We previously reported that serotonin (5-HT) is a growth factor for hematopoietic stem cells and megakaryocytic progenitor (Yang et al, Stem Cells, 2007). We further proposed a possible role of serotonin on megakaryocyte differentiation and platelet formation. The effect of serotonin on proplatelet formation and F-actin reorganization in human megakaryocytes (MKs) was investigated in this study. Our results showed that: There was a stimulating effect of serotonin on proplatelet formation in human bone marrow megakaryocytes. Human BM MK progenitors cultured in serum free medium with either 5-HT (200nM) or TPO (50 ng/ml) had more proplatelet bearing MKs than the control group (5-HT(11.33% ± 4.93) vs. control (6% ± 3.60), P=0.026; TPO (14.66% ± 1.53) vs. control, P=0.043; n=3). The 5-HT treatment group showed more mature and more in the final stage MK cells as compared to TPO group; The effect of serotonin on proplatelet formation in Meg-01 cells were via 5-HT2 receptors. Meg-01 cells strongly expressed 5-HT 2A, 2B, 2C receptors by using western blot method. 5-HT also promoted proplatelet formation in these cells and this effect was reduced by 5-HT2 receptor inhibitor ketanserin (KE); and Serotonin acted on cytoskeleton reorganization in human megakaryocytes via 5-HT2 receptors and ERK1/2 pathway. Using an immunofluorescence microscope with F-actin specific binder rhodamine-phalloidin staining, the polymerized actin level was lower in the control group (serum free) than the 5-HT group and actin distributed diffusely throughout the cytoplasm. In contrast, polymerization actin level was higher in 5-HT group. Adding ketanserin and ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 to 5-HT treatment, the fluorescence intensity was correspondingly reduced (5HT vs. Control, P=0.006; 5-HT vs.5-HT plus KE, P=0.014; n=6). Our data also demonstrated that ERK1/2 was activated in MK cells treated with 5-HT for 30 minutes (21.76% ± 7.42). Our studies showed that serotonin had a stimulating effect on proplatelet formation and F-actin reorganization in human megakaryocytes and this effect involved the 5-HT2 receptors and the activation of ERK1/2 pathway.


STS science curriculum content includes both the internal workings of the scientific enterprise and the scientific enterprises external interaction with technology and society. The educational goal is to prepare future citizens who understand the human and social dimensions of scientific practice and its consequences. This article synthesizes the published research into STS science education in terms of policy making (curriculum development), student learning, and teacher orientations toward such a curriculum. The article encompasses both educationally sound and politically realistic results that are found in the literature. This synthesis is restricted to research with students aged 12 to 18, and it excludes literature that simply advocates a position without basing its conclusions on research evidence.


The recombinant hepatitis B virus surface (HBsAg) and core (HBcAg) virus like particles (VLPs) have the ability to serve as carriers of foreign B cell and CTL epitopes. Different approaches have been used to couple the target epitopes, like the insertion into the primary sequence of the VLP, covalent and noncovalent linkage. Particularly, the non-covalent linkage was used to develop the vaccine formulation Teravac against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Teravac is an aggregate of the recombinant protein CR3 of HIV-1 and both HBV VLPs. Previous studies have shown that immunization of Teravac in mice induced a Th1 response with CD8+ T cells. However, because millions of people are infected with the HBV and millions of doses of the HBV vaccine have been administered worldwide, the pre-existing immune response to the HBcAg and/or HBsAg is a rather frequent event. This opens de question about the impact of the anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs antibody response on the CR3(HIV)-specific cellular response elicited with Teravac. To answer this question, the effect of the pre-existing anti-HBc and the combined anti-HBc/anti-HBs antibodies was studied in mice. Our findings suggest that the induction of CR3(HIV)-specific cellular responses of CD4+ and CD8+ cells are not impaired by pre-existing high IgG titers in either situation.


Faces that exhibit emotionally negative expressions in mutual gaze have been shown to induce a dilation of perceived duration. The influence of gaze by itself on duration judgments, however, has rarely been investigated. We argue for a social interaction hypothesis, according to which humans should be highly accurate and precise (sensitive) when processing the temporal dynamics of mutual gaze. In three experiments, we investigated whether the direction of observed gaze affects perceived duration and temporal sensitivity. In Experiment 1, subjects did indeed estimate the duration of direct gaze more accurately as compared to the duration of averted gaze. In Experiments 2 and 3, subjects had to categorize direct and averted gaze stimuli as being short or long in duration (temporal bisection). Experiment 2 found temporal sensitivity (but not mean duration judgments) to be improved in cases of mutual gaze. In Experiment 3, the effect of mutual gaze on prolonged subjective duration did replicate, however, it was rather small. Moreover, temporal precision was not improved in the case of naturalistic stimuli. In sum, effects of mutual gaze on duration judgments are rather weak, and cannot be attributed to arousal, as such ratings did not differ between direct and averted gaze stimuli.


Abstract Prediction of meteorological phenomenon is an important problem in the Atmospheric Sciences. For this purpose the periodic components are usually identified first. Then, to apply well-known analytic tools, stationarity and ergodicity are often invoked. this tacitly implies fixed periodicities. However, we often come across instances where the data are nonstationary, having time-dependent periodicities. Further, some stationary noise component may also be superimposed on the data. The Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBD) is one such example. In such cases, only those data analysis techniques should be used which can handle both, stationary as well as nonstationary, data generating processes. the least mean square (LMS) algorithm is one such technique. In this paper we explore the capabilities of the LMS algorithm for the prediction and frequency tacking of nonstationary processes. The technique is then applied to the QBD zonal winds to achieve a several month prediction and to highlight its "quasi" ch...


Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new joining technique particularly for magnesium and aluminum alloys that are difficult to fusion weld. In this study, AZ31 Mg alloys were joined by FSW with shoulder diameter 11, 19 ㎜ and rotating speed 900, 1200, 1500, 1800 rpm. The shoulder diameter and welding speed depended on the heat input during FSW process. As a result, the microstructures of stir zone were a fine grain by dynamic recrystallization. According to the larger shoulder diameter and the higher rotating speed, refined grain sizes of stir zone were grown by higher heat input, and the microhardness of stir zone was lower. The tensile strength at the shoulder diameter 19 ㎜, rotating speed 900 rpm was obtained maximum value. This value compared with the base metal was over 93%.


What is attempted in the East is catching up with the West from a recent position of worse-than-Latin-American economic backwardness. Until now, populations that were sentenced to political patience by the logic of poor democracies have reluctantly backed this enormous effort. Central and Eastern Europe's post-socialist path is characterized by an increasingly discredited ideology of a return to Europe and a nonEuropean combination of substitute institutions of development: radical opening towards the world economy, damaged institutions of labor representation, eroded state capacity, and often strong private and foreign dominance in the financial and other strategic sectors. There is a chance for a few countries to succeed. Yet various development traps may be more likely in the end than a "Great Spurt" in the Gerschenkronian sense.


There is a debate on whether an influence of biotic interactions on species distributions can be reflected at macro-scale levels. Whereas the influence of biotic interactions on spatial arrangements is beginning to be studied at local scales, similar studies at macro-scale levels are scarce. There is no example disentangling, from other similarities with related species, the influence of predator–prey interactions on species distributions at macro-scale levels. In this study we aimed to disentangle predator–prey interactions from species distribution data following an experimental approach including a factorial design. As a case of study we selected the short-toed eagle because of its known specialization on certain prey reptiles. We used presence–absence data at a 100 km2 spatial resolution to extract the explanatory capacity of different environmental predictors (five abiotic and two biotic predictors) on the short-toed eagle species distribution in peninsular Spain. Abiotic predictors were relevant climatic and topographic variables, and relevant biotic predictors were prey richness and forest density. In addition to the short-toed eagle, we also obtained the predictor's explanatory capacities for 1) species of the same family Accipitridae (as a reference), 2) for other birds of different families (as controls) and 3) artificial species with randomly selected presences (as null models). We run 650 models to test for similarities of the short-toed eagle, controls and null models with reference species, assessed by regressions of explanatory capacities. We found higher similarities between the short-toed eagle and other species of the family Accipitridae than for the other two groups. Once corrected by the family effect, our analyses revealed a signal of predator–prey interaction embedded in species distribution data. This result was corroborated with additional analyses testing for differences in the concordance between the distributions of different bird categories and the distributions of either prey or non-prey species of the short-toed eagle. Our analyses were useful to disentangle a signal of predator–prey interactions from species distribution data at a macro-scale. This study highlights the importance of disentangling specific features from the variation shared with a given taxonomic level.


In the task of event coreference resolution, recent work has shown the need to perform not only full coreference but also partial coreference of events. We show that subevents can form a particular hierarchical event structure. This paper examines a novel two-stage approach to finding and improving subevent structures. First, we introduce a multiclass logistic regression model that can detect subevent relations in addition to full coreference. Second, we propose a method to improve subevent structure based on subevent clusters detected by the model. Using a corpus in the Intelligence Community domain, we show that the method achieves over 3.2 BLANC F1 gain in detecting subevent relations against the logistic regression model.


