Background There is no clear clinical conclusion on whether assisted reproductive technology (ART) increases maternal and child risk and affects infant birth and development. This study aimed to perform a multiple regression analysis of the perinatal maternal and infant conditions in an assisted reproductive singleton pregnancy and the physical development and complications of such infants at 6 months old. Methods This study enrolled 145 singleton pregnant women who were admitted to Luohe Central Hospital between December 2017 and December 2019 to undergo in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer as a research group, and 160 singleton pregnant women who were naturally conceived at the same time and delivered at our hospital were selected as the control group. The relevant data of the patients were collected, and the perinatal conditions, neonatal complications, physical development and NBN score of infants aged 6 months were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for perinatal complications in assisted reproduction singleton pregnancy. Results The incidence of complications in the perinatal period in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications such as very low birth weight, respiratory distress, neonatal hemolysis, hyperbilirubinemia, hypoglycemia, infectious pneumonia and neonatal asphyxia between the two groups (P>0.05). Likewise, at 6 months of age, the infants in the research group showed no significant difference to the control group in physical development indicators, including weight, head circumference, body mass index, height and NBN score (P>0.05). The analysis of the unconditional multivariate logistic regression model revealed hypertension during pregnancy, placental previa, premature membrane rupture, gestational age <32 weeks, and very low birth weight as risk factors that affect perinatal complications in patients with assisted reproductive singleton pregnancy (P<0.05). Conclusions The incidence of complications in perinatal patients with assisted reproductive singleton pregnancy is higher than that of natural singleton pregnancy, but there is no significant difference in physical development, NBN score and complications of 6 months old infants.


Addressing the most pressing contemporary social, environmental, and technological challenges will require integrating insights and sharing data across disciplines, geographies, and cultures. Strengthening international data sharing networks will not only demand advancing technical, legal, and logistical infrastructure for publishing data in open, accessible formats; it will also require recognizing, respecting, and learning to work across diverse data cultures. This essay introduces a heuristic for pursuing richer characterizations of the "data cultures" at play in international, interdisciplinary data sharing. The heuristic prompts cultural analysts to query the contexts of data sharing for a particular discipline, institution, geography, or project at seven scales – the meta, macro, meso, micro, techno, data, and nano. The essay articulates examples of the diverse cultural forces acting upon and interacting with researchers in different communities at each scale. The heuristic we introduce in this essay aims to elicit from researchers the beliefs, values, practices, incentives, and restrictions that impact how they think about and approach data sharing – not in an effort to iron out differences between disciplines, but instead to showcase and affirm the diversity of traditions and modes of analysis that have shaped how data gets collected, organized, and interpreted in diverse settings.


The correlation length r corr of a nearly critical system is the characteristic length scale of the critical fluctuations, and the critical exponent ν characterizes how the correlation length diverges as approaches zero for λ = 0: r corr ∼ || −ν. (1) According to the hyperscaling hypothesis, the Gibbs free energy close to the critical point behaves like G(, λ) ∼ L r corr d (2) for a system in d spatial dimensions, where L is the system's linear size. In other words, the Gibbs free energy, an extensive quantity, is proportional to the number of " correlation volumes. " The idea behind this hypothesis is that the physics of a single correlation volume remains invariant as → 0, but disjoint correlation volumes are nearly independent and hence contribute additively to the free energy. Another way to justify hyperscaling is to assert that, close to the critical point, r corr is the only relevant length scale other than L. Actually, hyperscaling works for some phase second-order transitions but not all — in particular, it fails in Landau theory. Assuming both the scaling hypothesis and the hyperscaling hypothesis eq.(2), find a relation between the critical exponents ν and α. (This is called Josephson's identity.) See eq.(4) and eq. (13) of Homework No. 7 for the statement of the scaling hypothesis and the definition of the exponent α. For a classical ideal gas with N particles at temperature τ , suppose that all particles with kinetic energy greater than τ escape from the container, while all particles with kinetic energy less than τ are retained. (a) How many particles escape? (b) What fraction of the total energy escapes?


This work analyzes the classroom as a space of interaction and production of school knowledge. It seeks to understand which the implications to the professional development of the Chemistry teacher are when he participates in a process of curricular production. It is demonstrated that the production of a curriculum as a Study Situation (SS) offers a greater possibility for dialog between students, teacher and the object of knowledge. It is suggested that the participation of the undergraduate apprentice in the implementation of curricular proposals enables him to become aware about the need for appropriating teacher professional knowledge and signifying it in other levels.


The RCCL model (M. C. Lovett & C. D. Schunn, 1999) produces predictions that are non-novel or that do not truly spring from its principles. However, it offers the valuable insight that learning processes may affect the selection of both representations and strategies within those representations, and points the way to possible theoretical progress on implicit and explicit control. The authors' account of base-rate neglect under direct experience is compared with RCCL, and it is concluded that learning-based models allow for tests that are not fostered by representation-based models.


Abstract Objective To (i) assess the delivery, accessibility, usability, acceptability, and adherence, and (ii) identify suitable outcome measures, for a mobile-enhanced multimedia educational programme (m2Hear) in first-time hearing aid users. Design A prospective, single-centre feasibility study. Study sample First-time hearing aid users (n = 59), recruited at their initial hearing assessment. Evaluations were made at 1-week and at 10–12 weeks post-hearing aid fitting. Results m2Hear was most commonly accessed via tablets (42.3%). Usability was high for the System Usability Scale (88.5%), and the uMARS, particularly for the Information (M = 4.7), Functionality (M = 4.5) and Aesthetics (M = 4.2) subscales (maximum score = 5). Participant feedback was positive, with a high percent agreeing that m2Hear aided understanding of hearing aids (98%), held their interest (86%), improved confidence to use hearing aids and communicate (84%), and provided additional information to audiologist's advice (82%). Learnings about practical hearing aid handling/maintenance skills and how to communicate with others were reportedly used equally in participant's everyday lives. m2Hear was convenient to use, clear, concise and comprehensive. Outcome measures of social participation resulted in large effect sizes (Cohen's d > 1.6). Conclusions A theoretically-driven, personalised and co-designed educational m-health intervention is feasible and beneficial for use in the self-management of hearing loss and hearing aids.


Sadly, I'm not surprised that the evidence for the most devastating terrorist attack in history points to a Middle East connection. I have just returned from the area after almost two years there as a MacArthur fellow. I was conducting field research on how Islamic movements perceive and interact with the West, particularly the United States. The writing was all over the wall.


A superconducting magnetic bearing can levitate a rotor without contact. However, the rotor can whirl with large amplitude. To reduce the whirling amplitude, we focused on an electromagnetic shunt damper that is appliable to a rotor system. In this paper, an analysis considering influence of magnetic flux density distribution on dynamics of the rotor was carried out. From linearized and nondimensionalized governing equations, we obtained one parameter that determines the damper's effectiveness. Further, numerical calculation was performed and the optimum value concerning the dimensions of the electromagnetic shunt damper was obtained.


This study aims to investigate the influence of weather exposure on the physical and mechanical characteristics of rHDPE matriced composites reinforced with zalacca midrib fibers. The specimens were fabricated using the compression molding method into 3 variations which include the neat rHDPE as control as well as the untreated and alkaline-treated zalacca fiber-reinforced rHDPE composites at 30 % vf. Moreover, the weathering exposure was conducted under a tropical climate for 6 months after which all the specimens became chalky and showed significant changes in color. The FTIR results indicated that carbonyl groups of rHDPE emerged due to the weathering exposure while the thermogravimetry test showed no significant change in thermal stability. It was also discovered that their flexural and impact strength were enhanced by the alkaline treatment but the effect diminished after weathering. The micrograph observation showed some gaps between fibers and matrix, breakage of the fibers and matrix bonds, and cracks on matrix around the fibers. Furthermore, the fracture of the neat rHDPE was observed to be more brittle after exposure and this means the neat rHDPE and rHDPE-ZF composites are suitable for indoor applications but not recommended for outdoor uses.


At present, the integration growth model of the information industry is rapidly changing social and economic operation mode. Industry convergence is accelerating the change of industrial structure and promoting the industrial transformation and upgrading. Fusion and penetration between industries promote an active eruption of emerging business, and brought a new quantity for industrial development. We should take this opportunity to nurture a new generation of industrial growth pole. Eventually, effectively promote the development of strategic emerging industries. by industry convergence.


The purpose of this paper is to clarify a feature of "ethics" for engineers, and consider the aim and the meaning of teaching ethics to undergraduates. Firstly, we analyze the present state of engineering ethics education in Japan. Secondly, we examine the trendy idea that ethics cases are analogous to design problem and point out the strengths and the limitations of it. Finally, some suggestions for future engineering ethics education in Japan are made.


(E)-1-Alkyl-4-[2-(alkylsulfonyl)-1-ethenyl]pyridinium salts were synthesized in two steps. These sulfones were stable at pH 7.3 and underwent a nucleophilic vinylic substitution (S(N)V) with mercaptans, including thiouracile, to give the corresponding 4-(thiovinyl)-pyridinium salts. The X-ray diffraction structure of (E)-1-methyl-4-[2-(ethylsulfanyl)-1-ethenyl]pyridinium iodide indicated conjugation of the sulfur with the pyridinium ring. (Z)-1-Methyl-4-[2-(methylsulfanyl)-1-ethenyl]pyridinium iodide, prepared from the corresponding thioether by reaction with methyl iodide in diethyl ether, underwent isomerization to the E isomer in a first-order reaction in deuterated [D6]DMSO with an activation energy of 14 kcalmol(-1). At pH 7, the (E)-1-methyl-4-[2-(methylsulfonyl)-1-ethenyl]pyridinium iodide (19) reacted specifically with thiols. The reaction of this sulfone with glutathione in a TES buffer at pH 7 was a second-order reaction (k = 4,100 M(-1)s(-1) at 30 degrees C) and gave the corresponding substitution product with an intense long wavelength absorption band (lambdamax=360 nm, epsilon = 27,500 M(-1)cm(-1)). The modification of different enzymes of known structure with 19 showed the high selectivity of this reagent towards thiol groups and its usefulness in the quantitative determination of free thiol groups in proteins.


