3D printing of drugs is an innovative and cost-effective technology, which is a major step towards personalized medicine. This technology can be used for the development of controlled-release drugs; fixed-dose combination drugs, as well as for the creation of orodispersible dosage forms. The global 3D drug market is still largely at the research stage, but its rapid growth is expected in the coming decade [1].


We have studied prostacyclin (PGI2) production and its inhibition by aspirin (ASA) by endothelial cells (EC) and cells of the de-endothelialized vessel wall (non-endothelial cells (NEC)} in arteries (ART) and veins. Segments of ART and veins were obtained from rabbits 15 min, 1,3,6 or 20 hrs after ASA (100 mg/kg, IV). The EC were separated from the vessel wall as a complete monolayer using a cellulose acetate paper/cell adhesion method. PGI2 was quantitated by a thrombin-induced 14C-5HT release assay. ART EC produced 1.13 ± 0.12 ng PGI2/100 mm2 (2.15 ± 0.09 × 105 cells) (mean ± SE, n = 18). Vein EC produced 0.52 ± 0.06 ng PGI2/100 mm2 (1.34±0.08 × 105 cells). After ASA, PGI2 production was maximally inhibited in both ART and vein EC for 6 hrs and was almost restored to control levels by 20 hrs. ART and vein NEC produced 1.54±0.15 and 0.77 ± 0.08 ng PGI2/100 mm2 respectively. After ASA, ART NEC production was maximally inhibited for 6 hrs and was restored to 56% of control levels by 20 hrs. In contrast, PGI2 production by vein NEC was maximally inhibited for only 1 hr after ASA and was restored to control levels by 6 hrs. This data demonstrates that vessel wall cells other than EC produce PGI2 in both veins and ART and suggests that the turnover of cyclo-oxygenase in vein NEC is more rapid than EC and ART NEC PGI2 production by NEC may be an important source of PGI2, particularly when the vessel wall is transected or the EC are removed.


SIMON(Separated by Implanting Oxygen and Nitrogen)wafers were fabricated with oxygen and nitrogen co -implantation.The s tructure of samples were studied by s econdary ions mass spec -troscopy(SIMS )and by cross -sectional transmissio n electron microscopy(XTEM)analysis.The relationship between radiation hardness properties and the status of buried layers in SIMON wafers were investigated.The results show that the buried layer is better for the wafer with lower nitrogen implanta -tion dose than for that with higher ni trogen implantation dose,and the ra diation hardness properties closely depend on the characteristi c of the buried layer.The results als o approve that the insulating ability of the buried layer of the wafers is one of the key factors affectin g the hardening for SOI devices.


The invention relates to a method for producing very fine particles by means of a jet mill using compressed gases as the grinding gas, characterized in that the grinding gas is under pressure of n4.5 bar(abs).


Objective To investigate the sensitivity of hyperthermia at different temperatures to taxotere and its mechanism. MethodsGrowth inhibiting rates of human pulmonary carcinoma giant cells(PLA-801D) in simple thermotherapy group,simple chemotherapy group,combined thermotherapy and chemotherapy group were determined by MTT colorimetric assay. Changes in cell cycle after treatment with hyperthermia at 42℃ and taxotere were analyzed by flow cytometry(FCM) . ResultsHyperthermia at 42-43℃ suppressed the proliferation of PLA-801D cells(P0.01) . However,hyperthermia at 38-41℃ stimulated the proliferation of pulmonary carcinoma cells(P0.01) . Hyperthermia in combination with drugs could achieve best results,and the inhibitory rate was positively correlated with the change of temperature(r=0.992 0,P=0.000 1) . Cell cycle analysis showed that the amplitude of cell cycles changed greatly after combined thermotherapy and chemotherapy. ConclusionSimple hyperthermia should be applied in combination with chemotherapy. The higher the temperature of hyperthermia is,the better the effect of hyperthermia is,in the controlled range.


The Piano Sonatas of Rodolfo Halffter (b. 1900, Madrid, Spain) represent an important body of literature not widely known nor understood for their historical importance and Spanish heritage. The entire development of Halffter's compositional style, which embraces three periods of composition, may be traced through these sonatas. The modes of composition may be seen not to be separate and distinct but as having inter—relationships which therefore affect the outcome of Halffter's final dodecaphonic technique. The culmination of his serial method is found in the Tercera Sonata, op. 30. At first glance, this work appears to be a radical departure from the former styles. However, a more in-depth study reveals this sonata to be the logical outgrowth of earlier compositional techniques, thereby blending diverse, eclectic elements into a unique and homogenous application, all Halffter's own. Forced to flee his native country in 1939, Halffter became the first composer in Mexico to use twelve-tone techniques. Together with Carlos Chavez, he exerted great influence on the present generation's group of Mexican composers. Halffter today remains a crucial link in the continuation of the Spanish tradition as exemplified by his former mentor, Manuel de Falla. A brief explanation of Falla s theory of resonance including sketches in Falla's handwriting as well as portions of the unpublished analysis of Halffter's Tercera Sonata are presented, perhaps for the first time. This study reveals how Halffter manipulates many Spanish elements which are found in the ancient cante iondo and the string tunings of the guitar in addition to the use of acciacaturas and the internal rhythm of Domenico Scarlatti into a personalized idiom which remains apparent throughout all his compositional styles. An analysis of Halffter s Tercera Sonata shows that the final period is characterized by a unique blending of Falla's "apparent poly-tonality" with the twelve-tone system of Arnold Schoenberg.


BACKGROUND
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in older Australians.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this article is to provide an overview of available pharmacological therapies for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

DISCUSSION
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) or memantine may be trialled in people with Alzheimer's disease to delay symptoms of cognitive and functional decline. The choice of pharmacological agent is based on the stage of Alzheimer's disease, tolerability, adverse effect profile, ease of use and cost. People should be monitored for efficacy, side effects and possible treatment discontinuation. Strategies should be used to optimise medication management and adherence. Evidence for other pharmacological therapies is mixed or lacking. Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common in people with Alzheimer's disease and may respond to symptomatic pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment.


Food safety is considered the most important concern of consumers and the food industry . This work was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of zinc oxide nanoparticles in improving minced quality meat while being in cold storage and determination of the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the ZnO nanoparticles. Using various concentrations (10, 20, and 30 ppm) of Zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs (20-30 nm). Treated groups with ZnO nanoparticles showed a reduction in the Aerobic Plate, Total coliform, total staphylococcus , and Bacillus cereus (count) have been decreased. The physical (PH) and chemical attributes (TVB-N, and TBA) of treated samples were significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) from untreated group. ZnO nanoparticles with size 30 ppm have bacterial and antioxidant activity extended the shelf-life of fresh minced beef by keeping food safe from spoilage and food poisoning bacteria.


The Gruenberg–Kegel graph (or the prime graph) of a finite group G is a simple graph Γ( G ) whose vertices are the prime divisors of the order of G , and two distinct vertices p and q are adjacent in Γ( G ) if and only if G contains an element of order pq . A finite group is called recognizable by Gruenberg–Kegel graph if it is uniquely determined up to isomorphism in the class of finite groups by its Gruenberg–Kegel graph. In this paper, we prove that the finite simple exceptional group of Lie type E 6 (2) is recognizable by its Gruenberg–Kegel graph.


The magnetization of single crystals and of polycrystals of a number of materials has been investigated at temperatures from 1. 3 to 300 °K, in fields up to 12,500 oersteds. Measurements were made on single crystals of LiMnPO4 (orthorhombic), Fe 3(PO4)2.4H2O (monoclinic), and HoFeO 3 (orthorhombic) ; polycrystalline materials were HoFeO3, Ho2O3, and Er2O3, PbO.Fe 12—xAlxO18, FeTiO3 and FeTiO 3-Fe2O3 solid solutions, CoMnO and MiMnO 3, CuF2.2H2O, MnF3, and CrF3 . The ferromagnetic single crystals show spontaneous magnetization along one crystallographic direction ; in Fe3(PO4) 2 .4H2O it was not possible to rotate the spontaneous magnetization out of the direction of the axis, in HoFe3O it is readily rotated away from the preferred orthorhombic axis at low temperatures. The spontaneous magnetization in HoFeO3 rises to about 3 Bohr magnetons as the temperature is lowered.


UAV-based delivery systems are increasingly being used in the logistics field, particularly to achieve faster last-mile delivery. This study develops a UAV delivery system that manages delivery order assignments, autonomous flight operation, real time control for UAV flights, and delivery status tracking. To manage the delivery item assignments, we apply the concurrent scheduler approach with a genetic algorithm. The present paper describes real time flight data based on a micro air vehicle communication protocol (MAVLink). It also presents the detailed hardware components used for the field tests. Finally, we provide UAV component analysis to choose the suitable components for delivery in terms of battery capacity, flight time, payload weight and motor thrust ratio.


This paper is concerned with specular reflection removal based on tensor low-rank decomposition framework with the help of polarization information. Our method is motivated by the observation that the specular highlight of an image is sparsely distributed while the remaining diffuse reflection can be well approximated by a linear combination of several distinct colors using a low-rank and sparse decomposition framework. Unlike current solutions, our tensor low-rank decomposition keeps the spatial structure of specular and diffuse information which enables us to recover the diffuse image under strong specular reflection or in saturated regions. We further define and impose a new polarization regularization term as constraint on color channels. This regularization boosts the performance of the method to recover an accurate diffuse image by handling the color distortion, a common problem of chromaticity-based methods, especially in case of strong specular reflection. Through comprehensive experiments on both synthetic and real polarization images, we demonstrate that our method is able to significantly improve the accuracy of highlight specular removal, and outperform the competitive methods to recover the diffuse image, especially in regions of strong specular reflection or in saturated areas.