Abstract Background Nepal's Himalayan range attracts mountaineers, climbers and tourists from all across the globe. Limited recent evidence suggests that exposure to hypoxia at a higher altitude may be a risk factor for hypertension and a protective factor for obesity. The existing urban–rural disparities in Nepal in health and economic resources may be anticipated in the burden of hypertension and obesity, two rapidly growing public health issues, but they remain largely unstudied. Therefore this study aims to assess the association of altitude and urbanization with hypertension and overweight/obesity in Nepal. Methods Data on 10 473 participants from a nationally representative survey, the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), was used. The NDHS assessed/measured blood pressure, height, weight, urbanization and the altitude of participants' households by following standard procedures. Logistic and linear regression models were used to study the association of altitude (per 100 m increases) and urbanization with hypertension and obesity, or their continuous measurements (i.e. systolic and diastolic blood pressure [SBP and DBP, respectively] and body mass index [BMI]). Results The prevalence of hypertension, overweight and obesity was 25.6%, 19.6% and 4.8%, respectively. After controlling for covariates, residents of metropolitan cities had a 30% higher prevalence of overweight/obesity (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.30 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.11 to 1.52]) than their rural counterparts. For altitude, there was a marginally increased odds of hypertension and overweight/obesity with elevation. Consistently, DBP (β = 0.18 [95% CI 0.09 to 0.27]) and BMI increased with altitude (β = 0.11 [95% CI 0.08 to 0.13]). Conclusion Urbanization was positively associated with BMI, while altitude showed a marginally positive association with hypertension and overweight/obesity. Given the role of obesity and hypertension in the aetiology of other chronic diseases and subsequently associated mortality and health care costs, residents in urban areas and at higher altitudes may benefit from weight control interventions and BP monitoring, respectively.


Discovering precise and specific rules from knowledge graphs is regarded as an essential challenge, which can improve the performances of many downstream tasks and even provide new ways to approach some Natural Language Processing research topics. In this paper, we provide a fundamental theory for knowledge graph reasoning based on ending anchored rules. Our theory provides precise reasons answering why or why not a triple is correct. Then, we implement our theory by what we called the EARDict model. Results show that the EARDict model achieves new state-of-the-art performances on benchmark knowledge graph completion tasks, including a Hits@10 score of 80.38 percent on WN18RR.


The existence of a family of solution operators {qt : t > 0} corresponding to a fundamental solution of a second order infinite-dimensional differential equation of the form du/dt=Lu was previously established by the author. In the present paper, it is established that these operators are nonnegative, and satisfy the condition QsQt=qs + i.


Cold atoms possess low velocity, narrow velocity distribution as well as good matter wave coherence, thus they have been used to achieve cold atom interferometers. The interferometers with Sagnac effect form atom gyroscopes which can measure rotation rate accurately. Here we report our recent progress in building a projectile cold atom gyroscope. We achieve the accurate control of the bidirectional projectile cold atom motion through the use of a homemade direct digital frequency synthesizer.


: Two cases of dyshidrotic eczema of the hands caused by perianal allergic contact dermatitis due to Kathon CG in moist toilet paper are described.


. We establish the following result. Theorem. Let α : G → L ( X ) be a σ ( X, X (cid:3) ) integrable bounded group representation whose Arveson spectrum Sp( α ) is scattered. Then the subspace generated by all eigenvectors of the dual representation α (cid:3) is w (cid:3) dense in X (cid:3) . Moreover, the σ ( X, X (cid:3) ) closed subalgebra W α generated by the operators α t ( t ∈ G ) is semisimple. If, in addition, X does not contain any copy of c 0 , then the subspace spanned by all eigenvectors of α is σ ( X, X (cid:3) ) dense in X. Hence, the representation α is almost periodic whenever it is strongly continuous.


Every community had to use and teach its own language in the Ottoman time in Turkey. Especially in the cities such as Istanbul, Thessalonica and Edirne (Adrianopel) a lot of people lived in a linguistically diverse environment, Jews, Armenian, Greek and Bulgarian communities in due time opening their own schools. Especially Edirne profiled itself as a cosmopolitan city in this respect in the Ottoman time. Bulgarian and Polish people migrated to the district of Edirne for the first time in the 19 century and established twelve schools in Edirne. One of these schools was a catholic one, founded by the Polish Resurrectionists. The multi-ethnicity of Edirne had a huge impact on the linguistic diversity of the inhabitants of the city, which was caused by the Ottoman migration policy throughout the centuries. In the era of Suleyman the Magnificent a lot of handicraftsmen of Armenian origin were invited to Edirne in order to live in the city and strengthen its economy. A number of Jews came to Edirne after their exodus from Spain and Portugal in 1492 and 1495. This paper explores the effects of multilingualism on the economic and social life of Edirne in the 19 century.


The study objectiveis to discuss the issues concerning to pathogenesis, diagnostics and treatment of dura mater tear in spinal injuries. The issues regarding to the risk factors for dura mater tears and complications of surgical treatment in spinal injuries were considered.Results.It is established that the frequency of dural tears in spinal trauma varies from 7.7 to 65.0 %. The most informative and safe method of diagnosis is magnetic resonance myelography, but its specificity does not reach 100 %. To prevent the development of early and late complications in the postoperative period is mainly used dura mater sealing, preferably expanding plastic.Conclusion.The absence of the "gold standard" of dura mater defect closure in spinal trauma is associated with a variety of forms of dura mater damages and the difficulties of its plasticity and sealing.


Recent reports and personal experience on thromboembolic disease with regard to different clinical manifestations, pulmonary circulation, pulmonary arterial pressure, therapy, and its influence on long-term prognosis are described.


Synopsis Rock-Eval pyrolysis data shows that the ORS is a viable source rock for hydrocarbons in the Orcadian Basin, and that generally the sequence is not highly mature at present. Solvent-extracted pyrolysis data indicate that migrated hydrocarbons only form a significant proportion of the total organic carbon content where this content is less than 1.5 %. Hydrocarbons occur widely in mineral veins and fluviatile/aeolian sandstones. Hydrocarbon shows in sandstones are often adjacent to major faults, along which they may have migrated. Much porosity in the sandstone is secondary after calcite dissolution which may have been related to Permian deep weathering. Small volumes of hydrocarbons were generated by a late Permian intrusive igneous suite, but peak generation had probably occurred prior to this event.


BACKGROUND
Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) cause a comprehensive clinic ranging from asymptomatic course to pneumonia. We aimed to describe the HCoV infections in children to determine the clinical status and coinfection effects in a five-year retrospective surveillance study. The primary outcome was admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the secondary outcome was the need of high oxygen support.

METHODS
Between September 2015 and November 2020, all patients whose reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests were positive were determined and patients with HCoVs were included in the study. Demographical characteristics, underlying chronic diseases, clinical diagnosis, laboratory data, subtypes of HCoVs, radiological findings, treatments, hospitalization, and ICU admission were analyzed.

RESULTS
Of the 2606 children, the overall respiratory tract virus detection rate was 82.4%. Among these, 98 cases were HCoVs positive and of these 80 (81.6%) were under five years of age and most of the patients were admitted to the hospital in spring and 70% were a mixed infection with other respiratory viruses. Since lower respiratory tract infections are more common in HCoV coinfections, a significant difference was found in clinical diagnosis (p < 0.001). The presence of hypoxia (p=0.003) and underlying disease (p=0.004) were found to be significantly more common in patients admitted to the ICU. The presence of hypoxia, infiltration on chest X-ray, and elevated C-reactive protein levels were more frequently determined in patients who received high oxygen support (p=0.001, p=0.036, p=0.004, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Clinical findings may be more severe if HCoVs, which generally cause mild respiratory disease, are coinfected with another viral agent.


The compressive strength of masonry, whether it is brick or concrete block (solid or hollow), is of paramount importance in the design of masonry structures which are now being increasingly used. The compressive strength of masonry depends on the strength and elastic properties of masonry unit, mortar etc. Experimental determination of masonry compressive strength requires a lot of time in addition to effort. This drawback can be overcome by effective and reliable computer simulation of masonry prism test. The present work aims at simulating the masonry prism test using ANSYS and ABAQUS software. Some of the masonry prism tests available in literature as well as the prism test conducted in the present work have been successfully simulated using the aforesaid software. There is a reasonable agreement between the experimental and numerical values for compressive strength of solid concrete block masonry as obtained from the prism test of present work. The value predicted by ANSYS is closer to the experimental result compared to that predicted by ABAQUS. The crack patterns observed during the experiment (masonry prism test) and predicted by ANSYS resemble each other to a


The Songliao Basin in northeast China is an intra-continental fossil rift basin mainly developed from the latest Jurassic and throughout the Cretaceous. The Daqing oil field in the basin is one of the largest hydrocarbon exploitation areas in China. A fission track (FT) study has been carried out on sandstone well samples in the Songliao Basin to constrain the depositional ages of Cretaceous strata and to ascertain their source region. FT dating also has been carried out on welded tuffs in the Dahinganling Mountains to determine their eruption ages. The detrital zircon FT age suggests that the depositional age of the middle Quantou Formation is younger than 109 Ma. Zircon FT ages for Cretaceous strata (from the Nenjiang Formation to the Quantou Formation) suggest that the source region has a fairly homogeneous cooling history at ∼120-100 Ma. Eruption ages of welded tuffs in the Dahinganling Mountains show an age range from 110 to 92 Ma. The regional geology and FT data suggest that volcanic rocks in the Dahinganling Mountains were eroded soon after their deposition and were reworked toward the Songliao basin.


The furniture industry is operating on tighter margins and ever increasing competition. No longer are the days when one could develop a product and market it for years, if not decades. With more competition and ever changing consumer demands, manufacturers are frequently realizing the necessity to reengineer their facility to satisfy the needs of many product groups and styles. Designing facilities that recognize the need for flexibility to reduce costs requires a clear understanding of the interdependent relationships naturally occurring in complex cellular manufacturing environments. However, engineers are often left to their own inherent instincts during the design phase of a project without an analytical tool to help them assess if their assumptions are correct or not. One of the best tools available to provide correct evaluations of system interdependencies is discrete event simulation. With the use of simulation, manufacturers are able to quickly and accurately model future proposed modifications to their facilities without making costly guesses. Furthermore, if modeled correctly, the simulation model built to assess the significance of a proposed layout change can be evolved into an operational planning tool that can be utilized on a continued basis to evaluate issues such as scheduling sequences or batch sizes.