This paper presents the design of a new and efficient winner-take-all (WTA) cell for the self-organising mapping (SOM) neuron. This cell is implemented in VLSI that provides both faster operation and a reduction in the number of transistors per cell compared to existing designs. The operation of the circuit is described and results of SPICE simulations are presented.


A first CMOS analog front-end processor for a 4X speed CD-ROM is designed and fabricated in a 0.8,um process. The IC consists of RF amplifiers, an asymmetry compensation circuit, an automatic power control circuit for laser diode, a bandgap reference, and a servo control signal generator which includes track and focus error detecting circuits, and a defect detecting circuit. The circuit enables to design a true one chip 4X speed and 8X speed CD-ROM in digital domain.


The article explains steps physicians must take if they no longer want to be participating providers in the Medicare program.


A critical issue that hinders the development of chip-scale optical gyroscopes is the size dependence of the Sagnac effect, which manifests as a rotation-induced phase shift or frequency splitting between two counterpropagating waves or resonances, and is proportional to the size of the optical system. We show numerically and theoretically that the far-field emission patterns (FFPs) of optical microdisk cavities depend strongly on rotation and can therefore provide an alternative approach. At low rotation speed where resonant frequencies barely shift with rotation (i.e., a negligible Sagnac effect), the FFPs already exhibit a significant rotation-induced asymmetry, which increases linearly with the rotation speed. We further identify the basic requirements to maximize this effect, including distinct output directions for the clockwise and counterclockwise waves in a cavity mode, as well as a vanishing frequency splitting between one such mode and its symmetry related partner mode. Based on these requirements, we propose several microcavity shapes that display orders of magnitude enhancement of the emission sensitivity to rotation and could stimulate a new generation of optical gyroscopes with small footprints and on-chip integrability.


Salient visual features have been known to capture attention, but there is disagreement regarding why these features capture attention (because of their bottom-up salience/uniqueness or the goals of the observer). To explore whether attention capture is truly a bottom-up, stimulus-driven, and automatic effect, Boot, Brockmole, & Simons (2005) added an auditory task to a traditional attention capture paradigm. In single task conditions, they found that onsets (objects that appear suddenly) and color singletons (items of a unique color compared to the items around them) captured attention. However, when participants also had to listen to the auditory task, the degree to which these distractors captured attention changed (onsets capture was eliminated while color singleton capture increased). These findings challenge the notion that capture is stimulus-driven and automatic; the search display was exactly the same in single and dual-task situations. However, it was puzzling why onsets decreased in their ability to capture attention while color singletons increased under the same dual-task conditions. Boot, Brockmole, & Simons (2005) proposed a transience hypothesis: transient singletons like an onset require cognitive resources to be recognized as being unique, while sustained distractors such as color-singletons required cognitive resources to suppress. We tested this hypothesis with onset distractors that were either the same as the other distractors in the display, or onset distractors that also had a unique shape. Contrary to predictions, neither had the ability to capture attention under dual-task load. Results do not support stimulus-driven accounts of attention capture. Theoretical and practical significance is discussed.


Objective: To assess the driving ability of older drivers, their visual function, cognitive-perceptual function, motor function and driving performance were evaluated. Method: Subjects were 55 drivers aged 65 years or older. Visual function test included visual acuity, visual field, color vision and contrast sensitivity. Cognitive perceptual function was evaluated with the cognitive perceptual assessment for driving (CPAD) and clock drawing test. For motor function, muscle strength and range of motion were evaluated. Driving performance was evaluated by virtual reality based driving simulator. For comparision, 48 younger drivers aged between late twenties and early forties underwent the same evaluation. Results: Among older drivers, 21 (38.2%) had visual acuity less than 20/40, 3 (5.5%) had visual field narrower than bilaterally. Contrast sensitivity was significantly decreased in both day and night with glare light conditions. In cognitiveperceptual function assessment, 20 subjects (36.4%) passed CPAD test, 3 subjects (5.5%) failed, and 32 subjects (58.1%) fell into borderline group. Mean CPAD score was 50.655.62, which was significantly lower than that of younger drivers. 18 subjects (32.7%) were incorrect in clock drawing test. In motor function assessment, 4 subjects (7.3%) in older drivers showed hemiparesis secondary to stroke. In driving simulator, 21 subjects (38.2%) failed whereas only 4 subjects (8.3%) did in younger drivers. Average demerit score was 24.0915.53 and was significantly higher than that of younger drivers. Conclusion: Older drivers showed significantly higher incidence of visual and cognitive-perceptual dysfunction, and poorer driving performance compared to younger drivers group.


Shipping accidents are unexpected events that result in financial loss and properties, damages and either loss of people. Several reasons as human errors, technical failures, natural conditions, shipping factors, route conditions and cargo related factors play role in these accidents. Unfortunately, shipping accidents are inevitable cases of maritime field, in contravention of creative and innovative technologies in shipping sector and execution of precautionary safety rules and regulations. Main purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of shipping accidents on marine environment in Turkish Seas. Within this scope firstly, the literature related shipping accidents and marine environment were handled. Then, the statistics of shipping accidents and marine environment in Turkish Seas were analyzed. Finally, future projections were provided in the light of presented matters and current developments.


This Lib Guide contains links to children's books and resources to support the National Science Teachers Association's publication, Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, by Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan.


A 13-week oral toxicity study of gardenia blue was performed in male and female F344 rats at the dose levels of 5.0, 2.5, 1.25, 0.6 and 0% in the diet, to determine the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) for subsequent investigation of carcinogenicity. Rats were randomly allocated to 5 groups, each consisting of 10 males and 10 females. No groups showed decreases in body weight gain and food intake, and all animals survived until the end of the experiment. A dose-dependent decrease in number of platelets was observed in females treated with gardenia blue in hematological examination, but not in males. No histopathological change, relating to the treatment, in megakaryocyte which is the progenitor cell of platelets was observed in the treated-females. Serum biochemistry revealed increases in GOT and GPT in both sexes treated with the 5.0% and 2.5% gardenia blue, as compared to the control value. However, these were not considered to be specific changes because of lack of any clear dose response. In addition, no histopathological changes indicating obvious toxicity of gardenia blue were observed in the liver of both sexes treated with gardenia blue. Based on these data, the MTD of gardenia blue for both sexes in F344 rats was considered to be 5.0% or more in the diet.


Acute airway obstruction due to large blood clots is known to cause life threatening hypoxemic respiratory failure which can be challenging to diagnose and manage. Different bronchoscopic modalities like rigid bronchoscopy, forceps, snares and catheters can be used to extract these obstructing blood clots but each of these different methods have their own limitations. We describe a patient with iatrogenic endobronchial bleed with acute airway obstruction due to massive blood clot successfully managed using 'cryoextraction'. This technique has been described as the treatment of choice for this clinical situation and this case highlights the fact that this technique can save patients from more aggressive invasive procedures.


Background Pancreatic cystadenoma coexistent with neuroendocrine tumor is a rare disease which is reported sporadically. Case Presentation We herein present one such interesting case in a 67-year old man. There was only one mass detected preoperatively by different examinations. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy indicated a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Therefore, a distal pancreatectomy was performed and the final histopathology revealed two separate masses in the pancreas, one was serious cystadenoma and the other neuroendocrine tumor. Conclusions SCA coexistent with PNET is rarely found during clinical practice. The component of PNET may not be confirmed until the operation. Based on the recorded cases, the malignant potential, clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis are remaining further researches.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Inactivation of PU.1 results in a myeloid differentiation block and contributes to the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A long list of PU.1 transcriptional targets with a direct function in myeloid development exits and clearly supports its role in cellular hematopoietic differentiation processes. Furthermore, we and others showed that PU.1 positively affects cell survival, for example by directly activating the anti-apoptotic genes BCL2A1 and BCL-XL. Recently, we demonstrated that the novel PU.1 target Hexokinase 3 supports acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell survival. Surprisingly, our current data indicate that knocking down PU.1 in NB4 APL significantly increased resistance in apoptosis responses to anthracyclins. These findings were confirmed in MOLM-3 AML cells. Both cell lines showed an induction of the anti-apoptotic gene CFLAR (c-FLIP). c-FLIP blocks the activation of procaspase-8 at the death-inducing signalling complex (DISC) and is involved in AML chemotherapy resistance. Using PU.1 and c-FLIP double knockdown APL cells, we could significantly restore the sensitivity to anthracyclin treatment. This indicates that the PU.1 knockdown-dependent increase of c-FLIP is responsible for the resistance towards anthracyclin treatment. Moreover, we identified the pro-apoptotic kinase DAPK2 as novel transcriptional target of PU.1 in APL cells. Interestingly, we found that inhibiting DAPK2 in APL cells significantly attenuater arsenic trioxide (ATO)-induced cell death. Together, we link PU.1 to apoptosis and resistance against antracyclins and ATO via regulating c-FLIP and DAPK2. Our data indicate that low PU.1 level found in AML patients not only contribute to a block in differentiation but also increase resistance to cytotoxic therapies in AML.

