Should Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology (DMCN) publish research funded by the drug industry? This is a highly controversial issue and journals such as the British Medical Journal have considered refusing to publish pharma-sponsored research. Clinical trials of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) funded by the drug industry are much more likely than publicly funded trials to produce results favourable to the company. Would publishing pharma-sponsored studies increase the risk of further distorting the evidence base? How does the study by Delgado et al., sponsored by Ipsen, measure up against this background? Children with upper-limb spasticity secondary to cerebral palsy were randomized to one of three doses of BoNT-A, combined with 'a personalized, goal-oriented home-exercise therapy program (HETP)'. The doses are intriguing: 2U/kg, 8U/kg, or 16U/kg. According to Ipsen's product information, and in accord with my experience of using this drug, 2U/kg is clearly a subtherapeutic dose and is described by the authors as a control. The authors found there was a significant reduction in modified Ashworth scale (MAS) scores in the 2U/kg (control) group, which was unexpected. Even more startling was the finding that there were no significant differences in functional outcomes (Physician Global Assessment [PGA] and goal attainment scaling [GAS]) between the three groups. The authors explain these findings on the ability of HETP to reduce muscle tone. Perhaps a more plausible explanation is limitations in informed consent and in the outcome measures. Participants in all three groups were told that they would receive an injection of BoNT-A and expected an improvement. The researchers found an improvement. However, this raises questions regarding the process of informed consent, the fidelity of the outcome measures, and blinding. A dose of 2U/kg is subtherapeutic and should have resulted in no measurable effects. Because of the mounting evidence of muscle atrophy and fibrosis in the injected muscle, current recommendations are to use the lowest possible dose of BoNT-A, as infrequently as possible. Given that a dose of 2U/kg plus HETP was as effective for function as the therapeutic doses, this should logically be the preferred dose. I suggest the authors (and Ipsen) change their protocols in light of these findings. This study seems to serve the regulators and Ipsen better than researchers and clinicians, as a result of the choice of outcome measures. The primary outcome measure was the MAS, despite its documented shortcomings. The secondary (functional) outcome measures were also psychometrically weak (PGA and GAS). None are objective or verifiable. Superior outcome measures are available but were not used. MAS is a classic surrogate outcome measure and is not very meaningful. Over the last 25 years, studies have shown that BoNT-A reduces MAS scores and replication of this finding is redundant. Pharmaceutical companies choose outcome measures which will showcase their drug in the best light and give the best return on investment. These goals are very different from the goals of researchers who want to advance the field beyond where we were 25 years ago. The key question is, are the functional benefits worth the harm to the injected muscle? In my opinion, this study fails to provide the answer. In conclusion, weighing benefits and drawbacks, the best intervention for clinicians to improve function in children with upper-limb spasticity is 2U/kg plus HETP. Researchers should embrace the opportunity to address the evidence gap by designing a study in which a dose of 2U/ kg of abobotulinumtoxinA is compared to the outcomes of HETP alone. Importantly, journals such as DMCN should continue to examine the pros and cons of publishing pharma-sponsored research.


p53 is a tumor suppressor gene that commonly undergoes mutations in human tumors, including lymphomas. Becausep53 mutations are not restricted to a single locus immunohistochemistry is useful to detectp53 expression and correlate thisfinding with lymphoma phenotype. Cryostat sections from 125 cases of lymphoma were analyzedforp53 expression using three different monoclonal antibodies (pAb 421, 1801, 240) which react with human cellular p53 and a common conformational epitope on mutant p53. A control antibody (pAb 246) reacts only with wild type p53 of murine origin and was negative in all cases. Tissue from 29 cases of lymphoid hyperplasiag including six from human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV+) patients, were negativeforp53. p53 waspredominantly localized in nuclei of high-grade lymphomas, including 14 of 46 cases ofB cell immunoblastic lymphomas and two offive T cell immunoblastic lymphomas. p53 expression was relatively common in lymphomas from HIV+ patients, and unusual in intermediate and low-grade lymphomas offollicular center cell type. Low-grade lymphoma ofsmall lymphocytic type disclosed p53 + large cells (paraimmunoblasts) that may play a role in tumor progression in this lymphoma subtype. p53 was also strongly expressed in the nuclei ofReed Sternberg cellsfrom 19 of37 cases of Hodgkin's disease, including six cases of mixed cellularity, and 13 cases of nodular sclerosing type. Immunohistochemical staining is a rapid method to identifyp53 expression in lymphomas (AmJPathol 1992, 141:1343-1348)


Using the vapor pressure, water solubility and molecular weight of a chemical, the partitioning of that chemical between the major environmental compartments can be quickly assessed. Thus it is possible to estimate what percentage of the chemical will be located in the ground, bottom sediments, water and air. Combining this information with a knowledge of the known degradation rates an estimation of the relative persistence of the chemical can be made. The technique is illustrated by ranking 84 of the 119 priority pollutants according to their potentials for contaminating water. A final example demonstrates how the model may be used to identify the potential environmental impact of a new chemical.


Crystallographic data for Ni0.41Zn0.60Cu0.01Fe2.04−xSbxO4+δ (0.01≤x≤0.12) ferrites are significantly influenced by small additions of antimony. XRD analysis reveals that changes in crystal data for small Sb substitutions differ markedly from those for greater Sb substitutions. The differences are due to the contribution of the Sb ion. Complete crystal data for six solid solution compositions are reported. An X-ray powder diffraction pattern for Ni0.41Zn0.60Cu0.02Sn0.01Fe2.02Sb0.02O4+δ is given.


ABSTRACT Metal components in microelectromechanical systems are prone to failure and corrosion due to droplet adhesion in wet environments. Several multi-level structures on the micro-nano scale may induce effective superhydrophobicity to prevent such adhesion. This study proposes a hybrid manufacturing process to generate 'frame-cone' textures on the surfaces of metals by combining ultra-fast laser etching and electrodeposition. Periodically distributed frame recesses and pits were coated with nano-submicron Ni coatings with conical shapes, and the pit depth and cone height were controlled by tuning the laser scanning time and current density, respectively. The surface adhesion force was reduced to 22.8 μN, and the static contact angle was maintained at 156.7° using the hybrid process, while the adhesion forces of laser etched samples with the same depth were 164.7 μN. The multi-level 'frame-cone' structure stored more air and reduced the contact areas between the bottoms of the pits and droplets. The hybrid process of ultra-fast laser etching and electrodeposition aided in improving the superhydrophobicity, with less damage to the substrate.


The quantum random walk has been much studied recently, largely due to its highly nonclassical behavior. In this paper, we study one possible route to classical behavior for the discrete quantum walk on the line: the presence of decoherence in the quantum ''coin'' which drives the walk. We find exact analytical expressions for the time dependence of the first two moments of position, and show that in the long-time limit the variance grows linearly with time, unlike the unitary walk. We compare this to the results of direct numerical simulation, and see how the form of the position distribution changes from the unitary to the usual classical result as we increase the strength of the decoherence.


is a dry substance, it is moistened with distilled water and covered with a srmall square of linen and a square of rubber tissue, which is held in position by a patch of adhesive plaster. This is left in place for approxiinately twenty-four hours, and the reactions are then noted. A positive reaction consists of redness and the formation of small vesicles at the point of contact. There is an important point to be considered at this time -namely, that occasionally a definite reaction does not appear until twenty-four hours after the patch has been removed, and also that it is sometimes necessary to leave the patch on an additional twenty-four or forty-eight hours before obtaining a positive reaction that otherwise would have been called negative. The " patch test " is Pr-64wWy the most reliable of the direct contact tests, itch is the drop, scratch, and intradermal methods. The most important contribution to the subject of the usefulnep of the " patch test " is to be found in the Archives of D.matology and Syphilology for March, 1931.


There is a growing recognition, among both companies and States, that conflict resolution through traditional adversarial rights-based methods is not only expensive and drawn out, but destructive for long-term relationships as well as crossborder social and economic progress. While the parties devote their attention to the court or tribunal, seeking to convince adjudicators to rule in their favour, they stop communicating cooperatively, and the adversarial nature of these rights-based proceedings merely serves to escalate the conflict itself. This realization has prompted a resurgence of interests-based (as opposed to rights-based) dispute resolution methods—notably mediation—in both demand and supply. On the user side, global companies, many of which are members of the Corporate Counsel International Arbitration Group (CCIAG), are looking for ways to engage in conflict avoidance and better dispute prevention and management processes. At the United Nations level, most sovereign States subscribe, directly or through political alliances, to the mission of the Group of Friends of Mediation to 1 European Legal Director and Assistant General Counsel, Northrop Grumman Corp; Member, Board of Management of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Director and former Chair, International Mediation Institute; Member, Steering Committee of the Corporate Counsel International Arbitration Group. Email: email@example.com 2 Panelist, JAMS International, American Arbitration Association/International Center for Dispute Resolution (AAA/ICDR), International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR) and WIPO; Vice-Chair, Independent Standards Commission of the International Mediation Institute; Co-Chair, Swiss Chamber of Commercial Mediation (Section Romande). Jeremy Lack has conducted International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) mediations and is a past Co-Chair of the International Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA)'s Dispute Resolution Section (USA and a past member of the Practices and Standards Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com 3 Former general counsel of several multinational companies; Director, International Mediation Institute. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com 4 United Nations Peacemaker, 'Group of Friends Mediation'  accessed 13 September 2013. In September 2010, Finland and Turkey convened a Group of Friends of Mediation, the aim of which is: (a) to raise awareness within the international community of the importance of mediation as a means of conflict prevention and resolution; (b) to help build mediation capacity and expertise both within the UN and also in regional organizations, which are often most well-placed to assume such a mediating role in their own area of responsibility; and (c) to enhance the level of coordination among different actors of mediation to minimize unnecessary duplication and complications. The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ICSID. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: email@example.com ICSID Review Advance Access published February 5, 2014


A tri-axial braided construction was chosen to develop nursery sapling bag, an agrotextile, from jute by employing a novel process. This product is meant as an eco-friendly substitute of plastic-based nursery sapling polybags which are very commonly used in horticultural or forest nurseries for raising plant seedlings. To develop a cost-effective product with high cover and low mass, the scope of standard jute yarns (fine and coarse both) and 'jute tape' was explored as 'axial material' during braiding. Jute tape was found to be effective in providing better cover and lower mass in the product. Jute tape-based sapling bag developed was found to be superior to polybags in respect of soil loss during handling in nursery. Furthermore, soil-analysis experimentation revealed that biodegraded jute bag enhanced soil nutrient level considerably with organic carbon, potassium, and phosphorus.


