INTRODUCTION
Porphyromonas gingivalis is a periodontopathic bacterium closely associated with generalized aggressive periodontal disease. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) participate in host response to this organism. It is likely that PRRs not previously recognized as part of the host response to P. gingivalis also participate in host response to this organism.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Employing qRT-PCR, we observed increased msr1 gene expression at 2, 6, and 24 h of culture with P. gingivalis strain 381. Flow cytometry revealed increased surface expression of SR-A protein by the 24 h time point. Macrophages cultured with an attachment impaired P. gingivalis fimA- mutant (DPG3) expressed intermediate levels of SR-A expression. Heat-killed P. gingivalis stimulated SR-A expression similar to live bacteria, and purified P. gingivalis capsular polysaccharide stimulated macrophage SR-A expression, indicating that live whole organisms are not necessary for SR-A protein expression in macrophage response. As SR-A is known to play a role in lipid uptake by macrophages, we tested the ability of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to influence the SR-A response of macrophages to P. gingivalis, and observed no effect of LDL on P. gingivalis-elicited SR-A expression. Lastly, we observed that SR-A knockout (SR-A(-/-)) mouse macrophages produced significantly more tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha than wild type mouse macrophages cultured with P. gingivalis.

CONCLUSION
These data identify that SR-A is expressed by macrophages in response to P. gingivalis, and support that this molecule plays a role in TNF-alpha production by macrophages to this organism.


In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in using daylight to save energy in buildings. In tropical regions, daylighting is always an energy saver. On the other hand, daylight provides visual comfort. According to standards, it shows that many criteria should be taken into consideration in order to have daylight utilization and visual comfort. The current standard in Malaysia, MS 1525 does not provide sufficient guideline. Hence, more research is needed on daylight performance. If architects do not consider daylight design, it not only causes inconvenience in working spaces but also causes more energy consumption as well as environmental pollution. This research had surveyed daylight performance in 5 selected office buildings from different area of Malaysian through experimental method. Several parameters of daylight quality such as daylight factor, surface luminance and surface luminance ratio were measured in different rooms in each building. The result of this research demonstrated that most of the buildings were not designed for daylight utilization. Therefore, it is very important that architects follow the daylight design recommendation to reduce consumption of electric power for artificial lighting while the sufficient quality of daylight is available. Keywords—Daylight factor, Field measurement, Daylighting quality, Tropical


Enhanced GH secretion and hyperglycemia are suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of glomerular hyperfiltration in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. In this study we measured the GH response to GHRH (1 microgram/kg body weight), metabolic control, and renal function in 44 patients in order to explore a possible association between these parameters. Hyperfiltration [glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 130 ml/min/1.73 m2] was present in 21 patients and normofiltration in 23. The duration of diabetes, plasma concentrations of renin, catecholamines, insulin-like growth factor-1 and blood glucose during renal function measurements were not different. GH response was significantly higher in patients with hyperfiltration. There was a positive relation between GH response and GFR (r = 0.51, P < 0.001) and effective renal plasma flow (r = 0.39, P < 0.01). GFR was correlated with insulin dose (r = 0.48, P < 0.001). There was no difference in glycosylated hemoglobin between the two groups. Patients with hyperfiltration used more insulin, had more frequent blood glucose values below the threshold level for activation of GH secretion, and had greater glycemic excursions than patients with normofiltration. The results suggest that GH hypersecretion and glomerular hyperfiltration are related and they support the possibility of a linkage between GH hypersecretion and glucose variability.


There are just a few general criteria on spaceability. This survey paper is the history of one of the first ones. Let I1 and I2 be arbitrary operator ideals and E and F be Banach spaces. The spaceability of the set of operators I1(E, F)\ I2(E, F) is studied. Before stating the criterium, the paper summarizes the main results about lineability and spaceability of differences between particular operator ideals obtained in recent years. They are the seed of the ideas contained in the general criterium.


Abstract. The use of Generalized Linear Models (GLM) in vegetation analysis has been advocated to accommodate complex species response curves. This paper investigates the potential advantages of using classification and regression trees (CART), a recursive partitioning method that is free of distributional assumptions. We used multiple logistic regression (a form of GLM) and CART to predict the distribution of three major oak species in California. We compared two types of model: polynomial logistic regression models optimized to account for non-linearity and factor interactions, and simple CART-models. Each type of model was developed using learning data sets of 2085 and 410 sample cases, and assessed on test sets containing 2016 and 3691 cases respectively. The responses of the three species to environmental gradients were varied and often non-homogeneous or context dependent. We tested the methods for predictive accuracy: CART-models performed significantly better than our polynomial logistic regression models in four of the six cases considered, and as well in the two remaining cases. CART also showed a superior ability to detect factor interactions. Insight gained from CART-models then helped develop improved parametric models. Although the probabilistic form of logistic regression results is more adapted to test theories about species responses to environmental gradients, we found that CART-models are intuitive, easy to develop and interpret, and constitute a valuable tool for modeling species distributions.


Customers arrive at rate N α on a network of N single server infinite buffer queues, choose L queues uniformly, join the shortest one, and are served there in turn at rate β. We let N go to infinity. We prove a functional central limit theorem (CLT) for the tails of the empirical measures of the queue occupations, in a Hilbert space with the weak topology, with limit given by an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. The a priori assumption is that the initial data converge. This completes a recent functional CLT in equilibrium in Graham [3] for which convergence for the initial data was not known a priori, but was deduced a posteriori from the functional CLT. Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process in Hilbert space, infinite-dimensional analysis.


A novel method for depositing ceramic thick films by aerosol deposition (AD) is presented. Submicron ceramics particles are accelerated by gas flow up to 100–500 m/s and then impacted on a substrate, to form a dense, uniform and hard ceramic layer at room temperature. However, actual deposition mechanism has not been clarified yet. To clarify densification mechanism during AD, a mixed aerosol of α-Al2O3 and Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 powder was deposited to form a composite layer in this study. The cross-section of the layer was observed by HR-TEM to investigate the densification and bonding mechanism of ceramic particles. As a result, a plastic deformation of starting ceramic particles at room temperature was observed.


The structure and vibrational properties of the metal-organic interface of 1,4,5,8-naphthalene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) on Ag(111) were analysed using Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy in conjunction with density functional theory calculations including dispersion forces (PBE-D3). Mode assignments and polarizations as well as molecular distortions were determined for four adsorption geometries of NTCDA on top and bridge sites aligned either parallel or perpendicular to the Ag rows and compared to accurate calculations of the free molecule. This enables an in-depth understanding of surface effects on the computed and experimental vibrational spectra of the adsorbed NTCDA molecule. The molecule-substrate interaction comprises two major and equally important contributions: non-directional van der Waals forces between molecule and surface, and covalent bonding of the acyl oxygen atoms with underlying Ag atoms, which is quantified by charge-transfer analysis. Furthermore, adsorption energy calculations showed that the molecular axis of flat-lying NTCDA is oriented preferably in parallel to the Ag rows. The molecule is subject to particular distortions from the planar gas phase structure with covalent bonding leading to downward bending of the acyl oxygen atoms and Pauli repulsion to upward bending of the carbon core. In parallel, strong buckling of the silver surface was identified. As found in previous studies, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the molecule slips below the Fermi level and becomes partially populated upon adsorption. Excitation of totally symmetric vibrational modes then leads to substantial interfacial dynamical charge transfer, which is convincingly reproduced in the calculated IR spectra.


Objective : To ascertain the role of Cephalandra indica Q, in the management of patients suffering from Diabetes mellitus (type I or type II) continuing on anti-diabetic treatment for maintenance of blood sugar levels and to identify its reliable indications. Material and Methods : An open, prospective, observational study was carried out during the period July 1992 - March 2000; 96 patients with post-prandial blood sugar level more than 160 mg/dL even after taking anti-diabetic medicine were enrolled for the study. All the patients were administered with Ceplalandra indica Q in the dosage, one drop per kilogram of their body weight. The dose was divided in three parts, mixed with one ounce of water and was given three times a day, until disappearance of all signs and symptoms along with control of Blood sugar level. Fasting and post-prandial blood and urine sugar levels were measured on every follow-up visit of the patient. Other required investigations were also conducted. All the patients were advised to take low calorie and high fibre diet, do regular physical exercise and to avoid physical and mental stress. Results : Out of 96 patients registered, 88 patients were followed up. Mean FBS level of patients before treatment was 138.90 ± 24.388 (range 83 to 216 mg/dL) where as mean FBS after treatment was 115.86 ± 26.363 (range 64 to 202 mg/dL). Mean PPBS level before treatment was 265.08 ± 44.675 (range 178 to 386 mg/dL) where as mean PPBS after treatment was 204.75 ± 39.968 (range 116 to 341 mg/dL). Dosage of allopathic medicines was reduced in maximum number of patients but, it was completely withdrawn in 17 patients. There was improvement in signs and symptoms, along with decrease in recurrence: no recurrence in 9 patients, recurrence with less intensity in 55. The indications for Cephalandra also verified. Conclusion : This study shows some positive role of Cephalandra indica Q in maintaining blood sugar level. Future controlled studies with Cephalandra indica alone vis-a-vis other conventional anti-diabetic medicines, by doing the required laboratory tests, are suggested to explore more about the hypoglycemic effect of Cephalandra indica.


