A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Paced Breathing Exercise on Hot Flushes among Menopausal Women at selected Community, Salem. A Quantitative evaluative approach with Quasi experimental research design was used and 60 samples were selected by non-convenience sampling technique. 30 samples from Poolavari were assigned to experimental group and 30 samples from Karipatti were assigned to control group. The general information was collected and the hot flushes level was categorized according to the Four point rating scale. After the pretest, paced breathing exercise was demonstrated to 30 samples in experimental group. Posttest was done after 21 days. In experimental group, 2(6.66%) women had mild hot flushes, 17(56.66%) had moderate hot flushes and 11(36.66%) had severe hot flushes during pretest. In post test, majority, 22(73.33%) of them had mild hot flushes, 8(26.66%) had moderate hot flushes and none of them had severe hot flushes. In control group, 2(6.66%) had mild hot flushes, majority, i.e. 20(66.66%) of them had moderate hot flushes and 8(26.66%) had severe flushes during pretest. In post test 2(6.66%) had mild hot flushes, majority i.e., 20(66.66%) of them had moderate hot flushes, and 8(26.66%) had severe hot flushes. In the experimental group, the mean pre test score was 44.03+ 6.07, and mean post test score was 25.46+6.05 with the difference of 18.51. In the control group, the mean pretest score was 41.8+5.56 and mean post test score was 41.66+5.9 with the difference of 0.14. The 't' value is 10.39 which shows that the paced breathing exercise is effective on hot flushes among menopausal women in experimental group. Hence the formulated hypothesis H1 was retained at p 0.05 level. This shows paced breathing exercise is a simple, inexpensive and effective method to practice even without any supervision.


Author(s): Neal, Teresa | Advisor(s): Chase-Dunn, Christopher | Abstract: This paper is a historical sociological exploration into the viability of using world-systems theory to examine premodern societies. Looking at world-system theory from the anthropological aspect of interactive networks, I argue that the most important and controversial network is the information network, although political/economic methods of studying world-systems persist among researchers of world-systems. The model for the premodern world-system is different enough from the modern model that the question arises if world-systems is even a viable framework for studying the premodern period. The main contribution I make in this paper is the discussion of four "facts" ala Durkheim's "social facts" that when considered, inform us of the effectiveness of information flows throughout premodern world-systems, absent of modern speed of transportation and communications transmissions. Information flowed effectively through the premodern world-system via the steady and constant ability of people to navigate these systems by traditions of human resiliency and social cooperation that we still see in indigenous populations today. The human element in the study of world-systems is the key to understanding premodern world-systems. A failed information network meant failed systemness, but it did not necessarily mean the failure of social organization. That continued through traditions of human resiliency. Putting the human face on the world-system may be the way to save this theory as a viable tool for the study of society.


Abstract:Early medieval English studies has dealt with queer and trans themes in their source material in different ways over the last two hundred years. This article argues that the common narrative—that scholarship has become more accepting of such themes in recent years—is only partially correct. Examining the scholarship produced since the mid-nineteenth century, this article argues that, while early scholars considered the presence of references to same-sex desire in medieval texts unsurprising, later scholars discounted such references. The rise of New Historicism leads to a concurrent rise of scholarship arguing that pointing to the presence of same-sex desire or gender non-conformity in medieval texts was anachronistic and that even explicit references to it in medieval texts did not reflect historical reality. Such scholarly narratives are, as this article argues, part of a scholarly investment in an idea of white Anglo-Saxon masculinity that itself has shifted from Victorian condemnation of the early English as crude to a late twentieth-century investment in protecting their masculinity from connotations of effeminacy.


The files included in this study provide significant SNPs from the gene-level analysis for days to anthesis, days to silking, altitude, and latitude within the SeeD GWAS panel. Markers shown are only those found outside high LD regions as defined in the paper: A study of allelic diversity underlying flowering-time adaptation in maize landraces. Nature Genetics. 2017: 49, 476–480. doi:10.1038/ng.3784 , and included in the file: HighLD ranges.txt.


This experiment was conducted to identify heat stress tolerant wheat genotypes using stress tolerance indices. A total of twenty wheat genotypes, provided by the National Wheat Research Program (NWRP) in Bhairahawa, were evaluated in both irrigated and heat stress environments. These genotypes comprised three Bhairahawa Lines (BL), fifteen Nepal Lines (NL), and two commercial checks—Bhrikuti and Gautam. The research was conducted at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) in Paklihawa, using alpha lattice design. Results showed that the mean grain yield of wheat was reduced by 24.82% under heat stress conditions as compared to irrigated conditions. Notably, mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), stress tolerance index (STI), and yield index (YI) exhibited strong and highly significant positive correlations with yield under both irrigated and heat stress conditions. In contrast, tolerance index (TOL) and stress susceptibility index (SSI) displayed negative correlations under heat stress conditions. Genotype NL 1384 exhibited the highest MP, GMP, and STI, closely followed by NL 1417, establishing them as the most stable and productive genotypes. These findings suggest that these genotypes have the potential to be selected for high yields under both irrigated and heat stress conditions. The biplot analysis showed a positive correlation of MP, STI, GMP, YI, and yield stability index (YSI) with yield in the irrigated environment (Ys) and yield in the heat stress environment (Yp), and a negative correlation of stress susceptibility index (SSI), TOL, and reduction (Red). Hence, these indices could potentially be used for the evaluation of wheat genotypes under both irrigated and heat stress conditions.


Following the implementation of Donald Trump's Executive Order Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, Canada has seen an increase in asylum seekers irregularly entering the country from the United States. The Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement is viewed as the main factor why asylum seekers have been crossing irregularly rather than at official border crossings. This study examines how the Canadian newsprint media has been framing these asylum seekers by analyzing 83 articles published in the National Post and The Globe and Mail between January 27, 2017 and April 27, 2017. A directed content analysis and social constructionist lens revealed seven dominant framings of asylum seekers, with the 'victim/human rights' framing occurring most frequently. The results of this study show that asylum seekers are more frequently being framed positively than negatively, a likely result of Canadian attempts at national self-differentiation from a negatively-perceived America.


Religion plays an important role in today's multicultural society, especially when it comes to religious rights for minorities. Granting these rights stems from an endeavour to transcend a politics of tolerance, even a politics of respect, and to treat them in terms of a politics of recognition. Assigning these rights implies that some principles need to be critically reflected upon: the individualistic interpretation of minority rights, the separationist interpretation of the separation between church and state, the secularist interpretation of religious freedom, and the uniformistic interpretation of the state's legal unity. In granting minorities religious rights, one comes across the importance of their personal law, including marriage law and family law. To incorporate such personal law into the legal systems of Western society, one could apply the distinction between the domains of status demarcation, that refers to entering and belonging to a community, and property distribution, that relates to the rights and duties implicit in these social bonds. The former may be provided for by religious law, the later, by secular law. However, the question is whether marriage under religious law, and rights and duties under secular law can solve the problems women suffer from, especially in the case of polygyny.


: The features of antimony excretion by sweat glands were studied in normal subjects and patients with chronic bronchitis, chronic gastritis, chronic nephritis and calculous pyelonephritis, visceral leishmaniasis, living in some biogeochemical provinces of Fergana Valley. A micromethod based on the coloured reaction of the element with brilliant green was worked out to detect antimony in sweat. Sweat antimony elimination was proved to play a significant role in health and disease. The workers engaged in antimony production, the inhabitants of antimony biogeochemical regions should have their sweat excretion tested to score the Sb level. It is recommended as an additional test for screening and controlling the effects of visceral leishmaniasis chemotherapy by solusurmine in patients with kidney disorders.


Aim We comprehensively analyzed how hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication by interferon (IFN)-free direct-acting-antiviral-agents (DAAs) affects liver steatosis and atherogenic risk. Methods Patients treated with IFN-free-DAAs who underwent transient elastography before and at 24-weeks post-treatment, including controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and achieved sustained viral response (SVR) were enrolled. The association between changes in liver steatosis, lipid-metabolism, and genetic and clinical factors was analyzed. Results A total of 117 patients were included. The mean CAP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were significantly elevated at SVR24. However, baseline LDL-C and CAP values were significantly negatively correlated with changes in these values after HCV eradication, indicating that in patients with high baseline values, the values generally decreased after HCV eradication. Mean small-dense LDL-C (sdLDL-C), which has greater atherogenic potential, was significantly elevated only in patients with both dyslipidemia (LDL-C >140 mg/dL) and liver steatosis (CAP >248 dB/m) at SVR24. Those patients had significant higher baseline BMI, LDL-C, and total-cholesterol levels. Conclusions Generally, successful HCV eradication by IFN-free-DAAs decreases CAP and LDL-C in patients with high baseline values. However, elevated LDL-C was accompanied with elevated sdLDL-C only in patients with liver steatosis and dyslipidemia at SVR24; therefore, those patients may require closer monitoring.


In Denmark, the development of local combined heat and power (CHP) plants has been characterised by large growth throughout the nineties, based in part on government subsidies in the form of feed-in tariffs. Simultaneously, there has been a significant growth of wind power, particularly in the Western Danish system. As both the power produced by the local CHPs and the wind power are prioritised, the production of these types of power is occasionally sufficient to meet the total demand in the system, causing the market price to drop dramatically, sometimes even to zero-level.


