Excerpt] Management of sales organization views sales force retention as a critical objective. The total costs associated with the quit decision of a single salesperson (recruiting, training and opportunity costs of lost sales from unmanned positions) is in the $50,000-$75,000 range. Clearly, the adverse impact of salesforce turnover on both the profitability of the organization as well as the motivation level of the salesforce can be substantial. Therefore, it is urgent as well as crucial for sales organizations to develop retention strategies to incentivize sales representatives to stay with the company. The most crucial reason for voluntary turnover among salesforce is higher wages. Salary growth effects on turnover were greatest for high performers, that is, high salary growth significantly reduced turnover for high performing employees. However, besides salary, there are still a wide range of other strategies that companies can adopt to retain the salesforce.


Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) are essential micronutrients needed by virtually all living organisms, including plants and humans, for proper growth and development. Due to its capacity to easily exchange electrons, Fe is important for electron transport in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Fe is also necessary for chlorophyll synthesis. Zn is a cofactor for several proteins, including Zn-finger transcription factors and redox metabolism enzymes such as copper/Zn superoxide dismutases. In humans, Fe participates in oxygen transport, electron transport, and cell division whereas Zn is involved in nucleic acid metabolism, apoptosis, immunity, and reproduction. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the major staple food crops, feeding over half of the world's population. However, Fe and Zn concentrations are low in rice grains, especially in the endosperm, which is consumed as white rice. Populations relying heavily on rice and other cereals are prone to Fe and Zn deficiency. One of the most cost-effective solutions to this problem is biofortification, which increases the nutritional value of crops, mainly in their edible organs, without yield reductions. In recent years, several approaches were applied to enhance the accumulation of Fe and Zn in rice seeds, especially in the endosperm. Here, we summarize these attempts involving transgenics and mutant lines, which resulted in Fe and/or Zn biofortification in rice grains. We review rice plant manipulations using ferritin genes, metal transporters, changes in the nicotianamine/phytosiderophore pathway (including biosynthetic genes and transporters), regulators of Fe deficiency responses, and other mutants/overexpressing lines used in gene characterization that resulted in Fe/Zn concentration changes in seeds. This review also discusses research gaps and proposes possible future directions that could be important to increase the concentration and bioavailability of Fe and Zn in rice seeds without the accumulation of deleterious elements. We also emphasize the need for a better understanding of metal homeostasis in rice, the importance of evaluating yield components of plants containing transgenes/mutations under field conditions, and the potential of identifying genes that can be manipulated by gene editing and other nontransgenic approaches.


This article examines the everyday practices of historical reflection, recollection, and reconstruction as revealed in diaries of the Leningrad Blockade. In particular, it focuses on how Leningraders who chose to keep diaries of their experiences worked to make sense of the siege by situating it historically and comparing it to two other historical moments, the blockade of Petrograd during the Civil War and the siege of Sevastopol' during the Crimean War. Their evaluations of these historical analogies were based on a combination of personal and collective memories as well as on their understandings of state-sanctioned accounts of these events. Ultimately, these historical refl ections alerted the diarists to what they came to see as the unique and incomparable aspects of Blockade.


Summary This article comments on the relationship between ritual and therapy with an exploration of two rituals, one from public life and one from clinical practice. Part one focuses on the bar/bat mitzvah ritual (coming-of-age ceremony for 13 year old Jewish adolescents) as a naturally occurring "therapeutic opportunity," and part two, on the way several leading therapists have used variations on the theme of ritual ceremony to create their unique formats for therapy. In particular, Michael White's use of Barbara Myerhoff's (1986) idea of "definitional ceremony," and Lynn Hoffman's use of Tom Andersen's (1987) "reflecting team" idea are highlighted. An illustrative case story is presented and the article ends with a review of parallels between ritual and therapy.


The research on the isolation of novel lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from different fermented plant beverages is receiving immense attention for their signi icant health bene its towards human health. The present study aimed to isolate and categorize various functional attributes of Lactobacillus pentosus DS2 isolated from fermented black carrot beverage. The isolated L.pentosus DS2 strain exhibited resistance to acid and higher salt concentrations. The isolated strain was identi ied by using 16S rRNA gene sequences. L.pentosus DS2 showed high survivability of about 6.75 to 7.02 log CFU/ml from pH (2-8) and at a different salt concentration (1-10%) log CFU/ml ranged from 7.92 to 6.41 log CFU/ml. According to the obtained results, auto-aggregation aswell as cell surface hydrophobicity was about 16.2± 0.35 and 90± 0.21 % respectively, while co-aggregation value was 72.5± 2.12 and 82± 1.41%with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. The enzymatic screeningwas performed and estimated as 0.54 ± 0.01, 103 ± 1.41, and 80.5 ± 2.89 U/mL of amylase, protease, and phytase. Cholesterol removal by L. pentosus DS2 was 47.15± 0.41%. The adherence levels by L. pentosus DS2 to different cell lines such as Caco-2 andHT-29 ranged from 17.65± 0.25 to 19.79± 0.31% respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern obtained showed a different degree of antibiotics sensitivity, such as resistance to ampicillin. Thus, the isolated L.pentosus DS2 has all the desired properties to be used as a potential probiotics strain.


Both visnaginone and khellinone react with malononitrile, ethyl cyanoacetate or cyanoacetamide in presence of ammonium acetate to give substituted furobenzopyrans or furobenzopy ridones. However, the reaction of visnaginone and khellinone with aldehydes, and malononitrile in presence of ammonium acetate leads to the formation of the corresponding 2-amino4,6-disubstituted pyridine 3-carbonitriles. The latter compounds are also obtained by treating the respective chalcones with malononitrile and ammonium acetate. 3-Substituted 1,3-diketobutyrates form with malononitrile or with cyanoacetamide and ammonium acetate the 2-amino-4,6-disubstituted pyridine-3-carbonitriles or the 4,6-disubstituted cyanopyridones, respectively.


Nylon wool-purified T cells appear to be nonreactive in a lymphocytotoxicity assay with HLA-DRw antisera and complement before cell activation. However, after activation in mixed lymphocyte culture, responder cells express determinants that are strongly reactive with DRw alloantisera after 6 days and gradually disappear by 16 to 18 days. Restimulation of the primed cells resulted in re-expression of the blast determinants. Mitogenic stimulation with Con A or purified PHA (HA-17) also resulted in temporary expression of these determinants; reactivity usually conformed to DRw genetic restriction; however, occasional extra reactions occurred that were variable depending on the method of activation (i.e., MLC, Con A, or HA-17). The results suggest the presence of additional allospecificities within some of the DRw antisera that react with "Ia-like" antigens on activated cells from unique subsets of T cells. Whether these DRw antisera contain antibodies against T cells or agains activation or differentiation T cell antigens is not as yet clear.


Protein membrane interactions play an important role in our understanding of diverse phenomena ranging from membrane-assisted protein aggregation to oligomerization and folding. Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are the primary vehicle for infection by several strains of bacteria. These proteins which are expressed in a water-soluble form (monomers) bind to the target membrane and conformationally transform (protomers) and self-assemble to form a multimer transmembrane pore complex through a process of oligomerization. On the basis of the structure of the transmembrane domains, PFTs are broadly classified into β or α toxins. In contrast to β-PFTs, the paucity of available crystal structures coupled with the amphipathic nature of the transmembrane domains has hindered our understanding of α-PFT pore formation. In this article, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to examine the process of pore formation of the bacterial α-PFT, cytolysin A from Escherichia coli (ClyA) in lipid bilayer membranes. Using atomistic MD simulations ranging from 50 to 500 ns, we show that transmembrane oligomeric intermediates or "arcs" form stable proteolipidic complexes consisting of protein arcs with toroidal lipids lining the free edges. By creating initial conditions where the lipids are contained within the arcs, we study the dynamics of spontaneous lipid evacuation and toroidal edge formation. This process occurs on the time scale of tens of nanoseconds, suggesting that once protomers oligomerize, transmembrane arcs are rapidly stabilized to form functional water channels capable of leakage. Using umbrella sampling with a coarse-grained molecular model, we obtain the free energy of insertion of a single protomer into the membrane. A single inserted protomer has a stabilization free energy of -52.9 ± 1.2 kJ/mol and forms a stable transmembrane water channel capable of leakage. Our simulations reveal that arcs are stable and viable intermediates that can occur during the pore-formation pathway for ClyA.


