Summary Plant laccases are thought to function in the oxidation of monolignols which leads to higher order lignin formation. Only a hand‐full of laccases in plants have been functionally evaluated, and as such little is known about the breadth of their impact on cell wall chemistry or structure. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized laccase from Populus, encoded by locus Potri.008G064000, whose reduced expression resulted in transgenic Populus trees with changes in syringyl/guaiacyl ratios as well as altered sugar release phenotypes. These phenotypes are consistent with plant biomass exhibiting reduced recalcitrance. Interestingly, the transgene effect on recalcitrance is dependent on a mild pretreatment prior to chemical extraction of sugars. Metabolite profiling suggests the transgene modulates phenolics that are associated with the cell wall structure. We propose that this particular laccase has a range of functions related to oxidation of phenolics and conjugation of flavonoids that interact with lignin in the cell wall.


INTRODUCTION
Supraglottic devices have mostly eliminated the need of hemodynamically stressful routine endotracheal intubation for ambulatory surgeries. We aimed to compare hemodynamics- like blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) alterations caused by stress response due to i-gel™ and LMA-ProSeal™ usage in Day care surgeries. Secondary outcomes included ease of insertion, time and number of attempts for the placement of devices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
From April 2008 to July 2009, Sixty adult ASA I-II patients of either sex, aged 20-30, were randomly allocated into two groups (Group i-gel (n=30) receiving i-gel and Group PLMA (n=30) receiving LMA-ProSeal for airway maintenance) undergoing day care surgical procedures under general anaesthesia (GA).The ease of insertion and time taken for placement of device, postoperative complications were assessed. Haemodynamic parameters (HR, BP) were noted. It was a prospective, double blinded, and randomized controlled study. Parametric data were analyzed with the unpaired t-test and non-parametric data were analyzed with the Chi-square test. Unless otherwise stated, data are presented as mean (+ SD). p <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS
Demographically both the groups were similar. i-gel was more easily inserted than LMA-ProSeal (90% vs. 83.33% respectively). i-gel insertion time was shorter than PLMA (14.9 vs. 20.0 sec respectively) and was statistically significant. Hemodynamics (HR, BP) were less altered in i-gel than PLMA and the results were statistically significant (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION
i-Gel; a relatively newer and cheap supraglottic device; insertion is easier and quicker as well as hemodynamically less stressful when compared with LMA-ProSeal in a day care setting.


Abstract Background: Patients with Ménière's disease can develop unaidable sensorineural hearing loss. Cochlear implantation has recently been utilised in this group with favourable results. A more challenging group are those with intractable vertigo, and they have traditionally posed a significant management dilemma. Case report: Two female patients with unaidable hearing and recurrent incapacitating vertigo attacks despite conservative management underwent simultaneous labyrinthectomy and cochlear implantation. There was complete resolution of vertigo in both patients. Speech perception in quiet conditions and the ability to hear in background noise improved considerably. Conclusion: Surgical labyrinthectomy is effective for the elimination of vertigo in Ménière's disease patients. The major disadvantage in the past was loss of residual hearing. Cochlear implantation is now an option in these patients. The benefits of simultaneous labyrinthectomy with cochlear implantation include the prevention of implantation of a fibrosed or ossified cochlea, a decrease in the duration of deafness, and a single operative procedure.


Chronic heart failure (CHF) represents the first cause of hospitalization in persons older than 6o years in our environment. Beside its incidence and prevalence is increasing although new therapeutic treatments. We think the recommendations of the guidelines of clinical practise are an important instrument to make decisions, although sometimes it is used a numeric language little clear. We do not have either to forget that sometimes patients selected for the clinical trials aren t really representative. Finally to add that pharmaceutical industry spends a lot of money on investigating active basics, but as company itself is needs to obtain benefits. With all of this, in this article we try to study the role of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) occupy in the medic strategy for the planification of a patient s treatment with chronic heart failure.


April 2013 • Oil and Gas Facilities 51 Summary This paper presents a methodology to estimate the probability of failure of every individual corrosion defect and the residual likelihood of failure of an overall corroded pipeline segment after selected repairs, using structural probabilistic analysis based on the assumption of a stationary gamma distribution of the corrosion process. Metal loss size is taken as the load condition, and the allowable depth of the defect is taken as the resistance condition. The load condition is obtained applying the probabilistic transformation method (PTM) and the resistance condition is obtained through Monte Carlo simulation. Using inspection data collected on a gas pipeline segment pigged two times, results of the suggested methodology are compared with those obtained by a classical approach based on a Gaussian distribution. It is determined that the use of Gaussian model overestimates for a short time horizon after inspection the failure probability, and suggests many useless repairs. The model developed in this paper instead authorizes a more rigorous estimation of failure probability and a significant reduction of maintenance costs.


Abstract Introduction: The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) represents a major advancement in ICD technology. Inappropriate shocks (IAS) occur in more than 3.1% of the population with S-ICD each year and are usually followed by admission to the emergency department (ED). In this setting, the disabling of IAS is mandatory during a pseudo-electrical storm (ES). This report describes the strategies that can be followed in order to temporarily inhibit IAS in critical care settings with the use of magnets. Case presentation: An S-ICD was implanted more than 6 weeks prior to presentation in a 68-year-old man with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In the ED, the patient experienced 3 IAS in the last hour. A Medtronic magnet was applied to stop IAS, as the specific programmer was not available. The maneuver interrupted the IAS. In order to verify the universal magnetic response of the S-ICD, six different magnets and one smartphone with MagSafe technology were tested. All magnet models suspended arrhythmia detection and IAS, while the smartphone did not cause magnet interferences. Conclusions: This report demonstrates the safety and efficacy of all clinical magnet models in inhibiting IAS. In case of pseudo-ES, any type of magnet allows ED providers to easily and rapidly disable the functionality of the devices when appropriate.


Several countries are considering extending Daylight Saving Time (DST) in order to conserve energy, and the U.S. will extend DST by one month beginning in 2007. However, projections that these extensions will reduce electricity consumption rely on extrapolations and simulations rather than empirical evidence. This paper, in contrast, examines a quasi-experiment in which parts of Australia extended DST in 2000 to facilitate the Sydney Olympics. Using detailed panel data and a triple differences specification, we show that the extension did not conserve electricity, and that a prominent simulation model overstates electricity savings when it is applied to Australia.


The two chiral-symmetry-breaking schemes of strong and neutral PCAC are contrasted, but each are shown to be self-consistent theoretical pictures. At the present time, however, it would appear that the phenomenological values of the pi N sigma term and Goldberger-Trieman discrepancy favour the neutral PCAC approach.


The RESRAD and RESRAD-BUILD codes are part of the RESRAD family of codes developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. For many years, these deterministic codes have been used as dose assessment tools for cleanup of sites contaminated with radioactive materials. The RESRAD code applies to the cleanup of soils, and the RESRAD-BUILD code applies to the cleanup of buildings and structures. This report is the third in a series documenting the procedures used to enhance the deterministic RESRAD and RESRAD-BUILD codes for probabilistic dose analysis. A six-step procedure was used in developing default parameter distributions and the probabilistic analysis modules. These six steps include (1) listing and categorizing parameters, (2) ranking parameters, (3) developing parameter distributions, (4) testing parameter distributions for probabilistic analysis, (5) developing probabilistic modules, and (6) testing probabilistic modules and integrated codes. These six steps are discussed and summarized in this report. Steps 4 and 5 are documented in separate NUREG/CR reports (NUREG/CR-6676 [Kamboj et al., 2000] and NUREG/CR-6692 [LePoire et al., 2000]). The reports for steps 1, 2, 3, and 6 are included in this report as attachments. The probabilistic versions of RESRAD and RESRAD-BUILD codes provide tools for studying the uncertainty in dose assessment caused by uncertain input parameters. The codes are designed to be user-friendly, but they can be misused. Therefore, it is important that potential users be trained in the proper use of the codes consistent with the guidance in NRC's Standard Review Plan (SRP) for Decommissioning (NRC, 2000) for dose modeling and analysis. Furthermore, it is important that the code users follow the guidance in the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (NRC, 1997) on collecting site-specific data for developing probabilistic distributions of parameter values to be used in the RESRAD and RESRAD-BUILD codes. They need to collect enough data to develop values that are as close to real-world distributions of these values as possible to produce meaningful and technically defensible results.


This study was conducted in three different locations (kopru, barla and hoyran) of Lake EA"Ÿirdir from March 2001 to February 2002, to investigate spatial distributions of economic fish populations in the lake. Whit this aim, fish populations were sampled monthly using by 5 gillnets of mesh sizes varying between 36 and 40 mm, and 5 trammel nets of mesh sizes varying between 56 and 140 mm. In fishing operations, individuals belonging to silver crucian carp (Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782)), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758)), vimba (Vimba vimba Linnaeus, 1758) and carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) were caught. It was determined that pikeperch for kopru and barla regions and silver crucian carp for hoyran region of the lake were dominant. In terms of spatial distributions of fish species, similarity was rather high between kopru and barla sampling sites, while it was low between hoyran and the other sampling sites. In addition, the mean weight and length of samples were decreased gradually from South to North for silver crucian carp, while increased for pikeperch and vimba.