Strategies for conducting renal impairment (RI) studies during clinical development of small molecules requires integration of the "totality of evidence" approach. Although it is acknowledged that physiologicallybased pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling can provide valuable insights for clinical study design and dose optimization in kidney disease, the approach has yet to become established in assessment of RI during drug development and regulatory submissions. Emerging data support an expanded integration of a PBPK modelinformed approach in regulatory guidances on RI.


Electron ptychography is a phase retrieval method that allows for the formation of phase images in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). A potential application of such phase imaging is the direct detection of charge transfer due to bonding in crystals. Recent developments in fast pixelated detectors have enabled the acquisition of 4D-datasets that contain the full convergent beam electron diffraction pattern for each probe position in a STEM scan. Using a ptychographical reconstruction, such as the Wigner Distribution Deconvolution (WDD), it has been shown that quantitative phase images can be formed, along with the correction of residual aberrations [1]. Phase contrast images have been shown to be sensitive to the electronic charge distribution and the effects of bonding [2], but these measurements can be affected by small residual lens aberrations, which affect the image contrast and can overwhelm the small signal due to charge transfer. Here we use the ability to correct residual lens aberrations post-acquisition to explore the visualisation of charge transfer in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). We acquired a ptychographic dataset of monolayer hBN using an aberration-corrected JEOL ARM200CF instrument fitted with a pnCCD (S)TEM camera. The acceleration voltage was 60 kV to avoid damage and the 4D datasets were acquired at 1000 frames per second. Aberration free multislice image simulations considering the so-called independent atom model (IAM) with the experimental dose settings


ABSTRACT Readers' prior knowledge is an important factor for comprehending scientific texts. The study used an eye tracker to examine the reading processes of the undergraduates with high (HPK) and low prior knowledge (LPK) while reading a long printed scientific article. The results of measuring the eye movements offered some interesting findings. First, HPK readers are more capable of using multiple representations and know the importance of scientific diagrams for reading comprehension; the results revealed that HPK readers spent significantly longer fixation durations on representational and statistical diagrams and had higher percentages of transitional fixations between text and diagrams than did LPK readers. Second, LPK readers were much more text-driven; the total fixation durations on text was significantly higher for the LPK readers than for the HPK readers, and they also exhibited a tendency to read the diagram captions rather than the diagrams after reading the text. Third, mature readers in both groups would engage in self-regulating their reading strategy to slow down their reading speed for processing more important information. This study overcame technical limitations and recorded readers' eye movements in a real print reading situation which may open the path to assess broader issues in future reading research.


Abstract The pyrene molecule shows its aromaticity localized in specific regions in the molecular framework as it is indicated by the calculated Nuclear Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) values, on previous electronic structure studies (García-Cruz et al. (2004) J. Phys. Chem. A 108, 5111 and Hernández-Trujillo et al. (2005) Chem. Phys. 308, 181), which is in full agreement with Clar's theory. The biradical formed at 400 K follows a simple mechanism, which yields an aromatic species as it is demonstrated by the NICS value. The analysis for testing the homolytic fragmentation and the unusual stabilization are also investigated. A possible implication of the reactivity of pyrene species in asphaltene formation is discussed.


Abstract : Using a beam superposition technique, the ionization of positive ions and atoms of atmospheric gases is studied. The method of superposition in the present instance, involves the flight along identical linear paths of confined beams of electrons and the relatively heavier particles such as the ions or atoms of oxygen and nitrogen. The large difference in velocity between the electrons and the heavier particles and the long common path they traverse together, enhance the probability of collisions between them leading to ionization. Preliminary results of ionization of N2, N2(+), O2(+), He(+) and A are presented and discussed. (Author)


as historical fact ; but he does not think it to be necessarily involved in the fact of the Incarnation. And while he lays great stress on the Resurrection, declares disparagement of the body to be quite unbiblical, asserts that the Christian hope is essentially not that of life after death, but of the resurrection of the dead, and is sure that the kernel of Easter is ' the real bodily resurrection,' he is not prepared to make any definite assertion as to the empty tomb. The resurrection of the Lord is not an historical event which any one could narrate, and the witness of the Apostles is the witness not of Eye-witnesses,' but of Faith's witnesses.' The Word of God and the faith of man-faith


The conflict between the provision of facilities that provide public service and the community responses to those facilities is of crucial concern to those planning and managing such facilities. The NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) phenomenon exemplifies a community response to the provision of facilities intended to provide public service. The facilities may be provided either by government or the private sector. This paper uses content analysis to examine the language used in the public domain from a recent NIMBY case in Melbourne, Victoria and the NIMBY literature. The NIMBY literature contains approaches that treat the responses to facilities as reasoned and rational, the result of ignorance, or are irrational and selfish. A reexamination of the language used shows that this is a limited interpretation of the responses. The public domain language from the local newspaper provides a case study of the, particularly, community responses to the issue of facility provision. A number of response modes are possible, however, the language used in both instances suggests that affective responses are a dominant response mode. An understanding of affective responses to facility provision is important to providers of such facilities and the strategic management of their processes in planning for and providing service facilities.


Abstract In this current study, the retinal cell morphology of two dolphin species, Tursiops truncatus and Stenella coeruleoalba was compared, and supplemented with a miniature review of how it relates to surrounding environment. Retinal cell morphology involved sectioning and retino-separation of eyes, morphometric analysis of retinal cell layers and its corresponding neurons, followed by stratigraphy of both retina and area/density of ganglion neuron cell bodies. A qualification criteria was developed to describe both thickness and visibility. To relate with surrounding environment of studied species, we searched relevant synthesized literature combining such key words as 'dolphin', 'Tursiops truncatus', 'Stenella coeruleoalba', 'eye', 'vision', 'ecology' and 'environment'. Retinal cell morphology comparisons showed that the thickness of outer nuclear layer had upper (37.8 – 38.5 μm) whereas outer plexiform layer had lower (7.8 – 8.7 μm) range values, with some differences between individual retinal layers (p<0.05) but specific to some cases. Area of ganglion cell layer of multipolar neurons of retina of both studied species could surpass the 800 μm2 mark, which suggests the presence of 'giant' size cell types. Plausibly, the retino-morphological comparisons of studied dolphin species depict the context of micro-view, and able to relate with a macro-view with respect to its surrounding environment.


Tests with a 30 cm thruster having EMT critical components have defined start-up criteria. Of the three phases comprising the start-up mode, the preheat phase is intended to heat critical feed system components to desired temperatures. Of the seven supplies available during the preheat phase, only three were found to be useful for purposes of preheating the thruster. These were the cathode and neutralizer tip heater supplies and the isolator heater supply. If the needed temperatures are attained during preheat, the ignition phase requires only several seconds. The heat phase serves to establish the proper propellant flow rates prior to the transition to the run mode. Using these techniques, a thruster with initial temperatures in the range of -15 to +25 C can be reliably started and provide a 1.0 amp beam within 45 min. High voltage recycle time profiles indicate limitations on several time functions.


ABSTRACT This paper surveys dynamics and trends that have influenced and continue to influence the three key tenants of American urban storefronts: retailers, food services, and personal services. By connecting academic literature, economic statistics, and real estate and marketing industry reports, the article outlines what these three street-level industries can expect in the foreseeable future. E-commerce, the experience economy, the Maker Economy, and regulatory, cultural and demographic shifts will have a profound impact on American urban storefronts – but certainly not always a negative one. Urban designers have a key role in ensuring vibrant, inclusive and resilient commercial streets.


This article argues that there is no performative self-contradiction involved in reports of selfless consciousness, at least in the non-pathological sense of the term. This is because what is central to the experience of selfless consciousness is a different kind of relation of the self with the rest of the world and, therefore, it is not a case of dissolution or decimation of the self. Such an understanding of selflessness can easily distinguish spiritual selflessness from pathological forms such as depersonalisation. This article seeks to provide an explanation for why reports are made of there being no self or subjectivity by appealing to the notion of attentional saliency.


The Tully Valley, located in southern Onondaga County, New York, has a long history of unusual natural hydrogeologic phenomena including mudboils (Kappel, 2009), landslides (Tamulonis and others, 2009; Pair and others, 2000), landsurface subsidence (Hackett and others, 2009; Kappel, 2009), and a brine-filled sinkhole or "Solar pond" (fig. 1), which is documented in this report. A solar pond is a pool of salty water (brine) which stores the sun's energy in the form of heat. The saltwater naturally forms distinct layers with increasing density between transitional zones (haloclines) of rapidly changing specific conductance with depth. In a typical solar pond, the top layer has a low salt content and is often times referred to as the upper convective zone (Lu and others, 2002). The bottom layer is a concentrated brine that is either convective or temperature stratified dependent on the surrounding environment. Solar insolation is absorbed and stored in the lower, denser brine while the overlying halocline acts as an insulating layer and prevents heat from moving upwards from the lower zone (Lu and others, 2002). In the case of the Tully Valley solar pond, water within the pond can be over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (oF) in late summer and early fall. The purpose of this report is to summarize observations at the Tully Valley brine-filled sinkhole and provide supplemental climate data which might affect the pond salinity gradients insolation (solar energy).


Background: In the public sector, a sub-health centre (sub-centre) is the most peripheral and first point of contact between the primary health care system and the community. The current level of functioning of the Sub-centres is much below the expectations. Objective: To assess sub-centres of Belagavi District according to Indian public health standards 2012 guidelines. Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in Belagavi district of Karnataka. forty SCs, four SC from each of the 10 Talukas of Belagavi district were selected by simple random sampling. Study period: 1 st January to 31 st December 2014. Data collected - using a predesigned and structured questionnaire for IPHS facility survey. Results: The study showed 35% of SCs were catering the services for population as per the norms. Services like ante-natal clinics, post-natal clinics and immunization sessions were conducted regularly in all the SCs. About 33% of SCs had no buildings. A deficiency worth highlighting in the present study was the absence of residential facilities for the staff in half of the SCs. Proper supervision and monitoring of the service delivery activities of the SC staff was done only in 70% of SCs. Conclusions: IPHS guidelines are not being followed at SC level in the district. Recruitment of SC staff especially the Health Worker Male post should be filled at all the SCs for efficient functioning of the SCs. The SC should be periodically surveyed to identify the deficiency and necessary action could be taken to correct it.


