The article conceptually defines the need to use controlling to ensure the quality and internal coordination of entrepreneurship activity. A definition of controlling as a modern concept of providing effective support for entrepreneurship activity, as well as recommendations that would improve the controlling system in entrepreneurship have been proposed. It has been proved that the controlling system should be adapted to specific factors, in particular: the business environment and the internal environment (production program, product manufacturing technology, business size, leadership style, etc.). In order to achieve the set goals, it is proposed to single out strategic and operational controlling. Strategic controlling fulfills the function of implementing entrepreneurship plans and goals. Therewith, the main task is to coordinate strategic planning and control, as well as to provide information that is important for strategic decision making. Operating controlling contributes to current planning, with the main focus on short-term market trends, information on which is expressed in the form of income and expenses. The attention of operational controlling is focused on the internal environment of the subject entrepreneurship activity and is focused on its current commercial activity. It is proved that the main purpose of controlling is related to the entrepreneur's orientation toward achieving the goals set. It is a complex system, the economic essence of which lies in the dynamic process of transforming and integrating existing tools into a single system for obtaining, processing information to make management decisions based on it, aimed at achieving all the tasks that are formed by the entrepreneur itself.


Specimens indicative of large 'cycloid' Fishes, with teeth of 'sauroid' character, have been obtained from the 'Upper Chalk' of England. To a species of this kind, with large circular scales covered with minute asperities visible by the aid of a pocket-lens, Agassiz assigned the generic name Pachyrhizodus, in reference to the thickness of the base of the anchylosed teeth.


After the founding of P. R. China, land use in rural China was organized under two successive paradigms: state-directed collectivization from 1958–1984 (the Collective Era), and privatization after 1984 (the Household Land Contract Period, HLCP). Taking Nileke County of Xinjiang as a case study, this research analyzed the livelihood changes of agro-pastoralists over the two periods using quantitative household livelihood assets—financial, physical, natural, human, and social capital—as indicators. Using annual series data of the five livelihood capitals, a comprehensive livelihood assets index (CLAI) was calculated by two-stage factor analysis. Higher CLAI scores meant better living and reduced poverty for agro-pastoralists. Quantitative results were validated and detailed with semi-structured household interviews. The results showed that CLAI slightly increased during the HLCP in comparison to the Collective Era, mainly due to increases in financial and physical capital. In contrast, natural and social capital showed downward trends, indicating that alleviation of poverty came at the cost of natural resources and social justice. Natural capital was the main contributor to agro-pastoralist livelihoods during the Collective Era, but diminished and was replaced by financial capital during the HLCP. Based on the findings, we put forward policy suggestions to improve community land management and sustainable livelihoods as part of future poverty alleviation efforts.


This practice report describes the design and implementation of a collaborative and virtual exchange-embedded virtual summer school for postgraduate students in the context of European Higher Education. The two-week virtual summer school on multilingualism and intercultural learning brought together 40 students who collaborated to produce ten video-case studies based on their experiences as educators in a number of contexts. We share our experiences as organisers and participants and offer insights from the process of planning for, engaging with and evaluating the summer school. Our paper draws on quantitative and qualitative data, i.e., a pre and post summer school survey, a qualitative evaluation questionnaire and a student-participant account to evidence how the experience benefitted participants. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the model presented here: participants' understanding of key concepts of interculturality and multilingualism increased, there was a statistically significant difference in perceived development of digital competences and presentation skills, and more than 90% of the participants were very satisfied with their training and international collaboration opportunities. In conclusion, we propose a set of learning points that may support others to design and deliver a collaborative model of summer school and the use of 'skills passports' in alternative to accreditation.


Inducing cell senescence is widely regarded as a potent tumor suppression mechanism. Resveratrol has attracted increasing attention for its capacity to prevent and suppress cancer. However, the mechanism of resveratrol on the induction of cancer cell senescence has not been well clarified. Our results showed that resveratrol inhibited cell viability and colony formation and promoted cell senescence along with augmentation of SA-β-gal activity and modulation of senescence-associated molecular markers p53, p21 and LaminB protein in breast and liver cancer cells. The underlying mechanism was that resveratrol increased ROS generation to enhance tumor suppressor gene DLC1 expression, and DLC1 further inhibited the DYRK1A-EGFR axis to trigger DNA damage accompanied by up-regulation of the DNA double strand break marker protein γH2AX and down-regulation of the DNA repair related proteins p-BRCA1 and RAD51, eventually leading to cancer cell senescence. Resveratrol also effectively inhibited the volume of transplanted tumor with increased SA-β-gal activity and DLC1 level in a chicken embryo allantoic membrane xenograft tumor model. This is the first report to investigate whether resveratrol induces DNA damage-mediated cancer cell senescence through the DLC1-DYRK1A-EGFR axis, which could provide a solid base for resveratrol's application in cancer prevention and clinical treatment as a food additive or adjuvant therapies.


Green mustard is its broadleaf vegetable crops that is economically potential because of its high demand . Increased production have tended to use inorganic fertilizers and pesticides excessive. In the now widely circulated one organic fertilizer is cow urine. Giving cow urine on the ground to improve the nature of the soil chemistry, soil physics and biological properties of soil. This research was conducted at the Experiment Unit of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau from April to May 2013. Field levels of experimental was arrangenina completely randomized design consisting of 5 fermented cow urine lei U0 : no cow urine, U1 : cow urine 100 ml/l of water, U2 : cow urine 200 ml/l of water, U3 : cow urine 300 ml/l of water, U4 : cow urine 400 ml/l of water. Observations were plant height, leaf number, leaf area, root volume, fresh weight per plant and fresh weight of plant per plot. Application of fermented cow urine to the plant improve palnt growth and all yield components except root volume. Increasing the concentration of fermented cow urine teut to increas crop production. Giving fermented cow urine at concentration of 20% - 40% gives the growth and yield of mustard plant better. Keyword : Mustar green, Cow urine


Using the description of 2-transitive groups, in this paper finite 3-nets of types I.3, I.4, and I.5 are studied. According to the Barlotti-Strambach classification (see [4]) an arbitrary 3-net belongs to one of the seven Lenz classes I.1-I.5, II.1-II.2. In this work the question of the existence of nets of types I.3, I.4, I.5 remained open. The non-existence of a finite net of type I.5 is proved and the finite nets of type I.3 and I.4 are described up to isomorphism.


Purpose: This study seeks to analyse students' perception of the effectiveness of business games as an e-learning method in management training. This analysis of games' effectiveness is centred in the generic and managerial skills acquired, through the comparison of students' opinions in different cultural contexts within Europe. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis focuses on 120 management students at postgraduate level who use the same business game at different universities in five European countries:  Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. Findings: The results indicate that students positively assessed the generic and specific managerial skills fostered by the business game. The generic skills most valued were information and decision-making, and leadership. Regarding the specific skills, the most valued were management skills and the least valued, skills related to planning and the acquisition of theoretical knowledge. However, significant differences were found between students in different cultural contexts and education systems in the case of certain specific managerial skills. Practical implications: This finding suggests that the students' perception of how a business game helps them acquire specific managerial skills is influenced by cultural aspects and previous exposure to experiential learning, which determine that the teachers' role and the teaching process should be adapted to the students' learning model. Originality/value: With this study, a better knowledge about the students' perception of this e-learning method is obtained, not just considering a specific educational environment, but comparing opinions of students from different cultural contexts, which adds value to the analyses developed.


OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge and perceptions of final year medical students about antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use to assist in the development of an antibiotic stewardship curriculum for teaching medical students in South Africa and Nigeria and the principles of prudent antibiotic prescribing.

METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the knowledge and perceptions of final year medical students in one South African and three Nigerian universities about prudent antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship. A 26-item questionnaire was administered electronically to students in three medical schools and a paper-based copy in the fourth.

KEY FINDINGS
A difference in the gap in knowledge between the two countries was identified; however, respondents from both countries had a similar understanding of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Most respondents in South Africa (94.8%) and Nigeria (91.4%) agreed that antibiotics are overused in their countries. There was a significant difference between the number of respondents in the two countries who thought that there are new antibiotics available to treat resistant pathogens; 45.4% of Nigerian respondents agreed with the statement as compared to 9.6% of the South African respondents. Of the 10 vignettes answered correctly, South African respondents scored an average of 62.4% in the knowledge segment compared to 31.9% scored by the Nigerian respondents (P = 0.001). All of the South African (100%) and 98.3% of the Nigerian respondents indicated their desire for more education on appropriate antibiotic use.

CONCLUSIONS
Although students from both countries had the same perception of antibiotic resistance, there was, however, a difference in their level of knowledge, which could have been improved in both countries. This should be addressed at an undergraduate curriculum level; as well as with continued education to reinforce antibiotic knowledge.


The influence of chemical composition and crystallisation conditions on the ferroelectric and paraelectric phases and the resulting morphology in Poly(vinylidene fluoridetrifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)) terpolymer films with 55.4/37.2/7.3 mol% or with 62.2/29.4/8.4 mol% of VDF/TrFE/CFE was studied. Poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) with 75/25 mol% VDF/TrFE was employed as reference material. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the fractions of the relevant terpolymer phases, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was employed to assess the crystalline morphology. The FTIR results show an increase of the fraction of paraelectric phases after annealing. On the other hand, XRD results indicate a more stable paraelectric phase in the terpolymer with higher CFE content.