The effects of incorporating three different types of flame retardant (FR) and two variants of graphene into 10 %wt palm EFB natural fibre (NF) filled epoxy composites were investigated in term of the flammability, thermal and mechanical properties through standard Bunsen burner experiment, bomb calorimetry, TGA and tensile tests. The types of FR employed include zinc borate (ZB), ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and alumina trihydrate (ATH) while a lab synthesised and a commercial form of graphene were used in the current work. Compared to the neat NF filled epoxy composite, specimens loaded with 15 %wt of either ZB or APP demonstrated a drip-free condition as observed from the Bunsen burner tests, which could be attributed to the strong char forming characteristic of the compositions. In specimens containing 15 %wt of either ZB or ATH, results from Bomb calorimetry revealed that these specific formulations produced the lowest mean gross heat release amongst others, suggesting better resistant to flame. Relative to the graphene incorporated composites, the post TGA measured mass residue was observed to be greater in FR rich formulations, suggesting that FR additives capable of yielding a much superior flame retardancy compared to graphene. While a slight increases in Young's modulus was recorded in composites loaded with FR, such formulations produced several main drawbacks whereby reduction in ultimate tensile strength and elongation to break were being measured in large proportion of the specimens.


Background: The COPD Diagnostic Questionnaire (CDQ) was developed to identify people who would benefit from spirometry testing to confirm Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of a cut-off score of 16.5 on the CDQ in identifying those at increased risk of obstruction, in a mixed population of people ‹at risk› of COPD and those with an ‹existing› COPD diagnosis. Methods: People ‹at risk› of COPD (aged > 40 years, current/ex-smoker) and those with ‹existing› COPD were identified from four general practices and invited to participate. Participants completed the CDQ and those with a CDQ score ≥ 16.5 were categorised as having intermediate to increased likelihood of airflow obstruction. Pre and post-bronchodilator spirometry determined the presence of airway obstruction (FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.7). Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the CDQ was determined compared to spirometry as the gold standard. Results: One hundred forty-one participants attended an initial assessment (‹at risk› = 111 (79%), ‹existing› COPD = 30 (21%)). A cut-off score of 16.5 corresponded to a sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 36% and accuracy of 50%, in the entire mixed population. The area under the ROC curve was 0.59 ± 0.50 indicating low diagnostic accuracy of the CDQ. Similar results were found in the ‹existing› COPD group alone. Conclusion: Whilst a cut-off score of 16.5 on the CDQ may result in a large number of false positives, clinicians may still wish to use the CDQ to refine who receives spirometry due to its high sensitivity. Trial registration: ANZCTR, ACTRN12619001127190. Registered 12 August 2019 – Retrospectively registered, http://www.ANZCTR.org.au/ACTRN12619001127190.aspx.


Internal ionizable groups in proteins are relatively rare but they are essential for catalysis and energy transduction. To examine molecular determinants of their unusual and functionally important properties, we engineered 25 variants of staphylococcal nuclease with lysine residues at internal positions. Nineteen of the Lys residues have depressed pKa values, some as low as 5.3, and 20 titrate without triggering any detectable conformational reorganization. Apparently, simply by being buried in the protein interior, these Lys residues acquired pKa values comparable to those of naturally occurring internal ionizable groups involved in catalysis and biological H+ transport. The pKa values of some of the internal Lys residues were affected by interactions with surface carboxylic groups. The apparent polarizability reported by the pKa values varied significantly from location to location inside the protein. These data will enable an unprecedented examination of the positional dependence of the dielectric response of a protein. This study also shows that the ability of proteins to withstand the presence of charges in their hydrophobic interior is a fundamental property inherent to all stable proteins, not a specialized adaptation unique to proteins that evolved to depend on internal charges for function.


Consider the problem of scheduling a set of sporadic tasks on a multiprocessor system to meet deadlines using a task-splitting scheduling algorithm. Task-splitting (also called semi-partitioning) scheduling algorithms assign most tasks to just one processor but a few tasks are assigned to two or more processors, and they are dispatched in a way that ensures that a task never executes on two or more processors simultaneously. A particular type of task-splitting algorithms, called slot-based task-splitting dispatching, is of particular interest because of its ability to schedule tasks with high processor utilizations. Unfortunately, no slot-based task-splitting algorithm has been implemented in a real operating system so far. In this paper we discuss and propose some modifications to the slot-based task-splitting algorithm driven by implementation concerns, and we report the first implementation of this family of algorithms in a real operating system running Linux kernel version 2.6.34. We have also conducted an extensive range of experiments on a 4-core multicore desktop PC running task-sets with utilizations of up to 88%. The results show that the behavior of our implementation is in line with the theoretical framework behind it.


The studies were carried out on 33 chickens of the broiler breed in chronic experiments and in vitro. In the chronic experiments the motility of the jejunum under the influence of vitamins of group B and vitamine C was recorded in 8 chickens. The vitamins were used at concentrations from 10 mg/l to 2.5 x 10(3) mg/l. In the experiments in vitro, the motility of the isolated segment of the jejunum was recorded by the method of Magnus. In this part of experiments the chickens were divided into 3 groups, of which group I (15 chickens) were fed with DKA finischer mixture, group II (5 hens) received, besides the mixture, per os 200 mg of vitamin C for 2 weeks, group III (5 hens) received the mixture and for 2 weeks intraperitoneally 200 mg of vitamin C. The effect of vitamins of group B in vitro was determined in chickens of group I, whereas that of vitamin C in chickens of group I, II and III. At the same time the level of vitamin C in the wall of the jejunum was determined by the method of Roe-Kuenther. It was shown that vitamin B2 and folic acid caused stimulation of intestine motility in the chickens, while vitamin B1, B6 and C decreased the motoric activity. Increased level of vitamin C in the intestinal wall resulted in increased intestine sensitivity. Chicken intestines sensitivity to vitamins was 10 times stronger to vitamins than that of the intestines of rabbits.


High mortality and disability resulting from a stroke throughout the world is the cause of fi nding new opportunities to improve early diagnosis and optimize therapeutic approaches. The article presents a review of the literature devoted to the study of glial fi brillary acidic protein (GFAP) as a biomarker in the acute period of stroke, which showed that its use is possible not only to diff erentiate the ischemic and hemorrhagic process, but also to determine the degree of destruction of brain tissue, as in the fi rst hours of a stroke, and in the dynamics. In addition, the GFAP analysis can be useful for monitoring the course of the disease, control the eff ectiveness of therapy, as well as to predict outcomes.


Viewing multimedia contents through P2P streaming systems is gaining to be an emerging practice. In such systems, the steaming mode for multimedia content is used rather than the downloading mode. The advantages of this mode are numerous, especially in terms of time latency. Nonetheless, P2P streaming systems suffer from data availability problem resulting from the unpredictable peer's departure. In this paper, we present a novel approach based on the use of an embedded distributed virtual cache amongst the peers in theP2P network. An efficient allocation policy, that balances the streaming load over peers, is developed to distribute the cached data over the resulting distributed virtual cache. Additionally, we present an adaptive cache management policy, based on a closed-loop feed back control system that automatically adjusts the size of the cached data to the system workload. The simulation results we obtained show clearly the effectiveness of our approach.


Systemic consultation is a form of tertiary case supervision derived from the principles of systemic family therapy. The present study defines the process and outcomes of systemic consultation through the experiences of case managers (CMs) working with people who have an intellectual disability. CMs were invited to present and discuss one of their complex cases with a team of consultants and attend a follow up session 4 to 6 weeks later. Measures of levels of stress, perception of workplace functioning, and workflow information were completed pre and post-intervention and compared to measures completed by a second group of CMs receiving regular supervision only. After participation in systemic consultation, the networks of people CMs consulted about the case were significantly smaller and they scored significantly higher on a network measure of efficiency of information flow. The CMs experienced lower levels of stress and higher perception of workplace functioning, these differences approached significance. After attending the consultation outcome, themes included a reduced sense of being stuck and stressed, becoming an agent of change and taking perspective. The approach allows CMs space for reflection on practice and new perspectives to be heard. Case management has been under-represented in documented research and evidence-based training and supervision models, and is an area in which professional theory appears to be lacking.


The karyotype of Lemur fulvus albifrons, L. rubriventer and its hybrids with L. fulvus fulvus were compared with that of L. fulvus fulvus. The two subspecies of L. fulvus have the same karyotype. L. rubriventer differs from L. fulvus by five Robertsonian translocations and also by increased heterochromatin in the juxtacentromeric region of the X chromosome. The karyotypes in the present study compared with those of other lemurs allowed us to propose a general scheme representing the chromosomal evolution of the genus Lemur. In this genus Robertsonian translocations represent 29 of the 33 chromosomal rearrangements which have so far been identified. We cannot affirm that sterility of the hybrids is exclusively due to the accumulation of Robertsonian translocations.


The development of an inventory to measure self-regulated learning is reported. The first step involved the generation of an item pool based on a literature review. A pool of items was developed based on the five identified factors of metacognition, learning strategies, motivation, contextual sensitivity, and environmental utilization and control. A pilot version with 71 items was tested with 305 undergraduates, and one factor, self-regulated learning, was found to account for the largest portion of the variance. In the second version of the inventory, researchers began to construct a model of self-regulated learning in which to ground the construction of the inventory. This version was tested with 96 graduate students, but technical aspects were not entirely satisfactory. Version 3 represents an attempt to improve the technical properties of the inventory and an effort to clarify and sharpen the model. Version 3, which contained 4 subscales, was tested with 219 undergraduates and 62 graduate students. Reliabilities of this version were higher than those of the other versions, and all subscales and total score correlated with grade point average, with the motivation scale showing the strongest relationship. Results support the model and the potential of the inventory as a means of assessing self-regulated learning. (Contains 2 figures, 12 tables, and 14 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************


The article "Requirement for Protein Synthesis at Developing Synapses" by Joseph Sebeo, Kuangfu Hsiao, Ozlem Bozdagi, Dani Dumitriu, Yongchao Ge, Qiang Zhou, and Deanna L. Benson, which appeared on pages 9778 –9793 of the August 5, 2009 issue has been retracted by the authors, who report the following: "It has come to our attention that there were serious irregularities with some of the Western blots in the paper. All authors concur the paper should be retracted to avoid misleading readers and investigators in the field, but we would like to emphasize that the primary effects of protein synthesis blockers on synapses that were described are not in question and will be submitted for publication at a future date. We apologize for any inconvenience or misunderstanding that this may have caused our colleagues."