This paper investigates the possibility of reconstruction of images considering that they are sparse in the DCT transformation domain. Two approaches are considered. One when the image is pre-processed in the DCT domain, using 8x8 blocks. The image is made sparse by setting the smallest DCT coefficients to zero. In the other case the original image is considered without pre-processing, assuming the sparsity as intrinsic property of the analyzed image. A gradient based algorithm is used to recover a large number of missing pixels in the image. The case of a salt-and-paper noise affecting a large number of pixels is easily reduced to the case of missing pixels and considered within the same framework. The reconstruction of images affected with salt-and-paper impulsive is compared with the images filtered using a median filter. The same algorithm can be used considering transformation of the whole image. Reconstructions of black and white and colour images are considered.


Berry fruits are well recognized for health-promoting constituents due to their properties of free radical scavengers which confer antioxidant activity against cellular oxidation reactions. Elderberry fruit contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanins. The objective of this work was to evaluate the storage stability of total monomeric anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside (one of two major anthocyanins in elderberry), and color parameters in freeze-dried elderberry encapsulated with a low proportion of different carriers (Maltodextrin, Capsul™, Promitor ™, and κ-carrageenan). Encapsulated samples were stored at two different water activities (aw) 0.10–0.20 and 0.43 at 38 ℃ for 90 days and evaluated for the content of monomeric anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside, color parameters, and physical characteristics. Freeze-dried powders remained free-flowing during storage at 38 ℃ with aw 0.12–0.20, but agglomeration occurred at aw = 0.43. Total anthocyanins and color parameter a* (redness) remained unchanged during storage at the lower aw. Glass transition temperatures (Tg) were determined and mostly correlated with observed physical phenomena. The powders had a very high total monomeric anthocyanin contents as high as 13 mg/g (cyanidin-3-glucoside). The addition of encapsulants in low proportions allowed the researchers to obtain elderberry powders with a very high concentration of total monomeric anthocyanins. aw plays a key role in all stability parameters studied.


Design and synthesizenew derivatives of well-known classical NSAIDs with an increased bulkiness and ex pected selectivity towards the COX-2 enzyme, while being d evoid of ulcerogenic effects. The target compounds were synthesized by conjugating an amino derivatives [5- (methylsulfonyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine] as an am ide with the carboxyl group of a number of well-known NSAIDs. Sy nthetic procedures have been successfully developed for the generation of the target compounds (T 1 -T 4 ). The structure of the synthesized derivatives has been characterized by elemental microanalysis (CHN), FTIR Spectroscopy, a nd other physicochemical properties. In vivo acute anti- inflammatory activity of the final target compounds (T 1 -T 4 ) was evaluated in rats using the egg-white induced edema model of inflammation in a dose equivalent to (3 mg /Kg) of Diclofenac Sodium. All tested compounds pro duced a significant reduction in paw edema with a continued effect till the end of the experiment in respect t o the effect of propylene glycol 50% v/v (control group). Moreover, target compound T 3 exhibited superior anti-inflammatory activity compared to Diclofenac Sodium at times 180 -300 minutes with the same onset of action. Theinco rporated 5- (methylsulfonyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-aminePharma-cop hore into the final target compounds has maintained and even synergizedthe anti-inflammatory activity of the cho sen classical NSAIDs and this may be due to an incr eased selectivity towards the COX-2 enzyme, a factor whic h need to be confirmed in future by assessing COX-1 :COX-2 inhibitory ratios.


Introduction since 1971, Cameroon is facing a growing series of cholera epidemics despite all the efforts made by the government to address this huge public health threat. In 2020, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cameroon recorded a high cholera case fatality rate of 4.3% following epidemics noted in the South, Littoral and South-West regions. The Cameroon Ministry of Public Health, has thus organized a reactive vaccination campaign against cholera to address the high mortality rate in the affected health districts of those regions. The objective of this study was to describe the challenges, best practices and lessons learned drawing from daily experiences from this reactive vaccination campaign against cholera. Methods we conducted a cross-sectional study drawn from the results of the campaign. We had a target population of 631,109 participants aged 1 year and above resident of the targeted health areas. Results the overall vaccination coverage was 64.4% with a refusal rate ranging from 0-10% according to health districts. Vaccination coverage was the lowest among people aged 20 years and above. The main challenge was difficulty maintaining physical distanciation, the main best practice was the screening of all actors taking part at the vaccination against COVID-19 and we found that emphasizing on thorough population sensitization through quarter heads and social mobilizers and adequately programming the campaign during a good climate season is crucial to achieving good vaccination coverage. Conclusion lessons learned from this study could serve to inform various agencies in the event of planning rapid mass vaccination programs during pandemics.


AIM OF THE STUDY
To provide an in-depth understanding of nurses' perceptions of the hospital discharge process in a London teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND
Discharging patients from hospital is a key component of the nurse's role in acute health care settings. It is remarkable that despite government legislation and research, which stretches back over 20 years in both Europe and North America, discharge planning remains problematic. Furthermore, it is an activity that requires collaboration between health and social care agencies. In the United Kingdom there is a new emphasis and incentive on managing acute hospital beds, which in turn results in shorter stays in hospital. In London, discharge planners face additional problems because of social, economic and environmental factors.

METHOD
Using a case study design, 19 nurses were interviewed using the critical incident approach to obtain their perceptions of the discharge process. Direct observation was conducted to record interactions between nurses and health care professionals in multidisciplinary teams. In total 14 meetings were attended in elder care and orthopaedics and 7 in acute medicine.

FINDINGS
Aspects of the discharge process were often ignored or neglected and assessments were rarely co-ordinated. The nursing ward handover was regarded as a process that hindered communication. Lack of time was reported to be the biggest barrier that affected interprofessional working and hence the co-ordination of assessments.

CONCLUSION
The findings have important implications for nurses, managers and educational establishments. It is essential that social and medical diagnoses run parallel and that accurate information is collated and communicated within the multidisciplinary team. Further research into the impact of time pressures on communication, interprofessional working and the discharge process is needed.


Sequence-dependent DNA conformation and flexibility play a fundamental role in specificity of DNA-protein interactions. Here we quantify the DNA crookedness: a sequence-dependent deformation of DNA that consists on periodic bends of the base pair centers chain. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we found that DNA crookedness and its associated flexibility are bijective: unveiling a one-to-one relation between DNA structure and dynamics. This allowed us to build a predictive model to compute DNA stretching stiffness from solely its structure. Sequences with very little crookedness show extremely high stiffness and have been previously shown to form unstable nucleosomes and promote gene expression. Interestingly, the crookedness can be tailored by epigenetic modifications, known to affect gene expression. Our results rationalize the idea that the DNA sequence is not only a chemical code, but also a physical one that allows to finely regulate its mechanical properties and, possibly, its 3D arrangement inside the cell.


Robotic intravenous poles are automated supportive instrument that needs to be triggered by patients to hold medications and needed supplies. Healthcare engineering of robotic intravenous poles is advancing in order to improve the quality of health services to patients worldwide. Existing intravenous poles in the market were supportive to patients, yet they constrained their movement, consumed the time of both the patient and the nurse, and they were expensive in regard to what they offer. Although robotic poles overcame some of the movement limitations of the commercial/market poles, they were partially automated and did not offer additional technological features. The aim of our work was to develop a fully automated Biomedical Intravenous Pole Robot (BMIVPOT) to resolve the aforementioned limitations and to offer new technological features to intravenous poles, thereby promoting the health services. Several sensors and build-up materials were empirically chosen to be cost-effective and fulfill our needs. The new prototype was divided into three steps: simulated prototype, real implementation of the prototype, and testing and evaluation. Simulation results showed the best qualitative way to fit all the specifications in the robotic system, such as the shape, sensors, and connections in order to provide the proper functionality of the system. Experimental and real results provided the manufactured parts, implemented sensors, and the final robot. Testing the tracking and the flow sensor performances were provided. Evaluation of our Biomedical Intravenous Pole Robot with alternatives showed that our robot outperforms the other poles in many aspects including the features it offers, the percentage of interventions it comprised, the reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The overall percentage of features offered by our Biomedical Intravenous Pole Robot was 60% higher than that offered by peer research poles and 80% higher than that of the market poles. In addition, the average percentage of integration of interventions (architecture, sensor, wireless, tracking, and mechanical) in the Biomedical Intravenous Pole Robot was at least 56% higher than that of the alternative poles. According to the results, Biomedical Intravenous Pole Robot offers a cost-effective price as compared to the others. As a future prospect, we intend to add more features to this prototype in order to enhance it, such as vital signs detection, and improve the tracking system.