COMMENTS on the proposed plan, an outline of which appeared in the March issue of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, were received from but twenty-three of the forty-six laboratories within the time limit set for compilation of this report. The twentythree laboratories include those of the United States Army and Naval Medical Schools, the Hygienic Laboratory, four state and two large municipal public health laboratories, eleven laboratories associated with hospitals or universities, one private laboratory, and two institutes for research. Exact tabulation of the answers as for or against each requirement proposed proved difficult since many expressed general agreement but mentioned only a few points specifically. Including statements of general as well as specific agreement, two-thirds to three-fourths of the replies were favorable to all but a few of the recommendations, and less than one-third were definitely unfavorable to any single point. Full and exact quotation of the various opinions on each question is not within the scope of this report, but the different points of view may be seen from the following abstract of the discussion of both the general and technical requirements.


This article presents the results of a systems theoretical analysis of conflicts in physical education classes from the teacher's perspective. Building on the state of current research, a theoretical model to analyse the development and management of sport related conflicts in the school setting is elaborated. This model is used to examine written assignments collected at university seminars on conflicts in a German sport institute. At these seminars, sport science students submitted 40 detailed descriptions of conflicts in physical education classes, which were either collected through an interview or experienced directly in their role as teachers. The empirical material is analysed using qualitative content analysis. Based on a fictive case that is developed for exemplification purposes, all collected cases are considered against the background of the developed model. It differentiates between trivial, stable, slightly, and highly escalated conflicts and examines suitable management strategies. The study concludes that trivial conflicts are common in physical education classes, that teachers use different strategies to manage them, and that this issue is dealt with differently at the organisational level. This preliminary model can be improved through further empirical research that compares different school forms and levels of education at the national and international level.


Potentially large amount of hydrogen resource in China could theoretically supply 100 × 106 fuel cell passenger cars yearly. The Chinese government highly values the hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Policies and plans have been put forward densely in the recent five years. Numerous companies, research institutes, and universities are developing proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-related technologies. A preliminary local supplier chain of fuel cell-related technology has been formed. However, the lifetime is still a key issue for the fuel cell technology. More than 3500 fuel cell range extender electric vehicles were manufactured during 2016 and 2018, and at the beginning of 2019, there have been more than 40 hydrogen refueling stations including both under operation and under construction. It is estimated the number of fuel cell-based electric vehicles will reach 36,000 by the end of 2020; therefore, lack of hydrogen refueling station has become a key restriction for development of the fuel cell vehicle industry.


Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is the most serious nutritional problem affecting pre-school children in developing countries. The low energy and nutrient density of the diet and the presence of anti-nutritional factors contribute to this condition, as do the low frequency of feeding and transmission of diarrhoea-causing pathogens via the food. The overall objective of this thesis was to evaluate the use of lactic acid fermentation in order to improve the nutritional quality and microbiological safety of cereal weaning foods. The study focused on Tanzanian cereal staple foods, and the nutritional factors specifically studied included dietary bulk properties, in vitro protein digestibility and in vitro estimation of iron availability. The microbiological study evaluated the survival of diarrhoea-causing pathogens in lactic acid-fermented gruels. A prospective epidemiological study was carried out to evaluate the effect of regular consumption of lactic acid-fermented gruels on the diarrhoea prevalence in pre-school children living in a rural setting of Tanzania. With a fermentation technique using a natural lactic acid starter culture and addition of flour of germinated seeds, it was possible to prepare liquid cereal gruels from maize, white sorghum, bulrush millet and finger millet with a 30 to 35% flour concentration. The energy density of such a lactic acid-fermented gruel was about 1.2 kcal/g, as compared with 0.4 kcal/g in a non-fermented gruel prepared to the same consistency. This represents a threefold increase in energy density. Fermentation of high-tannin sorghum gruels only resulted in a double increase of the energy density while maintaining a liquid consistency. The in vitro protein digestibility of high-tannin cereal varieties was significantly (p<0.01) increased from a range of 32 to 40% before fermentation to a range of 41 to 60% after lactic acid fermentation. Non-tannin cereal varieties had in vitro protein digestibility values in the range of 61 to 79% before fermentation and slightly increased values in the range of 70 to 88% after lactic acid fermentation. Lactic acid fermentation of non-tannin cereals with added fluor of germinated sorghum grain or wheat phytase increased the iron solubility from about 4% to 9% and 50%, respectively. Soaking the flour in water before fermentation had a similar effect as addition of wheat phytase. The increase in soluble iron was strongly related to enzymatic degradation of phytate (p<0.001). The fermentation process itself also seemed to improve the iron solubility. High-tannin cereals showed a minor increase in soluble iron after fermentation, which is ascribed to the inhibitory effect of tannins, both on the iron solubility per se and on the enzymatic hydrolysis of phytate. Lactic acid-fermented gruels inhibited the proliferation of inoculated Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, such as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella flexneri and Salmonella typhimurium as well as Gram-positive bacteria. The mean number of diarrhoea episodes in a group of pre-school children over a 9-month period was 2.1 per child using fermented gruels, compared with 3.5 per child using non-fermented gruels (p<0.001).


The energy management of virtual power plants faces some fundamental challenges that make it complicated compared to conventional power plants, such as uncertainty in production, consumption, energy price, and availability of network components. Continuous monitoring and scaling of network gain status, using smart grids provides valuable instantaneous information about network conditions such as production, consumption, power lines, and network availability. Therefore, by creating a bidirectional communication between the energy management system and the grid users such as producers or energy applicants, it will afford a suitable platform to develop more efficient vector of the virtual power plant. The paper is treated with optimal sizing of DG units and the price of their electricity sales to achieve security issues and other technical considerations in the system. The ultimate goal in this study to determine the active demand power required to increase system loading capability and to withstand disturbances. The effect of different types of DG units in simulations is considered and then the efficiency of each equipment such as converters, wind turbines, electrolyzers, etc., is achieved to minimize the total operation cost and losses, improve voltage profiles, and address other security issues and reliability. The simulations are done in three cases and compared with HOMER software to validate the ability of proposed model.


Autonomous robots operating in uncertain environments often face the problem of planning under a mix of formal, qualitative requirements, for example the assertion that the robot reaches a goal location safely, and optimality criteria, for example that the path to the goal is as short or energy-efficient as possible. Such problems can be modeled as Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) with quantitative and qualitative objectives. In this paper, we present a new policy synthesis algorithm, called Policy Synthesis with Statistical Model Checking (PO-SMC), for such POMDPs. While previous policy synthesis approaches for this setting use symbolic tools (for example satisfiability solvers) to meet the qualitative requirements, our approach is based on Monte Carlo sampling and uses statistical model checking to ensure that the qualitative requirements are satisfied with high confidence. An appeal of statistical model checking is that it can handle rich temporal requirements such as safe-reachability, while being far more scalable than symbolic methods. The safe-reachability property combines the safety and reachability requirements as a single qualitative requirement. While our use of sampling introduces approximations that symbolic approaches do not require, we present theoretical results that show that the error due to approximation is bounded. Our experimental results demonstrate that PO-SMC consistently performs orders of magnitude faster than existing symbolic methods for policy synthesis under qualitative and quantitative requirements.


An all molecular beam epitaxy grown 1.55 µm vertical cavity surface-emitting laser is presented which comprises an InP/InGaAsP bottom mirror, multiple quantum well active layer and a GaAlAs/GaAs metamorphic top mirror directly grown on the InP cavity. This structure takes advantage of the intrinsic optical, electrical and thermal properties of GaAlAs/GaAs material and is compatible with a 2 in process. Such an approach will therefore lead to a drastic reduction in the cost of optical sources and offer the possibility of a massive development of the optical network.


Abstract Background Perioperative chemotherapy improves cure rate in locally advanced esophagogastric and gastric adenocarcinoma. Immunotherapy is active at the metastatic stage. Our hypothesis is that the addition of avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, to perioperative chemotherapy, will increase pathologic complete response (pCR), a potential surrogate for overall survival, compared to historical controls. Methods Single-arm phase II study of avelumab + chemotherapy (modified DCF) given every 2 weeks for 4 cycles before and after surgery. Main inclusion criteria: gastric or gastro-esophageal adenocarcinoma, locally advanced disease, adequate organ function, performance status 0-1, stages Ib, II and III. Main exclusion criteria: other histologies, metastatic disease, use of immunosuppressants, serious autoimmune disease, daily intake of more than 10 mg of prednisone (or equivalent). Statistical hypothesis: this experimental regimen will result in a 20% pCR rate compared to 7% observed with chemotherapy alone. Optimal Simon 2-stage design: if less than 2 pCR/near-pCR are identified in the first 16 cases, the study will be closed for futility. The experimental regimen will be considered for further study if at least 6 pCR are identified in 50 operated patients. Adverse effects are prospectively recorded according to CTCAE guidelines. Results From February 2018 to March 2019, 18 patients have been enrolled. Two withdrew consent after starting treatment. Of 16 active patients, 14 were staged as cT3, and 12 as cN+. Thirteen have been operated to date, none having shown radiologic or PET progression. All resections are R0. Eight patients have pN0 status. Two have shown near-pCR (tumor regression score 1). There is one instance of grade 4 hematological toxicity (neutropenia without fever). Grade 3-4 nonhematological toxicity consists of: stomatitis, nausea, diarrhea, all in one patient; arthralgia in one patient; aspiration pneumonia (esophageal obstruction) and postoperative pneumonia, one patient each. Conclusions Our findings indicate encouraging safety and activity of avelumab + mDCF as a perioperative regimen. Complete interim analysis results will be presented at the meeting. Clinical trial identification NCT03288350. Legal entity responsible for the study Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre. Funding EMD Serono, Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre. Disclosure T. Alcindor: Research grant / Funding (self): EMD Serono; Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas; Advisory / Consultancy: Eli Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy: Taiho; Advisory / Consultancy: Shire; Advisory / Consultancy: BMS. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