The order Ascoceratida is reviewed in relation to recent contributions to the literature, and evolution of the group is outlined. New forms include Montyoceras tuba, Redpathoceras clarki, new species of Probillingsites: obstusus, globosus, sinuatus, minor, and epiphaniensis. Review of Schuchertoceras and Billingsites indicated merging the genera for practical reasons; new Billingsites species are shideleri, subconicus, and ovalis. The new genus Redpathoceras supplies a link, both in age and in form, between the Chazyan Hebetoceratinae and the Trenton to Richmond Probillingsites. New material adds to the knowledge of the internal structure of Probillingsites. Amphoreopsis Creek, restudied as a possible ascoceroid, is doubtfully distinct from Poterioceras, and its supposed muscle impressions are adventitious.


In low-pressure radio-frequency (RF) discharges, the electron-energy distribution function (EEDF) is typically non-Maxwellian for low plasma density. The nonlocal plasma conductivity, plasma density profiles, and EEDF are all nonlinear and nonlocally coupled. For accurate calculation of the discharge characteristics, the EEDF needs to be computed self-consistently. The method of fast self-consistent one-dimensional of planar inductively coupled discharges driven by a RF electromagnetic field is presented. The effects of a non-Maxwellian EEDF, plasma nonuniformity, and finite size, as well as the influence of the external magnetic field on the plasma properties are considered and discussed


In this study, magnesium alloys with different weight fractions of zinc were fabricated and heat treatment was performed. Microstructure of specimens was characterized by Light Optical Microscope (LOM). Wear tests were applied under different loads in simulated body fluid. Results show that aging process effects tribological behavior of Mg–Zn alloys positively. Mg-3Zn alloy exhibits best wear performance under 2 N load among the samples. Simulated body fluid possesses lubricant properties during wear tests. 16 h heat treated alloys show better wear characteristic than non-heat treatment samples due to decreasing of internal stress. Abrasive and oxidative wear mechanisms are observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).


Should countries have constitutions? Should there be American or Canadian style judicial review of constitutional questions? Should constitutions have provisions establishing rights? Or is there a fundamental right to decide democratically the most important issues confronting us, and particularly, the content of the rights we possess? These questions are frequently not distinguished, with the predictable result that an answer to one is taken to be an answer to another. I intend, however, to make it clear that and why they are separate questions.


It is alleged that Capiz has evolved to be the subject of many aswangs and other mythological ghosts, goblins, ghouls, manananggal and other monster stories. As views, opinions, and questions are ignored or receive a poor treatment – varying beliefs about the aswang phenomenon in Capiz will just lead to rising ignorance, persistent stereotyping, and deeper confusion that may continue to afflict Capiz and dehumanize Capisnon undeservedly. Hence, this study was conducted to probe the perception of Capisnon to the said phenomenon; elicit change in their conceptual, personal/social behaviors and dispositions vis-a-vis their practice of the Catholic faith. The research employed a descriptive qualitative design using a researcher-made questionnaire to a stratified sample of respondents.  Also, a Focus Group Discussion with non-probable sample from Dumarao's Tag-aw Ati Minority and the Guban-Tapaz Tribe Panayanon Bukidnon was conducted to enrich the data and inferences of the study. Results acknowledged that the past colonial masters are the reasons for wrongly imputing the word aswang to Capiz and Capisnon and the contemporary detractors who take Capiz Aswang Phenomenon or C.A.P. out of their proper historical and cultural contexts. With or without the presence of C.A.P., the ideal circumstances in upholding the real identity and self-worth of Capisnon are: a well-informed insight about the phenomenon, a conscious discernment of its history and real meaning, and a growing diligence in character to be good and to do good in the community.


This paper considers a panel data regression model with heteroskedastic as well as serially correlated disturbances, and derives a joint LM test for homoskedasticity and no first order serial correlation. The restricted model is the standard random individual error component model. It also derives a conditional LM test for homoskedasticity given serial correlation, as well as, a conditional LM test for no first order serial correlation given heteroskedasticity, all in the context of a random effects panel data model. Monte Carlo results show that these tests along with their likelihood ratio alternatives have good size and power under various forms of heteroskedasticity including exponential and quadratic functional forms.


The characteristics of the cylindrical vector beam (CVB) and the cylindrical vector vortex beam (CVVB) in a radial gradient-index (GRIN) fiber are analyzed on the basis of the generalized Huygens-Fresnel principle. The CVB and CVVB exhibit periodic and stable transmission characteristics in the radial GRIN fiber. In the beam with a vortex phase (CVVB), the polarization changes and the spin angular momentum (SAM) is detected at the focal plane of the radial GRIN fiber. A spin-orbit periodic conversion is observed in the radial GRIN fibers. Finally, the SAM expression of partially coherent light is deduced and verified via a simulation.


LeVeen shunts were placed in ten patients bedridden with intractable malignant ascites in order to improve comfort and ambulation. The procedure was done with local anesthesia and mild sedation in all but one patient. Mild prolongations in clotting studies and hypokalemia were noted in several patients, but severe complications were few: a bleeding diathesis in a jaundiced patient, and venous disease in two. Six of the ten had excellent clinical response and were able to undergo therapy impossible in the presence of massive ascites. Two had moderate benefit but remained bedridden. Two patients gained no relief. Elevated bilirubin and inability to tolerate rapid increase in vascular volume and excrete the fluid load contraindicate the procedure, but the LeVeen shunt appears to be of significant clinical benefit in selected cases of malignant ascites.


An accurate estimated fingerprint orientation fields is a significant step for detection of singular points. Gradient-based methods are frequently used for estimating orientation fields but those methods are sensitive to noise. Fingerprints that perfect quality are seldom. They may be corrupted and degraded due to impression conditions or variations on skin. Enhancement of ridge flows improved the structure of orientation fields and hence increased the number of true singular points thereby conducting the overall performance of the classification process. In this paper, we provided discussion on the technique and implementation to improve local ridge flows of fingerprint orientation fields. That main technique have four steps; firstly, fingerprint segmentation; secondly, identification of noise areas and marking; thirdly, estimation of fingerprint orientation fields, and finally, enhancement of ridge flows using minimum variance of the cross centre block direction in squared gradients. A standard fingerprint database is used for testing of proposed technique to verify the tier of effectivity of algorithm. The experimental results suggest that our enhanced algorithm achieves visibly better ridge flows compare to other methods.


Electronic devices comprised of a single layer of the chalcogenide material SnxMnyTez (35 < x,z < 50; 0 < y < 28) deposited between two electrodes were fabricated and electrically tested for their ability to switch between high and low resistance states. Materials that have the ability to resistively switch when a potential is applied across them are promising as new electronic memory materials. In this work, the type of electrodes and the concentration of Mn present in the SnxMnyTez  layer were both found to influence the ability of the device to resistively switch. When the top electrode material was Ag, resistance switching was observed. Additionally, only SnxMnyTez films with concentrations of Mn between 3 and 10 % were found to exhibit consistent switching


Water plays an important role in structure and molecular recognition of biopolymers. Understanding hydration of biopolymers is a significant problem in structural chemistry and biology. However, hydration is a dynamic process that is difficult to study. While X‐ray crystallography, NMR, and molecular modeling have provided structural detail on nucleic acid hydration and valuable insights into water dynamics, the thermodynamic contribution of water molecules to conformational equilibria and recognition of nucleic acids remains poorly understood. This unit describes a thermodynamic analysis of nucleic acid hydration using osmotic stress. Osmotic stress monitors the depression of melting temperature upon decreasing water activity, and calculates the number of thermodynamically unique water molecules associated with the double helix and released from single strands upon melting. Comparison of the number of water molecules released upon melting of nucleic acids with different sequences and chemical modifications provides insights that complement and enhance information obtained by other methods. Curr. Protoc. Nucleic Acid Chem. 43:7.14.1‐7.14.13. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


We extend the DL-Lite languages by means of attributes and datatypes. Attributes—a notion borrowed from data models— associate concrete values from datatypes to abstract objects and in this way complement roles, which describe relationships between abstract objects. The extended languages remain tractable (with a notable exception) even though they contain both existential and (a limited form of) universal quantification. We present complexity results for two most important reasoning problems in DL-Lite: combined complexity of knowledge base satisfiability and data complexity of positive existential query answering.


Background: Nutritional imbalance is a serious problem in developing countries, especially for the older population, which makes simple and rapid instruments for nutritional evaluation very necessary in order to have a detailed picture of the undernutrition epidemiology in those places. Objective: This work aimed to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly institutionalized patients by use of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) test and compare the MNA scores with some hematological variables. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in elderly institutionalized patients (153) of all nursing homes in the Brazilian city of Uberlândia, using the MNA questionnaire and quantitative analysis of erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum iron and transferrin. The subjects were classified by gender, nutritional state and age range. The nutritional categories were compared by analysis of variance and the dependence between the considered variables was tested with the Spearman correlation analysis. Results: 60% of the subjects were female. The average age was 74.6 ± 9.5 and 78.5 ± 9.5 years for male and female individuals, respectively. 18.3% of the patients presented undernutrition, 45.7% presented risk of undernutrition, and 36.0% were well nourished. These three nutritional categories showed statistically significant differences among the MNA scores, age and all the hematological parameters, for the sum of both genders, but not for the age, iron and transferrin values of the male individuals and hematocrit and hemoglobin values of the female patients. Significant differences between genders were not observed only for the MNA and transferrin values. MNA values presented positive correlations with erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and serum iron levels, and also a negative correlation with age, which was attributed to a worsening of the nutritional state with age. Conclusion: Based on the MNA, 64% of the elderly institutionalized patients of Uberlândia presented risk of undernutrition and undernutrition, and their nutritional state is aggravating with the age increase, which is consistent with the age-dependent decrease observed in some hematological variables. Since the low MNA scores were not necessarily associated to subnormal mean values of the hematological variables, we can conclude that the low MNA values are predicting situations that still did not manifest pathologically in those variables.