The study of how the environment, local geography, and physical locations influence crime has a long history that stretches across a number of research traditions. These include the neighborhood-effects approach developed by the Chicago school of sociology in the 1920s; modern environmental criminology that explains the geographic distribution of crime; the criminology of place, which focuses on crime rates at specific places over time; and a newer approach that attends to the perception of crime and disorder in communities. Aided by new mobile and digital technologies as well as improved data reporting in recent decades, research in environmental criminology has developed at a rapid pace within each of these approaches. Despite these advances, research in the subfield of environmental criminology remains fragmented, and competing theories are often kept apart. This book takes a different approach and integrates the subfield as a whole. It covers the core theoretical and empirical issues of how and why the environment influences the emergence of crime and how crime can affect the environment. The chapters reflect the diversity in research and theory from all over the Western world. In addition to covering traditional criminological research, the book probes how well current theories of environmental criminology contribute to our understanding of new problems and how well theories travel to other areas, such as West Africa, in which cultural differences might lead to different patterns in offending.


This study analyzed high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) enrollments in Illinois, with comparisons to national data when possible, by career cluster and pathway and with respect to gender and racial/ethnic makeup of students. Enrollment patterns in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) CTE programming were emphasized. Gender and ethnicity-based inequities were found in certain areas and more equitable patterns were apparent in others. Of concern, student enrollment in courses fitting within STEM pathways included substantially greater male than female participation (64.1% male vs. 35.9% female), whereas other pathways showed the reverse enrollment pattern (45.0% male and 55.0% female). With respect to ethnicity, all subgroups except White students were underrepresented in CTE programming in general. The underrepresentation was exacerbated for all but Asian students when concerning STEM CTE programming. Considering implications, we recommend heightened focus, support, and goal setting concerning equity of CTE programming.


The recent improvements in workstation and interconnection network performance have popularized the clusters of off-the-shelf workstations. However, the usefulness of these clusters is yet to be fully exploited, mostly due to the inadequate management of cluster resources implemented by current distributed operating systems. In order to eliminate this problem and approach the computational power of large clusters of workstations, in this paper we propose Nomad, an efficient operating system for clusters of uni and/or multiprocessors. Nomad includes several important characteristics for modern cluster-oriented operating systems: scalability, efficient resource management across the cluster, efficient scheduling of parallel and distributed applications, distributed I/O, fault detection and recovery, protection, and backward compatibility. Some of the mechanisms used by Nomad, such as process checkpointing and migration, can be found in previously proposed systems. However, our system stands out for its strategy for disseminating information across the cluster and its efficient management of all cluster resources. In addition, Nomad is highly scalable as it uses neither centralized control nor extra messages to implement its functionality, taking advantage of the I/O traffic associated with its distributed file system. Our preliminary evaluation of the load balancing aspect of Nomad shows that the pattern of file accesses in our distributed Ale system allows for efficient and scalable load balancing. Our main conclusion is that the complete implementation of Nomad will most likely be efficient and will be a nice platform for future research on operating systems for clusters of workstations.


At present, aircraft tracks for ATC purposes are formed by filtering SSR data measurements only, but the introduction of selectively addressed systems such as ASDEL and DABS will make it possible to transmit additional on-board measurements to the ground station. This information may be used to significantly improve the tracking performance, and Part 1 of the paper considered the question of the measurement accuracy required and the mechanism by which it may be incorporated into the tracking algorithm. Whereas Part 1 considered the extended Kalman filter as a reference against which to compare other sub-optimal filters, Part 2 considers practical filters, incorporating aircraft-derived data, which are considerably more economical than this reference, and which, in the typical ATC environment studied, gave almost identical results.


""Becoming Mexican"" traces the establishment of segregated schools for children of Mexican descent in southern California in the 1910s and 1920s. The resulting substandard education led to poor test results. Based on these low scores, social scientists in the 1930s and 1940s concluded that Mexican students were inherently inferior, buttressing a biological definition of racial inferiority with far-reaching consequences.


This study provides further evidence of the value of ecobehavioral measurements in program evaluations, especially since past evaluations have focused on individual-level factors rather than ecological factors. Static (e.g., classroom materials) and dynamic (e.g., group interactions) features of the classroom environment were used to describe the impact of a special education program on 84 behaviorally disturbed adolescent males. The program outcomes assessed included increases in appropriate and decreases in inappropriate behaviors. The findings reveal that the program apparently accomplished its objectives. However, the ecobehavioral data also suggest that these students were mostly involved in busywork; that is, they were working by themselves with instructional materials rather than participating in interactive activities with the teacher or peers. Ecological issues related to increasing student motivation are addressed.


A rigorous analytical analysis of DC SQUIDs having reduced inductance smaller than 1//spl pi/ and operating in the presence of thermal fluctuations has been developed. On the basis of the Fokker-Planck equation the expressions for the output voltage across the Josephson junctions and the circulating current in the SQUID loop were found. This reduces the problem of finding all important SQUID characteristics (current-voltage curves, dynamic resistance, transfer function, and energy sensitivity) and their optimization to a simple exercise of elementary mathematics. As expected, the present analytical approach gives unique insights and significantly contributes to understand the physics related to the effects of large thermal fluctuations on system's operation.


For a successful rollout of electric vehicles (EVs), battery swapping stations (BSSs) become a must. Based on the characteristics of battery swapping station, the mathematical model of BSS under the battery to grid (B2G), grid to battery (G2B), battery to battery (B2B) mode is formulated. The economic dispatch model that aims to minimize the operating cost, carbon emissions and pollution settlement cost with their associated constraints is established, incorporating the BSSs into the power system which is highly penetrated intermittent wind power. While transforming the multiple objectives to a single objective, it is solved by means of mixed integer quadratic programming. A system with 10 thermal units, one large-scale wind farm and four BSSs are selected to verify the proposed method. Simulation results show that the operation cost is vastly reduced with BSSs.


Motivated by trends toward gender equality on standard-setting boards in the United States, this study interviews women members of the FASB, GASB, and EITF to understand the factors critical to their successful nomination and appointment. Semistructured interviews were conducted with women standard setters to root our understanding in their own experiences and perceptions. Value emerged as a generalizing theme. Participants perceived value to the board in nomination as associated with professional expertise and ties with professional societies. Most participants perceived value in giving back to the profession by serving as a voice for an important stakeholder group as a critical factor for acceptance. Women standard setters consistently downplay the idea that diversity, equity, and inclusion represent primary decision criteria for board membership. Instead, their reflections imply that it is up to the profession to implement practices that promote the advancement of the most competent professionals from all backgrounds.
 Data Availability: Anonymized interview data are available upon request to the authors and are subject to prior consent by participants to share.
 JEL Classifications: M41; M48.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Among various cancers, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in both men and women in the US. The major driver mutations in lung cancer are in KRAS and EGFR. Mutations in EGFR account for 10-30% of lung adenocarcinoma. Somatic activating mutations in the kinase domain of EGFR occur in a subset of patients with lung adenocarcinoma and are associated with sensitivity to EGFR-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Unfortunately, all patients who respond dramatically to TKIs (gefitinib and erlotinib) eventually develop secondary resistance. A mutation in the gatekeeper residue in the ATP binding pocket of EGFR (T790M) occurs in around 50% of such patients.

We hypothesized that mutant EGFR kinases have altered substrate specificities in vivo; these substrates play intermediary roles in transducing mutant EGFR signaling to downstream components to promote tumorigenesis. We have employed a screening method using an in vitro kinase assay on protein arrays containing around 17,000 proteins to compare the substrate specificity of the kinase domains of wild type EGFR, L858R EGFR (the most common activating mutant), and the EGFR harboring both the L858R and T790M mutations (TKI resistant mutant). We have identified several potential substrates such as Crk, Crk-like protein, Grb2, Stat3, Nck1, PIK3R3, etc., which have altered phosphorylation status in response to mutant EGFR kinase activity. We also performed a SILAC (Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture)-based global phosphoproteomic analysis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells using mass spectrometry and observed that phosphorylation of some of the potential substrates is modulated by EGF stimulation and TKI inhibition.

We are currently validating promising substrates from the above assay by performing in vitro kinase assays in presence or absence of TKIs. Furthermore, to identify specific phosphorylation sites of the validated targets in vivo, we have adapted a SILAC-based mass spectrometry approach to immunoprecipitate specific substrates from isogenic human bronchial epithelial cells expressing various EGFR mutants followed by identification and quantification of phosphorylation. We have used siRNA-mediated gene silencing to interrogate the role of several of these substrates in survival of human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Finally, we are examining the phosphorylation status of identified substrates in tumor samples from patients of lung adenocarcinoma to correlate phosphorylation with EGFR mutation status.