The design of suitable catalysts for the one-pot conversion of glycerol into acrylic acid (AA) is a complex matter, as only fine-tuning of the redox and acid properties makes it possible to obtain significant yields of AA. However, fundamental understanding behind the catalytic phenomenon is still unclear. Structure-reactivity correlations are clearly behind these results, and acid sites are involved in the dehydration of glycerol into acrolein with vanadium as the main (or only) redox element. For the first time, we propose an in-depth study to shed light on the molecular-level relations behind the overall catalytic results shown by several types of V-containing catalysts. Different multifunctional catalysts were synthesized, characterized (>X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia), and tested in a flow reactor. Combining the obtained results with those acquired from an in situ FTIR spectroscopy study with acrolein (a reaction intermediate), it was possible to draw conclusions on the role played by the various physicochemical features of the different oxides in terms of the adsorption, surface reactions, and desorption of the reagents and reaction products.


This report describes the testing methodologies and evaluation procedures and criteria for the evaluation of uniaxial compressive creep data to determine the susceptibility of asphalt concrete mixtures to permanently deform or rut. The methodology described and the supporting figures and tables allows the user to perform uniaxial creep testing in accordance with the procedure explained in the Asphalt Aggregate Mixture Analysis System {AAMAS) under a stress state that realistically duplicates the in situ condition for the specific pavement and traffic condition to which the asphalt mixture will be subjected. Furthermore, the procedure provides creep strain, creep curve slope and creep stiffness criteria by which to evaluate the potential of the mixture to deform in specific conditions of pavement structure and traffic. The procedure was developed with the intent of integration into the AAMAS procedure. The reports explains the use of a method to analyze triaxial shear test data in order to determine the susceptibility of asphalt concrete mixtures to deform under specific conditions of loading and in specific pavement structural situations. This procedure is based on the evaluation of the ratio of induced octahedral shear stress to the octahedral shear strength of the asphalt concrete under the specific conditions of stress actually induced in the pavement structure.


Xfin is a member of a Zn-finger multigene family that shares homology with the Drosophila segmentation gene, Krüppel. This paper reports on our identification and cellular localization, through the utilization of specific antibodies, of the expression product of Xfin in the Xenopus laevis retina, and its pattern of expression during the retinal developmental stages. By immunostaining sections of the retina, we show that the major staining is localized in the cytoplasm of the cones. The protein appears at an early differentiation stage of the cones, when they can not be univocally identified by morphological criteria, and is maintained up to the adult retina. The same antigenicity pattern is detectable in the retina of the anuran genus Bufo. The immunostaining data are confirmed by Western blot analysis on Xenopus eye protein extracts. Because of its cytoplasmic localization, and because of the ability of Zn-finger proteins to bind nucleic acids, we think that Xfin may be involved in the terminal differentiation of the cones through RNA-protein interactions.


Grafting is the main means of propagation for watermelon crops. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether light quality during graft healing variably affects different scion × rootstock genotype combinations. Two watermelon hybrid scions (Sunny Florida F1 and Celine F1) and two interspecific squash rootstocks (Radik and TZ-148) were used, and four scion × rootstock genotype combinations derived. After grafting, we tested seven light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which provided narrow-band red (R) and blue (B); R-B with 36% (36B), 24% (24B), and 12% (12B) blue; 12B with additional far-red (12B+FR); and white (W), in a healing chamber. In three genotype combinations, shoot length, leaf area, and shoot biomass were mainly enhanced under red-blue LEDs, while stem diameter was greater under R. In contrast, dry weight of roots, Dickson's quality index, and ratio of shoot dry weight/length were variably affected in each genotype combination. From the results, it is concluded that light treatments differentially affected each genotype combination, but some parameters involving biomass production show genotypic dependency.


A large proportion, perhaps the majority, of women who seek medical advice have some urinary disturbance. It may be of such slight degree, or of so gradual an onset, that the patient is not aware that she is the victim of this particular trouble. In such case the history of the disturbance is elicited only after close questioning. On the other hand, it may be of such severity as to be the prime cause of consulting the physician. There is ample explanation, on anatomic and physiologic bases, for the frequency of urologic lesions, and the consequent disturbances of urination, in women. When we consider the anatomic situation of the female urinary organs, and the physiologic exigencies of adolescence, of the child-bearing period, and of the menopause, there is little wonder that affections of these organs are so common, so diverse in character, and often so distressing. The sexual organs, so


Pandemics or high impact epidemics are one of the biggest threats facing humanity today. While a complete elimination of the occurrence of such threats is improbable, it is possible to contain their impact by efficient management which in turn depends on effective decision-making. In the event of a pandemic the data flows are enormous and pose severe cognitive overload to the public health decision-makers. In this context, this paper presents PandemCap, an innovative decision support tool that can be used by the public health officials for making better and well informed decisions in the event of pandemics or high impact epidemics. PandemCap provides an interactive, flexible platform to public health decision-makers by making extensive use of techniques from the domains of visual analytics and epidemic modeling. In addition, the tool also allows for the study of the impact of various interventions or control measures such as the use of vaccines, anti-virals, hospital beds, and ventilators.


The validity of simulation has been well-established for decades in areas such as computer and communication system. Recently, the technique has become entrenched in specific areas such as transportation and traffic forecasting. Several methods have been proposed for investigating complex traffic flows. However. the dynamics of vehicles and their driver's characteristics, even though it is known that they are important factors for any traffic flow analysis, have never been considered sufficiently. In this paper, the traffic simulation using a multi-agent approach with considering vehicle dynamics is proposed. The multi-agent system is constructed with the traffic environment and the agents of vehicle and driver. The traffic environment consists of multi-lane roads, nodes, virtual lanes, and signals. To ensure the fast calculation, the agents are performed on the based of the rules to regulate their behaviors. The communication frameworks are proposed for the agents to share the information of vehicles' velocity and position. TI1e model of a driver agent which controls a vehicle agent is described in the companion paper. The vehicle model contains the nonlinear subcomponents of engine. torque converter, automatic transmission. and wheels. The simulation has proceeded for an interrupted and uninterrupted flow model. The result has shown that the driver agent performs human-like behavior ranging from slow and careful to fast and aggressive driving behavior, and that the change of the traffic state is closely related with the distance and the signal delay between intersections. The system developed shows the effectiveness and the practical usefulness of the traffic simulation.


We have synthesized several glycosyl ergosterols and 5,6-dihydroergosterols (DHE) and examined their effects on production of nitric oxide (NO) and iNOS protein expression in LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Our results showed that DHE derivatives inhibited production of NO and iNOS protein expression more strongly than ergosterol derivative. Especially, DHE-Glc exhibited most potent inhibitory activity without cytotoxicity up to the concentration of .


A model to determinate the reproductive basic number, detonated Ro, for the case of population with heterogeneity in sexual activity and proportionate mixing is solved using computer algebra and SMT solvers. Specifically Maple and Z3 were used. The code for the solution of the model was written in Z3-Python, but it can also be played by Z3-SMT-Lib. R0 represents an algebraic synthesis of every epidemiological parameter. Numerical simulations were done to prove the effectiveness of the model and the code. The algebraic structure of R0 suggests the possible control measurements that should be implemented to avoid the propagation of the sexual transmitted diseases. The obtained results are important on the computational epidemiology field. As a future investigation, it is suggested to apply the STM solvers to analyze models for other kinds of epidemic diseases.


The article explores the possibilities of generic programming offered by the template features of C++. We define compile time recursive objects as instances of class templates which contain other instances of the same template as member variables. With such templates we can define containers that contain objects of arbitrary types, but where the type of each element is known at compile time. The structure of the container is therefore fixed. The technique mimics the polymorphism achieved with dynamic binding and inheritance using static binding and template specialisation. It is obviously less flexible but offers considerable performance gains at runtime. We give the template definitions for compile time recursive lists and explain how to perform operations on these lists. As an example application, we use compile time lists in the definition of templates for special sparse vectors and matrices. In these vectors and matrices, the sparseness pattern can be arbitrary but must be known at compile time. The tracking of zero and nonzero elements is performed at compile time. This allows the programmer to use abstract vector and matrix expressions and still reach performance equal to hand coded operations. This is possible since the compiler can locate the elementary expressions between zero entries and discard them entirely from the resulting code.


We develop a method that combines data mining and first principles calculation to guide the designing of distorted cubane Mn(4+)Mn3(3+) single molecule magnets. The essential idea of the method is a process consisting of sparse regressions and cross-validation for analyzing calculated data of the materials. The method allows us to demonstrate that the exchange coupling between Mn(4+) and Mn(3+) ions can be predicted from the electronegativities of constituent ligands and the structural features of the molecule by a linear regression model with high accuracy. The relations between the structural features and magnetic properties of the materials are quantitatively and consistently evaluated and presented by a graph. We also discuss the properties of the materials and guide the material design basing on the obtained results.


Comprehension of Code-switching by Bilingual Infants Krista Byers-Heinlein Concordia University Elizabeth Morin-Lessard Concordia University Abstract: Bilingual children are regularly exposed to code-switching, a linguistic phenomenon consisting of mixing two languages within the same context (Byers-Heinlein, 2013a). Studies have demonstrated that adults are slower to process code-switched language (Grainger & O'regan, 1992), and preliminary studies testing intra-sentential switches ("Where is the chien?") found similar results with toddlers (Byers-Heinlein, 2013b). Here, we investigated 20-month-olds' processing of code-switching across a sentence boundary (inter-sentential switching). In a preferential looking paradigm, 10 English-French bilinguals viewed a target and a distractor image on an eyetracking screen. Contrary to the predictions, children showed similar accuracy in looking at the labeled referent in code-switched contexts (e.g. "That one looks fun! Le chien!") as in single- language contexts (e.g. "That one looks fun! The dog!"). The outcome suggests that code-switching does not always accrue a processing cost, and that the impact of a code-switch on processing depends on the location of the switch.