The basic mechanics of fracture in viscoelastic materials are reviewed beginning with the early Rivlin-Thomas extension of the classical Griffith energy concept. Some current thoughts regarding fracture initiation and propagation are described with special attention to situations occurring in typical solid rocket motor geometries, such as star valley cracking, stress singularity effects at discontinuities, and flaw growth at the liner-case interface. The necessity of extending fracture criteria to conditions of arbitrary strain rate history is emphasized.


Grid computing emerges as an effective technology to couple geographically distributed resources and solve large-scale computational problems in wide area networks.Each famous international grid project is constructed with a ball bearing,and different grid projects manage different distributed resources/services.In order to aggregate resources managed by a ball bearing,it's necessary to implement the interoperation among these grid platforms.Security is one of key issues for the interoperation.Current popular grid platforms have such common properties as global user identity and virtual organization.In this paper,interoperation mapping policy and security interoperation process are proposed based on grid common properties.


Reaent econometric analyses of electricity supply and demand have provided insight into the factors and relation ships affecting_ the market for electrical energy. This study reviews the assumptions~ methodologies~ and results of previous investigations and extends the econometric approach to-the study of electricity demand. The results reaffirm earlier findings that electricity demand is price elastic and that demand is income-inelastic. However~ our results indicate that interfuel competition plays a more important role than generally indicated by previous studies. Preliminary results indicate that the elasticity of demand with respect to competing-fuel price is -0.30; the cross-elasticity of competing-fuel demand with respect to electricity price is -0.40. The ratio of the cross elasticities agrees with the value predicted by the Slutsky-Hotelling reversibility relation. Our analysis of electricity supply and demand for indicates that electricity price and consumption can be explained as the intersections of a relatively stable supply curve with an upward-shifting demand curve. long-run


Based on use of electrodynamic impact of alternating magnetic field on liquid metal, the fundamentally new method of continuous casting has become an important stage in the development of casting technology that has changed conditions of ingots formation and its quality radically. It is possible to implement this principle by means of induction heating . To optimize the technology losses in the windings of induction heaters are calculated and the electrodynamic forces in coils of windings are determined. The developed method of electrodynamic forces calculation for the casting of aluminum in an electromagnetic crystallizer allows improving the quality of aluminum ingots during electromagnetic processing


The present article deals with the main methods and models of automatic software systems development. The main types of implementations of automata abstract models are determined and analyzed. A new option of creating a software system module that is responsible for the behavior of an object, which can change depending on its current state, is proposed. The diagram and main components of this module are presented.


Russia's interest in the Arctic shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Since 1991, post-Soviet Russia has pursued a foreign policy course that was based upon a fairly narrow calculation of its national interest. By necessity, Russia has had to forego grand discussions of its new identity and place in the world in favour of a more practical assessment of its basic economic and security needs in a world that, arguably, still has not figured out what it wants from Russia.Numerous accounts of Russian foreign policy in the 1990s under President Boris Yeltsin (1991-99) note the pragmatic nature of foreign policy decisions. Foreign policy decisions were often made on an issueby-issue basis, rather than according to some grand design or a clear conceptualization of Russia's national interest. Little appears to have changed today; in fact, foreign policy has arguably become more pragmatic. However this pragmatism has in recent years been accompanied by an unapologetic tone that has been observed by western governments. Russia's new-found assertiveness - aggressiveness, by some accounts - has led some analysts to decry a new era of Russia- west relations akin to a new Cold War.Proponents of the new Cold War thesis point to as evidence, among other things, the suppression of freedoms in Russia, its aggressiveness toward Georgia, its strategic use of its natural gas leverage over its neighbours, the Kremlin's direct manipulation of its energy sector and authoritarian management of the Russian economy, Russian suspicion of western motives and more assertive language toward the west (notably, Putin's icy dismissals of western criticisms about Russia's internal political affairs), and its bullying treatment of its Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) neighbours.1For Canada, a couple of recent incidents - the dropping of a Russian flag on the Arctic seabed in 2007 and the presence of a Russian strategic bomber aircraft conducting a surveillance flight near Canadian airspace in 2009 - have reinforced concerns about a new Cold War. The flag incident in particular prompted then-Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay to cry, "You can't go around the world these days dropping a flag somewhere. This isn't the 14th or 15th century."2 More recently, Canada's current minister of foreign affairs, Lawrence Cannon, responded dismissively to Russian plans to drop paratroopers at the north pole in commemoration of the first Russian scientists to parachute there in 1949. Cannon scoffed, "It seems to me that the Russians are just pulling stunts."3Canada is not the only northern country to be concerned about Russia's intentions. The Norwegians have perceived an escalation in the tactics Russia employs to convey its territorial claims, notably the 2008 decision to resume Russian surface naval patrols near Spitsbergen Island, which is a region long disputed between the two countries. In addition, the Russians have been attracting attention from their northern neighbours for decisions to rebuild their under-ice capabilities (which the Americans have also done); to activate the nuclear reactor on a new post-Cold War ballistic missile-carrying submarine (SSBN); and to commission five SSBNs, two SSNs, and six diesel-powered submarines.4 The precise meaning of these actions is not certain, but it is not hard to see why concern exists about what Russia's motives are.This article asserts that, while the jet and flag incidents may contain some worrying symbolism, Russia is behaving somewhat predictably. Moreover, there is little compelling evidence to suggest that Russia wishes to transform territorial disputes in the Arctic into a northern frontier of a new Cold War. This article takes the view that both former president, now prime minister, Vladimir Putin and current President Dmitry Medvedev have pragmatically identified Russia's national interests and pursued them assertively. Putin has referred to Russia as a "sovereign democracy," which implies its ability to pursue its goals on the basis of elite calculations ofthe national interest, rather than be pressured externally to conform to certain standards or expectations. …


Using Distributed Hash Tables (DHT) for a resource discovery in large-scale systems generates considerable maintenance overhead which affects the routing efficiency. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical DHT solution based on scalable distributed data structures (SDDS) for an efficient resource discovery in data Grids. Our solution deals with a reduced number of gateway peers running a DHT protocol. Each of them serves also as a proxy for second level peers in a single Virtual Organization (VO), structured as an SDDS. We present a cost analysis for a resource discovery process and discuss its capabilities to reduce both lookup and maintenance costs while minimizing the overhead added to the system. The analysis results proved that an SDDS based hierarchical DHT solution offers good performances especially for intra-VO resource discovery queries. They also provide significant system maintenance saves especially when peers frequently join/ leave the system.


Economics of scale on most railway enterprises were formed by exchanging rail traffic,when exchanging rail traffic was achieved by some types of organization.The key problem is that kind of organization types should be adopted,in order to minimize the total organization cost,then maximize the net proceeds of the economics of scale.The above-mentioned problem further comes down to the problem of railway enterprises reasonable boundary.Base on the combination of economics of scale and organization cost,the author of this paper studied the problems of railway enterprises boundary under two conditions,and came to some conclusion that illuminating to railway reorganization and reform.


The teacher determines the success of students because of the teacher's strategic position as a guide in learning. In order for a teacher's job to work well, the teacher must be professional in teaching. Professional teachers are believed to be able to make students think, behave and act creatively. This quantitative study aims to measure the effect of professional and social competence of teachers on learning outcomes of elementary school students in the Gelumbang District of Muara Enim Regency, which were analyzed using multiple regression formulas and supported by SPSS For Windows Version 21, data collection techniques including questionnaires, documentation in the form of photographs related to research. The results obtained that the of influence of professional and social competence together contribute to the learning outcomes of elementary school students in Gelumbang District. This paper is different from previous studies, it provides the new paradigm to focus on profesional and social competence where we could have good learning outcomes of student.


In this paper, we analytically investigated the field-driven domain wall (DW) propagation along magnetic nanowires in the framework of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation. We proposed a new strategy to speed up DW motion in a uniaxial anisotropy nanowire by using an optimized space-dependent field pulse synchronized with the DW motion. Depending on the small damping parameter, the DW velocity can be increased by two orders of magnitude compared to the standard case of a static uniform field. Moreover, under the optimized field pulse, the change in total magnetic energy in nanowires is proportional to the DW velocity, implying that rapid energy release is essential for fast DW propagation. Besides, for large damping, we also proposed an optimized spatio-temporal pulse which can lead to the DW pinning with a fast angular rotation around the wire axis.


Based on the experimental results of applying the rape combine,Xiangming4LX(Y) -1.5A, to harvest rape in the field, conclusions that the performance of the combine is positive as well as the development of applying machine to harvest rape are drawn. However, problems existing are pointed out and corresponding measures are also put forward.