To the Editor.— Endothelin-1 is a novel 21-residue vasoconstrictor peptide produced by vascular endothelial cells. 1 It may play important roles in the pathogenesis of hypertension 2 and has been shown recently to be a potent mitogen for vascular smooth-muscle cells. 3 Although the causes of atherosclerosis, Buerger's disease, and Takayasu's arteritis remain elusive, the vascular lesions represented by injured vascular endothelial cells associated with abnormal proliferation of the underlying vascular smooth muscle are pathological features in common among these entities. To elucidate its pathophysiological role in the development of systemic vascular diseases, we have measured basal plasma levels of immunoreactive endothelin-1 in patients with atherosclerosis, Buerger's disease, and Takayasu's arteritis. Study.— Thirty-five normal subjects (16 men and 19 women, aged 53.9 [ ± 16.3] years), 13 patients with ischemic heart disease (11 men and two women, aged 55.8 [ ± 7.0] years), 13 male patients with Buerger's disease (aged 53.8 [ ±


By combining the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) method with surrogate data method, and using the heuristic segmentation algorithm as well as Chi-Square statistics, we develop a new method to determine the threshold of extreme events, e.g. stochastically re-sorting detrended fluctuation analysis(S-DFA) method. By using the S-DFA method, we obtain the thresholds of extremely low temperature events from 1961 to 2006 in China and analyze their spatiao temporal characteristics of distribution. We also validate the effectiveness of the S-DFA method through extreme event detection using the temperature series. By defining the composite index of extremely low temperature events from the angle of predictability, this composite index is integrated with the information about the frequency and the strength of the extremely low temperature events, with considering the characteristic of regional climate system. Based on the composite index, we divide the extremely low temperature events during 1961—2006 in China into four different zones according to their own rank. The composite index of extremely low temperature tends to be katabatic on the whole, Before the the early 80's in the 20th century, the composite index changed according to two distinct 10-year quasi-periods, and after that the composite index was in a downward trend and was well below the average. Until after the mid-90's in the 20th century, it rose to about average value once again.


In neonates, renal vein thrombosis (RVT) is the second most common thrombosis.We report a case of antenatal bilateral RVT and we review the optimal therapeutic approaches. I, a male newborn was admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Center for Maternity and Neonatology of Tunis (CMNT) for respiratory distress and gross hematuria. Initial laboratory work demonstrated renal impairment and Doppler renal ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral RVT. Thrombophilia evaluation found a combined protein C and S deficiency. Thrombolysis was started with tissue plasminogen factor in association to anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin. Renal vein thrombosis in neonates is a rare condition with a high morbidity rate. Thrombotic conditions may be associated with more severe clinical presentations. Currently, there is a lack of consensus concerning the management of RVT.


Substance abuse is a significant health and social problem in many low-income urban communities. Finding appropriate help for drug users has been identified as a significant barrier to reducing the barm from drug abuse. This report presents findings from a survey of service providers in the Central and East Harlem communities, New York City, conducted in 2000 to identify policy obstacles that impeded clients' attempts to overcome substance use and related problems. Policies can affect substance users by making access to drug treatment more difficult or by imposing unrealistic expectations on substance users for eligibility for benefit programs. Respondents to the survey were asked to rate 30 specific policies as harmful or helpful to their clients and to assess how the policies acted as barriers or facilitators to getting services and reducing drug use. Eleven policies in the areas of drug treatment, corrections, and Medicaid were rated as harmful to their clients by more than 50% of the respondents. We discuss the implications of these and other findings for drug users' ability to seek and receive help for their problems.


This paper proposes fast sub-pixel motion estimation techniques having lower computational complexity. The proposed methods are based on mathematical models of the motion-compensated prediction errors in compressing moving pictures. Unlike conventional hierarchical motion estimation techniques, the proposed methods avoid sub-pixel interpolation and subsequent secondary search after the integer-precision motion estimation, resulting in reduced computational time. In order to decide the coefficients of the models, the motion-compensated prediction errors of the neighboring pixels around the integer-pixel motion vector are utilized. The prediction errors, here, were already obtained during the pixel accuracy motion search. Once the coefficients are determined, the models estimate motion compensated prediction errors at sub-pixel locations surrounding the integer-pixel motion vector, yielding the sub-pixel motion vector. The performance of the proposed methods, despite substantially lower computational complexity, is close to that of the conventional interpolation-and-search method.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In recent years, short-read single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has been instrumental in deciphering tumor cell heterogeneities. However, these studies only enable gene-level expression quantification but neglect alterations in transcript structures, which arise from alternative end processing or splicing, and are frequently observed in cancer. In this study, we integrated short- and long-read scRNA-seq of CRC patient samples to build the first isoform-resolution CRC transcriptomic atlas. We identified 394 dysregulated transcript structures in tumor epithelial cells, including 299 resulting from various combinations of multiple splicing events. Secondly, we characterized genes and isoforms associated with epithelial lineages and subpopulations that exhibit distinct prognoses. Finally, we built an algorithm that integrated novel peptides derived from predicted ORFs of recurrent tumor-specific transcripts with mass spectrometry data and identified a panel of recurring neoepitopes that may aid the development of neoantigen-based cancer vaccines.


This thesis deals with short optical pulse generation from actively mode-locked Erbium-doped fiber ring lasers (ML-EFRL) and their applications in all-optical signal processing (optical sampling and switching) and transmission experiments for high-capacity fiber optic systems.
In future ultra-high bit-rate optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) systems, one of the key requirements is to develop reliable optical pulse sources that can generate high quality optical pulses. ML-EFRLs are very attractive candidates in this respect. Such a laser system with a non-polarization-maintaining cavity has been built and characterized. This laser can generate 10 GHz transform-limited 0.7-1.3 ps, sech2-shaped pulses in the 1536-1569 nm wavelength region, with less than 0.1 ps RMS timing jitter and over 80 dB super-mode noise suppression. Despite the non-PM nature of the laser cavity, long-term stability can still be maintained by a fiber-stretcher-based cavity length maintaining feedback circuit.
By using this ring laser as the sampling pulse source, two optical sampling schemes based on 50 m highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) have been demonstrated. One scheme uses fiber parametric amplification, which has resulted in up to 300 Gb/s real-time eye-diagram measurements with 1.6 ps temporal resolution. A sensitivity of 10 mW and more than 30 nm operational optical bandwidth were also demonstrated. The other scheme is based on cross-phase modulation (XPM)-induced wavelength shifting and optical filtering, which has led up to 500 Gb/s eye-diagram measurements with a temporal resolution of 0.7 ps. Signal operational wavelength range covering the whole EDFA gain range (1535-1569 nm) was also demonstrated.
Furthermore, by exploiting XPM-induced wavelength shifting in HNLF, all-optical demultiplexing of 160 Gb/s OTDM data and simultaneous time domain add-drop multiplexing at 80 Gb/s have been experimentally demonstrated. Further numerical simulations show that with proper signal and control pulse widths, simultaneous time domain add-drop multiplexing at 160 Gb/s or beyond is possible.
Finally, nonlinear pulse transmissions that demonstrate soliton robustness to polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) and intra-channel four-wave mixing (FWM) suppression have been performed. The results show that at least for individual signal pulses, both conventional and dispersion managed (DM) solitons are indeed robust to PMD. It was also demonstrated that proper phase modulation is an effective method to suppress intra-channel FWM for strongly DM nonlinear transmission systems.


Objectives The market of nanomaterials products is rapidly expanding. The lack of scientific evidence describing accompanying exposure and cardiovascular health risks regarding its guidance and regulation. The objectives of this study was to examine (1) the association between different nanomaterials exposure and cardiovascular biomarkers and (2) effect of PON1 Q192R genetic polymorphism on cardiovascular biomarkers among nanoworkers. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 258 workers exposed to nanomaterials and 200 non-exposed controls from 14 nanomaterial handling plants in Taiwan from 2009 to 2011. The non-exposed controls were selected from the same plants, but they did not handle nanomaterials. We used the control banding matrix to categorize the risk level of nanoworkers. For each participant, we collected blood specimens to measure cardiovascular biomarkers and genotyping of PON1 (Q192R). In addition, heart rate variability (HRV) was tested. Results PON1 Q192R genetic polymorphism associated with PON1 activity and HRV (SDNN, RMSSD, and TP). We also found that different nanomaterials exposure affected particular cardiovascular biomarkers by controlling PON1 Q192R genetic polymorphism. Such as nano-carbon tube exposure resulted in a decrease in fibrinogen. Nano-SiO2, nano-TiO2 and nano-Ag exposure separately resulted in an increase in fibrinogen, VCT and RMSSD. Conclusion This study adopted comprehensive cardiovascular examinations to establish the association between different nanomaterials exposure and cardiovascular injuries. We also found possible causal associations that NPs may activate the autonomic nervous system and result in alterations of heart rate variability. Additionally, PON1 Q192R genetic polymorphisms were significant variables for PON1 activity and HRV.


The growth of the manufacture of a wide range of featured surfaces (ranging from simple surface
geometries to complex free form surfaces) has made surface metrology an essential part of
manufacturing. The wavelength scanning interferometer (WSI) can effectively perform fast surface
measurements under condition of severe vibration, therefore is suitable to be employed for on-line
surface measurements. The performances of the WSI can be improved in terms of scanning speed,
dynamic range, lateral and vertical resolution. In order to improve the resolution, the interferometer optics setup is simulated and the point spread function (PSF) calculated to identify the dominant aberration. Different configurations are compared and a solution to minimise the aberration is proposed. The instrument resolution Calculation of the resolution drop along the depth of focus of the
instrument is reported. Those simulated result will be compared with real measurements.


