Certain antibiotics, particularly fluoroquinolones, induce the mutagenic SOS response and increase the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have been associated with antibiotic lethality. Both SOS and ROS promote bacterial mutagenesis, fueling the emergence of resistant mutants during antibiotic treatments. However, the relative contribution of ROS and SOS on this antibioticmediated mutagenesis is currently unknown. We used the antioxidant molecule N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to study the contribution of ROS on the SOS response and the mutagenesis mediated by the fluoroquinolone anti-biotic ciprofloxacin (CIP). We show that NAC is able to reduce intracellular ROS levels, as well as the SOS response caused by treatment with subinhibitory concentrations of CIP, without affecting its anti-bacterial activity. This effect reduces anti-bioticinduced mutagenesis to levels comparable to a translesion synthesis DNA-polymerases deficient strain, suggesting that ROS play a major role in SOS-induced mutagenesis. Collectively, our results shed light on the mechanisms underlying antibioticinduced mutagenesis and open the possibility for the use of NAC as adjuvant in antibiotic therapy to hinder the development of antibiotic resistance.


An important requirement of household energy simulation models is their accuracy in estimating energy demand and its fluctuations. Occupant behavior has a major impact upon energy demand. However, Markov chains, the traditional approach to model occupant behavior, (1) has limitations in accurately capturing the coordinated behavior of occupants and (2) is prone to over-fitting. To address these issues, we propose a novel approach that relies on a combination of data mining techniques. The core idea of our model is to determine the behavior of occupants based on nearest neighbor comparison over a database of sample data. Importantly, the model takes into account features related to the coordination of occupants' activities. We use a customized distance function suited for mixed categorical and numerical data. Further, association rule learning allows us to capture the coordination between occupants. Using real data from four households in Japan we are able to show that our model outperforms the traditional Markov chain model with respect to occupant coordination and generalization of behavior patterns.


The way of regulating criminal legal issues internationally has changed in recent decades, as an aftermath of increased intensity of globalization processes around the world combined with growth of transnational crime, and subsequent desire of the international community to co-operate on suppressing criminal conduct that transcends national frontiers. The vast majority of multilateral international treaties concluded overt the past decades have been devoted to transnational crimes, falling within the scope of transnational criminal law. One of such crimes, inevitably connected to the development and increased use of information and communication technologies, is grooming. The paper aims at presenting international regulations, provided for in a suppression convention, obliging the Polish legislator to penalize grooming in the domestic legal order, as well as the Polish domestic provisions complying with the said obligation.


The severe outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) demonstrates the importance of disease risk assessment. The existing risk assessment methods are limited by the real time and accuracy of data. Most of them take the administrative statistical unit as the analysis scale, which has modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) . First, based on a random forest method, we integrated COVID-19 transmission data at community scale and multisource geospatial data to map COVID-19 disease outbreak risks at fine scale. The experimental results (overall accuracy = 0.85, Kappa = 0.70) indicated the feasibility of the model. Second, we built a spatial variable-infection risk model at community and place scale to assess the risk degree of epidemic spread in different places and facilities. Last, we analyzed the possibly spatial drivers of disease transmission. The results show that (1) the central area of Wuhan city has the highest risk of infection and the risk map presents a trend of decreasing from the center to the periphery;(2) The top five facilities with the highest risk of COVID- 19 infection are shopping, medical, financial, transportation and public facilities;(3) The transmission risk of the epidemic is low in primary and middle schools, but high in colleges and universities;(4) The model determines the degree of epidemic risk at the community scale and predicts that shopping and traffic places are two most significant driving factors with the epidemic outbreak. In conclusion, this study suggests a new method of disease risk assessment based on a fine scale, which can pave the way for future disease risk assessment. © 2021 Science Press. All rights reserved.


Many critics claim that every literary work has an autobiographical dimension, but in Graciliano Ramos' literary production the presence of this dimension is patent. Motivated by the fact that some biographical features are present in his works to a greater or lesser degree, we propound a classification of his writings according to the more visible presence of these features or the configuration of the autobiography by the fictional character. In order to do so, we have identified the components that form the autobiographical field and we have analyzed how they are instantiated. We identified in the fictional work of Graciliano Ramos four usages of the autobiography that allowed us to propound the following typology: historical or conventional autobiography in Infância (published in 1945); testimonial autobiography in Memorias do carcere (published in 1953); fictional autobiography in Angustia (published in 1936) and autobiography of the fictional character in Sao Bernardo (published in 1934). The analysis of the novels required the reflection on the relations between memory and history, objectivity and subjectivity, confession and testimony, among others. In order to do so, we referred to the analytical approaches of Antonio Candido, Alfredo Bosi, Mikhail Bakhtin, Philippe Lejeune e Giorgy Lukacs, among others.


Abstract Armellinoite-(Ce), ideally Ca4Ce4+(AsO4)4⋅H2O, is a new mineral discovered in Fe–Mn ore in metaquartzites of the Montaldo mine, Corsaglia Valley, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy. It occurs as very small and rare, pale yellow to brown–yellow pseudo-octahedral translucent crystals hosted by a matrix of quartz, hematite, cryptomelane/hollandite, tilasite, muscovite, braunite and montmorillonite. The mineral is translucent, with white streak and has a resinous to vitreous lustre. It is brittle with irregular fracture and fair cleavage parallel to {110} and {100}. Estimated Mohs hardness is ~3–3.5. Calculated density is 4.29 g⋅cm–3. Armellinote-(Ce) is uniaxial (–), ω = 1.795(5), ɛ = 1.765(5) (white light), non-pleochroic and non-fluorescent. Chemical point analyses by WDS-EPMA yielded the empirical formula (based on 17 O+F anions): A(Ca3.89Th0.08Sr0.02La0.03)Σ4.02B(Ce4+0.76Nd0.13Y0.08Gd0.03Sm0.02Pr0.01Dy0.01Ho0.01)Σ1.05[(As4.00P0.01)Σ4.01O4]4⋅(H2O0.85F0.15)Σ2.00. The presence of H2O was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The mineral is tetragonal, I41/a, with single-crystal unit-cell parameters a = 10.749(2), c = 12.030(2) Å and V = 1390.0(6) Å3, with Z = 4. The eight strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines are [d Å (Irel; hkl)]: 7.983 (36; 101), 4.443 (23; 2̄11), 2.957 (100; 3̄12), 2.398 (14; 420), 1.875 (22; 424, 325), 1.728 (19; 3̄16), 1.612 (13; 613) and 1.475 (26; 712, 552). The crystal structure (R1 = 0.0284 for 1275 unique reflections) has isolated TO4 (T = As5+) tetrahedra that link Ca2+- or Ce4+-centred polyhedra via common oxygen ligands to form 2D blocks or double-layered (DL) structural units parallel to (001). Armellinoite-(Ce) is isostructural with pottsite, ideally (Pb3Bi)Bi(VO4)4⋅H2O, and closely related to a larger number of anhydrous synthetic compounds. The mineral is named after the mineral collector Gianluca Armellino (b. 1962), who collected the discovery sample.


The modernization of Ukrainian education and its orientation towards the
preparation of a new generation of teachers, integration into the
European educational space in the context of dynamic growth of
information and mass communication in social networks, constant
updating of social and humanitarian knowledge require new approaches
to the organization and content of professional training of future
teachers. The article actualizes the necessity of introducing new methods
and technologies in teaching that would meet the challenges of the time;
the methodology of application of the flipped learning technology is
considered. The instrumental possibilities of the introduction of the
«flipped learning» technology in the process of preparation of future
foreign language teachers are revealed. The essence of the technology of
«flipped classroom» and the relevance of its integration into the teaching
of a foreign language in modern higher education institutions are
investigated. The advantages and disadvantages of its use for teachers
and students are highlighted. Possibilities of introduction of the model of
the flipped classroom in the educational process of HEI are determined.
The algorithm for ensuring the effectiveness of flipped learning is
outlined. It is stated that the use of the «flipped learning» technology if it
is methodologically correctly applied, will contribute to the development
of the digital competence of the teacher and the development of
students' scientific skills, enhancing their motivation and success.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
In this study, the plasma fibronectin levels in the cases of chronic hepatitis B and C infection and this protein's response to the interferon therapy were examined.

METHODOLOGY
Totally, 38 patients with chronic hepatitis, 21 of them being hepatitis B, 17 of them being hepatitis C; and 24 healthy blood donors, as the control group, took part in this study. The quantitative determinations of fibronectin in plasma samples were performed with the Bohring Nephelometer BN 100 (N Antiserum to Human Fibronectin, code no OUND, Dade Behring Marburg GmbH, Marburg Germany).

RESULTS
It was observed that the fibronectin plasma levels of the control group were significantly higher than those of the patient group before the therapy (p=0.043). After the interferon therapy of six months, the difference between the fibronectin levels of 16 examined patients before and after the treatment was found to be significant (p=0.001). A negative correlation was detected between the fibronectin levels before the therapy and the inflammatory grade as far as the histopathology of the illness was concerned (r=-0.49), which is a statically significant value (p=0.002). The correlation between the levels of fibronectin and the stage of the fibrosis was found to be insignificant statistically (p=0.225). When comparing the levels before and after the therapy, as far as ALT and AST values were concerned, it was observed that both parameters fell significantly after the therapy (p=0.002). However, no correlation was observed between the fibronectin levels and ALT, AST before and after the therapy.

CONCLUSIONS
Fibronectin can be a useful marker for showing the hepatic inflammation and damage in the cases of chronic hepatitis, and can also be used in the evaluation of the response to the interferon therapy like other biochemical parameters (ALT, prothrombin activity etc.).