Asmari is the main productive reservoir in Abu Ghirab oilfield in the south-east part of Iraq. It has history production extends from 1976 up to now with several close periods. Recently, the reservoir suffers some problems in production, which are abstracted as water production rising with oil production declining in most wells. The water problem type of the field and wells is identified by using Chan's diagnostic plots (water oil ratio (WOR) and derivative water oil ratio (WOR') against time). The analytical results show that water problem is caused by the channeling due to high permeability zones, high water saturation zones, and faults or fracturing. The numerical approach is also used to study the water movement inside the reservoir. A three dimensional geological and a three phase reservoir model was constructed for Asmari reservoir. The simulation model was used to visualize the water front advance in order to evaluate the water production structurally. The numerical results also show that the channeling is the main cause of water production, as well as, oil-water contact advance problem was noted due to fault sealing behavior effects.


The introduction of nanotechnology in nuclear imaging has gained significant interest and could have promising potential for clinical use. Tumor imaging with radiolabeled nanoparticles (NPs) may be used for early detection, characterization, staging of disease, and for monitoring treatment efficacy. In this study we evaluated the biodistribution of porous silicon NPs labeled with positron-emitter gallium-68 in Wistar rats with subcutaneously transplanted cholangioma RS-1. The uptake of 68Ga-NPs in tumor tissue was 0.24±0.02 %ID/g at 5 min postinjection (p.i.) and climbed to 0.87±0.07 %ID/g at 5 h p.i. On the other hand, the amount of free 68Ga injected as 68GaCl3 solution decreased from 0.34±0.07 %ID/g at 5 min p.i. to 0.07±0.01 %ID/g at 5 h p.i. The highest level of radioactivity revealed in liver (8.27–15.79 %ID/g), spleen (0.98–1.27 %ID/g), and lungs (0.98–1.80 %ID/g). 68Ga-NPs were also determined in blood: up to 3.33±0.14 %ID/g at 5 min p.i. The uptake of 68Ga-NPs in other organs and tissues didn't exceed 1 %ID/g. In conclusion, the obtained results suggest that 68Ga-NPs could be suitable for use as molecular imaging probes.


Abstract : Optimal seat comfort is required for aircrew operational effectiveness in all USAF aircraft. Extended missions in ejection seat aircraft must balance comfort with the cushion's influence on the risk of vertebral fracture during ejection. McDonnell Douglas and Northrop Grumman recently designed a proposed seat cushion for the ACES II ejection seat in the B-2 aircraft to improve sitting comfort. The Escape and Impact Protection Branch was requested by the San Antonio Air Logistics Center to evaluate potential spinal injury risk with the proposed cushion. A series of vertical impact tests were conducted with volunteer human subjects to compare the impact response of the proposed cushion to a "no cushion" impact condition, and to the existing B-2 ACES II seat cushion. All tests were conducted on the Armstrong Laboratory's Vertical Deceleratio Tower using a +Gz peek impact of 100. Test results indicate that the human impact response with the proposed B-2 ACES II seat cushion is not significantly different from the response with no seat cushion or with the current B-2 ACES II seat cushion. This indicates that the current risk of spinal injury would not increase with the proposed cushion within the limits evaluated.


Negative postoperative changes in children are frequent and have been described for decades. However, there is currently no theoretical framework, nor any consensual operational criteria for identifying them. This study aims at characterizing the many dimensions involved in postoperative behavioral disturbances in early childhood, using a qualitative analysis applied for the first time to these symptoms.


Textbooks describe internationalization as a stepwise process in which a company gradually expands its activities relating to market development and use of resources and increasingly offers its products and services to more distant markets. Very little is currently known about the internationalization of German biotech companies, and the little that is known relates to medically oriented companies, which constitute about 50 per cent of all German biotechs.


A plasma triangular monopole antenna operating in the VHF band (30–300MHz) is studied in this paper. By using HFSS simulator, the relationship between the radiation characteristics of plasma antenna and plasma parameters is revealed. Also the effect of bend angle of structure is simulated. The simulation results indicate that, when plasma frequency is sufficiently higher than operating frequency and the collision frequency is corresponding low, the plasma antenna can operate with characteristics similar to a metal antenna. The peak gain of plasma antenna is lower than metal one, on operating bend angle range.


Global context information is vital in visual understanding problems, especially in pixel-level semantic segmentation. The mainstream methods adopt the self-attention mechanism to model global context information. However, pixels belonging to different classes usually have weak feature correlation. Modeling the global pixel-level correlation matrix indiscriminately is extremely redundant in the self-attention mechanism. In order to solve the above problem, we propose a hierarchical context network to differentially model homogeneous pixels with strong correlations and heterogeneous pixels with weak correlations. Specifically, we first propose a multi-scale guided pre-segmentation module to divide the entire feature map into different classed-based homogeneous regions. Within each homogeneous region, we design the pixel context module to capture pixel-level correlations. Subsequently, different from the self-attention mechanism that still models weak heterogeneous correlations in a dense pixel-level manner, the region context module is proposed to model sparse region-level dependencies using a unified representation of each region. Through aggregating fine-grained pixel context features and coarse-grained region context features, our proposed network can not only hierarchically model global context information but also harvest multi-granularity representations to more robustly identify multi-scale objects. We evaluate our approach on Cityscapes and the ISPRS Vaihingen dataset. Without Bells or Whistles, our approach realizes a mean IoU of 82.8% and overall accuracy of 91.4% on Cityscapes and ISPRS Vaihingen test set, achieving state-of-the-art results.


This paper explores a position that combines contextualism regarding knowledge with the idea that the central point or purpose of the concept of knowledge is to feature in attributions that keep epistemic gate for contextually salient communities. After highlighting the main outlines and virtues of the suggested gate-keeping contextualism, two issues are pursued. First, the motivation for the view is clarified in a discussion of the relation between evaluative concepts and the purposes they serve. This clarifies why one's sense for the point of an evaluative concept ought to constrain and inform one's understanding of the concept. Second, the paper explores ways of avoiding a problem in the author's earlier development of gate-keeping contextualism. The initial development of the view opened the door to a form of skepticism that would hobble an important facet of our social-epistemic lives.


This dissertation investigates the expression of the indirect evidential subdomain in two languages in contact, i.e. the northern variety of Central Aymara and the variety of Spanish spoken in La P ...


A quasi-optical diode-grid frequency tripler array was analyzed by the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method in this paper. A nonlinear algorithm was successfully developed in order to deal with the nonlinear characteristic of a varactor. The results obtained for a test case showed excellent agreement between the FDTD and a direct mathematical method. The detailed analysis of a frequency tripler array employing back-to-back AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction varactor was given.


In order to illustrate the mechanism of AP1 signalling pathway mediated by latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) encoded by EB virus, the expression of phospho JNK in Tet on LMP1 HNE 2 cell line (L7) was determined at different time by Western blotting, JNK activation increased with the induction of LMP1 in a time dependant manner was abserved. The expression of phospho JNK and AP1 activity were analyzed by Western blotting and reporter gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines which stably expressing LMP1 and the three kinds of its mutants containing different mutation in carboxyterminal activating region. The result showed that no difference existed between HNE 2 LMP1 and HNE 2 LMP1ΔCTAR1, but significant difference between HNE 2 LMP1ΔCTAR2 and HNE 2 LMP1, HNE 2 LMP1ΔCTAR1,2. The phospho JNK expression and AP1 activity of HNE 2 LMP1 cell lines were individually transfected by dominant negative TRAF(TRAF DN) and dominant negative TRADD(TRADD DN). The results showed that the transfection of TRAF DN or TRADD DN made JNK expression and AP1 activity decreased significantly. The results suggested that the functional domain CTAR2 of LMP1 encoded by EB virus can mediate JNK signalling pathway through cooperation with TRAF/TRADD complex.


The antioxidant activity of a triterpenoid glycoside [3‐O‐(β‐D‐glucopyranosyl)‐hederagenin; OGH] isolated from the berries of Hedera colchica, an ivy species endemic in Georgia, was investigated. The antioxidant properties of OGH were evaluated using different antioxidant assays: 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl free radical (DPPH·) scavenging, total antioxidant activity, reducing power, superoxide anion radical (O2·−) scavenging, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging and metal chelating activities. The total antioxidant activity was measured according to the ferric thiocyanate method. α‐Tocopherol and trolox, a water‐soluble analogue of tocopherol, were used as reference antioxidant compounds. At a 30 µg/mL concentration, the inhibitory effects of OGH on the peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion was found to be 95.3%, whereas α‐tocopherol and trolox exhibited 88.8% and 86.2% inhibition of peroxidation in the system, respectively. In addition, OGH had effective DPPH· scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, total reducing power and metal chelation of ferrous ions activities. These various antioxidant activities were compared with α‐tocopherol and trolox. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In this paper, the Japanese development pattern, especially the Japanese financial system will be discussed. Financial systems can be classified into two types: bank-oriented type and market-oriented type. The traditional Japanese system is a bank-oriented one; the US and the UK take the market-oriented one. The role of the Japanese financial sector in supporting its real economy is indispensable. This property of the financial system is also one of the most important reasons for the bubble economy during the late 1980s. After the collapse of the bubble economy, the Japanese authority failed again to adjust the production-orientated and consume-depreciated industrial development style. Japanese economy experienced a long-term economic recession and did not recover until recent years. In 1990s, after the burst of the bubble, as risks were concentrated in the commercial banking, Japanese banks were allowed to take time to write off their non-performing loans under a bank-oriented system. Until recently, most observers saw Japan's response to its last crisis as a failure. But now, we also can find out some good points while comparing with the global financial crisis.