Background The prognosis of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial ischemia is quite variable. We examined the value of serum levels of cardiac troponin T, serum creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) levels, and electrocardiographic abnormalities for risk stratification in patients with acute myocardial ischemia. Methods We studied 855 patients within 12 hours of the onset of symptoms. Cardiac troponin T levels, CK-MB levels, and electrocardiograms were analyzed in a blinded fashion at the core laboratory. We used logistic regression to assess the usefulness of base-line levels of cardiac troponin T and CK-MB and the electrocardiographic category assigned at admission — ST-segment elevation, ST-segment depression, T-wave inversion, or the presence of confounding factors that impair the detection of ischemia (bundle-branch block and paced rhythms) — in predicting outcome. Results On admission, 289 of 801 patients with base-line serum samples had elevated troponin T levels (>0.1 ng per milliliter). Mortality with...


The mechanical behaviour of uncoated and TiB x /C coated continuous DRA SIGMA SiC fibres during manufacture of Ti MMC monotapes by vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) and subsequent consolidation by vacuum hot pressing (VHP) has been compared. The mean tensile strengths of as received uncoated and TiB x /C coated SIGMA SiC fibres are 3.2 and 3.5 GPa respectively. The uncoated fibre has a lower tensile strength than the coated fibre because it is more susceptible to surface damage during handling. VPS and VHP have been successfully combined to produce Ti/SiC f composites with very uniform fibre distribution and reduced interfacial reaction. Uncoated SiC fibres are susceptible to premature fracture during VPS and VHP processing, resulting from thermal mismatch and direct applied compressive stresses. Under the same VPS and VHP processing conditions, TiB x /C coated SiC fibre do not fracture, partly because of a higher initial tensile strength, and partly because the coating acts as a compliant layer relatively weakly bonded to the fibre.


We describe a concept of the magnetoresistive medium comprising of a planar array of intermingled nanowires with pinned and unpinned magnetic moments. We propose a bottom up method of forming the medium and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. We present the results of the simulations of the magnetic moments in the nanowires under an external magnetic field to illustrate the concept.


In this paper,The process of the nursing administration of influenze A (H1N1) prevention was analyzed,it was elaborated on that the following several aspects should be done dealing with the influenze A(H1N1) in hospitals of colleges and universities:to improve communication in the internal hospital and to simplify procedure,to strengthen publicity and to avoid infected people omitting to be treated,and to strengthen mobilization and being in all for prevention,as well as to strengthen administration.These are the keys to do well in the nursing administration of influenze A (H1N1).It's necessary to make summaries seriously in order to add experience of preventing the influenze A(H1N1) in the future.


The inner eccentric bearing is an important part to achieve engagement and disengagement by adjusting distance between cylindes in engagement and disengagement mechanism of offset press.According to the parametric design rule and technological requirements of the inner eccentric bearing,a parametric design based on VC++ is done by adopting object-oriented technology and using MFC programming interface based on friendly dialog box.The installing position and the key parameters of the inner eccentric bearing can be obtained simply and quickly by inputting the basic parameters,increasing efficiency greatly.This method can be applied to other mechanism designs to shorten design cycle and increase design efficiency.


The article presents tables of growth of fir plantations in the southern part of Siberia supplemented by carbon parameters. The dependences of the mortality coefficients on the stock and the number of trunks are considered. The obtained dependences will help determine what determines the relationship between the mortality coefficient and the stock and the number of trunks. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of fir plantations of the South Siberian mountain forestry region considered in this paper will determine their production potential. The calculated coefficients will significantly reduce the uncertainty of carbon estimates, which will undoubtedly contribute to the development and implementation of forestry planning and practical measures for adaptation and adaptation to climate change. This will undoubtedly contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, since the possibility and accuracy of taking into account the possibility of forests to bind and accumulate atmospheric carbon will increase.


The invention provides a simple and feasible double-color electrophoresis method capable of realizing appearance effects of different colors on the surface of a product. A double-color electrophoretic coating method on a metal surface comprises the following steps of: 1) performing first electrophoretic coating treatment on a metal matrix to form a first coating on the surface of the metal matrix; 2) drying the first coating; 3) performing laser carving on the local area of the dried first coating to expose the surface of the metal matrix in the local area; 4) performing second electrophoretic coating treatment to form a second coating in the local area of the surface of the exposed metal matrix, wherein the colors of the second coating and the first coating are different; and 5) drying the second coating. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that: the local area of the dried first coating is removed by laser carving after the first electrophoretic coating, the surface of the metal matrix is exposed in the local area, the laser carving precision is easily controlled, and the surface of the metal matrix is not damaged.


The purpose of this study is to create a viable proposal that can be used in reutilization of abandoned industrial buildings in the area of Patissia.
Recently in Greece, the need for reuse and utilization of abandoned buildings with rich industrial heritage is becoming more evident, due to recent economic turmoil. A typical example of a city full of derelict industrial buildings is the area of Patissia.
In this study, a quantitative research was conducted and more specifically a survey employing random sampling procedure. The collected sample is consisted of N=322 residents of Patissia and N=100 cultural institutions.
The findings of the study indicated that the city's general image is not positively perceived by local people and thus it should be improved. Actions that can be carried out to improve the city's image involve the reuse and utilization of the "Textile Industry of Drakopoulos" in order to create a cultural centre, the "Ice Factory of Fix" to create a multicultural centre and the "Textile Industry of Razis – Three Stars" to create a sports centre. Important promotional tools of the aforementioned projects are the creation and hosting of cultural events and the traditional advertising. Additionally, these projects can affect the development of the local community, creating cultural activities and clean environment, boosting the local entrepreneurship and economy, ensuring the local safety and attracting new visitors/tourists. The successful factors of an already regenerated area were also examined in this study. Moreover, the participation of residents and cultural institutions is crucial in the success of the reutilization projects.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the present study created a number of limitations and suggestions for future research.


Pratylenchus fallax Seinhorst penetrated root tips, the region of root hair development and the junction of main and lateral roots of wheat, barley and sugar beet. Many tended to penetrate together at one site. In microbiologically sterile cultures, roots of sugar beet rapidly became necrotic: barley and wheat roots were damaged less and more slowly. Transverse sections of wheat roots showed that cells were severely damaged and collapsed before symptoms showed externally. The endodermis became thickened and discoloured in response to heavy attack. P. fallax reproduced better on roots of wheat and barley than on those of sugar beet.


Contemporary theorizations of neoliberalism are framed by a false dichotomy between, on the one hand, studies influenced by Foucault in emphasizing neoliberalism as a form of governmentality, and on the other hand, inquiries influenced by Marx in foregrounding neoliberalism as a hegemonic ideology. This article seeks to shine some light on this division in an effort to open up new debates and recast existing ones in such a way that might lead to more flexible understandings of neoliberalism as a discourse. A discourse approach moves theorizations forward by recognizing neoliberalism is neither a 'top-down' nor 'bottom-up' phenomena, but rather a circuitous process of socio-spatial transformation.


The energetic and fast-moving radio and γ-ray pulsar B1951+32 is associated with the supernova remnant CTB 80. It powers a complex pulsar wind nebula detected in the radio, Hα and X-rays (Moon et al 2004 ApJ 610 L33). A puzzling optical knot was detected about 0″.5 from the pulsar in the optical and near-IR (Moon et al 2004 ApJ 610 L33; Hester 2000 Bulletin of the AAS 32 1542). It is reminiscent of the unique "inner optical knot" located 0″.6 from the Crab pulsar. Until now there has been no evidence that B1951+32 knot is indeed associated with the pulsar. We observed the pulsar field with the Gemini-North telescope in 2016 to check the association. We performed first near-IR high spatial resolution imaging in the Ks band using the NIRI+Altair instrument and deep optical imaging in the gr bands using the GMOS instrument. Our observations showed that the current knot position is shifted by ≈ 0″.6 from the position measured with the HST in 1997. This is consistent with the known pulsar proper motion and is direct evidence of the pulsar–knot connection. We compared the spectral energy distribution of the knot emission with that of the Crab knot. Possible implications of the results are discussed.


Abstract : This report is to bring to your attention the concerns of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) about a Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraqi (MNSTC-I) program to develop the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (SOF). About $326 million was obligated from the Iraq Security Forces Fund to develop these forces. We reviewed two contracts awarded to provide the Iraqi SOF with a counter-terrorism communications network and intelligence database. Together, the contracts were to provide: (1) a secure communications network known as the Counter-Terrorism Network, or CTNET, that links major counter-terrorism centers in Iraq; (2) a software system (known as Memex) that uses CTNET to consolidate field reports to identify terrorist networks, targets, and their activities; and (3) training in the use and maintenance of both systems. The CTNET contract ended in June 2008 and the Memex contract ended in February 2009. The two contracts together had a total cost of about $19.3 million. The CTNET and its associated Memex software appear to be available to the Iraqi SOF.


We have compiled a list of the 100 most cited articles in cholesterol research to assess research trends over the last 10 and 100 years to mark the 200th anniversary of the naming of cholesterol as part of the special issue of Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging.


Laser or electron beam annealing can be carried out with either pulsed or steady beams. The beams may be large or small, may persist for only nanoseconds or dwell on a spot for many milliseconds. However, in all cases, the power of the beam must be high enough to raise the material's temperature to the melting point, or at least to within a few hundred degrees of it. The range of applications for these clean, fast-heating methods has gone far beyond annealing of defects to a variety of other materials manipulation possibilities. For years, lasers have been used in the processing of metals and ceramics: to weld metals and flash-melt alloys, for surface hardening and drilling holes in metals and hard insulators, for example. They have also been used in the electronics industry for silicon wafer scribing and labelling, wire bonding, resistor trimming, and interconnection path selection by pulsed laser erosion. The new field addresses the manipulation of semiconductor material properties themselves.