The study on the effects of biological fluids in the presence of magnetic field is known as biomagnetic fluid dynamics (BFD) and the most common biological fluid that exhibit such magnetic properties is blood. An extensive research work has been done in this area due to its applications in medical and bioengineering. Basically, it is essential for a study to be justified according to certain benchmark before progressing. Hence, biomagnetic fluid flow in a lid driven cavity is numerically investigated by utilizing two numerical schemes: finite difference and finite element methods. The formulation adopted is consistent with the principles of ferrohydrodynamics. The mathematical model describes Newtonian blood flow under the influence of a spatially varying magnetic field. The model considers the biofluid as non-conducting. The flow is assumed to be two-dimensional, steady, laminar and isothermal. The implementation of finite element method shows stability issue due to extremely steep magnetic field gradient while finite difference method shows no issue. Due to this, a solution is proposed to alleviate the problem and the result for various magnetic field intensity presented.


Chemical, enzymatic or microbial activities from the surrounding environment and the food itself can cause spoilage to food products. In the meantime, the recent surge in world population, calls forfood products to be stored and delivered from one place to another place. During delivery, food products will start to deteriorate, losetheir appearance and decrease in nutritional values. Thus, the presence of food preservation methods such as heating, pickling, edible coating, drying, freezing and high-pressure processing can solve this problem by extending the food products? shelf life, stabilize their quality, maintaining their appearance and their taste. There are two categories of food preservations, the modern technology preservation method and the conventional preservation method. In the meantime, conventional food preservations usually use natural food preservatives. Meanwhile, the use of the synthetic preservative such as sulphites, benzoates, sorbates etc. for food preservation can cause certain health problems. In this light, replacing these synthetic preservatives with natural preservatives such as salt, vinegar, honey, etc. are much safer for human and environment. Furthermore, natural preservatives are easy to obtain since the sources are from plant, animal and microbes origin. This review paper focuses on preservation methodsand the natural preservatives that are suitable to be used for food preservation. Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 19(2017) 145-153


Paleontological proxy data and cryolithological information from East Siberian Arctic permafrost preserve records of late Quaternary climate and environmental conditions in West Beringia and their variability which results from interglacial-glacial and interstadial-stadial dynamics. A key site for late Pleistocene Ice Complex is situated at the southern coast of Bol'shoy Lyakhovsky Island (Dmitry Laptev Strait) where coastal outcrops expose frozen sediments, ground ice, and fossil remains.
A 15 m long sequence of Ice Complex permafrost accumulated continuously between >49 and 29 kyr BP in an ice-wedge polygon reflecting the palaeoenvironmental history from the end of the MIS4 stadial to the end of the MIS3 interstadial (Oyogos and Molotkov horizons of the Oyogosskaya Suite). The late MIS4 stadial (>49 kyr BP) record shows a quickly developing polygon tundra while harsh cold and dry summers are reflected by sparse grass-sedge tundra-steppe and high amounts of redeposited conifers. During the early MIS3 interstadial (>49 to 48 kyr BP) pollen records show higher Artemisia percentages within a
grass-sedge tundra-steppe vegetation that supported dry conditions. The MIS3 interstadial optimum between 48 and 38 kyr BP promoted low-centered polygon tundra with shallow water in polygon centers. Moister conditions in the landscape than during the previous late MIS4 stadial are assumed while the general summer climate conditions likely remained dry, but slightly warmer as reflected by higher Salix abundances. Warmer summer air temperatures and moister conditions on landscape scale during the MIS3 optimum are revealed mainly by Salix and green algae findings in the palynological tundra-steppe records. A late MIS3 cooling trend in summer air temperatures between 38 and 29 kyr BP can be deduced from disappearing Salix pollen. The stable water isotope composition of an ice wedge (mean values of -31‰ in δ18O and -243‰ in δD) point to stable cold winter conditions. Changes in the accumulation conditions are indicated at the end of the MIS3 in transition to the MIS2. The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period has been rather poorly represented in East Siberian permafrost records. However, present pollen, sediment, and ground-ice stable water isotope data obtained from coastal exposures on Bol'shoy Lyakhovsky Island mirror the coldest conditions during the MIS 2 stadial (Sartan horizon of the Yanskaya Suite) period between about 26 and 22 kyr BP. The pollen record reveals a cold tundra-steppe vegetation with characteristic predominance of grass pollen over sedge pollen while the stable isotope ice-wedge data indicate extremely cold winter temperatures with mean values of -37 ‰ in δ18O and -290 ‰ in δD.
By the use of combined cryolithological, sedimentological, geochemical, geochronological, and palaeontological proxy data, stadial-interstadial environmental variability in arctic West Beringia was elucidated at millennial resolution.


Infection with the apicomplexan protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is an ongoing public health problem. The parasite's ability to invade and replicate within the host cell is dependent on many effectors, such as dense granule proteins (GRAs) released from the specialized organelle dense granules, into host cells. GRAs have emerged as important determinants of T. gondii pathogenesis. However, the functions of some GRAs remain undefined. In this study, we used CRISPR-Cas9 technique to disrupt 17 GRA genes (GRA11, GRA12 bis, GRA13, GRA14, GRA20, GRA21, GRA28-31, GRA33-38, and GRA40) in the virulent T. gondii RH strain. The CRISPR-Cas9 constructs abolished the expression of the 17 GRA genes. Functional characterization of single ΔGRA mutants was achieved in vitro using cell-based plaque assay and egress assay, and in vivo in BALB/c mice. Targeted deletion of these 17 GRA genes had no significant effect neither on the in vitro growth and egress of the mutant strains from the host cells nor on the parasite virulence in the mouse model of infection. Comparative analysis of the transcriptomics data of the 17 GRA genes suggest that GRAs may serve different functions in different genotypes and life cycle stages of the parasite. In sum, although these 17 GRAs might not be essential for RH strain growth in vitro or virulence in mice, they may have roles in other strains or parasite stages, which warrants further investigations.


The use of optics to connect chip to chip and gate to gate fails to take advantage of the connectivity of optics. A lens can easily convey a 100*100 array of spots, which can be considered as a 10000-pin connector. Electronics cannot support this connectivity. Advances in using this parallelism are described. One technique, called symbolic substitution, forces computation into a regular format amenable to optical space-invariant interconnections. Another technique, called computational origami, folds a computation to achieve an arbitrary hardware/time tradeoff which can be used to match a computation to the parallelism of optics. Progress in developing optical logic gates is outlined. Efforts directed toward studying various organic materials with the hope of finding stronger nonlinearities are noted. >


Ecological reservoir is a multifunctional space where provides the functions of retention, animal habitat and improvement of ecosystem health and landscape. The ecological reservoir of Anteo Eco Park located in Gwangmyeong-si has established to functions for water purification, maintenance of healthy aquatic ecosystem. Because the Anteo Eco Park is located in the site where nonpoint pollutant materials flow in, Anteo Eco Park has potential factors which aquatic ecosystem health deteriorates and damages the habitat of golden frog( Rana plancyi chosenica ) which is restoration target species. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to suggest the plan to manage the variables which impede the right functions of aquatic ecosystem by understanding the causal loop diagram for the change of water quality environment and the interaction of predator-prey through system thinking. The results are as follows. First, the study showed that the individual number of golden frog which is an indicator species of Anteo Eco Park is threatened by snakeheaded fish, which is an upper predator. Therefore, balanced food chain should be hold to protect golden frog by capturing the snakeheaded fish which is individual number's density is high, and the monitoring management of the individual number for predator (snakeheaded fish)-prey(golden frog) should be performed. Second, the study represented that water pollution and carnification is caused by the sediment as the dead body of the large emergent vegetation in the winter cumulates as sediment. Ecological reservoir in Anteo Eco Park has been managed by eliminating the dead body of the large emergent vegetation, but the guideline for the proper density maintenance of vegetation community is additionally needed. Lastly, the study showed that aquatic ecosystem of Anteo Eco Park where is contaminated from the inflow of nonpoint pollutants affects the individual number's decline of golden frog and snakeheaded fish. Accordingly, the creation of a buffer area and a substitution wetland is needed in the periphery of the Anteo Eco Park to control the inflow of nonpoint pollutants including organic matters, nutrients and heavy metals. This study will be helpful that Anteo Eco Park improves the regional landscape and maintain healthy aquatic ecosystem space for the park visitors including local residents.


In this paper, we focus on the long time behavior of the mild solution to delayed reaction-diffusion Hopfield neural networks (DRDHNNs) driven by infinite dimensional Wiener processes. We analyze the existence, uniqueness, and stability of this system under the local Lipschitz function by constructing an appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii function and utilizing the semigroup theory. Some easy-to-test criteria affecting the well-posedness and stability of the networks, such as infinite dimensional noise and diffusion effect, are obtained. The criteria can be used as theoretic guidance to stabilize DRDHNNs in practical applications when infinite dimensional noise is taken into consideration. Meanwhile, considering the fact that the standard Brownian motion is a special case of infinite dimensional Wiener process, we undertake an analysis of the local Lipschitz condition, which has a wider range than the global Lipschitz condition. Two samples are given to examine the availability of the results in this paper. Simulations are also given using the MATLAB.


We describe a distributed framework for resource sharing problems that we face in communications, microeconomics and various networking applications. In particular, we consider a hierarchical multi-layer decomposition for network utility maximization (NUM), where functionalities are assigned to different layers. The proposed methodology creates solutions having central management and distributed computations. The technique aims to respond to the dynamics of the network by decreasing the communication cost, while shifting more computational load to the edges of the network. The main contribution of this work is the provision of a detailed analysis under the assumption that the network changes are in the same time-scale with the convergence time of the algorithms used for local computations. For this scenario, assuming strong concavity and smoothness of the users' objective functions, we present convergence rates for each layer.