Capital is one of the production factors and becoming more important nowadays. It is used mostly in the meaning of money and wealth among the public while economists identify it as means of production which haven't been found freely in the nature. The lack or excess of any capital in the agricultural enterprises has been effecting successful operation of farms in the negative direction. Even if they differ according to the structure of farm, it is desired that half of the active capital forms farm capital and the other half of it forms working capital. In this study 117 enterprises have been analyzed which is conducted to identify the capital structures of agricultural enterprises in Eskişehir. Research results showed that farm capital ratio was 68,81%, working capital ratio was 31,19 % in active capital at surveyed farms. It was determined that active capital constituted 48,55% land capital; 16,80% building capital; 15,21% machinery and equipment capital; 10,81% livestock capital. In general, 88,27 percent of the farms' capital stock was equity while the 11,73 percent was foreign capital.


The Balanced Academic Curriculum Problem (BACP) is considered an optimization problem, which consist in the assignment of courses in periods that form an academic curriculum so that the prerequisites are satisfied and the courses load is balanced for students. The BACP is a constraint satisfaction problem classified as NPHard. In this paper we present the solution to a modified problem BACP where the loads can be the equals or different for each one of the periods and is allowed to have some courses in a specific period. This problem is modeled as an integer programming problem, for which had been obtained solutions for some of their instances with HyperLingo but not for all. Therefore, we propose the use of evolutionary strategies for its solution. The results obtained for the instances of the modified and the original BACP, proposed in the CSPLib, showing that with the use of evolutionary strategies is possible to find the solution for instances of the problem that with the formal method is not possible to find.


The invention relates to a system including a base (2) and a module (4) to be inserted into this base (2), an electric relay (26) to electrically disconnect the module from the base, and a blocking device (11) that can change over from a blocking state to a release state. The system including a sensor (19) to detect the presence of the module in the base and a blocking sensor (16) to detect the state of the blocking device, and means for opening the relay as soon as the blocking device is released or as soon as the module is not present. The blocking device can leave its released state only when the module has been extracted from the base by a distance more than the detection distance of the presence sensor.


Abstract:In the face of world-ending narratives including extinction, sea level rise, and climate change, I argue that Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner's Iep Jaltok, Keri Hulme's Stonefish, and Kiribati's climate adaptation plan Migration with Dignity produce new models for imagining futurity. Jetñil-Kijiner's poems historicize Pacific extinction narratives, Hulme's short stories produce readers capable of recognizing the new reality of climate change, and Migration with Dignity, when read through science fiction theories of utopia and dystopia, critique Westphalian statehood. Together these works resist hegemonic narratives of Pacific futurelessness to produce the future as a terrain of contingent epistemological contest rather than a foreclosed prediction.


The city coverage contains polygon features representing annexation boundaries of city jurisdictions within Sedgwick County. The coverage was initiated in year 2000.


A simple, low cost and highly efficient method of fabrication has always been the goal of manufacturing technology. In order to improve the speed of fabrication and simplify the preparation steps, this work proposes a multi-material integrated 3D printing method, aiming to obtain the desired structure from the print head in one step. As a typical example, a cylindrical Li-ion battery (LIB) with core-shell structure was integrally fabricated using this method. A multi-material print head is designed based on the structure to be printed. Special inks with the characteristics of non-Newtonian fluid for the LIB were developed. Anode, cathode, separator layer, and packaging layer were easily printed simultaneously, and the printing parameters were studied. Electrochemical performance of the printed battery was tested with the charge and discharge capacities of the printed battery up to 147 and 99 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C rate, respectively. The proposed multi-material integrated printing method greatly reduces the printing process and improves the fabrication efficiency. This system can be directly extended to fabricate other integrated devices such as supercapacitors. Based on this idea, it should also be possible to design different print heads to print other periodic structure in one step.


many parts of the globe during the last few decades has given rise to widespread use of the term 'identity' as well as to a glamorous theoretical interest in the concept. However, there has been little clarity or rigor in its theoretical deployment. This brief essay will make a very small effort at correcting that. My main concern will be how we use 'identity' in the context of identity politics, not how the word surfaces in discussions of metaphysics, about which philosophers have already produced a flourishing and interesting literature. In politics, when we say an individual has a certain identity, we mean that he belongs to a certain type relevant to what we commonly call 'identity politics.' For some years now, in various essays, I have tried to impose some theoretical order on the concept by distinguishing at the outset between the 'subjective' and 'objective' aspects of identity.1 Your subjective identity is what you conceive yourself to be, whereas your objective identity is how you might be viewed independently of how you see yourself. In other words, your objective identity is who you are in light of certain biological or social facts about you. Of course, subjective identity and objective identity are often closely related. It is neither routine nor plausible, at least in a political sense, to conceive of yourself as something you manifestly are not. Could I, born of Indian parents, think of myself as an African American? I suppose I could. One can imagine all sorts of things that go beyond reality. But since we are interested in the notion of identity in the realm of identity politics, we would be sensible to put aside self-conceptions that amount to fantasies.2


Most practical data science problems encounter missing data. A wide variety of solutions exist, each with strengths and weaknesses that depend upon the missingness-generating process. Here we develop a theoretical framework for training and inference using only observed variables enabling modeling of incomplete datasets without imputation. Using an information and measure-theoretic argument we construct models with latent space representations that regularize against the potential bias introduced by missing data. The theoretical properties of this approach are demonstrated empirically using a synthetic dataset. The performance of this approach is tested on 11 benchmarking datasets with missingness and 18 datasets corrupted across three missingness patterns with comparison against a state-of-the-art model and industry-standard imputation. We show that our proposed method overcomes the weaknesses of imputation methods and outperforms the current state-of-the-art.


This document is the report of a 1995 evaluation of progress made in Brazil toward meeting the objectives of USAIDs population assistance program which is being phased-out during the period 1992-2000. The specific purpose of the evaluation was to determine whether USAIDs goals of improved quality and enhanced sustainability of family planning (FP) programs could be achieved during the phase-out period. The report opens with an executive summary and summary of recommendations. The introductory chapter provides a description of the country setting the background of the USAID program and the assessment purpose and methodology. Chapter 2 describes changes in the policy and program environment brought about by new USAID mandates Brazils response to the International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action and the election of Cardoso government and its response to Brazils economic stabilization plan. Chapter 3 sets forth the program evaluation plan in terms of the evaluation framework and indicators the monitoring and evaluation plan documentation of impact and future priorities. Chapter 4 considers the strategic approach to quality of care issues improvements in quality of care and the relationship of these improvements to USAID support and suggests changes in USAID support in this area. Chapter 5 deals with the issue of program sustainability and looks at current and anticipated levels as well as how this issue applies to the public private and NGO (nongovernmental organization) sectors. Chapter 6 contains suggestions of how USAID can enhance cooperation with the Brazilian government if certain restrictions are lifted. The final chapter presents the evaluations conclusions about the continued validity of the phase-out strategy and about progress during this period as well as recommendations on ways to assure the effectiveness of the phase-out (these involve training management IEC [information education and communication] commodities and logistics evaluation and research and the private and NGO sector). Additional recommendations 1) propose changes in the current phase-out plan and set priorities in the event that phase-out is accelerated 2) propose appropriate actions if bilateral assistance becomes possible and 3) cover the period after the phase-out. A final note discusses how USAID support has changed the development of FP programs in Brazil.


This research is a descriptive research that aims to find the result of Investment analysis of Serumpun Bernas Trading Company development in Jambi Province marketing area, according to Pay Back Period (PP) Point of view, Net
Present Values (NPV), Discounted Pay Back Period (DPP), Modified Internal Rate of Return (MIRR) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Point of View. This research focuses on the capital source, sales projection, operational budget, cash flow, investment budget and investment analysis variables. Data obtained from the calculation of the company's financial statements from 2008 to 2012. This research
shows that Serumpun Bernas infestation is worth to be applied or not according to Pay Back Period (PP) calculation, Net Present Value (NPV), Discounted Pay Back
Period (DPP), Modified Internal Rate of Return (MIRR) and Internal Rate of Return calculation (IRR). Therefore, it is hope that helps Serumpun Bernas trading Company to take the right desitions and cosidering they investation plan.


Using the titration of tertiary aliphatic amines as a model a linear relationship for the log equilibrium constant versus the log dielectric constant over a broad range of dioxane–water mixtures is established. Primary and secondary amines are less responsive to changes in dielectric constant, producing linear data of shallower slope. A study of morpholine and N-alkyl-morpholines produces curves that plateau in high dielectric constant regions and display decreasing slope as water concentrations approach zero. Similar behavior for morpholines is observed in low water mixtures where they form proton transfer complexes with p-nitrophenol. Possible reasons for the behavior are discussed.


"District as defined in the Commonwealth Rainfall District Map. Table 1. Origin of seed sampies assayed for infection with S. sclerotiorum during the years 19821985. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is a common pathogen of soybeans occurring in both coastal and inland districts of New South Wales (2, 3, 4, 5). Severe lasses have oceurred in coastat distrlcts when soybeans have been grown eontinuously in the one field (5), presumably as a resutt of build-up of soil-borne sclerotia. While soil-borne sclerotia are eonsldered to be the main source ot infection in long term soybean fields the original souree of infection was probably selerotia introdueed with seed or ascospores blown in fram adjaeent fields. However, there is considerable evidence (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) that S. sclerotiorum can be transmitted as mycelium within seed and this may in some cases provide the lnlttal sauree ot infectlon (1). Ouring the years 1982-1985 saybean seed fram all districts of N.S.W. was assayed for seed-borne pathogens, principally Phomopsis phaseoli (Oesm.) Sace but the incidence of other pathogens including S. scterotiorum was also recorded. The origin of the seed sampies is given in Table 1. Most sampies were graded seed submitted to the New South Wales Oepartment of Agrieulture's Seeds Laboratory and intended for sowing purposes. A few were ungraded sampies submitted directly by farmers arid in 1984 ten ungraded sam pies from North Coast craps known to be infected with S. sclerotiorum were included. All sampies were tested within 9 months of harvest and were kept at ambient temperature prior to assaying. Two hundred seeds were taken at random from a 1 kg sarnple, surfaee sterilized for 2 minutes in sadium hypoehlorite {1.2% available chlorine), rinsed twice in sterile distilled water and Fig. 1. Soybean seed infected with S. sclerotiarum showing abnormal appearance of seed eoat. Healthy seed is on right.