Antibody-containing solution formulations containing a saccharide as a stabilizer. The solution preparation may further contain a surfactant as a stabilizer.


Boron carbide (B4C) is widely used as an absorber material in many commercial reactors, such as boiling water reactors, Russian VVERs, later French pressurised water reactors, and planned to be used in the European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR). Under hypothetical severe accident conditions, B4C reacts with its surrounding stainless steel cladding, producing eutectic melts above 1200°C; remaining bare B4C and B4C/metal mixtures are then exposed to steam and oxidize highly exothermically. As well as hydrogen, gases and aerosols containing boron and carbon compounds are produced, which affect the transport and deposition of radiologically important fission products such as iodine and caesium in the circuit, and subsequent behaviour in the containment. The influence of a B4C control rod on fuel degradation and fission product release through to the late phase, material transport in the circuit and behaviour in the containment was studied in the nuclear-heated integral experiment Phebus FPT3 performed by IRSN at Cadarache. Carbonaceous gas production was monitored, and evidence for substantial deposition of B-containing compounds in the circuit was gathered. The electrically-heated QUENCH-07 and -09 tests performed by KIT at Karlsruhe used similar bundle geometry and similar but less severe test conditions, with a fast cooling phase. Extensive separate-effects tests on oxidation of B4C and its interaction with surrounding materials have also been performed by IRSN (BECARRE programme) and KIT (BOX, LAVA, QUENCH-SR). This paper compares the phenomena involving B4C observed in these experiments, concentrating on degradation, transport and deposition behaviour. In particular, there is evidence concerning blockage formation in the hot leg of the FPT3 circuit, which affects the transport of fission products, and this is supported by similar observations in the separateeffect tests. Possible explanations for the phenomena observed are advanced, and suggestions for further work to improve understanding in this area are put forward.


Notwithstanding a few excellent monographs, Ukraine has been a rather sporadic presence in anthropological literature, often lumped together with others as part of the anthropology of postsocialism. Therefore an edited volume on Ukraine constitutes an excellent opportunity for anthropology students to discover an interesting space for research and comparison, and its possible contributions to wider debates in anthropology. The volume in question, Contemporary Ukraine on the Cultural Map of Europe, brings together a wide range of contributions (in no less than twenty-six chapters plus an introduction), from an impressive number of scholars whose work is acknowledged beyond the field of Ukrainian studies. The overall theme of the volume addresses Ukraine's place in Europe, looking at symbolic geographies, imperial legacies, and identity formation in contemporary Ukraine. Or, to put it differently, it treats Ukraine's need for recognition by emphasizing its belonging to Europe, hoping thus to solve its identityrelated dilemmas.


1Department of Microbiology; 2Division of Infectious Diseases, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; 3University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Correspondence: Dr Andrew E Simor, Department of Microbiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, B103-2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5. Telephone 416-480-4549, fax 416-480-6990, e-mail email@example.com The diagnosis of a urinary tract infection (UTI) is confirmed by obtaining a urine culture that yields a significant quantity of microbial growth. Urine specimens are generally easy to obtain from adult patients, and represent one of the most common clinical samples submitted to hospital microbiology laboratories (1). A urine culture result indicating the presence of bacterial growth often triggers a prescription for an antimicrobial agent (2,3). However, the diagnosis of UTI in hospitalized patients is not always straightforward, and antimicrobial therapy may not be appropriate just because there is bacteriuria. Challenges faced by clinicians in determining the significance of a urine culture result include the presence of nonspecific or atypical clinical presentations in bacteriuric patients, or the inability of a hospitalized patient to express or describe urinary symptoms (1). Asymptomatic bacteriuria, generally defined as bacteriuria in the absence of urinary symptoms, is relatively common in adults, but in most cases should not be treated, although the management of asymptomatic bacteriuria in hospitalized patients has not been addressed in published guidelines (4,5). In the present study, we wished to determine the circumstances under which adult patients admitted to our hospital originAl Article


In this paper, we show that the constant property of the Gaussian curvature of surfaces of revolution in both ℝ4 and depend only on the radius of rotation. We then give necessary and sufficient conditions for the Gaussian curvature of the general rotational surfaces whose meridians lie in two-dimensional planes in ℝ4 to be constant, and define the parametrization of the meridians when both the Gaussian curvature is constant and the rates of rotation are equal.


All-inorganic perovskites with improved stability are expected to be a better candidate for optoelectronics, compared to organic-inorganic hybrid ones. A new member of all-inorganic perovskites,CsPb2Br5, has attracted great attention for its promising applications in optoelectronic devices. However, the origins of the green emission in CsPb2Br5 have been actively debated. By using first-principles calculations, we find that CsPb and VBr are dominant intrinsic defects independently of the growth conditions within the stable region of CsPb2Br5. Interestingly, we suggest that individual intrinsic defects do not lead to the green emission of CsPb2Br5, while the donor-acceptor pair (DAP) recombination of CsPb and VBr possibly do. Our findings provide new insights into the experimental controversy about the green emission and its origins of CsPb2Br5 from the perspective of intrinsic defects, which helps to extend the application of CsPb2Br5 in optoelectronic devices.


The evolution of the pacemaker of today is due to a number of developments that have made these tiny devices increasingly self-diagnostic.


Introduction In this work we begin to examine the relationship between online social networks and music. We are interested in using online social networks to determine relationships between artists (musicians). This information could have applications in computational musicology studies and music recommendation systems. But are online social networks truly meaningful in the context of music studies?


Cells of the green alga Valonia from which cell-sap can be obtained free from contamination in sufficient quantities for accurate observation were placed in solutions of acids dissolved in sea water. The concentrations of acid were such so as to give a PH of 3.6. At intervals cells were taken out and the H ion concentration of the sap noted. It was found that two sets of observation were necessary; one set comprised the H ion concentrations of the sap as it came from the cell and containing considerable free CO2; the other when the free CO2 was removed by thorough aeration by means of a stream of CO2-free air. This method showed that normal cells have a PH of 6.2 to 6.4 when C02 is present and 6.6 to 6.8 when CO2 has been removed. The acids used could be divided into two broad classes with respect to their action on the cells: to the first class belong HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, arsenic, phosphoric, tartaric, citric, oxalic, monodi- and tri-chloracetic acids. To the second class belong acetic, butyric, benzoic and salicylic acids. All the acids of the first class increased the amount of free CO2 in the cell-sap, presumably by decomposing the bicarbonates present. When the PH of the cell-sap had reached 5.2 it remained stationary until no more CO2 could be detected by the method, the time varying according to the acid used. Acids of the second class penetratedrapidly and produced little or no free CO2 in the cell-sap. Acids of the first class appear to penetrate less rapidly than they actually do, because instead of existing free in the cell-sap they form neutral salts with the basic ions of the cell bicarbonates.


A correlating equation was developed which provides a continuous representation for all Pr and Re. Different constants are suggested for the local and mean Nusselt numbers and for uniform wall temperature and heating. These constants are based on the best available theoretical and experimental results.


Protein-metal ion interactions play a central role in the onset of numerous diseases. When amino acid changes lead to missense mutations in metal-binding sites, the disrupted interaction with metal ions can compromise protein function, potentially causing severe human ailments. Identifying these disease-associated mutation sites within metal-binding regions is paramount for understanding protein function and fostering innovative drug development. While some computational methods aim to tackle this challenge, they often fall short in accuracy, commonly due to manual feature extraction and the absence of structural data. We introduce MetalPrognosis, an innovative, alignment-free solution that predicts disease-associated mutations within metal-binding sites of metalloproteins with heightened precision. Rather than relying on manual feature extraction, MetalPrognosis employs sliding window sequences as input, extracting deep semantic insights from pre-trained protein language models. These insights are then incorporated into a convolutional neural network, facilitating the derivation of intricate features. Comparative evaluations show MetalPrognosis outperforms leading methodologies like MCCNN and PolyPhen-2 across various metalloprotein test sets. Furthermore, an ablation study reiterates the effectiveness of our model architecture. To facilitate public use, we have made the datasets, source codes, and trained models for MetalPrognosis online available at http://metalprognosis.unimelb-biotools.cloud.edu.au/.


The main objective of this paper was to report the development of instructional engineering projects and necessary tutorials that utilize the GT-POWER software for engine simulations in combustion-related courses at Missouri S&T as part of the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) program. Students teamed up to perform modeling of engine performance and emission characteristics so that they could learn state-of-the art engine technology and explore innovative design procedures routinely employed by the leading automotive companies. The projects included understanding and comparison of simple hand calculations using typical textbook assumptions with detailed and complicated software calculations. Such projects would help to bridge the gap between the theoretical and simple concepts learned by students in the classroom and the practical and advanced skills desired by industry. Various tools available for studying engine combustion fueled by alternative fuels were also introduced.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


The present invention relates to a high-strength polyester fiber for seat belts, and more particularly, to a polyester fiber for seat belts and to a method for manufacturing same, wherein the inherent viscosity of the polyester fiber is 0.8 to 1.5 dl/g, the tensile strength thereof is 8.8 g/d or higher, and the fineness thereof is 400 to 1,800 deniers. The polyester fiber of the present invention comprises a filament having high strength, low elastic modulus, and high elongation at break to significantly reduce contraction and ensure excellent mechanical properties. Thus, the polyester fiber of the present invention may be used in the production of a seat belt having excellent shock-absorbing properties and significantly improved wear resistance, heat resistance, and tension retention even at a density of 260 fibers/inch.