This report deals with Norway's ancient capital and its port; discussion is initiated by Borne facts of today's Trondheim (Nidaros). Background information goes back to the sagas and the time of Leiv Eriksson's route from Trondheim to the northern states of America about A.D. 1000. New results from archaeological excavations during the last 17 years are presented as background for the development of the town towards royal power, political administration and maritime activity in the Middle Ages. The archbishop's seat in Nidaros (1153-1537) consolidated the town's position even when it ceased being the national capital. Special incidents from the port's history from about A.D. 1000-1200 and from the 17 th , 18 th and 19 th centuries as well as from the two world wars are presented. Memories and atmospheres from Munkholmen, the small island just outside the entrance to the harbour are included. Finally the post-war time is mentioned, and symbolically the discussion concludes in Nidaros-domen (the Cathedral of Nidaros).


Organizations build, buy and reuse different types of technology with the
 intention to addressing their organizational needs, challenges and for
 competitive advantage. Unfortunately, the means is not the end. Instead, in
 some ways, it leads to complications and complexities, and more importantly,
 consumes more resources. Some organizations have adopted the technical
 architecture approach to address the challenges posed by technology
 deployment. The technical architecture is intended to address aspects, from
 strategic planning to implementation of technology infrastructures. This is
 to consistently effect significant technological change within the
 environment. The technical architecture approach facilitates and enables
 prioritization of analysis, development and implementation, which are based
 on value added business requirements and vision. It therefore allows the
 organization to proceed at its own pace while progressing at the same time.
 The paper presents model which reflects the consistent approach that adaptive
 enterprises could employ to build, maintain, and apply technical architecture
 in the computing environment. The model emphasizes a holistic approach to
 technical architecture deployment in the organization.


Unlike the real world, stereoscopic cinemas and display devices have a bordered frame, which can unnaturally cut off our view, and create conflicting visual cues. These perceptual conflicts can diminish the three-dimensional (3-D) effect and cause visual fatigue for the audience. Presented is a method to resolve these issues, by developing a controllable articulated 3-D border.


Summary

Some teaching material which invites a group of students to design and carry out a small experiment to investigate the working of short term memory is described. No equipment of any kind is required. These ideas have been found to be very helpful in making students think about some very basic and practical issues in designing and carrying out an experiment. The simple nature of the material makes it accessible to all levels of students.


The in vitro rates of metabolism of mivacurium chloride and succinylcholine in pooled human plasma were compared. In addition, the rate of metabolism of mivacurium in buffered solutions of butyrylcholinesterase (E.C. 22.214.171.124) and acetylcholinesterase (E.C. 22.214.171.124) was determined. Succinylcholine concentrations were measured spectrophoto-metrically, and mivacurium concentrations were determined with a high-pressure liquid chromatographic assay. The hydrolysis of mivacurium in plasma followed first-order kinetics, and the rate of hydrolysis decreased as plasma was serially diluted. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) for mivacurium metabolism in plasma was 245/μmol/L, and the maximum velocity (Vmax) was 50 U/L; the Km for succinylcholine was 37 μmol/L, and Vmax was 74 U/L. At comparable multiples of the Km the hydrolysis rate of mivacurium was 70% of that of succinylcholine. Mivacurium was metabolized significantly in solutions containing butyrylcholinesterase, but only minimally in solutions containing acetylcholinesterase.


Open sesame: Aptamer-substrate complexes activate the coherent operation of two tweezers that act as a "SET-RESET" logic system. Each tweezer cycles between a fluorescent open state and a closed quenched state (Q = quencher, F = fluorophore) when triggered by adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and adenosine deaminase (AD).


The author describes his sound sculptures which explore how various instances of sound possess musical form. He explains the sculptural qualities of sound and the aesthetic act of arranging sound into art. Detailed descriptions of three recent works illustrate how relocating sounds from one environment to another redefines them, giving them new acoustic meanings.


This panel provides an outlook for the role of functional languages in parallel programming from the perspective of researchers who are actively involved in the design and implementation of parallel functional languages. The panel focuses on developments in parallel programming and functional programming and their interactions. The panelists discuss the impact of these developments on the future of parallel functional languages from the perspective of their research groups.<<ETX>>


INTRODUCTION
Many competitive breath-hold divers employ the technique of glossopharyngeal insufflation in order to increase their lung gas volume for a dive. After a maximal inspiration, using the oral and pharyngeal muscles repeatedly, air in the mouth is compressed and forced into the lungs. Such overexpansion of the lungs is associated with a high transpulmonary pressure, which could possibly cause pulmonary barotrauma.

CASE REPORT
We report a case of transient neurological signs and symptoms occurring within 1 min after glossopharyngeal insufflation in a breath-hold diver. He complained of paresthesia of the right shoulder and a neurological exam revealed decreased sense of touch on the right side of the neck as compared to the left side. Motor function was normal. The course of events in this case is suggestive of arterial gas embolism.

DISCUSSION
Although the diver recovered completely within a few minutes, the perspective of a more serious insult raises concerns in using the glossopharyngeal insufflation technique. In addition to a neurological insult, damage to other organs of the body has to be considered. Both acute and long-term negative health effects are conceivable.


This project borne from a project that currently is performed for a company in the Design
Studio of FEUP and that uses a standard metallic chassis. The goal is to use the same
chassis/frame and conceive a mobile unit for the medical sector.
Considering that one of the advisors had already made contact with a doctor that expressed a
real interest in the development of a small bus that is able to run around the country to give
assistance to population that needs basic medical care in the field of ophthalmology, this
project appears as a natural sequence of the current Design Studio work.
To design the global concept of this mobile unit it is fundamental to understand the
limitations of the transportation of the medical basic equipment that is fundamental in
ophthalmology, in order to conceive the necessary vibration dumping systems and others.
It is necessary to design the whole mobile unit and all it interior to accommodate and
transport in safe conditions the adequate equipment, machines, objects and materials that are
fundamental for this kind of assistance.
It is intended that the project of this mobile unit gives information and construction solutions
that could be used in other mobile units for other types of applications.


This paper focuses on the disruptive situation provoked by the hospitalization of a member of the family due to sudden illnesses or accidents, requiring a coping reaction on the part of the family. We present results referring to six families that faced this situation, obtained through in-depth interviews with a member of the family. Firstly the families and the situations are characterized, and the coping strategies identified in each case are described. The analysis of the strategies is then presented, through the identification of differences and similarities between the cases. In every case there is the reorganization of the family in response to the event and to the resulting demands; coping strategies varied, but social support was always present. Some questions for future studies and for the preparation of health professionals are suggested.


What are the injustices of the world? What causes them? How might we mitigate them? Feminism needs empirical inquiry in all subfields to inform our understanding of the world and our normative reflections on it. Feminist theorists do not necessarily need to do it ourselves, but we do need it. Because we need empirical research, we need to be able to evaluate its methodology. In international relations, feminist scholars adopt and develop methods previously developed in other fields for nonfeminist questions. Feminist theorists need to evaluate this adoption and development by feminist IR in order to learn all we can and should from feminist IR scholarship.


Using (Ti(OC_4H_9)_4) and metal chlorates as starting materials, CoFe_2O_4/TiO_2 composite films were pre- pared by sol-gel method. The effects of heat treatment temperature and pH of the precursor on micro- structure and magnetic properties were studied. The phase structure of the samples was examined by X-ray diffraction. The microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and polarized microscope. The magnetic property was measured by vibrating sample magnetometer. The results show that the crystals of different phases grow up independently. CoFe_2O_4 is uniformly embedded into the TiO_2 matrix in the prepared composite films, and the growth of com- posite films is dependent on the heat treatment temperatures and PH of the precursor. The average size of CoFe_2O_4 crystal is 19 nm in Nanocomposite film prepared when the heat treatment temperature is 800℃ and the pH of the precursor is between 2 and 3. The magnetism of the composite films is en- hanced as the heat treatment temperature increases.


The benefit achieved by the use of cochlear implants depends among other factors on the number of surviving spiral ganglion cells (SGCs). Neurotrophic factors, especially brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have a protective effect on spiral ganglions. Coating of the cochlear implant electrode with BDNF-producing cells may provide long-term delivery of the factor. Therefore, the hypothesis that BDNF-producing fibroblasts can enhance cell survival of cultured SGCs was tested. Lentiviral infection of fibroblasts resulted in BDNF production. Conditioned medium obtained from infected fibroblasts was used for the cultivation of SGCs. As a result, improved survival and neurite outgrowth was observed on SGCs. Our results demonstrate that lentivirally infected fibroblasts produce BDNF that has neurotrophic effects on spiral ganglions.


Deposition of thin films and grafting of organic molecules on semiconductor surfaces, particularly oxide surfaces, are widely studied as means of passivation and functionalization for a variety of applications. However, organic functionalization of silicon oxide is challenging, as the currently used molecules (silanes and phosphonates) do not form layers that are stable in aqueous environments and present challenges during the grafting process. For instance, the chemical grafting of phosphonates requires high temperature (140 °C) to perform. Modification of SiO(2) surfaces with metal oxides is an attractive alternative since strong bonds can be established between metal oxides and relevant molecules (silanes, phosphonates). While such modification is possible using vapor-phase methods, such as atomic layer deposition and physical vapor-phase deposition, wet chemical processing is inexpensive and technologically very attractive. We describe here a simple wet chemical method to deposit an ultrathin layer of metal oxide/hydroxide groups. Further, using a model surface with exactly one-third monolayer OH groups on oxide-free Si surfaces, the precise adsorption geometry on single Al(OH)(3) groups is shown to be bidentate, and the distance between the Al and P atoms is determined to be the main influencing parameter for a thermodynamically stable formation of the Al-O-P bond.