Employees sheltered in place while crews assessed the hazard from the exposure of contaminated 1950s-era rail cars. Employees sheltered in place while crews assessed the hazard from the exposure of contaminated 1950s-era rail cars.


Not all synonymous codons are used with equal frequency in prokaryotic genomes - this
 selective preference is termed codon usage (CU) bias and is an


Purpose: Anastomosis site stricture is a common complication after a total gastrectomy. End-to-end anastomosis (EEA) stapler devices are preferred to a hand-sewn esophagojejunostomy these days. However, stapling devices have been reported not to reduce the incidence of esophagojejunostomy site stricture considerably. Materials and Methods: From Sep. 1998 to Dec. 2000, at Korea Gastic Cancer Center, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University, we experienced 228 total gastrectomies in which EEA stapling devices had been used. We investigated the correlation of the stricture with the size of the EEA stapling device, the type of esophagojejunal reconstruction, reflux esophagitis, and duration of stricture development. Results: Among the 228 cases, as far as the patient's age was concerned, the 7th decade was the most common 64 cases, followed by the 5th decades. The Male-to-female ratio was 2.3:1. A loop esophagojejunostomy was used in 223 cases, and the Roux-en-Y method was used in 5 cases. The 32 patients with anastomosis site stricture were patients with loop esophagojejunal anastomosis. Anastomosis site stricture occurred in (32/228) of the total gastrectomy cases, in (11/69) of the total gastrectomies involving stapler devices with a 25-mm diameter, and in (21/159) of the total gastrectomies involving staper devices with a 28-mm diameter. There was no correlation between the incidence of stricture and EEA- stapling device size (P>0.05). Reflux esophagitis occurred in 56 of the 228 cases, with 7 of those 56 cases () and 25 of the remaining 172 cases () having strictures. There was no considerable difference in the stricture incidence rate according to the presence of reflux esophagitis (P>0.05). The onset of stricture development, occurred within 6 months in 16 cases, including 4 cases of reflux esophagitis, between 7 and 18 months in 14 cases, including 3 cases of reflux eshophagitis, and after 19 months in 2 cases. Conclusion: An esophagojejunostomy site stricture after a total gastrectomy was not correlated with the esophagojejunal reconstruction type, the size of the stapling device, or the presence of reflux esophagitis. General anastomosis technical factors (e.g., adequate blood supply, tension-free manner, adequate hemostasis) may be more important to prevent anastomosis site stricture after an esophagojejunostomy during a total gastrectomy.


Diabetes dysglycemia includes two components: the chronic sustained hyperglycemia and the acute glycemic fluctuations.The latest studies indicate that there is a strong positive relationship between glycemic fluctuations and diabetes complications.Glycemic fluctuations is an important and independent factor for diabetes complications,which severely threatens the health and life of patients.This article not only presents the monitoring and control of glycemic fluctuations but analyzes the reasons of glycemic fluctuations as well.


responding time of the communication between the computer and the voice board, was less than 110 milliseconds. Also, the response time of the communication between the computer and the receive-side modem, was less than 100 milliseconds. The home electric device statuses were shown graphically on the computer screen according to the device's setup conditions. It was much more convenient to use a voice command than a key board or a mouse.


Land is a natural resource that is very valuable for human life. Limited land availability creates separate disputes for humans. The cases of land disputes in South Sumatra Province, according to the Head of the Regional Office of the National Land Agency, were 27 cases, 18 cases have been completed and 9 cases have not been resolved. This study aims to analyze how the mediation of land disputes in the province of South Sumatra. The method used in this study is the study of literature by finding referrals that are relevant theories with cases or problems found. The reference is used as the basic foundation and main tool for research practice in the field. The findings in this study are that the mediation process carried out by the Regional Office of the National Land Agency is not in accordance with the Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning / Head of the National Land Agency No. 11 of 2016 concerning the settlement of the Land Case. The factors that influence the success of the mediation process are building trust, cooperation, neutrality of the mediator and empowerment of the parties to the dispute. The conclusion in this study is that mediation will work well if mediators can build trust and are neutral in resolving land disputes.


The low-temperature thermochronological technique was used to study the uplift and denudation history of the Yanshan orogenic zone and its neighboring area, which has revealed distinct periods of accelerated crustal cooling since the late Mesozoic. The results show that the fission track ages range from 115 Ma to 50 Ma (zircon) and from 85 Ma to 6 Ma (apatite), with the apatite mean track lengths 11. 7 -10.1 /um. These data have recorded the rapid cooling events during approximately 120~105 Ma, 95~85 Ma, 60~50 Ma, 38 Ma, 25~20 Ma and 10~0 Ma. The uplift-cooling event during 120~105 Ma coincided with the activity of low-angle detachment normal fault in the Yanshan Mountain and its neighboring area and caused approximately 7 km of crustal exhumation. The uplift phase of 10 ~0 Ma coincided with the occurrence of the NE (NEE trending Shanxi graben system and caused approximately 2. 2 km of crustal exhumation. The denudation rates were approximately 0. 28 - 0. 06 mm/a during the rapid uplift and 0. 01 mm/a during the slow uplift. The stage of slow uplift corresponded with the development of five episodes of planation surfaces of the Yanshan Mountain and its neighboring area and five regional sedimentary interruptions of the Cenozoic basin in North China. On the basis of the isostasy theory, the mean altitude in the late Cretaceous was 1000 m higher than the present elevation in the Yanshan Mountain.


The outcome product was tried out to the tenth grade students in SMA
Negeri 16 Makassar. Then it could be evaluated by the experts. Finally, the result of this student's book analysis by the expert was well-qualified as a reference used in teaching English material. So, the product was being able to help both the teachers and students in learning and teaching English especially past events material


Synchronous data flow graphs (SDFGs) have proven to be suitable for specifying and analyzing streaming applications that run on single- or multi-processor platforms. Streaming applications essentially continue their execution indefinitely. Therefore, one of the key properties of an SDFG is liveness, i.e., whether all parts of the SDFG can run infinitely often. Another elementary requirement is whether an implementation of an SDFG is feasible using a limited amount of memory. In this paper, we study two interpretations of this property, called boundedness and strict boundedness, that were either already introduced in the SDFG literature or studied for other models. A third and new definition is introduced, namely self-timed boundedness, which is very important to SDFGs, because self-timed execution results in the maximal throughput of an SDFG. Necessary and sufficient conditions for liveness in combination with all variants of boundedness are given, as well as algorithms for checking those conditions. As a by-product, we obtain an algorithm to compute the maximal achievable throughput of an SDFG that relaxes the requirement of strong connectedness in earlier work on throughput analysis


X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to measure the energy discontinuity in the valence band (ΔEv) of SiO2/InZnGaO4 (IGZO) heterostructures deposited by low temperature plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering at <50 °C, respectively. A value of ΔEv=1.43±0.15 eV was obtained by using the Ga and Zn 2p3 and In 3d3 and 3d5 energy levels as references. Given the experimental bandgap of 3.2 eV for the IGZO, this would indicate a conduction band offset ΔEC of 4.27 eV in this system.


The hyphenated techniques are developed by combining two or three different analytical techniques. Mainly chromatographic techniques are combined with spectroscopic techniques. The separated components obtained from chromatographic techniques are then transmitted to spectroscopic detection technique through an interface. The improvements in hyphenated analytical methods in last two decades have significantly broadened their applications in the analysis of biomolecules especially in natural products. In this review article recent advancement in hyphenated techniques such as GC-MS, LC-MS, LC-NMR, MS-MS, LC-NMR-MS have been highlighted. The term 'Hyphenated' refers to separation and identification of the compounds. These techniques also show better analysis of sample compounds with better accuracy, precision and specificity. This review mainly focuses on the instrumental aspects of hyphenated techniques along with their interfaces. The interfaces such as Jet\Orifice separator interface, Electrospray interface, Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface have been covered. It has been concluded that these hyphenated techniques have become more advantageous for the analysis of drugs. This technique is useful for quality control, analytical research, impurity profiling and maintenance for human welfare and development.


Abstract To assist creators of public service announcements and anti-drinking campaigns, this study provides an in-depth examination of the risks of binge drinking from the perspective of college students. Using current risk models for guidance, key elements from the qualitative data in the study are addressed, including perceived risks and their severity, vulnerability to risks, self-efficacy, response efficacy, benefits from ritual functions, and other costs or benefits based on students' attitudes and beliefs. An integrated risk perception model is introduced. Student participants enumerated extensive risks; however, they generally felt invulnerable to the consequences. Most adopted a management style of "taking chances" when binge drinking because they perceived a built-in safety net in the college environment. Three ritual functions and various attitudes and beliefs help explain why a cost and benefit analysis favors binge drinking. Recommendations are given.


Surveys conducted by Statistics Mauritius indicate that cases of domestic violence in Mauritius during the lockdown of 2020 have increased by five-fold as compared to the years 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, 293 cases of domestic violence were reported over a period of 18 days as announced by the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare in April 2021 and 87.3% of these cases had women as victims. While these alarming statistics acknowledge the escalation of domestic violence as a form of social ill, they also trigger the questioning of the efficiency and adequacy of the relevant legal and regulatory measures undertaken by the Mauritian authorities to reduce or eliminate domestic violence in the wake of the current health crisis. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate the policy responses and endeavours established by the Mauritius authorities to ensure elimination of domestic violence in Mauritius, to identify loopholes inherent in the present legal provisions and to suggest recommendations to enhance the legal and regulatory framework on women's protection in Mauritius. A black letter approach and comparative analysis is adopted for this study.