Rationale Emphysema and osteoporosis are epidemiologically associated diseases of cigarette smokers. The causal mechanism(s) linking these illnesses is unknown. We hypothesized autoimmune responses may be involved in both disorders. Objectives To discover an antigen-specific autoimmune response associated with both emphysema and osteoporosis among smokers. Methods Replicate nonbiased discovery assays indicated that autoimmunity to glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone and cell surface signaling receptor, is present in many smokers. Subject assessments included spirometry, chest CT scans, dual x-ray absorptiometry, and immunoblots for anti-GRP78 IgG. Anti-GRP78 autoantibodies were isolated from patient plasma by affinity chromatography, leukocyte functions assessed by flow cytometry, and soluble metabolites and mediators measured by immunoassays. Measurements and Main Results Circulating anti-GRP78 IgG autoantibodies were detected in plasma specimens from 86 (32%) of the 265 smoking subjects. Anti-GRP78 autoantibodies were singularly prevalent among subjects with radiographic emphysema (OR 3.1, 95%CI 1.7–5.7, p = 0.003). Anti-GRP78 autoantibodies were also associated with osteoporosis (OR 4.7, 95%CI 1.7–13.3, p = 0.002), and increased circulating bone metabolites (p = 0.006). Among emphysematous subjects, GRP78 protein was an autoantigen of CD4 T-cells, stimulating lymphocyte proliferation (p = 0.0002) and IFN-gamma production (p = 0.03). Patient-derived anti-GRP78 autoantibodies had avidities for osteoclasts and macrophages, and increased macrophage NFkB phosphorylation (p = 0.005) and productions of IL-8, CCL-2, and MMP9 (p = 0.005, 0.007, 0.03, respectively). Conclusions Humoral and cellular GRP78 autoimmune responses in smokers have numerous biologically-relevant pro-inflammatory and other deleterious actions, and are associated with emphysema and osteoporosis. These findings may have relevance for the pathogenesis of smoking-associated diseases, and development of biomarker immunoassays and/or novel treatments for these disorders.


This work presents a power-efficient wireless sensor implemented using microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based dry electrodes (MDE) and a ZigBee protocol chip for physiological signal acquisition. To improve signal quality with low electrode-skin interface impedance, a silicon-based MDE is fabricated via micromachining technology. The proposed wireless sensor can provide four different channels for up to 10 kHz bandwidth, 10-bit resolution biomedical signal transmissions. Different from other systems, the proposed wireless sensor employs a novel power management method for physiological signals to reduce power consumption. The proposed wireless sensor successfully transmits electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and four-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) signals with power consumptions of 92.7 and 56.8 mW respectively. It consumes 46% less power than the original sensor without power management (173 mW) in ECG acquisition and 67% less power in EEG acquisition. The circuit printed-circuit-band area in the proposed wireless sensor is 3.5×4.5 cm, suitable for various portable biomedical applications.


Abdominal pregnancy is a rare type of ectopic pregnancy where the fetus is implanted within the peritoneal cavity. The condition is extremely rare accounting for about 1% of all ectopic pregnancies. It presents a great threat to the life of the mother and, in most cases, the fetus does not survive. Full-term abdominal pregnancies are even rarer, particularly when a live baby is delivered. It Is this rarity that justifies it being of medical curiosity. This article presents the case of a 30-year-old woman who was referred to Dodoma Regional and Teaching Hospital with a history of 'labour-like abdominal pains' for 3 days associated with vaginal spotting. After examination, the tentative diagnosis of early abruption placenta with a live fetus was reached and a decision to deliver by caesarean section was made. After opening the abdomen the amniotic sac was identified within the peritoneal cavity and it was ruptured to deliver a live 2.650 kilogram female baby with an Apgar score of 7–10 at 1 and 5 minutes re...


Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe pulmonary vascular disease characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and low cardiac output. Prior to prostacyclin therapy, it was a fatal disease with a median survival of 3 years. In recent years, the understanding and treatment of the disease have significantly improved patient outcome. The new therapeutic guidelines are based on the finding that vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling correlated with endothelial dysfunction, endothelin overexpression and diminished prostacyclin and nitric oxide synthesis. This article outlines the new classification and the current therapeutic guidelines accepted in the world presenting the role of prostacyclins, endothelin antagonist, phosphodiesterase V inhibitor, and the potential value of combination therapies.


Interfacing the different building blocks of a future large scale quantum network will demand efficient and noiseless frequency conversion of quantum light. Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are a leading candidate to form the nodes of such a network. However, the performance of a suitable converter remains a bottleneck, with existing demonstrations severely limited by parasitic noise arising at the target telecom wavelength. Here, we demonstrate a new platform for efficient low-noise quantum frequency conversion based on a monolithic bulk ppKTP cavity and show its suitability for the conversion of 637 nm single photons from NV centers in diamond to telecommunication wavelengths. By resonantly enhancing the power of an off-the-shelf pump laser, we achieve an internal conversion efficiency of $(72.3\pm 0.4)\%$ while generating only $(110\pm 4) \mbox{ kHz/nm}$ noise at the target wavelength without the need for any active stabilization. This constitutes a 5-fold improvement in noise over existing state-of-the-art single-step converters at this wavelengths. We verify the almost ideal preservation of non-classical correlations by converting photons from a spontaneous parametric down-conversion source and moreover show the preservation of time-energy entanglement via Franson interferometry.


In this paper, we present an algorithm which automatically maps the IPs/cores onto a generic regular Network on Chip (NoC) architecture such that the total communication energy is minimized. At the same time, the performance of the mapped system is guaranteed to satisfy the specified constraints through bandwidth reservation. As the main contribution, we first formulate the problem of energy-aware mapping, in a topological sense, and then propose an efficient branch-and-bound algorithm to solve it. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is very fast and robust, and significant energy savings can be achieved. For instance, for a complex video/audio SoC design, on average, 60.4% energy savings have been observed compared to an ad-hoc implementation.


Detection performance of cognitive radios can be significantly improved by utilizing Higher Order Statistics (HOS) in the spectrum sensing process. The additional usage of goodness-of-fit tests on the inspected frequency spectrum can further improve the signal detection. This letter proposes a novel detection method that uses goodness-of-fit tests on the skewness and kurtosis of the FFT power spectrum (empirically derived) to evaluate the signal existence. Testbed evaluations prove that the method adapts to the specific hardware noise characteristics. The result is powerful detection performance, i.e. the capability of detecting various signals even 32dB below the noise floor.


Despite the publicly accepted concept of 'smart growth' of urban areas and its wide implications in developed countries, there is less concern about this in a newly emerging economy like China. Yet, due to the unprecedented urbanization rates in many developing countries, how to control unordered urban sprawl is becoming a severe challenge to multiple levels of governments. This study is the first to comprehensively evaluate the spatial and temporal change of vacant land within the built‐up area of a large city in China. We used the core city of Shanghai as a case‐study to systematically investigate the spatial–temporal distribution of vacant land at the fine scale. The boundaries of vacant land patches and of other urban land use types were delineated using visual interpretation, based on 0.3‐m resolution aerial photos collected in 2000, 2005, and 2010. We find that (a) vacant land plays a very important role in the composition of the urban landscape of central Shanghai, accounting for 9.3%, 11.3%, and 10.4% of the core city area in 2000, 2005, and 2010, respectively; (b) there exists obvious spatial–temporal change of transformation between vacant land and other land use types during the 10 years studied; and (c) the considerable amounts of vacant land and its change dynamic have important policy implications for smart growth of cities in China. Making the best planning and management decisions about these vacant lands might be one promising smart growth principle for China's cities.


Detecting and reacting to faults is an indispensable capability for many wireless sensor network applications. Unfortunately, implementing fault detection and error correction algorithms is challenging. Programming languages and fault tolerance mechanisms for sensor networks have historically been designed in isolation. This is the first work to combine them. Our goal is to simplify the design of fault-tolerant sensor networks. We describe a system that makes it unnecessary for sensor network application developers and users to understand the intricate implementation details of fault detection and tolerance techniques, while still using their domain knowledge to support fault detection, error correction, and error estimation mechanisms. Our FACTS system translates low-level faults into their consequences for application-level data quality, i.e., consequences domain experts can appreciate and understand. FACTS is an extension of an existing sensor network programming language; its compiler and runtime libraries have been modified to support automatic generation of code for on-line fault detection and tolerance. This code determines the impacts of faults on the accuracies of the results of potentially complex data aggregation and analysis expressions. We evaluate the overhead of the proposed system on code size, memory use, and the accuracy improvements for data analysis expressions using a small experimental testbed and simulations of large-scale networks.


Although there has been significant research into gender regarding educational and workplace practices, there has been little investigation of gender differences pertaining to problem solving with programming tools and environments. As a result, there is little evidence as to what role gender plays in programming tools---and what little evidence there is has involved mainly novice and end-user programmers in academic studies. This paper therefore investigates how widespread such phenomena are in industrial programming situations, considering three disparate programming populations involving almost 3000 people and three different programming platforms in industry. To accomplish this, we analyzed four industry "legacy" studies from a gender perspective, triangulating results against each other and against a new fifth study, also in industry. We investigated gender differences in software feature usage and in tinkering/exploring software features. Furthermore, we examined how such differences tied to confidence. Our results showed significant gender differences in all three factors---across all populations and platforms.