Citation Format: Mario P. Tschan, Aladin Haimovici, Daniel Brigger, Anna M. Schlafli, Deborah Shan, Martin F. Fey. Low PU.1 expression not only attenuates neutrophil differentiation of AML cells but also increases resistance to cytotoxic therapies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2348. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2348


Background: Evaluating diversity, inclusivity, and equity remains both a prevalent topic in education and a difficult challenge for most evaluators. Traditional metrics used to evaluate these constructs include questionnaires, focus groups, and anonymous comment solicitations. While each of these approaches offer value, they also possess a number of limitations (e.g., self-reported nature, holistic perspective, social desirability bias, varying degrees of respondent sensitivity, representative responses, etc.). Researchers at the University of Southern California have successfully utilized the Equity Index Method (EIM) as a potential approach for measuring diversity and reporting diversity-related outcomes. Purpose: Provide a critique of the EIM and discusses how the EIM could be improved and extended to other evaluation contexts and settings. Setting: Not Applicable. Intervention: Not Applicable. Research Design: Not Applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: Not Applicable. Findings: Despite the potential for problems with interpretations based on small samples and subgroups and some concerns about semantics involving the term "equity", we believe the EIM possesses a number of strengths that many evaluators will find useful. We encourage other evaluators to consider this method and explore its utility in a variety of contexts. Keywords: equity; equity index method; applications.


Most smokers have begun the habit before the age of 18 and understanding the dynamics of smoking in adolescence and the influence of social networks may help us design better interventions.1 In 2001, Queens University Belfast began a longitudinal study of adolescents (the BYDS study) over annual five waves, on individual attributes, behavioural traits and school-friendship networks. We have systematically reviewed the prospective studies on peer network effects on adolescent smoking behaviour and disparate results, quality and methodological perspectives are evident. A common feature is an emphasis on topology and metrics2 but with little account taken for nodal characteristics and broader school or contextual factors. To illustrate their importance, we use data from 1000 adolescents in eight BYDS schools first to describe how peer network topologies vary between boys and girls and across schools. A relatively new method of analysis is employed based on stochastic actor-orientated models (implemented in SIENA3). We will present data from multiple waves to illustrate how this can accommodate both network topology and individual characteristics to trace the effects of peers on the evolution of smoking behaviour within in a continuous time stochastic process and place our findings (on gender differences and school level factors) in the context of our systematic review.


The review summarises procedures for the synthesis of organolithium and organomagnesium compounds of the naphthalene series, including binaphthyls, the properties of these compounds and their use in organic synthesis.


A pluralist revolution has taken place in psychotherapy, discarding the assumptions that only one theory can be true and that there exists only one method for finding it. Rejecting the anarchistic attitude of "anything goes" as professionally nihilistic, we propose that in the present pluralistic era it is necessary to recognize a multiplicity of perspectives for determining the rightness of therapeutic constructs. A construct or intervention is right to the extent that it fits demands for coherence and pragmatic value from a variety of perspectives, such as the patient's, the clinical community's, the academic community's, and the general public's. Within the clinical and academic communities, the greater the variety of acceptance (by different schools, theories, and methodologies), the greater the construct's cumulative rightness. The difference between this variety rule and a majority one is made explicit. Coherence and pragmatic value are widely accepted criteria and they define the universe of rational discourse in psychotherapy. Adding to these the requirement of multiple acceptability is the necessary step for creating rational dialogue in the new pluralistic world.


Cerebral microvascular changes due to air embolism-reperfusion in the cat were investigated. Air embolism-reperfusion was produced in the cerebral microvessels by an intra-carotid injection of air (0.2-0.3 ml). Air emboli in the cerebral arterioles were observed continuously from the air injection to reperfusion using fluorescence videomicroscopy. Arteriolar diameter was measured based on video images of arterioles filled with rhodamine-B isothiocyanate dextran, and red cell velocity was measured using a dual window technique with FITC-labeled red cells. Air bubbles ceased to move in the arterioles of 20-70 microm diameter and blood flow was almost stopped in distal arterioles. The air emboli were of cylindrical shape in the arterioles, with hemispherical end caps. The emboli progressed slowly at rates of 7-73 microm/sec and then flowed away. The air emboli induced ischemia-reperfusion with the ischemic duration of approximately 1 minute (10 sec-3 min) at the arteriolar level. Cerebral arterioles began to dilate after the formation of the air emboli and significantly dilated by approximately 50% after reperfusion. A transient increase in red cell velocity was observed after reperfusion. Arteriolar dilation and the increase in velocity led to a hyperemic response in arteriolar flow to ischemia-reperfusion.


There is scant information on the spatial differentiation of the standard of living in cities. This work has therefore attempted to analyze the spatial differentiation of the standard of living of the populations of towns in a dynamic approach, on the basis of the data from the years 2002–2011. Including time in the spatial differentiation of the standard of living enabled to select the towns in which the improvement in the standard of living is observable, the towns with the steady standard and those in which the standard of living is deteriorating, thanks to the possibility of using the methods of time series analysis.


Background: PNPLA3 is a gene regulated by nutritional status, which is closely related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the mechanism of regulation for PNPLA3 remains to be fully clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the acetylation level of H3K9 in the promoter region of PNPLA3 gene under different physiological and nutritional conditions, which might lay a foundation for understanding the epigenetic mechanism of PNPLA3 expression regulation. C57BL/6 mice were fed ad libitum (NC, N=10), fasted (N=10) for 24 hours, and re-fed (N=10) for 12 hours. Chromatin immunoprecipitation(CHIP)-qPCR were used in assaying the enrichment for histone active marks H3K9ac in liver PNPLA3. Real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of PNPLA3, and SIRT1 which is a known deacetylase affected by nutritional status. Results: The results showed that the H3K9ac level in the PNPLA3 promoter was significantly decreased by fasting as compared with NC mice, while the inhibited H3K9ac level of fasting increased significantly after refeeding. The PNPLA3 mRNA level was markedly downregulated during fasting (0.90±0.16 vs. 2.03±0.55, P Conclusions: PNPLA3 gene expression is regulated by histone acetylation and SIRT1 may be involved in this regulatory mechanism. Disclosure X. Xu: None. H. Liang: None. Y. Chen: None.


Computational fluid dynamics (CPD) modelling is increasingly being used as a tool for predicting ventilation rates and air flow patterns as part of the building design process. The potential benefits of this form of modelling are that designs can be optimised to make the most efficient use of ventilation, and so to increase air quality and decrease energy use. Although CFD has shown itself to be a powerful tool in the nuclear, aeronautical and electronics industries for over two decades, its reputation has been built on extensive work specific to those fields. It is recognised that there is a need to establish guidelines for and validate the application of CFD to building design, and in particular to schemes involving natural ventilation. This paper reports the results of studies undertaken in order to produce a guide for practitioners on how to use CFD to examine natural ventilation in buildings. The work addressed the key unresolved issues which face practitioners when they use CFD as a design tool for naturally ventilated buildings, including how much of a building and its surroundings are modelled, the treatment of openings and surface heat transfer and the level of detail required to represent internal furniture and heat sources.


A single crystalline silicon microtoroidal resonator with integrated MEMS-actuated tunable optical coupler is demonstrated for the first time. It is fabricated by combining hydrogen annealing and wafer bonding processes. The device operates in all three coupling regimes: under-, critical, and over-coupling. We have also developed a comprehensive model based on time-domain coupling theory. The experimental and theoretical results agree very well. The quality factor (Q) is extracted by fitting the experimental curve with the model. The unloaded Q is as high as 110 000, and the loaded Q is continuously tunable from 110 000 to 5400. The extinction ratio of the transmittance is 22.4 dB. This device can be used as a building block of resonator-based reconfigurable photonic integrated circuits


Salt marshes provide a range of ecosystem services and yet are subjected to anthropogenic impacts that alter the biogeochemical processes underlying these services. In particular, human activities may modify salt marsh greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) emissions by changing plant and microbial communities, hydrological regime, and sediment chemistry. Quantifying the effects of human impacts on greenhouse gas emissions is important for complete carbon budgets, and for effective management of salt marshes and the ecosystem services they provide.
In Chapters 1 and 2, I investigate the effects of hydrology and plant invasion on greenhouse gas emissions. First, I show how the restriction and restoration history of four salt marshes influence methane flux in unpredictable ways. Despite comparable salinity, methane emissions from one partially restored marsh were 25 times higher than unimpacted reference sites 13+ years after restoration, but emissions from other restored sites were equal or lower. Next, I show that greenhouse gas emissions associated with invasive Phragmites australis are not different from those associated with native Spartina alterniflora. These Chapters demonstrate the de-coupling of greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon sequestration more generally, from ecosystem degradation and restoration.
In Chapters 3 and 4, I quantify greenhouse gas fluxes and microbial community structure under precipitation changes that may occur with global climate change. In a field experiment, doubled rainfall and drought had significant transient impacts on porewater salinity following storms, and on the community structure of plants (doubled rainfall) or microbes (drought), yet greenhouse gas fluxes and other biogeochemical processes were not affected. The absence of biogeochemical change indicates functional redundancy and resistance or resilience exist in the microbial community, suggesting marshes may continue providing services as precipitation changes. In a lab experiment, rewetting intact cores to simulate tidal inundation or rainstorms produced a nitrous oxide pulse 10-20x the baseline flux rates, without changing the microbial community. A model of rewetting event frequency suggests that pulsed emissions may be responsible for the majority of marsh nitrous oxide emission. Precipitation change may increase coastal nitrous oxide emission if it causes more or stronger storms, and thus more rewetting events.