Two biofertilizer agents, Azospirillum amazonense A10 and Bacillus megaterium P7, alone and in combination increased the grain yield of rice in autoclaved soil by 103-256% over control. Colonies of A, amazonense and B. megaterium were distinguished from the contaminant phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and Azospirilla colonies in the respective media based on colony morphology, colour and thickness of clearing zone, Population densities of A, amazonense and B. megaterium were found to be 2.6 x 108 and 2.9 x 108 CFUg .] soil, respectively at 48 day post transplanting. Protein and antibiotic resistance profiles of the inoculated and reisolated A. amazonense, B. megaterium and the contaminant colonies with the pure cultures indicated that the isolates were able to establish in the rice rhizosphere with the resultant enhancement of plant growth and yield.


The Vitamin C is an essential for the human being, having an important role in the dairy supplementation because it owns properties that help in the immunologic resistance. This study searches to evaluate the quality of the products and how much the vitamin C is degraded into in natura juices by two distinctive methods of analyzes the Liquid Chromatography (LC) and the Titration by Iodometry analyzing the best economic method, as well as the most efficient method to determine the vitamin C in the analyzed samples. For this, there were three flavors selected: orange, lemon and tangerine, considering them the most consumed nowadays. Among these flavors we analyzed the in natura, the industrialized and the powder juices, all the juices were maintained under refrigeration in an amber bottle during 21 days, being analyzed in the day of the preparation of the samples, in the first day after the opening and every three days until complete the 21 days. The percentage of Vitamin C decline was compared between the first and the last day of analyzes, we got better results under the chromatography analyzes, due to the sensibility of the technic, that enables reach more exact values for the Vitamin C concentration. The juice that obtained better results among all the analyzed was the orange in natura, where it was possible to find the value of 447 mg L by the method of titration and 398 mg L in the liquid chromatography in the first day of preparation of the samples. In the last day of analyse it was the value of 368 mg L by the method of titration and 233 mg L in the liquid chromatography. The degradation of Vitamin C is different in each one of the flavors of the juice, but remains significantly during the days in the most juices analyzed. Therefore, the juices can be consumed during some days without a great loss in Vitamin C.


ABSTRACT Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Clinical and Oncological Features andTreatment. Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (MTC) may be sporadic or may occuron a hereditary basis. Hereditary MTC can occur either alone – familialMTC (FMTC) – or as the thyroid manifestation of multiple endocrine neo-plasia type 2 (MEN 2) syndromes (MEN 2A and MEN 2B) or other forms.Germ-line mutations in R E T cause MEN 2. Genetic testing, now available,forms the basis for MTC screening procedures. In the past few years, sev-eral genotype-phenotype correlations have focused on the relationshipbetween specific mutations and different MEN 2 syndrome variants. Differ-ences in dimerization induction intensities are a reasonable explanation forthe phenotypes resulting from mutations of the different cysteines. Here wedescribed the molecular mechanisms, diagnose and treatment as well asour experience on the management of this rare form of thyroid cancer. (Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab 2004;48/1:137-146)Keywords: MTC;


Electroplating of particle reinforced nickel-based composite coating was carried out in order to repair the failed automobile cylinder liner.The influence rules of particle mass fraction,particle diameter and composite coating thickness on the abrasion loss of repaired automobile cylinder liner were investigated,and the influence mechanisms were also analyzed.The impaired part was effectively repaired through optimizing electroplating process.Measurement results showed that the repaired automobile cylinder liner has ideal wear-resisting property,and can be reused.


The color reaction of iron(Ⅲ) with 8-hydroxyquinadine was studied.In the presence of pH 8.0 NH 4Cl-NH 3·H 2O buffer solution and emulsifler-OP medium.8-hydroxyquinadine can reacts with iron(Ⅲ) to form a stable 3∶1 complex.This complex can be extracted by Waters Plus-C 18 cartridge.After the enrichment finished, the retained chelate can be eluted by ethanol.In ethanol medium, the molar absorptivity of the chelate is 7.85×10 3 L·mol -1·cm -1 at 595nm. Beer's law is obeyed in range of 0~5.0μg/mL.This method can be applied to the determination of iron in tobacco with satisfactory results.


The total area of the active circuit is 400 urn X 225 #m without layout optimization. An optimum design using the same layout rules and parallel collector structures would result in an area of about 270 pm X 90 #m. The corresponding area for a binary 12L full adder fabricated using the same technology and layout rules and perpendicular collector structures was crdculated to be 290 m X 120 pm. This implies that an opY timized multivalued I L full adder circuit occupies 70 percent of the area of the binary full adder. If the multivrdued 12L full adder is constructed usihg perpendicular collector structures, a further reduction in area would result. The 12L threshold gates were characterized by measuring 6P and &. A curve tracer was used for the measurements. The typical value of PMwas 3 for collector currents ranging from 20 to 200 PA. In the same range of currents, thle value of & was 600. The beta matching for a set of three collectors in a parallel structure with a unity area injector was found to be better than 3 percent over a range of current from 10 pA to 1 mA. The collector-to-emitter breakdown voltage for the upside-down n-p-n transistor was 1.6 V. The full adder operation was successfully tested at low frequency using three synchronized input signals applied to terminals Xl , X2, and Cl. A TTL-to-12 L interface consisting of a single inverter stage was used at the input and an 12L-toTTL interface consisting of two inverters in series was used at the output. The speed of operation of the circuit was tested with a stable dc level corresponding to a "one" at the Xl input, a stable dc level corresponding to a "zero" at the X2 input, and a pulse applied to the Cl input. The delays of the sum and carry outputs are t~~= 1.5 ps and tjc= 0.9 ps, respectively, at an injector current of 75 IA. These delays include the delays of the input and output interfaces. The intrinsic values of the delays without the interfaces are td$ = 1.2 us and td~= 0.6 #s. In the multilevel full adder, all three inputs are interchangeable and the resultant delay is the same for any combination of a dc "zero" input, a dc "one" input, and a pulsed input. For compwison purposes, the corresponding intrinsic sum delay for a binary full adder operated at the same injection current and using the same interfaces was found to be approximately 0.8 p.s. In the case of thle binary full adder, all three inputs are not directly interchangeable and the delay depends on whether one of the inputs o.r the carry is clocked. The value 0.8 ps for the delay was obtained by averaging the delays for the case of a dc "zero" input, a dc "one" input, and a clocked carry and the case of a dc "zero" input, a clocked input, and a dc "one" carry. Therefore, it appears that for the same power dissipation, the area x delay product (in this case the delay refers to the delay associated with the sum output) for the multivalued full adder is approximately the same as for the binary full adder. CONCLUSION The multivalued full adder implemented using 12 L technology offers a sizable reduction in area while operating at approximately the same area x delay product as the binary version. The logic scheme described in this correspondence can be applied to the realization of a variety of other logic functions and, furthermore, (can be extended to levels higher than four with improvements in processing technology.


It introductes the programming technologies and desi gn methods of multimedia CAI system design, probes the skills of multimedia CAI de sign by using Delphi's components. and also deals with the design of integrated multimedia electronic board.


IN INTERPRETING EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS H. H. LovE Elsewhere in this JOURNAL there has been presented some argument for the use of Student's method for interpreting the results of experimental work, particularly where the experiments have been so conducted as to admit of pairing. This method consists first in determining the difference between two experiments, say A and B. Then the mean difference or mean of these differences is obtained. The difference between each value and this mean is then obtained and from these values the standard deviation is calculated by the usual method.


T cell‐specific antigens as identified by the anti‐Leu 1, anti‐Leu 2a, and anti‐Leu 3a monoclonal antibodies were quantitated in 31 normal control subjects, 21 adults with spinal cord injury, 58 patients with stable multiple sclerosis, 31 patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, and 15 patients with multiple sclerosis in acute relapse. The only significant deviations from normal values were a slightly low mean T cell (Leu 1‐positive) value in patients in acute relapse and a low suppressor T cell (Leu 2a‐positive) mean value in patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. We were unable to confirm previous studies using the OK series of monoclonal antibodies that reported low suppressor T cell levels (OKT5 and OKT8 positive) in patients with acute relapses. We suggest that modulation (a spontaneous or induced variability in the expression) of individual cell surface antigens may explain the differences seen between our study and other reported series.