The characteristics and efficacy of alteplase in treating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are described, and the role of the pharmacist with respect to thrombolytic therapy is discussed. Most patients with AMI have an acute thrombotic occlusion in the coronary artery supplying the infarcted tissue. Subsequent mortality from AMI can be reduced if patients receive thrombolytic therapy within 4 to 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. Tissue-type plasminogen activator produced by recombinant DNA techniques (alteplase) is purported to be indistinguishable from the endogenous protein. When given intravenously, alteplase has a rapid onset of action and a half-life of three to nine minutes, producing plasma concentrations of plasminogen activator 1000 times greater than those seen under normal physiologic conditions. Because alteplase has an affinity for fibrin and is, therefore, clot specific, its use does not induce the systemic plasminogen activation seen with streptokinase or urokinase therapy. The major adverse effect of alteplase therapy is bleeding. Comparative studies have shown reperfusion rates of 66% to 75% with alteplase and of 36% to 76% with streptokinase. Alteplase has generally been more effective than streptokinase in initiating reperfusion. Alteplase may be used for treatment of reocclusion after initial treatment with either alteplase or streptokinase. Because alteplase costs approximately 30 times more than streptokinase, informed medical decision making is imperative. It is suggested that pharmacists develop protocols, monitor thrombolytic therapy in their institutions, stay informed about current research, regularly report their findings to medical colleagues, and provide information and education to physicians, nurses, and patients. The rational use of thrombolytic agents requires consideration of the attendant clinical and economic consequences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Amantadine, a well-known antiviral agent, causing an increase in dopamine synthesis, release and the inhibition of re-uptake of noradrenaline and dopamine in central and peripheral catecholaminergic neurons, is successfully used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In the present paper, we have studied the effect of various doses of amantadine on in vivo prolactin secretion and the incorporation of 3H-thymidine and 3H-spiperone binding by the anterior pituitary gland of long-term diethylstilboestrol-treated male Wistar rats. Four weeks after a subcutaneous implantation of Silastic tubes containing 10 mg of diethylstilboestrol, a dramatic rise in serum prolactin levels was observed, accompanied by an increased uptake of 3H-thymidine by DNA anterior pituitary cells. Amantadine, given in the subcutaneous doses of 50, 5 and 0.5 mg/kg of body weight attenuated the stimulatory effect of stilboestrol on serum prolactin concentration in a dose-dependent fashion. On the other hand, the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA pituitary cells in all the groups of amantadine-treated rats was only slightly suppressed. In an additional experiment, Scatchard analyses were performed on the in vitro 3H-spiperone binding kinetics in a dispersed anterior pituitary cell culture prepared from the pituitaries of 6-week diethylstilboestrol-treated rats. It has been found that amantadine injected in the dose of 5 mg/kg of body weight for 14 days induced a twofold decrease in the density of dopamine D2 binding sites (36.6 +/- 9.4 vs. 70.3 +/- 3.4 fmol/10(6) cells; p less than 0.02), while the apparent affinity of the receptors was unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Although CSs (corticosteroids) demonstrate potent effects in the control of airway inflammation in asthma, many patients continue to experience symptoms and AHR (airway hyper-responsiveness) despite optimal treatment with these agents, probably due to progressive airway remodelling. Identifying novel therapies that can target airway remodelling and/or airway reactivity may improve symptom control in these patients. We have demonstrated previously that the anti-fibrotic hormone RLN (relaxin) can reverse airway remodelling (epithelial thickening and subepithelial fibrosis) and AHR in a murine model of AAD (allergic airways disease). In the present study, we compared the effects of RLN with a CS (methylprednisolone) on airway remodelling and AHR when administered independently or in combination in the mouse AAD model. Female mice at 6-8 weeks of age were sensitized and challenged to OVA (ovalbumin) over a 9-week period and treated with methylprednisolone, RLN, a combination of both treatments or vehicle controls. Methylprednisolone was administered intraperitoneally on the same day as nebulization for 6 weeks, whereas recombinant human RLN-2 was administered via subcutaneously implanted osmotic mini-pumps from weeks 9-11. RLN or methylprednisolone alone were both able to significantly decrease subepithelial thickness and total lung collagen deposition; whereas RLN but not methylprednisolone significantly decreased epithelial thickness and AHR. Additionally, combination therapy with CS and RLN more effectively reduced subepithelial collagen thickness than either therapy alone. These findings demonstrate that RLN can modulate a broader range of airway remodelling changes and AHR than methylprednisolone and the combination of both treatments offers enhanced control of subepithelial fibrosis.


A recent trend in seismology has been to model the earthquake source as a dynamically extending shear crack, and several basic concepts which seem to be important in this modeling process are examined. First, the universal spatial dependence of the plane elastodynamic stress and velocity fields near a sharp propagating crack tip is demonstrated for both subsonic and transsonic crack speeds, and the corresponding energy release rates are considered. Next, a class of steady state shear crack propagation problems is analyzed, based on both a direct stress analysis approach and an energy integral approach which obviates the need for a complete stress analysis in some cases. Several distinct stress differences which correspond to some of the common definitions of stress drop are involved in the analysis of these simple problems. Finally, some analytical considerations are presented which are relevant to rupture velocity determination for transient shear crack growth according to various fracture criteria, such as the critical stress intensity factor criterion, the critical energy release rate criterion, and the critical stress level criterion. Possible effects of spatially nonuniform stress drop and frictional resistance on rupture propagation are also discussed.


After a coprologic survey made at Araracuara, a village in colombian Amazonia showing high prevalences of nematodosis, 83 villages (including 55 children below twelve) were given Flubendazole during three consecutive days. The total dose was 600 mg. for children below 12, and 900 mg. for adults. The product efficiency was 88% for Trichuris, 82% for Hookworm, 77% for Ascaris and 43% for Strongyloïdes. The tolerance was excellent in all cases, in spite of heavy parasital infection. The Flubendazole's effect seems to be particularly interesting by its polyvalency.


High influx of generators interconnecting to the transmission network lead to increased short circuit levels which can exceed the fault duties of substation equipment. This paper illustrates effective short circuit mitigation options that were considered for addressing real life utility problems, by applying interphase power controller (IPCs). Upon a brief description of IPCs, a systematic procedure involved in the selection of IPC parameters, from a system planning viewpoint is provided. The specific advantages of the IPC technology associated with the design, engineering, and scheduling considerations are also addressed.


A double-poly CMOS processing for digital-analogue mixed signal ASIC is discussed in this paper, which is formed on the basis of standard CMOS processing and includes some special devices for digital-analogue mixed signal ASICs, such as polysilicon resistors and double polysilicon capacitors. These polysilicon resistors and polysilicon capacitors are fabricated by a processing compatible with standard CMOS processing and integrated on the CMOS ASIC during the CMOS ASIC manufacturing process. Two layers of LPCVD polysilicon are used in this process. The first layer of polysilicon is used to manufacture the gates for P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors and bottom electrodes of the polysilicon capacitors. After oxidation of the first layer of polysilicon, the second layer of polysilicon is deposited. Two different implantations are implemented on the second layer of polysilicon. One is a large dose of P/sup +/ implantation to form the upper electrode of the poly-silicon capacitor, another is a suitable dose of Si:BF/sub 2//sup +/ implantation to obtain the required resistance value of polysilicon resistors. The characteristics of the polysilicon resistors and double polysilicon capacitors are discussed in this paper, The relationship between the resistance value of polysilicon and the BF/sub 2//sup +/ implantation dose is established.


Purpose We investigated the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect of topical sepetaprost (SPT), a dual agonist of the FP and EP3 receptors. We explored whether certain receptors mediated the hypotensive effect of SPT and outflow facility changes in C57BL/6 mice (wild-type [WT]) and FP and EP3 receptor-deficient mice (FPKO and EP3KO mice, respectively). Methods IOP was measured using a microneedle. Outflow facility was measured using a two-level, constant-pressure perfusion method. Results SPT significantly reduced IOP for 8 hours after administration to WT mice. The 2-hour IOP reductions afforded by latanoprost were 15.3 ± 2.5, 1.8 ± 2.0, and 12.3 ± 2.4% in WT, FPKO, and EP3KO mice, respectively; the SPT figures were 13.6 ± 2.1, 5.9 ± 2.7, and 6.6 ± 2.6%, respectively. Latanoprost-mediated IOP reduction was significantly decreased in FPKO mice, and SPT-mediated IOP reduction was reduced in both FPKO and EP3KO mice. At 6 hours after administration, latanoprost did not significantly reduce the IOP in any tested mouse strain. SPT-mediated IOP reduction was reduced in both FPKO and EP3KO mice. IOP reduction at 6 hours was significantly higher after simultaneous administration of selective FP and EP3 receptor agonists, but IOP did not fall on administration of (only) a selective EP3 receptor agonist. SPT significantly increased outflow facility in WT mice, but less so in FPKO and EP3KO mice. Conclusions The IOP-lowering effect of SPT lasted longer than that of latanoprost. Our data imply that this may be attributable to augmented outflow facility mediated by the FP and EP3 receptors.


Teletext is rapidly becoming a household name in many countries in Europe. Its success is partly because it can provide instant information to anyone with a suitable decoder free of charge. In the UK, teletext services are financed either from the licence fee (Ceefax) or from advertising revenue (Oracle). Videotex systems such as Prestel make use of the public telephone network and are interactive and can be financed by charging the user directly. The user pays for the telephone connection, computer time and the information. These costs can be prohibitive particularly when terminals remain connected throughout the day.