Durable, mechanically robust osseointegration of metal implants poses one of the largest challenges in contemporary orthopedics. The application of biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings as mediators for enhanced mechanical coupling to natural bone constitutes a promising approach. Motivated by recent advances in the field of smart metals that might open the venue for alternate therapeutic concepts, we explore their mechanical coupling to sputter-deposited HAp layers in a combined experimental-theoretical study. While experimental delamination tests and comprehensive structural characterization, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, are utilized to establish structure-property relationships, density functional theory based total energy calculations unravel the underlying physics and chemistry of bonding and confirm the experimental findings. Experiments and modeling indicate that sputter-deposited HAp coatings are strongly adherent to the exemplary ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys, Ni-Mn-Ga and Fe-Pd, with delamination stresses and interface bonding strength exceeding the physiological scales by orders of magnitude.


We are studying the multigene family encoding the fucoxanthin-chlorophyll binding proteins (fcp genes) that constitute the major component of the photosystem II-associated light harvesting complex in diatoms and brown algae. The characteristics of clusters of fcp genes on the genome of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum are described. Sequence analysis of two genomic clones, PT5 and PT4, has demonstrated the presence of four fcp genes (fcpA, fcpB, fcpC, fcpD) on the former and two fcp genes (fcpE, fcpF) on the latter. The proteins encoded by the six characterized fcp genes range in similarity from 86% to 99%. The genes within each cluster are separated by short intergenic sequences (between 0.5 to 1.1 kb). None of these genes contain introns and all appear to be transcribed with short 5' transcribed, untranslated leader sequences; the transcription initiation sites were mapped 26 to 48 bases upstream of the ATG translation start site. Small conserved motifs are found among all of the genes just upstream of both the translation and the transcription start sites. The codon bias is similar in all of the fcp genes, with a predominance of pyrimidines in the third positions of codons of the four codon families. The two fcp genes that are most similar are fcpC and fcpD, and might represent a recent gene duplication. Southern analyses using fcp cDNAs as hybridization probes suggest that there may be additional sequences on the P. tricornutum genome that resemble the characterized fcp sequences.


Can neural nets learn logic? We approach this classic question with current methods, and demonstrate that recurrent neural networks can learn to recognize first order logical entailment relations between expressions. We define an artificial language in first-order predicate logic, generate a large dataset of sample 'sentences', and use an automatic theorem prover to infer the relation between random pairs of such sentences. We describe a Siamese neural architecture trained to predict the logical relation, and experiment with recurrent and recursive networks. Siamese Recurrent Networks are surprisingly successful at the entailment recognition task, reaching near perfect performance on novel sentences (consisting of known words), and even outperforming recursive networks. We report a series of experiments to test the ability of the models to perform compositional generalization. In particular, we study how they deal with sentences of unseen length, and sentences containing unseen words. We show that set-ups using LSTMs and GRUs obtain high scores on these tests, demonstrating a form of compositionality.


Electromagnetic launch science and technology in the United States is on the threshold of a major new advance in its development. Significant developments in hypervelocity electromagnetic launch and in hypervelocity high-G guidance and control components have provided the impetus for exploring advanced electromagnetic weapon systems capable of providing revolutionary new capabilities. These systems include the electromagnetic launch of aircraft from Navy aircraft carriers, hypervelocity electromagnetic guns on ships to provide protection and to launch guided projectiles to extraordinary ranges, and lightweight ground combat vehicles propelled by hybrid electric power protected by electromagnetic armor and capable of defeating advanced armor targets with lightweight hypervelocity penetrators from electromagnetic railguns. This presentation will summarize many of the technical advances leading to the decision to implement these new engineering efforts.


INTRODUCTION:
Dengue fever is caused by flavi virus and is spread by aedes mosquito mostly aedes aegypti. It has a mean incubation period of 2-5 days and has been seen to occur as seasonal outbreaks. Dengue fever can occur with varied spectrum of presentations. From the inconspicuous viral fever syndrome to the fatal dengue shock syndrome/dengue haemorrhagic fever. There is a need for a simple predictive marker for patients at risk of progressing. Various metabolic abnormalities have been found in dengue patients, namely, elevated liver enzymes, low sodium and ionised calcium levels, hyponatremia, increased urinary protein levels. Proteinuria has been used as a method for assessing severity of dengue .proteinuria is best measured by 24 hrs urinary protein but it is a cumbersome procedure. Various texts show that urine spot PCR as an acceptable alternative. Normal urine spot PCR is less than 30mg/mmol.
CASE DEFINTION:
Severe dengue is defined as those with
Severe plasma leakage leading to:
• Shock (DSS).
• Fluid accumulation with respiratory distress.
Severe bleeding as evaluated by clinician.
Severe organ involvement.
• Liver: AST or ALT > = 1000.
• CNS: Impaired consciousness.
• Heart and other organs.
WHO guidelines 1997 defines dengue hemorrhagic fever as those with.
• positive tourniquet test, petechiae, ecchymoses or purpura, bleeding from injection sites or other locations, malena or hematemesis,
• thrombocytopenia < 1,00,000/mm3.
• Plasma leakage as evidenced by increase in hematocrit 20% from baseline, decrease in hematocrit > 20% after volume replacement, pleural effusion, ascites and hypoproteinemia.
Dengue shock syndrome is defined by Patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever with tachycardia. Pulse pressure < 20mmhg, hypotension for age, cold skin, restlessness. A laboratory criterion for confirmation is usually done by detection of IgM antibody. Vasanwala et al showed a positive correlation with dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY:
• To study daily urine spot protein creatinine Ratio in dengue fever patients.
• To use it to predict patients at risk for developing complications.
• To calculate its sensitivity and specificity as a prognostic tool.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
STUDY POPULATION:
SOURCE OF DATA:
The study will be conducted on 100 adult dengue fever patients admitted in medicine wards of Government Rajaji Hospital & Madurai Medical College during the study period from march 2018 to August 2018.
INCLUSION CRITERIA:
• Patients admitted for fever with thrombocytopenia.
• IgM dengue ELISA positive.
• Normal serum urea/creatinine at presentation.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
• Pre existing Chronic Kidney Disease/nephrotic/nephritic syndrome.
• Diabetes.
• Hypertensives.
• Coronary Artery Disease.
• Female patients during menstrual cycle.
• Urinary tract infections.
RESULTS:
Of the total 100 patients, those of age less than 20 constituted were 10, between 20-40 yrs were 51 and more than 40 were 39. Among the subjects the total number of men were more accounting 60 and female were 40. Among the total 100 patients 24 had urine Spot PCR more than 560 mg/g and 76 had urine spot PCR less 560 mg/g. Among the 40 yrs group it was 20.5%.
On seeing the age related incidence of DSS in 40 yrs group it was 25.6%. In the sex related distribution DHF occurred in 10 men and 19 women. The incidence was 16.6% among men and 21.9% among women. Among the 24 patients with proteinuria more than 560 mg/g 15 went for DHF and 8 did not have DHF. Among the 24 patients with proteinuria more than 560 mg/g 13 patients went for DSS. In patients with proteinuria > 560 mg/g 21 patients went for DHF/DSS and only three had no progression. Among those with proteinuria less than 560 mg/g only 8 went for DHF/DSS of the total 76.In our study urine spot PCR > 560 mg/g had a specificity of about 95 %. And a sensitivity of 72.4%. The test also had a positive predictive value of 87.5 % and a negative predictive value of 89.4%.
CONCLUSION:
There is a need to risk stratify patients with dengue fever, Particularly during the periods of epidemics. The fall in platelet count can predict only to some extent the occurrence of DHF. Urine proteinuria can be used as an additional factor to predict the risk of both DHF and DSS. The peak of urine proteinuria occurs around the day of defervesence. Therefore urine spot PCR can be used as a specific marker for prediction of dengue hemorrhagic fever and Dengue shock syndrome. So patients with higher spot PCR need to shifted to facility with more intensive monitoring than others. The use of urine spot PCR is not recommened as the sensivity of the test based on our study results were low. The test also has a high positive predictive value and also a high predictive value. The dengue algorithm using various clinical biochemical parameters may also be used for predicting the complications.
KEY WORDS:
Dengue, viralfever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome, proteinuria, urine Spot PCR, complications.


The problem of guaranteed cost control for exponential synchronization of cellular neural networks with interval nondifferentiable and distributed time-varying delays via hybrid feedback control is considered. The interval time-varying delay function is not necessary to be differentiable. Based on the construction of improved Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals is combined with Leibniz-Newton's formula and the technique of dealing with some integral terms. New delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the exponential synchronization of the error systems with memoryless hybrid feedback control are first established in terms of LMIs without introducing any free-weighting matrices. The optimal guaranteed cost control with linear error hybrid feedback is turned into the solvable problem of a set of LMIs. A numerical example is also given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


Adapting Shakespeare's literary works for introduction into Japanese popular culture has been an act of intercultural translation. Shakespeare and Japanese popular culture, particularly manga [Japanese graphic novels] could be seen as cultural polarities: the West vs. the East, as represented by Japan, a contrast between high culture and pop culture, the canonical vs. the lowbrow. Yet Shakespeare's works as adapted in manga format do, as this article argues, problematize such hierarchical distinctions. Shakespeare found in manga can be both a challenge and a tribute to his authority, giving him a global and intercultural after-life. The first group of Japanese manga with Shakespearean motifs dates back to the early 20th century. Similar efforts have since continued through to the early 21st century, making manga with Shakespearean motifs a conspicuous, widespread phenomenon as part of Japanese pop culture. The greatest recent contribution in this regard is Manga Shakespeare Series. Published by a British publishing house, it helped to turn manga into an important vehicle for the intercultural translation of Shakespeare.
This article aims at placing into perspective Shakespeare and his presence in Japanese pop culture in general and in Japanese manga in particular. Specifically, efforts will be made to introduce Japanese manga with Shakespearean motifs as a genre and show how it has become a representative intercultural art collaboration form. Western graphic novels with Shakespeare incorporated will be contrasted with Japanese manga, including Classics Illustrated, to see different levels of faithfulness to one of the world's greatest writers.
The findings indicate that while Western graphic novels tend to show a higher levels of faithfulness to the original works, Japanese manga takes greater liberty with Shakespeare. This suggests that manga with Shakespearean motifs should be viewed not as debasement of his literary authority but as creative innovation. Rather than trying to remain strictly faithful to Shakespeare's original works, efforts should be made to identify previously overlooked aspects of Shakespeare's works and expand the possibility of making the most of his legacy in enriching the human culture through hybridization and glocalization.