Abstract Glycans are carbohydrate modifications typically found on proteins or lipids, and can act as ligands for glycan-binding proteins called lectins. Glycans and lectins play crucial roles in the function of cells and organs, and in the immune system of animals and humans. Viral pathogens use glycans and lectins that are encoded by their own or the host genome for their replication and spread. Recent advances in glycobiological research indicate that glycans and lectins mediate key interactions at the virus-host interface, controlling viral spread and/or activation of the immune system. This review reflects on glycan–lectin interactions in the context of viral infection and antiviral immunity. A short introduction illustrates the nature of glycans and lectins, and conveys the basic principles of their interactions. Subsequently, examples are discussed highlighting specific glycan–lectin interactions and how they affect the progress of viral infections, either benefiting the host or the virus. Moreover, glycan and lectin variability and their potential biological consequences are discussed. Finally, the review outlines how recent advances in the glycan–lectin field might be transformed into promising new approaches to antiviral therapy.


Simulation-based early warning systems (SEWS) support proactive control of real material flow systems. In consequence of real or potential state changes, proactive control (unlike reactive control) makes foresighted and target-oriented acting possible. Starting from the definition of SEWS their architecture and the requirements for design of SEWS are discussed. The compliance with simulator-independency is one important facet. Basically, this is achieved by the use of Web services, XML and XSD (XML schema definition). One key component of SEWS are online simulation models which are initialized with the current system state of a real system. The utilization of RFID technology to generate information about current system states improves the quality of simulation-based forecasting. Example applications from the automotive industry show the benefits of SEWS


Current determinations of the hyaluronidase activity and hyaluronidase inhibitor in the serum of patients with a tumor disease failed to show a correlation between a lowered hyaluronidase activity and increased inhibitor level. The serum fraction that contained the inhibitor and which had been obtained by gel filtration of Sephadex G-200 had no in vitro inhibitory effect on the serum fraction containing hyaluronidase. Hence, the decreased serum hyaluronidase activity in these patients is not due to an increased levles of hyaluronidase inhibitor.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate the in vitro effect of hexamethylene bisacetamine (HMBA) on the proliferation, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis of human leukemia cells and to study the relevant mechanisms.

METHODS
K562 and U937 human leukemia cells were cultured and then suspensions thereof without HMBA or with HMBA of different concentrations (1, 2, and 4 mmol/L) were made. The optical absorbance value at 595 nm of these suspensions were tested every 24 hours. The suspensions were mixed with 4% trypan blue dye solution. Live and dead cells were observed with microscope and the live cell rate was calculated. Double staining of cellular cyclin A protein/DNA was used to detect the expression levels of cyclin A protein in cytoplasm. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled annexin V/Propidiumiodide) was used to detect the apototic cells fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Gel electrophoresis was conducted to detect DNA contents.

RESULT
After exposure to HMBA for 6 days, the optical absorbance values at 595nm of K562 leukemia cells of the control group and groups with 1, 2, and 4mmol/L HMBA were 1.03, 0.81, 0.58, and 0.36 respectively. After treatment of HMBA, the percentages of cyclin A positive K562 leukemia cells in control group and groups with 1, 2, and 4 mmol/L HMBA were 34.4% +/- 5.2%, 16.1% +/- 2.5%, 9.9% +/- 1.7%, and 7.6% +/- 2.0% respectively (P < 0.01). No drug-related apoptosis was found in both cell lines.

CONCLUSION
HMBA inhibits cell proliferation and reduces S-phase-fraction in both cell lines dose-dependently through down-regulating the expression of cyclin A. Apoptosis is not a consequence of the proceeding mitosis arrest and is induced p53-dependently by HMBA. In both leukemia cell lines (U937 and K562) lacking wt-p53, a nonapoptotic death pathway may exist during HMBA induction.


The present report gives the results of a study on bedforms and undertow in the surf zone. It is the objective of this study to get a better insight into the physical processes in the surf zone. In this study, we make use of the data obtained during the LIP llDexperiments (Arcilla et al. [1994] and Roelvink and Reniers [1994]). We derive the characteristics of bedforms from measured profiles. We relate these bedform characteristics to the hydraulic conditions and analyse if they can be predicted with present prediction methods. Further, we develop an inverse modelling technique, which is based on the mass and momentum balance equations. With this technique we derive values of important physical parameters, like eddy viscosity, shear stresses, friction factors, bed roughness and mass flux. The derived physical parameters are compared with present methods to describe these parameters. .


Currently the stakes are higher than ever for anglophone Canada to recognize and understand the extent and nature of Quebec's role in the shaping of the nation. John MacFarlane's revision of anglophone history is a compelling step in that process. Historians often emphasize how, during both the difficult inter-war years and the Second World War, the Liberal government of Mackenzie King successfully reconciled the needs of majority rule with the recognition of minority voice, particularly in foreign affairs. How did a consummate anti-Catholic, who did not even speak French, manage to acknowledge and accommodate the vastly different demands of the French-speaking population? Issues such as conscription, relations with Great Britain, and Canadian policy at the League of Nations threatened to divide Canada when the instability of the international scene urgently required a unified voice. Ernest Lapointe, officially the minister of justice (1924-5, 1926-30, 1935-41) and minister of fisheries (1921-4), represented francophone Quebeckers in the federal cabinet. His ability to influence and reflect the views of the Quebec population, his loyalty to Mackenzie King, and in some cases, his threats of resignation, awarded him considerable weight in many external affairs questions. Yet his influence, as a major figure of twentieth century Canadian political history, is one of the least understood. Analysing seventeen foreign policy decisions, the author uncovers Ernest Lapointe's relationship with King, and the voice of Quebec represented by his skilful interceptions.


When treating an apparent psychiatric disturbance in an elderly patient it is wise to review all his medications carefully, and then to prescribe sparingly only those drugs with which one is completely familiar. Psychiatric side effects of drugs commonly used with elderly patients are reviewed.


Abstract:The Manchu language studies of the Qing empire emerged in Beijing during the late seventeenth century and spread to Chosŏn Korea and Tokugawa Japan during the eighteenth century. The Qing court sponsored the compilation of multilingual thesauri and thereby created an imperial linguistic order with Manchu at the center and vernacular Chinese, or Mandarin, in a subordinate position. Chosŏn and Tokugawa scholars, by contrast, usually placed Mandarin—not Manchu, Korean, or Japanese—as the leading language in the new multilingual thesauri they compiled on the basis of Qing works. I show how the balance between Manchu and Mandarin changed as Korean and Japanese scholars reworked lexicographic books from Beijing. The lexicographic evidence demonstrates that the international languages of pre-twentieth-century East Asia included Manchu and vernacular Mandarin as well as literary Chinese.摘要:本文以乾隆『御製增訂清文鑑』為例,探討清朝構造的以滿文為中心的多 語言制度及其在朝鮮和日本的傳播和轉變。日本和朝鮮學者利用滿語辭書所載的 漢語白話譯文與官話注音來學習漢語。漢語對學習滿文必不可少,於是日朝學者 往往把辭書中的漢語白話部分作為研究的對象。


This study was conducted to investigate the load acting on a tractor engine when it delivers the maximum power at drawbar. The results of the drawbar tests on the 5 locally-made and 14 imported tractors conducted at NIAE in 2004, and the 15 tractors tested at OECD test stations in foreign countries were analyzed and presented by the torque load ratio, defined as a ratio of the engine torque load caused by drawbar pull to its full-load capacity, as a function of pull speed. The NIAE test results showed that the torque load ratio increased from 20 to 80% with pull speed less than 5 km/h. At speeds faster than 5 km/h, it was 80110% regardless of the pull speed. However, the OECD test results showed that the torque load ratio was evaluated mostly to be 7090% in the entire pull speed range. The same trend was also shown for the maximum drawbar load. The difference in the torque load ratio may be attributable to bias-ply tires for locally-made and some imported tractors. It is also suggested that the input torque load may be increased safely up to 120% of the full load capacity of the tractor engine for an accelerated life test of tractor transmissions.


The identification of Junia in Rom 16.7 has been a familiar problem in biblical interpretation. Most studies, however, are preoccupied with the gender of the name, assuming that Junia's apostolic status is not in doubt. This article addresses the latter issue. The collocation of επισημος with its adjuncts shows that, as a rule, επισημος with a genitive personal adjunct indicates an inclusive comparison ('outstanding among'), while επισημος with (εν plus) the personal dative indicates an elative notion without the implication of inclusion ('well known to'). This study concludes that Junia was well known to the apostles rather than outstanding among them.


The tumor microenvironment is highly heterogeneous. For gliomas, the tumor-associated inflammatory response is pivotal to support growth and invasion. Factors of glioma growth, inflammation, and invasion, such as the translocator protein (TSPO) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), may serve as specific imaging biomarkers of the glioma microenvironment. In this study, noninvasive imaging by PET with [18F]DPA-714 (TSPO) and [18F]BR-351 (MMP) was used for the assessment of localization and quantification of the expression of TSPO and MMP. Imaging was performed in addition to established clinical imaging biomarker of active tumor volume ([18F]FET) in conjunction with MRI. We hypothesized that each imaging biomarker revealed distinct areas of the heterogeneous glioma tissue in a mouse model of human glioma. Tracers were found to be increased 1.4- to 1.7-fold, with [18F]FET showing the biggest volume as depicted by a thresholding-based, volumes of interest analysis. Tumor areas, which could not be detected by a single tracer and/or MRI parameter alone, were measured. Specific compartments of [18F]DPA-714 (14%) and [18F]BR-351 (11%) volumes along the tumor rim could be identified. [18F]DPA-714 (TSPO) and [18F]BR-351 (MMP) matched with histology. Glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAM) were identified as TSPO and MMP sources. Multitracer and multimodal molecular imaging approaches may allow us to gain important insights into glioma-associated inflammation (GAM, MMP). Moreover, this noninvasive technique enables characterization of the glioma microenvironment with respect to the disease-driving cellular compartments at the various disease stages. Cancer Res; 77(8); 1831-41. ©2017 AACR.