Crustacean cell line immortalization has gained a great deal of attention in recent decades for both scientific and applied reasons. Our goal in this study was to advance the state of art towards establishing an immortalized cell line by improving the proliferation rates of primary cells isolated from embryos of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii by using a lentivirus expressing the Ras oncogene. The choice of Ras derived from its involvement in various cellular pathways, such as cell growth, differentiation, and survival, and its use as a tool for in-vitro immortalization, e.g., a specific mutated Ras (RasV12 ) was used to generate an arthropod cell line. Complementarily, in-silico screening of M. rosenbergii transcriptomic libraries for Ras expression indicated that Ras is already expressed at very early stages of embryo development. In the current study, we transduced primary M. rosenbergii embryonic cells with a lentivirus expressing RasV12 by using the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV IE1) promoter. Expression and sequencing (as followed by sequencing cDNA, confocal microscopy and FACS analysis) of the mutated Ras in the transduced cells confirmed that the lentivirus was successfully integrated into the genome. The lenti-MrRas transduction rate was 23% in the total primary cell population and more than 80% in a sub-population of cells with high granularity. Proliferation of lenti-MrRas transfected cells was enhanced to almost 1200% of the seeding density by the end of our experiment (18 days), which was double that of the control. We were thus successful in enhancing the longevity of embryonic primary cell cultures by ectopic expression of the mutated Ras protein, but the improvement was not sufficient for immortalization.


The article is about the discussion board of a Moroccan website, which has become a big success, judging by the thousands of messages that are posted daily. The majority of the visitors are young Dutch Moroccan girls who have discovered the endless possibilities of this new medium. In this anonymous context, girls raise all kinds of sensitive issues such as relationships, marriage, or religion which they would dare not discuss in public. These discussion boards challenge the traditional, passive image of women, offering them an opportunity for greater self-expression. These websites give them a voice. This voice places the emphasis on agency, acknowledging the speakers' opportunity to express their messages. Dutch Moroccan girls are more restricted in their freedom of movement than boys, and thus, the Internet widens their horizons.


The presenting problems and pre-admission diagnoses of 100 consecutive admissions to a geriatric psychiatry inpatient assessment unit were assessed in a retrospective survey and the use of psychotropic medication examined. Although post-admission diagnoses showed a high proportion of depressive illness amongst the patients, depression was infrequently diagnosed prior to admission and antidepressants infrequently used. The majority of these elderly patients were referred with a diagnosis of dementia and 'behaviour problems'. These were treated prior to admission with neuroleptics or benzodiazepines in line with prescribing habits in this population reported elsewhere in North America. Attention is drawn to the significant incidence of major depression in these patients and the excellent response to treatment, both with chemotherapy or with electrotherapy. Attention is also drawn to the pre-admission prescribing of psychotropic drugs which are likely to lead to problems when used in the elderly and likely to result in significant iatrogenic disorders.


Purpose. The aim of this study was to present abdominal wall reconstruction using a porcine vascular graft seeded with MSC (mesenchymal stem cells) on rat model. Material and Methods. Abdominal wall defect was prepared in 21 Wistar rats. Acellular porcine-vascular grafts taken from aorta and prepared with Triton X were used. 14 aortic grafts were implanted in place, of which 7 grafts were seeded with rat MSC cells (Group I), and 7 were acellular grafts (Group II). As a control, 7 standard polypropylene meshes were used for defect augmentation (Group III). The assessment method was performed by HE and CD31 staining after 6 months. The mechanical properties have been investigated by Zwick&Roell Z0.5. Results. The strongest angiogenesis and lowest inflammatory response were observed in Group I. Average capillaries density was 2.75, 0.75, and 1.53 and inflammatory effect was 0.29, 1.39, and 2.72 for Groups I, II, and III, respectively. The means of mechanical properties were 12.74 ± 1.48, 7.27 ± 1.56, and 14.4 ± 3.7 N/cm in Groups I and II and control, respectively. Conclusions. Cell-seeded grafts have better mechanical properties than acellular grafts but worse than polypropylene mesh. Cells improved mechanical and physiological properties of decellularized natural scaffolds.


Glassy cell carcinoma is an unusual neoplasm of the uterine cervix that accounts for 1% to 2% of all cervical malignant neoplasms. Although it seems to have a distinct histologic appearance, it has generally not been recognized, as indicated by the extremely small number of cases reported in the literature. Previous studies have indicated an aggressive behavior, a poor response to irradiation and surgery, and a tendency to widespread metastases. It occurs in a younger age group (mean age, 41 years) than other cervical neoplasms and often has been associated with pregnancy. The histogenesis is not known, but electron microscopic examination of one case we studied, and review of one previously described case, demonstrate that it is an adenosquamous carcinoma. The need to define this neoplasm better will be satisfied only by additional, thorough histologic and clinical studies.


The paper describes a pilot study of a one-hour seminar designed for incoming female freshmen students. The seminar includes many features of existing women in engineering seminars including external guest speakers, introductions to the female faculty members, and presentations by Career Services. Regionally conservative attitudes about family and women's roles are also addressed in the course through selection of speakers with a variety of personal/professional life solutions as well as supporting materials from the USU ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award. To overcome the small number of freshmen women interested in engineering, data from the Women's Experiences in College Engineering project is shared to help the students understand their feelings are typically aligned with a larger body of female students across the country. Student reflections acquired through required essay questions and examinations are presented to help understand whether their career choices are influenced by conservative attitudes toward family and women's roles. Preliminary retention data is presented.


In field‐effect transistors with gate areas less than 0.5 μm2 the effect of a single electron trapped in the gate oxide on the device resistance is easily observable. In about 10% of these devices a single thermally activated two‐state trap produces most of the low‐frequency resistance fluctuations in a wide bandwidth near room temperature. Detailed information about this single oxide interface trap can be extracted from the temperature and bias dependence of the trapping kinetics. In this work we extend this technique to locating the trap between the source and drain. With this information these traps become unique local 5–50 A probes into submicron devices to study the local surface potential and the sensitivity to localized trapped charges under different bias conditions.


The reversible cubic to or from rhombodedral (Oh5 to or from 3v5) phase transition of GeTe-rich (GeTe)1-x((Ag2Te)0.5333(Bi2Te3)0.4667)x solid solutions is studied by means of high-temperature X-ray analysis. The temperature and composition changes of the rhombohedral lattice parameters are found. They prove the displacive nature of the solid solution phase transition. With an increasing amount of heterovalent Ag and Bi atoms replacing Ge cations, the phase transition temperature Tc decreases.


Scn1b-null mice have a severe neurological and cardiac phenotype. Human mutations in SCN1B result in epilepsy and cardiac arrhythmia. SCN1B is expressed as two developmentally regulated splice variants, β1 and β1B, that are each expressed in brain and heart in rodents and humans. Here, we studied the structure and function of β1B and investigated a novel human SCN1B epilepsy-related mutation (p.G257R) unique to β1B. We show that wild-type β1B is not a transmembrane protein, but a soluble protein expressed predominantly during embryonic development that promotes neurite outgrowth. Association of β1B with voltage-gated Na+ channels Nav1.1 or Nav1.3 is not detectable by immunoprecipitation and β1B does not affect Nav1.3 cell surface expression as measured by [3H]saxitoxin binding. However, β1B coexpression results in subtle alteration of Nav1.3 currents in transfected cells, suggesting that β1B may modulate Na+ current in brain. Similar to the previously characterized p.R125C mutation, p.G257R results in intracellular retention of β1B, generating a functional null allele. In contrast, two other SCN1B mutations associated with epilepsy, p.C121W and p.R85H, are expressed at the cell surface. We propose that β1B p.G257R may contribute to epilepsy through a mechanism that includes intracellular retention resulting in aberrant neuronal pathfinding.


The mitogen-activated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), is activated in experimental models of chronic pain, and is also activated by oestrogen. We used an established model of inflammatory trigeminal pain, injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into the masseter muscle, to determine whether ERK activation may play a role in hormone-related trigeminal pain disorders. We measured withdrawal responses to stimulation of the masseter (V3, primary allodynia) and whisker pad (V2, secondary allodynia) using graded monofilaments. Oestrogen treatment in the presence of inflammation increased withdrawal response to stimulation of both masseter and whisker pad compared with inflammation alone, indicating an additive effect of inflammation and oestrogen on both primary and secondary allodynia. We examined ERK activation in trigeminal ganglia from each treatment group using western blot and immunohistochemistry. Both masseter inflammation and oestrogen treatment increased ERK activation, and combined treatment had an additive effect. Both masseter inflammation and oestrogen increased the percentage of pERK immunoreactive neurons in divisions 1 and 2 (V1/2), and combined treatment increased pERK immunoreactivity in V1/2 compared with inflammation alone. We stereotactically administered ERK antagonist U0126, or inactive control U0124, to the trigeminal ganglion of CFA+E2-treated rats. U0126 decreased withdrawal responses to mechanical stimulation of the whisker pad compared with U0124-treated rats. Because the secondary allodynia in V2 after inflammation in V3 was reduced by antagonizing ERK activation in the periphery, these data suggest a peripheral component to secondary allodynia mediated through ERK activation.