The temporal analysis of symmetric (dilatational) and asymmetric (sinusoidal) perturbations at the interface of a water sheet in a coflowing air stream focuses on low gas Weber number region (Weg < 0.4), namely, Rayleigh breakup zone. The motive for this investigation is to acquire a better insight of breakup phenomena involved, rather than technical relevance, by utilizing Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Accordingly, perturbations are introduced on the basic flow whose stability is to be examined by the method of normal (Fourier) modes. The temporal growth-rate of perturbations is traced to extract the wavenumber associated with maximum growth-rate. Thus, the critical wavelength, in conjunction with the phase velocity of the disturbance will facilitate to obtain the corresponding breakup frequency of the liquid sheet. The analytical findings on liquid sheet breakup frequency with increasing Weber number ratio exhibit the dominance of symmetric wave over asymmetric wave. It also shows independent evolution of breakup frequency with respect to Weber number ratio for the respective perturbation modes, which appears to be a pointed profile. That is, the frequency contour for dilatational mode dips, whereas it rises for the sinusoidal mode and at the Weber number ratio of 0.518 the crossover occur. The theoretical results were substantiated by high-speed flow visualization studies that discern the coexistence of low-frequency (primary) and high-frequency (intermediate) breakup events. Furthermore, the empirical average frequency data track reasonably well with the dilatational instability.


Background: Labour is the most perilous journey a woman has to undertake. Painless and short labour is desired by every woman and is a constant aim for obstetrician. Objective: To analyze and compare the efficacy and safety of drotaverine and valethamate with control group on improving cervical dilatation and promoting progress of labour. Method: Three hundred demographically similar women, both primigravida and multigravida with a term pregnancy in established labour were randomly divided into three groups. One hundred women (group 1) were given injection valethamate intramuscularly,100 women (group 2) were given drotaverine and the rest 100 (group 3) were not given any drug. Comparative analysis was carried out as regards to duration of first stage of labour, mode of delivery, maternal side effects and fetal outcome. Results: The mean duration of active phase of labour in group 1, 2 and 3 was 254.29±96.621 min, 178.31±73.412 min and 346.31±123.351 min respectively. The duration of injection to end of first stage of labour in valethamate and Drotaverine group was 228.12±84.626min and 168.89±69.576min respectively (p value<0.0001). The duration of injection to delivery in Valethamate was 249.13± 88.321 min and in Drotaverine was 192.56±75.479min (p value<0.0001). There were no serious maternal and fetal adverse effects in any group but minor side effects were more common in valethamate group. Conclusion: The reduction of the duration of the first stage of labour was apparently more in drotaverine group as compared to valethamate and control group. Drotaverine was found to be safe with minimal or no adverse effect on the mother and the fetus. Health Renaissance, January-April 2013; Vol. 11 No.1; 38-42 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v11i1.7600


The number of revision surgeries of the hip joint keeps growing and it brings new problems, especially in cases where the skeleton in the region of the loosened stem is destructed. As we have been pursuing total hip arthroplasty in the Czech Republic for 30 years we know that the life of the implants is reduced, the number of aseptic loosening is increasing. This loosening is associated with the loss of the bone stock, mainly the cortex gets thinner. The revision cemented stem cannot be exactly fixed in the destructed proximal femur and, in addition, the bone is further damaged. Wagner introduces a new concept of the treatment of these severe complications: transfemoral approach, cementless implant - a stem which may be fixed distal to the destruction of the proximal femur. This method provides prerequisites for the formation of the new bone - bone regeneration and the regeneration of the destructed femoral bone stock. The author presents an extended Bauer approach he has been using in revision surgeries since 1983 (in cases where the bone stock has been preserved and the broken stem of the implant or the persisting remnants of the bone cement have to be removed). This technique is used also in the transfemoral approach which differs from the Wagner approach by performing transfemoral osteotomy in the coronal rather than sagittal plane. It allows operating on the patient in the supine position - similarly as during primary implantation. It provides the possibility of a reliable replacement and alignment of the loosened cup and the revision of the medullary canal from the transfemoral approach in the coronal plane, removal of the bone cement, polyethylene granuloma and an exact application of the Wagner stem. It means that the stem must be fixed below the osteotomy level, extending over 10 cm, but minimally 7 cm proximally to the isthmus of the medullary canal. This extended transfemoral approach requires the Wagner stems in the length of 265 mm and 305 mm. With the use of the Wagner stems of the length of 190 mm or 225 mm this approach is usually not indicated. Key words: revision surgery, transfemoral approach, Wagner stem.


How does Iceland appear in postcolonial literary texts by writers from Denmark, the former colonial power? Three texts from modern Danish literature were chosen, with Iceland as their main theme and based on first hand knowledge of the country gathered through sojourns and travels by the authors: Rejse paa Island (Journey on Iceland, 1954) by Martin A. Hansen (1909-1955); Nord for Vatnajøkel (North of Vatnajökull, 1994) by the writer-art historian Poul Vad (1927-2003) and Rævesletten og andre islandske omveje (The Fox Plain and other Icelandic detours, 2009) by the painter-graphic artist Per Kirkeby (1938-) and the writer Keld Zeruneith (1941-). These travelogues, in various ways, are hybrids of text and image emphasizing Iceland's exotic, insular and primarily literary qualities. Critical analysis leads to the hypothesis that these postcolonial depictions are characterized by a high degree of descriptive stylisation and aestheticism and by a prominent role of visual forms of representation. While decolonisation itself is an issue in the oldest work discussed, this is no longer the case in the two more recent books. Iceland has become a postcolonial landscape, a palimpsest-like space where political open wounds from the past are overwritten by the aesthetic gaze, which primarily focuses on the graphic qualities of the Icelandic countryside.


To determine the magnitude and distribution of the forces, moments, and accelerations acting on an individual sitting in a wheelchair during three possible accidents occurring while negotiating a sidewalk curb, experimental trials were performed in a bioengineering laboratory using a 50th percentile Hybrid III dummy seated in a standard wheelchair. A ramp was designed with an adjustable incline to allow the wheelchair to reach the edge of a sidewalk height platform at the desired forward speed of 2.5 miles per hour (comfortable walking speed). The wheelchair velocity was monitored via an optical pickup. Three types of accidents were simulated: (1) a wheelchair hitting straight into a curb; (2) a wheelchair falling forward straight off a curb; (3) a wheelchair falling diagonally off a curb. Each experiment was repeated three times. Each run was photographed using high-speed cameras and videotaped from three perspectives: frontal, lateral, and overhead. The results were averaged and compared with published injury Assessment Values (IAV) and Head Injury Criteria (HIC). Of significance were the following results. In the straight into a curb experiments, the wheelchair remained upright and the dummy seated. Low magnitude forces (23-73 N), moments (1-12 Nm), and accelerations (0.2-1 G) were recorded at the neck and head. The HIC was low at 0.3. These results were of no clinical significance. In the straight off a curb experiments, properly attached footrests prevented the wheelchair from toppling over but did not prevent the dummy from falling off the wheelchair. Forces (187-4,176 N), moments (3-178 Nm), and accelerations (131-206 G) of great magnitude were recorded at the head and neck when the dummy fell off the wheelchair. These values were above IAV. The HIC was 960. In the diagonally off a curb experiments, both the wheelchair and the dummy fell sideways. High-magnitude forces (274-2,313 N), moments (4-110 Nm), and acceleration (140-236 G) were recorded in the head and neck regions. The HIC was 975. These values were close to IAV and may signify potential serious injuries.


Abdominal complications were detected and investigated in 19 (10%) of 191 children with nephrotic syndrome who experienced 35 episodes of these complications. Fourteen children were Indian with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome, and 5 were black, of whom 4 had membranous nephropathy and 1 focal proliferative nephritis. All had clinical features of peritonitis and hypovolaemia was frequently present. Eleven of the 35 episodes were culture-proven peritonitis (5 due to Pneumococcus, 6 due to Gram-negative bacteria) and in 24 the cultures were negative. Hypovolaemia occurred in 6 of the former group and 5 of the latter. The occurrence of these episodes bore no temporal relationship to steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment. Sixty-nine per cent of the complications appeared within the first 3 years of onset of the nephrotic syndrome and 8 of 19 patients experienced multiple episodes. In this study, hypovolaemia always occurred in the context of clinically detected peritonitis and not as a separate complication, suggesting infection together with fluid and protein losses as likely pathogenetic mechanisms.


In experiment, the generation of 14-tone stable carriers with recirculating frequency shifter is realized. Some factors that impact the performance of the carrier generation are discussed. It is experimentally found that the balance and the insertion loss of the inphase/quadrature (I/Q) modulator, the accurate π/2 phase difference and equal power level of two rf signals which are applied to the two ports of the I/Q modulator, the gain of the optical amplifier, the bandwidth and sharp window spectrum of the tunable filter and the stability of the optical signals' states of polarization fed into I/Q modulator, play important roles in the generation of a stable multi-tone carrier source. By employing appropriate techniques we obtain 14-tone stable carriers in the experiment.