During much of the twentieth century, the legality of the professional bar's prohibition on lawyer advertising was noncontroversial.1 Based in part on a tradition of professional etiquette2 and in part on a denial of First Amendment protection for "commercial speech," '* lawyer advertisements were subject to a wide variety of limitations on content, form, and medium.4 Since 1977, however, increased judicial


The article aims to survey and present programs, reports and solutions related to the environmental management of the Ports of Sao Francisco do Sul and Itapoa. An analysis of the occupational and environmental aspects of Babitonga Bay, an estuary where the port areas are located, was contemplated. Environmental licenses were cited as a reference in Brazilian legislation for the environment. The basic reference for the studies were articles published in the last 10 years, the web pages of the ports of Sao Francisco do Sul and Itapoa and the current Brazilian environmental legislation. Socio-economic and environmental aspects of port developments and the estuary region of Babitonga Bay are presented. Environmental programs, their reports and actions. A comparative assessment between programs and results is contemplated. It concludes with a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results presented by the reports of the environmental programs and their impact on the regional biota.


and production of complement is increased following brain injury and neuro-degeneration.Here,wediscovered that complement receptor 2 (Cr2, also known as CD21/ CD35) is functionally expressed on neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and regulates their proliferation and responses to injury. By stereological quantification, we found that Cr2 knockout mice have significantly increased neurogenesis with more than 3-fold increase in DCX + cells in the hippocampus of 20-months old Cr2 knockout mice. Additionally, we found that stimulation of NPCs with two ligands of Cr2, complement C3d and interferon-alpha (IFN a ), reduced pro- liferation and neurosphere formation in vitro; this was restored by treatment with Cr2 neutralizing antibody. Corroborating these findings, we found that intracer- ebral injection of Cr2 ligands into the left hippocampus of wild type mice resulted in an average 35% decrease of BrdU + DCX + cells in the ipsilateral compared with the saline injected side. Moreover, injection of C3d had no effect in Cr2 knockout mice. In conclusion, we provide evidence for a role of complement receptor 2 in reg- ulating adult neurogenesis in the mouse hippocampus and postulate that the Cr2-mediated regulation of NPCs may mechanistically contribute to maintaining a neurogenic niche. Immune responses mediated by pathogenic Th17 cell are associated with a number of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. As Th17 differentiation can be inhibited by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) via retinoic acid recep- tor, we wished to target the retinoid signaling pathway to reduce Th17-mediated autoimmunity. However, previous work examining the clinical application of ATRA has been hampered due to the poor biological properties of this endogenous RAR ligand. Therefore, we have now investigated the use of Am80, a syn- thetic retinoid with refined pharmacological properties, in the modulation of typical Th17-mediated autoimmunity. In vitro differentiation of Th17 cells was inhibited by Am80, reducing both ROR g t expression and IL-17 production. Therefore, we examined the effect of Am80 on two experimental models of Th17-mediated autoimmune inflammation: experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU), the murine models of MS and uveitis respectively. Oral treatment with Am80 protected mice from the induction of MOG-induced EAE and hIRBP-induced EAU, concomitant with effective suppression of the development of Th17 cells. In addition, therapeutic treatment with Am80 was effective as a rescue treatment, rapidly reducing established clinical disease accompanied with the rapid loss of inflammatory cells from the target organ. We propose that Am80 may prove to be a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of MS and other Th17-mediated autoimmune inflammatory diseases. + cells in sciatic nerves, decreased the CD80 expression in mononuclear cells (MNC) from the lymphoid node, and increased the FoxP3 expression. These data provide strong evidence that atorvastatincan acts asaninhibitor inEAN byinhibiting the immune response ofTh17andtheexpressionofco-stimulatorymolecules,aswellasup-regulatingthefunctionofTregcells.TheresultsuggeststhatstatincouldbeusedasatherapeuticstrategiesinhumanGBSinfuture. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, which develops in young adults with a predisposing genetic trait and probably requires an environmental factor, such as infections, to be triggered. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is used an animal model for human MS, an inflammatory demyelinating autoimmune disease of the cen- tral nervous system that is characterized by activation of Th1 cells. A recent study has shown that regulatory T cells play a crucial role in the escape mech- anism of plasmodium infection. These cells suppress the Th1 response against the parasite and avoid its elimination. In this study, we verified whether modu- lation of the immune system in malaria-infected mice interfere with the evolution of EAE. We observed that the concomitant induction of EAE in malaria-infected mice reduced the clinical symptoms of EAE, and that this reduction was negatively correlated (r2 ¼ 0.4959) with the parasitemia. The concomitant malaria-EAE induction, not only reduces the clinical signs of EAE, but also decreases the expression of IL-17A and increases the expression of IL-10 in relation to EAE control mice, in the blood and lymph nodes. The adoptive transfer of CD4 + CD25 + from P. chabaudi infected mice reduce the clinical evol- ution of EAE. These data corroborating with the affirmation that the infections are important in the prevalence and evolution of autoimmune diseases, and shows the capacity of natural regulatory T cells regulate EAE in an apparently unspecific manner. Support: This work was supported by FAPESP. ASF is supported by FAPESP fellowship #2009/15620-9. Erythropoietin (EPO) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an anti-oxidative stress protein are proved their protective roles in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)-a reliable animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). We disclosed EPO reducing disease severity of MOG-EAE mice. A significant higher expression of HO-1 mRNA and more enhanced protein level of HO-1 from either central nerve system (CNS) or spleen was revealed in EPO- treated MOG-EAE mice than controls, implying a protective role of EPO on EAE may through augmented induction of endogenous HO-1 at least in a part. we examined further the immuno-modulation of EPO on EAE, and a significant lower expression of IFN- g ,IL-23,IL-6 and IL-17 mRNA and a significant higher expression of IL-4 mRNA and IL-10 mRNA of CNS from EPO group than from controls. Likewise, a significant decreased ratio of either Th1 or Th17 subsets of lymphocytes isolated from CNS and a significant increased ratio of splenic regulatory T cells (Tregs)/CD4 cells were revealed in EPO-treated MOG-EAE mice. Furthermore, MOG-specific T cell proliferation was less response in EPO group than in controls. Further, we demonstrate that more enhancement of splenic HO-1 and less severity of EAE through adoptive transfer from EPO-treated MOG-EAE mice. Our data reveal that EPO inducing both central and peripheral endogenous HO-1 to repress inflammatory responses. Experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple scler- osis (MS), is characterized by the activation antigen-presenting cells and the infiltration of autoreactive lymphocytes within the central nervous system (CNS). Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic factor known for neuro-protective and immunomodulatory properties, although its global anti- or pro-inflammatory effect is still unclear. This study investigates whether intra-cerebral increase of HGF could modify the course of EAE. We assessed the effect of an overexpression of HGF in the CNS by means of C57BL/6 mice carrying a HGF transgene under the control of the neuron- specific enolase promoter (HGF-Tg mice). EAE induced either by immunization with MOG (35-55) or by adoptive transfer of auto-reactive T cells was inhibited in HGF-Tg mice (p , 0.05). The level of inflammatory cells infiltrating the CNS decreased, with the exception of CD25 + Foxp3 + regulatory T (T reg ) cells increase. A strong T H 2 cytokine bias was observed, with a decrease of TNF- a , IFN- g and IL-12p70 in the CNS whereas IL-4 and IL-10 were increased. Antigen-specific response assays showed that HGF inhibits dendritic cells (DCs) function and induced differentiation of IL-10-producing T reg cells, with a decrease of T H 17 cells and a downregulation of T cell activation. These effects were fully reversed when DCs were pre-treated with anti-cMet (HGF receptor) antibodies.Ourdata demonstrate that HGF is a strong immunomodulator that inhibits EAE. Our results suggest that HGF is a candidate of high interest for the development of new treatments for immune-mediated demyelinating diseases associ- ated with neurodegeneration such as MS. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a demyelinating syndrome in central nervous system (CNS) characterized by myelitis and optic neuritis. The detection of a highly specific serum autoantibody, NMO immunoglobulin G that binds to aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels, and a pronounced deposition of immunoglobulins co-localizing with products of complement activation in a vasculo- centric pattern around thickened hyalinized blood vessels in NMO lesions, suggest a crucial role for humoral immunity in the pathogenesis of NMO. However, the detailed immunopathological features of cellular immunity including effecter/memory T cells in NMO remain elusive. Therefore, we investigated the cellular immune responses in NMO patients by clinical, immunological and pathological studies. In cerebrospinal fluids of NMO patients, inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 b were increased. Pathological and radiological findings demonstrated that NMO cases had not only grey-matter-predominant lesions but also subpial white-matter-predominant lesions with the longitudinally extension in spinal cords. Moreover, we confirmed that subpial white-matter-demyelinating cord lesions of NMO were accompanied by infiltrations of immune cells including CD45RO + or CD20 + cells in leptomeningeal membrane and around the radial vessels on pathological studies. These lymphocytes produced IL-17 and/or IFN- g in the immunohis- tochemical analysis. This infiltrating pattern of lymphocytes in NMO cord lesions was similar to the rodent model of T-cell-mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Therefore, we suspect that not only humoral immunity including AQP4 antibodies and complements, but also cellular immunity including cytokine-expressing Tcells, might be critical elements contributing to the pathogenesis of NMO. Objective: To clarify immunological differences between multiples sclerosis (MS)/neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients with and without anti-aquap


Integrated gasification combined-cycle plants aren't alone in their ability to gasify a solid fuel and burn it to produce power. Anaerobic digesters, working in concert with a distributed generation or combined heat and power plant, can produce electricity and/or thermal energy from solid waste. The economic and environmental benefits of doing so can be substantial.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), an autoimmune disease, has been proposed to be comorbid with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We aimed at testing the hypothesis that patients with JIA may presented with high risk of OSA in a cohort study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
This is a cohort study including patients with JIA from 1999 to 2013 identified from a longitudinal health registry. A matched non-JIA control group was also included. The primary outcome variable was presence of OSA. A Cox proportional hazard model was developed to estimate the risk of OSA in patients with JIA. A cumulative probability model was adopted to assess the time-dependent effect of JIA on OSA development, implying a causal link of the association.

RESULTS
A total of 2791 patients with JIA were included, and 11 164 individuals without JIA were selected as matched controls. A total of 95 included subjects had OSA: 31 in the JIA group and 64 in the control group. Patients with JIA were more likely to have OSA compared with controls (adjusted hazard ratio, aHR = 1.922, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.244-2.970). The incidence of developing OSA was particularly high among patients with JIA-associated deformity that presented at age 18-30 years (aHR = 1.993, 95% CI = 1.277-3.113) and males (aHR = 1.786, 95% CI = 1.097-2.906). The risk of developing OSA increased over 60 months (aHR = 2.523, 95% CI = 1.322-4.815) of follow-up after the JIA diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with JIA have a significantly increased risk of developing OSA compared with matched individuals without JIA.