The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) currently has the need to replace its fleet of F-16 combat aircraft due to aging. As a result of the introduction of a new aircraft, with advanced stealth capabilities, new weapons and sensors, and extensive network enabled capabilities the existing operational concept needs to be drastically changed. In order to support the development of new operational concepts and to perform operational analysis, quantitative studies in the form of constructive and virtual analysis (humanin-the-loop) are performed. In order for constructive analysis to discover trends and generate statistically reliable results, a large number of experiments have to be conducted. This requires analysis- and simulation models. Supporting the RNLAF, TNO Defence, Security and Safety developed a generic aircraft simulation model. This simulation model includes both sophisticated simulation of hardware components like sensors and missiles, as well as simulation of the aircraft's tactical behaviour. In this paper we describe how behaviour modelling techniques from the domain of (serious) games were used to develop a composable and flexible behaviour module in which the aircraft's tactical behaviour is modelled. This behaviour module is kept separate from the simulation suite in which the aircraft is modelled, ensuring the behaviour module can be reused in combination with different simulation suites and for other applications.


Local minimum wage laws are becoming common across U.S. cities, and their effects may be different from the effects of state or national minimum wage policies. This paper studies the effect of changes in the minimum wage on spatial equilibriums in local labor markets. Using residence and workplace data for the United States, I analyze how commuting, residence, and employment locations change across city and state borders if the minimum wage changes on one side of the border. I find that areas in which the minimum wage increases receive fewer low-wage commuters. A 10 percent increase in the minimum wage reduces the inflow of low-wage commuters by about 2.5 percent. Rises in the minimum wage are also associated with employment relocation across borders toward areas that did not witness an increase in the minimum wage. I formulate a spatial equilibrium gravity model to explain the distribution of workers between low- and high-minimum wage areas. I calculate counterfactual equilibriums with a higher minimum wage for U.S. counties with cities considering an increase, highlighting the role of commuting and migration responses. About two-fifths of the counties considering increases would receive fewer low-wage commuters. Employment relocation away from high-minimum wage areas drives the commuting losses.


A taxonomically diverse group of angiosperms and certain homopteran insects derive water, inorganic and organic solutes from angiosperm xylem sap. Parasitic angiosperms are connected to their host(s) by a specialized organ (the haustorium) and form close cellular contacts with host xylem tissue, while insects tap xylem vessels by means of stylets. Adaptations to phytophagy are discussed with respect to gaining access to xylem tissue and the nutrition of sap feeders. Parasitic angiosperm-host interactions are examined in relation to recent advances in our understanding of root-to-shoot communication via the xylem (the influence of host-sourced signals on the parasite) and the functional significance of high rates of transpiration in parasitic angiosperms.


Elijah ben Solomon (1720-1797) and Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786) are often represented as two poles of eighteenth-century Jewish history: "the Gaon" (Elijah of Vilna) as the defender of rabbinic or "traditional" Judaism, and the "Jewish Socrates" (Mendelssohn), as the founder of "modern" Judaism. A comparative examination of their geniuses in their respective cultural contexts, however, suggests that it was the Gaon who called into question the canons of rabbinic authority, while Mendelssohn tirelessly defended the legitimacy of the rabbinic tradition to his German-speaking audiences. Mendelssohn mobilized his defense of the rabbinic tradition precisely because he was fighting for the political recognition of German Jewry (as followers of rabbinic Judaism). Mendelssohn's argument for pluralism and emancipation of a minority religious group inspired nineteenth-century Western European Jews, who lived as minorities—those who traded their belief in messianic redemption for citizenship in the nation-state, climbed over the ghetto walls of the kehilah (the pre-modern Jewish governing structure) for the freedom of the coffee houses, and turned their backs on the heder and enrolled in universities. Conversely, the Jewish demographic strength and residential propinquity of late eighteenth-century Vilna Jewry allowed the Gaon to question the rabbinic tradition—a position that Mendelssohn would have considered as detrimental to the cause of Jewish emancipation or perhaps even sacrilege. The Gaon's Jewish genius and political agency inspired nineteenth-century Eastern European Jews who lived as majorities—those who left their homes to study with their peers in the privatized Yeshiva, thumbed their nose at the Russian State by boarding boats to Palestine, and joined other anti-Statist political movements.


Background and Aim: Hemiarthroplasty (HA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) are the two alternate surgical interventions required for displaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients. Though THA is superior in certain aspects such as hip pain, reoperation rate and function but had higher dislocation rate compared to HA. The present study aimed to compare the hemiarthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty in elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures. Patients and Methodology: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 20 displaced femoral neck fractures patients in the Department of Orthopedic QAMC/ BVH Bahawalpur from January 2021 to August 2022. Prior to start of study, ethical approval was taken from the institute research and ethical committee. Written informed consent was obtained from each individual. Patients aged >60 years and had femoral neck fractures were enrolled. Rheumatoid arthritis in fracture hip patients, non-ambulatory patients, and pathological fracture patients were excluded. Patients were categorized into two groups; group-I patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty and group-II patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Post-operative complications such as fracture, medical issues, dislocation, surgical site infection, and mortality (1 year) were assessed in both groups. Harris Hip Score (HHS) was used for the assessment of function outcome at one month, three months, six months, and twelve months. SPSS version 25 was used for data analysis. Results: Of the total 20 femoral neck fractures patients, 10 patients underwent hemiarthroplasty and 10 underwent total hip arthroplasty. The overall mean age was 69.44±7.91 years. Demographic details or baseline features were almost similar in both groups. During follow-ups, patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (group-II) had higher Harris hip score than group-I patients. The mean HHS score in group-I patients were 61.53, 68.24, 70.81, and 76.16 at follow-up visit after one month, three months, six months, and twelve months respectively while In group-II, the mean HHS score were 66.23, 69.82, 73.25, and 78.92 respectively. Conclusion: Our study concluded that total hip arthroplasty in elder patients with femoral neck fractures provided better hip functional outcome and lower morbidity and mortality as compared to hemiarthroplasty group. THA could be considered as priority based treatment modality for femoral neck fractures patients than HA due to higher Harris hip scores and lesser complications. Keywords: Femoral neck fractures, Hemiarthroplasty, Total hip arthroplasty


Background The nature and role of the mitochondrial stress response in adipose tissue in relation to obesity are not yet known. To determine whether the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in adipose tissue is associated with obesity in humans and rodents. Methods Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was obtained from 48 normoglycemic women who underwent surgery. Expression levels of mRNA and proteins were measured for mitochondrial chaperones, intrinsic proteases, and components of electron-transport chains. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed metabolic phenotypes with a large panel of isogenic BXD inbred mouse strains and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) data. Results In VAT, expression of mitochondrial chaperones and intrinsic proteases localized in inner and outer mitochondrial membranes was not associated with body mass index (BMI), except for the Lon protease homolog, mitochondrial, and the corresponding gene LONP1, which showed high-level expression in the VAT of overweight or obese individuals. Expression of LONP1 in VAT positively correlated with BMI. Analysis of the GTEx database revealed that elevation of LONP1 expression is associated with enhancement of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism in VAT. Mice with higher Lonp1 expression in adipose tissue had better systemic glucose metabolism than mice with lower Lonp1 expression. Conclusion Expression of mitochondrial LONP1, which is involved in the mitochondrial quality control stress response, was elevated in the VAT of obese individuals. In a bioinformatics analysis, high LONP1 expression in VAT was associated with enhanced glucose and lipid metabolism.


The authors demonstrate three new X-ray lasers in neon-like zirconium, niobium and bromine which lase on 3p to 3s transitions. By observing the wavelengths and relative intensity of the lasing lines they hope to shred some light on the anomalous lasing in neon-like yttrium, where one laser line dominates the spectrum. In this work they report the wavelengths of five new lasing lines in bromine and six lasing lines each in zirconium and niobium.


Introduction: Many nanoformulations have been designed and evaluated for ocular drug
delivery system consistently. These nanoformulations are designed for prolonged retention and
course time, stable, efficient and reversible drug loading. The ocular bioavailability is very less
when the drug is given through topically. Various anatomical and physiological limitations, for example,
tear turnover, nasal lachrymal waste, reflex squinting, and visual static and dynamic hindrances
cause the challenges and delay the ocular drug permeation because of the limitation that
less than 5% dose can reach into the ocular tissues. Different types of Polymeric micelles were
prepared to overcome the above challenges. Polymeric nano micelles are prepared by different
methods, such as direct dissolution, dialysis method, Oil-in-water emulsion, solvent evaporation,
co-solvent evaporation, and freeze-drying method.


This study aimed at describing the background of the birth of the policy on mediation in the Religious of Court and to understand and identify the procedures, barriers and efforts to improve religious court settlement through mediation. The method used is descriptive research method analysis of mediation theory and implementation in the religious court. The study found a number of findings that can give significance to the development of science in the field of procedural law of religious courts, which ishlah theory that can be used as a grand theory to study dispute resolution and mediation triangle theory that can be used as an operational theory (applied theory) in seeing the success of mediation in the judiciary. As for the successful implementation of the policy of mediation can be done with a number of strategies.