For an arbitrary operator A on a Banach space X which is the generator of a C0-group with certain growth condition at infinity, direct theorems on connection between the degree of smoothness of a vector x 2 X with respect to the operator A, the rate of convergence to zero of the best approximation of x by exponential type entire vectors for the operator A, and the k-module of continuity are established. The results allow to obtain Jackson-type inequalities in a number of classic spaces of periodic functions and weighted Lp spaces.


Recently, drug-drug cocrystal attracts more and more attention. It offers a low risk, low-cost but high reward route to new and better medicines and could improve the physiochemical & biopharmaceutical properties of a medicine by addition of a suitable therapeutically effective component without any chemical modification. Having so many advantages, to date, the reported drug-drug cocrystals are rare. Here we review the drug-drug cocrystals that reported in last decade and shed light on the opportunities and challenges for the development of drug-drug cocrystals.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to quantitatively assess the rate of resolution of clot burden detected on pulmonary CT angiography (CTA) in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We evaluated 111 consecutive patients (55 men and 56 women) in a retrospective cohort who were diagnosed with PE by pulmonary CTA and had at least one follow-up pulmonary CTA within 1 year. Two radiologists in consensus measured the volume of each clot using a semiautomated quantification program. Semiquantitative measures of clot burden were also computed. The resolution rates of the total clot volume, as well as clot volumes of the central (main and lobar) and peripheral vessels (segmental and subsegmental), were analyzed.

RESULTS
The mean (± SD) clot volume per study was 3403.3 ± 6505.6 mm(3) at baseline and 531.6 ± 2383.5 mm(3) at the follow-up pulmonary CTA. Overall, 85 patients (77% ) showed complete resolution at the follow-up pulmonary CTA. Complete resolution was seen in 17 of 30 patients (56.7%) at a follow-up interval of 1-14 days, in 24 of 31 patients (77.4%) at 29-90 days, and in 32 of 34 patients (94.1%) after 90 days. The total clot volume measurements summed for all patients decreased by 78% (central clot, 69.4%; peripheral clot, 86.0%) at 14 days, by 96.6% (central clot, 93.4%; peripheral clot, 100%) at 90 days, and by 97.7% (central clot, 95.9%; peripheral clot, 100%) after 90 days.

CONCLUSION
Clot burden resolved completely in 77% of patients during the follow-up period. Our analysis showed that clots resolved faster in the peripheral arteries than in the central pulmonary arteries.


Abstract This study aimed at describing and explaining the cohesion and coherence created by the ninth grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Gianyar  in their narrative writings. Another aim was to describe and explain the problems encountered by  students in their narratives. This study used qualitative research which focused on  describing and explaining the coherence and cohesion created by the ninth grade students' in their narrative writings, and the problems encountered by the students. The subject of this study was the ninth grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Gianyar in academic year 2011/2012. The obtained data were in the form of: a) scripts of students narrative writings, b), responses to the students' questionnaire, and c) script of teacher' interview. The main instrument was the researcher himself. The data were analyzed by using the theory introduced by Halliday and Hasan (1976), Alterberg (1987), Wuang, Hui and Sui, Danni, (2010), and Connor (1990) and Connor and John (1990). The findings of the study showed the cohesion of the narratives was achieved by the used of cohesive devices. Grammatical devices included references, substitution, ellipsis and conjunction. And lexical devices included reiteration and collocation. The coherence of the narratives was also achieved through the development of themes, the generic structure, and the tenses used. Most of the students have created cohesive and coherent narratives although some problems identified. They were in sentence patterns, verb patterns or forms, conjunction, spelling, word choice, plural form, over generalization, the use of article, ellipsis, and the use preposition, the use of pronoun, apostrophe, adverb forms, syllabification, and capital letters.


National welfare reform is predicted to increase the number of homeless persons. This will affect the health care system by increasing the number of uninsured people and by multiplying the number of homeless persons seeking care in hospital emergency departments. Homeless persons have four major barriers to care: financial, bureaucratic, programmatic, and personal. The authors provide an overview of the homeless population, outline the barriers to health care for persons who are homeless, and highlight the major health care needs of this population. Finally, a community-based service delivery system developed by one agency in responding to the need of homeless persons is provided as a model of care.


Introduction Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) refer to symptoms that cannot be fully explained by structural bodily pathology or by environmental factors. Their impact on daily functioning varies from mild to severe disability. So far, evidence-based treatments for PPS have resulted in only small to moderate effects. Treatment protocols with a stronger orientation toward personalized approaches are needed to improve the efficacy and applicability of treatment. In this study, we aim to assess the effect of an online individual case conceptualization with web-based program for PPS. This study is conducted among two focus groups: patients with indoor air-related symptoms and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Methods and analyses Using a randomized controlled design (RCT) with two parallel groups in a 1:1 ratio, we will compare individual video-based case conceptualization with a web-based program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), combined with treatment as usual, with treatment as usual only. The web-based program consists of ten modules, each lasting 1 week and including training. The planned sample size is 124 eligible patients without attrition. The primary outcome will be the health-related quality of life as measured by the 15D questionnaire. The secondary outcome measures will include questionnaires on psychiatric and physical symptoms, illness perceptions, psychological flexibility, and work ability. We will also use national registers to obtain information on the use of healthcare and social benefits to complete patient-reported outcomes. Data collection began in August 2020 and will continue until 2023. Discussion This trial will provide information on the effects and usefulness of an online administrated individual case conceptualization and an ACT-based web-program on PPS. Ethics and dissemination The Ethics Committee of the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Finland, has granted approval for the study. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Clinical Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04532827 preresults.


Cancer development is a long-term, multistep process with a complex interplay between genes and environment. The magnitude of environmental effects depends on the presence or absence of genetic susceptibility of the subjects to certain cancer types. Molecular epidemiological studies in cancer have proved, that besides target cell genetic instability, the presence of triggering environmental exposure is critical in cancer development [Albertini & Hayes 1997, Newby &Howard 2005]. The biomarker responses, exposure character and the route of exposure of different environmental factors (chemicals, physical agents and biological agents) are also important in causing tumors especially in the cases of occupational cancer [Ward 1995]. The EPA Guidelines for carcinogen Risk Assessment [EPA 2005] is based on the mode of action of chemicals, such as interaction with DNA, cytotoxicity, or binding to the receptors modifying signal pathways. There are several natural compounds – so called chemopreventive agents- which are able to modify the genotoxic or mutagenic response (Ames 1983) in different organisms. These vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals, micro nutrients are available on the market without knowing their mode of action. Mutagenesis caused by environmental chemicals or physical agents can be prevented by protection of the cell's DNA replication, increasing the repair capacity or delaying cell replication to allow enough time to make a complete repair of damaged cells.  Antioxidants are able to protect the cells from oxidative stress, and stimulate the phase I reactions including oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis of xenobiotics by the monoxigenase detoxicating key enzymes, such as CYP450 [Xu et al.1996, Poulsen &Loft]. These changes increase the polarity of these molecules and help to conjugate them in phase II to glucuronic acid, acetic acid and sulfuric acid which are the physiological ways to eliminate active metabolites that are genotoxic to the target cells. The best studied crucial early event in carcinogenesis is chromosomal aberration, including microsatellite instability, abnormal number of chromosomes (aneuploidy), gene amplification or the loss of heterozygosity of tumor suppressor genes. By reducing chromosomal mutation via chemoprevention, the cell may be able to survive the genotoxic effects without any permanent damage, or it is able to go through the physiological pathway of apoptosis, without mutation occurring in the P53 gene [Lowe&Lin 2000].


London Underground (LUL) is one of the largest metro networks in the world and carried nearly 1.5 billion passengers in 2015. This increasing passenger demand leads to higher axle loads and shorter headways in the railway operations. However, this has a detrimental impact on the damage generated at the wheel-rail interface. In spite of the advances in rolling stock and track engineering, new developments in material manufacturing methods and rail inspection technology, cracking in rails still remains a major concern for infrastructure managers in terms of safety and maintenance costs. In this study, field data from two metro lines on the LUL network was analysed to identify the distribution and severity of the different damage types. Detailed vehicle dynamics route simulations were conducted for the lines and the calculated wheel-rail forces were investigated to assess the applicability current models for the prediction of rail damage on metro lines. These models include the Whole Life Rail Model (WLRM), previously developed for Great Britain (GB) main line tracks, and Shakedown theory. The influence of key factors such as curve radius, different friction conditions, track irregularities and wheel-rail profiles on the wheel-rail contact interface have been evaluated and compared with outputs from simulations on mainline routes. The study found that the contact patch energy (Tγ) and the interaction between wear and RCF in rails were highly influenced by the characteristics of metro tracks. It was also shown that both the Tγ and Shakedown methods can provide successful prediction of damage susceptibility of rails. However, in order to increase the accuracy of damage predictions and to ascertain the severity of different damage types, the duty conditions which are observed by the rail and the changes in contact conditions resulting from the successive vehicle passes should be considered in the modelling.


ABSTRACT In the hospitality sector of the economy, restaurants account for the largest number of businesses. The financial failure rate of businesses in the general economy are sometimes reported with variations in the business cycle, but the specific failure rate of restaurant establishments has not been examined. In addition, failure rates for hospitality related businesses reported across geographic regions of the U.S. are not known. A review of related literature suggests that studies with a focus on the failure rate of hospitality related businesses have not used official business bankruptcy data recorded by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court System. Using these data, regional differences for the failure rate of restaurants are examined using ANOVA between regions based on failure rates. Results found that for restaurant failure rates, the New England region was found to have more differences with failure rates of restaurants in other regions. Significant differences in restaurant failure rates exist in six o...