Purpose. To determine the levels of mast cell chymase and tryptase activity in the tears of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). Methods. Subjects were 38 VKC patients and 18 healthy controls whose chymase and tryptase activity in tears was measured by enzyme assay. VKC severity was quantified based on the following clinical signs: papillary hypertrophy, conjunctival hyperemia, edema, punctate keratitis, Trantas dots, and mucus production. Of the 38 VKC patients, the degree of disease severity was mild in 13, moderate in 18, and severe in 7. Results. Mean chymase activity and standard deviation in tears was 0.23 ± 0.07 mU in mild VKC, 0.68 ± 0.22 mU in moderate VKC, 1.91 ± 0.71 mU in severe VKC, and 0.11 ± 0.05 mU in healthy controls. The increase in all VKC stages was statistically significant compared to that in healthy control. The degree of chymase activity in tears correlated significantly with VKC severity (r = 0.9245, p < 0.001). High tryptase activity was also detected in the tears of VKC patients, although increased tryptase activity in tears did not correlate with disease severity (r = 0.1999). Conclusions. Chymase activity in tears may thus be a sensitive marker for determining the severity of VKC.


Commercial fishes found in Nigeria have been discovered over several thousand years ago. They are found in the Nigeria water ways such as, stream, lakes, rivers lagoon and even the sea. Notably among the fishes are the Cat fish (Scaly and non-scaly etc.). It has been established that protein from foods of animals origin is dangerously lacking in the diets of Nigerians and most Africans Idodo-Umeh (2003).The supply of meat from games and various domestic animals are not enough to meet the protein demand of the growing population in most African countries (Federal Department of Fisheries, 2003).The importance of fish protein in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized since more than 40% of the animal protein consumed by an average Nigeria comes from fish. Thus the total demand for fish in Nigeria is expected to increase since the population is increasing.


In Alpine regions, climate change is expected to have a major impact on streamflow patterns through the decrease of the seasonal snow cover duration and of its spatial extent, in the short term, and the increase of glacier retreat, in the mid- and long-term. As part of their options towards a decarbonised energy strategy focusing on a larger fraction of renewable energy sources, several European countries are phasing out nuclear energy and are looking for alternative and renewable energy sources to compensate for the missing electricity production. Switzerland has planned the withdrawal from nuclear energy gradually in the next decades and hydropower is considered a potential candidate for replacing part of the lost production. Several options, mostly in the domain of management, are under evaluation to increase the current level of hydropower production, thereby including improved operation, technological solutions, market premium for existing power plant and investment contributions for new ones. However, structural interventions such as increasing hydropower storage capacity by dam heightening are also being investigated. As glacier retreat will likely result in a temporary increase of streamflow availability, augmented storage capacity by dam heightening should allow to more flexibly manage this additional volume, avoiding spills and thus incrementing production.

In this study, we develop a framework for the robust design of dam heightening and, correspondingly, optimal reoperation of reservoir release under changing climate. The framework is demonstrated on the Mattmark dam, an Alpine hydropower system located in the Visp Valley, Switzerland. The framework consists of the following four components: (i) the generation of future climate scenarios using a distributed weather generator model (AWE-GEN-2d), parameterized with the new climate scenarios for Switzerland (CH2018); (ii) the use of a distributed, physically based hydrological model to translate projected climate into streamflow; (iii) the design of the dam heightening and hydropower system operation in response to the projected changes via Evolutionary Multi-Objective Direct Policy Search, including as objective functions the modification of the hydraulic system (such as electro-mechanical equipment or adduction system), the hydropower production, the evaluation of the capacity-inflow ratio (CIR), the structural suitability and the heightening relative effort (including adaptation of the existing structures and accessibility of construction sites); and (iv) stress-test of the optimal solutions against a stochastic ensemble of future climate scenarios in order to analyse their robustness and identify options able to ensure a certain performance across multiple plausible futures.

The developed framework is expected to help identifying optimal solutions, both effective in increasing the hydropower production, and robust with respect to climate change, thus allowing further application to other glacier-snow dominated systems.


Pelagic seabirds that breed colonially are central-place foragers; their spatial distribution is restricted to marine areas around their colonies during the chick-rearing period, when attendance and food provision to their chicks has to be intense. In this study we analyzed the foraging trips of 11 Scopoli's shearwater Calonectris diomedea breeders that were tagged with GPS data loggers during 2014 in oligotrophic waters (Ionian Sea, western Greece), and assessed the range and oceanographic parameters of their foraging habitat. Contrary to previous findings suggesting a varying foraging strategy depending on the breeding stage, the tracked shearwaters made short trips, less than 4 days long, in the vicinity of the colony. By applying the Adaptive Kernel method, their 50% and 95% foraging range was estimated at 6871 km2 and 23 014 km2 respectively. In addition, generalized additive models showed that sea surface temperature (<25.5°C), minimum distance from the colony (<100 km), fishing pressure index from small scale fisheries (medium values) along with a two-dimensional soap film smoother for space (easting, northing) were the most significant factors affecting at-sea distribution of this marine top predator during the early chick-rearing period (i.e. 99.9% of the final model deviance). Our study will contribute to the revision of the boundaries of the local Special Protection Area (SPA) of Strofades. It will also address the implementation of specific conservation measures for the species at regional and national scale, and the development of a management plan for the protection of the study area.


Binding of the naturally occurring carcinogen, aristolochic acid I (AAI), to DNA in male Wistar rats has been examined. Rats were treated orally with a single dose (13.8 mmol) of AAI and sacrificed 1 day and 1, 2, 4, 16 and 36 weeks after treatment. The formation and persistence of two specific purine AAI-DNA adducts were studied utilizing the nuclease P1 enhancement method of the 32P-postlabelling assay. Both adducts, 7-(deoxyadenosin-N6-yl)-aristolactam I (dA-AAI) and 7-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-aristolactam I (dG-AAI), were detectable for up to 36 weeks in all target (forestomach) and non-target (glandular stomach, liver, lung, urinary bladder) organs and showed differential rates of removal and persistence. In all organs, dA-AAI was the major adduct present. In the target organ (forestomach), both adducts were removed rapidly within the first two weeks; thereafter, extensive removal of dG-AAI continued, whereas dA-AAI attained constant levels (4-36 weeks). Of interest was the marked decrease of both adducts in glandular stomach, the neighbouring non-target tissue to the forestomach. These results suggest that the persistence of a specific AAI-DNA adduct, namely dA-AAI, in the target organ may be the critical lesion responsible for initiation of carcinogenesis by AAI.


A theoretical model is used to analyze the impact of phase noise on the performance of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) in the saturation regime for differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) applications. It is found that the variance of the differential phase error scales as T/sup 2///spl tau//sub c//sup 2/ for /spl tau//sub c//spl Gt/T, where T is the bit period and /spl tau//sub c/ is the carrier lifetime of the SOA. This suggests that the adverse effect of saturation-induced phase noise can be significantly reduced by increasing the bit rate or the carrier lifetime.


We used UV resonance Raman spectroscopy to characterize the equilibrium conformation and the kinetics of thermal denaturation of a 21 amino acid, mainly alanine, R-helical peptide (AP). The 204-nm UV resonance Raman spectra show selective enhancements of the amide vibrations, whose intensities and frequencies strongly depend on the peptide secondary structure. These AP Raman spectra were accurately modeled by a linear combination of the temperature-dependent Raman spectra of the pure random coil and the pure R-helix conformations; this demonstrates that the AP helix-coil equilibrium is well-described by a two-state model. We constructed a new transient UV resonance Raman spectrometer and developed the necessary methodologies to measure the nanosecond relaxation of AP following a 3-ns T-jump. We obtained the T-jump by using a 1.9-μm IR pulse that heats the solvent water. We probed the AP relaxation using delayed 204-nm excitation pulses which excite the Raman spectra of the amide backbone vibrations. We observe little AP structural changes within the first 40 ns, after which the R-helix starts unfolding. We determined the temperature dependence of the folding and unfolding rates and found that the unfolding rate constants show Arrheniustype behavior with an apparent ∼8 kcal/mol activation barrier and a reciprocal rate constant of 240 ( 60 ns at 37 °C. However, the folding rate constants show a negative activation barrier, indicating a failure of transitionstate theory in the simple two-state modeling of AP thermal unfolding, which assumes a temperature-independent potential energy profile along the reaction coordinate. Our measurements of the initial steps in the R-helical structure evolution support recent protein folding landscape and funnel theories; our temperature-dependent rate constants sense the energy landscape complexity at the earliest stages of folding and unfolding.


: Hydrogen peroxide (HP) was administered to experimental rats at the level of LD100. The indices of external breathing, blood pressure, ECG, heart thrust were determined. It was found that the increasing tonus of the vagus nucleus was an essential feature of the pathogenesis of HP poisoning, inducing a series of pathological changes in animals. A certain role was played by extensive gas embolism. About 80% of the experimental animals survived after administration of atropine or lobeline.