Multidrug resistance protein (MRP1) utilizes two non-equivalent nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) to bind and hydrolyze ATP. ATP hydrolysis by either one or both NBDs is essential to drive transport of solute. Mutations of either NBD1 or NBD2 reduce solute transport, but do not abolish it completely. How events at these two domains are coordinated during the transport cycle have not been fully elucidated. Earlier reports (Gao, M., Cui, H. R., Loe, D. W., Grant, C. E., Almquist, K. C., Cole, S. P., and Deeley, R. G. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 13098–13108; Hou, Y., Cui, L., Riordan, J. R., and Chang, X. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 20280–20287) indicate that intact ATP is observed bound at NBD1, whereas trapping of the ATP hydrolysis product, ADP, occurs predominantly at NBD2 and that trapping of ADP at NBD2 enhances ATP binding at NBD1 severalfold. This suggested transmission of a positive allosteric interaction from NBD2 to NBD1. To assess whether ATP binding at NBD1 can enhance the trapping of ADP at NBD2, photoaffinity labeling experiments with [α-32P]8-N3ADP were performed and revealed that when presented with this compound labeling of MRP1 occurred at both NBDs. However, upon addition of ATP, this labeling was enhanced 4-fold mainly at NBD2. Furthermore, the nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue, 5′-adenylylimidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP), bound preferentially to NBD1, but upon addition of a low concentration of 8-N3ATP, the binding at NBD2 increased severalfold. This suggested that the positive allosteric stimulation from NBD1 actually involves an increase in ATP binding at NBD2 and hydrolysis there leading to the trapping of ADP. Mutations of Walker A or B motifs in either NBD greatly reduced their ability to be labeled by [α-32P]8-N3ADP as well as by either [α-32P]- or [γ-32P]8-N3ATP (Hou et al.(2000), see above). These mutations also strongly diminished the enhancement by ATP of [α-32P]8-N3ADP labeling and the transport activity of the protein. Taken together, these results demonstrate directly that events at NBD1 positively influence those at NBD2. The interactions between the two asymmetric NBDs of MRP1 protein may enhance the catalytic efficiency of the MRP1 protein and hence of its ATP-dependent transport of conjugated anions out of cells.


This study investigates the effect of artificial aging treatment and mechanical attrition treatment on the corrosion behavior of 6351 Al alloy in Red Sea environment. The artificial aging of the alloy is carried out at temperature range 140°C–240°C in steps of 20°C for various time periods after the solution heat treatment at 530°C for 1 hour. Based on the hardness measurements, the aged specimens are categorized into three, namely, underaged, peak aged, and overaged. The as received alloy specimens are subjected to mechanical attrition treatment in a vacuum chamber using steel balls. Vickers hardness test reveals that there is a remarkable improvement in hardness of mechanical attrition treated specimens compared to that of aged specimens. The aged and mechanical attrition treated specimens were subjected to the corrosion test in Red Sea water using the Autolab instrument. The corrosion tests reveal that the peak-aged composite corrodes more in Red Sea water when compared to that of other groups of specimens. XRD measurements and SEM analysis are carried out to study the surface nature of attrition treated specimens. It is observed that the mechanical attrition treated specimens exhibit a nanocrystalline surface and lead to a decrease in corrosion resistance. However, the annealing of the alloy after attrition treatment optimizes the mechanical and corrosion properties of the alloy.


We consider a variation of the maximum bipartite matching problem where
each completed task must have at least two agents assigned to it. We give an
integer programming formulation for the problem, and prove that the basic
solutions of LP-relaxation are half-integral. It is shown that a fractional
basic solution can be further processed to obtain an optimal solution to the
problem.


In this brief, we investigate a class of second-order memristive neural networks (SMNNs) with mixed time-varying delays. Based on nonsmooth analysis, the Lyapunov stability theory, and adaptive control theory, several new results ensuring global stabilization of the SMNNs are obtained. In addition, compared with the reduced-order method used in the existing research studies, we consider the global stabilization directly from the SMNNs themselves without the reduced-order method. Finally, we give some numerical simulations to show the effectiveness of the results.


Dental caries declined in prevalence and severity among schoolchildren in the United States during the 1970s, although it still remains a problem in some areas. The decline could have started well before the 1970s, even though it was only recently identified. Caries should continue to decline as long as fluoride use remains around current levels. Use of fluoride toothpaste seems to be increasing. Sugar consumption is stable, although sucrose consumption as a proportion of total sugar consumption is declining. Increased tooth retention is thought to increase the risk of root caries in older persons, but the continued use of fluoride toothpaste should minimize any such increase. The main growth area for fluoride use may be in toothpastes. Monitoring caries trends in the future will require good data on the epidemiology of caries in young and middle-aged adults.


Non-invasive cortical neural interfaces have only achieved modest performance in cortical decoding of limb movements and their forces, compared to invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). While non-invasive methodologies are safer, cheaper and vastly more accessible technologies, signals suffer from either poor resolution in the space domain (EEG) or the temporal domain (BOLD signal of functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, fNIRS). The non-invasive BCI decoding of bimanual force generation and the continuous force signal has not been realised before and so we introduce an isometric grip force tracking task to evaluate the decoding. We find that combining EEG and fNIRS using deep neural networks works better than linear models to decode continuous grip force modulations produced by the left and the right hand. Our multi-modal deep learning decoder achieves 55.2 FVAF[%] in force reconstruction and improves the decoding performance by at least 15% over each individual modality. Our results show a way to achieve continuous hand force decoding using cortical signals obtained with non-invasive mobile brain imaging has immediate impact for rehabilitation, restoration and consumer applications.


James H. Bater, The Soviet City. London: Edward Arnold, 1980. xii 196 pp. 17 maps. 13 tables. 7 figures. Bibliography. £5.95. When the Soviets came to power in 1917 they inherited a colossal urban problem from the Tsars, but they confidently predicted that their ideological treatment of it would resolve it successfully. The first objective was to remove the differences between town and country, and in this respect they have been successful, but not because of urban planning. Though bent on continuing the Russian traditional town planning, introduced by Peter the Great, Soviet planners had to contend themselves with discussions of ideals, such were the ravages subsequent to World War I (1914-18) and civil war (1918-22). In the late 1930s when the planners could have realized their ideals, Stalinist purges and World War II intervened to delay still further the realization of the Soviet ideologically based ideals for urban development. Only a decade after World War II did it come to realisation. On the surface it appeared that the social and political conditions for their brave experiment were there: all the land was nationalized; all the planning was centrally directed; and the recipient of the benefits of the urban experiment was chiefly the proletariat, ideologically favoured. However, immediately on being launched, the urban development was stunted by the 'all pervasive state bureaucracy' and in many other ways prevented from smooth continuation. Professor Bater's analysis is therefore mainly concerned with the continuity and change and with the relationship between Soviet urban theory and what Soviet towns in practice actually are. Only a few larger cities come anywhere near the stated ideal and the greatest brake for the successful development of urban ideals are, apart from bureaucratic muddle, privileges, co-operative housing and relaxation of totalitarian controls. With these contentious conclusions, Professor Bater hopes to provoke a debate: while admitting failure in certain respects the author also points out the success in social urban experiment (for example, egalitarianism), which could serve as an example to Western societies.


Current approaches to uncertainty propagation in astrodynamics mainly refer to linearize models or Monte Carlo simulations. Naive linear methods fail in nonlinear dynamics, whereas Monte Carlo simulations tend to be computationally intensive. Differential algebra has already proven to be an efficient compromise by replacing thousands of pointwise integrations of Monte Carlo runs with the fast evaluation of the arbitrary order Taylor expansion of the flow of the dynamics. However, the current implementation of the DA-based high-order uncertainty propagator fails in highly nonlinear dynamics or long term propagation. We solve this issue by introducing automatic domain splitting. During propagation, the polynomial of the current state is split in two polynomials when its accuracy reaches a given threshold. The resulting polynomials accurately track uncertainties, even in highly nonlinear dynamics and long term propagations. Furthermore, valuable additional information about the dynamical system is available from the pattern in which those automatic splits occur. From this pattern it is immediately visible where the system behaves chaotically and where its evolution is smooth. Furthermore, it is possible to deduce the behavior of the system for each region, yielding further insight into the dynamics. In this work, the method is applied to the analysis of an end-of-life disposal trajectory of the INTEGRAL spacecraft.


This study examines how the domains of reward and attention, which are often studied as independent processes, in fact interact at a systems level. We operationalize divided attention with a continuous performance task and variables from signal detection theory (SDT), and reward/aversion with a keypress task measuring approach/avoidance in the framework of relative preference theory (RPT). Independent experiments with the same subjects showed a significant association between one SDT and two RPT variables, visualized as a three-dimensional structure. Holding one of these three variables constant, further showed a significant relationship between a loss aversion-like metric from the approach/avoidance task, and the response bias observed during the divided attention task. These results indicate that a more liberal response bias under signal detection (i.e., a higher tolerance for noise, resulting in a greater proportion of false alarms) is associated with higher "loss aversion." Furthermore, our functional model suggests a mechanism for processing constraints with divided attention and reward/aversion. Together, our results argue for a systematic relationship between divided attention and reward/aversion processing in humans.


The use of cell culture methods in Plastic Surgery opened a new horizon in the research of cellular mechanisms of proliferation and biosynthesis functions. Several types of cells have been investigated in the cutaneous compartment. Keratinocytes and fibroblasts have been studied aiming the possibility of developing biomaterial for skin substitution. The present study describes the standardization for the development of fibroblast primary culture, its utilization in experiments and its storage.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of symptoms and risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms.

METHODS
In this case-control study, a validated Arabic version of the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) was administered to patients admitted to King Fahd Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with cerebral aneurysms between January 2006 and July 2011 (n=53). The same questionnaire was administered to a control group comprised of patients attending primary health care clinics who were matched for age, body mass index (BMI), and gender (n=212).

RESULTS
The mean age of patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms was 50.7 +/- 15.2 years, and the mean BMI was 27.9 +/- 4.8 kg/m2. In this group, 75.5% complained of snoring compared with 46.7% of the controls (p=0.000). Hypertension was present in 67.9% of cases compared with 30.2% of the controls (p=0.000). Based on the BQ scores, 60.4% of the cases were considered to be at high risk for OSA compared with 31.6% of the controls (p=0.000).

CONCLUSION
The prevalence of OSA symptoms among patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms is very high. Almost 60% of patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms are at risk for OSA.