Family history interviews are widely used in psychiatric research, as well as in genetic and twin studies, and provide a way to collect family history information quickly and economically. To obtain a valid assessment of family history, it is important to investigate which family member will be able to provide accurate information. Previous research shows that the validity of family history reporting can be influenced by characteristics of the informant, such as age, gender and personal history of psychiatric disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of a subject's position in a pedigree on the validity of data collection. Family history data on diabetes and psychiatric disorders were collected in three generations of 33 families by interviewing both an index subject (3rd generation) and his or her mother (2nd generation). Mothers were shown to report higher rates of diabetes and psychiatric disorder in the family compared to the index subjects. There was no significant difference in the disease rate reported by male and female index subject. Mothers who experienced a depressive episode indicated significantly more family members as having a psychiatric disorder than mothers who never experienced such an episode. This could be explained by the presence of informant bias, but may also result from the fact that depression is a heritable disorder and is therefore actually more prevalent in these families. Our findings suggest that family interview data should be collected by interviewing subjects who have a central position in the pedigree and can therefore provide information on his/her own generation, the previous and the next. In addition, psychiatric status of the informant should be carefully addressed.


Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a morphogen involved in many developmental processes. Injection of cells (5E1) that produce a Shh‐blocking antibody causes an attenuation of the Shh response, and this causes vascular malformations and impaired remodeling characterized by hemorrhages and protrusions of the anterior cardinal vein and outflow tract, delayed fusion of the dorsal aortae, impaired branching of the internal carotid artery, and delayed remodeling of the aortic arches. Distribution of smooth muscle cells in the vessel wall is unchanged. In 5E1‐injected embryos, we also observed impaired assembly of endothelial cells into vascular tubes, particularly in the sixth branchial arch, around the anterior cardinal vein and around the dorsal aorta. In 5E1‐treated embryos, increased numbers of macrophage‐like cells, apoptotic cells, and a decreased level of proliferation were observed in head mesenchyme. Together, these observations show that Shh signaling is required at multiple stages for proper vessel formation and remodeling. Developmental Dynamics 237:1923–1934, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We have measured the x-ray spectra from highly charged Si, S and Cl ions in collisions with thin foils using a high-resolution x-ray spectrometer. The observed lines have been assigned to various transitions in H-, He- and Li-like ions. For proper identification of line positions, the theoretical calculations have been carried out using a state-of-the-art MCDF code including QED effects, with which the experimental data is in excellent agreement. We have also observed, for the first time, x-rays arising out of the decay of long-lived resonant states in the He-like ions of each species. Details will be presented.


This paper proposes a synthesis approach to output feedback robust model predictive control (RMPC) for systems with both polytopic description and bounded noise. Unlike previous works, we do not utilize the state space model. Hence, there is no requirement for estimating the bounds on the true state. We directly utilize the input-output model. The feedback control law is based on the current output, past outputs and past inputs. By on-line implementation of the controller, the output and input of the closed-loop system will converge to a neighborhood of the equilibrium point. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the controller.


A new procedure is proposed to determine sub-surface residual stress gradients by laboratory X-ray diffraction measurements at different depths using a chemical layer-removal technique. The standard correction algorithm for stress relaxation due to layer removal is improved by including corrections for X-ray absorption, and by the addition of constraints imposed by the mechanical equilibrium conditions. Besides correcting the data, i.e. providing more reliable through-thickness residual stress trends, the proposed procedure also provides an elastically compatible and plausible estimate of the residual stress inside the component, well beyond the measured region. The application of the model is illustrated for a set of Al-alloy components shot-peened at different Almen intensities. Results are compared with those given by `blind hole drilling', which is an independent and partly destructive method.


ABSTRACT Sousa-Felix, R.C.; Pessoa, R.M.C.; Costa, R.M.; Jiménez, J.A., and Pereira, L.C.C., 2020. Recreational beaches management: A case study from the Amazon coast. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 775–779, ISSN 0749-0208. Coastal tourism is the most important segment of this economic sector, given that a majority of tourists tend to prefer coastal destinations. The sandy beaches of the Brazilian Amazon coast, with their well-preserved environments distributed along 3900 km of coastline, have considerable potential for tourism, in particular, ecotourism. The aim of this study was to evaluate of the tourism scenario of three Amazon beaches for the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of this environment, and the investigation of the principal external factors (legislation, economics, and environmental conditioners) that influence local tourism. Data on hydrological and socioeconomic variables were collected and used as input for a SWOT matrix to determine the principal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats existing for these beaches. The principal opportunities are derived from the legislation, including the State Coastal Management Plan, the Beachfront Project, and the management plans of the local conservation units. The threats are maximized by the inadequate application of the legal management mechanisms, which has resulted in beaches with no public sanitation, water treatment, the unregulated occupation of land, low levels of education, environmental degradation, and a loss of biodiversity. The principal strength for the management of the Amazonian beaches is the fact that these sites are in the public domain, which allows the government to implement wide-ranging management strategies based on the systematic evaluation of parameters. The weaknesses of the beaches identified in the present study included the lack of public sanitation, high concentrations of visitors, and inadequate beach security services. Overall, the analysis of the SWOT matrix indicated that the adoption of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) principles would provide an excellent opportunity for the changes necessary to resolve the environmental problems observed on the study beaches. This would help to establish a more inclusive, participative, and proactive approach to the management of the local beach environments.


This handbook of slogans, interspersed with historical commentary and contextual analysis, describes the Khmer Rouge regime and exposes the horrific foundation upon which it constructed its reign of terror. On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge seized power in Phnom Penh. In the three years, eight months, and twenty days of their government, they made a tabula rasa of Cambodian society and culture, forcing the people to evacuate the cities and move to the countryside. They instituted a total collectivism based on the doctrine of "Pol Pot-ism," the Cambodian version of fundamentalist Maoism.Assembled in this collection are the sayings that make up a "newspeak" uttered by the Khmer Rouge cadres: slogans, maxims, advice, instructions, watchwords, orders, warnings, and threats. All were spoken in the name of the ominous Angkar--a faceless and lawless "Organization"--n order to indoctrinate, control, and terrorize the populace.These sayings have been collected from survivors throughout Cambodia between 1991 and 1995. They form the macabre, bare-bones skeleton of Khmer Rouge ideology.


Low yield of off-season cucumber due to use of open-pollinated varieties with high male to female ration, long gestation period and high incidence of diseases are the major problems of cucumber production in Nepal. The use of imported hybrids varieties during the off-season and plastic film technology has shown to lead to enhanced growth and higher yield in recent years. However, there is a little work on hybrid cucumber research and their testing in Nepal.  Therefore, experiments were conducted at the National Horticulture Research Center (NHRC), Directorate of Agricultural Research (DoAR), Tarahara and Farmer's field in Dhankuta district accordingly to select best hybrids. Sixteen genotypes including best Indian hybrid Dynasty and 3 open-pollinated check genotypes were evaluated at NHRC, Khumaltar during the years 2018 and 2019 in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications under the plastic house. Previously selected seven genotypes were evaluated in DoAR, Tarahara in 3 replications and best hybrid was compared with farmers' varieties in Dhankuta at open field conditions. Tested genotypes showed a significant difference in yield and other parameters like male to female ratio, early flowering, vine length, disease scoring etc. both under the plastic house and open field conditions. The new hybrids HRD CUM 009 x 003 (107.05 mt/ha), HRD CUM 006 x 003 (91.55 mt/ha) and HRD CUM 004 x 001(88. 10 mt/ha) were promising due to higher yield, earlier to 50% female and male flowering, a greater number of female flowers, short vine length, higher number of fruits per plants and earliness harvesting than other cultivated varieties. Most of the tested hybrids produced more than double yield than open-pollinated genotypes.


Norman Carreck, BSc, CBiol, MBiol, FRES, NDB is the Senior Editor of the Journal of Apicultural Research as well as being Scientific Director of IBRA. The Appliance of Science column will be his regular contribution to the pages of Bee World.


Cognitive radio is an proficiency that enables the cognitive users (secondary users) to stumble on white space (unused spectrum) in the primary user's spectrum band and allowing them to make exploit of the detected spectrum of data transmission. As soon as the white space has been recognized, it will be worn by a number of secondary users. When the number of users exists it is alike as Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO). Provision a large number of users bring into play the detected spectrum for data transmission, this will forge mutual interference among them. The MIMO characteristics are improved by using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) using its orthogonal subcarriers. OFDM has an added advantage of producing less BER yet for the negative SNR. But high Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) is a crucial drawback for such multicarrier technique. This aspect is also analyzed with Partial Transmit Sequence (PTS). Further the performance of the users is increased by using Beamforming technique. In this paper we showed the performance graph of MIMO-OFDM for different dimensions of MIMO antennas, PTS to reduce PAPR, and Beamforming for enhanced performance


A 5-GHz CMOS programmable frequency divider is presented in this paper, whose modulus can be varied from 2403 to 2480 for 2.4-GHz ZigBee applications. The divider has two blocks, a dual-modulus prescaler (DMP) integrating a frequency halving circuit, and a pulse-swallow counter. In the DMP, an improved phase switching technique is used to reduce the power consumption. Designed in 0.18-µm CMOS process, simulation shows that the divider can operate over a wide range of 1–6.5 GHz, consumes 7.7 mW from a single 1.8 V supply, and occupies a chip area of approximately 0.02 mm2.