In this case study, considered the vehicle routing problem with pickup and delivery which is a generalization of the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP). The vehicle routing problem with pickup and delivery (VRPPD) arises whenever pickup demand and delivery demand is to be satisfied by the same vehicle. The problem is encountered in many real life situations. In this paper problem arises from the distribution of beverages and collection of recyclable containers. It can be modeled as a variant of the vehicle routing problem with a heterogeneous vehicle fleet, capacity and volume constraints, and an objective function combining routing distance or minimizing the total travel distance to serve customers located to different locations. Three construction heuristics and an improvement procedure are developed for the problem and designing a set of routes with minimum cost to serve a delivery of beverages and a collection of recyclable material with a fleet of vehicles. The aim of this paper is to develop a vehicle routing Problem (VRP) model that addresses simultaneous pickup and delivery in the beverage distribution. To this effect, a mathematical model is adopted and fitted with real data collected from MOHA Soft drinks Summit Plant located in Ethiopia, and solved using Clark-Wright saving algorithm. The form-to-distance is computed from the data collected from Google Earth and the customer's data from the MOHA. The findings of the study show that the model is feasible and showed an improvement as compared to the current performances of the plant with respect to product distribution and collection and the total distance covered is minimized about 27.79%. The average performances of the model show that on average 5 routes are required to serve customers' demands.


Introduction: First rib fracture is a very uncommon injury due to protection provided to it by clavicle. In isolation, it may be associated with neurovascular injury rarely but as part of poly trauma the first rib fracture may be associated with vascular injury in significant number of cases. There is definite role of computed tomography scan thorax in diagnosis of this fracture which can be missed on X-ray chest. Management includes early diagnosis of associated life-threatening complications and its prompt treatment. Case Report: A case of poly trauma associated with right first rib fracture with subclavian artery thrombosis resulting in gross ischemia of the right upper limb and fractures in the right upper limb and right lower limb long bones is reported. The patient developed signs of ischemia and lung complications 24 h later. Subclavian artery damage was diagnosed on Doppler ultrasound and angiography. The case was managed by surgical repair of subclavian artery damage and stabilization of fractures. Conclusion: The case is reported to highlight association of first rib fracture with life-threatening complication of subclavian artery laceration causing extensive swelling around shoulder, ischemia to the right upper limb, lung damage, and problem of its detection and management.


We have studied T cell receptor (TCR) diversity in a group of six patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) previously treated by HLA-haploidentical bone marrow transplantation (BMT). At the time of study, all patients had developed stable T cell chimerism and full reconstitution of T cell functions in the absence of acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were analysed by immunofluorescence using a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) against TCR variable (V) region epitopes including V beta 5, V beta 6, V beta 8, V beta 12, and V alpha 2. Our results showed that in each patient studied a low but significant portion of PBL reacted with each anti-TCR V region epitope MoAb used, in a manner that was, on statistical grounds, indistinguishable from results obtained with PBL from healthy controls. We conclude that within the experimental resolution of a limited number of anti-TCR V region epitope MoAb, T cell reconstitution following BMT for SCID, even when performed across a full HLA-haplotype barrier, leads to an apparently normal TCR diversity. These novel findings may be relevant in the evaluation of functional capacities of T cells that have differentiated from transplanted precursor cells in an HLA-haplodifferent environment.


Esthetic crown lengthening is a periodontal surgical procedure to correct excess gingival display (ie, "gummy smile"). The procedure may require soft-tissue excision only, osseous resection, or a combination of both. However, the long-term healing responses, such as soft-tissue relapse or recession and hard-tissue regrowth and resorption, have not been fully reported in the literature. This case report describes the management of a patient with esthetic concerns about a gummy smile. The patient stated that the maxillary anterior area had been previously treated with periodontal surgery 7 years earlier but the condition had slowly recurred over time. The authors highlight the possible reasons for the recurrence and the keys to successfully managing the case.


We have previously developed a cellular model in healthy airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells where corticosteroids (CS) lose their anti-inflammatory action when cells are exposed to TNFα in combination with IFNγ. The molecular mechanisms by which TNFα/IFNγ promote CS insensitivity has not been completely investigated although an increased activation of transcription factors such as STAT5 has been implicated in other cell types. It is also not known whether TNFα/IFNγ also interfere with CS in ASM cells derived from asthmatic patients. In the present study, we found that TNFα/IFNγ-induced the expression of different steroid-resistant chemokines CX3Cl1, CCl5 and CCl11 in asthmatic ASM cells (n=3). We also found that TNFα/IFNγ (0-6hr)-increased phosphorylation of STAT5 in a time-dependent fashion reaching a maximum at 30 min followed by a lower activated state that was sustained up to 6 hr. Prior treatment with fluticasone (0.1-100 nM) did not affect cytokine-induced STAT5 activation but dose-dependently increased STAT5 phsophorylation. Similarly, the sustained activation of the transcription factor IRF-1 by TNFα/IFNγ (up to 6 hr) was also unaffected by fluticasone (01-100 nM). Together, these data show for the first time that TNFα/IFNγ induced a sustained activation of corticosteroid-resistant STAT5 and IRF-1 in asthmatic ASM cells (n=3). Because STAT5 and IRF-1 have been associated with reduced CS action in other cell types, our findings suggest the possible of involvement of these transcription factors in driving CS insensitivity in asthmatic airway smooth muscle cells.


Much of the historical debate surrounding the partition of Africa, the events that led up to it and its implications for the continent itself and for the rest of the world is so controversial that it is difficult to provide a coherent survey of the shifting theories of the last twenty years. In this pamphlet Dr MacKenzie attempts to do this, by sketching the historical background to the partition, surveying the events of the partition in the four main regions of Africa and then examining in turn the theories produced to explain the sequence of events.


The inverse problem of finding the initial distribution has been studied on the basis of formulas for the solution of the first initial-boundary value problem for the inhomogeneous two-dimentional heat equation. The uniqueness of the solution of the direct initial-boundary value problem has proved with the completeness of the eigenfunctions of the corresponding homogeneous Dirichlet problem for the Laplace operator. The existence theorem for solving direct initial boundary value problem has been proved. Inverse problem has been investigated on the basis of the solution of direct problem, a criterion for the uniqueness of the inverse problem of finding the initial distribution has been proved. The existence of the inverse problem solution has been equivalently reduced to Fredholm integral equation of the first kind.


To understand the range of competence of embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived neural precursors, we have examined in vitro differentiation of mouse and primate ES cells into the dorsal- (neural crest) and ventralmost (floor plate) cells of the neural axis. Stromal cell-derived inducing activity (SDIA; accumulated on PA6 stromal cells) induces cocultured ES cells to differentiate into rostral CNS tissues containing both ventral and dorsal cells. Although early exposure of SDIA-treated ES cells to bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)4 suppresses neural differentiation and promotes epidermogenesis, late BMP4 exposure after the fourth day of coculture causes differentiation of neural crest cells and dorsalmost CNS cells, with autonomic system and sensory lineages induced preferentially by high and low BMP4 concentrations, respectively. In contrast, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) suppresses differentiation of neural crest lineages and promotes that of ventral CNS tissues such as motor neurons. Notably, high concentrations of Shh efficiently promote differentiation of HNF3β+ floor plate cells with axonal guidance activities. Thus, SDIA-treated ES cells generate naïve precursors that have the competence of differentiating into the "full" dorsal–ventral range of neuroectodermal derivatives in response to patterning signals.


This article surveys legislative changes, proposals and case law affecting music copyright in the first decade of the 21st century. After restating the basic principles of copyright law, it analyzes the forthcoming increase in the duration of copyright in sound recordings in the European Economic Area. This involves a forecast of its impact on the income of musicians and a critique of the analysis of the increase by Martin Kretschmer and his associates. The article then considers a number of legal disputes concerning the limits of fair use or fair dealing in copyright. These include a suit involving the inclusion of John Lennon's "Imagine" in a film, a parody of Don Henley's "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" in a political campaign and two cases where consumers were found to have infringed copyright by their online uses of recordings. The suit brought by Viacom against Facebook is also discussed. After introducing the Creative Commons solution to copyright issues, the article concludes by stating that, notwithstanding the changes wrought by the digital era, the balance between public and private interests in copyright has generally been maintained.


Objective:To identify the level of current intensivist's knowledge regarding risk assessment and intensive care unit (ICU) clinical practice pertaining to stress-related mucosal bleeding, including pharmacologic approaches for stress ulcer prevention. Design:A nationwide survey of critical care physicians. Study Population:Two thousand random physician members of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Measurements and Main Results:The response rate was 519 (26%) of 2000, with data analysis from 501 (25.1%) usable surveys. Respondents were affiliated with internal medicine (44.3%), surgery (42.3%), and anesthesiology (12.6%). Gut ischemia was indicated as the perceived major cause of stress ulceration (59.7%). The estimated incidence of clinically important bleeding was 2% or less by 62% of respondents; however, 28.6% of physicians surveyed initiate stress ulcer prophylaxis in all ICU patients, regardless of bleeding risk. Respiratory failure was most frequently indicated as a reason for stress ulcer prophylaxis (68.6%), followed by shock/hypotension (49.4%), sepsis (39.4%), and head injury/major neurologic insult (35.2%). The first-line agents selected for stress ulcer prophylaxis include histamine-2 receptor antagonists (63.9%), followed by proton pump inhibitors (23.1%), and sucralfate (12.2%). Concern for nosocomial pneumonia was regarded as more prevalent with antisecretory therapies in those who chose sucralfate (61%) as initial therapy compared with overall respondents (26.9%) (p < .001). Conclusions:The majority of intensivists surveyed recognize stress-related mucosal bleeding as a relatively infrequent event; however, implementation of a stress ulcer prophylaxis risk stratification scheme for ICU patients is necessary. Histamine-2 receptor antagonists are consistently perceived as appropriate initial agents, although proton pump inhibitors have become first-line therapy in an increasing percentage of critical care patients, despite limited data regarding their use in this population.