ABSTRACT What is the wrong behind the widely criticized presentist bias of democracies? In this paper I argue that it is not that future generations are excluded from present-day democratic decision-making quite generally. Rather, I claim that due to the unique risks associated with representing future generations and the limitations on affecting future generations both institutionally and causally, the focus ought to be on including them on a more specific, narrower, set of issues, namely only those that threaten to lead to their domination. I identify such issues as those that may end up being purpose-determining: that may subject future generations to previous generations' will by forcing them to exert a substantial amount of their energies on dealing with problems caused by their predecessors. I conclude by reflecting on the extent to which political representation together with providing avenues of contestation can minimize the risk of intergenerational domination.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to design, implement and evaluate the usage of the password-authenticated secure channel protocol SRP to protect the communication of a mobile application to a Java Card applet. The usage of security and privacy sensitive systems on mobile devices, such as mobile banking, mobile credit cards, mobile ticketing or mobile digital identities has continuously risen in recent years. This development makes the protection of personal and security sensitive data on mobile devices more important than ever. Design/methodology/approach – A common approach for the protection of sensitive data is to use additional hardware such as smart cards or secure elements. The communication between such dedicated hardware and back-end management systems uses strong cryptography. However, the data transfer between applications on the mobile device and so-called applets on the dedicated hardware is often either unencrypted (and interceptable by malicious software) or encrypted with static keys...


Planting is a critical field operation that has direct impact on the germination rate and subsequent yield of field crops. Cotton, being a major cash crop needs to be planted precisely as the cost of seeds is quite high. The machineries available for planting of cotton pose many problems besides being expensive. Hence, a tractor operated seed dibbler was developed for dibbling of cotton. Engineering properties of cotton are important consideration in developing any planting operation. Engineering properties help in designing various machine and operational parameters like type of seed metering mechanism, seed hopper capacity, angle of seed metering plate, speed of operation etc. ACH5 variety of cotton was selected in the present study and various engineering properties viz., size, sphericity, moisture content, bulk density, thousand seed weight, angle of repose and coefficient of friction were determined. The results of the study revealed that size, sphericity and moisture content of the cotton seeds were 5.53 mm, 0.66 and 7.53 % (d.b), respectively. Bulk density of cotton seeds was measured to be 575.05 kg m-3. Thousand seed weight, angle of repose and coefficient of friction of cotton seeds were determined as 77 g, 31.96 degree and 0.535, respectively. Functional components of the seed dibbler were designed on the basis of values of engineering properties obtained in the study.


An account is given of the fauna seen in the Windmill Islands, Vincennes Bay, Wilkes Land, Antarctica, with emphasis on bird life.


SIRS, We are very grateful to Treiber and colleagues for directing us towards their group's work in the ®eld of short-duration H. pylori eradication regimens. We note with interest that their ®ndings (both in terms of eradication rates and the effect of age on eradication success) are in close agreement with those of our paper. The difference in eradication success with age has not been adequately explained, and studies observing this effect (including our own and those of Treiber) have not been speci®cally designed to elucidate a cause for this observation. While a clear relationship between age and gastric acidity has been demonstrated in many papers, 2 it has been shown that this relationship disappears when H. pylori status, corpus gastritis and smoking are controlled. It is certainly possible that age may merely be a surrogate marker for corpus gastritis, but we agree with Treiber that the effect could equally be caused by pharmacokinetics or possibly differences in compliance. Treiber and colleagues have proposed an interesting hypothesis, but this was an ad hoc observation, and ultimately needs further assessment in a prospective study.


Poland is usually portrayed as a country with a low level of secularization, and Polish religiosity is treated as the core element of national identity. In this article, the first opinion is challenged on the basis that processes of secularization are operating in Poland. They can be traced first of all in the growing independence of individual religiosity from the institution of the Catholic Church. To explain the persistence of the high and stable percentage of believers, the authors analyze historical relations between religion and the formation of nationhood. They argue that the formation of nationhood in Europe was related to the growth of "secular rituals" that could not develop in Poland because of its prolonged lack of political sovereignty. The main thesis of the article is that religion was (and still is) the main source of collective rituals through which the national identity was formed and is sustained in Polish society. Therefore, the decreasing importance of religious identification for national identity will be dependent on the emergence of new, secular rituals. Poland's accession to the European Union is likely to facilitate such a process.


Later biblical writers did not compose their materials in a vacuum. Primarily, their compositions were influenced by the antecedent Scriptural materials. Through their thorough and careful reading and interpretation of these antecedent Scriptures, these writers framed their compositions to further develop and reinforce the message or messages embodied in the earlier biblical materials. This interpretative phenomenon can be observed within either the OT or the NT canon and the NT use of the OT. In this project, we propose that such processes did exist and we set forth to describe the processes that we generally call innerand inter-biblical interpretation (with their working definitions provided at the end of this chapter). The three Melchizedek texts are chosen for two reasons: first, the textual data are sufficient to warrant the study yet confine the scope within set perimeters. In other words, the textual data provide a controlled environment for research and discussion; second, the link between these passages is well-established: no other biblical texts contain Melchizedek. He appears only in three biblical texts – Gen 14:18-20, Psalm 110:4 and Heb 5:1-7:28.1 Though Melchizedek could only be found in these three passages in the canonical Scriptures, it has stimulated much discussion in biblical studies. Scholars have produced voluminous literature on Melchizedek, focusing either on the person or centering on the above three biblical texts. The interpretative interests of scholars can be classified in the following ways: (1) The identity of Melchizedek.2 Some scholars attempt to identify the figure in a historical context by looking back to the time of Abraham in Genesis, to the time of Jesus, or in particular, looking at the Qumran community. The results are hardly conclusive.3 The identity of Melchizedek has been understood as strictly that of a


The study and utilization of asteroids will be an economical way to enable exploration of the solar system and extend human presence in space. There are thousands of near-earth objects (NEOs) that we will be able to reach. They offer resources, transportation, and exploration platforms, but also present a potential threat to civilization. Asteroids play a catastrophic role in the history of the Earth. Geological records indicate a regular history of massive impacts, which astronomical observations confirm is likely to continue with potentially devastating consequences. However, study and exploration of near earth asteroids can significantly increase advanced warning of an Earth impact, and potentially lead to the technology necessary to avert such a collision. Efforts to detect and prevent cataclysmic events would tend to foster and likely require international cooperation toward a unified goal of self-preservation. Exploration of asteroids will help us to understand our history and perhaps save our future. Besides the obvious and compelling scientific and security drivers for asteroid research and exploration, there are numerous engineering and industrial applications for near-term asteroid exploration. We have strong evidence that some asteroids are metal rich. Some are water and organic rich. They can be reached with a very low fuel cost compared to other solar system destinations. Once we reach them, there are efficient, simple extraction technologies available that would facilitate utilization. In addition, the costs of returning extracted resources from asteroids will be a fraction of the cost to return similar resources from the moon to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). These raw materials, extracted and shipped at relatively low cost, can be used to manufacture structures, fuel, and products which could be used to foster mankind s further exploration of the solar system. Asteroids also have the potential to offer transport to several destinations in the solar system. In addition to Mars and the Asteroid belt, it is possible to nudge the orbits of NEOs to provide convenient transport to other destinations. Resources to support life on these long voyages may be gathered from the host asteroid itself. As asteroids travel over a wide range of inclinations and ranges, they offer possible platforms to perform scientific investigations. These include unique vantage point observations of the sun and planets. These observations can help us to understand solar activity and space weather. They also afford us an opportunity to see how the earth looks from afar with different perspectives. When we look for planets outside of our solar system, these observations will help us to calibrate our data. Asteroids may also be used as platforms to support very long baseline interferometry with unprecedented angular resolutions.


The idea o f a (national) crim inal justice system as the framework fo r the exercise ofpenal power is firm ly anchored in the Western discourse. At the same time, the science o f crim inal law does not offer any thorough normative theory o f the crim inal justice system as a (coherent) whole. In opposition to concepts like crime, responsibility or punishment, the concept o f a crim inal justice system is seldom dealt with, and its normative underpinnings are seldom discussed. This article argues that a normative theory o f the crim inal justice system fu lfils several im portant functions in the development o f the crim inal law, not least with regard to the current restructuring o f the national crim inal justice system. From this point o f departure, the article provides an account o f the building blocks and methodo logical challenges o f such a theory. 1. Introductory Remarks This article provides some reflections about a theory o f the crim inal justice sys tem. Particularly, it provides an account o f the building blocks and methodologi cal challenges o f such theory.2 The crim inal justice system is approached from a legal point o f view. More specifically, the crim inal justice system is approached as a sub-system to the overall legal order o f a given political society/ It is under stood as a specific legal system, demarked mainly through its function to exercise penal power, i.e., the power to deliver and implement different kinds o f authorita tive decisions concerning crimes and their punishment (such as through criminalisation, sentencing or the administration o f punishment). From this starting point, the crim inal justice system is taken to include all those (legal) elements that for mally serve this function, such as norms concerning the punishable offences and institutions that officia lly respond to the violation o f these norms. The theory aimed at consists primarily o f a rational re-construction o f the (constituting elements o f the) crim inal justice system as a concept or idea, and not (primarily) o f a description o f existing systems as empirical phenomena. U lti mately, the aspiration is to elaborate a normative framework for the system, i.e., an overall principled structure consisting o f the general principles that steers (or should steer) the different elements o f the system, and their interrelations, as a