This thesis examines the European Court of Human Right's approach to the large-scale human rights crisis in Turkey, in particular the post-coup era. Despite the centralization of the power and the absence of effective domestic mechanism in Turkey, the Court has abstained considerably from conducting any meaningful examination in reasonable time on the grounds of the non-exhaustion of domestic remedies. In doing so, the Court has emphasized the subsidiary nature of the Convention mechanism. However, the question as to whether this attitude of the Court is justifiable under the principle of subsidiarity arises, considering that the original raison d'être of the Court is to prevent the resurgence of totalitarianism and the destruction of the rule of law. The Controversial Position of the European Court of Human Rights towards the Large-Scale Human Rights Crisis in Turkey in "the Age of Subsidiarity"


A Z-source inverter based grid-interface for a variable-speed wind turbine connected to a permanent magnet synchronous generator is proposed. A control system is designed to harvest maximum wind energy under varied wind conditions with the use of the permanent magnet synchronous generator, diode-rectifier and Z-source inverter. Control systems for speed regulation of the generator and for DC- and AC- sides of the Z-source inverter are investigated using computer simulations and laboratory experiments. Simulation and experimental results verify the efficacy of the proposed approach.


AIM OF RESEARCH. To assess the role of hemogram and immunogram parameters for predicting the course of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS. 272 children (boys/girls, 155/117, aged 35,3±2,6 months) were included in the study. 252 patients (92,65%) received conservative treatment and renal replacement therapy by intermittent hemodialysis (HD). The number of HD session averaged to 5,4±0 per 1 patient (1-21). 20 children (7,35%) received only conservative treatment. Proportion of patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome amounted to 73,1%, those with glomerulonephritis – 6,2%, acute interstitial nephritis – 5,5%; other causes (acute intestinal infections, acute exogenous poisonings, abdominal surgical pathology, tumor lysis syndrome, meningococcal infection, etc.) made up 15,2%. Depending on the outcome of the disease, 2 groups of patients were formed: the 1st group included those who survived (65,5%), the 2nd group comprised those who died (34,5%). mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red deviation wide (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV). Leukocyte reactivity indices were measured, such as nuclear shift and lymphocyte indices. The levels of immune complexes in blood serum and the amount of serum immunoglobulins A, G and M were determined. The data obtained in children from both the groups were compared depending on the AKI period: oligoanuria, initial diuresis, polyuria and clinical recovery, which corresponded to the 1st, 2nd, 3d and 4th weeks of the disease. RESULTS. Significant decrease in MCV (71,47±4,23 and 79,03±0,78, accordingly, р=0,0118057) and in lymphocyte index (0,52±0,02 and 0,71±0,03, accordingly, р=0,000002), as well as more pronounced leukocytosis (13,43±0,75 and 10,54±0,33·10 9 accordingly, р=0,000089) were observed in children of the 2nd group as compared with the 1st one. In all cases of the unfavorable ARF outcome, leukogram dynamics had no signs of the inflammatory process termination and was characterized by monocyto-, lymphocyto- and eosinopenia. CONCLUSION. Dynamic analysis of the hemogram findings with the determination of erythrocyte and leukocyte indices, as well as IgА, G and М levels allows predicting the ARF course and outcome. Prolonged microcytosis (more than 2 weeks), decreased lymphocyte index (less than 0,31) with no increase in dynamics, decreased IgA and IgG levels in blood serum by 50% and more from normal values are considered to be prognostically unfavorable factors of the ARF course and outcome.


The Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa Type 2 Diabetes Guidelines Expert Committee. Chapter 11. The approach to achieving glycaemic control in 2017 SEMDSA Guideline for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Guideline Committee. JEMDSA 2017; 21(1)(Supplement 1): S51-59


Abstract Clubroot of canola was identified for the first time on the Canadian prairies in 2003, and is spreading rapidly across the region. Although clubroot has been studied extensively on vegetable Brassica crops, it was not clear initially how much of the information would be directly transferable from the intensive production of vegetable crops to the extensive production practices used for canola. This review examines similarities and differences between clubroot development and management on vegetable crops and canola. One important difference was that clubroot generally has a larger economic impact on canola, which is harvested for seed, than on vegetables, especially those where early vegetative growth is the marketable component. Also, clubroot has spread within the production area more quickly than was expected based on vegetable production. This occurs in large part because the resting spores are readily moved within and between fields on the heavy machinery used for canola production, but movement of spores by wind and water is also being assessed. Interestingly, crop rotation to reduce yield losses may be a more viable approach for canola than in vegetable production. Resistance to clubroot is the most consistent and economically viable approach to clubroot management in canola, but several lines of evidence indicate that this resistance may not be durable. Fortunately, the large acreage of canola production in Canada ensures that new sources of resistance will be developed and deployed as existing sources are eroded. Pathogen development and cultural control are very similar on vegetables and canola; bait crops and soil amendments are generally not commercially viable in either system; and biocontrol has a limited potential at this time. Manipulation of seeding date, application of fungicide, and soil fumigation generally have more potential for use in vegetable production than for canola. Identification of approaches that reduce disease pressure in clubroot-infested fields and increase the durability and diversity of genes for clubroot resistance represent important lines of future research.


Molecular mechanisms active in transforming human pleural cells remain incompletely understood. Our previous microarray analysis of malignant pleural mesothelioma revealed alterations in components of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system, implicating this signaling axis in tumorigenesis. Therefore, in this current study, we characterized the molecular phenotype and investigated the key signaling pathways of the IGF system in malignant pleural mesothelioma specimens. For the major IGF components, we assessed mRNA abundance and total protein levels. We measured IGF-I ligand-dependent activation of signaling pathways downstream of the type I IGF receptor in a subset of malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines and determined the corresponding biological consequences. At the transcriptional level, we observed consistent changes in IGF components that may contribute to a malignant phenotype. IGF-I stimulation of cells resulted in enhanced activation of type I IGF receptor and IRS adaptor proteins. Differential activation of IRS-1 signaling was associated with cell growth, whereas IRS-2 signaling was associated with cell motility. Thus, these data suggest that multiple mechanisms likely contribute to malignant pleural mesothelioma tumorigenesis. Therefore, IGF system components represent novel malignant pleural mesothelioma therapeutic targets for investigation.


Advisory services are a highly sensitive form of collaboration: they rely on a clear distribution of roles between human participants who act according to an implicit set of practices and scripts. As such, they do not offer a specific role to a virtual assistant. At the same time, the technological improvements make the promise that institutional settings may be soon complemented with technology that allows for asking questions using natural speech, understands the context, and provides answers based on online processing of data. This article explores challenges and potentials of virtual assistants in advisory services while analyzing data from interviews and a workshop with clients and advisors from financial advisory services. It links the insights from the field with the institutional talk perspective. The findings unveil, that the concerns and hopes of potential users relate to their position and an implicit understanding of what an advisory service is about. This calls for careful and attentive design approach towards virtual assistants in advisory services.


The analysis of the displacement of the pelvic girdle, during movements of the trunk in the anatomical orthogonal plans, was carried out by the technique of the cutaneous markers on two series of 7 male subjects and 7 female. The photographs made it possible to objectify angular displacements of reliable singular points and to observe that the abduction of hips determines, according to movements carried out, either a facilitation, or a limitation of displacements observed similar in the two series. The precise mechanism of these variations will have to be analyzed by later studies.


Background: High-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is considered standard therapy in patients with chemosensitive relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (BEAM) is a standard widely used DLBCL conditioning regimen. Chemotherapy doses, both standard and high dose, are traditionally based in body surface area (BSA) and are often calculated using the corrected ideal body weight. However, this practice is empirical and the best way to dose chemotherapy is unknown. Weight-based dosing has been suggested to better predict toxicity of the conditioning regimen. We correlate the BEAM dose/actual weight ratio with toxicity and overall outcome in a uniform cohort of patients receiving HSC transplant for relapsed DLBCL Methods: Retrospective analysis of 80 consecutive patients treated at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN between 2001 and 2006 who received a HSC transplant following BEAM conditioning was performed. All doses were based on BSA calculated using the corrected ideal body weight. Weight-based dose intensity was retrospectively calculated utilizing the melphalan dose/Kg as a surrogate for the entire regimen. Weight-based dose intensity was correlated with toxicity in the first 30 days after transplant and survival outcome. Results: Median age at the time of transplant was 62 (interquartile range 53–65; range 26–77); 65% were males; median number of prior chemotherapy regimens was 2. Median dose of melphalan was 3.2 mg/Kg (interquartile range 2.9–3.6; range 2.2–4.5). Only one patient died within 30 days of the transplant. Patients who received > 3.6 mg/Kg of melphalan were more likely to have Grade 3 or 4 mucositis (44.4% v. 9.8%, P=0.001) than the remaining patients. Median numbers of days spent in the hospital in the first 30 days after transplant was 13 (3–18) for melphalan dose >3.6 mg/kg vs. 7 (0.5–10.5) for the remaining patients (P=0.043). Weight based dose intensity did not correlate with survival (P=0.8) or disease-free survival (P=0.3). Conclusion: Weight based dose intensity of BEAM correlates with toxicity post autologous HSC transplant. Patients receiving doses corresponding to >3.6 mg/kg of melphalan are at increased risk of high-grade mucositis and prolonged hospitalization.


In September, 1979, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued FASB Statement No. 33, which required certain corporations to issue specified supplementary information based on constant dollars and current costs. This information is intended to show the impact of inflation on the reported earnings and capital of business enterprises. Opponents of Statement No. 33 claim that the required supplementary information is difficult to interpret and, therefore, will not be used. Proponents contend that the information is self-explanatory and would highlight the impact of inflation on the performance of business enterprises. Thus, they conclude the supplementary data will be useful to various user groups and will be used. This dissertation's primary objective was to determine whether the supplementary data will be used by financial analysts in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston regions in evaluating an enterprise's operating performance and its ability to maintain physical operating capability and the general purchasing power of financial capital.