In recent years, computable general equilibrium (CGE) models have been used increasingly to analyze the effects of trade policies. CGE models can be static or dynamic, with dynamic models taking into consideration changes that ensue with the passage of time. While static CGE models continue to be the predominant tool of trade policy analysis, the use of dynamic CGE models is spreading. Such models can be particularly useful in identifying transitional changes (e.g., phased implementation of a policy reform) or effects of trade liberalization on economic growth and development. The major theme of this paper is with identifying transitional changes of trade policy reform. Using South Africa as a case study, we demonstrate numerically the effects of trade liberalization which is anticipated as being phased in over several periods to one where agents are taken by surprise in a once-and-for-all manner. Such commercial policy scenarios embody inherent dynamics and generate interesting time profiles of adjustment which we hope to identify with the aid of the model.


Background: Styrene is produced in large quantities in the chemical industries and it has been listed among the 189 hazardous and toxic atmospheric contaminants under Clean Air Act Amendments, 1990, due to its adverse effects on human health. The biofiltration has been widely and efficiently applied during recent decades for the treatment of air streams contaminated by volatile organic compounds at low concentrations. Also this technology has been applied widely and efficiently in the removal of styrene from waste gas streams. Methods: Biofiltration of waste gas stream polluted by styrene vapor was investigated in a three-stage bench scale reactor. Yard waste compost using shredded hard plastics as a bulking agent in a 75:25 v/v mix of plastics:compost was used to packing biofilter. The system inoculation was achieved by adding thickened activated sludge obtained from municipal wastewater treatment plant and the effects of loading rate, inlet concentration, and empty bed retention time variations on the performance and operation of biofilter were studied. Results: Microbial acclimation to styrene was achieved with inlet concentration of 65 ± 11 ppm and bed contact time of 360 s after 57 days of operation. Under steady state conditions experimental results showed equal average removal efficiency of about 84% at loading rates of 60 and 80 g m -3 h -1 with empty bed retention time of 60 s. Maximum elimination capacity was obtained up to 81 g m -3 h -1 with organic loading rate of about 120 g m -3 h -1 . Reduction in performance was observed at inlet concentrations of upper than 650 ppm related to organic loading rates up to 160 g m -3 h -1 and then removal efficiency was decreased sharply. Evaluation of the concentration profile along the bed height of column indicated that the most value of elimination capacity occurred in the first section of biofilter. Elimination capacity also showed higher performance when empty bed retention time was reduced to 30 s. Conclusion: Microbial acclimation period for biofiltration of styrene inoculated with activated sludge was longer than inoculation with adapted or enriched bacteria. Addition of compost improved performance of the biofilter because of high water retention capacity. Also high pollutant load with significant concentration to the first sections has a clear inhibitative effect on biofilter performance along the bed height of biofilter.


Medical tourism is thriving in Nigeria among both elites and non-elites with over $1 billion annual expenditure on medical tourism. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure caused by economic problems, corruption and low budgetary allocation to the country's health sector, and lack of trust in the country's healthcare systems to handle complex medical procedures have contributed to this trend. This article discusses the trend of medical tourism in Nigeria and the associated medical, legal, and social issues in medical tourism generally, relying on relevant literature. The paper concludes that medical tourism is not inherently dangerous; however, unequal economic and power status may influence the quality of hospitals where patients receive treatment and the quality of treatment received. This unequal power and economic status may also determine justice in cases of substandard treatment in foreign hospitals. The study recommends that the Nigerian government should improve healthcare systems in the country to reverse the trend of medical tourism and to reduce the financial burden that medical tourism exerts on average Nigerians who need a high level of care but cannot access it in their country. It is also recommended that a regulatory framework that ensures protection from substandard hospitals and justice for Nigerians who fall victim to substandard care abroad must be put in place by the Nigerian government. Relevant health stakeholders should also continue to sensitize the public about the complications that may be associated with some medical procedures sought outside Nigeria especially cosmetic surgery which may result in follow-up challenges.


In this paper we propose a novel coupled poroelasticity-diffusion model for the formation of extracellular oedema and infectious myocarditis valid in large deformations, manifested as an interaction between interstitial flow and the immune-driven dynamics between leukocytes and pathogens. The governing partial differential equations are formulated in terms of skeleton displacement, fluid pressure, Lagrangian porosity, and the concentrations of pathogens and leukocytes. A five-field mixed-primal finite element scheme is proposed for the numerical approximation of the problem, and we provide the stability analysis for a simplified system emanating from linearisation. We also discuss the construction of an adequate, Schur complement based, nested preconditioner. The produced computational tests exemplify the properties of the new model and of the mixed schemes.


To elucidate the role of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in hematopoiesis, the influence of HHV-6A and HHV-6B on the in vitro expansion and differentiation of cord blood (CB) progenitor cells was investigated in liquid culture. Nonfractionated CB mononuclear cells (CB-MNC) or MACS-enriched CD34+ CB cells were seeded in liquid culture under conditions allowing maximal expansion of nucleated cells. Cells were either incubated with HHV-6A- or HHV-6B-containing cell culture supernatants or a virus-free control. After 7, 14, and 21 days, cells were analyzed for growth by cell count, for differentiation by flow cytometry, and for HHV-6 infection by antigen detection or PCR. Expansion of CB-MNC was significantly inhibited by HHV-6A and HHV-6B for a period of 3 weeks, including reduced proportions of CD34+ and CD33+ cells in HHV-6-treated cultures on day 7. In contrast, when starting with enriched CD34+ cells, the expansion was only affected by HHV-6A. Inhibition of CD34 and CD33 cell development was less pronounced in these cultures compared to CB-MNC cultures. However, HHV-6 antigen and DNA was detectable in these cultures. In conclusion, although HHV-6A inhibited expansion of CD34 progenitor cells, HHV-6B inhibited growth of immature CB cells only in interaction with nonfractionated CB-MNC.


Being constitutionally recognized as a secular country, due to its Muslim majority Azerbaijan is known as a Muslim country in the world. Most of the Muslim population belongs to Shia sect, which is a minor part of Muslims all over the world and this peculiarity differentiates Azerbaijan from other Islam dominated countries. The issue of division of Islam shows itself, not that distinctly, but somehow in Azerbaijan too. Considering the geographic position of Azerbaijan that is one of the crucial factors being lucrative for the foreign actors to some extent led to an imbalance between the Sunni-Shia sects. Since the analysis of Sunni-Shia controversies, the history and spread of Islam in Azerbaijan are being studied by a number of researches, this article will not be focused on the same issues. The reason why Azerbaijan does not witness Sunni-Shia controversies comparing with other Islamic countries has always been a topic of discussion and this article aims to shed a light on some aspects of this question. However, the fact that the recent developments in rivalry between sects due to internal and foreign influences makes us concern about its nature to cause hazardous situation in all spheres of life.


Marine biotoxins are natural toxins produced by specific algae species. These toxins can accumulate in seafood such as mussels, oysters and fish. Consumption of contaminated seafood may lead to severe intoxication such as memory loss, paralysis, diarrhoea and even death. In order to protect consumers, a wide variety of methods have been developed. Historically, methods were based on in vivo animal assays. Alternatives for these animal unfriendly and unethical assays have been developed and are still under development. Other alternative methods are based on in vitro cell assays, receptor binding assays, immunological assays and analytical chemical techniques. This chapter gives an overview on the available methodologies and their application for the determination of marine biotoxins in seafood.


Abstract Translocations or other movements of wildlife sometimes accomplish their intended objectives, but unforeseen consequences may arise and disrupt locally adapted ecological communities, restructure or dilute genetic integrity of populations or subspecies of the moved organism, and otherwise negatively influences a species' long‐term fitness. Two historical populations of Mottled Ducks (Anas fulvigula) exist and are endemic to (1) Mexico and the West‐Gulf Coast (A. f. maculosa) regions of the United States and (2) Florida (A. f. fulvigula). From 1975 to 1983, 1285 Mottled Ducks from Florida, Louisiana, and Texas were released to coastal South Carolina, primarily to ultimately establish a legally harvestable population. This movement stirred mixed reactions amid the conservation community. Contemporary information suggests an increasing Mottled Duck population in South Carolina and possibly dispersing into Georgia. Herein, I objectively discuss the potential consequences of this new population per the birds' evolution, ecology, and management. Ultimately, I suggest that this translocation is a long‐term benefit to the species.


: Previous research has shown the importance of time perspectives (TP) in future-oriented decision making. However, the possible associations between time perspectives and seeking out psychological help in need have not been examined extensively, especially taking further influencing factors into consideration. Therefore, this study aimed to assess associations between personal time perspectives, stigma, socio-economic factors, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help (ATTSPPH) in a sample of adults in the general population in Hungary (N=273) aged 18-84 (mean=28.47, SD= 10.31). Multivariate regression analyses found that attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help were inversely associated with stigma, and residing outside of the capital city and positively associated with female gender. None of the time perspectives were associated with help-seeking. The results are discussed regarding the importance of mental health in Hungary.


Unlike scalar interferometry, polarimetric interferometry provides the field cross correlation using various polarization responses. The main purpose of implementing polarimetric interferometry is to extract scattering medium information that may be difficult to obtain from scalar interferometry. Even though the formulation and initial demonstrations appear to be very promising, potential applications of polarimetric interferometry can only be verified by comparing polarimetric interferometry signatures with ground truth data. In order to accomplish this, the NASNJPL TOPSAR system was modified to collect polarimetric interferometry data at C-band. During the 1998 deployment, several data sets were collected in the single pass polarimetric interferometry mode. In this paper, we discuss important issues related to Polarimetric interferometry calibration. In addition, we briefly discuss the polarimetric interferometric signature using the TOPSAR data.