This article interrogates the notion of "glocalization" (Moja, 2004, based on Castells, 2001) as a concept that seeks to integrate the local and the global to address both the need for social justice and the need to participate in a global market economy. The article argues that the relation between the global and the local cannot be explored without acknowledging the inequality inherent in this relation. The concept of glocalization is examined in the arena of language and education by theorizing a dual-medium undergraduate degree offered in English and an Indigenous African language (Sesotho sa Leboa) at the University of Limpopo. This degree curricularizes the principle of additive bilingualism, which both challenges the domination of English (as an expression of cultural imperialism), yet makes it available as a right to students from hugely impoverished schooling backgrounds. The degree simultaneously promotes Sesotho sa Leboa as a language of high-level cognition, knowledge construction, and dissemination; and, therefore, places it on par with English. In addition, the article briefly focuses on the concept of "translanguaging" as one of the resources used by our students to access scientific knowledge.


produce cytokines that mediate tissue damage. Tbie cytotoxicity of these hydroxylamine derivatives diminishes after coincubation with glutathione or NAC.̂ NAC reacts with reactive oxidative intermediates and replenishes intraceiluiar cysteine ieveis necessary for the production of giutathione. Intracelluiariy, glutathione is the dominant thiol, acting as an antioxidant. Furthermore, NAC inhibits nuclear factor KB (NFKB),^ a transcription factor induced hy TNF-a, tL-l and oxygen derivatives such as hydrogen peroxide. NFKB is involved in the transcription of several genes, coding for the IL-2 receptor achain, and interferon-7.^'^ tn this way, we have demonstrated in vitro that NAC inhibits production of TNF-a and IL-1/3," implicated in the pathogenesis of TEN. ̂ ^ and possibly in other toxic drug reactions. We have also reported one patient affected with TEN who was succesfuUy treated with intravenous NAC, S-adenosyl-Lmethionine (SAM, a glutathione precursor) and pentoxifylline.^^ In that report improvement was attributed to pentoxifylline, although it is possible that NAC and SAM were therapeutically more important than we thought. Other anti-inflammatory effects of NAC, antagonizing development of irritant and contact hypersensitivity reactions,^* and modulating ICAM-1 expression in human keratinocytes,^' have been described. NAC has been administered in pulmonary disorders as an expectorant, and in acetaminophen overdose. NAC is a nontoxic drug with well-documented pharmacokinetics and safety, ̂ ^ that might be effective in high-dose intravenously for 4 6 days, in HS and TEN by two means: replenishing cells with antioxidant capacity and inhibiting cytokine mediated immune reactions. Further study is required to confirm the therapeutic effect of NAC in toxic drug reactions.


Rationale Timely, accurate diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) is key to enable initiation of antifungal therapy in lung transplantation. Despite promising novel fungal biomarkers, the lack of a diagnostic gold-standard creates difficulty in determining utility. Objectives This study aimed to use latent class modelling of fungal diagnostics to classify lung transplant recipients (LTR) with IA in a large single centre. Methods Regression models were used to compare composite biomarker testing of bronchoalveolar lavage to clinical and EORTC-MSG guideline-based diagnosis of IA with mortality used as a surrogate primary outcome measure. Bootstrap analysis identified radiological features associated with IA. Bayesian latent class modelling was used to define IA. Measurements and Main Results A clinical diagnosis of fungal infection (P =<0.001) and composite biomarker positive Results (P =<0.001) had significantly increased 12 month mortality. There was poor correlation between clinical diagnosis, EORTC-based IA diagnosis and composite biomarker positivity. Tracheobronchitis was positively predictive of a clinical and composite biomarker positive diagnosis of IA (p=0.004;95% CI–1.79–21.28 and p=0.03;95% CI–0.85–15.62 respectively). Latent class modelling resulted in the formation of 3 groups: Class 1: likely fungal infection; Class 2: unlikely fungal infection; Class 3: unclassifiable. A. fumigatus PCR was positive in ∼90% of class 1 LTRs compared to only 1% in class 2. Analysis of mortality showed a trend towards significance comparing class 1 with class 2 (p=0.06;HR–4.7;95% CI(0.91–24)) (figure 1). Abstract S17 Figure 1 Conclusions This study demonstrates a latent class modelling approach for IA diagnosis in LTR with a combination of culture, composite biomarker testing, and radiology required for optimal IA diagnosis.


For the first time a high‐quality, consistent, global, long‐term data set of zenith tropospheric delay (ZTD) and precipitable water (PW) is produced from Doppler orbitography radiopositioning integrated by satellite (DORIS) measurements at 81 sites. The data set was screened using a two‐level procedure. First, postprocessing information is used to apply range checks and outlier checks to ZTD and formal error estimates. Second, outliers are detected by comparing DORIS ZTD with European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis (ERA‐Interim) data. These procedures reject 3% and 1% of the data, respectively. A linear drift is evidenced in the screened DORIS ZTD data compared to ERA‐Interim and Global Positioning System (GPS) data, which potentially results from biases introduced by the progressive replacement of Alcatel antennas with Starec antennas. The DORIS PW is homogenized by applying a bias correction computed form comparison with ERA‐Interim data each time station equipment is changed. The homogenized DORIS data are in excellent agreement with GPS data (correlation of 0.98 and standard deviation of differences of 1.5 kg m−2) and with ERA‐Interim and satellite PW data (correlation > 0.95 and standard deviation of differences < 2.7 kg m−2). The agreement with radiosonde data is less good. Preliminary results of water vapor trends and variability are shown for 31 sites with more than 10 years of data. Good consistency is found between DORIS PW trends and ERA‐Interim trends, which demonstrates the high potential of the DORIS PW data set for climate monitoring and model verification. The final DORIS PW data set is freely available in the supporting information.


The present invention relates to a linear drive for a ship's steering machine with a spindle 10 and a spindle nut 20. The spindle nut 20 is connected to a push tube 30. The spindle 10 is mounted stationary, the spindle nut 20 and the torque tube 30 are moved linearly.


•�AbstRAct Testicular tumor is not very frequent and most commonly presents in patients between the ages of 15-35 years, representing 0.5 - 2 % of tumors in men. Testicular tumor diagnosis has a big impact on the patient due to the age in which it presents, the necessary treatment, and its implications in relation to fertility. In advanced stages, metastases considerably increase morbidity. Its metastatic pattern is typically lymphatic with the exception of choriocarcinoma, which has a hematogenic pattern. The case presented here is a mixed germ cell tumor with metastatic retroperitoneal tumor mass that presented spontaneous hemoperitoneum due to metastatic rupture. Disease progression was short-term, ending in death.


Dynamic analysis of real-world software systems is challenging due to imperfections, noise and data loss. Moreover, these systems evolve with time and their requirements are usually either not clearly specified or unknown, which makes it hard to analyze them. Therefore, it is important to create models that can learn to behave similarly to these systems to enable us to predict their actions, recover missing data, or detect potential failures ahead of time.Several models have been proposed to model sequential data, but the vast majority of them only have a qualitative notion of time or no notion of it at all. In this paper, we extend the work on incorporating a quantitative notion of time to RNN and introduce Time GRU. This modified GRU can learn the behaviour of complex software systems to a very high degree of accuracy. Our approach is scalable and has shown state-of-the-art performance on industry-strength software with real operating logs from Blackberry's QNX real-time operating system. The proposed model can predict upcoming sequences of events more than 100 timesteps ahead in time with more than 90% accuracy. This allows for significant improvement in trace reconstruction and failure explainability.


This article deals with the generation of a course for digitally teaching bible content (Bibelkunde). The author reflects various aspects: in a first step he outlines didactic aspects in textbooks to emphasize the need to combine the conveying of pure content with scientific formation of hypotheses. After describing the conditions of teaching and learning bible content he explains essentials for planning e-learning classes concerning content, substainability of knowledge, and forms of exams. He bases his considerations on experiences with an e-learning course that was introduced in 2006, steadily evaluated and re-worked in several stages until its fourth version from 2016. Finally, he sheds light on further developments for the next version of this course.


Survey research is among the most common methodologies employed in MIS research. However there is an increasing concern over the rigor of research method in MIS field. Based on a review and comparative analysis of the literature this paper provides a critical analysis of trends in the conduct of survey research in the MIS field. Some 651 survey-based studies reported in three leading MIS journals between 1992 and 2006 are reviewed. The finding indicate that there has been an over-reliance on the conduct of cross-sectional studies whereas more emphasis on the use of longitudinal studies would have been appropriate. In terms of unit of analysis, most of the articles reviewed had focused on the individual leading to some concern about potential mismatch between respondents and the unit of analysis.


ABSTRACT: Ethnic Tibetan farm and herder households (FHH) in Gansu Province, China are stricken with poverty. Solving the poverty problem in this or other poverty pockets across China has special importance for the country's political stability, ethnic unity, social well-being, and ecological security. This paper calculates the multidimensional poverty situation of ethnic Tibetan farm and herder households of Gansu Province, China by using the Alkire-Foster method. Twelve indicators are included in the multidimensional poverty indicator system. Results showed that 1) in the single indicator measure, the adult family members received at least 9th grade education (x3), the home toilet type (x7), and the labor availability (x2) showed a higher incidence of deprivation, 2) many FHH in the Tibetan areas of the Gansu Province are facing multidimensional poverty but the proportion of extreme poverty is very small, and 3) from the perspective of contribution rate, the adult family members received at least 9th grade education (x3), labor availability (x2), self-health assessment (x1), home toilet type (x7), and school-age children dropout rate (x4) occupied the top five positions as obtained from the equal weight to dimensions (DEW) method.