Objective The aim of this study is to describe the frequency of reasons for elderly patients visits to a general practice (GP) setting. Subjects and methods Cross-sectional data from 8,877 randomly selected patients were assessed during a 1-year period by 209 GPs in the German federal state of Saxony. The reasons for visits, performed procedures, and results of visits were documented. In this study, the data of patients aged 65 years and older are analyzed and the procedural and nonprocedural reasons for visits are described. Results In all, 2,866 patients aged 65 years and older were included. The majority of patients (1,807) were female. A total of 4,426 reasons for visits were found, distributed on 363 International Classification of Primary Care-2 codes. In the mean, there were 1.5 reasons for a GP visit from each patient. The top five nonprocedural reasons for visiting the GP were: cough (1.8%), back complaints (1.6%), shoulder complaints (1.3%), knee complaints (1.1%), and dyspnea (1.0% of all reasons for visit). The top five procedural reasons for visiting the GP included follow-up investigations of cardiovascular or endocrine disorders and immunizations. The top 30 nonprocedural reasons for visits covered 21.9% of all reasons for visiting. The top 30 procedural reasons covered 54.3% of all reasons for visits. Conclusion The current work indicates that people aged 65 years and older consult the GP more frequently for procedural than for nonprocedural reasons. The top 30 procedural and nonprocedural reasons for visits cover ~75% of all reasons for visits in these patients.


Abstract Introduction Health care institutions constantly must be prepared for disaster response. However, there are deficiencies in the current level of preparedness. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the perception of health care workers (HCWs) towards individual and institutional preparedness for a disaster. Methods A survey on disaster incident preparedness was conducted among doctors, nurses, and allied health workers over a period of two months in 2010. The survey investigated perceptions of disaster preparedness at the individual and institutional level. Responses were measured using a five-point Likert scale. The primary outcomes were factors affecting HCWs' perception of institution and individual preparedness. Secondary outcomes were the proportions of staff willing to participate and to place importance on disaster response training and their knowledge of access to such training. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression was performed to determine the factors that influenced the HCWs' perception of their individual and institutional readiness. Odd ratios (ORs) of such factors were reported with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Of 1700 HCWs, 1534 (90.2%) completed the survey. 75.3% (1155/1534) felt that the institution was ready for a disaster incident, but only 36.4% (558/1534) felt that they (as individuals) were prepared. Some important factors associated with a positive perception of institution preparedness were leadership preparedness (OR = 13.19; 95% CI, 9.93-17.51), peer preparedness (OR = 6.11; 95% CI, 4.27-8.73) and availability of training opportunities (OR = 4.76; 95% CI, 3.65-6.22). Some important factors associated with a positive perception of individual preparedness were prior experience in disaster response (OR = 2.80; 95% CI, 1.99-3.93), institution preparedness (OR = 3.71; 95% CI, 2.68-5.14), peer preparedness (OR = 3.49; 95% CI, 2.75-4.26), previous training in disaster response (OR = 3.48; 95% CI, 2.76-4.39) and family support (OR = 3.22; 95% CI, 2.54-4.07). Most (80.7%, 1238/1534) were willing to participate in future disaster incident response training, while 74.5% (1143/1534) felt that being able to respond to a disaster incident constitutes part of their professional competency. However, only 27.8% (426/1534) knew how to access these training opportunities. Conclusions This study demonstrated that HCWs fare poorly in their perception of their individual preparedness. Important factors that might contribute to improving this perception at the individual and institution level have been identified. These factors could guide the review and implementation of future disaster incident response training in health care institutions. LimGH, LimBL, VasuA. Survey of factors affecting health care workers' perception towards institutional and individual disaster preparedness. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(4):1-6.


Abstract Molecular methods are becoming increasingly important in systematic acarology. In this review I describe the properties of the ideal molecular marker and compare these with genes that have been used for phylogenetic studies of mites and ticks. The second internal transcribed spacer of the nuclear ribosomal gene cluster (ITS2) and the mitochondrial protein-coding gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) together provide a powerful tool for phylogenetics at low taxonomic levels. The nuclear ribosomal genes 18S and 28S rDNA are equally powerful tool for phylogenetics at the deepest levels within the Acari. What appear to be lacking are markers that are useful at intermediate levels. The mitochondrial ribosomal genes 12S and 16S rDNA have not lived up to their initial promise. I suggest some nuclear protein-coding genes that may be suitable alternatives. Methods for collection and storage of mites for molecular work, DNA extraction and phylogenetic analysis are also briefly discussed.


We present a multi-resolution path planner and replanner capable of efficiently generating paths across very large environments. Our approach extends recent work on interpolation-based planning to produce direct paths through non-uniform resolution grids. The resulting algorithm produces plans with costs almost exactly the same as those generated by the most effective uniform resolution grid-based approaches, while requiring only a fraction of their computation time and memory. In this paper we describe the algorithm and report results from a number of experiments involving both simulated and real field data.


Most college and university students must complete first-year composition (FYC), including English as a second language (ESL) students. Many researchers in the field of composition and rhetoric question, though, whether FYC prepares beginning undergraduate students for courses they will take later in their academic careers. The question of FYC's effectiveness is heightened when considering its effect on ESL students, who must grapple with learning to write in a second language as they try to transfer their writing knowledge from FYC to their other courses. This paper examines the components of a successful FYC course for ESL students and whether students in a specific section of FYC for ESL students can transfer their writing knowledge from FYC to other courses they are taking the same semester.


Current deep visual local feature detectors do not model the spatial uncertainty of detected features, producing suboptimal results in downstream applications. In this work, we propose two post-hoc covariance estimates that can be plugged into any pretrained deep feature detector: a simple, isotropic covariance estimate that uses the predicted score at a given pixel location, and a full covariance estimate via the local structure tensor of the learned score maps. Both methods are easy to implement and can be applied to any deep feature detector. We show that these covariances are directly related to errors in feature matching, leading to improvements in downstream tasks, including solving the perspective-n-point problem and motion-only bundle adjustment. Code is available at https://github.com/javrtg/DAC


Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system which mostly affects young adults living in the northern hemisphere. It is a disease primarily found in temperate climates, being rare in the tropics and increasing in frequency with distance from the equator. Canada has one of the highest prevalence rates in the world. Dentists should be familiar with the clinical manifestations that affect the oral and maxillofacial areas as well as patients' general health. Three of the most frequent oro-facial symptoms include trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal sensory neuropathy and facial palsy. Dentists should also be aware of the importance of this disease in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of certain oro-facial lesions or conditions. This paper reviews 2 cases of multiple sclerosis, highlights its oro-facial manifestations and discusses the dental implications of the disease.


Author(s): Gravano, David Michael | Advisor(s): Ojcius, David | Abstract: The thymic microenvironment provides critical signals for the proper development of T cells. The thymus is composed predominantly of epithelial cells of endodermal origin, but other cell types make up the thymus and facilitate thymic epithelial cell (TEC) and thymocyte development. This work focuses on molecular communication within the thymus. We have studied the zinc metalloprotease ADAM17, and its function in the thymus. ADAM17 is a member of the large ADAM (A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease) family, and it serves to cleave transmembrane proteins, shedding them from the cell surface. Through conventional knockout studies, it was discovered that ADAM17 regulates progression of thymocytes from the double negative (CD4-CD8-) stage to the double positive (CD4+CD8+) stage in adult animals, but through an unknown mechanism. The work in this dissertation focuses on three strategies to analyze the role of ADAM17 in thymocyte development. First, we have generated an in vitro model to analyze the effect of inhibiting ADAM mediated proteolytic cleavage of the Notch ligand Delta-like-1 (DLL1) and the subsequent effect on hematopoietic development. Second, we have utilized an ADAM17 conventional knockout model to assess its role in fetal T cell development. Third, we have generated a TEC specific ADAM17 knockout model by employing the Cre/Lox system to study the role of ADAM17 in the adult thymus. Our findings here demonstrate that ADAM mediated cleavage of the Notch ligand DLL1 affects hematopoietic lineage in vitro, that fetal and adult T cell development have differential requirements for ADAM17, and that ADAM17 may be acting on a non-TEC population in the thymus or extrathymically in mediating adult T cell development, while its presence on TECs regulates the expression of the key medullary TEC transcription factor Aire. These results provide new insights into thymic physiology and intrathymic molecular communication.


: Nanomachines that can run tasks and molecular communication (MC) for interconnecting nanomachines have been made possible by advances in nanotechnology. Different techniques of Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) protocols have been devised in MC for acquiring the necessary molecules, although retransmission of duplicate copies requires special attention. This work presents a diffusion-based MC with a feedback loop to improve MC performance. Based on the received ACK(s) or NACK(s), the Channel state determines if the state is good (G) or bad (B), and then single path or multipath procedures are used to the 'G' and 'B' s tates. The results of the MATLAB simulation illustrate how the systems compare in terms of communication rate, the possibility of complete transmission of the desired molecules, and energy consumption. When the channel state is bad, the multipath approach performs better, but when the channel state is perfect in MC, the single path strategy performs better.


Purpose: To determine appropriate couch tolerance values for modern radiotherapy linac R&V systems with indexed patient setup. Methods: Treatment table tolerance values have been the most difficult to lower, due to many factors including variations in patient positioning and differences in table tops between machines. We recently installed nine linacs with similar tables and started indexing every patient in our clinic. In this study we queried our R&V database and analyzed the deviation of couch position values from the acquired values at verification simulation for all patients treated with indexed positioning. Mean and standard deviations of daily setup deviations were computed in the longitudinal, lateral and vertical direction for 343 patient plans. The mean, median and standard error of the standard deviations across the whole patient population and for some disease sites were computed to determine tolerance values. Results: The plot of our couch deviation values showed a gaussian distribution, with some small deviations, corresponding to setup uncertainties on non-imaging days, and SRS/SRT/SBRT patients, as well as some large deviations which were spot checked and found to be corresponding to indexing errors that were overriden. Setting our tolerance values based on the median + 1 standard error resulted in tolerance values of 1cm lateral and longitudinal, and 0.5 cm vertical for all non- SRS/SRT/SBRT cases. Re-analizing the data, we found that about 92% of the treated fractions would be within these tolerance values (ignoring the mis-indexed patients). We also analyzed data for disease site based subpopulations and found no difference in the tolerance values that needed to be used. Conclusion: With the use of automation, auto-setup and other workflow efficiency tools being introduced into radiotherapy workflow, it is very essential to set table tolerances that allow safe treatments, but flag setup errors that need to be reassessed before treatments.


