10-year survival was done with pancreas transplant recipients without underlying IBD using Kaplan–Meir curves. Results: Of the total 630 pancreas transplants performed between 1996 and 2021, eight patients had IBD, mostly Crohn's disease. Following pancreas transplantation, two of the eight patients had duodenal leaks, with one a requiring graft pancreatectomy. The 5-year graft survival rate for the cohort was 75% compared to 81.6% for the overall cohort of patients undergoing pancreas transplantation (P=0.48) with a median graft survival of 48.4 months compared to 68.1 months in the latter (P=0.56). Conclusion: The findings of the series provide a snapshot of the outcome of pancreas transplantation in the background of IBD, suggesting a graft and overall patient survival rates comparable with pancreas transplantation in patients without underlying IBD, with further validation of the findings required in a larger cohort of patients in the future.


Last winter I was lying in the red dirt in the middle of the Sandover Highway two hundred kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. I was trying to get the jack under my Hilux campervan after a blowout. I remembered the quizzical expression on my gym instructor's face some months before. I had just told her I wanted to come to the Gym for the Ageing so I could crawl under my truck. Her eyes flickered down to the birth date on my application form as she tried to calculate my seventy-eight years.