Citation Format: Tapan K. Maity, Hee-Sool Rho, Natalya Belinka, Zhi Xie, Xu Zhang, Abhilash Venugopalan, Romi Biswas, Constance Cultraro, Heng Zhu, Udayan Guha. Identification of substrates of lung cancer-specific mutant EGFR kinases. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5260. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5260


One of the hallmarks of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is extensive desmoplasia in the surrounding tumor microenvironment that prevents delivery of chemotherapeutics (such as gemcitabine). Dysregulation of sonic hedgehog (SHH, a heparin-binding morphogen), has been implicated in pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis. We have rationally designed a heparan sulfate mimetic, M402, that has previously been shown in animal studies to reduce metastatic seeding through disruption of several key heparin-binding growth factors (including FGF2, VEGF, SDF-1α and P-Selectin). We hypothesized that M402, alone or in combination with gemcitabine, could potentially modulate tumor-stroma interactions in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer model (Capan-2 cell line) which secretes SHH and displays a desmoplastic response in vivo. Capan-2 human adenocarcinoma cells (∼1x10 6 cells) were injected into the pancreata of immunodeficient mice (Nu/Nu CD-1). M402 (10-40 mg/kg/day) or saline treatment commenced on Day 4 or 32. Gemcitabine (30-60 mg/kg, twice weekly, IP) treatment commenced between Weeks 3-6. At the termination of each study (Week 8), gross anatomical observations were made of the primary pancreatic tumor and metastatic lesions in the surrounding tissues including the spleen, intestines and liver. Gemcitabine was increasingly less effective when started at later time points, but still reduced the primary tumor weight by 60-70% (at 30-45 mg/kg) when treatment was started at week 5. While the addition of M402 to gemcitabine showed some additive effect on primary tumor burden, metastasis, invasion, and surrounding fibrotic lesions appeared particularly impacted by the combination treatment. M402 was also effective as monotherapy showing a dose-dependent reduction in primary tumor weight and fibrotic lesions. Immunohistochemical and qPCR analyses showed reduced fibrosis and SHH signaling with M402 and gemcitabine combination treatment. These results demonstrate that M402 can modulate tumor-stroma interactions involved in the desmoplastic response in a murine model of pancreatic cancer and provide a rationale for the clinical investigation of M402 as a potential anti-desmoplastic agent in pancreatic cancer therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1524. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1524


Levels of lead in bone serve as a dosimeter for cumulative exposure to lead; moreover, lead in bone may serve as an internal source of circulating lead many years after environmental exposure has ceased. The authors measured lead in blood and used a K-x-ray fluorescence instrument to measure lead in the tibia (cortical) and patella (trabecular) bones in a cross-sectional survey of 719 middle-aged to elderly male participants in the Normative Aging Study who were without unusual occupational exposures to lead and who were healthy when enrolled in 1962-1965. Blood lead levels ranged from < 1 to 27.9 micrograms/dl, with a geometric mean of 5.7 micrograms/dl. Tibia and patella lead level ranges (geometric means) were < 1-51 (20.8) micrograms/g and 3-77 (29.8) micrograms/g, respectively. In backwards elimination multivariate regression models that considered age, race, education, retirement status, measures of both current and cumulative smoking, and alcohol consumption, the factors that remained significantly related to higher levels of both tibia and patella lead were higher age and measures of cumulative smoking, and lower levels of education. In the final model predicting blood lead that began with these same covariates and also included tibia and patella lead, the factor that accounted for the dominant portion of the variance in blood lead was patella lead. After adjustment for measurement error, a rise in patella lead from the median of the lowest to the median of the highest quintiles (13-56 micrograms/g) corresponded to a rise in blood lead of 4.3 micrograms/dl. The authors conclude that bone lead levels are substantial and comprise the major source of circulating lead in these men.


Over-centralisation of data leads to tampering and sharing user information without the consent of the owners. This problem has been studied extensively in recent times providing separate solutions involving distributed storage, Blockchain technology and Solid Pods. Individually these solutions are not sufficient to build realistic applications in a decentralised environment; however, a combination of them can effectively provide more powerful and useful use-cases. In this paper, we propose the methods of combining Solid Pods and distributed ledgers in introducing complete decentralisation of data with total user-control, keeping the integrity of the stored information intact through Blockchain-based verification. We demonstrated multiple configurations of our solutions, offering several new use-cases in various sectors. These configurations introduce new dimensions on the Web and mobile applications' data storage that developers can benefit from building Distributed Applications (DApps) in a complete decentralised environment.


We carried out catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of Nannochloropsis sp. at 350 °C in a two-chamber batch reactor that physically separated the 5% Pt/C catalyst from the algae and any solid material by a porous metal frit. This two-chamber arrangement provided a higher biocrude yield, a gaseous product richer in hydrocarbons, a biocrude with a larger "light" (hexane-soluble) portion, and a larger portion of biocrude consisting of small molecules than did an equivalent system where algae and catalyst were in physical contact. At the temperature investigated, a longer reaction time reduced the nitrogen and oxygen content in the biocrude, as has been observed in previous studies. Taken collectively, these results demonstrate that physically separating the heterogeneous catalyst and the biomass improves the catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae, likely by more effectively doing the separate tasks of biomass liquefaction and biocrude upgrading in a single vessel.


Response to: Jennifer E. Laurin, Trawling for Herring: Lessons in Doctrinal Borrowing and Convergence, 111 Colum. L. Rev. 670 (2011) Critics of the curtailment of the exclusionary rule worked by Herring v. United States have denounced the decision as Supreme Court activism posing as derivation from settled law. Professor Jennifer Laurin agrees that Herring breaks with exclusionary rule doctrine but disputes that it lacks any grounding in Court precedent. She says that Herring consummates a long courtship between the Leon good faith exception to the exclusionary rule and the Harlow standard for qualified immunity. Laurin premises her argument on an admittedly unorthodox depiction of qualified immunity that overstates the doctrine's protective scope. Ironically, one effect of this overstatement could be to enable a doctrinal distortion of precisely the type Laurin cautions against. For by positing a substantive equivalence between Harlow rule and the significantly more protective Herring principle, Laurin invites judges to borrow from Herring to further restrict the availability of constitutional tort remedies. Part I of this response highlights some potential problems posed by Laurin's heterodox characterization of the qualified immunity doctrine. Part II defends the conventional description of the doctrine as more accurate and normatively desirable. Part III shifts gears and amplifies Laurin's warnings about the trans-substantive application of constitutional tort doctrine.


This paper deals with low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability of wind turbines (WTs) and in particular those driven by a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG). This is one of the biggest challenges facing massive deployment of wind farms. With increasing penetration of WTs in the grid, grid connection codes in most countries require that WTs should remain connected to the grid to maintain the reliability during and after a short-term fault. This results in LVRT with only 15% remaining voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC), possibly even less. In addition, it is required for WTs to contribute to system stability during and after fault clearance. To fulfill the LVRT requirement for DFIG-based WTs, there are two problems to be addressed, namely, rotor inrush current that may exceed the converter limit and the dc-link overvoltage. Further, it is required to limit the DFIG transient response oscillations during the voltage sag to increase the gear lifetime and generator reliability. There is a rich literature addressing countermeasures for LVRT capability enhancement in DFIGs; this paper is therefore intended as a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of solutions to the LVRT issue. Moreover, attempts are made to highlight future issues so as to index some emerging solutions.


Venturia effusa, cause of pecan scab, is the most prevalent disease of pecan in the southeastern USA; epidemics of the disease regularly result in economic losses to the pecan industry. Recent characterization of the mating type distribution revealed the frequency of the MAT idiomorphs are in equilibrium at various spatial scales, indicative of regular sexual recombination. However, the occurrence of the sexual stage of V. effusa has never been observed, and the pathogen was previously believed to rely entirely on asexual reproduction. To explore the existence of a sexual cycle, we paired opposite mating types on oatmeal culture media. In initial experiments, cultures were incubated at 24 C for 2 mo for hyphal interactions to occur between mating types and then maintained at 4 C for 4 mo. Immature pseudothecia were initially observed but following exposure to a 12 h photoperiod for 2 weeks at 24 C, asci and ascospores developed. Further experiments explored the effect of time on pseudothecial development with 4 mo at 4 C as the optimal requirement. The results of this study demonstrate the heterothallic nature of V. effusa. Following experiments investigated progeny from a sexual cross of an albino and a wild-type isolate. Evaluation of isolate pigmentation, mating type, and multilocus genotyping of single ascospore progeny provided evidence that recombination occurred within the sexual crosses. The impact of determining the source of the overwintering ascostroma will aid in management decisions to reduce the primary inoculum in the disease cycle.


Background Malaria is an insect-borne infectious disease that spreads through bites from infected Anopheles mosquitos. The disease seriously endangers human health and economic development. Against the background of eliminating malaria in Fujian Province, in order to understand the cost and benefit of malaria monitoring measures, the health economics of the monitoring measures should be examined..Methods The malaria epidemic data during the malaria elimination stage (2005–2019) in Fujian Province were collected and sorted. The basic economic data were obtained from the Fujian Statistical Yearbook. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted for this study, based on the fundamental theories in health economics. Moreover, the Cost (C) of monitoring measure during the malaria elimination stage was calculated, and the Benefit of malaria elimination stage (B) was analyzed.Results The total cost of monitoring measures in the malaria elimination stage was about 607,878,783.36 yuan ( USD $ 87,534,544.80). The proportions of the costs were as follows: case detection and treatment was 66.62%, health education was 13.31%, epidemic monitoring was 10.05%, supervision and assessment was 5.15%, and training and meeting was 4.87%. The total benefit of the malaria elimination stage was about 116,123,417,911.81 yuan (USD$ 16,721,772,179.30), the economic benefit was 22.61%, and the social benefit was 77.39%. The cost-benefit analysis of the malaria elimination stage showed that the NB of monitoring measures was about 115,515,539,128.45 yuan (USD$ 16,634,237,634.50) and the BCR was 191.03. The monitoring cost for residents was 1.08 yuan (USD$ 0.16) per capita, and the benefit for residents was 206.12 yuan (USD$ 29.68) per capita. Conclusion In the past 15 years, malaria control work has achieved excellent economic and social benefits in Fujian, China. The work should continue in strengthening the monitoring and control of imported malaria cases, increasing health education in high-risk locations (such as those frequented by entry-exit personnel), and enhancing residents' awareness about prevention and personal protection. The work should continue to be consolidated for the elimination of malaria. The framework and results of this study conform to the principles of health economics and have a certain reference value for current malaria monitoring practices.