The current practice with building energy simulation software tools requires the manual entry of a large list of detailed inputs pertaining to the building characteristics, geographical region, schedule of operation, end users, occupancy, control aspects, and more. While these software tools allow the evaluation of the energy consumption of a building with various combinations of building parameters, with the manual information entry and considering the large number of parameters related to building design and operation, global optimization is extremely challenging. In the present paper, a novel approach is developed for the global optimization of building energy models (BEMs) using Python EnergyPlus. A Python-based script is developed to automate the data entry into the building energy modeling tool (EnergyPlus) and numerous possible designs that cover the desired ranges of multiple variables are simulated. The resulting datasets are then used to establish a surrogate BEM using an artificial neural network (ANN) which is optimized through two different approaches, including Bayesian optimization and a genetic algorithm. To demonstrate the proposed approach, a case study is performed for a building on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology, located in Melbourne, FL, USA. Eight parameters are selected and 200 variations of them are supplied to EnergyPlus, and the produced results from the simulations are used to train an ANN-based surrogate model. The surrogate model achieved a maximum of 90% R2 through hyperparameter tuning. The two optimization approaches, including the genetic algorithm and the Bayesian method, were applied to the surrogate model, and the optimal designs achieved annual energy consumptions of 11.3 MWh and 12.7 MWh, respectively. It was shown that the approach presented bridges between the physics-based building energy models and the strong optimization tools available in Python, which can allow the achievement of global optimization in a computationally efficient fashion.


MCM-41-supported nickel phosphides were prepared by an in-situ-reduction method.Their hydrodenitrogenation(HDN) activities were evaluated by means of 1% quinoline in decalin.It was indicated that the HDN activity of the MCM-41-supported nickel phosphides was much higher than that of the supported Ni-W sulfide.The optimal initial molar ratio of(Ni/P) was 1.0-1.25.It could be concluded from the distribution of the intermediates and the products that high hydrogenation activity of the MCM-41-supported nickel phosphides should be responsible for their high HDN activity.When the total loading of NiO and P_2O_5 was below 40%,the HDN activity of the MCM-41-supported nickel phosphides increased with increasing the total loading of NiO and P_2O_5,and the optimal total loading of NiO and P_2O_5 was 30%.XRD patterns of the high-performance phosphide catalysts suggested that both the Ni_2P and Ni_(12)P_5 were active in the HDN reactions,and Ni_2P was more active.


The SST-1M telescope was developed as a prototype of a Small-Size-Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array observatory and it has been extensively tested in Krakow since 2017. In this contribution we present validation of the Monte Carlo model of the prototype and expected performance in Krakow conditions. We focus on gamma/hadron separation and mono reconstruction of energy and gamma photon arrival direction using Machine learning methods.


The first description of acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as a mononucleosis-like syndrome was published in 1985 [1]. Since that time, it has become clear that recent viral infection may be accompanied by a variety of symptoms, at least partly related to the mode of acquisition [2], and may often be asymptomatic [3]. Despite this apparent lack of specificity of clinical presentation, it still remains possible to identify individuals who have acute/early HIV infection by educating healthcare providers and patients alike to consider this diagnosis in the context of a significant systemic illness in an individual with a recent risk exposure. Alternatively, a strategy of repeated testing for infection (using fourth-generation tests detecting the virus as well as the antibody response) in some groups may be employed. The main reason to develop such a strategy would be the availability of an intervention to change the natural history of the disease. An early controlled trial of a 6-month course of zidovudine monotherapy in primary HIV infection showed a clinical effect on minor opportunistic infections over a 15-month period, as well as significant increases in CD4 cell counts [4]. Interestingly, study recruitment was ended prematurely, at least in part because practitioners of the day believed that the correct course of action was to initiate treatment and were unwilling to randomize their patients to observation. In an accompanying editorial, Ho reasoned that the observed benefit related to a marked effect on viral dynamics at a time when viral turnover was at its peak [5]. He further proposed that when more effective treatment modalities were available, the benefit would be even greater. Over time, an immunologic benefit of intervention (the preservation of HIV-specific T-helper cells) was demonstrated to support the rationale for intervention [6]. Since then, enthusiasm for the systematic use of highly active antiviral therapy in this setting has waned, with the benefit of interrupted therapy expected to be modest and without long-term benefit [7]. The current Department of Health and Human Services Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1–Infected Adults and Adolescents states that ''The health care provider and the patient should be fully aware that the rationale for therapy for acute HIV infection is based on theoretical considerations, and the potential benefits should be weighed against the potential risks. For these reasons, treatment of acute HIV infection should be considered optional at this time'' [8]. It is in this nebulous context that the important work of Hogan and colleagues is published in this issue of the Journal [9]. The Setpoint Study (ACTG A5217) was a randomized clinical trial in which patients who had been infected with HIV in the previous 6 months were assigned to receive a 36-week course of antiretroviral therapy (with tenofoviremtricitabine administered along with lopinavir-ritonavir) or observation. The principal end point was a lowering of the virologic set point at week 72 (thus comparing 36 weeks of therapy followed by 36 weeks of observation with 72 weeks of observation). The secondary end point was the time required to meet eligibility for therapy based on clinical, virologic, and/or immunologic criteria. As with the original trial of zidovudine monotherapy in this setting, the study was discontinued prematurely. The Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) determined that study subjects who did not receive immediate treatment were progressing to require such treatment on clinical grounds at such a rate that an actual comparison of virologic set points between the 2 study groups would not be possible. Of the planned 150 participants, 130 had been enrolled before the closure of Received and accepted 26 September 2011. Correspondence: Brian Conway, MD, FRCPC, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Downtown ID Clinic, 201-1200 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2C7, Canada (email@example.com). The Journal of Infectious Diseases 2012;205:10–2 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals. firstname.lastname@example.com DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jir702


Commonly used algorithms for the automatic measurement of Vickers microindentation hardness testing images do not handle a broad range of real world indentation images well enough to be applicable in industrial environments.


'what is in fact a highly arbitrary, limited, and patronizing vision of nature' and passes it off as a 'straightforward fact of geography' (p. 48). This is useful but perhaps not much of an advance on Wood's analysis of the North Carolina roadmap in his 1992 book The Power of Maps (it makes a cameo appearance in Chapter 9). In Part II of the book therefore we get readings of maps, many of them from the National Geographic Society, that elaborate on the eight natures of nature. Nature isseen as threatened and threatening, grandeur, cornucopia, accessible, system, mystery, and park. There are some clever readings which usefully serve as case studies bringing together the most cogent examples and case studies. Wood and Fels (or is it just Wood?) write with brio, in a very personal style and are often slyly amusing. A sense of missed opportunity sometimes arises. Wood and Fels devote considerable space to the industry of hurricane mapping and to natural disasters. Their readings are Barthian, picking out the assumptions and hidden contradictions of maps and or the mapmakers. What might have been interesting is to show how a narrative of natural disasters and the tracking technologies that surveil them were appropriated to political projects such as the war on terror. Similarly, in the chapter on nature as grandeur there is an opportunity (as pointed out by Trevor Paglen) to contrast all those classic pictures of Yosemite and the West with the current landscape of military bases and proving grounds. Today these landscapes are less mappable than a hundred years ago. There is no final concluding chapter, but the authors do evince a world weariness by the end of the book: 'it's said that maps are important tools in the fight to preserve nature, but may be all that's true is that we've mapped nature to death' (p.218). While I am much in sympathy with Wood, who remains, I think, one of the more original and unique voices in cartography, this book teases more than it delivers. References


In recent decades, detailed kinetic models have become integral to combustion research. Progress has been significant and the latest models can explain many complicated combustion phenomena, and allow increasingly accurate engine simulations. These models can be very large (eg. the LLNL model for 2-methylalkanes has over 7,000 species and 30,000 reactions [1]) and there are now dozens of large published models. Unfortunately, these ever-proliferating detailed kinetic models are incompatible and inconsistent, are seldom compared directly, and often contain undetected mistakes. We hear these days that it's possible to achieve errors a low as 1 kJ/mol in energy and 30% in rate constants, yet in many published and trusted models these parameters can differ by 100 kJ/mol and 30 orders of magnitude respectively.


A number of years ago Ehrlich pointed out the ability of living cells to decolorize (i. e., reduce) solutions of methylene blue. Later, Neisser and Wechsbergf devised an application of this phenomenon to determine the cytocidal effect of some cellular poisons upon leucocytes. They found that living leucocytes were able to reduce the dye quantitatively, but when they were killed by heat, alcohol, an immune leucotoxic serum, or staphylococcus "leucocidin," they lost this power. Other cells, when fresh (spermatozoa, pancreas, kidney), also reduced the dye, but not after treatment with an injurious agent (alcohol). Living microorganisms had a similar effect, which was lost on treating them with a bactericidal substance. Ferments and bacterial toxins had


Yes, I have something in my eye, I have death in my eye. Curious that an ordinarily inert substance >like death can cause such a reaction when deposited in an unaccustomed place >like an eye.


Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular malformations located within the central nervous system often resulting in cerebral hemorrhage. Pharmacological treatment is needed, since current therapy is limited to neurosurgery. Familial CCM is caused by loss‐of‐function mutations in any of Ccm1, Ccm2, and Ccm3 genes. CCM cavernomas are lined by endothelial cells (ECs) undergoing endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EndMT). This switch in phenotype is due to the activation of the transforming growth factor beta/bone morphogenetic protein (TGFβ/BMP) signaling. However, the mechanism linking Ccm gene inactivation and TGFβ/BMP‐dependent EndMT remains undefined. Here, we report that Ccm1 ablation leads to the activation of a MEKK3‐MEK5‐ERK5‐MEF2 signaling axis that induces a strong increase in Kruppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) in ECs in vivo. KLF4 transcriptional activity is responsible for the EndMT occurring in CCM1‐null ECs. KLF4 promotes TGFβ/BMP signaling through the production of BMP6. Importantly, in endothelial‐specific Ccm1 and Klf4 double knockout mice, we observe a strong reduction in the development of CCM and mouse mortality. Our data unveil KLF4 as a therapeutic target for CCM.