Background: Pentraxin-3 is an acute-phase protein involved in the processes of inflammation and infection. This study aimed to analyze the changes of plasma pentraxin-3 prospectively and evaluate its predictive value on disease severity and prognosis in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).Methods: A total of 105 HFRS patients were enrolled in this study and were grouped according to the clinical classification criteria for HFRS, and 27 healthy volunteers served as controls. The levels of plasma pentraxin-3 were detected using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and which were compared among the acute and convalescent phases in different types of patients, as well as the control group. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between pentraxin-3 and conventional laboratory indexes. The predictive effectiveness for prognosis of pentraxin-3 was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: There was no significant difference in gender and age distribution between all types of patients and control group (P>0.05). In all types of patients, the levels of pentraxin-3 in acute phase were significantly higher than that of control group and convalescent phase of the same type (P<0.05). The levels of pentraxin-3 increased with the aggravation of the disease, and showed the highest expression in critical-type patients (P<0.05). Pentraxin-3 was positively correlated with WBC, AST and APTT, and negatively correlated with PLT, ALB and Fib (|rs|>0.500, P<0.001). Pentraxin-3 showed significant predictive value for the prognosis of HFRS patients, with the area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.753 (95%CI: 0.593~0.914, P=0.003).Conclusions: The detection of plasma pentraxin-3 can be beneficial to the evaluation of disease severity and prognosis in patients with HFRS.


The intake system sub-model, the fuel dynamics sub-model and the power output sub-model has been studied in this paper based on Elbert Hendricks engine mean model. Engine output characteristics using computational model is established in MATLAB/Simulink. Parameter of the modeling and simulation process is obtained through experiments, and finally, the engine bench test is done, and compared it with the simulation curve in same conditions. The results show that the model calculation has smaller error, higher precision, and which can meet the basic requirements of the engine modeling in actual control.


Most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients show focal onset of upper and lower motor neuron signs and spread of symptoms to other regions or the other side clinically. Progression patterns of sporadic ALS are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of respiratory deterioration in sporadic ALS according to the onset site by using respiratory function tests. Study participants included 63 (42 cervical-onset [C-ALS] and 21 lumbosacral-onset [L-ALS]) ALS patients and 31 healthy controls. We compared respiratory function test parameters among the 3 groups. Age was 57.4±9.6 (mean±SD), 60.8±9, and 60.5±7 years, and there were 28, 15, and 20 male participants, in the C-ALS, L-ALS, and control groups, respectively. Disease duration did not differ between C-ALS and L-ALS patients. Sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) was significantly low in C-ALS patients compared with controls. Maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and forced vital capacity percent predicted (FVC% predicted) were significantly low in C-ALS and L-ALS patients compared with controls. Maximal inspiratory pressure to maximal expiratory pressure (MIP:MEP) ratio did not differ among the 3 groups. Eighteen C-ALS and 5 L-ALS patients were followed up. ΔMIP, ΔMEP, ΔSNIP, ΔPEF, and ΔFVC% predicted were higher in C-ALS than L-ALS patients without statistical significance. Fourteen C-ALS (77.8%) and 3 L-ALS (60%) patients showed a constant MIP:MEP ratio above or below 1 from the first to the last evaluation. Our results suggest that vulnerability of motor neurons in sporadic ALS might follow a topographic gradient.


ABSTRACT The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has been widely used to quantify vegetation by measuring the difference between near-infrared (NIR) and red light. Measuring NDVI throughout a growing season helps to evaluate the effect of continuous phenological and morphological changes on grain yield. A 2-year field study was conducted to characterize plant response to water stress in 20 winter wheat (Triticum aestium L.) genotypes during the season based on their NDVI values under the dryland and irrigated conditions. In addition, final biomass and yield were measured at maturity. The 2018 season was extremely dry with only 23 mm of precipitation, whereas 2016 was more favorable for wheat production with 315 mm seasonal precipitation. Except in a severe drought condition (2018, dryland), NDVI values increased from early spring to mid-season (anthesis) and decreased from mid-season to physiological maturity, indicating gradual leaf senescence. There was a significant (P = 0.05) positive correlation between NDVI and grain yield, especially for NDVI values after jointing. However, under the severe drought condition of 2018 (dryland), NDVI often did not show a strong relationship with grain yield. Even genotypes with higher NDVI at early growth stages ended up with lower yield because of the severe water stress at later growth stages. Hence, the use of NDVI is not suggested in screening genotypes for yield under extreme weather conditions.


Abstract Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are commonly monitored using pyramid traps baited with a pheromone. Initially, the pyramid traps were painted yellow and predominantly used to monitor native stink bug species. However, research studies involving the exotic Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) now use pyramid traps that are black, not yellow. As H. halys moves across the southeastern United States, the use of a single trap, yellow or black, for monitoring and conducting research studies would be beneficial. Our objective was to compare black and yellow pyramid traps baited with a lure to determine if one was superior for trapping herbivorous stink bugs. This study was conducted at four locations, three in Alabama and one in Georgia, over 2 yr. Additionally, residual efficacy of the lure was measured via trap capture over 1-mo intervals. Our results showed that only when native stink bug species were combined, and only in 1 yr, were captures significantly affected by trap color. Capture of the exotic H. halys and the most abundant native species, Euschistus servus (Say), was not significantly affected by trap color. Trap capture was significantly affected by how long a lure was in a trap. The data from this study suggests that when traps are used in conjunction with a pheromone to monitor multiple species of adult stink bugs, especially native species, the yellow pyramid trap is favored.


Since the inception of computing, we have been reliant on CPU-powered architectures. However, today this reliance is challenged by manufacturing limitations (CMOS scaling), performance expectations (stalled clocks, Turing tax), and security concerns (microarchitectural attacks). To re-imagine our computing architecture, in this work we take a more radical but pragmatic approach and propose to eliminate the CPU with its design baggage, and integrate three primary pillars of computing, i.e., networking, storage, and computing, into a single, self-hosting, unified CPU-free Data Processing Unit (DPU) called Hyperion. In this paper, we present the case for Hyperion, its design choices, initial work-in-progress details, and seek feedback from the systems community.


High power density Al0.3Ga0.7As/In0.15Ga0.85As doped-channel FETs (modified DCFETs) biased at 3 V for 2.4 GHz wireless communication applications are proposed. A planar Si δ-doped layer is inserted inside the wide-bandgap undoped AlGaAs layer to reduce parasitic resistances and enhance the device microwave power performance. The modified DCFETs (M-DCFETs) exhibit an output power density of 302 mW/mm, a power-added efficiency of 52%, and a linear power gain of 19 dB under 2.4 GHz operation for a 1 mm gate-width device. These characteristics suggest that doped-channel FETs with a planar Si δ-doped layer can be used in high linearity and high power microwave device applications.


Two commercial adhesive preparations--fibrin glue and mussel adhesive protein (MAP)--were tested in-vivo for their ability to fix a chondrocyte allograft internally. While results for the fibrin, including additional testing for chondro inductive/conductive properties, were at best inconclusive, the results for MAP are highly promising.


This thesis comprises studies of the phylogenetic relationships in the flowering plant clade Potentilleae in Rosaceae. The relationships were elucidated by using DNA sequence data from the nuclear genome as well as from the plastid genome. In particular, the focus of the studies was the investigation of allopolyploidy, i.e. speciation as a result of hybridization and subsequent chromosome doubling. A phylogenetic method was used for identifying allopolyploidy through comparison of trees resulting from the analyses of different DNA sequences. Five sub-clades were investigated. First, both the sister clades that together contain all of Potentilleae: Fragariinae and Potentilla. Secondly, three subclades of Fragariinae, namely Alchemilla in wide sense, Sibbaldia and relatives, and Fragaria. The aim was to unravel the phylogenetic relationships, including instances of allopolyploidy. Classification issues were discussed in relation to the phylogenetic results. The split between Potentilla (=Potentillinae) and Fragariinae received better support than in previous studies. The phylogeny of Fragariinae was found to be consistent with classifying ten genera: Alchemilla in wide sense (incl. Aphanes and Lachemilla), Comarum, Sibbaldia, Sibbaldianthe, Sibbaldiopsis, Chamaerhodos, Drymocallis, Dasiphora, Potaninia, Fragaria, and also including a few orphan Potentilla species. The segregated genera Ivesia, Horkelia, Horkeliella and Duchesnea were found to be nested within Potentilla, corroborating earlier studies, while the segregated genus Argentina (P. anserina and close relatives) showed an ambiguous position. Plastid and nuclear (ribosomal) phylogenies were compared and incongruences were detected as potential instances of allopolyploid speciation. Five strongly supported incongruences were detected in Fragariinae and four of them were considered to be potentially caused by allopolyploidy. In addition, five supported incongruences were found in Potentilla. Alchemilla in the wide sense was found to contain four major clades, African Alchemilla, Eurasian Alchemilla, Lachemilla and Aphanes. Both Lachemilla and Aphanes were nested within Alchemilla and it was suggested that the name Alchemilla should be used in the wide sense, i.e. including both the genera Lachemilla and Aphanes. The genus Sibbaldia as commonly classified was shown to be polyphyletic in five different places in Potentilleae. Three Sibbaldia clades ended up in Fragariinae and two in Potentilla. A phylogeny of Fragaria, based on a nuclear low/single copy DNA region was estimated. The gene copy phylogeny was used to construct a reticulate tree hypothesizing allopolyploid speciation events. The evolution of Fragaria was shown to have been shaped by polyploidy.