Wireless digital communications is rapidly expanding resulting in a demand for systems that are reliable and have a high spectral efficiency, to fulfill these demands, the Multicarrier modulation scheme, often called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), has drawn a lot of attention. On the other hand (CDMA) techniques have been considered to be a candidate to support multimedia services in mobile radio communications. In this work, STBC-OFDM block have been studied extensively, and proposed a new structure for STBC-OFDM that based on Multifilters called Multiwavelets using Critically-Sampled (DMWTCS), it has two or more lowpass and highpass filters, the purpose of this multiplicity is to achieve more BER performance than the conventional STBC-OFDM using FFT and DWT. The proposed STBC-OFDM systems have been examined in different channel models AWGN, flat fading and selective fading. After a study made to the STBC-OFDM systems and evaluated their BER performances with channels models. Several structures of STBC-MC-DS-CDMA systems will be studied, these structures based on FFT, DWT and DMWTCS. The simulation results are presented for a simulated AWGN, Flat fading and Selective fading channels. Index Terms —OFDM, DWT, DMWTCS, STBC, MC-DS-


The invention discloses a touch display panel and a driving method thereof. The touch display panel comprises a substrate, a plurality of touch display units and a gate driving circuit, wherein the substrate comprises a display region and a frame region; the touch display units are arranged in the display region; each touch display unit comprises a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of electrode blocks; the gate lines extend along the first direction; the electrode blocks are arrayed along the first direction; the electrode blocks are opposite to the gate lines in the direction perpendicular to the substrate; and the gate driving circuit is arranged in the frame region and is electrically connected with the gate lines. In a display driving schedule section, the gate driving circuit is used for scanning the various gate lines, the scanned adjacent optional two gate lines are positioned in the different touch display units, starting signals of the scanned adjacent optional two gate lines are partially overlapped, and starting signals of the gate lines in the same touch display unit are not overlapped. By the touch display panel and the driving method thereof, the problem that displaying cross grains exist on a junction is avoided.


Atomic force microscopy (AFM) had and continues to have a substantial impact on nanosciences and technologies. However, the low scanning speed continues to be one of the obstacles that impede the widespread adoption of AFM. This paper presents a solution to control system design issues for constant force contact AFM operation to enhance the performance of AFM systems with respect to scanning speed and image resolution. The purpose of the controller is to maintain a constant slope at the free end of the AFM cantilever through suitable displacement of the base end of the cantilever. Given that the sample surface profile is not known a priori, the difficulty in the controller design lies in attempting to track an unknown and time-varying reference signal, representing the unknown surface profile. To overcome this problem, it is proposed in this paper to use an adaptive regulator design approach. The regulator design approach is based on two steps. The first step involves using the Q-parameterization of stabilizing controllers to construct a set of parameterized stabilizing controllers for the system under consideration. The second step involves tuning the Q parameter in the expression of stabilizing controller so that the controller converges to the desired controllers needed to achieve regulation. The proposed control strategy makes it possible to use small contact forces and high scanning speeds, hence improving the performance of contact mode AFM systems


In our previous work, we had obtained "void-free" joints for large area die attachment by pressureless sintering of nanosilver paste at low temperatures. In this paper, we studied the relationship between transient thermal impedance and shear strength of the pressureless sintered nanosilver joints and found that the relationship could be described well by an exponential equation. According to this equation, the shear strength of the insulated gate bipolar transistor device could be estimated nondestructively by measuring its transient thermal impedance using the electrical method. The transient thermal impedance measurement is suggested as an alternative method to evaluate the quality of the die attachment for power devices.


This paper is a study on the production of cement by mixing BaSO 4 and seed crystal and adopting the batch mixing method of low KH ,high SM ,and low IM .And it is pointed out in it that the cement so produced has good physicomechanical and construction property.


The Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands are planning to produce significant amount of the heat required for the campus buildings from a resource recoverable from below their feet: A geothermal well doublet will be drilled on campus for heating a substantial part of our TU Delft buildings. The "Delft Aardwarmte Project" (DAP - Delft Geothermal Project) was initiated by students in 2007, which was a major step to increase public awareness of the potential of geothermal energy as a sustainable heating source in the Netherlands. The Dutch subsoil is well explored with (test) drillings for natural gas and oil, giving insight into the geothermal potential as well. For the well doublet on campus, two possible drilling targets are considered, depending on funding and economic scenarios: In scenario I, the wells will reach a well-characterized sandstone reservoir, the Upper Cretaceous "Delft Sandstone", at a depth of 2200 -2500m and will be operated by commercial partners. In scenario II, deeper reservoir rocks of the Lower Triassic at approx. 4000m depth are the target. To reach this depth, research funding for a national research infrastructure is required. If the deeper target is productive enough, the option of co-generating electricity and heat will be investigated. In both scenarios, the wells will serve as infrastructure for research both for the university scientists and for the national and international geothermal community. For this purpose, a monitoring system will be installed with partners from research and industry. In the planning process of the project, several studies into the geology and performance characteristics of the reservoir, the economics of the system, the co-injection of CO2 and into advanced drilling and casing options for the wells have been performed an published. Aspects to be investigated in the installation of a well doublet and the operation of the geothermal heating system include the use and installation of innovative composite casing for drilling and well completion, scaling from the geothermal brine, which often causes problems with reinjection, and geophysical monitoring techniques to be tested in a busy and "noisy" environment on the surface prior to drilling and downhole for reservoir monitoring during operations. The paper gives an overview about past and future studies around the DAP wells.


Abstract: National development problems in the weak states of Papua New Guinea and Fiji have resulted in external intervention. However neo-liberal development strategies have not resolved development problems and may have further weakened state structures. In both capital cities rural-urban migration, rising urban unemployment, and the expansion of squatter settlements and the informal sector have all continued in recent years. The numbers of beggars, street kids and prostitutes have increased, as has domestic violence and crime. Governments have opposed all these trends, by regulation and intolerance, violence, routine repression and eviction, rather than by pro-poor policies. Settlers, prostitutes, beggars, street kids and market vendors have been evicted and moved on, on the ideological premise that that their true place is in rural areas, and that their urban presence challenges and threatens notions of urban order. Moral regulation, social exclusion and moral panic have divided 'good citizens' from marginal and possibly criminal others, intensifying social divisions within the cities. Sustainable urban development has proved difficult to achieve.


Two grams of Kahlbaum's alanine dissolved in 50 cc. of water were oxidized with 500 cc. of a solution containing 10.8 grams of potassium permanganate and 37.0 grams of potassium hydroxide (30 molecules). Vigorous oxidation took place at once and the temperature of the mixture rose to 37" C. After standing for forty-eight hours at room temperature complete decolorization had taken place; the products of oxidation were then isolated and quantitatively determined by the methods previously described. From the above mentioned 2 grams of alanine I obtained 1.45 grams of carbon dioxide, 0.37 gram of ammonia, 1.9 grams of oxalic acid melting at lOlo and volatile acids equivalent to 10 cc. of decinormal sodium hydroxide. The volatile acid fraction was found on the application of qualitative tests to consist of a mixture of acetic and nitric acids. Regarding the intermediate products it would seem most probable that the greater part of the alanine on oxidation with alkaline


IN MAILED questionnaire surveys, epidemiologists have usually used questionnaires designed and reproduced to be as attractive as possible, accompanied by the most finished or professionalappearing covering letters and sent by first-class mail. These practices are based on the assumption that appearance and type of postage will lead to higher response rates than would be achieved otherwise. This assumption results parfly from intuitive reasoning and partly from the extensive literature on the use of mail surveys. These previously reported investigations, many of which were made by commercial firms (for example, product-related surveys), have yielded incomplete data that are often difficult to interpret. For instance, one study of random samples of a general population (1) showed that adhesive postage stamps produced


Abstract Background Identification of patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring hospital admission or at high-risk of in-hospital mortality is essential to guide patient triage and to provide timely treatment for higher risk hospitalized patients. Methods A retrospective multi-centre (8 hospital) cohort at Beaumont Health, Michigan, USA, reporting on COVID-19 patients diagnosed between 1 March and 1 April 2020 was used for score validation. The COVID-19 Risk of Complications Score was automatically computed by the EHR. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to predict hospital admission and in-hospital mortality using individual variables constituting the score. Validation was performed using both discrimination and calibration. Results Compared to Green scores, Yellow Scores (OR: 5.72) and Red Scores (OR: 19.1) had significantly higher odds of admission (both p < .0001). Similarly, Yellow Scores (OR: 4.73) and Red Scores (OR: 13.3) had significantly higher odds of in-hospital mortality than Green Scores (both p < .0001). The cross-validated C-Statistics for the external validation cohort showed good discrimination for both hospital admission (C = 0.79 (95% CI: 0.77–0.81)) and in-hospital mortality (C = 0.75 (95% CI: 0.71–0.78)). Conclusions The COVID-19 Risk of Complications Score predicts the need for hospital admission and in-hospital mortality patients with COVID-19. Key points: Can an electronic health record generated risk score predict the risk of hospital admission and in-hospital mortality in patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? In both validation cohorts of 2,025 and 1,290 COVID-19, the cross-validated C-Statistics showed good discrimination for both hospital admission (C = 0.79 (95% CI: 0.77–0.81)) and in-hospital mortality (C = 0.75 (95% CI: 0.71–0.78)), respectively. The COVID-19 Risk of Complications Score may help predict the need for hospital admission if a patient contracts SARS-CoV-2 infection and in-hospital mortality for a hospitalized patient with COVID-19.