― 323 ― Abstract In Japan, farmers' markets are important to small-scale farmers from a variety of perspec-tives; for example, farmers' markets guarantee a route to market and offer a sense of purpose to aging farmers. Farmers' markets are also important for farmers delivering their goods to market. The environment surrounding farmers using the markets is also important. For example, it is thought that getting advice from a certain farmer or seeing how goods are delivered can deter-mine the means of delivery of other farmers. Moreover, the relationships between farmers and farming cooperatives do not only focus on what goods they bring to market, but also on other considerations including the diffusion of new crops among farmers and guidance on cultivation. The survival strategies of small-scale farmers in the Hiruzen region of Okayama Prefecture are examined, focusing on the management styles of farmers who deliver their produce to farmers' markets and the roles played by farming cooperatives and related organizations concerning the markets. The Hiruzen region examined is a upland rural area located in the north of Okayama Prefecture. The principal industries are agriculture and tourism. In terms of agriculture, the Hiruzen region is the largest producer of highland vegetables, such as daikon and cabbage. The daikon produced in the region is popularly known as Hiruzen Daikon, and is primarily delivered to markets in the Kansai area. As in other regions, agriculture in the Hiruzen region is facing a drop in the number of farmers because of aging, as well as competition with other regions, and is generally divided between large-scale farmers and small-scale farmers. Meanwhile, in terms of tourism, the Hiruzen region has been famous since the era of rapid growth for having the largest highland resort in Western Japan. However, group travel to the region has been declining since the 1990s with the end of an asset inflation-led economic boom. In 1992, a semi-public organiza-tion, made up at the time of Kawakami Village, farming cooperatives, and dairy farming cooperatives, set up a farmers' market as a tourism initiative designed to vitalize agriculture. The survey method consisted of oral interviews with farmers delivering their goods to the farmers' market. Specifically, they were asked how they managed their farms, the farm produce they delivered to market, opportunities to introduce farm produce, and their relationships with other farmers. Moreover, oral interviews were also conducted with managers of the farmers' market and members of farming cooperatives about their relationships with various farmers. The results reveal how links with neighboring farmers play an important role when farmers introduce farm produce. This is in contrast to previous studies that suggest farmers' markets are not places for exchanges among farmers. Furthermore, close links among farmers raise the issue of con-centration on deliverables. However, this issue is being resolved through the establishment of mechanisms to distribute farm produce across large areas. Moreover, agricultural cooperatives focus on giving guidance and diffusing new crops among small-scale farmers, having become the principal reason why small-scale farmers continue to operate. Current operations of agricultural cooperatives suggest that agriculture in the Hiruzen region is being preserved.


An increased dependency on glycolysis for ATP production is considered to be a hallmark of tumor cells. Whether this increase in glycolytic activity is due mainly to inherent metabolic alterations or to the hypoxic microenvironment remains controversial. Here we have transformed human adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) using genetic alterations as described for differentiated cells. Our data suggest that MSC require disruption of the same pathways as have been shown for differentiated cells to confer a fully transformed phenotype. Furthermore, we found that MSC are more glycolytic than primary human fibroblasts and, in contrast to differentiated cells, do not depend on increased aerobic glycolysis for ATP production during transformation. These data indicate that aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) is not an intrinsic component of the transformation of adult stem cells, and that oncogenic adaptation to bioenergetic requirements, in some circumstances, may also rely on increases in oxidative phosphorylation. We did find, however, a reversible increase in the transcription of glycolytic enzymes in tumors generated by transformed MSC, indicating this is a secondary phenomenon resulting from adaptation of the tumor to its microenvironment.


The last decade has seen a return to and a re-evaluation of the philosophy of Hegel. Hegel: New Directions presents the key trends in current thinking on Hegel. The leading scholars who have spearheaded the current re-appraisal of Hegel bring the history of philosophy into dialogue with contemporary philosophical questions. Contributors include: John Burbidge, Allegra De Laurentiis, Jason Gaiger, Rolf-Peter Horstmann, Kimberly Hutchings, Iain Macdonald, John McDowell, Angelica Nuzzo, Robert B. Pippin, Sally Sedgwick, Ludwig Siep, Allen Speight, Nicholas Walker


We introduce a new approach for 3-D segmentation and quantification of vessels. The approach is based on a 3-D cylindrical parametric intensity model, which is directly fitted to the image intensities through an incremental process based on a Kalman filter. Segmentation results are the vessel centerline and shape, i.e., we estimate the local vessel radius, the 3-D position and 3-D orientation, the contrast, as well as the fitting error. We carried out an extensive validation using 3-D synthetic images and also compared the new approach with an approach based on a Gaussian model. In addition, the new model has been successfully applied to segment vessels from 3-D MRA and computed tomography angiography image data. In particular, we compared our approach with an approach based on the randomized Hough transform. Moreover, a validation of the segmentation results based on ground truth provided by a radiologist confirms the accuracy of the new approach. Our experiments show that the new model yields superior results in estimating the vessel radius compared to previous approaches based on a Gaussian model as well as the Hough transform.


An emerging consensus supports online communication between patients and physicians in an existing relationship to improve the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of medical care. Patients are also seeking medical care online from physicians they have never met, ranging from one-time interactions for a second opinion to psychotherapy. These practices call for a new regulatory paradigm to ensure accountability, establish acceptable parameters for online medical practice, and distinguish online health care delivery from online health information. The new patient-physician encounters also challenge the medical profession and society to reexamine core assumptions that define medical practice and the patient-physician relationship.


In order to treat faecal sludge from ventilated improved pit (VIP)  latrines, eThekwini Municipality (Durban, South Africa) developed an infrared dryer, 'LaDePa' (Latrine Dehydration Pasteurization). Parameters that influence its operation were investigated using a laboratory-scale replica of  the full-scale machine. For this, faecal sludge collected from VIP latrines was pelletized and dried under different operating conditions. Drying curves were obtained by plotting medium wave infrared intensity (MIR), height of emitters above the belt, air flowrate and pellet diameter against the residence time. These curves were then used to determine the drying rate and energy consumption. The results show that the drying rate  increased while the energy consumption decreased by increasing the power of the MIR emitters and decreasing the size of the pellets. For example, the drying time to get a moisture content of 0.8 g water/g dry solid was shortened from 27 to 6 min while the energy consumption for this reduced from 1.5 to 0.8 kWh after increasing the MIR power from 1.5 to 3.3 kW. Similar drying curves were obtained by varying the distance between the  pellets and MIR emitters, and adjusting intensity of the MIR radiation to obtain the same temperature in the drying zone. It was also observed that higher airflow rates enhanced mass transfer rates, but led to a cooling effect. No effect on the drying rate was observed after pre-drying the sludge or adding sawdust. The study shows that for the process to be efficient, the MIR intensity should be high enough for fast drying to occur (T ≥ 150°C), but without causing thermal degradation (T ≤ 220°C). The height of emitter above the belt and the pellet size should be as small as possible (8 mm); airflow rate should be optimised to maximize the mass transfer rate and minimize the cooling effect.
Keywords: drying medium infrared radiation VIP sludge LaDePa


We present the first X-ray absorption spectrum over an entire absorption edge using femtosecond pulses from a synchrotron-based slicing source. An ultrafast laser pulse excited a nickel film, and a succeeding X-ray pulse from the BESSY femtoslicing facility probed the Ni L3-edge. By choosing either linear or circular X-ray polarization, the spectra represent snapshots of the electronic or the magnetic state, respectively, with an exposure time of about 100 fs. We find an almost instantaneous response of the electronic system to the laser pulse, and provide a first direct measurement of the quenching of magnetic moments within 120 fs.


Human glioma cell lines (G36DeltaEGFR and IN500DeltaEGFR) have been shown to display an enhanced tumorigenic phenotype, when transfected with a constitutively active form of the epidermal growth factor receptor (DeltaEGFR). These cells were transfected with a mutant IkappaBalpha (IkappaBalphaM) that is resistant to phosphorylation and degradation, and hence blocks NF-kappaB activity. Recently, EGFR has been shown to increase the activity of NF-kappaB and to induce angiogenesis. In this report, we asked if IkappaBalphaM gene transfer into human glioma cell lines would inhibit tumorigenicity and angiogenesis in glioma. IkappaBalphaM inhibited in vitro and in vivo expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin 8 (IL-8). Human glioma xenografts treated with IkappaBalphaM gene transfer exhibited significantly decreased angiogenesis both in an orthotopic and in an ectopic model. The decreased expression of VEGF and IL-8 directly correlated with decreased tumorigenicity, and tumor vascularization. Taken in combination, these results provide strong evidence of IkappaBalphaM's role in regulating glioma angiogenesis even in the presence of constitutive EGFR activation.


Vectorizing involves parallel access to data elements from a random access memory (RAM). However, a single memory module of conventional design can access no more than one word during each cycle of the memory clock. One common solution is to partition the memory into multiple modules or memory banks with address interleaving, leading to a number of disadvantages and restrictions over vectorizing. A different approach is to design memory modules with built-in access ability to commonly used array partitions. In this paper, a new memory organization is proposed, in which words can be formed row-wise, column-wise or diagonally at the control of an external input. The behavioural and structural representation of this design have been defined.


ABSTRACT Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prevalent. Declining mortality has led to increasing survivors with chronic sequalae, including depression. With a lack of guidelines, this review aims to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based summary of the management of depression following TBI. Methods Systematic searches were conducted for quasi-experimental and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing pharmacotherapy, psychological interventions, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Databases searched CENTRAL, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ProQuest dissertations. Data extraction and risk-of-bias tools were used. Where possible, outcomes were combined into meta-analyses. Results 2719 studies were identified. After abstract screening and full-text reading, 34 remained. Prophylactic sertraline significantly reduced the odds of depression (OR (odds ratio) = 0.31 [95%CI (confidence interval) = 0.12 to 0.82]). Meta-analysis of RCT's showed TMS to have the greatest reduction in depression severity (SMD (Standardized-Mean-Difference) = 2.43 [95%CI = 1.24 to 3.61]). Stimulants were the only treatment superior to control (SMD = −1.03 [95%CI = − 1.6 to −0.47]). Conclusion Methylphenidate was the most effective pharmacotherapy. Sertraline appears effective for prevention. The efficacy of psychological interventions is unclear. TMS as a combination therapy appears promising. Heterogeneity of study populations and dearth of evidence means results should be interpreted cautiously.


SynopsisDormancy was present in seeds harvested at all stages of maturity. The tetrazolium viability test gave an accurate measure of the germination potential of a seed lot. A laboratory germination procedure was developed which induced practically complete germination and equaled tetrazolium readings.