Background: Within the last years, forgery has markedly increased and expanded to encompass computers and printers' usage, their wide evolution facilitated the production of fraudulent printed documents by even non-experts. The printers and photocopiers leave their imprints on the produced documents. Examination of printed output of a questioned document is essential as it provides information about the producing device. This study aims to compare the characteristics of different computer printed documents to identify the type of the producing output devices (photocopier, inkjet, and laser printers). Methods: 132 documents were typed and printed using different models of inkjet, laser printers and photocopiers. The produced documents were examined with direct light digital microscope and ultraviolet light and the printed markings were compared. Conclusion: Our results revealed that each class of the studied printing devices induced specific criteria on the examined printed documents. These criteria are class characteristics but differ from one type of device to another.


The direct synthesis of H2O2 at low temperature (2 degrees C) from H2 and O2 using carbon-supported Au, Pd and Au-Pd catalysts is described and contrasted with data for TiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 as supports. The Au-Pd catalysts all perform significantly better than the pure Pd/TiO2 and Au/ TiO2 materials. The Au Pd/carbon catalysts gave the highest rate of H2O2 production, and the order of reactivity observed is: carbon > TiO2 > Al2O3. Catalysts were prepared by co-impregnation of the supports using incipient wetness with aqueous solutions of PdCl2 and HAuCl4, and following calcination at 400 degrees C the catalysts were stable and could be reused several time without loss of metal. The method of preparation is critical, however, to achieve stable catalysts. No promoters are required (e.g. halides) to achieve the high rates of hydrogen peroxide synthesis. The surface and bulk composition of the gold palladium nanoparticles was investigated by STEM-XEDS spectrum imaging. For TiO2 and Al2O3 as supports the Au Pd particles were found to exhibit a core-shell structure, Pd being concentrated on the surface. In contrast, the Au-Pd/carbon catalyst exhibited Au Pd nanoparticles which were homogeneous alloys and X-ray photoelectron studies were consistent with these observations. The origin of the enhanced activity for the carbon supported catalysts is a result of higher H2 selectivity for the formation of hydrogen peroxide which is due to the surface composition and size distribution of the nanoparticles. The key problem remaining is the sequential hydrogenation of hydrogen peroxide which limits the utilisation of the direct synthesis methodology and this is discussed in detail.


Infection control and standard precautions is evidence-based practices that can reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms. Infection control education is a fundamental component of the Nursing curriculum. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge and practices regarding infection control among nurses in secondary level hospital at 250 beds Chittagong General Hospital and Fouzderhat TB Hospital, Chittagong. The study period was 1st January to 31st December 2018. Total 182 nurses were included in this study. The respondents were selected by purposive sampling technique and data were collected by face to face interview. The study was found that (78.0%) respondents had fair knowledge and (90.2%) had fair practices regarding infection control. The study also revealed that, 161 (88.5%) respondents awarded about hand washing, 179 (98.4%) respondents were concerned about waste management and 93 (51.1%) respondents agree and 85 (46.7%) respondents strongly agree about PPE use is important. Significant statistical difference was found between working experience and knowledge level. This study can be concluded that in spite of practice level regarding infection control, nurses had fair knowledge level. These finding suggest that nurse knowledge and practice regarding infection control need further improvement.
Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. December 2020, 6(4): 731-737


Analyzing discursive practices in social science – The CEDITEC symposium at the University Paris XII on 27 April 2007: This symposium was organized around the question of the convergence between discourse analysis and certain currents of qualitative social science. The symposium was divided into two parts: "Ethnography, Field Work, Actor", what happens when social actors express themselves during surveys; and "Lexicometry, Corpus, Announcement", concerning certain analytical, conceptual et technical tools generated by the sciences of language, and, in particular, text analysis software and its use in current sociology.


The paper presents a stylistic analysis of a rhyme, Cinderella, taken from Dahl's rhyme collection, Revolting Rhymes. Roald Dahl is famous for his ability in creating extraordinary stories, in which linguistic elements, such as sounds and words, are manipulated to create an amusing story that has an unpredictable plot. The discussion covers an analysis of the narrative structure and the linguistic style applied in the rhyme, together with the discussion of the author's purpose of applying such style. From the analysis it is found out that the style Dahl applies in the rhyme is especially useful for foregrounding.


ABSTRACT Xu, F.; Lu, H.; Ding, N., and Liu, J., 2015. Game theory analysis of container port alliance. Since the reform and opening up, China's transport industry has developed rapidly. For many years, it has been the largest country that demands for container transport in the world. As an important node in the global container transportation network, the status of our container ports has become increasingly important in the world. However, with the decline of external demand in recent years and the reconstruction of China's economy, it has promoted that the competition among the various shipping companies become increasingly fierce. This paper applies the game theory to the container port in the enterprise. Through analyzing the interest among container ports, some suggestions are put forward to promote the development of the container ports.


Magnetic-sensitive proteins are regarded as key factors in animals' precise perception of the geomagnetic field. Accurate feedback on the response of these tiny proteins to magnetic fields remains a challenge. Here, we first propose a real-time accurate magnetic sensor based on the MagR/Cry4 complex-configured graphene transistor with an integrated on-chip gate. A nanometer-thick denatured bovine serum albumin film was used as the bio-interface of graphene electrolyte-gated transistors (EGTs) to immobilize the MagR/Cry4 complex. With the optimization and characterization of this bionic graphene EGT, it could detect magnetic fields in real time with a sensitivity of 1 mT, which is far lower than in earlier research. It was concluded that our MagR/Cry4 complex-configured graphene EGTs with a side-gate held great promise in terms of geomagnetic field detection. Furthermore, the constructed approach in this paper could also be utilized as a general solution for recording the response of magnetically sensitive biomolecules to magnetic fields in real time.


The possible role of bradykinin as a modulator of LH-induced ovulation was investigated using a model of the in-vitro perfused rat ovary. Ovaries from immature rats, primed with pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG; 20 IU), were perfused in vitro for 20 h, starting on the morning of induced proestrus. Stimulation in vitro with luteinizing hormone (LH; 0.1 microgram/ml) resulted in 3.4 +/- 1.2 ovulations per treated ovary, whereas no ovulations occurred in the unstimulated group. Bradykinin (5 microM) added to the perfusion system at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 h gave two ovulations in one ovulating ovary out of five ovaries perfused. When LH was combined with bradykinin, added to concentrations of 1 microM and 5 microM at the above-mentioned five time points, the numbers of ovulations were 12.2 +/- 2.7 and 15.6 +/- 3.7 per treated ovary, respectively. Bradykinin (5 microM), administered as a single dose concomitantly with LH, resulted in no further increase in the ovulation rate (3.6 +/- 1.6). Bradykinin did not affect cyclic AMP or steroid release from unstimulated or LH-stimulated ovaries. These data indicate a role of bradykinin in the ovulatory process of the rat, potentiating LH-induced ovulations.