Precambrian Tectonics Illustrated is the final report of the Subcommission on Precambrian Structural Type Regions, Commission on Tectonics, International Union of Geological Sciences. According to the preface, its purpose is "…not to produce conceptual papers, but to show how much can be revealed and solved by accurate mapping and painstaking structural analysis and, by omission, to indicate how much still needs to be done." It "…was originally intended to serve as a good example which students and younger tectonicians would be drawn to emulate…". Despite some very good individual chapters, I do not believe that these objectives are fully attained.


The principle of aging-in-place should be fundamental in designing post-retirement homes to support baby boomers" healthy aging in their current living conditions. This study investigated Korean-American baby boomers" opinions about their life images in their post-retirement homes and the needs for supportive services therein. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and a total of 247 responses were used for statistical analyses. As the most important life image for their post-retirement homes, baby boomers emphasized the living environments offering various recreational activities. They indicated the post-retirement homes close to their children or family members as the next important life image. These opinions differed depending on their socioeconomic characteristics. In particular, baby boomers with higher-income preferred housing environments offering diverse recreational activities while those with lower-income preferred the housing close to more employment opportunities. In terms of supportive services available in the post-retirement homes, they wanted "healthcare assistance services" and "diverse recreational programs." Gender, educational attainment, and annual income affected their preferences in these services, though. Based on the findings, this study concluded that post-retirement housing environments should create spaces to accommodate various recreational activities and include places for them to work in near-home environments. In the community, various need-based customized recreational activities and educational programs should be planned considering different socioeconomic characteristics of baby boomers. All these considerations will provide supportive residential environments for their successful aging in place.


Given a set of points in the plane, we are interested in matching them with straight line segments. We focus on perfect (all points are matched) non-crossing (no two edges intersect) matchings. Apart from the well known MinMax variation, where the length of the longest edge is minimized, we extend work by looking into different optimization variants such as MaxMin, MinMin, and MaxMax. We consider both the monochromatic and bichromatic versions of these problems and provide efficient algorithms for various input point configurations.


This study investigated possible female-related causes for inconsistent success among reproductive pairs in the zoo-based red wolf (Canis rufus) population. Females (n = 13) at seven institutions were assessed for evidence of ovulation and normal reproductive cycles through the measurement of estradiol and progesterone metabolite excretion in feces. Fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) were also measured. Factors potentially affecting FCM and/or estrous cyclicity were recorded, including exhibit status (on vs. off), reproductive history (proven vs. unproven), copulatory behaviors (ties observed: yes or no), pregnancy/parturition (pups or no pups produced), and translocation before the observed breeding season (yes or no). No differences were observed in baseline FCM between females housed on versus off-exhibit (p = .46) or between females producing pups and those who did not (p = .19). Baseline FCM were significantly lower among females observed in copulatory ties compared to females never observed in a tie (p = .04), and tended to be higher in females translocated before the breeding season compared to females in existing reproductive pairs (p = .11), and among historically unproven females compared to proven females (p = .11). All females evaluated had an endocrine profile indicative of ovulation and among the four females translocated to be paired with a new male before the breeding season, two had successful pregnancies, producing litters. Therefore, despite observed differences in baseline FCM among factors, estrous cyclicity and reproductive success are unaffected by translocation for the formation of new reproductive pairs in the zoo-based red wolf population.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the genetic basis for 4 patients with globozoospermia.

METHODS
Semen and blood samples were collected from the patients for the determination of sperm concentration, viability, survival rate, morphology and acrosome antigen CD46. Meanwhile, DNA was extracted for whole exome sequencing (WES), and candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS
All of the four patients were found to harbor variants of the DPY19L2 gene. Patients 1 ~ 3 had homozygous deletions of the DPY19L2 gene. Sanger sequencing confirmed that the DPY19L2 gene in patient 3 was disrupted at a recombination breakpoint area BP2, resulting in nonallelic homologous recombination and complete deletion of the DPY19L2 gene. Patients 2 and 3 respectively harbored novel homozygous deletions of exons 2 ~ 22 and exons 14 ~ 15. Patient 4 harbored heterozygous deletion of the DPY19L2 gene, in addition with a rare homozygous deletion of the 3' UTR region.

CONCLUSION
DPY19L2 gene variants probably underlay the globozoospermia in the four patients, which has fit an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance and the characteristics of genomic diseases.


A flow-switching two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) apparatus has been constructed that can operate at temperatures as high as 340 degrees C. This system is employed to analyze complex hydrocarbon mixtures such as diesel fuel, gas-oil, motor oil, and petroleum contaminated environmental samples. The GCxGC system generates two-dimensional chromatograms with minimal overlap between the aliphatic and aromatic regions This allows these compound classes to be independently quantitated without prior fractionation. The GCxGC system is used to analyze extracts of spiked water samples, wastewater, and soil. The accuracy of the method is compared to that of the Massachusetts Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (MA EPH) method. The GCxGC system generates a quantitative accuracy similar to the MA EPH method for the analysis of spiked water samples. The GCxGC method and the MA EPH method generate comparable levels of total hydrocarbons when wastewater is analyzed, but the GCxGC method detects a significantly higher aromatic content and lower aliphatic content. Both the GCxGC method and MA EPH method measure comparable levels of aromatics in the soil samples.


COMMENT: As I understand Carapetis et al's study, the researchers determine who has a group A streptococcal infection from the laboratory that performs the test (as this infection is not a notifiable disease, there is no central source of information). The laboratory may be independent or in a public or private hospital, and may be situated anywhere in Victoria. The laboratory tells them who requested the test and the patient's name and infection status. The researchers then seek assistance from the hospital or doctor requesting the test in obtaining "individual informed consent" from the patient to release clinical information to the researchers. Each institution has required that its own human research ethics committee approve the project, as well as the Department of Human Services (DHS) Ethics Committee, before the laboratory releases information. This accords with the law, but the additional bureaucracy and costs involved will deter much important public health research.


A planar chart for expressing a state of polarization of an arbitrarily polarized light is proposed. The proposed chart is equivalent to the Poincare sphere, but has an advantage over the Poincare sphere in that it can be printed on a flat paper. The characteristics of the proposed chart are investigated. The computer-drawn exact chart is shown with important parameter values. Finally, an example of the application of the proposed chart is described.


Scenario analysis is a vehicle for separating concerns in the elicitation of users' requirements. It is also a means of requirements validation and verification. In the practical application of the method, a number of key activities must be supported by automated tools, which include: (a) the analysis of consistency among scenarios, (b) the analysis of the consistency and completeness of a set of scenarios with respect to requirements models, (c) the synthesis of requirements models from a set of scenarios, and (d) the generation of scenarios from requirements models for requirements validation. This paper presents an automatic toolkit that supports these activities. It adapts the idea of scenario analysis (originally proposed in object-oriented analysis) to the structured analysis method.


Molecular heterostructures are formed from meso-tetraphenyl porphyrins-Zn(II) (ZnTPP) and Cu(II)-phthalocyanines (CuPc) on the rutile TiO2(011) surface. We demonstrate that ZnTPP molecules form a quasi-ordered wetting layer with flat-lying molecules, which provides the support for growth of islands comprised of upright CuPc molecules. The incorporation of the ZnTPP layer and the growth of heterostructures increase the stability of the system and allow for room temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements, which is contrasted with unstable STM probing of only CuPc species on TiO2. We demonstrate that within the CuPc layer the molecules arrange in two phases and we identify molecular dimers as basic building blocks of the dominant structural phase.


Paradoxical vocal fold motion and exercise‐induced paradoxical vocal fold motion (EIPVFM) are two related conditions that do not have definitive diagnostic criteria. Much of the EIPVFM literature describes patients with characteristic physiologic findings of severe upper airway obstruction or obvious airflow limitation in the clinical context of exertional dyspnea with audible stridor. The objective of this study was to highlight a group of patients who demonstrate important clinical findings of EIPVFM (exertional dyspnea with audible stridor) without simultaneously definitive physiologic findings (mild glottic adduction and normal flow volume loops).


El compromiso empresarial con el deporte esta cada vez mas presente en las decisiones gerenciales. El presente trabajo examina como la empresa decide la inversion y realiza la evaluacion del patrocinio deportivo. Para afrontar el objetivo se ha realizado una revision teorica, encuestas a 40 empresas espanolas y un focus group. Los datos obtenidos muestran como la empresa rentabiliza al maximo sus acciones de patrocinio y las evalua. Los resultados se presentan para grandes empresas y pymes, de forma que los resultados son relevantes para la comprension del reto comunicativo que supone el patrocinio. Entre las principales conclusiones se encuentra la necesidad de evaluar el patrocinio a traves de la notoriedad, la imagen y las ventas. Palabras claves: patrocinio, deporte, relaciones publicas, inversion, evaluacion, comunicacion Abstract The business commitment to sport, although not in a new way, is increasingly present in managerial decisions due to the great importance and relevance of this discipline in today's society, where we find ourselves leading, in many cases, the information and interests of citizens. On the other hand, public relations techniques must be increasingly sophisticated and precise, in a media environment in which it is increasingly difficult to impact the consumer in the search for their response and action. A consumer wanting to get involved in their environment and participate in companies, through their brands, which also echoes the responsibility of brands in their day to day and in the actions closest to them. Therefore, the present work examines how the company decides the investment in sponsorship and how it carries out the evaluation of sports sponsorship in its struggle to take responsibility actions that provide intangible values difficult to achieve with the only use of advertising campaigns to the use. In order to meet the objective set out in this paper, a theoretical review has been carried out from the company's perspective and what the application of different disciplines means to achieve its objectives, reviewing concepts such as the activation of sponsorship and the evaluation of sponsorship. lay the foundations for a practical investigation that offers an image of what is happening nowadays with companies and sports. The theoretical revision has served to carry out a fieldwork by applying two techniques in two different and consecutive phases; On the one hand, in the first phase a quantitative technique has been used, such as the completion of a survey with a structured questionnaire, sent to more than 100 companies selected according to objective criteria, obtaining a response from 40 Spanish companies that develop sponsorship actions Within their communication strategies, both large organizations and SMEs have been included in the selection of the sample, in view of the need to review whether they act in the same way although with different investments or their behavior changes to different needs. The second phase has had a more qualitative technique such as the realization of a focus group to a group of specialists in sponsorship and advertising techniques, as well as public relations, with the aim of assessing and validating or not, the quantitative results and to be able to draw general conclusions, this has been a convenience sample in which the experience and knowledge have been sought in order to deepen in the treated topic. The data obtained shows how the company maximizes its sponsorship actions and its evaluation actions. The results are presented broken down, considering the two types of companies with which they have worked; for large companies and SMEs, so that the information is relevant for understanding the communicative challenge of sponsorship, taking into account the type of company and its objectives. Among the main conclusions is the need to evaluate sponsorship through strategic measures such as notoriety, image and, of course, sales. Keywords: Sponsorship, sports, public relations, investment, evaluation, communication