Thin sections of rumen diliated protozoa of the subclass Holotrichia were observed with a transmission electron microscope. These protozoa had a double layered boundary separating the ectoplasm from the endoplasm. Starch granules were abundant throughout the endoplasm and are probably storage starch. Also in the endoplasm of the holotrichs were the macro- and micronuclei. They were adjacent to one another, apparantly surrounded by a continuous membrane. Many unidentified dense bodies appeared in the endoplasm adjacent to the inner layer of the ectoplasmic-endoplasmic boundary. These inclusions could be precursor material to the boundary. The cuticle contained granular inclusions which might be secreted to facilitate ciliary movement. The holotrichs ingested chloroplasts as these were in vacuoles throughout the cytoplasm. The anal pore appeared to be open to the exterior and lined by a unit membrane.


The effects of processing steps on the radiation hardness of MOS devices have been systematically investigated. Quantitative relationships between the radiation-induced voltage shifts and processing parameters have been determined, where possible. Using the results of process optimization, a controlled baseline fabrication process for aluminum-gate CMOS has been defined. CMOS inverters which can survive radiation exposures well in excess of 108 rads (Si) have been fabricated. Restrictions that the observed physical dependences place upon possible models for the traps responsible for radiation-induced charging in SiO2 are discussed.


Using District Level Household Suvey-3 (2007-08), this paper portrays the scenario of induced abortion in India and some selected states which note high rates of abortions. It further explores the decision making process of abortion and key factors associated with it.The role of women is most important in decision making process for abortion in the states where incidence of abortion is high. However, result from Multinomial Logistic Regression analysis indicates that women who reside in rural areas, and are uneducated, with low standard of living, have done ultrasound and have terminated their pregnancy in private clinics are more prone to depend on others' decision for termination of pregnancy. The paper suggests that reproductive health programmes of the government should enhance awareness about complications of abortion and encourage the women to seek consent of medically qualified persons before the termination of pregnancy. For this uneducated and poor women need to be given special attention.


A strategy for developing a novel donor–π–acceptor conducting polymeric hole transport material (TTB–TTQ) based on thiophene and benzothiadiazole as an alternative to spiro‐MeOTAD is reported. The resulting polymer is highly soluble in many organic solvents and exhibits excellent film formability. The addition of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide salt and tert‐butylpyridine to TTB–TTQ results in a rough film surface with a fibril structure and improved charge transport. A perovskite solar cell with the highest power conversion efficiency (η) yet achieved in such cells, 14.1%, which is 22.6% greater than that of a device employing a spiro‐MeOTAD is demonstrated. This strategy provides a novel approach to developing solar cell materials for efficient perovskite solar cells.


Being an integral part of the life of society, business discourse is of particular interest to study from the standpoint of the emotional behavior of its participants. The spheres in which this type of communication is used are different. The manifestation and expression of emotions in business discourse is the speaker's intention to influence the interlocutor in the right direction, to cause a certain emotional reaction from his side. This paper examines the emotional component of French business discourse as one of the foundations of its coherence. An attempt is made to comprehensively analyze business discourse from the point of view of the verbal expression of emotions and determine their role in the implementation of pragmatic attitudes characteristic of this type of discourse. At the same time, given the rapid, constant development of the journalistic style in the French language, the disclosure of this aspect is of undoubted interest from the point of view of enriching information about the French media and modern French in general.


Abstract Geophysical mass flows such as debris flows, dense pyroclastic flows and snow avalanches can self-channelize on shallow slopes. The confinement afforded by formed levees helps to maintain the flow depth, and hence mobility, allowing self-channelized flows to run out significantly farther than unconfined, spreading flows. Levee formation and self-channelization are strongly associated with particle-size segregation, but can also occur in monodisperse flows. This paper uses the monodisperse depth-averaged theory of Rocha et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 876, 2019, pp. 591–641), which incorporates a hysteretic friction law and second-order depth-averaged viscous terms. Both of these are vital for the formation of a travelling wave that progressively deposits a pair of levees just behind the front. The three-dimensional velocity field is reconstructed in a frame moving with the front assuming Bagnold flow. This enables a bidisperse particle-size segregation theory to be used to solve for the large and small particle concentrations and particle paths in three-dimensions, for the first time. The model shows that the large particles tend to segregate to the surface of the flow, forming a carapace that extends over the centre of the channel, as well as along the external sides and base of the levee walls. The small particles segregate downwards, and are concentrated in the main channel and in the inner levee walls. This supports the contention that a low-friction channel lining provides a secondary mechanism for run-out enhancement. It is also shown that the entire theory scales with particle diameter, so experiments with millimetre-sized particles provide important insights into geophysical-scale flows with boulders and smaller rock fragments. The model shows that self-channelization does not need particle-size segregation to occur, but supports the hypothesis that particle-size segregation and the associated frictional feedback can significantly enhance both the flow mobility and the levee strength.


This paper considers specific features of the phase synthesis of expanded sector beams formed by phased antenna arrays by the method of fan partial diagrams. Partial radiation patterns are formed by pairs of adjacent emitters. The synthesis results have the property of scaling, which allows many expansion options to be obtained on the basis of one expansion option. This is achieved by multiplying the phase shift values of the signals from all emitters by the same value. It is shown that, when the beam expands along the sum channel, a radiation pattern with an extended angular distance between the maxima is formed in the difference channel. An analysis of the initial sections of the difference radiation patterns in the formation of expanded beams of the sum radiation pattern was conducted. The behaviour of the generalized characteristics of expanded beams across the range of expansion coefficients was analysed. The conclusion was made about the possibility of timely and predictable control of the width of the difference radiation pattern of a phased antenna array


The British state is currently struggling to ward off the nationalist threat (in particular in Scotland). Some are therefore convinced that the British state and the kind of identification it presupposes are mortally wounded, a situation which, in fact, they do not lament, far from it. My starting point in the article is to analyze why they believe so. This leads me to the conclusion that nation and state in Britain are not coextensive. I then try to explain that this peculiar political settlement is not so imperfect as it is often made out to be. It simply rests on an approach to the question of individual rights that is inherently flexible (as will be expected in a country where the concept of national identity cannot be taken for granted), unlike the kind of settlement the Welsh and Scottish Nationalists are advocating. The most interesting point, however, may well be that, in spite of the changing nature of people's self-definitions (with more emphasis on Scottishness, Welshness and Englishness than in the past), the conception of economic and social solidarity most members of the electorate still share throughout the land is based on a clearly British form of political identity.


The main purpose of this article is the understanding of which marketing strategies related to big data are being implemented by Brazilian companies in different sectors, in addition to assessing these actions within an already established construct. To reach the proposed objectives, an exploratory, qualitative research was conducted using the multiple case study method. Thus, data were collected through bibliographical, documentary and semi-structured interviews, with the intent of formulating the construct by which the companies are studied. The study unit interviewed consisted of market professionals and big data specialists. As the main result, it was widely noticed the application of strategies related to big data by the companies surveyed. The classification of these actions within an already established construct, however, was not possible, since it was understood the existence of distinct stages of adoption for this technology, and it was not possible to label these companies as users of big data.


Introduction . Moyamoya is a rare disease of unknown etiology which leads to strokes resultant from occlusions of intracranial arteries. As a result of the blockage of the arteries in the brain a lateral network of blood vessels develops, forming a characteristic angiographic image. Case Report . In the paper a case is presented of a child who in the course of a month has suffered two strokes in two cerebral hemispheres. The damage in the central nervous system led to paresis in four limbs, speech impairment (later: lack of speech), problems with swallowing, and limited visual and audial contact. Discussion . The main aim of the therapy was to improve feeding, drinking, and chewing and an attempt to introduce alternative communication. Elements of sensory integration were employed, and regulatory therapy of Castillo Morales was used to allow swallowing, shutting the mouth fully, and controlling the mandible while eating and drinking. Furthermore, the child's agility was being simultaneously enhanced the motor skills rehabilitation, the child would also benefit from a Room of World Experiences. Contrary to the initial assumptions, it has not been possible to reach all the aims of the therapy. Epileptic seizures have led to the loss of the acquired skills. Conclusions . Successfulness of therapy is dependent on a number of factors, which are often independent of the therapist. What is crucial is to adjust the level of the difficulty of the sessions and their duration to the child's state of feeling on a particular day. After the conclusion of the programme improved eyesight was noticed. However, in the case of a child with such vast damage to the central nervous system the aim of the therapy is to retain the acquired skills and to carry out further attempts to develop new skills through their frequent repetition. (JNNN 2018;7(2):75–79)


The field of patient-centred healthcare has, during recent years, adopted machine learning and data science techniques to support clinical decision making and improve patient outcomes. We conduct a literature review with the aim of summarising the existing methodologies that apply machine learning methods on patient-reported outcome measures datasets for predicting clinical outcomes to support further research and development within the field. We identify 15 articles published within the last decade that employ machine learning methods at various stages of exploiting datasets consisting of patient-reported outcome measures for predicting clinical outcomes, presenting promising research and demonstrating the utility of patient-reported outcome measures data for developmental research, personalised treatment and precision medicine with the help of machine learning-based decision-support systems. Furthermore, we identify and discuss the gaps and challenges, such as inconsistency in reporting the results across different articles, use of different evaluation metrics, legal aspects of using the data, and data unavailability, among others, which can potentially be addressed in future studies.