The importance of the standards and its related texts established by Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) had been increased by the Agreement of Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) in World Trade Organization (WTO). To meet the needs of WTO SPS Agreement, biennial CAC meeting had been changed to every year. This study was conducted to analyze the effects on interval between CAC meetings. The years of adoption, revision and amendment of CAC texts were collected from the official standard list and individual texts from CAC homepage. The period since establishment of CAC was divided into four groups by starting negotiation of Uruguay Round, WTO foundation and reducing the interval between CAC meetings. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS program. The numbers of CAC standards, guidelines, recommendations, maximum residue levels, and miscellaneous texts were 202, 56, 46, 3 and 5, respectively. Since 8 documents didn't contain the adoption year, these texts were eliminated to analyze adoption year. For adoption, annually 11.26 texts were established since establishment of CAC and there were no significant difference among the 4 groups. However the average numbers of revisions and amendments of adopted texts for overall periods and for each period were 7.56, 0.93, 6.50, 17.20 and 19.75, respectively. The average numbers of overall decisions, defined as summation of adoption, revision and amendment of texts, for overall periods and for each period were 12.37, 6.27, 9.00, 17.40 and 29.25, respectively. There were significant differences by the WTO foundation and the interval between CAC meetings. The reduced interval of CAC meetings influenced to increase number of revisions and amendments of adopted texts, but not yet adoption of new text.


SHIMIZU, A., et al.: Double Ventricular Response by a Single Ventricular Extrastimulus to the Inner Loop of Reentry in a Patient Without Apparent Heart Disease. In a patient without apparent heart disease, a ventricular extrastimulus delivered from the left ventricular apex where the electrogram was recorded 30 ms after the onset of the QRS complex during VT advanced the second QRS complex, but not the first QRS complex. The morphology of the second QRS complex was the same as that of VT. The postpacing interval was the same as the cycle length of the VT. These findings indicated that the site of stimulation was at the inner loop of the reentry circuit of the VT. A ventricular extrastimulus with a shorter coupling interval advanced the first and second QRS complexes, indicating that the ventricle was activated by antidromic and orthodromic activation from the extrastimulus. Radiofrequency ablation at that site of stimulation terminated the VT and no further VT could be induced.


In this study, robust Brown-Forsythe and robust Modified Brown-Forsythe ANOVA tests are proposed to take into consideration heteroscedastic and non-normality data sets with outliers. The non-normal data is assumed to be a two parameters Weibull distribution. Robust proposed tests are obtained by using robust mean and variance estimators based on median=MAD and median=Qn methods instead of maximum likelihood. The behaviors of the robust proposed and classical ANOVA tests are examined by simulation study. The results shows that the proposed robust tests have good performance especially in the presence of heteroscedasticity and contamination.


Conventional models of genome evolution generally include the assumption that mutations accumulate gradually and independently over time. We characterized the occurrence of sudden spikes in the accumulation of genome-wide loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting the existence of a mitotic systemic genomic instability process (mitSGI). We characterized the emergence of a rough colony morphology phenotype resulting from an LOH event spanning a specific locus (ACE2/ace2-A7). Surprisingly, half of the clones analyzed also carried unselected secondary LOH tracts elsewhere in their genomes. The number of secondary LOH tracts detected was 20-fold higher than expected assuming independence between mutational events. Secondary LOH tracts were not detected in control clones without a primary selected LOH event. We then measured the rates of single and double LOH at different chromosome pairs and found that coincident LOH accumulated at rates 30-100 fold higher than expected if the two underlying single LOH events occurred independently. These results were consistent between two different strain backgrounds, and in mutant strains incapable of entering meiosis. Our results indicate that a subset of mitotic cells within a population experience systemic genomic instability episodes, resulting in multiple chromosomal rearrangements over one or few generations. They are reminiscent of early reports from the classic yeast genetics literature, as well as recent studies in humans, both in the cancer and genomic disorder contexts, all of which challenge the idea of gradual accumulation of structural genomic variation. Our experimental approach provides a model to further dissect the fundamental mechanisms responsible for mitSGI. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Point mutations and alterations in chromosome structure are generally thought to accumulate gradually and independently over many generations. Here, we combined complementary genetic approaches in budding yeast to track the appearance of chromosomal changes resulting in loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH). Contrary to expectations, our results provided evidence for the occurrence of non-independent accumulation of multiple LOH events over one or a few cell generations. These results are analogous to recent reports of bursts of chromosomal instability in humans. Our experimental approach provides a framework to further dissect the fundamental mechanisms underlying systemic chromosomal instability processes, including in the human cancer and genomic disorder contexts.


How does left‐right asymmetry develop in the brain and how does the resultant asymmetric circuitry impact on brain function and lateralized behaviors? By enabling scientists to address these questions at the levels of genes, neurons, circuitry and behavior, the zebrafish model system provides a route to resolve the complexity of brain lateralization. In this review, we present the progress made towards characterizing the nature of the gene networks and the sequence of morphogenetic events involved in the asymmetric development of zebrafish epithalamus. In an attempt to integrate the recent extensive knowledge into a working model and to identify the future challenges, we discuss how insights gained at a cellular/developmental level can be linked to the data obtained at a molecular/genetic level. Finally, we present some evolutionary thoughts and discuss how significant discoveries made in zebrafish should provide entry points to better understand the evolutionary origins of brain lateralization. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 72: 269–281, 2012


Tropospheric ozone vertical profile measurements have been carried out at OHP (Observatoire de Haute Provence, 44°N, 6.7°E, 690 m) since 1991 using both UV DIAL (DIfferential Absorption Lidar) and ECC (Electrochemical Concentration Cell) ozonesondes. For the first time, ECC and lidar data measured at the same site, have been compared over a 24 year period. The comparison conducted reveals a bias between both measurement types (ECC - lidar) of the order of 0.6 ppbv. The measurements of both instruments have been however combined to decrease the impact of short-term atmospheric variability on the trend estimate. Air mass trajectories have been calculated for all the ozone observations available at OHP including ECMWF potential vorticity (PV) and humidity chnage along the trajectories. The interannual ozone variability shows a negligible trend in the mid troposphere, but a 0.36 ppbv/year significant positive ozone trend in the upper troposphere. The trends will be discussed using the variability of the meteorological parameters. Data clustering using PV and air mass trajectories is useful to identify the role of Stratosphere-Tropopshere Exchanges and long range transport of pollutants in the observed long term trends. In the lower troposphere, the interannual variability shows contrasted trends with an ozone decrease between 1998 and 2008, consistent with the NO x emission decrease, but a new period of ozone increase since 2008 which is not very well understood.


Purpose: Myopia is a refraction error that may caused by corneal curvature (CC) anomaly. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) gene was determined to have an effect on CC. The purpose of this study was to find a correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in PDGFRA gene and early-onset myopia in South Sumatera tribes, a part of Indonesian ethnic group.
Design: Using a random sampling method, population-based, case control study included 100 subjects aged 18-40 years from Palembang, South Sumatera, Indonesia.
Methods: Visual acuity was measured by Snellen chart and CC was measured by manual keratometer. DNA sample from buccal swab was investigated with Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) PCR and visualized in agarose gel.
Results: Median of CC for the right eye was 7.73 (7.07-8.63) mm and the left eye was 7.73 (7.04-8.69) mm. There was no difference between CC in myopic and normal subjects. Distribution of mutant allele in rs17084051, rs7677751, rs7682912, and rs2114039 were higher in myopic subject compare to those of normal control. Significant association between PDGFRA gene polymorphism and early-onset myopia was found only in rs17084051 (p = 0.009) and rs7677751 (p = 0.001).
Conclusions: Mutant type allele A of rs17084051 and mutant type allele T of rs7677751 of PDGFRA gene polymorphism are associated with early-onset myopia in South Sumatera tribes in this study.


This case study concerns IT help desk management within an international airline. The core of what is described relates to attempts at implementing help desk procedures in practice, and illustrates the problems of treating these both as predominantly technology systems and predominantly human systems.From the failures outlined in the case, an alternative approach is proposed, based on the application of methods drawn from an understanding of critical social theory. The practical problems and theoretical issues are discussed, and a theoretically informed framework is applied retrospectively to the case.This allows conclusions to be drawn which, it is argued, strongly support the value of a critically informed approach to human-centered IT help desk issues.


A highly efficient slab amplifier has been designed. It has an aperture of 100 mm. The laser beam passes through the amplifier via three channels and then goes through it for the second time. Under typical conditions, we have obtained a gain of tenfold, an output intensity of 1011W [1], and an efficiency of 0.1 percent. By means of astigmatism compensation, the statical beam divergence after passing through 72 surfaces has been improved to 60 μrad, and the dynamic beam divergence to 0.2 mrad.


We consider the enhancement of accuracy, by means of a simple post-processing technique, for finite element approximations to transient hyperbolic equations. The post-processing is a convolution with a kernel whose support has measure of order one in the case of arbitrary unstructured meshes; if the mesh is locally translation invariant, the support of the kernel is a cube whose edges are of size of the order of Δx only. For example, when polynomials of degree k are used in the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method, and the exact solution is globally smooth, the DG method is of order k+1/2 in the L2-norm, whereas the post-processed approximation is of order 2k + 1; if the exact solution is in L2 only, in which case no order of convergence is available for the DG method, the post-processed approximation converges with order k + 1/2 in L2(Ω0), where Ω0 is a subdomain over which the exact solution is smooth. Numerical results displaying the sharpness of the estimates are presented.