Over the last 30 years the breast cancer movement has worked to make breast cancer a national priority, raise awareness and funds, galvanize social support, and impact the direction of research. Women have been at the forefront of information sharing, activism, and patient empowerment. Treatments have improved incrementally and mortality rates have declined overall. By these indicators, the movement is a success. Yet, 70 percent of those diagnosed with breast cancer have none of the known risk factors, making causation and prevention uncertain; approximately 40,000 women (and men) die from metastatic breast cancer each year, a number that hasn't changed for decades; corporate and political agendas stand in the way of patients' rights and access to quality care; profit motives and disease branding supersede efforts to provide meaningful support and accurate health information; and breast cancer is popularized to the degree that "pink consumption" has become more of a trendy pastime than a rallying call for...


The behavior of the magnetoresistance (MR) effect in a ferromagnetic Ni nanocontact is investigated in the regime of conductance quantization (1/12900 /spl Omega//sup -1/). The giant MR effect is observed in the case that the nanocontact with quantized conductance is fabricated. We sometimes observe that the conductance discretely changes by the quantization unit of e/sup 2//h and that the quantized conductance is switched by the application of magnetic field. There exists a close relationship between nanocontact MR and quantized conductance.


Background Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic and autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the exocrine glands. Nervous system dysfunction is a common and important complication in Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and may be the cause of significant morbidity. A wide variety of peripheral (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) complications are among the severe complications of pSS. Autonomic system involvements are also reported in pSS. Electroneuromyography has been proved to be an useful confirmatory diagnostic tool, because all the clinically symptomatic patients with peripheral neuropathy or polyneuropathy presented electromyographic and nerve conduction abnormalities. Sympathetic skin response (SSR) is a noninvasive method that can be used easily to evaluate autonomic dysfunction. It involves a recordable skin potential change following the application of an internal or external stimulus. Although it has been used in a variety of clinical settings to evaluate sudomotor sympathetic function, literature does not reveal any studies using SSR in pSS. Objectives The aim of this study was to show the possible autonomic involvement in patients with pSS. Methods Peripheral nerve electrophysiological studies and the SSR were studied in 29 patients with pSS (inactive disease period) and 31 normal controls. Motor and sensory nerve conduction studies were performed in the median, ulnar, tibial, peroneal and sural nerves using a standard method. Motor nerve conduction velocity, distal motor latency, and compound muscle action potential were recorded for the median, ulnar, peroneal and tibial nerves. Sensory conduction velocity and sensory nerve action potential were assessed for median, ulnar and sural nerves. For the palmar SSR, surface electrodes were used with the active recording electrode placed on the palm of the hand, and the reference electrode located at the wrist on the dorsum of the hand. SSR parameter included the latency in the onset of depolarization which was indicated by the first continuous deflection from the baseline. The amplitude was measured from peak to peak. Four successive SSRs were induced by unexpected acoustic stimuli, pinprick, touching and median nerve electrical stimulation at 30 mA stimulus intensity. The mean of these four latencies and amplitudes were taken as the valid value. Results The latencies of SSRs were delayed (p=0.024) and the amplitude of SSR were decreased (p=0.010) in patients with pSS when compared with the control subjects. When the peripheral motor and sensory nerves' conduction parameters of controls were compared with the patients' values, only median motor compound muscle action potentials were significantly lower in the patients (p=0.021). There were no statistically significant differences among the remaining electrophysiological results. Conclusions These findings reflect that sympathetic system is affected in pSS and this involvement is possibly seen before the peripheral nerve involvement. Our results suggest that SSR parameters may be used for early detection of any autonomic dysfunction in patients with PSS. References Wright RA, Grant IA, Low PA. Autonomic neuropathy associated with sicca complex. J Auton Nerv Systbn1999;75:70-76. Gutrecht JA. Sympathetic skin response. J Clin Neurophysiol 1994;11:519-24. Disclosure of Interest : None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.1468


[1] An algorithm for the retrieval of global stratospheric aerosol profiles is presented using the optical spectrograph and infrared imaging system limb scatter measurements as an example data set. The retrieval utilizes a one-dimensional version of the MART nonlinear relaxation inversion suitable for limb scatter. A height profile of the particle size distribution must be assumed in order to retrieve the aerosol number density. An altitude normalized wavelength ratio measurement vector is employed to minimize effects of upwelling radiation from ground albedo and uncertainties in the neutral density profile. Using a method of numerical perturbation, a formal error analysis is performed that shows that the dominant error term is the measurement noise. Comparison with stratospheric aerosol and gas experiment (SAGE) II and SAGE III coincident measurements of extinction shows agreement with the limb scatter retrievals to within 15% throughout the lower stratosphere for an appropriate choice of particle size distribution. The relatively high sampling resolution of the limb scatter technique makes this data set of interest for studying the dynamics of the stratosphere, stratosphere/troposphere exchange, and for extending the long history of the aerosol data record from the SAGE series of occultation measurements.


In the rapidly growing information society, copyright law plays a central role in the creation, production, dissemination and use of creative material and the information it contains. In the past 15 years, the European Union has enacted no less than seven Directives aimed at harmonizing copyright throughout the internal market. "Concise European Copyright Law" aims to offer the reader a rapid understanding of all the provisions of copyright law in force in Europe, which have been enacted at the European and international levels and features: article-by-article commentary on the relevant European directives and international treaties in the field of copyright and neighbouring rights; short and straightforward explanations of the principles of law to be drawn from each provision; and, editors and authors who are prominent specialists (academics and practitioners) in the field of European and international copyright law. "Concise European Copyright Law" is part of "Concise IP", a series of five volumes of commentary on European intellectual property legislation edited by Professor Thomas Dreier, Professor Charles Gielen and Richard Hacon. The formula of this series is based on the successful German and Dutch formula 'KurzKommentar' and 'Tekst en Commentaar'.


Australia's services sector may be the largest beneficiary of China's rebalancing in the future, according to a new research report prepared by Australian Centre for Financial Studies for the Australia China Business Council and ShineWing Australia. China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner, and by a significant margin. Not only does China claim nearly 25% of Australia's two-way trade, but the value of this trade is nearly double that of trade with Japan – Australia's second-largest individual trading partner. While Chinese demand has helped propel a period of impressive export growth in Australia, China's headline GDP growth rate is now slowing. The composition of Chinese growth is also changing. The rotation of its economy away from investment-heavy, manufacturing-led growth and toward consumption and services-led growth is commonly referred to as 'rebalancing'. To assess the implications of China's shifting patterns of growth, our report utilises econometric modelling to estimate the impact of three conceivable 'scenarios' for Chinese demand on the Australian economy. Our findings suggest a largely optimistic future for the Australia-China trade relationship. By 2026, China could account for: 42-47% of Australia's healthcare and social assistance export market; 36-41% of the educational and training export market; 30-35% of the accommodation and food services export market; 16-19% of the financial and insurance services export market; and 11-13% of the construction export market. Services already account for around 75% of Australia's economic output. The industries that are sensitive to Chinese demand represent a large proportion of the Australian economy. Given the dominance of the services sector in Australia – and the fact that service industries are typically more labour-intensive than mining – growth in services exports to China offers the potential for broad-based economic gains.


Cosmological inference becomes increasingly difficult when complex data-generating processes cannot be modeled by simple probability distributions. With the ever-increasing size of data sets in cosmology, there is an increasing burden placed on adequate modeling; systematic errors in the model will dominate where previously these were swamped by statistical errors. For example, Gaussian distributions are an insufficient representation for errors in quantities like photometric redshifts. Likewise, it can be difficult to quantify analytically the distribution of errors that are introduced in complex fitting codes. Without a simple form for these distributions, it becomes difficult to accurately construct a likelihood function for the data as a function of parameters of interest. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) provides a means of probing the posterior distribution when direct calculation of a sufficiently accurate likelihood is intractable. ABC allows one to bypass direct calculation of the likelihood but instead relies upon the ability to simulate the forward process that generated the data. These simulations can naturally incorporate priors placed on nuisance parameters, and hence these can be marginalized in a natural way. We present and discuss ABC methods in the context of supernova cosmology using data from the SDSS-II Supernova Survey. Assuming a flat cosmology and constant dark energy equation of state, we demonstrate that ABC can recover an accurate posterior distribution. Finally, we show that ABC can still produce an accurate posterior distribution when we contaminate the sample with Type IIP supernovae.


The time series approach is used to develop quantitative indices for predicting the printability of coated gravure and embossed papers. The cavity width and depth distributions are derived from the models fitted to the paper profile data and the acuteness number and pattern depth are proposed as the printability indices for the gravure and embossed papers. The analysis of 32 sets of gravure and embossed paper samples indicated that the new indices are capable of giving fairly accurate prediction of the printability. The dominant peak in the cavity width distribution curve also identified the pattern size of the embossed paper samples. A close agreement is found between the results of the proposed indices and existing methods such as Fogra-KAM, Parker Print Surf and other standard printers' tests.