Data recording is one of the primary requirements of any archaeological project. Some projects rely on the traditional pen-and-paper methods, while others have begun to employ field data recording applications through mobile computing platforms. The former method relies on later transcription of the data, while the later passes over this step, integrating the data from various devices at some later point. Many rely on commercial solutions to solve their data recording needs. Well-known platforms, which have had a long and successful track record with databases, are now being employed for archaeological databases. Although these robust platforms provide straightforward solutions, they are expensive and not easily extensible. OpenDig was developed with a focus on open source frameworks, with the idea that future expansion would be important for any archaeological database. By utilizing open source tools that were born in the World Wide Web, OpenDig provides a complete framework for archaeological data from the field and post-excavation studies. The three main tools that make up the OpenDig framework are: 1) a field recording application for describing archaeological contexts, associated photos, geospatial data, and find; 2) a lightweight data reader and editor for deployment in field laboratories; 3) a full web application for a more complete tool set for reviewing, analysing and disseminating these data acquired from the field. Three tools, on their own, may not seem very different from other solutions available to archaeologists today. However, OpenDig demonstrates the viability of using open source tools and open source data to create a complete system for data recording, analysis and dissemination. The future of archaeological data lays in finding ways to link disparate data sets from various projects and being able to make sensible comparisons. This can only be achieved by providing open access to these data and creating common interfaces that allow archaeologists to link their data with others.


This document describes a mechanism for discovering inter-FE topology,
topology maintenance in Intra-NE. Such a mechanism is essential for
all these elements in the set to behave as a single Network Element,
as required by the ForCES architecture as well as to perform certain
optimizations at the FE by making use of the topology. The mechanism
only operates during post-association phase of ForCES protocol.


Singular vector is a method to generate several initial conditions for weather prediction models from the same observation data. In this paper, a singular vector associated with a barotropic model is applied to tropical cyclone track forecasts by creating 50 initial conditions. These initial conditions are used to create 50 track predictions with slightly different initial conditions, called ensemble forecast. The ensemble mean should have more forecast skill than a single forecast. In addition, probability forecast of storm track based on the ensemble is also possible.


In the Shannon-theoretic analysis of joint source-channel coding problems, achievability is usually established via a two-stage approach: The sources are compressed into bits, and these bits are reliably communicated across the noisy channels. Random coding arguments are the backbone of both stages of the proof. This strategy not only establishes the optimal performance for stationary ergodic point-to-point problems, but also for a number of simple network situations, such as independent sources that are communicated with respect to separate fidelity criteria across a multiple-access channel. Beyond such simple cases, for general networks, unstructured random coding arguments are not sufficient. This was first realized for source coding by Korner and Marton, who showed that for a distributed souce coding problem where one only needs to recover a function of the sources random linear codes are necessary. The goal of this note is to extend this insight to pure channel coding as well as to joint source-channel coding problems, such as the problem of reliable computation over a multiple-access channel and a multi-access network with relays.


Some cities have set carbon neutrality targets prior to national or state-wide neutrality targets, which makes the shift to carbon neutrality more difficult, as the surrounding system does not support this. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate different options for a progressive city to reach carbon neutrality in energy prior to the surrounding system. The study followed the C40 Cities definition of a carbon-neutral city and used the City of Vantaa in Finland as a progressive case aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030, five years before the national target for carbon neutrality. The study mapped the carbon neutrality process based on City documents and national statistics, and validated it through process-owner interviews. It was identified that most of the measures in the carbon neutrality process were actually outside the jurisdiction of the City, which outsources the responsibility for the majority of carbon neutrality actions to either private properties or national actors with broader boundaries. The only major measure in the City's direct control was the removal of carbon emissions from municipal district heat production, which potentially represent 30% of the City's reported carbon emissions and 58% of its energy-related carbon emissions. Interestingly, the City owns electricity production capacity within and beyond the city borders, but it doesn't allocate it for itself. Allocation would significantly increase the control over the City's own actions regarding carbon neutrality. Thus, it is proposed that cities aiming for carbon neutrality should promote and advance allocable carbon-free energy production, regardless of geographical location, as one of the central methods of achieving carbon neutrality.


A study of the state of the humoral immunity in 36 SLE patients made it possible to detect an increase in the level of autoantibodies to type I collagen in comparison to the level of autoantibodies in healthy donors. It showed correlation with the activity of a process, its course, clinical signs of disease, progression of renal pathology and the levels of antinuclear factor and gamma globulins.


During Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT), T-DNA along with several virulence proteins like VirD2, VirE2, VirE3, VirD5, and VirF enter into the plant cytoplasm. VirE2 is supposed to serve as single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) protein and assist the cytoplasmic trafficking of T-DNA inside the host cell. In the present study, a rice glutathione-S-transferase (OsGSTU5) that interacts with VirE2 protein in plant cytoplasm has been identified. OsGSTU5 is observed to be involved in post-translational glutathionylation of VirE2 protein (gVirE2). In silico analysis revealed that 'gVirE2+ssDNA' complex is structurally less stable than 'VirE2+ ssDNA' complex. The gel shift activity confirms the attenuated SSB property of gVirE2 over VirE2 protein under in vitro condition. Moreover, knock-down and overexpression OsGSTU5 phenotypes of rice showed increased and decreased T-DNA expression, respectively after Agrobacterium infection. The present finding convincingly establishes the role of OsGSTU5 as defense protein in rice that can further serve as an important target for modulation of AMT efficiency in rice.


We present a model for a class of non-local conservation laws arising in traffic flow modelling at road junctions. Instead of a single velocity function for the whole road, we consider two different road segments, which may differ for their speed law and number of lanes (hence their maximal vehicle density). We use an upwind type numerical scheme to construct a sequence of approximate solutions, and we provide uniform L∞ and total variation estimates. In particular, the solutions of the proposed model stay positive and below the maximum density of each road segment. Using a Lax–Wendroff type argument and the doubling of variables technique, we prove the well-posedness of the proposed model. Finally, some numerical simulations are provided and compared with the corresponding (discontinuous) local model.


We review the recent advances in large-scale and coarse-grained molecular dynamics applied to clay minerals. Recent advances in local and distributed high performance computational resources together with the development of efficient parallelized algorithms has enabled the simulation of increasingly realistic large-scale models of clay mineral systems. Using this improved technology, it is becoming possible to simulate realistic clay platelet sizes at an atomistic level. This has considerably extended the spatial dimensions of microscopic simulation into a domain normally encountered in mesoscopic simulation. The simulation of large-scale model systems is important to further study complex phenomena, such as the structural and mechanical properties of disordered layered materials such as clays. In order to achieve even larger length and longer time-scales coarse-grained methods are increasingly employed, capturing phenomena such as composite failure modes and intercalation.


This paper builds on the existing literature by studying the linkages between advertising expenditure, sales, and profits in India. The paper takes a sample of 100 FMCG companies in India and studies their advertising expenditure and sales for the period ranging from 2001-02 to 2010-11. The study uses various tools, including mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, kurtosis, skewness, correlation, and regression for getting insights into the data. Econometric analysis, including auto-correlation, partial auto-correlation, augmented Dickey-Fuller test, vector auto regression, variance decomposition analysis, Johansen's cointegration, and vector error correction model were employed to find out the bivariate relationship between the variables under reference. The paper points towards the dependency of sales revenue and profit after tax on advertising expenses besides showing an obvious impact of sales revenue on profits. The paper provides significant inputs for further studies that may focus on adding more variables such as profits and firm value and study the multivariate relationship among them.


eHealth solutions are increasingly being developed to support patient care and improve patients' experiences (PXs). Recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the shortage of nurses in several countries, including Finland, have further underscored the need for new digital services. In the context of children's hospitals, care-supporting services include hospital clowns who work to provide emotional support for children and improve their PXs. Hospital clowns are known to have a positive impact on children's PX.
The Finnish hospital clown organization Sairaalaklovnit ry has published its first mobile application Sairaalaklovnit to provide a digital contact platform to reach patients remotely via messages. The application is mainly targeted at child patients and includes both entertainment and messaging facets for communication between child patients and hospital clowns. The two main user groups for this application can be considered to be child patients and hospital clowns.
This article presents the data and results found during a study related to the user experience (UX) of the Sairaalaklovnit application. With the research questions, "Which aspects influence the UX of the hospital clown application?" and more specifically, out of the two user groups, "How do Finnish hospital clowns experience the new hospital clown mobile application?", this study aims to gain an understanding of how Finnish hospital clowns experience the newly developed application for expanding physical contact with patients into a digital form. The qualitative data used in this article were collected in the summer of 2022 through an online questionnaire (n = 5) and semi-structured interviews (n = 3) with hospital clowns.
The hospital clowns were mostly satisfied with the published application, but some deficiencies were mentioned. Most of the complaints were related to technical issues. However, the application was seen as a useful tool that can bridge physical and digital contact with children. The developer has been made aware of the technical issues and fixes expected in the future. For future research, it can be beneficial to rerun the UX study for the hospital clowns and possibly with a larger sample to see whether there have been any changes after the technical issues have been solved. Moreover, studying how child patients, which constitute the other user group, experience the new application, can prove to be beneficial for possible future development.