The Rare Diseases Pilot study of the 100,000 Genomes Project had two objectives. Firstly, to identify the DNA variants underlying unresolved Mendelian disorders. Secondly, to develop an accredited framework for delivering whole genome sequencing (WGS) results across a national healthcare system. From February 2014 to June 2017, 13,037 individuals with a rare disease and their relatives were recruited at 57 National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in the UK and 26 non-UK hospitals using standardized eligibility criteria for 12 rare disease domains. This cohort includes cases with haematology (n=1021), immunology (n=1359) and haemostasis disorders (n=1169).
 With informed consent, clinical and laboratory data were collected and coded into a single research database using Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms and 13,037 samples of DNA were Illumina WGS analysed to clinical standard at a mean depths >30X in all samples and 90% of the reference genome was covered at 19X minimum in all samples. The pilot resource contains over 165 million unique variants with 91.5%, 8,5% and 5.6% single nucleotide variants (SNVs), short insertions / deletions and large deletions of the 10,258 genetically independent samples with 47% of variants previously unobserved in large scale genome datasets (e.g. TopMED, gnomAD, UK10K). Across all domains 2,067 unique diagnostic-grade genes (DGGs) were curated to clinical standards to support pertinent finding reporting by 12 multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) with domain-relevant clinical and genetic expertise. Over 1,300 MDT reports assigning pathogenic or likely pathogenic causal variants have been returned to referring clinicians, with the diagnostic yield ranging from 1.6 to 53.8%, depending on the extent of genetic screening pre-enrolment and the importance of the non-genetic component of the disorder (e.g. in immune disorders). About 30% of the causal variants identified have never been reported (absent from the Human Gene Mutation Database v.2018.1); interestingly, 51 variants have been reported in 11 DGGs linked to phenotypes belonging to different domains. A comparison with standard whole exome sequencing results revealed WGS to have at least 12.5% superiority in sensitivity for detecting known pathogenic variants.
 For the haematology, immunology and haemostasis domains 330 causal variants were reported in 83 DGGs, revealing novel modes of inheritance (Sivapalaratnam et al Blood 2016), and entire new clinical phenotypes linked to mutations in ABCC4, GNE, KDSR and STIM1 amongst other DGGs. The genotype and HPO-coded phenotypes of all pilot cases were analysed with BeviMed, a rapid and scalable Bayesian association test (Greene et al AJHG 2017) to identify causal variants in hitherto unknown genes. This identified more than 30 genes with posterior probabilities indicating a high likelihood of being implicated in underlying as yet unresolved Mendelian disorders. Results from co-segregation and cell biology studies have already corroborated this statistical inference and 15 novel genes acquired DGG status. Including a new method for the analysis of the 'gene-regulatory' elements we also identified an example of a causal variant in such an element controlling the function of both GATA1 and HDAC6 resulting in a severe syndromic pathology characterized by abnormal erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis.
 In conclusion, the pilot of the 100,000 Genomes Project has shown the feasibility of using WGS across a national health system, such as the NHS, to deliver a molecular diagnosis for patients with rare inherited diseases and how a national genotype/HPO-coded phenotype resource provides a powerful platform for the identification of novel diagnostic-grade genes.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Aims: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic neoplasm, in which relapse due to drug resistance is the main cause for treatment failure and the disease progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of KDM4C-dependent MALAT1/miR-328-3p/CCND2 axis in cytarabine (Ara-C) resistance in the context of AML. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict the targeting relationships among KDM4C, MALAT1, miR-328-3p, and CCND2 in AML, which were validated with chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was conducted to detect the methylation of MALAT1 promoter. After conducting gain- and loss-of-function assays, we investigated the effect of KDM4C on cell Ara-C resistance. A NOD/SCID mouse model was established to further investigate the roles of KDM4C/MALAT1/miR-328-3p/CCND2 in Ara-C resistant AML cells. Results: KDM4C expression was upregulated in AML. KDM4C upregulation promoted the demethylation in the promoter region of MALAT1 to increase its expression, MALAT1 targeted and inhibited miR-328-3p expression, enhancing the Ara-C resistance of HL-60/A. miR-328-3p targeted and suppressed the expression of CCND2 in HL-60/A to inhibit the Ara-C resistance. Mechanistically, KDM4C regulated miR-328-3p/CCND2 through MALAT1, resulting in Ara-C resistance in AML. Findings in an in vivo xenograft NOD/SCID mouse model further confirmed the contribution of KDM4C/MALAT1/miR-328-3p/CCND2 in the Ara-C resistant AML. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that KDM4C may up-regulate MALAT1 expression, which decreases the expression of miR-328-3p. The downregulation of miR-328-3p increased the level of CCND2, which induced the Ara-C resistance in AML.


SUMMARY: Forty-three separately isolated cyst(e)ineless mutants of Salmonella typhimurium were investigated biochemically. Six main phenotypes were identified, accommodating thirty-nine of the mutants; the remaining four mutants were of intermediate phenotype. The phenotypes are suggested to result from a series of five metabolic blocks in a pathway of cyst(e)ine synthesis in which sulphate can be reduced by two alternative routes, in both of which most of the intermediates are inorganic.


We consider the fluctuations of charges in membranes and their effect on the interactions between two fluid membranes a distance h apart. For the case where the counterions are highly localized in the membrane planes we find that the attraction scales as 1/h3 at large distances and as 1/h when the membranes are closer than a typical screening length. When the counterions are delocalized between the membranes a simple ideal-gas approximation indicates that a primary contribution to the membrane attraction are the fluctuations of this gas; in some cases, these attractions can exceed the repulsive interactions found for uniform charge distributions (the Poisson-Boltzmann or mean-field repulsions). These results may be relevant to understanding the role of charge fluctuations in membrane attraction and adhesion.


【Diabetes mellitus can cause devastating complications, which often result in disability and death, and diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of death in people with diabetes. In this study, we tried to predict the onset of diabetic nephropathy from an irregular and unbalanced diabetic dataset. We collected clinical data from 292 patients with type 2 diabetes and performed preprocessing to extract 184 features to resolve the irregularity of the dataset. We compared several feature selection methods, such as ReliefF and sensitivity analysis, to remove redundant features and improve the classification performance. We also compared learning methods with support vector machine, such as equal cost learning and cost-sensitive learning to tackle the unbalanced problem in the dataset. The best classifier with the 39 selected features gave 0.969 of the area under the curve by receiver operation characteristics analysis, which represents that our method can predict diabetic nephropathy with high generalization performance from an irregular and unbalanced dataset, and physicians can benefit from it for predicting diabetic nephropathy.】


Intracerebroventricular infusion of the competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoate (APH) was evaluated as a neuroprotective regimen in a rat transient cerebral ischaemia model allowing long-term recovery. Ventricular delivery of APH via an osmotic minipump was chosen to allow continuous and direct access to brain tissue of this polar molecule, and because of the potential applicability of such a regimen in clinical situations where the brain is at risk from cerebral ischaemia and a ventricular catheter is in place. The highest tolerable concentration of APH, 50 mM, was given at 1 microliter/h. Selective neuronal necrosis was significantly reduced in the cerebral cortex and the incidence of infarction in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNPR) was decreased. A borderline protective effect was seen in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, and no significant protection was seen in the caudate nucleus. The results suggest a limited usefulness for APH as a cerebral protective agent.


In this work, magnetic nanoscale Fe3O4 particles were synthesized through coprecipitation of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in alkaline media. The structure, composition and properties of the nanoparticles prepared were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Catalytic efficiency of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles was tested in degradation of phenol solution. At pH 7, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate reached 70% in 3 hours. The heterogeneous catalyst exhibited efficient catalytic activity close to that of iron homogeneous catalyst but with less than 3% leaching of irons cation. Further, it performed well under much wider pH range (pH 3~7) compared to classic Fenton reagent, providing potential alternative as a novel heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for environmental remediation.


A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of spiro[4H-pyran-oxindole] derivatives by means of threecomponent reactions between isatins, malononitrile or ethyl cyano-acetate, and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in the presence of catalytic amount of magnesium perchlorate in 50% aqueous ethanol medium has been described.


About the book:
Specifically shall be described with the planned publication more exactly how care is possible between the generations, how relationships and relations outside the market can be ensured, how welfare performances can be secured and how the different countries solve their specific problems in a society, which is becoming older. In the family not only the bases of the human fortune in a society are created but also the base of lifelong solidarity between the generations and the readiness for taking care of others.
In the context of this book the broad perspective of William S. Goode and Talcott Parson is picked up and regions like Europe, Japan, China, Africa, Near East and the United States of America are examined regarding the recognizable developments of family, family life forms and the conditions of children's lives. Other than in Parson's and William S. Goode's model the views on future developments base on the thoughts of authors who work and research in these countries.
The book's concept opens up two prospects. On the one hand different and corresponding developmental stages of family life-forms are worked out on the basis of these cooperation and analyses, simultaneously the attempt is made to motivate the colleagues in these countries to render their future ideas more precisely with respect to their respective cultural context. This way the possibility arises to work out the cultural distinctions of the respective development besides possible commonalities.


Historical dynamism, moral and religious dimensions, and even the sacral and soteriological sense of our journey through this world can all be found in Judaism. However, it was Christianity which overcame the temporal and national limitations proper to the Old-Testament conception, providing new traits to the idea of a 'people'. This idea was at the root of political theories (especially, those of Spaniards Vitoria and Suarez) which decisively influenced Modern Age. Nevertheless, it was subsequently transformed and distorted by Liberal and Marxist traditions. Traditions which, however, have shown themselves incapable of building neither the unity needed by peoples, nor the universality to which our nature points, nor the attention demanded of the neediest human beings. Nowadays, to respond to these challenges in a democratic and pluralist environment, it is essential that a moral common faith, structured around a set of objective principles accessible to everybody (but of a Christian inspiration) exists. In the case of politicians, it demands to exist with and for the people.