For almost 50 years, dentists have used stainless steel crowns for primary and permanent posterior teeth. No other type of restoration offers the convenience, low cost, durability, and reliability of such crowns when interim full-coronal coverage is required. Preformed stainless steel crowns have improved over the years. Better luting cements have been developed and different methods of crown manipulation have evolved. This article reviews stainless steel crown procedures for primary and permanent posterior teeth. Step-by-step placement of a primary molar stainless steel crown is documented and permanent molar stainless steel crown restoration is described. A method for repairing a worn-through crown also is reviewed.


In an embedded multiprocessor system the minimum throughput and maximum latency of real-time applications are usually derived given the worst-case execution time of the software tasks. Derivation of the worst-case execution time becomes easier if it is independent of the available communication bandwidth. In this paper we show that the worst-case execution time of tasks does not depend on communication bandwidth if a Communication Assist (CA) is applied, despite that memory ports are shared. Furthermore we show that adding a CA increases the processor utilization and reduces the required communication bandwidth. Finally we show that the difference between the measured and computed worst-case processor utilization is less than 6%, for our MP3 playback application.


The present study is to investigate the effect of oxidants H2O2, S2O82−, BrO3−, ClO3− and IO4− with different concentrations on photoelectrocatalytic decolourization of Lanasol yellow 4G (LY4G) as a model contaminant using α-Fe2O3/TiO2/activated charcoal plate (ACP) nanocomposite under visible light. In this system, the decolourization efficiency increased with increasing BrO3−, ClO3− and IO4− doses but reached an optimum amount with H2O2 and S2O82− at 1 mM. Experimental data revealed that the decolourization rate of LY4G in all of the processes obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics. Total organic carbon (TOC) results indicated that 21% and 100% of organic substrate were mineralized respectively after 80 min and 8 h. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was employed to identify the intermediate products. Also, a plausible degradation pathway was proposed. Finally, the real wastewater treatment was investigated by chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements.


Housing preweaned dairy calves in individual outdoor hutches is common in North America. However, this type of housing lacks stimulation and minimizes calves' ability to express natural behavior. Providing a social companion has been shown to stimulate natural behavior and promote growth, but no research has assessed the effect of providing physical enrichment items to calves pre-weaning. The objective of this study was to determine calf use of physical items added to an individual hutch, and if providing these items affected growth, behavior (e.g., locomotor play and sucking on pen fixtures), and response to novelty after weaning. At birth, Jersey heifer calves were allocated to 1 of 2 types of hutches: furnished (n = 9 calves) or standard (n = 10 calves). Calves were housed in individual hutches on loose gravel and bedded with straw. The outdoor enclosure of furnished hutches contained 2 artificial teats, a stationary brush, a calf "lollie," and a rubber chain link for calves to manipulate. Calves were video-recorded continuously between 0800 and 2000 h twice weekly at 1, 3, 5, and 7 wk of age; behavioral data were collected using the Noldus Observer software program (Noldus Inc., Wageningen, the Netherlands). At 63 d of age (after weaning), calf response to social and environmental novelty was tested. Starter consumption was measured daily, and calves were weighed at birth and weekly thereafter. Pre-weaning behavioral data were not normally distributed, so raw data were square-root-transformed before analysis. Calves used all of the items depending on the time of day, but they spent the most time using the brush. Calves housed in furnished hutches spent almost 50% more time engaged in locomotor play, but they spent the same amount of time sucking pen fixtures as calves housed in standard hutches. We observed no effect of treatment on growth, starter intake, or behavioral response to social and environmental novelty after weaning. Results suggest that providing some physical complexity to a standard hutch has some benefits for young calves, but further research is encouraged to determine the long-term effects of physical and social complexity for young dairy heifer calves.


Machine interference is a significant problem in many manufacturingsystem and client server computing. Machine interference problem involve manyparameters like break down rate, service rate, machine production rate, etc. Due touncontrollable factors parameters in the machine interference problem may befuzzy. This paper, proposes a methodology for constructing system performancemeasures, where breakdown rate and service rate are trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Function principle is used as arithmetic operations of fuzzy trapezoidal numbers.Numerical example is solved successfully to illustrate the validity of the proposedapproach. Since the system characteristics being expressed as a fuzzy trapezoidalnumbers more information is provided for used by Management. By extending thefuzzy environment, the fuzzy queues can be represented more accurately by usingthe proposed approach, and the analysis of results for such queuing model will beuseful and significant for system designers and practitioners.


Assessment practices in educational settings have undergone much transformation in recent
years. The innovative approach to assessment includes providing continuous feedback,
correctives and enrichment to students with the goal of enhancing students' academic
performance. Classroom assessment practices have been more recently influenced by the
learning process. The main purpose of this study was to gather information on assessment
practices that use the mastery learning approach, which is formative assessment through
which teachers in the classroom can develop a sense of direction while providing continuous
feedback, correctives and enrichment to students with the aim of bridging learning gaps in
what students currently know and what they should know. In this study, the semi-structured
interview was conducted with six vocational teachers from vocational colleges. Discussion
on the findings was based on the experience of the participants in developing a sense of
direction by giving continuous feedback, correctives and enrichment to promote student
learning. The outcomes could be a source reference for providing information to teachers
on a new concept of assessment and how, at the same time, it can be successfully embedded
in the teaching and learning process to promote student learning.


Further education in practical, clinical and scientific-theoretical gerontology is of great importance either for the global care of the elderly or to increase the knowledge concerning the problems of aging. In this paper we try to evaluate critically activities referring to this, to furthermore develop in international comparison strategies to improve the situation. We present objectives of the Austrian health politics and we more precisely depict the actual implementation as to university and non-university education events.


Introduction :
Vaginal discharge may be a subjective complaint or an objective finding.
Patients may complain of excessive secretions, abnormally coloured or textured
secretions, or malodorous secretions. In the absence of a complaint, the
examiner may note abnormal secretions (asymptomatic to the patient). The term
vaginal discharge is often used by patients to refer to any genital discomfort.
The complaint must be verified by physical and laboratory examination to
differentiate abnormal from physiologic discharge and to determine diagnosis
and treatment.
Gonorrhea ascends to the upper tract post menses. Postmenopausal women
are less likely to have candidiasis and more likely to have noninfectious causes.
Pregnancy, Intra Uterine Contraceptive Devices and birth control pills
predispose to candidal infections. If the discharge is acute, chronic, or
frequently
recurrent. Discharges that patients claim "never go away" are likely to be
bacterial vaginosis, if pathologic, or simply physiologic discharges.

The presence of fever, abdominal pain and mucopurulent discharge should be
assessed. If present, think of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and upper genital tract
infection, or of urinary tract infection. Primary herpes can also cause fever and
malaise. Vaginitis should not have systemic symptoms.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ;
1.To determine the etiology for the abnormal vaginal discharge in women
attending the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Out-patient at Institute of Venereology,
Madras Medical College, Chennai – 600 003.
2. To study the presenting features, co-morbidities, educational levels,
employment particulars, clinical features, wet mount results and specialized
culture techniques and their outcome.
3. To study the current status of the cause for abnormal vaginal discharge in
patients presenting to the department and the influence of the comorbidities
involved.
Conclusion:
It is imperative from the study that a significant amount of general population is
suffering from the problem of abnormal vaginal discharge. Bacterial vaginosis,
Trichomonas and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis are the principal cause for the
abnormal vaginal discharge. This study has highlighted the prevalence of more
than one infection in a single individual. This gives an important insight to the
issue, that from now on clinicians should be diligent in picking up these
individuals with multiple infections. A periodic study and review of this type will
help the epidemiologist to identify the prevalence pattern of these type of
infections. In the era of genome biology, it is a definite possibility of developing a
single test which will identify most of the causative organism. More research
should be done in reducing the laboratory time and is preferable to produce
instantaneous results. These are the subsects of the patients who are still
stigmatized by the society. Hence followup and review is always a problem in
these patients. Due counseling, awareness education are mandatory for these
patients to give them a cure and reduce the morbidity associated with.
The unidentified presence of HIV infection in the general population poses a
potential risk for infection, spread and mutation of these organisms in
immunocompromised states. In future, these factors will pose the clinician with
the tough task of treating the organisms which are resistant to the conventions
of treatment.
Permissiveness, adventure, travel and transforming society has opened up a
world of opportunity to the general population to experiment with sexuality.
Worldwide various studies are reporting the reducing age of coitarche. It is time,
that the policy makers and health professionals have a co-ordinated approach in
providing adequate and appropriate health education at appropriate age.
The detailed evaluation of the obtained data from the clinical and laboratory
assessment of abnormal vaginal discharge has given a clear insight of the
problem. The outcome will help the health policy makers, Venereology
Physicians and Venereal Microbiologists to give a better outcome in the
approach, evaluation, laboratory methods and treatment of this disorder.