Objective: To identify the pathogen causing fungemia in a Chinese patient and describe its morphological and molecular characterizes. Methods: Samples of central and peripheral venous blood were collected for blood culture. Morphology and drug sensitivities of the isolated yeast-like fungus were analyzed. rDNA sequencing and molecular phylogenetic analysis of the isolated strains were performed using DNAMAN and MEGA software. Results: A strain of yeast-like fungi was repeatedly isolated from blood samples of a Chinese patient. The isolates grew well on sabouraud medium broth plate. The colonies were smooth and round at 28°C, and were of rough surface and irregular shape at 35°C. Molecular phylogenetic trees constructed based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and D1/D2 domains of 28S rDNA gene demonstrated the isolated yeast-like fungus was Moesziomyces antarcticus. Drug susceptibility test showed that this isolated M. antarcticus was resistant or had relatively low susceptibility to flucytosine, fluconazole, voriconazole, and itraconazole, and only sensitive to amphotericin. Conclusion: This study provided more information for the molecular and morphology characteristics of M. antarcticus and reviewed the species information of Moesziomyces associated with human infections, which will contribute to the identification and diagnosis of Moesziomyces infections.


The aging process is characterized by the progressive fitness decline experienced at all the levels of physiological organization, from single molecules up to the whole organism. Studies confirmed inflammaging, a chronic low-level inflammation, as a deeply intertwined partner of the aging process, which may provide the "common soil" upon which age-related diseases develop and flourish. Thus, albeit inflammation per se represents a physiological process, it can rapidly become detrimental if it goes out of control causing an excess of local and systemic inflammatory response, a striking risk factor for the elderly population. Developing interventions to counteract the establishment of this state is thus a top priority. Diet, among other factors, represents a good candidate to regulate inflammation. Building on top of this consideration, the EU project NU-AGE is now trying to assess if a Mediterranean diet, fortified for the elderly population needs, may help in modulating inflammaging. To do so, NU-AGE enrolled a total of 1250 subjects, half of which followed a 1-year long diet, and characterized them by mean of the most advanced –omics and non –omics analyses. The aim of this thesis was the development of a solid data management pipeline able to efficiently cope with the results of these assays, which are now flowing inside a centralized database, ready to be used to test the most disparate scientific hypotheses. At the same time, the work hereby described encompasses the data analysis of the GEHA project, which was focused on identifying the genetic determinants of longevity, with a particular focus on developing and applying a method for detecting epistatic interactions in human mtDNA. Eventually, in an effort to propel the adoption of NGS technologies in everyday pipeline, we developed a NGS variant calling pipeline devoted to solve all the sequencing-related issues of the mtDNA.


Many temperate trees and shrubs produce displays of fleshy fruits comprising two contrasting colors, as a result of either color change during ripening (usually red to black: e.g., Rubus spp.) or different-colored leaves or stems (Willson and Thompson 1982; Stiles 1982). This has been regarded as an adaptation to make ripe fruit conspicuous, signaling its palatability to frugivorous birds that disperse the seeds, to the mutual advantage of plants and birds (see, e.g., Willson and Thompson 1982). Morden-Moore and Willson (1982) and Willson and Melampy (1983) reported experiments showing that fruits of Prunus serotina and Phytolacca americana are removed more quickly from red-and-black displays than from all-black displays, apparently supporting that interpretation. However, the interaction between birds and fruit is more complex, for two reasons. First, colored displays of fruit may convey information ot only about the presence of the fruit, but also about the quality. By measuring overall rates of fruit removal, Morden-Moore and Willson (1982) and Willson and Melampy (1983) thus confound two distinct processes: the probability that birds detect clusters of fruit, and the amounts they choose to consume after discovery. A second complication is that not all fruit eaters act as dispersal agents; some species digest seeds rather than regurgitate or defecate them undamaged. Much less attention has been devoted to the behavior of these seed predators than to that of disperser species (though see Herrera 1984), even though their activities might modify selection pressures on plants' patterns of fruit production and ripening. The importance of seed predation depends heavily on whether predators exploit the same portion of the fruit crop as dispersers. For example, if such birds are indifferent to the stage of ripeness of the fruits they feed on (as they might be if they eat the seeds alone), their feeding could impose pressures to accelerate the ripening process, or perhaps reduce conspicuousness to rely more on specialist disperser species. Alternatively, if seed predators ingest both seeds and pulp, they must also digest the pulp, which they probably do less efficiently than specialized dispersers (Walsberg 1975; Eriksson and Nummi 1982; Herrera 1984); in that case, their range of palatable fruits might be narrower than that of dispersers, diminishing their importance. To understand fully the conflicting pressures imposed on fruiting plants by dispersers and seed predators, it is necessary to separate the cues that attract birds from those that govern their food consumption within a tree. In this paper, I first reexamine the results of Willson and Melampy (1983) in order to distinguish


This study centers around the dichotomy found in the literature concerning the presence of smooth muscle cells in the trabeculae and capsule of lymph nodes. Various superficial lymph nodes (mammary, mandibular, popliteal, subiliac, and superficial cervical) of the goat were collected and examined by light and electron microscopy. Smooth muscle cells were demonstrated in the capsule and trabeculae of lymph nodes independent of the blood and lymph vessels.


To support an infectious disease study, we developed a surgical procedure to collect serial thymic biopsies in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). In many instances in which thymic tissue is required from living animals, open surgical approaches (thoracotomies) are used, which result in greater postoperative pain and longer recovery periods than those associated with thoracoscopic procedures. Our intent was to develop a surgical procedure that allowed serial biopsy of the thymus with minimal surgical morbidity. We modified a previously published experimental method of thoracoscopic total thymectomy in the dog to collect thymic biopsies in M. mulatta. Of the 15 animals evaluated, 8 underwent two biopsy procedures separated by a 5- to 6-week interoperative interval. The other seven animals underwent a single biopsy procedure. Thymic tissue was collected successfully during all procedures, with an average surgical time of 15 min. No significant intra- or postoperative complications were noted, and the animals recoveries from the surgical procedures were uneventful. Minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgical techniques can be used successfully to collect thymic tissue from adult and juvenile rhesus monkeys with minimal surgical morbidity.


Split preorders are preordering relations on a domain whose composition is defined in a particular way by splitting the domain into two disjoint subsets. These relations and the associated composition arise in categorial proof theory in connection with coherence theorems. Here split preorders are represented isomorphically in the category whose arrows are binary relations, where composition is defined in the usual way. This representation is related to a classical result of representation theory due to Richard Brauer. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 03F07, 18A15, 16G99, 05C20


Discriminant techniques for training speaker-independent hidden Markov model (HMM) parameters in a wordspotter are proposed for improving the discrimination between keyword utterances and background speech utterances. These techniques are applied in the context of completely unconstrained conversational speech utterances that contain a large number of nonvocabulary words. Hidden Markov keyword model parameters are modified in the procedure so that keyword models are made more probable with respect to a network of background speech models. While there have been many discriminant training techniques proposed for relatively constrained closed vocabulary tasks, the implementation described deals with the more general problem of discriminating keyword utterances from a broad class of acoustic events. Results are presented showing improved wordspotter operating characteristics on a conversational speech utterance.<<ETX>>


Terahertz (THz) waves could be generated through exciting a gravity-guided, free-flowing water wedge by a dual-color pulse. It is not required to rotate the optimal angle considering the water film as an ionization medium. It is demonstrated to be more effective to generate stronger THz radiation when the ionization position is on the front surface of the air water interface of the water wedge by moving its position. The effect of pulse energy on THz generation is also investigated, and it is observed that with the increase of pulse energy the THz electric field shows a quadratic rising trend. These observations are consistent with air plasma induced THz emission.


Dietary obesity is a major factor in the development of type 2 diabetes and is associated with intra-adipose tissue hypoxia and activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α). Here we report that, in mice, Hif1α activation in visceral white adipocytes is critical to maintain dietary obesity and associated pathologies, including glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and cardiomyopathy. This function of Hif1α is linked to its capacity to suppress β-oxidation, in part, through transcriptional repression of sirtuin 2 (Sirt2) NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase. Reduced Sirt2 function directly translates into diminished deacetylation of PPARγ coactivator 1α (Pgc1α) and expression of β-oxidation and mitochondrial genes. Importantly, visceral adipose tissue from human obese subjects is characterized by high levels of HIF1α and low levels of SIRT2. Thus, by negatively regulating the Sirt2-Pgc1α regulatory axis, Hif1α negates adipocyte-intrinsic pathways of fatty acid catabolism, thereby creating a metabolic state supporting the development of obesity.


Abstract. The ground surface temperature histories of the past 500 years were reconstructed at 10 sites containing 18 boreholes in northeastern Canada. The boreholes, between 400 and 800 m deep, are located north of 51° N and west and east of James Bay in northern Ontario and Quebec. We find that both sides of James Bay have experienced similar ground surface temperature histories with a warming of 1.51 ± 0.76 K during the period of 1850 to 2000, similar to borehole reconstructions for the southern portion of the Superior Province and in agreement with available proxy data. A cooling period corresponding to the Little Ice Age was found at only one site. Despite permafrost maps locating the sites in a region of discontinuous permafrost, the ground surface temperature histories suggest that the potential for permafrost was minimal to absent over the past 500 years. This could be the result of air surface temperature interpolation used in permafrost models being unsuitable to account for the spatial variability of ground temperatures along with an offset between ground and air surface temperatures due to the snow cover.


Diamagnetism in helium Rydberg atoms is studied near the ionisation threshold using constant scaled-energy laser spectroscopy. Quasi-Landau resonances in the Fourier transform of the energy spectrum are explained using the classical periodic-orbit theory. Long laser scans combined with a high-frequency resolution allow for a detailed comparison between experiment and theory. Resonances with a scaled action S̃/π up to 20 are identified and reproduced with an accuracy of 0.015. It is demonstrated that interference effects between resonances should be taken into account.