Genetic and environmental components of variation were estimated for 15 osteometric and 3 external metric traits from nested analyses of variance in inbred and hybrid male and female house mice. In inbred males and females, respectively, the average contribution over all 18 characters for the within-litter variances was 26.4 percent and 15.3 percent; for the between-litter variances, 9.3 percent and 7.2 percent; and for the among-strains variances, 64.3 percent and 77.5 percent. For the combined sexes, the average genetic contribution (broad sense heritability) for the morphometric characters was 71 percent, and the coefficient of genetic determination, 57 percent. In hybrid males and females, respectively, the average contribution of the within-litter variances was 20.1 percent and 36.8 percent; for between-litter variances, 10.2 percent and 21.4 percent; for reciprocals variances, 59.3 percent and 28.2 percent; and crosses variances, 10.4 percent and 13.6 percent. Both in relative and absolute terms, the genetic variances for hybrids averaged much less than those for inbreds. All characters except body weight showed significantly less environmental (within plus between-litter) variation in hybrids compared with inbreds. Heterosis did not appear to be associated with the differences in the magnitude of genetic or environmental variation between sexes or breeding types.


An alternative way of presenting the relationship between the transmitting and receiving properties of antennas which is thought to be more deductive is outlined. A direct method is suggested for calculating the effective area and the polarization mismatch factor without resorting to restrictive assumptions or to the use of a specific antenna. This exposition was class-tested several times in classes on antennas at the Technion. The authors' experience reveals that this sequence is better accepted in class than the sequence that can be found in existing antenna textbooks. >


Fluidization quality is severely affected by a decrease in volume of the fluidizing gas in the emulsion phase. Several causes underlie this phenomenon, one of which is gas adsorption on particles. In this study, the fluidization behavior was observed by switching the fluidizing gas from Ar to CO 2 . This gas combination was chosen to eliminate the influence of nonequimolar diffusion due to a difference in molecular weight. Because the adsorption capacity of CO 2 on porous particles was large, temporary defluidization occurred when the fluidizing gas was switched from Ar to CO 2 . The lower limit of the adsorption capacity was obtained using particles with different adsorptivities. Two types of defluidization were observed: channeling for smaller particles and plugging for larger particles. The type of defluidization was represented by a map constructed using the minimum fluidizing velocity and the superficial gas velocity as parameters. In addition, gradual gas replacement was explored as a method to prevent defluidization.


Selenium is an essential microelement for mammals as well as bacteria and several studies have explored its biological activity, discovering a series of selenium-containing enzymes involved in the maintenance of the redox equilibrium in the cells. Among them, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is nowadays the most studied selenoenzyme and the redox mechanism that leads to the peroxide reduction in the presence of a reductive thiol is well characterized and proved. Studies on small organoselenium GPx-like molecules having antioxidant activity has enabled the collection of precious information to understand the interaction of organoselenium compounds in the maintenance of life. Now, 200 years after the discovery of selenium, we have the opportunity to re-consider the redox behavior of some organoselenium derivatives as a new bullet for specific targets. In this chapter, after an exploration of the different mechanisms involving organoselenium derivatives in the catalytic reduction of peroxides using different thiols as cofactors, we focus our attention on the most recent examples that have contributed to changing the paradigm of organoselenium compounds just as antioxidants. We highlight the possibility of targeting some compounds toward free biologically relevant thiols and zinc finger domain of proteins, or using the GPx-like activity as a redox probe in some living systems.


In this study, we investigated the effect of repeated handling on the oxidative state of gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata. We determined the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione transferase (GST), and DT-diaphorase (DTD) in liver, digestive tract, brain, gills, and white muscle. We also measured the lipid-peroxidation level (malondialdehyde – MDA – concentration) and the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity (G6PDH). The results show that repeated low-intensity handling on gilthead sea bream alter the oxidative status of tissues such as liver, digestive tract, and muscle in the last term can affect its welfare. The brain in a situation of handling stress is protected from oxidative damage by the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Finally, the concentration of MDA in tissues can be a good candidate as a biomarker of stress and welfare in fish.


Abstract In all cells, initiation of chromosome replication depends on the activity of AAA+ initiator proteins that form complexes with replication origin DNA. In bacteria, the conserved, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-regulated initiator protein, DnaA, forms a complex with the origin, oriC, that mediates DNA strand separation and recruitment of replication machinery. Complex assembly and origin activation requires DnaA-ATP, which differs from DnaA-ADP in its ability to cooperatively bind specific low affinity sites and also to oligomerize into helical filaments. The degree to which each of these activities contributes to the DnaA-ATP requirement for initiation is not known. In this study, we compared the DnaA-ATP dependence of initiation from wild-type Escherichia coli oriC and a synthetic origin (oriCallADP), whose multiple low affinity DnaA sites bind DnaA-ATP and DnaA-ADP similarly. OriCallADP was fully occupied and unwound by DnaA-ADP in vitro, and, in vivo, oriCallADP suppressed lethality of DnaA mutants defective in ATP binding and ATP-specific oligomerization. However, loss of preferential DnaA-ATP binding caused over-initiation and increased sensitivity to replicative stress. The findings indicate both DnaA-ATP and DnaA-ADP can perform most of the mechanical functions needed for origin activation, and suggest that a key reason for ATP-regulation of DnaA is to control replication initiation frequency.


In some large cities, the infrastructure is elevated high above the ground. An elevated metro system has the advantage that its construction is cheaper compared to an underground metro system. The construction time is relative limited and the physical barrier is small. The large elevation has a positive influence on the visual hindrance of an elevated metro system as it creates a more open and lighter space below the structure. In the future, Rotterdam wants to extent its existing metro system. An elevated metro system high above the city is one of the possible concepts. The engineering office of Rotterdam Public Works is interested in this concept and moreover in whether there can be gained profit on the elevated metro structure by applying Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) or Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) instead of conventional concrete. The objective is to determine the dimensions and normative structural verifications of the elevated metro structure when this is made of conventional concrete, UHPC or FRP and to compare these designs with each other. For the designs of the elevated metro structure made of conventional concrete, UHPC or FRP the focus is on the lightest railway girder and not on the minimum depth of the girder. The suitable elevation and span of the elevated metro structure are respectively 15 and 45 metres. The best concept for the concrete and UHPC railway girder is the precast segmental box girder with external prestressing tendons. The optimal concrete box girder has 6 prestressing tendons and a dead load of 102.02 kN/m. This optimal design is found by means of an optimisation process where the behaviour of the box girder is examined by changing several parameters. The normative structural verification of the optimal concrete box girder is fatigue of the concrete. By closer examination, it turns out that fatigue of the concrete is not normative when studied in more detail. As a consequence the verification of the ultimate resistance moment at t=0 is normative. The optimal UHPC box girder has also 6 prestressing tendons and a dead load of 69.4 kN/m. The normative structural verification of the optimal UHPC box girder is the ultimate resistance moment of the box girder at t=0. The design of the railway girder made of FRP is a sandwich girder and is based on a bridge concept. The normative structural verifications of the FRP sandwich girder are deflection of the girder and buckling of the core triangles. The dead load of the FRP sandwich girder is 34.48 kN/m. The difference in dead load between the three designed railway girders is quite large. The application of a lighter railway girder does however not result in a large reduction of the number of piles. This is due to the small weight contribution of the railway girder to the total vertical load at the piles and the large contribution of the bending moments at the foundation to the pile forces. The normative structural verification of the columns is stiffness of the viaduct. Applying UHPC or FRP instead of conventional concrete for the railway girder thus has a small impact on the substructure. The direct construction costs for the elevated metro structure with a concrete box girder are about €450,000 per span of 45 metres. When the unit price of UHPC is lower than € 450/m3, the UHPC box girder becomes a serious competitor of the conventional concrete box girder from a financial point of view. For the FRP railway girder holds that FRP is currently far too expensive to compete with the (UHP) concrete box girder.


Objectives This study aimed to examine a moderated mediation model of the associations among physical activity (PA), quality of life (QoL), and self-concept (SC) in children and adolescents with physical disabilities (PDs) and intellectual disabilities (IDs). Materials and Methods A total of 288 children and adolescents with PDs and IDs, aged between 6 and 17 years, were recruited from 16 special schools in Hong Kong. PA, QoL, and SC were measured using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), and Physical Self-Description Questionnaire Short Form, respectively. Mediation (i.e., PA, QoL, and SC) and moderation analyses (i.e., age, sex, and parental education level) were conducted by structural equation modelling (SEM) using the M plus and PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results Physical activity (PA) was positively associated with SC (PDs: β = 0.373; IDs: β = 0.343), and SC significantly mediated the associations between PA and QoL in children and adolescents with PDs (parent proxy-report QoL: β = 0.114; self-report QoL: β = 0.141) and IDs (self-report QoL: β = 0.204). The mediating effects of SC accounted for 16 and 15% of the total effects of PA on QoL (parent proxy-report and self-report) respectively, in participants with PDs, and 8 and 4%, respectively, in those with IDs. Males and participants with higher parental education levels reported stronger associations among PA, QoL, and SC than their counterparts. Conclusion This study supports mediating and moderating effects on the associations among PA, QoL, and SC in children and adolescents with PDs and IDs. Future researchers should consider PA intervention in mental health services and provide tailor-made PA programmes based on personal and environmental factors for children and adolescents with disabilities.