This study examines the state of academic research in selling and sales management (S&SM) from the years 2003–7, ten years after the data collected by Moncrief, Marshall, and Watkins (2000). Sales articles are reviewed that appeared in 19 marketing journals and evidence is provided on the state of the S&SM discipline by comparing the number of authors, authorships, and publications versus a comparable five-year period a decade ago. Of interest are the universities that produce and employ faculty in S&SM and to identify those schools and geographic regions that are publishing the majority of articles. Publication distribution trends across journals are also examined. A dramatic increase in non U.S. authors and authorships is noted versus the prior study. Overall, the findings indicate that, perhaps contrary to some popular misconceptions, the state of S&SM research is healthy, vibrant, and evolving.


This white paper describes the need for a more secure and convenient solution for authentication. Passwords have long been the standard for authentication, but the risks inherent to passwords reduce their efficacy as an authentication mechanism. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) solutions have been on market for some time, but their widespread adoption has been slow due to various barriers. Passkeys are an authentication solution that reduces the adoption barriers of traditional MFA mechanisms, while offering improved security, ease of use, and scalability over passwords and classic MFA solutions. Passkeys utilize on-device biometrics or PINs for authentication and provide a seamless user experience. This white paper outlines the benefits of passkeys, the user experience, and adoption considerations for enterprises.


ABSTRACT Problematic online usage (POU) and Internet addiction (IA) lack a refined classification. Using 796 questionnaires, this study is the first to reveal a continuum ranging from Casual users (i.e. older users) to Addicts (i.e. digital natives) acknowledging five different severity levels of POU to IA. Depending on where users are located within the addiction continuum, usability of augmented reality (AR) applications has different effects. Most interestingly, the experience of Casual users is triggered by enjoyment, whilst enjoyment exerts a negative effect on the emotional and action experiences of Addicts-in-denial. The study provides actionable implications for IA, POU, and AR behaviour.


Purpose Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is common in South Korea. We evaluated the patterns of axillary surgery among patients with DCIS to highlight the need for compliance with the updated national guidelines. We also evaluated whether sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was performed in accordance with the national guidelines. Methods The Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Inpatient Sample database was searched for patients with DCIS (2009–2015) to identify axillary surgery patterns by breast surgery type, year of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and the location and volume of surgeries for DCIS at the hospital. The rates of SLNB and axillary dissection were compared using descriptive statistics and univariate analyses. Analyses were also conducted using the chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results We identified 16,315 Korean women who underwent surgery for DCIS, including 11,292 cases of SLNB (69.2%) and 131 cases of axillary lymph node dissection (0.8%). Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) was performed in 10,323 patients (63.3%) with an SLNB rate of 56.0%, while total mastectomy (TM) was performed in 5,992 patients (36.7%), with an SLNB rate of 92.0%. During 2009–2015, the SLNB rate during TM increased from 88.23% to 92.80%. SLNB was influenced by hospital region and surgical volume, and hospitals performing low volumes of surgeries were significantly more likely to perform SLNB regardless of the surgery type (odds ratio, 1.372; 95% confidence interval, 1.265–1.488). Conclusion Although the Korean guidelines recommend SLNB for all TM procedures and select BCS procedures for DCIS, relatively high rates of SLNB were performed for BCS, and there was inter-hospital variability in performing SLNB. Improved compliance with the guidelines by the surgeons is critical for Korean patients with DCIS.


We present a numerical investigation of current high-speed optical intersatellite communication. The considered laser communication terminal (LCT) uses an optical phase-locked loop (OPLL) which ensures stable homodyne detection. The corresponding phase and frequency acquisition will be investigated in detail together with the main impairments like phase and shot noise. The phenomenon of cycle slips is statistically investigated as well as the impact of Doppler shift on the signal frequency due to the relative velocity between the satellites. Finally, a possible extension for the homodyne concept of QPSK modulation will be discussed which allows even higher data rates.


Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, paraoxonase 1, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in women having early spontaneous preterm birth without clinical chorioamnionitis. Material/Methods This study was prospectively administered in women referred to our obstetrics service with preterm labor that resulted in preterm birth (n=35) and term labor that ended in term birth (n=44). The maternal serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and paraoxonase 1 were measured and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was calculated. Results The 25-hydroxyvitamin D and paraoxonase 1 levels of the preterm group were significantly lower than those of the term group (p<0.05). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio value of the preterm group was significantly higher than that of the term group (p<0.05). There was a significant but small positive correlation between the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and paraoxonase 1 in the preterm group (r=0.35; p=0.021). Conclusions Decreased maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and paraoxonase 1 levels and increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio may have a role in the etiology of spontaneous preterm birth.


As a signatory of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), Australia is permitted to impose duties on goods that have been imported below 'normal value' and have caused or threatened to cause 'material injury' to the domestic industry producing 'like goods'. There has been a recent push from various industries to increase protection for producers who have been injured by such practices. The Government is concerned, however, that harsher anti-dumping regulations will damage its position in the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations. As a result, a Senate Inquiry was established in 1990 to review Australia's anti-dumping legislation. The objective of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the public policy process in addressing this issue. The analysis indicates that the process of devising new anti-dumping laws has failed to produce any significant improvements. A number of suggestions are made to make the policy more efficient and the process more effective.


As the number of novel drugs that have entered the market in oncology has slowed in recent years, there has been a dramatic shift towards new therapeutic approaches. The majority of cancer patients die from metastasis formation, which has prompted the pharmaceutical industry to begin to investigate a new class of agents: anti-metastatics. This review provides an overview of the targets, mechanisms of action, and drug substances currently in the pharma pipeline to inhibit tumor cell migration and metastasis formation.


A descriptive study was undertaken to compare the pattern of socio-demographic features, nutritional profile and presenting features of HIV infected and uninfected children with malnutrition. A total of 140 children aged above 15 months admitted to the paediatric wards, Harare Hospital from December 1993 to February 1994 were studied. Sixty eight (48.6%) children were found to be HIV seropositive and 72 negative. The socio-demographic features were similar in both groups. Marasmus and marasmic kwashiorkor were predominant in the HIV infected children, whilst the majority (64%) of the children in the HIV uninfected group had kwashiorkor (p = 0.001). Pneumonia, lymphadenopathy, chronic discharging ears and oral thrush were significantly more frequent in the HIV infected than in the non HIV infected children (p < 0.01). Factors predictive of HIV infection were marasmus (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.04-8.10), generalised lymphadenopathy (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.16-6.64), oral thrush (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.16-6.37) and discharging ears (OR 6.05, 95% CI 1.89-19.42) with a sensitivity of 57.6% (95% CI 45.7%-69.5%), specificity of 71.4% (95% CI 60.8% 82.0%). The high prevalence of HIV infection among the malnourished children emphasises the impact of the HIV epidemic on childhood nutritional morbidity.


The authors use data from Nicaragua to examine the impact of the award of registered and nonregistered title on land values and on investments attached to land. They find that receipt of registered title increases land values by 30 percent and greatly increases the propensity to invest, bringing investment closer to the optimum. Consistent with descriptive statistics indicating great demand for regularization of land rights, especially from the poor, this finding suggests that titling can have a positive distributional effect. Of overriding importance, however, are the legal validity and official recognition of the titles issued.


Bone biopsy in an invasive method of diagnosing aluminium related bone disease (ABD). Toxic side-effects have been reported with the currently used 'high-dose Desferrioxamine (DFO) tests.' A low-dose DFO test was evaluated for the diagnosis of ABD in 28 symptomatic patients (13 male) on regular haemodialysis treatment. DFO 0.5 g diluted in 100 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride was given intravenously during the first 2 h of dialysis. Aluminium estimation before (t1) and 48 h after DFO challenge (t2) were made by DC plasma emission spectrometry. Following the DFO test bone biopsy was performed and the specimen stained for aluminium using soluchrome zurine. The DFO test was considered positive if the t2 concentration was 150 micrograms/l or treble the amount of t1. Nineteen patients (8 male) fell into this group and all except two had ABD. Of the nine remaining patients (5 male) who had a negative DFO test none had ABD. We conclude that ABD can be diagnosed safely in the majority of patients using a low-dose DFO test, thereby avoiding toxic side-effects.


The purpose of this research is twofold: on one hand, using a method of self-report, we intended to explore the ideas of 389 participants, high-school students, had about their future and whether they thought that school and the relationship with teachers would help them facing the developmental task of getting into society and work activity. On the other hand, we meant to reflect about the contents that spontaneously emerged from students' narrations, in order to use these contents in the educational relationship with adolescents. Quantitative data are presented and discussed that concern the categories that emerged from students' narrations, using software Nvivo 8.0. Specific attention was given to the two huge categories "School" and "Teachers" that are present in respectively 47% and 40.8% of the narrations if confronted to other categories, and these were illustrated through significative examples drawn from the narrations.