The design, fabrication, and evaluation of a compact self-learning neural network made up of more than 1000 neurons are described. A time-sharing bus architecture decreases the number of circuits required and makes possible flexible and expandable networks. Neural functions and the back propagation (BP) algorithm were mapped to binary digital circuits. A dual-network architecture allows high-speed learning. This hardware can be connected to a host workstation and used for a wide range of artificial neural networks. Signature verification and stock price prediction have already been demonstrated with this hardware. The peak learning speed was about 10 times faster than BP simulation by an S-820 Hitachi supercomputer.<<ETX>>


Using a recent representative survey and supplemental interviews, we investigate household money management and domestic power dynamics in contemporary Russian two-partner families. During the Soviet period, it was women who typically managed household money. Today, while 45.6% of contemporary Russian two-partner households pool money and manage it jointly, and in about a quarter of families women are in charge, families with men in control of domestic money are on the rise among more affluent spouses who have been married for less than 20 years. While previous work finds evidence for the feminization of poverty in the postcommunist region, we underscore the otherwise hidden aspects of inequality—gendered access to household money among the relative "winners" of the transition: Younger and more affluent families. We place these changes in the context of neoliberal market reforms, including labor market and welfare policy changes and the rise of neoconservative gender ideology.


Objective: To test a study design and explore the feasibility and potential effects of conventional neurological therapy, constraint induced therapy and therapeutic climbing to improve minimal to moderate arm and hand function in patients after a stroke. Method: A pilot study with six-month follow-up in patients after stroke with minimal to moderate arm and hand function admitted for inpatient rehabilitation was performed. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three treatment approaches. Main outcomes were improvement of arm and hand function and adverse effects. Results: 283 patients with stroke were screened for inclusion over a two-year period, out of which fourtyfour were included. All patients could be treated according to the protocol. Improvement of arm and hand function was significantly higher in conventional neurological therapy and constraint induced therapy compared with therapeutic climbing at discharge, and at six months follow-up (P < 0.05, effect size = 0.56–0.76). No significant differences in arm and hand function were observed between constraint induced therapy and conventional neurological therapy. Constraint induced therapy participants were significantly less at risk of developing shoulder pain at six months follow-up compared with the other participants (P < 0.05, effect size = 0.82 and 1.79, respectively). Conclusions: The study design needs adaptation to accommodate the stringent inclusion criteria leading to prolonged study duration. Constraint induced therapy seems to be the optimal approach to improve arm and hand function and minimize the risk of shoulder pain for patients with minimal to moderate arm hand function after stroke in the intermediate term.


This article describes a set of on-chip testing techniques and their application to integrated wireless RF transceivers. The objective is to reduce final product cost and accelerate time to market by providing means of testing the entire transceiver system as well as its major building blocks without using off-chip analog or RF instrumentation. On-chip test devices fabricated in a standard CMOS process and experimentally evaluated support the proposed test strategy


Introduction Despite the strong evidence of an association between adoption of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and improved clinical outcomes among patients with hypertension, evidence for associations between the PCMH and health care utilization and cost reduction within the general adult population with hypertension is less developed. Objective This study was designed to examine the effect of PCMH on health service expenditures and utilization in a national sample of the US adult population who were diagnosed with hypertension. Methods The 2010–2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data were used. The study sample was limited to adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with essential hypertension. We investigated the impact of PCMH on the direct hypertension-related total and on the costs of inpatient stays, prescription medications, outpatient visits, emergency room visits, office-based services, and other medical expenditures by using log-transformed multiple linear regression models and the propensity score method. Results Of the 18,630 adults identified with hypertension, 19.2% (n=3,583) of them had received PCMH care from 2010 to 2015. After matching, the no PCMH group showed greater mean in all hypertension-related health service costs and utilization. After adjusting for the remaining con-founders, the PCMH group showed a significant association with lower total costs, office-based services, number of office-based visits, and outpatient visits compared with the control group. Conclusion A significant relationship between experiencing PCMH care and a lower total health care expenditure was found in patients with hypertension.


Electric vehicles have received a lot of attention lately and are expected to boom in the near future. In the power grid industry this raises concern on whether the grid is dimensioned to handle the power peaks related to charging. Solar cells are also a hot topic when discussing future energy supply and how it will impact on the grid.

Initially this thesis gives insight to the current state of solar cells and electric vehicles, which charging techniques that are being used and future prospects of both technologies. There- after, investigation goes into how the grid is utilised today using mathematical statistics and what the load situation will look like with a large scale introduction of electric vehicles. A case study in a stressed grid with a high penetration of electric vehicles is also done to showcase impact of solar cells. Specifically loading of secondary substation transformers, cable loadings and voltage drops are analysed to find limitations.

Key results are that the grid in general has sufficient capacity with good margin to the highest expected peak in power and that the current tariff structure would generate a large income stream if home charging would become more common. The results from the case study in a stressed grid shows that even if transformer loading is high , the cable capacities are sufficient to avoid overload. Also, the slightly larger voltage deviations are still well within E.ON guide- lines. Solar cells delivers most energy mid-day when charging does not occur, and therefore do not reduce power peaks.

In conclusion, E.ON should not be concerned about a large scale introduction of electric vehicles, rather welcome it. The tariff should not be capacity based on account of electric vehicles since there is little risk that their charging will overload the grid. Moreover, the current tariff structure benefits greatly from an increase in consumption and higher peaks, which leads to more billable kilowatt-hours and upgrades of fuses. There are of course other arguments for a capacity based tariff, but these are not treated here. The calculated resulting annual revenues are 213 MSEK and 430 MSEK for 20% and 40% electric vehicles respectively.


Micromachining with nanosecond laser pulses is a powerful tool that is suitable for replacing or complementing traditional wafer processes, such as dicing and etching, as well as advanced process developments, such as laser lift-off [1], laser-assisted machining [2] and medical and biotechnology research [3]. Tightly-focused nano-second laser pulses can enable microma‐ chining with much higher precision and dimensions down to several micrometers [4]. For more advanced applications, micromachining parameters, such as laser wavelength, pulse energy, repetition rate and pulse duration, should be considered seriously. Drilling and cutting with nanosecond, or even femtosecond ultraviolet (UV) laser pulses has been reported to produce very small heat-affected zones (HAZ) [5]. Recently, laser micromachining is being adopted gradually for gallium nitride (GaN)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Because epitaxial GaN layers are typically grown on sapphire, the separation of fabricated LED dies is commonly achieved by wafer sawing, which is slow and expensive. The use of high energy laser pulses increases the process efficiency and enables a high packing density of chips through the reduced dimensions of the scribe lanes.


Thirty-one members of the Judo Club of a certain university (age: 18~23) underwent a screening examination for dermatophytosis by Trichophyton tonsurans. Test items were: age, sex, height, weight, living mode, exercise duration, number of judo contestants, presence of foreign contestants, occurrence, if any, of dermatophytosis past or present according to a subject's answers to a questionnaire, medical examinations and mycological examinations (KOH, cellophane tape culture, and hairbrush culture). Twenty-four subjects (77%) replied that they had suffered from dermatophytosis in the past, and 8 subjects (26%) had had head eruption in the past. Eleven subjects (35%) had suspicious dermatophytosis at the time of screening; 3 of them were found positive by direct microscopy, 2 of them were positive by cellophane tape culture. Eleven subjects (35%) were found positive by the hairbrush culture, but only 2 had eruption-like folliculitis. The remaining 9 subjects were free from clinical symptoms and were judged to be asymptomatic carriers. As countermeasures, we recommended cleaning and the use of shampoo containing miconazole nitrate. Subjects with suspicious tinea corporis were treated with antimycotic ointment. The 7 subjects who showed more than 5 colonies by the hairbrush culture were treated with 1-week pulse therapy of 400 mg itraconazole, and 3 of these who took a total dose of a pulse became negative through one pulse therapy.


A multidrug resistance gene (mdr) has been cloned from Streptomyces pristinaespiralis, a producer of two antibiotics having synergistic activities together known as pristinamycin. This gene, ptr, provides resistance not only to two structurally dissimilar compounds (pristinamycin I, PI; pristinamycin II, PII) and the natural pristinamycin mixture but also to rifampicin. Mutagenesis and subcloning of ptr localized it to a 2 kb region which was sequenced and analysed. It contained an open reading frame of 1506 bp which encoded a putative membrane protein with 14 hydrophobic domains, and showed sequence similarity to a superfamily of bacterial proteins that employ transmembrane electrochemical gradients to catalyse active efflux of various antibiotics and toxic compounds. Ptr was most similar to a subfamily which included other mdr genes and antibiotic transport genes associated with antibiotic biosynthetic gene clusters in actinomycetes. In vitro coupled transcription‐translation experiments were used to identify the ptr gene product. Analysis of the upstream region did not reveal a divergently transcribed repressor gene, as is the case for several related resistance determinants involved in antibiotic transport, suggesting that ptr is regulated by a different mechanism. Transcriptional analyses of this gene, carried out in both S. pristinaespiralis and Streptomyces lividans, indicated the same transcriptional start point and predicted −10 and −35 hexamers which were somewhat similar to Streptomyces vegetative‐type promoters.