Objectives Silencing Geminin gene selectively by using RNA interference and investigate the mechanism of the Geminin gene silence regulating VSMCs proliferation. Methods VSMCs proliferation were determined by [3H]-thymidine incorporation, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation and flow cytometry; mRNA and Protein expression of Geminin and Cdt1 were determined by real time-PCR, westernblotting, and immunohistochemistry; the interrelationships of Geminin and Cdt1 were examed by immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results After transfected three pairs of siRNA sequences targeting Geminin gene respectively, a significant decrease of Geminin expression was observed in one of them, which acted as a stable model of building lentiviral interference. After Geminin gene silencing, the 3H-thymidine and EdU incorporation of positive interference group was significantly higher than that of two controls. The flow cytometry showed Geminin gene silencing contributed to the proliferation of VSMCs by supporting the G0/G1-S cell-cycle progression, and may be no apoptotic exists in this process. The protein expression and mRNA of Cdt1 in positive group significantly increased, compared with that of two controls. The results of immunofluorescence and Co-IP showed the close interaction between Cdt1 and Geminin gene in the proliferation of the VSMCs. Conclusions Geminin gene silencing contributes to the proliferation of A10 by supporting the G0/G1-S cell-cycle progression has been demonstrated, interestingly, this positive effect is in short term (24-48h) and reversibility. We believed that the results of the study are not caused by our research method, on account of lentivirus-delivered siRNA transfection instead of liposomes. Lentivirus is one kind of reversal viruses that could exhibit the basic feature and structure of reversal. It can integrate into the host genome and demonstrate long-term expression of integrated genes, and causes efficient down-regulation of gene expression, resulting in a functional inactivation of the target genes. In our study, we constructed a lentivirus vector-mediating RNAi targeting of Geminin (RNAi group), and it down-regulated Geminin expression of up to 80-90% efficacy in A10 cells with great specificity. In conclusion, lentivirus-delivered siRNAs are capable of specific, highly stable and functional silencing of Geminin gene expression in our study.


Enhancement of condensation heat transfer by wrapping of fine WIres on a condenser tube and Marangoni condensation of binary mixtures have been studied. For wire-wrapped tubes enhancement is due to modification of the profile of the condensate surface which leads to axially-directed pressure gradients and local thinning of the condensate film. Approximate theories do not agree well with limited available data prior to the present work. A systematic experimental investigation has been conducted using three fluids with widely different properties. Five wire diameters and a range of winding pitch have been used. Maximum heat-transfer enhancement ratios of 3.7, 2.2 and 2.3 for R-I13, ethylene glycol and steam respectively were obtained. The effect of inundation for steam condensation on wire-wrapped tubes has also been investigated. Extensive data exist for Marangoni condensation of steam-ethanol mixtures on small plane ve.rtical surfaces. Here the practically more relevant case C?f a horizontal tube has been studied. Apparent differences between the vertical plate and horizontal tube data are shown to be due to circumferential variation of tube surface temperature. Enhancement ratios up to around 3.7 have been obtained with as little as 0.05% mass fraction of ethanol in the boiler feed. For wire-wrapped tube and Marangoni condensation, a copper condenser tube (outside diameter 12.2 mm) fitted with four embedded wall thermocouples was cooled internally by water using a wide range of flow rates. The coolant temperature rise was measured to within 0.01 K using a ten-junction thermopile while the coolant temperature rise ranges were 0.11 to 0.77 K, 0.89 to 9.28 K and 1.00 to 6.98 K for the wire-wrap tests with R-I13, ethylene glycol and steam respectively and 1.24 to 29.1 K for Marangoni condensation. The effect on the boiler performance for water-ethanol mixtures has also been investigated.


Background: Phenolic compounds especially the flavonoids and tannins comprise one of the most significant classes of plant secondary metabolites. Aim: HPTLC is widely accepted by WHO and pharmacopoeia across the globe as an effective analytical method for the investigation of phenolics in herbal analyses. Materials and Methods: The methanolic extracts of Abrus precatorius L., Sapindus trifoliatus L. and Embelia ribes Burm. F. were developed on the HPTLC system to study the diversity of phenolic compounds like flavonoids and tannins under different development conditions. Flavanoids were separated using the combination of solvent system comprising of mid-polar to polar solvents, hence Ethyl acetate: formic acid: glacial acetic acid: water (10:0.5:0.5:1 v/v/v/v) solvent mixture and 10% methanolic Sulphuric Acid Reagent was used as spray reagent for separation of flavanoids. Tannins were separated on chromatogram by using the solvent system comprising of mid-polar to non-polar solvents, hence Toluene: Ethyl Acetate: Formic Acid (6:4:0.3 v/v/v) as solvent system and alcoholic FeCl3 was used for derivatization. Results: Distinct fingerprint of flavanoids and tannins was obtained. A profile of 11 to 12 polyvalent phytoconstituents were separated during the HPTLC analysis of flavonoids and tannins respectively. Conclusion: The HPTLC analysis successfully demonstrated that phenolic secondary metabolites can be effectively separated using the same extract under different development conditions. The detection and profiling of such metabolites provides the justification for therapeutic activities in medicinal plants.


DR. SIMONSON has compressed a great amount of Greek syntax with plenty of examples into a fairly small space, and has done it quite well. Sometimes he uses an ill-considered expression where he is not really under any misapprehension, e.g. § 1650 ol ape-nj? n fueranroiov/jLtvoi, those laying claim to something of virtue, or 1691 TT}? Se BeiXla? ortiyw, / abhor thy cowardice. Sometimes one could wish for something clearer, e.g. than the usual phrase about ' unattainable wishes' (2004), which is very wanting in precision ; or for something which is not there at all, e.g. a warning that the use of avd is often as un-Attic as the use of afMJ>L. The language about av with an imperfect (1961 and 1966) is really misleading, and might cause students to confound that construction with av and the optative. In Demosth. 1. 2 BoKovfiev does not refer to the speaker only (1236). The reservation (1530) as to relatives in the nominative not being attracted is upset by the example actually following from Protag. 3536 as well as by many others. Sxnr^p cannot (2161) be used of time, and otnrep does not usually (1507) ' refer to something known.' The two prose examples given (2087. 2) of war' ov with an infinitive are only cases of oratio obliqua. Of two unusual phrases quoted in 2067. 1 that from Republic 603c was emended with certainty by Ast, and that from Demosth. I. 26 fir) Xlav iriKpov § I ventured myself to correct in this Review some eight years ago.


Studies that compare tumor genotype with phenotype have provided the basis of a new histological/molecular classification of hepatocellular adenomas. Based on two molecular criteria (presence of a TCF1/HNF1 alpha or beta-catenin mutation), and an additional histological criterion (presence or absence of an inflammatory infiltrate), subgroups of hepatocellular adenoma can be defined and distinguished from focal nodular hyperplasia. Analysis of 96 hepatocellular adenomas performed by a French collaborative network showed that they can be divided into four broad subgroups: the first one is defined by the presence of mutations in TCF1 gene inactivating the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 (HNF1 alpha); the second by the presence of beta-catenin activating mutations; the category without mutations of HNF1 alpha or beta-catenin is further divided into 2 subgroups depending on the presence or absence of inflammation. Therefore, the approach to the diagnosis of problematic benign hepatocytic nodules may be entering a new era directed by new molecular information. It is hoped that immunohistological tools will improve significantly diagnosis of liver biopsy in our ability to distinguish hepatocellular adenoma from focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), and to delineate clinically meaningful entities within each group to define the best clinical management. The optimal care of patients with a liver nodule will benefit from the recent knowledge coming from molecular biology and the combined expertise of hepatologists, pathologists, radiologists, and surgeons.