Dictyostelium discoideum expresses EDTA-sensitive cell-cell adhesion sites soon after the initiation of development, and a Ca2+-binding protein of Mr 24,000 (designated DdCAD-1) has been implicated in this type of adhesiveness. We have previously purified DdCAD-1 to homogeneity and characterized its cell binding activity (Brar, S. K., and Siu, C.-H. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 24902-24909). In this report, we describe the cloning of DdCAD-1 cDNAs. DNA sequencing revealed a single open reading frame coding for a polypeptide containing 213 amino acids. The identity of the cDNA was confirmed by amino acid sequences of two cyanogen bromide peptides. The deduced amino acid sequence of DdCAD-1 exhibits a relatively high degree of sequence similarity with members of the cadherin family and protein S of Myxococcus xanthus. Unlike the other cadherins, the carboxyl-terminal region of DdCAD-1 contains a Ca2+-binding motif. Although analyses of the sequence suggest that the polypeptide lacks a signal peptide sequence and a transmembrane domain, immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrates the association of DdCAD-1 with the ecto-surface of the plasma membrane. To investigate the structure/function relationships of DdCAD-1, glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins containing different DdCAD-1 fragments were expressed and assayed for their 45Ca2+ and cell binding activities. These studies revealed that the cell binding activity is dependent on the amino-terminal segment and not the carboxyl-terminal Ca2+-binding domain and showed additional Ca2+-binding site(s) within the amino-terminal segment.


Advances in speech recognition technology have shown encouraging results for spoken document retrieval where the average precision often approaches 70% of that achieved for perfect text transcriptions. Typical applications of spoken document retrieval pertain to retrieval of stories from archived video/audio assets. In the CueVideo project, our application focus is spoken document retrieval from a video database for just-in-time training/distributed learning. Typical content is not pre-segmented, has no predefined structure, is of varying audio quality, and may not have domain specific data available. For such content, we propose a two level search, namely, a first level search across the entire video collection, and a second level search within a specific video. At both search levels, we perform an experimental evaluation of a combination of new and existing query expansion methods, intended to offset retrieval errors due to misrecognition.


Earthquakes are the violent expression of plate motion caused by a sudden release of elastic energy along fault planes known from a variety of tectonic settings. The seismically most active regions on Earth are the subduction zones, where lithospheric plates descend. Especially the Nankai subduction zone southeast of the Japanese islands of Honshu and Shikoku is known for the repeated occurrence of strong earthquakes and devastating tsunamis. The large-scale processes of stick-slip instabilities responsible for earthquake generation are vastly studied, but at least in parts not well understood. This thesis aims to investigate the fundamental processes of faulting and earthquake generation in a setting of converging lithospheric plates. Deformation processes in front of the seismogenic zone and in the accretionary wedge are in the main focus of this work. The question whether the rocks of the Nankai accretionary prisms are capable to produce surface breaks and related tsunamis by brittle faulting, or whether these rocks are capable of distributing deformation within large volumes (slow, stable slip) will be answered. For this purpose, deformation experiments of drill cores from the Nankai accretionary prism were conducted to provide information on the geotechnical properties of the near-surface sediments. Analogue cases exposed along the coast line of Shikoku Island and Boso Peninsula cover those parts in the accretionary prism not accessible by deep sea drilling, so far. Microstructural studies will connect the laboratory data to the natural case. The first study provides a unique dataset of sonic velocities measured during triaxial deformation under laboratory conditions. The slity clay and clayey silt samples were obtained from IODP Expeditions 315, 316 and 333. Seismic time series analysis helped to increase the data quality and to identify erroneous first arrival picks identified by trace-by-trace picking. During axial deformation, the compressional and shear wave velocities (Vp and Vs) range between 1300 – 2200 m/s and 150 -800 m/s, respectively. Different velocities were measured for the tectonic settings. Samples from the frontal thrust (accretionary prism toe) show higher Vp compared to the samples from the megasplay fault settings, whereas lowest Vp were measured for the incoming plate sediments, being characterized by higher clay contents compared to the accretionary prism sediments. Generally, Vp increases slightly with increasing effective confining pressure and effective principal stress. Similar observations were made for Vs, irrespective of tectonic setting and composition. Shear, bulk and elastic moduli were calculated from the velocities to differentiate between tectonic settings. The shear moduli ranges between 0.2 – 1.3 GPa and the bulk modulus between 3.8 – 8.4 GPa, while the elastic moduli, ranges between 0.5 – 3.8 GPa pointing to over-consolidation of the accretionary prism toe samples and normal consolidation of the footwall of the megasplay fault and incoming plate. The results of Rietveld refinement-based synchrotron texture analysis and microfabric studies of the slity clay and clayey silt samples are reported in the second part of the thesis. Crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of illite, kaolinite and smectite basal planes is bedding-parallel and increases with depth. Bedding parallel orientation of the basal planes of the phyllosilicates is preserved in samples tilted by tectonic deformation, indicating progressive burial and compaction as texture forming processes. Shape preferred orientation (SPO) of micropores and detrital illites investigated by Scanning Electron micrographs indicate natural compaction as well. Samples deformed in triaxial experiments differ from these observations as basal planes of phyllosilicates and calcite are oriented almost always perpendicular to the experimental shortening direction. SPO analyses indicate reorientation or flattening of the micropores due to experimental deformation. From these data we show that even in water-rich fine-grained and phyllosilicate rich sediments synchrotron x-ray radiation allows to quantify textures. In the third part, the results of triaxial deformation tests of mudstone samples derived from the tectonically exhumed accretionary prisms belonging to the Boso and Shimanto Belts, representing pre-exhumation burial depths up to 9000 m are presented. To investigate the geomechanical properties of these rocks, pressure stepping tests, constant confining pressure tests and a cyclic loading tests were conducted. To determine the effective shear parameters angle of internal friction and cohesion experimental results were used. Friction angles between 30 and 50° are rather high. The sample cohesion for Boso and Shimanto ranges between 2 and 6 MPa and 13 and >30 MPa, respectively. Due to structural and compositional similarities to the Nankai accretionary prism, the results can be used to estimate the geomechanical properties of the deeper parts of the Nankai accretionary prism, which are not accessible by deep sea drilling. The data shows that the forearc rocks are relatively strong. Diagenesis and/ or low-grade metamorphism increase the cohesion. From the data we conclude that stresses up to 18 MPa can be transmitted to the updip limit of the seismogenic zone and between 5 to 13 MPa to the actively deforming frontal prism. In the article of Stipp et al. (2013), to which I contributed as co-author, whole-round core samples drilled during IODP Expedition 315, 316 and 333 were experimentally deformed in a triaxial cell having been drilled in depths between 28 – 128 m below sea floor (mbsf). During undrained experimental deformation, at 400 to 1000 kPa confining pressure, between 0.001 – 9.0 mm/min displacement rate, up to ~64% axial compressive strain was reached. Although composition and grain size distribution of the slity clay and clayey silt samples is rather similar, geomechanical data lead to the distinction of two 'rheological groups'. (1) Structurally weak samples, showing peak deviatoric stress conditions after few percent of compressional strain, continuous stress decrease after peak conditions and contractant behavior (increasing pore pressure) and (2) structurally strong samples, showing continuous strength increase or weaken only moderately at much higher strength levels and higher strains. Strong samples from the accretionary prism toe are overconsolidated, while the weak samples from further upslope are normally consolidated, similar to the samples from the incoming plate. The mechanical state of the decollement can be inferred from the results of the triaxial tests. Up to 18 MPa can be transmitted to the updip limit of the seismogenic zone and up to 13 MPa to the backstop of the active deforming prism. Overconsolidated frontal thrust sediments are able to stable slip and strain partitioning resulting in folding. The middle part of the accretionary prism tends to creep under cyclic loading. Normal consolidated sediments of the megasplay setting are capable to unstable slip and brittle faulting and thus can produce surface breaks. Crystallographic preferred orientation and shape preferred orientation may act as runaway structures transmitting strains to the (near) sea floor.


SUMMARY This paper presents a proposed NMOS-centered 6T SRAM cell layout that reduces a neutron-induced multiple-cell-upset (MCU) SER on a same wordline. We implemented an 1-Mb SRAM macro in a 65-nm CMOS process and irradiated neutrons as a neutron-accelerated test to evaluate the MCU SER. The proposed 6T SRAM macro improves the horizontal MCU SER by 67–98% compared with a general macro that


Adults are able to learn sound co-occurrences without conscious knowledge after brief exposures. But which dimensions of sounds are most salient in this process? Using an artificial phonology paradigm, we explored potential learnability differences involving consonant-, speaker-, and tone-vowel cooccurrences. Results revealed that participants, whose native language was not tonal, implicitly encoded consonant-vowel patterns with a high level of accuracy; were above chance for tone-vowel co-occurrences; and were at chance for speakervowel co-occurrences. This pattern of results is exactly what would be expected if both language-specific experience and innate biases to encode potentially contrastive linguistic dimensions affect the salience of different dimensions during implicit learning of sound patterns.