Presentation of Case A sixty-nine-year-old woman entered the hospital because of fatigue and decreasing vision. For about fifteen years she had had diminished vision in the left eye. Seven years before entry the diagnosis of glaucoma was made; the intraocular pressure was said to be normal; pilocarpine eye drops were prescribed. During the year before admission the visual difficulty increased, and three weeks before entry there was a transient episode of ptosis of the left eyelid. On examination one week later the visual acuity was 20/30 in the right eye; she could count fingers at 4 feet with the left . . .


1 Structural Engineering & Construction Management, M.G. University 2 Structural Engineer, Sreegiri Consultants Abstract— The objective of the investigation is to develop a Reinforced Concrete Beam with hollow neutral axis which may replace the position of reinforced concrete beam in near future. However, in RC beams strength of concrete lying in and near the neutral axis is not fully utilized. So this unutilized concrete is removed by replacing with any lightweight material. The material incorporated in the concrete beam is PVC pipe, which occupy the concrete volume in the neutral axis, where the compression and tension is zero thereby making the beam hollow. The properties of PVC is not been used since it is used only as a filler material in concrete. Specimens of solid RC beams and Hollow RC beams are cast and tested for four point flexure. Then the results are compared and the effects are studied. The self weight of this developed RC beams are expected to be reduced with the decrease in concrete volume hence proving the beams to be economical. Experimental validation is carried out analytically with ANSYS 12.1 software.


A water-base coating for iron castings with thick wall and small holes in EPC was prepared by using chromite,limestone and graphite powders as the refractory material.Na-bentonite,CMC and xanthan gum were taken as complex suspending agent,and polyvinyl acetate emulsion and phosphate were taken as a complex bonding agent according to the characteristics of solidification process of iron castings with thick wall under EPC.The optimum ingredient ratio of the coating was determined by orthogonal experiment.Namely,the refractory material was composed of 70% chromite powders,15% limestome and 15% graphite however,CMC and xanthan gum,polyvinylacetate emulsion and phosphate,respectivelly being 5.0%,0.5%,0.10%,0.5%,and 2.0%.The experiment and application results show that this coating has good suspension property,layer strength and high temperature crack resistance,and can avoid sand adhering to casting parts effectively.


Effects of transglutaminase (TGase) treatment on properties of cast films from soy protein isolates (SPI-1, SPI-2), sodium caseinate (NaCas-1, NaCas-2) and gelatin (G-1, G-2) were investigated. Tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EB), moisture content (MC), total soluble matter (TSM), surface hydrophobicity (S0) as well as transparency of TGase-treated films and control films were evaluated after conditioning film specimens at 25℃ and 50% relative humidity (RH) for 48 h. TGase treatment significantly increased (p≤0.05) the TS and S0 of the most of protein films by 13.1%~33.2% and 2.4%~216.1%, respectively, and simultaneously significantly decreased the TSM of all films by 21.2%~69.9%. TGase treatment improved the EB of films cast from SPI-2, NaCas and gelatin, while reduced the EB of SPI-1 films. Transparency of TGase-treated films from SPI-1, NaCas-2 and G-1 was lower than that of control. SDS-PAGE analyses confirmed the occurrence of cross-linking induced by TGase, which may account for the higher TS, S0 and lower TSM (as compared to those of the control).


In this article, a four parameter lifetime model called the Topp–Leone modified Weibull distribution is proposed. The suggested distribution can be considered as an alternative to Kumaraswamy Weibull, generalized modified Weibull, extend odd Weibull Lomax, Weibull-Lomax, Marshall-Olkin alpha power extended Weibull and exponentiated generalized alpha power exponential distributions, etc. The suggested model includes the Topp-Leone Weibull, Topp-Leone Linear failure rate, Topp-Leone exponential and Topp-Leone Rayleigh distributions as a special case. Several characteristics of the new suggested model including quantile function, moments, moment generating function, central moments, mean, variance, coefficient of skewness, coefficient of kurtosis, incomplete moments, the mean residual life and the mean inactive time are derived. The probability density function of the Topp–Leone modified Weibull distribution can be right skewed and uni-modal shaped but, the hazard rate function may be decreasing, increasing, J-shaped, U-shaped and bathtub on its parameters. Three different methods of estimation as; maximum likelihood, maximum product spacing and Bayesian methods are used to estimate the model parameters. For illustrative reasons, applications of the Topp–Leone modified Weibull model to four real data sets related to medical and engineering sciences are provided and contrasted with the fit reached by several other well-known distributions.


Abstract This paper analyses Dorothy Richardson's short story "The Garden" (1924) as an amplification of the recurring epiphanic garden scenes in Pilgrimage. "The Garden" could be considered a close-up of the episode recreated in the Pilgrimage garden memories seen through the eyes of a small child. In this short story there are no epiphanic implications, only the ordinary perceptions of a small child on a common day. However, when the protagonist of Pilgrimage remembers the childhood episode when she contemplated the flowers in the garden by herself, it is so full of significance and poetry that it becomes a symbol, a recurrent epiphanic motif that is a source of meaning and peace


Mode spectrum of the oversize circular cylindrical dielectric rod waveguides excited in HE11 mode is established. Surface wave characteristics such as phase constants and guide wavelengths are also studied. Investigations on modal power distributions, division of surface wave power flow between inside and outside waveguides, relative attenuation constants exhibit certain interesting results.


The ballad with multi voice part is our national musical wonder An analysis of the ballad music with multi voice part of Hunan Jing county from various aspects such as harmony,polyphony,tone mode,combination of voice part,as well as the national musical taste,will help people to appreciate its musical characteristics and essence


Diverse pastures of complementary species (DPCS) comprise species that fulfil different agroecological niches, resulting in growth asynchrony and complementarity of functional roles. It is expected that DPCS have a greater capability to tolerate and performunder increasingly extreme climate events, providing a potential alternative for New Zealand pastoral systems. In the present study, DPCS comprised Lolium perenne L., Bromus valdivianus Phil., Dactylis glomerata L., and Trifolium repens L. The leaf regrowth stage [LS; L. perenne (2.5-3.0LS), B. valdivianus (3.5-4.0LS) and D. glomerata (3.5-4.0LS)] is proposed to be an applicable method of defoliation management for DPCS due to a potential overlapping of the defoliation interval. The seasonal and annual herbage mass accumulation and botanical composition of DPCS and their respective single-grass and T. repens pastures under the LS criterion were assessed. The annual yield did not differ among pastures (average 20.26 t dry matter (DM) ha- 1). However, significant differences were found within seasons, with DPCS exhibiting asynchronous growth among species that reduced the seasonality of herbageaccumulation and invasion by volunteer species. Lolium perenne, B. valdivianus and D. glomerata were shown to be complementary grass species, presenting growth asynchrony and an overlapping defoliation interval that optimised production, indicating that defoliation based on LS criterion is a suitable management for DPCS.


Significance IL-2 plays critical roles in many immune responses. However, its transcriptional regulation is still not fully understood. Data described in this paper demonstrate that the transcriptional factor E26 transformation-specific sequence 1 (Ets-1) promotes the expression of IL-2 by nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)-dependent mechanisms. Nuclear Ets-1 synergizes with NFAT in the transcription of IL-2. Ets-1 is also translocated to the cytoplasm in response to calcium-induced signals and facilitates the release of NFAT from noncoding RNA repressor of NFAT complex, which traps NFAT in the cytoplasm. This paper not only advances our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of IL-2 but also depicts a unique mechanism of action of Ets-1. E26 transformation-specific sequence 1 (Ets-1), the prototype of the ETS family of transcription factors, is critical for the expression of IL-2 by murine Th cells; however, its mechanism of action is still unclear. Here we show that Ets-1 is also essential for optimal production of IL-2 by primary human Th cells. Although Ets-1 negatively regulates the expression of Blimp1, a known suppressor of IL-2 expression, ablation of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp1) does not rescue the expression of IL-2 by Ets-1-deficient Th cells. Instead, Ets-1 physically and functionally interacts with the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) and is required for the recruitment of NFAT to the IL-2 promoter. In addition, Ets-1 is located in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of resting Th cells. Nuclear Ets-1 quickly exits the nucleus in response to calcium-dependent signals and competes with NFAT proteins for binding to protein components of noncoding RNA repressor of NFAT complex (NRON), which serves as a cytoplasmic trap for phosphorylated NFAT proteins. This nuclear exit of Ets-1 precedes rapid nuclear entry of NFAT and Ets-1 deficiency results in impaired nuclear entry, but not dephosphorylation, of NFAT proteins. Thus, Ets-1 promotes the expression of IL-2 by modulating the activity of NFAT.


In the area of medical informatics, the medical data classification is considered a complicated job. However, accurate classification of medical data is a complex task. Therefore, a robust and effective hybrid optimization-based deep learning method for classifying the medical data is developed in this research. The input data is pre-processed using data normalization method. Then, the features are selected using the proposed Henry Sea Lion Optimization (HSLnO), which is the combination of Henry Gas Solubility Optimization (HGSO), and Sea Lion Optimization (SLnO).The classification process is achieved using a optimized Deep Q Network (DQN). The DQN is optimized using the proposed Shuffled Shepherd Whale optimization Algorithm (SSWOA). The proposed SSWOA is developed by the integration of the Shuffled Shepherd Optimization Algorithm (SSOA), and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA). The developed technique achieves better performance of testing accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity with values of 95.413%, 95.645%, and 95.364%, respectively.