Biologists rely on keyword-based search engines to retrieve superficially relevant papers, from which they must filter out the irrelevant information manually. Question answering (QA) systems can offer more efficient and user-friendly ways of retrieving such information. Two contributions are provided in this paper. First, a factoid QA system is developed to employ a named entity recognition module to extract answer candidates and a linear model to rank them. The linear model uses various semantic features, such as named entity types and semantic roles. To tune the weights of features used by the model, a novel supervised learning algorithm, which only needs small amounts of training data, is provided. Second, a QA system may assign several answers with the same score, making evaluation unfair. To solve this problem, an efficient formula for a mean average reciprocal rank (MARR) is proposed to reduce the complexity of its computation. After employing all effective semantic features, our system achieves a top-1 MARR of 74.11% and top-5 MARR of 76.68%. In comparison of the baseline system, the top-1 and top-5 MARR increase by 9.5% and 7.1%. In addition, the experiment result on test set shows our ranking method, which achieves 55.58% top-1 MARR and 66.99% top-5 MARR, significantly surpasses traditional BM25 and simple voting in performance by averagely 35.23% and 36.64%, respectively.


THE ever increasing numher of public restaurants in all our large towns JL is a sign of the times, indicating that the bulk of our commercial and industrial population depends largely upon such places for their daily food. The existing restaurants do not however meet the requirements of the working woman, whose spending capacity by reason of her scanty earnings is small. The demands upon the strength of the working woman of to-day are many and severe, and unless she maintains her health it is impossible for her to fight the battle of life with any success. To this end proper feeding is absolutely essential. Great difficulty, however, is experienced in obtaining the necessary food during working hours. Tlie difl=iculty is an off-shoot of the larger question affecting women's wages. The food question, THE NEED OF SPECIAL RRSTAURANTS


This study aims to determine the feasibility of the three dimensional cross section of the stem of the Angiosperm plant. This type research is Research and Development (R&D) with a 4D development model that is limited to the development stage. This research through assessment by material experts, media and language with an average score of 82.6% with a very valid category. Assessment of teacher responses score of 86.1% with a very valid category. Assessment of student responses to limited scale trials was 92% with very good categories. Three dimensional cross section of Angiosperm plant stem is very valid for use in classroom learning activities


The performance of a highly reactive rice husk ash (RHA) as a supplementary cementing material for producing high strength and high durability concrete is reported in this paper. The effects of the specific surface area of RHA, RHA content, and water-cementitious ratio on the compressive strength of mortar are investigated. Some basic properties of the RHA mortar such as acid resistance, abrasion resistance, and alkali-silica expansion are also examined. Furthermore, the properties of the RHA concrete such as freezing and thawing resistance and compressive strength are tested. The pore size distribution and quantitative analysis of calcium hydroxide in the hardened RHA mortar and paste are used in evaluating the pozzolanic reactivity of the RHA. The compressive strengths of the mortar and concrete are significantly improved by the RHA addition, and are higher than those of the control mortar and concrete. Unlike other pozzolanic materials, the concrete incorporating the RHA shows excellent strength development at early-age even without steam-cure. The acid resistance of the mortar is remarkably improved by the RHA addition. The abrasive coefficient loss of the mortar with RHA is marginally smaller than the control mortar. With increasing RHA content of the mortar, the expansion of the mortar due to alkali-silica reaction is decreased. The pore size distribution of the RHA mortar shows a tendency of shifting towards the smaller range of pores compared to the control mortar. After 240 testing cycles, the effect of the RHA addition on the resistance to freezing and thawing cycling of air-entrained concrete is negligible. The calcium hydroxide contents of the mortar and the paste are decreased with the addition of RHA. Moreover, the RHA pastes show calcium hydroxide content lower than the silica fume pastes at early-ages.


A series of norbornene-based resin beads were obtained by aqueous suspension ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and used as polymeric supports for organic synthesis. These resins were prepared from norbornene, norborn-2-ene-5-methanol, and cross-linkers such as bis(norborn-2-ene-5-methoxy)alkanes, di(norborn-2-ene-5-methyl)ether, and 1,3-di(norborn-2-ene-5-methoxy)benzene. The resulting unsaturated ROMP (U-ROMP) resins containing olefin repeat units were chemically modified using hydrogenation, hydrofluorination, chlorination, and bromination reactions to produce saturated ROMP resins with different chemical and physical properties. The hydrogenated ROMP (H-ROMP) resin was found to be highly resistant to acidic, basic, Lewis acid, and Birch reduction conditions and was assessed as a polymeric support in a series of solid-phase synthetic applications. The H-ROMP resin was found to have superior performance compared to polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) copolymers in aromatic nitration and acylation reactions. In a conventional five-step solid-phase synthesis of a hydantoin, similar results were obtained for both the H-ROMP and PS-DVB resins. The U-ROMP resin was also shown to be effective in the solid-phase syntheses of benzimidazoles and benzimidazolones.


If now we compare salicylic acid with salicin, we find :-failure of salicin in 19.4 per cent.; of salicylic acid in 20 per cent.; temperature normal under salicin in 4.9 days, or in three days in 33.3 per cent.; under salicylic acid in 4. I days, or in three days in 50 per cent; pain removed under salicin in 3.8 days ; under salicylic acid, in 3.2 days. Though these results are somewhat in favour of the acid, yet they will not warrant us in deciding that one of these remedies is more powerful than the other. A study of these results must, I think, make us allow that, under these remedies, the average duration of rhieumatic fever has been remarkably short. Instead of the 9. I days of the mint-water treatment, we have 4.9 days under salicin and 4.1 under the acid. There is an advantage of from one to three days over the results of the alkaline treatment recorded by Dr. Garrod. Comparing with iron, in Dr. Reynolds's cases the temperature was normal in half the cases in ten days; under salicylic acid, normal in half the cases in three days. We must, however, still bear in mind the peculiar uncertainty of the disease with which we have to do. rTo be continued.1


One hundred grade 12 high school females were classified as either Moratorium, Foreclosure, or Diffusion status based on their openness to alternatives and degree of commitment in the areas of future plans, religion, and politics. Measures of social class, intelligence, tolerance of ambiguity, cognitive complexity, ego identity, and anxiety were administered to examine aspects of these differing manners of dealing with adolescent issues. Performance on a behavioral measure of information search was also examined. Results indicated generality of identity status placement across the content areas. Moratorium status females scored significantly higher than Foreclosure and Diffusion status females for social class, intelligence, cognitive complexity, and tolerance of ambiguity: Moratorium status females also scored significantly higher than Diffusion status females for information search and recall. Foreclosure status females scored significantly higher than Diffusion status females for ego identity. Intelligence contributed to many observed status differences. It was suggested that identity status placement, reflective of manner of dealing with adolescent issues, was indicative of a general mode of dealing with developmental tasks.


The mortality and cancer incidence experience of 4,106 employees in a nuclear fuels fabrication plant was evaluated in this retrospective cohort study. Standardized mortality (SMR) and incidence ratios were calculated for groups of employees holding different jobs in the company associated with various types of industrial exposures and with low levels of radiation. Connecticut population mortality rates and Connecticut Tumor Registry incidence rates, specific for age-sex, calendar year and cause of death or cancer site, were used for the calculation of expected rates. Results showed the SMR for all male employees to be significantly lower than expected for all causes and what would be expected for all cancer deaths. More deaths were observed than expected from diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system and from obstructive pulmonary disease. The overall cancer incidence experience of the male employees was significantly lower than expected; cancer of the brain was found to be significantly higher than expected among the industrial employees. These was no risk associated with any particular job exposure group. Log linear models analysis showed no significant effect from industrial and radiation exposures or from their combined influence.


This paper studies in parallel the history of empire and the development of universals. It uses as its preliminary orientation the work of Eric Voegelin who argued that universals develop in history alongside and through universalising empires. We find this basic contention highly credible as it is empires that force us to develop cognitive approaches that encompass both colonised and coloniser in any subsequent social structure. So conceived, the paper then argues that empires are synonymous with human history as such and that even those entities (such a Greek city states) which are eulogised for escaping this logic are on examination no less imperial than the empires they oppose. The paper then argues that the development of universals is not a byproduct of empire but rather that it drives imperial expansion in the first place. It seeks to argue that ideation is the casual factor in human history, social structures and behaviour. It argues contra thinkers like Francis Fukuyama, there is no biological foundation for the qualitative distinctions of civilisation, rather the paper contends that the origin of civilisation lies in human conceptuality not human biology, locality or indeed any other material force impinging on life. So configured, the paper then concludes that the primary political question lies in bringing together the question of the good with empire – a process most advanced in human history by Christianity.