Purpose: Dexmedetomidine exerts a sedative effect by promoting the sleep pathway endogenously and producing a state similar to N2 sleep. This study aimed to study the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine nasal spray in the treatment of postoperative sleep disturbance. Methods: This study enrolled 120 participants [men and women; age, 18–40 years; American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, I or II] who underwent maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia through nasotracheal intubation. The participants were randomly divided into three groups: blank control group (BC group), 1.0 μg/kg dexmedetomidine group (1.0 Dex group), and 1.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine group (1.5 Dex group), with 40 patients allocated to each group. At 21:30 on the night after the operation, the intervention groups were administered their corresponding doses of dexmedetomidine nasal spray. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale was used to evaluate the baseline sleep status of participants 1 month preoperatively and on the night after the operation. Polysomnography (PSG) was used to record the sleep status on the night after the operation. We recorded the rescue times of sedative and analgesic drugs on the first night after surgery, adverse reactions, total hospital stay duration, and total costs. Results: Compared with patients in the BC group, those in 1.0 Dex and 1.5 Dex groups had longer N2 sleep duration, were awake for a shorter time after dose administration, woke up less often, and had significantly improved sleep efficiency (p < 0.05). Compared with the BC group, the PSQI scores of 1.0 Dex and 1.5 Dex groups were significantly lower on the night after operation, and the proportion of PSQI > 5 was significantly lower (p < 0.05). Compared with patients in the BC group and the 1.0 Dex group, those in the 1.5 Dex group had significantly prolonged N3 sleep, reduced frequency of requiring sufentanil rescue, lower incidence of sore throat after surgery, and shorter average length of hospital stay (all, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The sleep quality of participants on the night after having undergone maxillofacial surgery was safely and effectively improved by 1.0–1.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine atomized nasal sprays. Notably, only the latter could prolong N3 sleep. Level of Evidence II: Evidence was obtained from at least one properly designed randomized controlled trial.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider perceptions of sustainability, information communication technologies (ICTs)-enhanced performances, authenticity, COVID-19 and performance futures in relation to digital content for use on-site and off-site at music festivals/events. It responds to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 – Industries, Innovation and Infrastructure. The research analyses existing literature to inform a dialogue among music festival organisers, consultants and performers. It addresses the thesis that: industry gatekeepers' opinions on the authenticity of environmentally sound ICT-generated live content will influence its adoption at music festivals.Design/methodology/approachPrimary research was carried out using purposive sampling of 50 live music industry professionals to collect and interpret expert empirical evidence through informed narrative. Using a mixed-methods approach, respondents completed a structured e-mail questionnaire comprising closed questions, a five-point Likert scale and additional qualitative open questions.FindingsPredominantly positive quantitative responses relating to the live music industry's role in advocating sustainability contrasted with negative responses to virtual festivals. Responses adopting and rejecting environmentally sound ICT for live content were evident in qualitative results, with significant proportions of undecided or uncertain respondents. The prevalence of postponement and rejection responses around authenticity may prevent adoption at some music festivals.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this research include the relatively small sample size and limited scope in terms of the artform.Originality/valueThe "snapshot" of digital aspects of sustainability at music festivals within this research is of particular value due to the paucity of research in this area, rapid change in virtual music festival provision prompted by COVID-19 and its narrative from varied industry professionals. The paper makes recommendations to artists, music festival organisers, consultants, academics and public funders to attempt to advance sustainability.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with no definitive diagnosis or known cure. The aggregation of Tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which contain straight filaments (SFs) and paired helical filaments (PHFs), is a major hallmark of AD. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are a type of nanomaterial that combat many of the small-molecule therapeutic challenges in AD and have shown promise in similar pathologies. In this study, two sizes of GQDs, GQD7 and GQD28, were docked to various forms of Tau monomers, SFs, and PHFs. From the favorable docked poses, we simulated each system for at least 300 ns and calculated the free energies of binding. We observed a clear preference for GQD28 in the PHF6 (306VQIVYK311) pathological hexapeptide region of monomeric Tau, while GQD7 targeted both the PHF6 and PHF6* (275VQIINK280) pathological hexapeptide regions. In SFs, GQD28 had a high affinity for a binding site that is available in AD but not in other common tauopathies, while GQD7 behaved promiscuously. In PHFs, GQD28 interacted strongly near the protofibril interface at the putative disaggregation site for epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and GQD7 largely interacted with PHF6. Our analyses revealed several key GQD binding sites that may be used for detecting, preventing, and disassembling the Tau aggregates in AD.


AIMS
To test how attentional bias and explicit liking are influenced by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and whether these effects are moderated by cannabidiol (CBD).

DESIGN
Double-blind, randomised, within-subjects cross-over study.

SETTING
NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

PARTICIPANTS/CASES
Forty-six infrequent cannabis users (cannabis use <1 per week).

INTERVENTION(S)
Across four sessions, participants inhaled vaporised cannabis containing 10 mg of THC and either 0 mg (0:1 CBD:THC), 10 mg (1:1), 20 mg (2:1) or 30 mg (3:1) of CBD, administered in a randomised order and counter-balanced across participants (a total of 24 order groups).

MEASUREMENTS
Participants completed two tasks: (1) Attentional Bias (AB), comparing reaction times toward visual probes presented behind 28 target stimuli (cannabis/food) compared with probes behind corresponding non-target (neutral) stimuli. Participants responding more quickly to probes behind target than non-target stimuli would indicate greater attentional bias to cannabis/food; (2) Picture Rating (PR), where all AB stimuli were rated on a 7-point pleasantness scale, measuring explicit liking.

FINDINGS
During the AB task, participants were more biased toward cannabis stimuli in the 0:1 condition compared with baseline (mean difference = 12.2, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 1.20-23.3, d = 0.41, P = 0.03). No other significant AB or PR differences were found between cannabis and food stimuli between baseline and 0:1 condition (P > 0.05). No significant CBD effect was found on AB or PR task performance at any dose (P > 0.05). There was additionally no cumulative effect of THC exposure on AB or PR outcomes (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
A double-blind, randomised, cross-over study among infrequent cannabis users found that inhaled delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol increased attentional bias toward cannabis in the absence of explicit liking, a marker of liability toward cannabis use disorder. At the concentrations normally found in legal and illegal cannabis, cannabidiol had no influence on this effect.


The pancreas morphology of transgenic mice that overexpress transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in the pancreas resembles partially morphological features of chronic pancreatitis, such as progressive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Using this transgenic mouse model, we characterized the composition of pancreatic fibrosis and involved fibrogenic mediators. On day 14 after birth, fibrotic tissue was mainly composed of collagen type I and III. At this time, mRNA levels of TGF-beta1 were increased. On day 70, the ECM composition was expanded by increased deposition of fibronectin, whereas connective tissue growth factor, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1, and FGF-2 mRNA expression levels were elevated in addition to TGF-beta1. In parallel, the number of pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) increased over time. In vitro, TGF-beta1 stimulated collagen type I expression but not fibronectin expression in PSC, in contrast to FGF-2, which stimulated both. This confirms that TGF-beta1 mediates pancreatic fibrosis through activation of PSC and deposition of collagen type I and III at early time points. Furthermore, this points to an indirect mechanism in which TGF-beta regulates pancreatic ECM assembly by induction of additional growth factors.


Patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) show differential prognosis after radical resection. Currently, cancer grading and surgical criteria depend heavily on imaging and anatomical diagnosis. It's essential to set up a model with reliable prognostic factors during the perioperative period to assess prognosis in PDAC patients. In this study, 103 patients diagnosed with PDAC who underwent radical resection were recruited. The predictive value of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), postoperative CA24-2 and the combination of two for overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Both pre-CEA and post-CA24-2 were found to be independent prognostic factors for OS according to multivariate analyses. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that CEA and CA24-2 as well as the combination of two were correlated with poor OS. In addition, patients with both markers elevated have worse prognosis than patients with either pre-CEA or post-CA24-2 elevated. Thus, we concluded that the combination of CEA and CA24-2 can be used as a prognostic factor for stage I and II resectable PDAC patients.


This article reports on a study of the operation of management control systems in a large nationalized jute mill of Bangladesh. The study seeks to describe how 'control' operated in practice and to explain why the systems of control worked in these ways. Investigations revealed a number of significant factors. First, the organization operated in both competitive and regulated environments; it had little authority over its operational activities and, head office and the sponsoring ministry were prominent in organizational planning and control. Second, the accounting system in the mill was mainly a response to external legitimacy (e.g. stewardship and tax matters). Third, although budgeting was perceived as part of the formal structure of control, it was not a dominant mode of control in the organization; the budgeting system was created to comply with head office and state requirements. Fourthly, the mill managers used a variety of social/informal control and mechanisms to cope with the complexity and uncertainty around the mill's operations. This study reinforces the conclusions of other research claiming that the wider social, economic, political and institutional contexts govern the ways management control operates in an organization.


Objective: To examine the peer-reviewed literature on psychiatric formulation. Methods: The term (formula*) was used to systematically search Australasian Psychiatry, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, British Journal of Psychiatry, BJPsych Bulletin, American Journal of Psychiatry and Academic Psychiatry. The resulting papers were reviewed. Results: Of the 42 papers located, 22 (52%) were published between 2002 and 2019; 90% papers were published in Australasian Psychiatry (15), Academic Psychiatry (12) or BJPsych Bulletin (10), journals that focus on training and clinical practice. The papers varied in their aims and recommendations and not all justified the need for formulation. Formulation was recommended as a necessity for training, a communication tool and a guide to treatment. No article provided evidence for the superiority of any type of formulation, and the role of consumers in formulation was conspicuously lacking. Conclusion: There are many ways to structure formulation. However, the existing literature does not support any particular approach. More consideration needs to be given to the needs of consumers in conceptualising and practicing formulation.