Purpose : Ulcerative colitis (UC)-associated colon cancer is frequently diagnosed in an advanced stage. SAA1 is a secreted protein made in the liver and circulates in low levels in blood. SAA1 gene is expressed in colon carcinomas and is a chemoattractant with induction of migration, adhesion, and tissue infiltration of monocytes and Polymorphnuclear-leucocytes (PMN-L). Methods : Laser capture microdissection of colonic submucosa from UC (n=8), Crohn9s colitis (CC) (n=8)), and normal (NL, n=8) samples was performed. The submucosal mRNA was extracted using the PicoPure(TM) RNA Isolation Kit. Comprehensive gene expression analysis of the pooled mRNA from each group was then performed using the Affymetrix GeneChip® Gene 1.0 ST Array System. Statistical comparisons of UC vs. CC and NL as well as CC versus UC and NL were performed (Wilcoxon Rank Test). To detect changes for UC, we compared UC to CC and UC to NL; and for CC, we compared CC to UC and CC to NL. Results : Analysis of all UC vs. CC and NL controls showed 28,869 genes which were represented on the array by 26 probes spread across the full length of each gene. When compared UC vs. CC and NL SAA1 remained the most upregulated gene showing a 56.8-folds and 91.3-folds (p 0.0001 ) over expression. Conclusion : Microarray assessments show significantly overexpression of SAA1 in UC specimens. SAA1 has a role in local inflammation in the microenvironment of malignant tissue and is expressed in colon carcinomas. Our finding may potentially facilitate and validate the SAA1 as a new early predictive clinical marker and a unique target for designing novel selective inhibitors for therapeutic intervention of UC-associated CRC. Acknowledgement : 3U54CA091408–09S1 (MMC-VICC partnership) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-428. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-428


Recent developments in Markov chain Monte Carlo [MCMC] methods have increased the popularity of Bayesian inference in many fields of research in economics, such as marketing research and financial econometrics. Gibbs sampling in combination with data augmentation allows inference in statistical/econometric models with many unobserved variables. The likelihood functions of these models may contain many integrals, which often makes a standard classical analysis difficult or even unfeasible. The advantage of the Bayesian approach using MCMC is that one only has to consider the likelihood function conditional on the unobserved variables. In many cases this implies that Bayesian parameter estimation is faster than classical maximum likelihood estimation. In this paper we illustrate the computational advantages of Bayesian estimation using MCMC in several popular latent variable models.


The neurophysiological effect of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) has been examined with TMS-electromyography (EMG)-based outcomes in healthy people; however, its effects in intracortical excitability and inhibition are largely unknown in patients with stroke. Concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalogram (TMS-EEG) recording can be used to investigate both intracortical excitatory and inhibitory circuits of the primary motor cortex (M1) instantly and the property of brain networks at once. This study was to investigate the immediate effects of iTBS on intracortical excitatory and inhibitory circuits, neural connectivity, and network properties in patients with chronic stroke, using TMS-EEG and TMS-EMG approaches. In this randomized, sham-controlled, crossover study, 20 patients with chronic stroke received two separate stimulation conditions: a single-session iTBS or sham stimulation applied to the ipsilesional M1, in two separate visits, with a washout period of five to seven days between the two visits. A battery of TMS-EMG and TMS-EEG measurements were taken before and immediately after stimulation during the visit. Compared with sham stimulation, iTBS was effective in enhancing the amplitude of ipsilesional MEPs (p = 0.015) and P30 of TMS-evoked potentials located at the ipsilesional M1 (p = 0.037). However, iTBS did not show superior effects on ipsilesional intracortical facilitation, cortical silent period, or short-interval intracortical inhibition. Regarding the effects on TMS-related oscillations, and neural connectivity, comparisons of iTBS and sham did not yield any significant differences. iTBS facilitates intracortical excitability in patients with chronic stroke, but it does not show modulatory effects in intracortical inhibition.


Background: Herbal medicine has been used to manage benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and the associated lower urinary tract symptoms, but its effects are not yet fully understood. The purpose of this review is to assess the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine as a treatment for BPH. Methods and analysis: Thirteen databases will be searched for relevant studies from inception to the present date. We will include randomized controlled trials assessing herbal medicine for the treatment of BPH. The methodological qualities, including the risk of bias, will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool, while confidence in the cumulative evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required, as this study is based on the review of published research. This review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print.


The aim of the work in this paper is to present the results from a study of how the quality of life
in remote locations and rural settings of Bayelsa State, Nigeria can be enhanced through
improvement in healthcare accessibility. The methodology comprised desktop study,
questionnaire survey, participant observations and interviews. A survey comprising 2,000
distributed questionnaires was conducted between July 2016 and July 2017 within seven selected
states in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. A total of 1,800 questionnaires were completed and
returned. Informal interviews were conducted with respondents from the public and health sectors
within Bayelsa State; the focus state for the study. Data from most of the respondents revealed
that physical barriers such as nature of terrain and transportation significantly influenced health
services accessibility. Further analysis of the data revealed that lapses in the health policies and
lack of initiatives were paramount drivers to the challenges around accessibility. Based on these
findings a guide was developed to aid improvement on access to healthcare services. The guide
provides recommendations for development of better transportation mechanisms that will resolve
the long-standing logistics challenges that have impacted the healthcare needs of the rural
population. Government action or involvement is a key influence on the actual outcomes from
execution of the guide


associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2004; 89–90:549–52. 15 Grant WB. A multicountry ecologic study of risk and risk reduction factors for prostate cancer mortality. Eur Urol 2004; 45:271–9. 16 Robsahm TE, Tretli S, Dahlback A et al. Vitamin D3 from sunlight may improve the prognosis of breast-, colonand prostate cancer (Norway). Cancer Causes Control 2004; 15:149–58. 17 Mizoue T. Ecological study of solar radiation and cancer mortality in Japan. Health Phys 2004; 87:532–8. 18 Moan J, Porojnicu AC, Robsahm TE et al. Solar radiation, vitamin D and survival rate of colon cancer in Norway. J Photochem Photobiol B 2005; 78:189–93. 19 Grant WB, Garland CF. The association of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) with reducing risk of cancer: multifactorial ecologic analysis of geographic variation in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates. Anticancer Res 2006; 26:2687–99. 20 Colli JL, Colli A. International comparisons of prostate cancer mortality rates with dietary practices and sunlight levels. Urol Oncol 2006; 24:184–94. 21 Lim HS, Roychoudhuri R, Peto J et al. Cancer survival is dependent on season of diagnosis and sunlight exposure. Int J Cancer 2006; 119:1530–6. 22 Moan J, Dahlback A, Setlow RB. Epidemiological support for an hypothesis for melanoma induction indicating a role for UVA radiation. Photochem Photobiol 1999; 70:243–7. 23 Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED. Epidemiologic evidence for different roles of ultraviolet A and B radiation in melanoma mortality rates. Ann Epidemiol 2003; 13:395–404. 24 Osborne JE, Hutchinson PE. Vitamin D and systemic cancer: is this relevant to malignant melanoma? Br J Dermatol 2002; 147:197–213. 25 See http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/sunsmart/ (accessed 22 November 2006). 26 Godar DE, Grant WB, Holick MF. Solar UV doses of adult Americans are insufficient for sufficient vitamin D3 production. In: Conference Proceedings of the Thirteenth Workshop on Vitamin D. Victoria, BC, Canada: 2006; 156. 27 Hirani V, Primatesta P. Vitamin D concentrations among people aged 65 years and over living in private households and institutions in England: population survey. Age Ageing 2005; 34:485–91. 28 Burleigh E, Potter J. Vitamin D deficiency in outpatients—a Scottish perspective. Scott Med J 2006; 51:27–31. 29 Cancer Research UK. UK cancer mortality statistics. Available at http:// info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/mortality/?a 1⁄4 5441 (accessed 22 November 2006). 30 Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Rimm EB et al. Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men. J Natl Cancer Inst 2006; 98:451–9. 31 Gorham ED, Garland CF, Garland FC et al. Vitamin D and prevention of colorectal cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2005; 97:179–94.


Small-size wearable multi-gas sensor with high selectivity and sensitivity is demanded for detecting various harmful gases with high sensitivity in chemical plants, various mines, volcanos, oil and gas fields. Graphene is considered to be the most promising gas-sensitive material due to its large specific surface area and high electron mobility. Many studies have shown that it has a high sensitivity to many gases such as NH3, CO, NO2, H2O, and so on. However, the lack of gas selectivity limits the further application of graphene to gas sensing field. In this study, a first-principle calculation was used to investigate the effect of strain on the gas adsorption behavior of graphene. As a result, it was found that the adsorption behavior of H2O and CO molecules was changed by strain. The adsorption energy of both gases increased monotonically with strain. For carbon monoxide molecules, desorption occurred when the applied tensile strain reached about 5%. These analytical results clearly indicated that there is a possibility of the high selectivity of plural gases by applying appropriate critical strain at which its adsorption changes to desorption. To verify this result, the strain-controlled sensor using graphene was developed. The sensor is composed of graphene and electrodes mounted on a deformable substrate. The high-quality graphene is synthesized on copper by LPCVD (low pressure chemical vapor deposition), and then transferred to the PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) substrate using PMMA (Poly methyl methacrylate) as a support layer. It was found that the graphene was monolayer and successfully transferred to the target substrate. The effect of strain on the adsorption of some gases was validated by measuring the change of the resistivity of graphene under the application of uniaxial strain.