An inherent challenge in interpreting single-cell transcriptomic data is the high frequency of zero values. This phenomenon has been attributed to both biological and technical sources, although the extent of the contribution of each remains unclear. Here, we show that the underlying gene presence/absence sparsity patterns are by themselves highly informative. We develop an algorithm, called DECODE, to assess the extent of joint presence/absence of genes across different cells, and to infer a gene dependency network. We show that this network captures biologically-meaningful pathways, cell-type specific modules, and connectivity patterns characteristic of complex networks. We develop a model that uses this network to discriminate biological vs. technical zeros, by exploiting each gene's local network neighborhood. For inferred non-biological zeros, we build a predictive model that imputes the missing value of each gene based on activity patterns of its most informative neighbors. We show that our framework accurately infers gene-gene functional dependencies, pinpoints technical zeros, and predicts biologically-meaningful missing values in three diverse datasets.


SUMMARY: At Silwood Park, Berkshire, in 1958, the largest concentration of each of five 'types' of Entomophthora conidia in the air typically occurred at 05.00 to 07.00 h. and was associated with humid air and sunrise. The smallest concentration occurred between 14.00 and 17.00 h. when the air was usually driest.


The Goen Limestone (Desmoinesian) of Concho and Runnels Counties, central Texas, consists of three stacked transgressive-regressive sequences. Each cycle consists of a thin basal transgressive unit (clayey facies) deposited in a deeper water lower ramp setting, and thick regressive limestones (algal, foraminiferal, and bryozoan facies) representing middle to upper ramp-mound, mound-associated, and back-mound environments. Glacio-eustatic sea level fluctuations were the dominant control on the observed cyclicity and facies distribution. The major porosity forming process in the Goen Limestone was early leaching by freshwater lenses that migrated in response to glacio-eustatic sea level changes. The dominant porosity reducing processes included early cementation in a meteoric-phreatic environment and late-stage saddle dolomitization in a deeper burial connate environment. The hydrocarbon-producing regressive middle and upper ramp units (foraminiferal and bryozoan facies) underwent the most complex diagenetic histories and contain extensive secondary pores. The presence or absence of penetrating freshwater lenses and the distribution of green phylloid algae and secondary pore-filling cements were the major factors controlling Goen reservoirs. Numerous cyclic carbonate reservoirs with depositional and diagenetic histories similar to the Goen are present in the Desmoinesian section of central Texas (e.g., Caddo, Odom, Gardner, Capps, and Dog Bend limestones). Late Paleozoic mound-associated and back-mound carbonate reservoirs may be of greater importance in petroleum exploration than algal mounds, one of the most frequently exploited late Paleozoic carbonates of North America.


This paper describes our recent approach toward advanced optical layer networks through the development of optical cross add and drop multiplexing (OXADM). The OXADM node focuses on providing functionally such as transport, multiplexing, routing, supervision, terminating and survivability in optical layer with ring and mesh topologies. Thus, OXADM is applicable for those networks that have to be migrated from ring to mesh and vice versa. OXADM also provide survivability through restoration against failures by means of linear, multiplex and ring protection to the both configuration. The protection mechanisms of OXADM is more efficient and more reliable compare to other restoration nodes because it does not need to `drop and re-add' the signal to activate the redundancy or process the signals in both electronic and optical domain as practiced in conventional nodes and. The networks have undergone performance test at 2.5 Gbps (OC-48) with BER less than 10-9 if the amplification is increased.


By removing a 12C atom from the tetrahedral
configuration of the diamond, replacing it by a 13C atom, and repeating
this in a linear direction, it is possible to have a linear chain of nuclear
spins one half and to build a solid state quantum computer. One qubit rotation,
controlled-not (CNOT) and controlled-controlled-not (CCNOT) quantum gates are
obtained immediately from this configuration. CNOT and CCNOT quantum gates are
used to determined the design parameters of this quantum computer.


Chat tools are nowadays an integral part of many collaborative e-learning environments. However, standard chat tools suffer from important coordination and coherence deficiencies. In this paper we propose an open source generic framework for building malleable structured chat applications. Users can strengthen or relax constraints when they want during a chat session. The paper shows some demonstrative examples and stresses the importance of dynamic malleability in educational settings.


We report on the implementation of a software defined radio (SDR) based on state-of-the-art digital signal processors (DSPs). While time critical operations are executed on specialised transmit and receive processors with a fixed block structure, the baseband processing is performed on highly flexible DSPs. We comment on the SDR building blocks, and the software implemented on this test-bed including blind synchronisation, equalisation, and carrier recovery for differentially encoded quadrature amplitude modulation. The functionality has been tested by audio transmission. We conclude with an analysis of capabilities and limitations of the implemented SDR structure.


Čukaru Peki is a recently discovered porphyry- high-sulfidation Cu-Au deposit located 5km south of the mining town of Bor in east Serbia. Three styles of mineralization are distinguished in the Čukaru Peki system: a high-sulfidation type with massive sulfides (named the Upper zone), a porphyry type (named the Lower zone) and a transition type (between porphyries and massive sulfides). This study investigates the concentration and distribution of trace elements in pyrite from these three mineralization zones of Čukaru Peki. The high-sulfidation pyrite contains elevated concentrations of V, Mn, Ni, Cu, As, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb and Bi, compared to pyrite from the porphyry zone. The porphyry zone pyrite contains elevated concentrations of Co and Se. The sample from the transition zone contains concentrations between the two other zones, with the exception of the relative enrichment of Co and Ag. This research also aims to separate different stages of ore deposition. The porphyry stage contains several types of veins: quartz A veins, quartz B veins, pyrite D veins, magnetite veins, purple anhydrite veins, sulfide veins and orange anhydrite veins. The high sulfidation stage also formed in several stages: pyrite1, pyrite-enargite veins, pyrite-covellite veins, pyrite2 veins and calcite-anhydrite veins. There are distinct differences between various vein generations found within each zone, notable examples are the enrichment of Se in quartz B veins pyrite and Cu in sulfide veins, compared to other veins from porphyry zone veins and the enrichment of several trace elements (Cu, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb and Bi) in pyrite from the Py-cov veins in comparison to the other high-sulfidation veins. The trace element data also indicates a change in fluid compositions; the earlier fluids responsible for the porphyry zone mineralization showing a slightly more magmatic fluid signature (higher Co/Sb and Se/As values) and the later high-sulfidation fluids bearing a more typical epithermal trace element signature, which indicates cooling and diluting of fluids. Some of the porphyry zone pyrite crystals (from B-type veins and Purple anhydrite-veins) contain elevated concentrations of elements attributed to the high-sulfidation zone (e.g. Cu, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Pb and Bi), which suggests that these veins were affected by later high-sulfidation fluids.


Since brain development is explosive during the second half of human fetal life, the concept of 'brain selective nutrients' is a necessary point of departure to identify the basic nutritional needs of pregnant women. Two important brain selective nutrients are considered: iodine, essential in thyroid hormone production, and DHA, a very long chain polyunsaturated acid of the omega 3 family. Both of them are abundant in the seafood chain only. The particular case of pregnant women who do not have access to the seafood chain is considered. The focus is on the need to avoid blocking agents of the metabolic pathways of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly pure sugar, alcoholic beverages and trans fatty acids.


Due to physical requirements, what in essence and at a higher level of abstraction is a logically synchronous real-time system has to be often realized as a distributed, asynchronous system. Getting asynchronous real-time systems right is a very error prone and labor-intensive task. The Physically Asynchronous Logically Synchronous (PALS) architectural pattern can greatly reduce the design and verification complexities of achieving logical synchrony in a distributed real-time system implementation. The PALS philosophy is to provide a correct-byconstruction pattern of very wide applicability. The main goal of this work is to make the PALS correctness property —applying to a wide range of designs— mathematically precise. For this, we define a formal model of the PALS transformation, and give formal requirements for the allowed logically synchronous system designs, and for the operating environments in which a resulting PALS distributed design is to be deployed. Based on such a formal model and formal requirements, we also give a mathematical proof of correctness for PALS, and a proof of optimality, showing that the PALS period is shortest possible. The PALS proof of correctness can greatly facilitate the formal verification effort, because it reduces the verification of a complex asynchronous real-time system to that of its much simpler synchronous high-level design. Our formal model is developed in rewriting logic using the Real-Time Maude specification language. Since such formal specifications are executable, they can be used as a basis for correct-by-construction code generation implementations of PALS.


Abstract. The following contribution focuses on the low-cost Shining 3D EinScan-Pro scanner, above all the analysis of its precision and accuracy. The need to prove the functioning of this instrumentation in practical cases (the sculptures by Eduardo Chillida preserved in the Chillida-Leku Museum and along with some artefacts collected in the Archaeological Museum of Sarno), has led to the comparison and validation of the instrument through a methodology necessarily diversified from the guideline VDI/VDE 2634, part 2 and part 3, characteristics to the test the optical 3D measuring systems with planar measurement, which works according to the triangulation principle. In particular, two types of comparisons were made: geometric-formal and metric-dimensional. The first type of analysis was carried out analysing the geometric parameters of the models, suitable for validating the information: dimensional (difference between some main measurements); superficial (total mesh extension) and of the form (that is, the discrepancies returned through a DEM analysis). The second type of analysis, instead, of the metric type, was carried out. The complete results of the various analyses will be presented and critically discussed within this contribution in order to prove the stability and the metric quality of this hand-held EinScan-Pro, following the comparison with medium-high end systems now well established in the field of cultural heritage survey.