Introduction
 Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a rare and heterogeneous group of diseases associated with poor prognosis, representing 10-15% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Although CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) or CHOP-like regimens are often preferred as 1st line treatment, the treatment outcome is poor with 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of 30-40%. In an effort to improve the survival outcomes of these patients, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as an upfront consolidative treatment has been proposed for patients achieving partial or complete remission after induction therapy. However, the role of ASCT still remains undefined since no randomized trials have demonstrated survival benefit of ASCT in this setting.
 To better understand the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in patients with PTCL, we have conducted a nationwide, multicenter, prospective registry study for newly diagnosed patients with PTCL.
 Methods
 Patients with PTCL receiving chemotherapy with curative intent were registered and prospectively monitored (ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT02364466). All patients were pathologically diagnosed with PTCL according to the 2008 World Health Organization classification of lymphoid neoplasms. Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, cutaneous T cell lymphoma, Mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome were excluded. The target number for enrollment was 200, and an interim analysis was previously reported at the time of enrollment of 155 patients (ASH 2017). An updated analysis of 198 patients was performed.
 Results
 The median age was 59 years (range, 49-70), 122 patients (61.6%) were male and 168 (84.9%) had ECOG performance status of 0-1. PTCL, not otherwise specified was the most common pathologic subtype (n = 80, 40.4%), followed by angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (n = 60, 30.3%). The most frequently administered 1st line regimen was CHOP or CHOP-like regimen (n = 165, 83.3%), followed by ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) or ICE-like regimen (n = 23, 11.6%), and others (n = 10, 5.1%). With a median follow-up duration of 28.2 months (95% CI, 25.6-30.6), 2-yr progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 44.4% (95% CI, 37.5-57.4) and 2-yr OS rate was 64.4% (95% CI, 57.4-72.1).
 Response evaluation for 1st line regimens were available in 175 patients. Among these patients, there was no significant difference in overall response rate (ORR) and complete response (CR) rate between patients treated with CHOP or CHOP-like vs. ICE or ICE-like regimen (ORR: 73.6 vs. 72.7%, P = 1.000; CR rate: 58.1% vs. 45.5%, P = 0.375). In addition, no significant difference was observed regarding PFS and OS between the two treatment groups (CHOP or CHOP-like vs. ICE or ICE-like; 2-yr PFS rate: 45.2 vs. 38.3%, P = 0.39; 2-year OS rate: 65.7 vs. 50.7% P = 0.43) (Figure 1A, B).
 Among 121 patients younger than 65 years of age who are eligible for transplantation, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) was performed as an upfront consolidative treatment in 51 patients (42.1%). Patients who received upfront ASCT was associated with significantly better PFS and OS compared with patients who did not, with a 2-yr PFS rate of 52.3 vs. 37.0% (P = 0.032) and 2-yr OS rate of 74.2 vs. 57.1% (P = 0.028), respectively (Figure 2A, B).
 A total of 81 patients were treated with 2nd line chemotherapy for refractory or relapsed disease, and response evaluation for 2nd line chemotherapy was available in 63 patients. Among these patients ORR and CR rate were 49.2% and 30.2%, respectively.
 Conclusion
 Our study demonstrated that survival outcome with current treatment options for patients with PTCL remains poor. Although CHOP or CHOP-like regimens were the most commonly used 1st line regimens, no survival benefit was observed when compared with ICE or ICE-like regimens, suggesting that more efforts are needed to establish a standard 1st line treatment for PTCL. ASCT may provide survival benefit in transplant eligible patients, which warrants further evaluation in randomized controlled trials.

 Yoon: Janssen: Consultancy; MSD: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Yuhan Pharma: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; Kyowa Hako Kirin: Research Funding. Kim:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Celltrion: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Donga: Research Funding; Kyowa-Kirin: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; J + J: Research Funding.


A review of the international medical literature was conducted regarding the laryngeal neuroendocrine tumors. This paper discusses the diagnosis, histopathology, treatment, and prognosis in laryngeal neuroendocrine tumors. It also discusses the heterogenous classification schema of such tumors. Two cases of a very rare neuroendocrine cancer of larynx are described. Both were localized in the supraglottic area and occurred in the 5th and 6th decades of life, consistent with previously reported cases of such neoplasms.


We investigate the behavior of flexible two-component bilayer and three-component monolayer membranes. The components are assumed to have different spontaneous curvatures, and to mutually phase separate in planar membranes. As a function of temperature, lateral tension and bending rigidity, a rich phase behavior is obtained. In particular, we find three different types of modulated phases. In symmetric bilayers, the excess component assembles at the boundary between oppositely curved domains; in sufficiently asymmetric bilayers, the excess component is found to preferentially assemble in a single layer, with no tendency for segregation to the domain boundaries. We show that the phase behavior of three-component monolayer strongly resembles the behavior of two-component bilayers. In fact, in a certain, restricted region of parameter space, the two models can be shown to be equivalent.


Optic disc pit is a rare congenital anomaly that can cause serous macular detachment. It has no universally accepted single treatment. Recently, several investigators have performed new procedures to directly seal the pit. Herein, we report a case showing a promising method for optic pit maculopathy surgical treatment. We created an inverted internal limiting membrane flap and fold it over the pit to promote barrier in order to stop further fluid accumulation. Gradual absorption of subretinal fluid was observed over 12 months of follow-up. Optical coherence tomography can demonstrate internal limiting membrane folded over the pit and progressive subretinal fluid resolution. This technique resulted in a satisfactory anatomic outcome with good functional improvement in the best-corrected visual acuity.


This study evaluated the effect of rapid heating with infrared radiation on the physico-chemical and morphological properties of radio frequent (RF) magnetron-sputtered calcium phosphate (Ca-P) coatings. About 2.5 microm thick Ca-P coatings were deposited on titanium disks and cylinders. These specimens were left untreated or were heat treated by infrared radiation at 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 degrees C for 4, 7, 11, 17, and 24 s. Subsequently, the specimens were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 1 day, 1 week, and 5 weeks. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that heating at 500 degrees C or higher resulted in an increase of coating crystallinity. In addition, FT-IR measurements revealed the appearance of OH peaks in the spectra of samples treated at 500-700 degrees C. Electron probe microanalysis showed that after 5 weeks of immersion about 40-50% of the coatings heat treated at 500 and 600 degrees C was maintained. The coatings heat treated at 700 degrees C showed no dissolution at all. On the other hand, as-coated and 300 degrees C treated films were dissolved within 1 day. Scanning electron microscopy of the samples showed that directly after heat treatment no apparent cracks were present in the coatings. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that rapid heating with infrared radiation around 600 degrees C is the best heat treatment for RF magnetron-sputtered coatings.


An inactivated whole-virus vaccine is currently used to prevent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Although this vaccine is effective, it offers short-term immunity that requires regular booster immunizations and has several side effects, including local reactions at the vaccination site. To address these limitations, herein, we evaluated the efficacy of bestatin as a novel small molecule adjuvant for inactivated FMD vaccines. Our findings showed that the FMD vaccine formulated with bestatin enhanced early, intermediate-, and particularly long-term immunity in experimental animals (mice) and target animals (pigs). Furthermore, cytokines (interferon (IFN)α, IFNβ, IFNγ, and interleukin (IL)-29), retinoic acid-inducible gene (RIG)-I, and T-cell and B-cell core receptors (cluster of differentiation (CD)28, CD19, CD21, and CD81) markedly increased in the group that received the FMD vaccine adjuvanted with bestatin in pigs compared with the control. These results indicate the significant potential of bestatin to improve the efficacy of inactivated FMD vaccines in terms of immunomodulatory function for the simultaneous induction of potent cellular and humoral immune response and a long-lasting memory response.


Within the military discipline, the doctrine from Carl von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu can be framed as the ones among the most influential strategy-based philosophical domains. Carl von Clausewitz's theoretical framework of consolidation of all powers and strategic obliteration of all forces of the opponents and rivals seems not uncommon in analysing the scenarios of international power competition and contest. On the contrary, Sun Tzu (around 545B.C.-470B.C.), the ancestral Chinese military strategist during the Spring and Autumn Period, put forward the complete distinctive strategic conception of optimum winning without engaging in any fight, which meanwhile plays a more epistemologically productive, thought-provoking role in utilising smart power strategy in a complex, evolving international arena where hard power alone has been of no avail to keep a dominantly advantageous position. Sequentially, it is indispensable for strategists to conduct in-depth exploration into the role of smart power through abstractly inheriting the consequential philosophical implications from Sun Tzu and Clausewitz as a distinctive strategy-building element and eclectically and rationally combine, enliven and hierarchise their implicit ties with an authentic world matrix that it is hard to empirically theorise and accurately quantify. Through deductive-analysis approaches and case studies of the US (a dominant power in relative terms over the long run), China (the second-largest economic power thus far) and India (a rising power in BRICS), the primary purpose of this paper seeks to dialectically explore an implicit dyadic nexus between 1) the philosophical implications for Sun Tzu and those for Clausewitz and 2) the nature and implementation of smart power strategy ranging from the perspectives of historical origin and international context. It can be argued that the philosophical standpoint of smart power strategy bears historical merits that the principal arguments from Clausewitz and Sun Tzu somehow generated. This paper-based on existential research findings meanwhile prognosticates that the strategic implementation of smart-power strategy, which tends to be highlighted worldwide in the foreseeable future, will advance in a world of multipolarisation instead of bipolarity and strategic co-opetition (i.e. cooperation and competition combined) will grow as an alternative widespread international phenomenon and trajectory that complicates the magnetism, flexibility and unpredictability of how a broad definition of national strength would influence the international structure and international standing.


An extensible remote monitoring system for a seafloor observatory network in Laizhou Bay was established to realize long-term, continuous and on-line monitoring for a marine ranching environment. This paper deals with data communication, device management and data quality control. A control model is introduced that is structured into four layers, enabling bidirectional information flow. Based on the control model, the standardized communication protocol and device object model-oriented dynamic management method are designed as plug-and-play, for data processing and control of a large number of devices . An improved data quality control method is proposed to reduce the data error rate. The monitoring system was developed based on socket network programming, MySQL database technologies and modular ideas. The seafloor observatory network was successfully deployed in Laizhou Bay marine ranching. The experimental results demonstrate that the monitoring system obtains better performance. The proposed algorithms can also be used in many other similar systems with adaptive requirements.