Wireless sensor network (WSNs) comprises of base station and number of nodes. Sometimes remote sensors are used which are generally known as remote sensor actuator systems. WSN is a large network of sensor nodes and these nodes are directly interacting with the environment by sensing the physical and ecological parameters like temperature, weight and so on. The limited energy of the sensor nodes is the major bottle neck of wireless sensor network. By conserving the on board energy, the life span of wireless sensor network can be well extensive. Data communication being the leading energy devastating movement of wireless sensor network, data decrease can provide better in conserving the nodal energy. The basic aim of this paper is to study and evaluate the performance of various techniques that are used for the communication in WSNs. The various algorithms that are used to enhance the energy of sensor nodes in wireless sensor network are portrait


Physiological thermoregulatory responses of heat production and heat loss were measured in two different groups of seven adult volunteers (both males and females) during 45-min dorsal exposures of the body to either 450 or 2450 MHz continuous wave (CW) radio frequency (RF) fields. At each frequency, two power densities (PD) were tested in each of three ambient temperatures (T/sub a/=24, 28 and 31/spl deg/C) plus T/sub a/ controls (no RF). Normalized peak surface specific absorption rates (SAR) of 6.0 and 7.7 W/kg, measured at the subject's center back, were the same for comparable PD at both frequencies. No change in metabolic heat production occurred under any exposure condition at either frequency. Those skin areas under direct irradiation showed increases in temperature that were directly related to frequency, but local sweating rates on back and chest were related more to T/sub a/ and SAR. Both increased blood flow and increased sweating contributed to the regulation of the deep body (esophageal) temperature to within 0.1/spl deg/C of the baseline level. Depth of penetration of the RF energy was directly related to the control of these heat loss mechanisms, as would be predicted by classical theory and data.


Background: Substance use disorder emerges in a small proportion of drug users and has the characteristics of a chronic relapsing pathology. Aims: Our study aimed to demonstrate and characterize the variability in the expression of the rewarding effects of cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Methods: A cocaine-CPP paradigm in male Sprague–Dawley rats with an extinction period of 12 days and reinstatement was conducted. A statistical model was developed to distinguish rats expressing or not a cocaine-induced place preference. Results: Two groups of rats were identified: rats that did express rewarding effects (CPP expression (CPPE), score >102 s) and rats that did not (no CPP expression (nCPPE), score between −85 and 59 s). These two groups did not show significant differences in a battery of behavioral tests. To identify differentially expressed genes in the CPPE and nCPPE groups, a whole-transcriptome ribonucleic acid-sequencing analysis was performed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) 24 h after the CPP test. Four immediate early genes (Fos, Egr2, Nr4a1, and Zbtb37) were differentially expressed in the NAc of CPPE rats after expression of CPP. Variability in cocaine-induced place preference persisted in the CPPE and nCPPE groups after the extinction and reinstatement phases. Transcriptomic differences observed after reinstatement were distinct from those observed immediately after expression of CPP. Conclusion: These new findings provide insights into the identification of mechanisms underlying interindividual variability in the response to cocaine's rewarding effects.


The risk-based approach to the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is entirely based on the results of a well-organized epidemiological diagnosis, which is aimed primarily at identifying risk factors. The structure of the risk-based approach includes risk identification, risk identification and risk analysis. One of the important points of epidemiological diagnosis is epidemiological observation. For the organization of epidemiological surveillance, both passive and active methods are used. The active method is the most effective, since it is an active search and identification of cases of HAIs using the standard definition of cases and the results of laboratory examination of patients from risk groups. To organize such work, a commission is formed in each medical organization, which should include an epidemiologist, clinical pharmacologist, expert doctor, laboratory assistant, head nurse, and a pharmacy employee. The functions of each participant depend on the organization of the general system for identifying HAIs in this organization. The proposed model of a risk-based approach to the epidemiological diagnosis of HAIs allows timely identification of groups and risk factors both in the context of individual departments and the medical organization as a whole, and, accordingly, to develop effective measures for the prevention of infections associated with the provision of medical care.


Osborn's teleological and progressive view of evolution struck other scientists as mystical and speculative, or at least unempirical. Osborn's Columbia University colleague, the distinguished Thomas Hunt Morgan, so characterized Osborn's book The Origin and Evolution of Life, and the zoologist Vernon Kellogg spoke for scientists who insisted that "primal being and ultimate becoming are beyond the purview of science" (101). In another way, too, Osborn's ideas about evolution fit his role as the public voice of science. Many individuals bridled at any notion of man's simian ancestry. Osborn disconnected those ties, believing they caused unnecessary fears, and instead linked homo sapiens to Cro-Magnon man, whom he tried in every way to ennoble. Osborn, in fact, discouraged use of the label "Ape-Man" and substituted "Dawn-Man." His effort to bring human genealogy into high dignity evoked scorn from other scientists. They did not wish to play to the gallery, as they believed Osborn and others were doing. To them, the ape-human connection was simply selfevident. God—Or Gorilla makes a valuable, scholarly companion piece to Michael Lienesch's In the Beginning: Fundamentalism, the Scopes Trial, and the Making of the Anti-Evolution Movement, published in 2007 (University of North Carolina Press).


To investigate ictal cerebral haemodynamic characteristics during spontaneous typical absence seizures (TAS) and hyperventilation-evoked absence seizures in paediatric patients, relative to brief complex partial seizures (BCPS). All children diagnosed with seizures using real-time transcranial doppler ultrasonography (TCD) and sleep-deprived video-EEG (vEEG) from 2015 to 2017 in our hospital were included. The seizures were diagnosed based on the video and EEG findings. Mean cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFVm) of the unilateral middle cerebral artery was measured using TCD. TCD and vEEG data were integrated for a synchronous assessment of CBFVm changes and epileptic status. Baseline and peak CBFVm for TAS and BCPS were compared by T-test. Six children (two boys and four girls) with TAS and two girls with BCPS were enrolled. A total of 15 spontaneous TAS, 14 hyperventilation-evoked absence seizures, and six BCPS were recorded using real-time TCD-vEEG monitoring. During spontaneous TAS, whether awake or asleep, the CBFVm decreased by 20-40% compared to baseline. During hyperventilation-evoked absence seizures and BCPS, the CBFVm increased by 50-150% and 20-30% over baseline levels, respectively. The haemodynamic characteristics during TAS and BCPS are distinct, and thus our results may provide a new method to diagnose typical absence seizures using dynamic CBFVm curves. Ictal cerebral haemodynamic characteristics during spontaneous typical absence seizures and hyperventilation-evoked absence seizures may reflect different pathophysiological mechanisms and networks compared with BCPS.


The influence of structured organic surfaces on the oriented overgrowth of inorganic crystals is a fundamental aspect of biomineralization. This paper describes the dramatic changes in the crystallization of calcium carbonate within thermally evaporated stearic acid films by varying the pH of the electrolyte solution. Reaction of CO2 with electrostatically entrapped Ca2+ ions within the lipid films leads to the in situ growth of CaCO3 crystals. Whereas crystallization at pH = 6 gave rise to calcite of rhombohedral morphology, crystals nucleated at pH = 3 of the electrolyte solution were discrete crystals of the metastable polymorph, vaterite, along with calcite exhibiting unusual morphology. The process of Ca2+ ion incorporation in the stearic acid matrix was followed by quartz crystal microgravimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements were employed to study the morphology and orientation of the crystallites within the lipid b...


Background: Physical activity has been hypothesized to reduce the risk of preeclampsia, but epidemiologic studies have not shown consistent results. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Ovid databases were searched for case–control and cohort studies of physical activity and preeclampsia up to 2 November 2012. We estimated summary relative risks (RRs) using a random effects model. Results: Fifteen studies were included. The summary RR for high versus low prepregnancy physical activity was 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.47–0.89, I2 = 0%; n = 5). In the dose–response analysis, the summary RR was 0.72 (0.53–0.99; I2 = 0%; n = 3) per 1 hour per day and 0.78 (0.63–0.96; I2 = 0%; n = 2) per 20 metabolic equivalent task (MET)-hours per week. The summary RR for high versus low physical activity in early pregnancy was 0.79 (0.70–0.91; I2 = 0%; n = 11). In the dose–response analysis, the summary RR per 1 hour per day was 0.83 (0.72–0.95; I2 = 21%; n = 7) and 0.85 (0.68–1.07; I2 = 69%; n = 3) per 20 MET-hours per week. A nonlinear association was observed for physical activity before pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia (test for nonlinearity, P = 0.03), but not for physical activity in early pregnancy (test for nonlinearity, P = 0.37), with a flattening of the curve at higher levels of activity. Both walking and greater intensity of physical activity were inversely associated with preeclampsia. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests a reduced risk of preeclampsia with increasing levels of physical activity before pregnancy and during early pregnancy.


We explore simplified models of mixed dark matter (DM), defined here to be a stable relic composed of a singlet and an electroweak charged state. Our setup describes a broad spectrum of thermal DM candidates that can naturally accommodate the observed DM abundance but are subject to substantial constraints from current and upcoming direct detection experiments. We identify ``blind spots'' at which the DM-Higgs coupling is identically zero, thus nullifying direct detection constraints on spin independent scattering. Furthermore, we characterize the fine-tuning in mixing angles, i.e. well-tempering, required for thermal freeze-out to accommodate the observed abundance. Present and projected limits from LUX and XENON1T force many thermal relic models into blind spot tuning, well-tempering, or both. This simplified model framework generalizes bino-Higgsino DM in the MSSM, singlino-Higgsino DM in the NMSSM, and scalar DM candidates that appear in models of extended Higgs sectors.


Unexpectedly the existence of a formerly unknown type of photoreceptor in the human eye has been proven about 10 years ago. Primarily sensitive in the blue spectral range it is responsible for transducing light signals directly into the brain, controlling essential biological functions like setting of the circadian clock or daytime activation. Recent scientific research has enabled beneficial applications. The paradigms for good lighting design are shifting and standardization activities have been started to build up a sound base for description and application of biologically effective lighting. Latest improvements of LED technology are now allowing realizeation of advanced lighting solutions based on SSL. Optimization of biological effects is possible while demands on good vision are maintained. As biologically effective lighting is addressing a second system besides vision in the human body a measure beyond lumen per watt is required for a proper description of energy efficiency.