The extracellular receptor currents evoked by step displacements of the otolithic membrane of the isolated saccular macula of Rana esculenta were recorded under transepithelial voltage clamp conditions. With the aim to depolarize the hair cells and increase the fractional resistance of the apical membranes, the basal side of the preparation was bathed in saline with an increased K+ concentration (62 mM). This caused a shift in the non-linear receptor current-voltage relation along the voltage axis of -51 mV +/- 10 mV; (mean +/- SD; n = 32) and a reduction in the transepithelial resistance of 10%. Under these conditions the electrical properties of the macula are assumed to be controlled by the apical membranes. The effects of different concentrations of Ca2+ in the apical solution on the receptor current-voltage relation were examined. Change of the apical Ca2+ concentration (range 3 mM to 70 microM) varied the transepithelial voltage at which the receptor current was zero (Vrev). Fitting a modified constant field equation to the relation between the apical Ca2+ concentration and the change in Vrev gave an estimate of PCa/PK of the transduction channels of 212. Furthermore, a high relative permeability of the transduction channels for other divalent cations (Ba2+, Sr2+) was measured, whereas Mn2+ inhibited the receptor current. The receptor current was inhibited by amiloride (IC50 3.2 microM +/- 1.7 microM) and nifedipine (IC50 1.9 microM +/- 0.6 microM). Reduction of the apical Ca2+ concentration to 90 microM in standard apical solution reduced the size of the receptor current to 67% +/- 30% (n = 17) compared to control but did not affect the shape of the receptor current-voltage relation. Subsequent substitution of K+ by Na+ caused a further reduction of the receptor current to 32% +/- 29% (n = 9), changed the receptor current-voltage relation into a linear relation and diminished the adaptation of the receptor current. These results indicate that the mechano-electrical transduction channels of the frog saccular hair cells are highly selective to Ca2+ and that the conductance of the channels may be influenced by the apical monovalent cation species.


The stratigraphic architecture and relationships to the expression of deep-water architectural elements geomorphology is explored for Cenozoic deposits in the Exmouth Plateau Sub-basin in Northern Carnarvon Basin. We used a high-quality 3D seismic survey and an integrated seismic attribute analysis to provide a guide for seismic interpretation of the mixed carbonate-siliciclastic depositional systems focused on four aspects: morphology, lithology, strata thickness, and reflector distortion. Three depositional elements are classified into several categories: mass transport deposits (MTDs), channel systems (channel-levee and braided-like), and lobes, whose deposition is closely related to eustatic changes, and can be explained in a sequence stratigraphice framework. The falling stage system tract is characterised by initial development of mass transport deposits (MTD) deposited on the basin floor and small erosive channels on the upper slope. Lobes are deposited in lowstand system tracts while highstand system tracts are characterised by deposition of MTDs and progradational segments. This mixed carbonate-siliciclastic example proved to be sensitive to other variables such as climate (Middle Miocene Climate Optimum) and plate tectonics (northward Australian Plate drift), which affects geomorphological aspects such as the dimensions and preservation of internal characteristics.


The global network of data centers is emerging as an important distributed systems paradigm-commodity clusters running high-performance applications, connected by high-speed "lambda" networks across hundreds of milliseconds of network latency. Packet loss on long-haul networks can cripple applications and protocols: A loss rate as low as 0.1% is sufficient to reduce TCP/IP throughput by an order of magnitude on a 1-Gb/s link with 50-ms one-way latency. Maelstrom is an edge appliance that masks packet loss transparently and quickly from intercluster protocols, aggregating traffic for high-speed encoding and using a new forward error correction scheme to handle bursty loss.


Shilin County, which got her name after Shilin karst formed, is 86 km south of Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province. The karst area covers 900 km2. Among them 350 km2 are Shilin karst landscapes, which has been set as statelevel natural protected area. Cave is one of the most developed karst features, too. From 1995 to 2000, around 70 caves were explored. Based on their section shapes, location and hydrogeological settings differences, they could be classified into three types of caves. The first type is fracturelike cave, formed by the enlargement by water along fractures. There are innumerable such type of caves developed in Shilin landform areas. Such type of caves is small, 0.5~2 m wide and 20~40 m deep. Strictly, the cave was the outcome of Shilin evolution. The second type of cave is horizontal caves, which mainly developed in the Fengcong shallow depression landscape areas, right outside of Shilin landscapes. Those caves are very complicated, in view of their shapes or genesis. The third type is slope caves, and they mainly distribute at Fengcongdepression karst areas or hillsides of lower mountains, where ground water table is around 100~150 m deep. The cave is commonly connected with vertical shafts or collapse dolines as entrance. The fast flows play a great role in the formation of such type of cave. Generally, the cave development in Shilin County enjoys the following characteristics: (1) The cave development mainly concentrates in three elevation zones. (2) The development of cave is strongly controlled by the lithology of carbonate rocks. Most caves developed in Permian and Carboniferous carbonate strata areas. (3) Small and medium scales caves dominate absolutely. (4) Most caves have active water flow and are at the near water table stage. As the ceiling rock of caves is very thin, karstwindows are well developed. Most caves are water caves, which are normally shallow buried and (5) the orientation of cave passage obviously controlled by structure fissures and there is a great difference between caves of the east and west part of the region. In west, the orientations of caves are dominant by SN or near SN direction. But in east the WE or near WE orientations are predominant. The three water tracing tests in Tianshengguan area, the northeast part of Shilin have revealed the complicacy of underground cave system of this region: the Northsouth and Westeast underground water systems coexist. In lowwater period, the Westeast conduitfissure system works very well, but during high water level, some water drains in NS direction. Obviously the caves show different stages of paragenesis. Caves suffered the alternation of several periods of deposition and periods of fast water flows and flood water.


The root-knot nematode was examined using magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) made from strawberries. The biologically synthesized MgO-NPs were characterized by UV, SEM, FTIR, EDS, TEM, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Nanoparticles (NPs) were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and shown to be spherical to hexagonal nanoparticles with an average size of 100 nm. MgO-NPs were tested on the root-knot nematode M. incognita (Meloidogynidae) and the plant pathogenic bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum. The synthesized MgO-NPs showed a significant inhibition of R. solanacearum and the root-knot nematode. MgO-NPs cause mortality and inhibit egg hatching of second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita under the in vitro assay. This study aims to examine the biological activity of biogenic MgO-NPs. The findings marked that MgO-NPs may be utilized to manage R. solanacearum and M. incognita and develop effective nematicides. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of MgO-NPs was determined by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH).


Various neural network based methods are capable of anticipating human body motions from data for a short period of time. What these methods lack are the interpretability and explainability of the network and its results. We propose to use Dynamic Mode Decomposition with delays to represent and anticipate human body motions. Exploring the influence of the number of delays on the reconstruction and prediction of various motion classes, we show that the anticipation errors in our results are comparable to or even better for very short anticipation times (<0.4 s) than a recurrent neural network based method. We perceive our method as a first step towards the interpretability of the results by representing human body motions as linear combinations of previous states and delays. In addition, compared to the neural network based methods large training times are not needed. Actually, our methods do not even regress to any other motions than the one to be anticipated and hence it is of a generic nature.


The aim of the research is to identify the main narratives about the identities of the Russian-speaking youth of the LGBTQ+ community, and whether these identities influence youngsters' sense of belonging to Latvia, where they comprise both a linguistic and a sexual minority group. The theoretical part of the current paper examines the theoretical aspects of national, ethnic, linguistic, sexual, and homosexual identities, as well as provides a deeper understanding about the young people as a research audience and the studies of the Russian-speaking community in Latvia. In the practical part of the work, three methods were used: semi-structured interview, thematic narrative analysis and content analysis. Based on the results obtained, conclusions were made about youngsters' identity conflict, the impact of youngsters' identities on their sense of belonging to Latvia, youngsters' experiences with stereotypes and discrimination in Latvia, and their participation in the Russian-speaking and LGBTQ+ communities. The results of the research enabled identification of 7 main narratives: the Russian-speaking community and a sense of belonging to Latvia; the Russian-speaking community and the influence of Russia; the LGBTQ+ community and hiding; the LGBTQ+ community and heterosexual privilege; the LGBTQ+ community and attitudes towards homosexual orientation; the LGBTQ+ community and hope for the future, as well as the dual minorities.


A 35 years old man presented with primary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis who was admitted to chest unit of ATH through casualty department. Before he came to our ward he was treated with different antibiotics including anti-tuberculosis drugs for a month at least. But his symptoms did not improve rather his dyspnoea got worse. He was misdiagnosed till histopathology revealed that he has pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. With this background we briefly review clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of this rare disease.


Neuromagnetic fields were recorded from normal participants to study neural activation while they performed a delayed matching-to-sample task of visual stimuli. Each participant was asked to compare sequentially presented three-dimensional object images under same view and different view conditions. Minimum current estimates were calculated to characterize cortical activities for the object recognition. Activation was observed in the bilateral parieto-occipital regions at approximately 180 ms. Activation within the right parieto-occipital region was significantly enhanced under the different view conditions. This result indicates that the activity at the right parieto-occipital region is related to viewpoint and may play an important role in three-dimensional object recognition.


The field of fluorogenic RNA aptamers is a burgeoning research area that aims to address the lack of naturally fluorescent RNA molecules for RNA detection and imaging. These small RNA tags bind to their fluorogenic ligands resulting in significant fluorescent enhancement, leading to a molar brightness comparable to or exceeding that of fluorescent proteins. In the past decade, multiple light-up RNA aptamer systems have been isolated that bind to a broad range of ligands involving several distinct mechanisms of fluorogenicity. This review discusses the selection methods used to isolate fluorogenic RNA aptamers. More than seventy fluorogenic aptamer:ligand pairs are evaluated using objective parameters (e.g., molar brightness, binding affinity, fluorophore exchange capabilities and other details). General guidelines for choosing fluorescent RNA tools, with an emphasis on single-molecule detection and multi-colour imaging applications are provided. Lastly the importance of global standards for evaluating fluorogenic RNA aptamer systems is discussed.