Shape control of beams under general loading conditions is implemented using piezoceramic actuators to provide the control forces. The objective of the shape-control is to minimize the maximum deflection of the beam to obtain a min-max deflection configuration with respect to loading and piezo-actuators. In practice, the loading on a beam is a variable quantity with respect to its magnitude, and this aspect can be handled easily by optimizing the magnitude of the applied voltage to achieve the min-max deflection. This property of the smart materials technology overcomes the problem of one-off conventional optimal designs which become suboptimal when the loading magnitude changes. In addition to the magnitude of the applied voltage, the optimal values for the locations and the lengths of the piezo-actuators are determined to achieve the min-max deflection. Due to the complexity of the governing equations involving finite length piezo patches, the numerical results are obtained by the finite-difference method. The analysis of the problem shows the effect of the actuator locations, lengths and the applied voltage on the maximum deflection. The optimal values for the actuator locations and the voltage are determined as functions of the load locations and load magnitudes, respectively. The effect of the actuator length on the min-max deflection is investigated and it is observed that the optimal length depends on the applied voltage. Finally, it is shown that using multiple actuators are more effective than a single actuator in the cases of complicated loading.


Electrocoagulation (EC) is an emerging technology that has been used to treat heavy metals from different kinds of wastewater. This paper discusses the effects of inducing Dielectrophoretic (DEP) force in EC system for the treatment of heavy metals from primary treated municipal wastewater. In order to achieve the optimum run of DEP, COMSOL software was used to identify the highest force that can be obtained by changing electrodes spacing and applied current. As per the results obtained from experiments and numerical methods, the optimum run was at operational time of 30 min, electrodes spacing of 0.5 cm and applied current of 600 mA (17.14 mA/cm2 current density). In both process aluminium electrodes were used and they were connected to alternative current (AC) power supply. The efficiency of AC-DEP was found to be better than AC-EC. The removal efficiencies of Fe and Mn using AC-DEP were 80.6% and 29.7% respectively, while AC-EC removed 78.23% of Fe and 28.8% of Mn. Moreover, the increase in the aluminium content using AC-DEP and AC-EC was 810.3% and 1330.8% respectively. Furthermore, the energy consumption of AC-DEP was 4.9 kWh/m3 while AC-EC consumed 5kWh/m3.


LIME (Locally Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations) has become a popular way of generating explanations for tabular, image and natural language models, providing insight into why an instance was given a par-ticular classification. In this paper we adapt LIME to time series classification, an under-explored area with existing approaches fail-ing to account for the structure of this kind of data. We frame the non-trivial challenge of adapting LIME to time series classification as the following open questions: "What is a meaningful interpretable representation of a time series?", "How does one realistically perturb a time series?" and "What is a local neighbourhood around a time series?". We propose solutions to all three questions and combine them into a novel time series explanation framework called LIMESegment , which outperforms existing adaptations of LIME to time series on a variety of classification tasks.


Purpose Correct drug prescription in the elderly is a difficult task that requires careful survey of the current pharmacological therapies. In this article, we reviewed the drug prescriptions provided to 860 persons aged 65 years or over, residing in a small city of Lombardy, Italy. Methods Subjects were recruited from a local nursing home, the Pavia and Vigevano Neuropsychological Center for Alzheimer's Disease, general practitioners' offices, and the local University of the Third Age. For each patient, the amount of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs), sedative and anticholinergic load (SL and AL, respectively), and drug–drug interactions were evaluated. Results Widespread polypharmacy, giving rise to 10.06% of PIPs in the whole collection of prescriptions, was observed. In particular, PIPs mainly concern drugs acting at the central nervous system level, mostly benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. Moreover, approximately one-fourth of the subjects had an elevated SL and approximately one-tenth a high AL. Drug–drug interactions were frequent (266 requiring medical attention), up to five for each single patient. Of concern was the underuse of antidementia drugs: only 20 patients received a cholinesterase inhibitor or memantine, although 183 patients were potentially suitable for this treatment. Conclusion These results demonstrate the need to develop novel strategies aimed at improving the quality of drug prescription.


We report the results of resistivity (ρ), magnetoresistance (MR) and in-field heat capacity (C) measurements on TmCu and TmAg compounds. Despite the different nature of magnetic transitions - first-order in TmCu and second-order in TmAg - the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) obtained from in-field heat capacity data is similar for higher fields. There are striking similarities between the MCE and MR as a function of temperature as well as magnetic field (H). We have shown that in the paramagnetic state, MCE has -H2 dependence due to the suppression of spin fluctuation. Since the MCE and MR are related with thermodynamic and transport properties respectively, two different properties of a system and the similarities between the two indicate a deeper relation between the origin of MR and MCE.


Abstract This paper deals with a discrete-time Geo/Geo/1 queueing system with working breakdowns in which customers arrive at the system in variable input rates according to the states of the server. The server may be subject to breakdowns at random when it is in operation. As soon as the server fails, a repair process immediately begins. During the repair period, the defective server still provides service for the waiting customers at a lower service rate rather than completely stopping service. We analyze the stability condition for the considered system. Using the probability generating function technique, we obtain the probability generating function of the steady-state queue size distribution. Also, various important performance measures are derived explicitly. Furthermore, some numerical results are provided to carry out the sensitivity analysis so as to illustrate the effect of different parameters on the system performance measures. Finally, an operating cost function is formulated to model a computer system and the parabolic method is employed to numerically find the optimum service rate in working breakdown period.


The performance of 10Base-T and 100Base-T Ethernet segments carrying audio/video traffic is presented. End-to-end delay requirements suitable for a wide range of multimedia applications are considered (ranging from 20-500 ms). Given the specific nature of the network considered and the maximum latency requirement, some data is lost. Data loss at the receiver causes quality degradations in the displayed video in the form of discontinuities, referred to as glitches. We define various quantities characterizing the glitches, namely, the total amount of information lost in glitches, their duration, and the rate at which glitches occur. We study these quantities for various network and traffic scenarios, using a computer simulation model driven by real video traffic generated by encoding video sequences. We also determine the maximum number of video streams that can be supported for given maximum delay requirement and glitch rate. We consider various types of video contents (video conferencing, motion pictures, commercials), two encoding schemes (H.261 and MPEG-1), and two encoder control schemes [constant bit rate (CBR) and constant-quality variable bit rate (CQ-VBR)] and compare their results. Furthermore, we consider scenarios with mixtures of video and data traffic (with various degrees of burstiness), and determine the effect of one traffic type over the other.


[Excerpt] As noted by Bowen and Sosa, their projections of the supply side of the academic labor market, which are typical of those used in other studies, are based on a number of simplifying assumptions. Similarly, their proposed policy remedies to increase the flow of new doctorates, such as increasing financial support for graduate students and shortening the time it takes students to receive degrees, are made presenting only scanty evidence on the likely magnitude of supply responses to these changes. This essay, which draws heavily from my study (Ehrenberg 1991), reviews the academic literature and available data (from a wide range of sources) to summarize what we know about new doctorate supply and what we need to know to make informed policy decisions.


Analyses of sample trenches excavated on Mars, using a theory for plowing by narrow blades, provide estimates of the angles of internal friction and the cohesions of the Martian surface materials.Angles of internal friction appear to be the same as those of many terrestrial soils because they are generally between 27° and 39°. Drift material, at the Lander 1 site, has a low angle of internal friction (near 18°). All the materials excavated have low cohesions, generally between 0.2 and 10 kPa. The occurrence of cross bedding, layers of crusts, and blocky slabs shows that these materials are heterogeneous and that they contain planes of weakness. The results reported here have significant implications for future landed missions, Martian eolian processes, and interpretation of infrared temperatures.


(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)INTRODUCTIONChina has experienced rapid economic growth in the past two decades with average, annual GDP growth of 10% (World Bank, 2011). The unprecedented growth also drives expansion in the buildings sector. Building energy consumption in China increased by 40% from 1990 to 2009, which made China, after the U.S., the second largest building energy consumer in the world (IEA, 2012a). Building energy use accounts for 28% of China's total energy use in 2009 when traditional biomass is included. Underlying the growth of energy consumption in the Chinese buildings sector is population and economic growth, a continued expansion in building floorspace, and installation of energy-consuming devices. Over the last several decades, China has added 1.8-2.0 billion m2 annually, establishing the world's largest market for new construction. Total urban residential floorspace is 20.6 billion m2, rural residential floorspace is 24 billion m2, and commercial1 building floorspace is 14 billion m2, as of 2010. Growth in building floorspace and associated energy use will likely continue at least for the next several decades, as the country undergoes rapid income and population growth (Eom et al., 2012; Evans et al., 2013; Li and Yao, 2009; Yu et al., 2014a).To curb the growing building energy demand, the Chinese government has developed policies promoting building energy efficiency. The Chinese government has developed and implemented building energy codes since the 1980s with a particular focus on the improvement of envelope insulation (Huang and Deringer, 2007; Shui et al., 2009). There are currently three energy codes for residential buildings in four climate zones2 and one energy code for commercial buildings in all climate zones. As codes for urban buildings are mandatory, all new urban residential3 and commercial buildings are currently required to comply with Chinese building energy codes in both design and construction stages. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) also issued an energy code for rural residential buildings, which went into effect in May 2013. Restricted by construction patterns of rural buildings, the rural code is currently voluntary; however, the Chinese government started to promote the rural code through incentive programs and aims to make it mandatory later.Building energy codes set minimum legal requirements on building design and their compliance provisions during construction. Beyond energy codes, the Chinese government also developed a green building rating system, known as the Three-Star Building Rating System, under which buildings are rated one to three stars based on their energy performance and green features. The Three-Star Rating is similar to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), but differs in an important way. It extends beyond the building design and rates the building after one year of operation. The Three-Star Rating is valid for three years and buildings need to be re-evaluated to retain the rating. The green building rating system is voluntary and the Chinese government provides incentives for green buildings.For example, MOHURD and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) provided 45 yuan/m2 (~$7.44/m2)4 for Two- Star buildings and 80 yuan/m2 (~$13.23/m2) for Three-Star buildings in 2012 (MOF, 2012).Along with the construction boom in the past two decades, there is also a growing stock of inefficient buildings due to lack of code compliance. The Chinese government started to emphasize code compliance since 2007 after the release of the Acceptance Code. Although the code compliance rate is high in major cities, code enforcement in small cities and towns are still poor. The Chinese government has seen great potential in energy savings through retrofitting existing buildings, which aims to bring energy performance of existing buildings to the level of code-compliant new buildings. …


We study vortex clustering in type-II superconductors. We demonstrate that the "second peak" observed in magnetisation loops may be a dynamical effect associated with a density-driven instability of the vortex system. At the microscopic level the instability shows up as the clustering of individual vortices at (rare) preferential regions of the pinning potential. In the limit of quasi-static ramping the instability is related to a phase transition in the equilibrium vortex system.


Peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) is a benign reactive lesion of the oral cavity. Although PGCG is classified as a tumor-like lesion, it does not represent a true neoplasm, however it is often associated with a response of local irritation and trauma. Clinically, it appears as an exophytic growth with either sessile or pedunculated base, it can be located in gingiva or edentulous alveolar mucosa and usually does not exceed two cm in diameter. The following report describes the case of a 64-year-old female diagnosed with a PGCG of a particularly large size and rapidly evolving, located in the upper jaw area. The lesion was completely excised, and the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology, there is no apparent recurrence in the area after 12 months of follow-up. A few cases of PGCG greater than 5 cm in diameter have been reported. Furthermore, exceptional cases might present an abnormal rapid growth as well. An opportune diagnosis based on clinical examination, radiographic and histopathological study are fundamental for a prompt and efficient treatment.


In rivers and streams, biofilms are thin layers of greenish-brown slime attached to rocks, plants, and other surfaces. Biofilms play key roles in primary production and cycling of nutrients, water quality remediation, suspended sediment removal, and energy flow to higher trophic levels. In the present study, we developed a two-dimensional cellular automata model to simulate mixed biofilms of toxin-sensitive and toxin-producing species in hydrodynamic flow. The flow was generated by a stochastic process for uniform flow and by using the Navier-Stokes equation for non-uniform flow. Minimized local rules governing reproduction and mortality of the species were executed in the self-organizing processes to elucidate interactions between toxin-producing and toxin-sensitive species in competition over nutrients. We briefly discuss the morphology of the simulated biofilm under different flow conditions.


This paper examines certain properties of probing signals employed in a model reference identification procedure which guarantee identification of the parameters of a linear multivariable system. The property of persistent excitation is examined with respect to a new class of (persistently spanning) signals. In particular, this class of signals includes many (periodic or almost periodic) signals which have previously been considered as effective probing signals, The results yield concrete guidelines useful in the practical design of probing signals.


In this study, I use an experiment to investigate the joint effects of forecast precision and forecast uncertainty on investors' judgments of the reliability of analysts' EPS forecasts. Results indicate that participants' judgments of forecast reliability are not influenced by forecast uncertainty when precise analyst EPS forecasts are presented. In contrast, participants' judgments of forecast reliability are higher when forecast uncertainty is low than when it is high when round forecasts are presented. Further, I find that investors' judgments of the overall conditions under which the forecasts are made are influenced (not influenced) by forecast uncertainty, and that the relationship between forecast uncertainty and forecast reliability is mediated (not mediated) by investors' judgments of the overall conditions under which the forecasts are made when round (precise) forecasts are presented. My findings are informative to analysts and investors because it provides insights into how investors perceive and react to rounding in analysts' EPS forecasts under differing levels of earnings uncertainty.


Change is an absolutely essential component of product development. However, some changes are too difficult to manage. It is contended that the difficult changes stem from the emergence of novelty. The significance of novelty is that it is not immediately apparent and can be overlooked. It is a common element in disruptive technology, knowledge management, and firefighting research. This work examines the effects of emergent novelty in a complex product development system. In order to do this a framework is developed to categorize potential types of novelty that are encountered. In addition, a unique perspective on the concept of organizational capability is introduced. What makes it unique is the idea that organizational capability is composed of the capacity to do work and the ability of actors to use that capacity. "Organizational infrastructure" is used to speak more concretely about organizational capability. These conceptual models are used to analyze the events of three case studies developed from actual projects in the Imaging & Printing division of Hewlett-Packard. Through the case analysis it is shown there is significant pressures to approach development as if all novelty is understood. However, by doing so almost guarantees problems late in development if latent novelty exists. It is speculated that the addition of excess capacity to the organizational infrastructure will allow for greater novelty detection. This in turn should decrease the complications from resolving issues related to the emergence of novelty. Thesis Advisor: Paul Carlile Title: Assistant Professor of Organizational Studies Sloan School of Management


Objective Innate immune mechanisms have been implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic sterile conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. We have recently demonstrated that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation by endogenous molecules such as high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) contributes to hypertrophy and hypercontractility in diabetic bladder dysfunction. It has been reported that women have a higher frequency of overactive bladder symptoms, while men have higher detrusor overactivity. We hypothesized that sex differences in the contribution of TLR4 to bladder contraction may underlie the sex differences observed clinically. Methods Female and male rat bladder contractile responses to carbacholine (CCh) and electrical field stimulation (EFS) were measured in the presence and absence of TLR4 inhibitor CLI-095 and in the presence and absence of urothelium. Results We observed that contractile responses to both CCh and EFS were higher in the male than the female bladder segments in both the presence and absence of urothelium [CCh Emax (mN): male + urothelium =84.3±1.2, male – urothelium =83.7±1.2, female + urothelium =49.8±0.8, female – urothelium =59.2±1.1; EFS 32 Hz (mN): male + urothelium= 84.9±7.1, male – urothelium =66.8±5.2, female + urothelium =57.8±5.9, female – urothelium =54.5±3.5]. Incubation of bladder segments with the TLR4 inhibitor CLI-095 significantly decreased contractile responses to both CCh and EFS in both sexes, irrespective of the presence of urothelium [CCh Emax (mN): male + urothelium =91.1±0.8, male – urothelium =75.4±1.8, female + urothelium =42.9±1.1, female – urothelium =52.5±1.1; EFS 32 Hz (mN): male + urothelium =80.8±7.9, male – urothelium =59.6±10.6, female + urothelium =43.3±2.6, female – urothelium =46.4±1.9]. Conclusions Our data suggest that although there are sex differences in the contractile function of the rat bladder in basal conditions, the participation of TLR4 to bladder contraction in the absence of endogenous activators is similar between the two sexes. Funding Source(s) NIDDK Diabetic Complications Consortium (DiaComp, www.diacomp.org), grant DK076169


Previously, many researchers sought to optimize the throughput and power consumption by radio transmission power control, but the experimental platforms and the workloads did not reflect the reality of WSNs. We present a dynamic transmission-power-control algorithm based on previous studies and evaluate the algorithm using realistic multi-hop WSN workloads and a large Mica2dot-based testbed. We have found that potential gains of dynamic transmission-power control are much smaller than what is indicated by prior research. Compared to the fixed transmission-power control, the dynamic transmission-power control improves the power consumption up to 16% for convergence traffic, but no noticeable performance improvements for aggregation traffic. The effect of dynamic transmission-power control becomes larger as we reduce the radio duty cycle, with 37% power savings at a 10% duty cycle. This result suggests that dynamic transmission-power control is most useful in combination of low-power MAC protocols which implement radio low duty cycling.


The mache parapotamios, or river battle, briefly brings nature to the forefront of epic narrative and provides an insight into perceptions of the environment. This type scene, appearing in a number of extant epics including Homer's Iliad, Silius Italicus' Punica, and Statius' Thebaid, demonstrates that these poems are aware of the importance of nature as divine and cosmological, and are concerned with its relationship to humankind. The mache parapotamios does not, however, communicate a 'green' message in which nature is considered, or cared for, as an entity unto itself. Destruction of the environment is frequently slated as sacrilegious, and it is often equated with cosmological disorder. What is more, the narrative promotes the consensual domestication of nature so that it will benefit humankind, recognising that undamaged and benevolent nature is better than its wild and aggressive counterpart. In this way, concern for the preservation of nature in epic is anthropocentric.  Using a schema with which to analyse nature in epic, we can categorise aspects of nature into domesticated or undomesticated, and natural or non-natural. In the case of the mache parapotamios, this schema takes into account the personification of the river, as well as its relationship with humans. Alliances with humans demonstrate domestication, such as the Scamander's cooperation with the Trojans, while enmity towards humans demonstrates a lack of domestication, as when the Trebia of the Punica assaults Scipio. Furthermore, a river is natural when it is in control of itself and acting according to its phusis, but an external force, such as pollution or obstruction, can cause a river to become non-natural. This frequently reflects negatively on the human perpetrators of the non-natural phenomena.  Each of the three chapters discusses one of the texts above and analyses the mache parapotamios, as well as other scenes involving nature, using the proposed schema. While each text presents an altered version of the river battle in order to best suit the needs of the epic, the significance of the relationships between the gods, humans, and nature remains a constant across all three.