Visual feature clustering is one of the cost-effective approaches to segment objects in videos. However, the assumptions made for developing the existing algorithms prevent them from being used in situations like segmenting an unknown number of static and moving objects under heavy camera movements. This paper addresses the problem by introducing a clustering approach based on superpixels and short-term Histogram of Oriented Optical Flow (HOOF). Salient Dither Pattern Feature (SDPF) is used as the visual feature to track the flow and Simple Linear Iterative Clustering (SLIC) is used for obtaining the superpixels. This new clustering approach is based on merging superpixels by comparing short term local HOOF and a color cue to form high-level semantic segments. The new approach was compared with one of the latest feature clustering approaches based on K-Means in eight-dimensional space and the results revealed that the new approach is better by means of consistency, completeness, and spatial accuracy. Further, the new approach completely solved the problem of not knowing the number of objects in a scene.


Past researchers have often reported that childhood and adolescent maltreatment increases the likelihood of, or is related to, juvenile criminality. However, research examining how specific types of maltreatment (physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect) relate to later delinquent offense (violent crime, nonviolent crime, status offending, property offending) is minimal. The aim of this study was to augment and expand upon this scant literature. One hundred and sixty one male juvenile delinquents held in six residential treatment facilities in a Midwestern state, were the subjects of this study. Each participant filled out the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Self-Reported Delinquency measure (SRD) in addition to demographic information. We found that physical neglect is the most significant predictor of violent crime, nonviolent crime, property offending, and status offending. Implications are discussed.


Ambiguous Bodies draws from theories of the grotesque to examine many of the strange and extraordinary creatures and phenomena in the premodern Japanese tales called setsuwa. Grotesque representations in general typically direct our attention to unfinished and unrefined things; they are marked by an earthy sense of the body and an interest in the physical. Because they have many meanings, they can both sustain and undermine authority. This book aims to make sense of grotesque representations in setsuwa-animated detached body parts, unusual sexual encounters, demons and shape-shifting or otherwise wondrous animals-and, in a broader sense, to show what this type of critical focus can reveal about the mentality of Japanese people in the ancient, classical, and early medieval periods. It is the first study to place Japanese tales of this nature, which have received little critical attention in English, within a sophisticated theoretical framework. Li masterfully and rigorously focuses on these fascinating tales in the context of the historical periods in which they were created and compiled.


PURPOSE
As the interest in antiangiogenesis therapy in oncology is rising, the need for in vivo techniques to monitor such therapy is obvious. Measurement of tumor perfusion using positron emission tomography and H(2)(15)O potentially is such a technique. The objective of the present study was to assess whether it is feasible to measure perfusion in vivo in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using H(2)(15)O and positron emission tomography.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Fifteen dynamic H(2)(15)O and [(18)F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)FDG) studies were performed in 10 patients with stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. Blood flow (BF) data were correlated with simplified methods of analysis (tumor:normal tissue ratio and standardized uptake value) and with glucose metabolism (MR(glu)).

RESULTS
(18)FDG data were required for accurate definition of tumor and mediastinal lymph node metastases. There was large intertumor variation in BF. Correlation of simplified methods of analysis with quantitative BF was poor. In addition, BF and MR(glu) were not correlated.

CONCLUSION
Measurement of BF in NSCLC using H(2)(15)O and (18)FDG is feasible. Simple uptake analysis, however, cannot be used as an indicator of perfusion. Whether BF can be used for response monitoring needs to be evaluated in a large patient study, where results can be compared with outcome.


Context. Clouds seem unavoidable in cool and dense environments, and hence, are necessary to explain observations of exoplanet atmospheres, most recently of WASP 96b with JWST. Understanding the formation of cloud condensation nuclei in non-terrestrial environments is therefore crucial to develop accurate models to interpret present and future observations. Aims. The goal of the paper is to support observations with infrared spectra for (TiO2)N clusters in order to study cloud formation in exoplanet atmospheres. Methods. Vibrational frequencies are derived from quantum-chemical calculations for 123 (TiO2)-clusters and their isomers, and line-broadening mechanisms are evaluated. Cluster spectra are calculated for several atmospheric levels for two example exoplanet atmospheres (WASP 121b-like and WASP 96b-like) to identify possible spectral fingerprints for cloud formation. Results. Rotational motion of and transitions in the clusters cause significant line broadening, so that individual vibrational lines are broadened beyond the spectral resolution of the medium resolution mode of the JWST mid-infrared instrument MIRI at R = 3000. However, each individual cluster isomer exhibits a"fingerprint"IR spectrum. In particular, larger (TiO2)-clusters have distinctly different spectra from smaller clusters. Morning and evening terminator for the same planet can exhibit different total absorbances due to different cluster sizes being more abundant. Conclusions. The largest (TiO2)-clusters are not necessarily the most abundant (TiO2)-clusters in the high-altitude regions of ultra-hot Jupiters, and the different cluster isomers will contribute to the local absorbance. Planets with a considerable day-night asymmetry will be most suitable to search for (TiO2)-cluster isomers in order to improve cloud formation modelling.


Due to the growing demands for system reliability and availability of large amounts of data, efficient fault detection techniques for dynamic systems are desired. In this paper, we consider fault detection in dynamic systems monitored by multiple sensors. Normal and faulty behaviors can be modeled as two hypotheses. Due to communication constraints, it is assumed that sensors can only send binary data to the fusion center. Under the assumption of independent and identically distributed (1ID) observations, we propose a distributed fault detection algorithm, including local detector design and decision fusion rule design, based on state estimation via particle filtering. Illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.


In this paper, we consider cellular networks with the base station locations modeled by a Poisson point process. However, unlike earlier works, we consider the cases of no fading and partial fading and analyze the asymptotic behavior of the distribution of the downlink signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) of a typical user. This non-fading case has been elusive since the standard Laplace trick cannot be used. We provide the asymptotics of the SIR distribution FSIR(θ) = P(SIR <; θ) as θ → 0 for the cases of no-fading and partial fading, where only the interfering base stations are subject to fading. We also introduce a new point process-the squared relative distance process-that facilitates the asymptotic analysis of the SIR and expedites simulations.


With the aid of recombinant DNA technology (PCR/site directed mutagenesis, sequencing) the full length coding region of the human TSH receptor was manipulated to place a specific epitope peptide tag (FLAG epitope sequence) at the carboxyl end of the protein. The resulting construct was cloned into a eukaryotic expression vector and stably transfected into HeLa cells. The expression/translation of the tagged TSH receptor molecule was monitored by immune-precipitation and western blotting of protein lysates, and was found to be expressed at considerable levels using the commercially available antibodies directed towards the FLAG epitope. This analysis revealed two discrete specific bands 90-120 KDa representing, presumably, differently glycosylated forms of the receptor. TSH radio receptor assays demonstrated that the FLAG tagged TSH receptor bound TSH comparable with the wild type receptor. Furthermore TSH stimulated cAMP response in these transfected cells were comparable to the wild type receptor, thus demonstrating that the tagged receptor was functionally identical to the transfected wild type receptor. These cell lines will be of great value when analysing TSH/receptor or receptor/autoantibody interactions considering the availability of well characterized experimental anti-TSH receptor sera.


In this descriptive and qualitative study, we evaluated innovation and socio-environmental sustainability as strategic organizational profiles in 78 Brazilian and European public firms traded on BMFBovespa or NYSE Euronext between 2010 and 2013 and listed in at least one of the following indices: the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE), the Carbon Efficient Index (ICO2) and the Low Carbon 100 Europe index®. Information was retrieved from financial reports, explanatory notes and sustainability reports. Innovation was proxied by intangible innovation assets, patents and RD. Sustainability was evaluated based on the disclosure of GRI indicators. The two strategies were found to be strongly incorporated in European firms (i.e., in developed economies). A growing demand for innovation and sustainability was observed in both settings, indicating an indirect relationship between the two strategic profiles. Our results suggest that country-level economic and institutional factors play an important role in the definition of innovation and socio-environmental sustainability as strategic organizational profiles.


The artery of Percheron (AOP) is a single dominant thalamo-perforating artery that supplies bilaterally the medial thalami with variable contribution to the rostral midbrain. Occlusion of the AOP causes indeed variable and unspecific clinical symptoms due to this complex anatomy, and very often this diagnosis is delayed with the impossibility of recurring to intravenous thrombolysis (rTPA). Here, we report a case of AOP stroke that received a prompt diagnosis and therapy, owing to the availability of MR brain scan, showing a DWI/FLAIR mismatch typical of hyperacute infarctions. This case points out the importance of a high level of suspicion of AOP stroke, together with the correct implementation of imaging studies.


Icelandic society and schools are becoming more diverse than ever before and teachers need to be prepared and skilled to teach in multicultural and inclusive schools that account for student diversity. This article reports findings on how two groups of student-teachers see student diversity as an element in their future job as teachers in Icelandic schools. Data were gathered by reflective diaries through two terms in a mandatory course (fourth year/master) in the teacher education programme at the University of Akureyri in Iceland. The students reflected on the course reading material that was based on both international and local literature on inclusive education, bilingualism, multicultural education, social justice and democracy. The findings indicate that a majority of the student-teachers had not thought critically about how student diversity would affect their future work as teachers, but their ideas about their role as teachers show that they want and hope to be responsible for all students.