Laminin α2 (LAMA2)-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy is a severe, early-onset disease caused by abnormal levels of laminin 211 in the basal lamina leading to muscle weakness, transient inflammation, muscle degeneration and impaired mobility. In a Lama2-deficient mouse model for this disease, animal survival is improved by muscle-specific expression of the apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2, conferred by a MyoD-hBcl-2 transgene. Here we investigated early disease stages in this model to determine initial pathological events and effects of Bcl-2 on their progression. Using quantitative immunohistological and mRNA analyses we show that inflammation occurs very early in Lama2-deficient muscle, some aspects of which are reduced or delayed by the MyoD-hBcl-2 transgene. mRNAs for innate immune response regulators, including multiple Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the inflammasome component NLRP3, are elevated in diseased muscle compared with age-matched controls expressing Lama2. MyoD-hBcl-2 inhibits induction of TLR4, TLR6, TLR7, TLR8 and TLR9 in Lama2-deficient muscle compared with non-transgenic controls, and leads to reduced infiltration of eosinophils, which are key death effector cells. This congenital disease model provides a new paradigm for investigating cell death mechanisms during early stages of pathogenesis, demonstrating that interactions exist between Bcl-2, a multifunctional regulator of cell survival, and the innate immune response.


This study aims to determine the marketing channel and the efficiency level of marketing of gaharu on Lombok Island. This research was conducted in four regions: West Lombok Regency, North Lombok Regency, Central Lombok Regency, and Mataram City. The respondents consisted of four people: three district-level collectors and one exporter. Determining marketing agency respondents is done using the "Snowball Sampling" method. The analysis tool used is profit analysis of marketing institutions and analysis of marketing efficiency. The results of this study indicate that there are three marketing channels for Lombok Island agarwood. The profits of each marketing agency for the Lombok Island agarwood from November to December 2012 amounted to Rp. 2,125,000 per kilogram for Regency collectors and Rp. 364,400,000 per kilogram for agarwood exporters. Looking at the great potential of the agarwood commodity from Lombok Island, further research is needed to determine the development of the marketing of agarwood on Lombok Island.


Steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) on a Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was studied. The effects of the operating conditions and catalyst nature on the course of reaction were evaluated. Hydrogen was generated in the temperature range between 100 and 600°C. A mechanism was used to explain the reaction pathways. A commercial hydrotalcite-like sorbent arranged in a multilayer pattern of catalyst and sorbent was used for CO2-uptake to enhance hydrogen production. The concept of sorption enhanced reaction process on SRE is illustrated by the operation of catalyst and CO2-sorbent at 400°C. A lower flow rate regime and multilayer pattern system enhances hydrogen production in the initial breakthrough periods. CO appears in traces in the product gas stream. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering


Biomagnetic approaches to understanding the functional organization of the human brain include (1) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), (2) magnetoencephalography (MEG) by superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), and (3) the imaging of electrical currents and impedance distributions of the head based on new principles of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. These techniques are noninvasive and very useful for studying higher brain functions of humans such as memory and cognition. This article discusses these techniques, including the histories, principles, advantages, and disadvantages of each method, by using examples from studies recently conducted primarily in the author's laboratory.


The preparation of metal nitride materials structured on the nano or mesoscale is challenging due to the need for high sintering temperatures and/or long reaction times. Here, we present a new and simple process for preparing mesoporous transition metal nitrides without the use of nanopatterning or other templating. Mesoporous VN, TiN, CrN, Ta3N5, TaN, NbN, WN, MoN, and Mo2N are obtained by the ammonolysis of bulk ternary oxides containing Zn. The products were characterized by Rietveld refinement of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. Our results demonstrate that the pore sizes of these materials range from 10 to 50 nm. By varying the precursor stoichiometry, the transition metal, and processing conditions, many different mesoporous morphologies are obtained. These materials show high surface area and good electrical conductivity.


In Hippocrates in a World of Pagans and Christians, Temkin shows how the perennial appeal of Hippocratic practice helped establish the relationship between scientific medicine and monotheistic religion. After the first century, Hippocratic medicine competed with powerful beliefs in religious healers from Asclepius to Jesus. Yet the ascendance of Christianity, Temkin explains, did not diminish the stature of Hippocratic science. Hippocrates, after all, saw nature as a divine and orderly power that caused growth and supplied "health." Hippocratic doctors could easily exchange the cult of Asclepius for the worship of Christ. But they could not sacrifice their belief in nature as the basis of health, disease, and therapy without renouncing their science. In compromise, the Church accepted Hippocratic medicine with the proviso that the Christian physician shun all pagan or heretical interpretations of naturalism-he must not, for example, believenature to be divine, the soul a mere function of the brain, or himself the true savior of the sick.


Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is highly prevalent in the Latino population. Many antidiabetic drugs such as sulfonylureas, dipeptidylpeptidase-4 inhibitors and pioglitizone, are metabolized in the liver by polymorphic cytochrome-P450 (CYP) enzymes including CYP2B6, CYP3A5, and CYP2C9. The prevalence of CYP allelic variants is largely unknown in Latino patients with T2DM. The objective of this study was to evaluate liver function and drug metabolism in a medically underserved population of Latino patients with T2DM. Methods: This pilot study included 14 Latinos and 12 age-matched non-Hispanic controls. Genetic variants of CYP2B6, CYP3A5 and CYP2C9 were identified by polymerase chain reaction using TaqMan allelic discrimination. Hepatic CYP3A phenotype was measured by the erythromycin breath test (ERMBT). Kidney function was estimated by CLcr and GFR was measured by iothalamate clearance. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to evaluate normality distribution, and between-group comparisons were made using either t-test or Mann-Whitney U. Results: Latino subjects had poorly controlled T2DM as evidenced by hemoglobin A1C values > 7.0%. Hepatic CYP3A phenotype, measured by ERMBT, was 22% lower than controls (p=0.047). The CYP3A5*3 splice variant was present in all subjects. In CYP3A5*1 carriers, EBT values were slightly higher than those homozygous for the *3 allele (2.32 ± 0.04% vs. 1.96 ± 0.47%, p=0.2). Seven out of 11 subjects (64%) were homozygous for the CYP2B6*6 allele, and 10 out of 11 (91%) were carriers of the 2B6*6 allele. There were no subjects possessing the CYP3A5*6 or CYP2C9*3 alleles. Kidney function testing showed a mean urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) of 24 ± 47 mg/g and measured GFR of 141 ± 24 mL/min. Creatinine clearance was significantly higher in Latino subjects compared to controls (145 ± 33 mL/min vs. 102 ± 21 mL/min, p<0.001). Conclusion: This evaluation of drug metabolism in Latino patients with diabetes identified polymorphic variants of CYP2B6 and CYP3A5 associated with reduced CYP enzyme activity in the presence of glomerular hyperfiltration. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to understand the implications in drug selection for Latino patients with T2DM.


Lytic changes to the mesangium and subendothelial area in diabetic glomerulosclerosis were studied by electron microscopy with an emphasis on the mechanism of nodule formation. Renal biopsy specimens were obtained from 30 diabetics (11 males, 19 females; 27 NIDDM, 3 IDDM; mean age, 52.2 years) with renal involvement. Evaluations were made of the glomerular lesions, particularly the ultra-structural findings contributing to nodule formation, mainly by electron microscopy. Varying degrees of lytic change, such as a loose and edematous mesangial matrix, widening of the subendothelial space, followed by endothelial detachment, and destruction of anchor points, were observed in close association with progression of the diffuse lesions. Plasma proteins were found to infiltrate into the widened subendothelial space. Mesangial cells also protruded into the same space and encroached around the whole capillary wall. The interposed mesangial cells were occasionally separated from the basement membrane. Monocytes identified from their ultrastructure were frequently present noticed in the lytic areas, suggesting a reaction to lytic changes. These processes may occur repeatedly with direct expansion of the mesangial matrix, subsequently revealing a nodular appearance.


ABSTRACT:Since Han Kang's The Vegetarian was first published in 2007 in South Korea and translated into English in 2015, academic readers have shown critical interest in the novel and explored cultural issues, such as family and gender, from multiple perspectives. Despite the different ways of approaching the novel, these studies have commonly employed a method of symptomatic reading, a mode of reading that seeks hidden meanings underneath a visible surface. Challenging this approach to reading The Vegetarian, this article argues that the novel calls for surface reading, which focuses on what is evident and perceptible on the surface level of the text. Taking The Vegetarian as a text that requires an anti-allegorical approach, this article seeks to elucidate the main character's desire for mutual love and bodily touches present on the text's surface.


Magnetic recording technology, in the form of hard disk drives, has completed more than five decades of their presence. Continuing increases in areal density of hard disk drives will be limited by superparamagnetic effect. To address this problem, bit patterned media (BPM) is considered as one of the most promising candidates to enable recording densities increase up to 1 Tbit per square inch. However BPM is not without issues either. One of the fundamental issues associated with BPM is the element to element variation in intrinsic magnetic properties resulting in the widening of switching field distributions (SFD).Therefore, the main focus of this work is trying to understand and minimize the SFD of BPM. For this objective, two approaches such as: Antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) patterned media and Capped bit patterned media (CBPM) are employed to minimize the SFD of patterned islands. It was observed that both approaches open a new pathway to reduce SFD of patterned structures by optimizing magnetic layer structures and a proper fabrication technique.