Propionibacterium acnes, Propionibacterium avidum and Propionibacterium granulosum were grown in continuous culture at 0-100% air saturation using a semi-synthetic medium. Maximum specific growth rate, biomass concentration and extracellular lipase, hyaluronate lyase and phosphatase activities were determined. All three species were capable of growth at 100% air saturation but at reduced growth rates. The presence of oxygen altered the production of extra-cellular enzymes. Propionibacterium avidum was the best adapted for growth in aerobic environments.


Fast force changes with hand-held objects are an important prerequisite for object manipulation in everyday life. This study examines the development of fastest isometric force changes in a precision grip. One hundred sixty-five children (76 girls, 89 boys), 3-14 years, without neurological abnormalities increased and decreased repetitively isometric grip forces as rapidly as possible by their dominant hand using a small cylindrical pinch grip object (20 g). The frequency of repetitive force changes increased in a linear way from the age of 4 years until about 12 years by 0.23 Hz per year (r2 = .54) without noticeable gender difference. The ratio of the duration of force increase and decrease slightly declined from 1.05 (4-year-olds) to 0.95 (11- to 14-year-olds). The development of force amplitudes and the mean force were more variable. Temporal parameters become less variable with age, whereas force parameters become more variable. In particular, the temporal parameters of fastest isometric force changes are best predictors for developmental changes. Fastest isometric force changes may be an important basic capacity for fast object manipulation, particularly in young children and in children with movement disorders.


Most discussions of India's substantive economic growth since the 1990s tend to focus on national level statistics or on particular sectors such as the financial and call service sectors or on the pharmaceutical industry. But with a population of 1.2 billion, India demands to be treated like a collection of individual "countries, " rather than a unified nation. Ten of its states have populations equaling or exceeding that of the United Kingdom. If the state of Uttar Pradesh were a country, it would be the fourth largest, behind China, India, and the United States. These facts pointedly tell us that if we are to understand the ongoing experiment in economic reforms and poverty alleviation, we must study India at the level of the state. In this spirit, State Level Reforms and Growth and Development in Indian States provides the first-ever comprehensive analysis of growth at the highly diverse state level. The authors argue that when the national government loosened its stronghold on industry and services, state governments were able to shape the fortunes of their citizens through state-level policy reforms. Because of this, every Indian state experienced accelerated growth, unlike China during the first two decades of its development when the eastern half flourished as the western half lagged. Every Indian state has grown faster in the last decade than any other decade in the post-independence era. In fact, some of the poorest states, notably Bihar and Orissa, have been growing the fastest. Professors Panagariya and Chakraborty and Dr. Rao refute the common assumptions that growth has not occurred or that poverty has not been reduced in all Indian states. The recent reforms have also led to improved access in every state to basic amenities such as permanent houses, electricity, water, and sanitation. These accomplishments notwithstanding, regional inequality on a per capita basis has grown as well. Reforms in state-controlled sectors such as agriculture, industry, healthcare, and education have not advanced as far as some analysts previously predicted. The authors outline the reforms in these areas and draw on the experience of states that have successfully carried out some of them. The authors pay special attention to reforms in the areas of education and health while recognizing that the Indian constitution vests in the states much of this legislative and other authority and while considering the real absolute rise in income, literacy, and health status across all the states. Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780199367863/toc.html


Background and Aim: Abdominal x-rays are used diagnostically in the evaluation of children with constipation. However, their clinical utility has not been established. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of different methods in identifying children with functional constipation (FC) or nonretentive fecal incontinence (NRFI). Patients and Methods: Retrospective review of abdominal x-rays in which colonic transit (CT), Barr, Leech, and fecal loading (FL) scores were blindly measured by blinded pediatric gastroenterologists and a radiologist. Children were classified a priori as FC or NRFI. Results: One hundred sixty patients (125 FC, 35 NRFI) were studied. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) when comparing those with FC and those with NRFI: CT: 51 ± 18 vs 40 ± 21 hours; Barr: 14 ± 5 vs 11 ± 4; Leech: 10 ± 2 vs 8 ± 2; FL: 2 ± 0.5 vs 1.7 ± 0.4. More than 20% of FC had normal Barr and Leech scores, whereas >50% of NRFI had abnormal scores. CT discriminated better between FC and NRFI. There was a significant correlation (P < 0.05) between CT and Barr (0.45), Leech (0.41) and FL scores (0.36), and between Barr and Leech scores (r = 0.94). There was good intraobserver correlation between Barr, Leech, and FL scores but poor interobserver reproducibility. Conclusions: Although significant differences in overall FC and NRFI scores exist, the discriminative value is low for all scores. There is poor interobserver reproducibility of the Barr, Leech, and FL scores. These findings confirm the limited value of the plain abdominal x-ray in the evaluation of children with constipation.


Abstract Dutch euthanasia legislation states that an act of euthanasia is only permissible if it is based on a voluntary request made in a situation of unbearable suffering to which there are no alternatives.The central question of this article is whether these criteria can be satisfied simultaneously. In an analysis of several (partly overlapping) definitions of voluntariness it is argued that there are circumstances in which this question should be answered negatively.The possible incompatibility of the criteria reveals a tension between different defences of the permissibility of euthanasia.


1 The purpose of the present study was to compare the contractile properties of single motor units in the intrinsic (short) and extrinsic (long) finger muscles in awake human subjects using intraneural motor axon stimulation. 2 Twitch properties were measured for 17 intrinsic and 11 extrinsic motor units by selective stimulation of a single motor axon in the ulnar or the median nerve. Force was measured from the appropriate digit, just distal to the muscle's point of insertion and single unit EMG was recorded with surface electrodes. Force‐frequency relationships (2‐100 Hz) were established for 16 of these units (7 intrinsic, 9 extrinsic). Across the 16 motor units for which force‐frequency data were obtained, twitch contraction time (63.7 ± 6.0 ms, mean ±s.e.m.) was inversely correlated with the frequency required to generate half‐maximum tetanic force (12.0 ± 1.1 Hz). 3 We found no systematic differences between the contractile properties of intrinsic and extrinsic motor units. There was no evidence of a bimodal distribution into large/small or fast/slow units based on maximum force or contraction times, although both fast and slow motor units were encountered. 4 The peak slope of the sigmoidal force‐frequency relationship for intrinsic motor units (9.1 and 4.4‐12.9 mN Hz−1, median and interquartile range) was significantly higher than that for extrinsic motor units (2.9 and 2.3‐3.1 mN Hz−1; P= 0.028), i.e. greater force steps were produced by the intrinsic motor units for a given change in stimulation frequency. This difference suggests that motor units in the intrinsic muscles of the hand are more sensitive to modulating force output by changes in motoneurone firing rates than are those in the extrinsic muscles. This reflects the important role of the intrinsic hand muscles in the fine manipulation of objects.


Aim of the study We evaluated the possible effects of comorbid diseases and functional capacity on the survival of elderly female patients with breast cancer. Material and methods The study included 159 breast cancer patients aged 65 years or older. Functional status of the patients was evaluated using Katz's index of activities of daily living (ADL) and Lawton and Brody's Instrumental ADL (IADL) scale. Results ADL-based evaluation revealed 121 patients (76.1%) were independent, 34 (21.4%) semi-dependent and 4 (2.5%) dependent whereas IADL-based evaluation showed 69 patients (43.4%) were independent, 67 patients (42.1%) semi-dependent and 23 patients (14.5%) dependent. Among the patients, 69 (43.4%) had one comorbid disease, 62 (39.0%) had two and 26 (16.4%) had three or more. Of the entire cohort, 60.4% received adjuvant chemotherapy. Based on ADL index, overall survival (OS) was significantly better in semi-dependent and independent patients than in dependent patients (p = 0.001). In the upfront non-metastatic patient subgroup, disease-free survival (DFS) was favourable in the independent patients according to ADL index (p = 0.001). Having more than one comorbid disease had an unfavourable effect on OS. In the multiple regression analysis of non-metastatic patients, stage, triple-negative histology and ADL index remained significant in terms of OS (p = 0.008, HR: 3.17, CI: 1.35–7.44; p = 0.027, HR: 2.78, CI: 1.172–6.91; and p = 0.006, HR: 0.29, CI: 0.12–0.70, respectively). Conclusions In elderly patients with breast cancer, evaluation of daily living activities and comorbid diseases are as important as staging and subclassification of breast cancer in the determination of prognosis and survival.


The process of a dust-grain charging in developing air plasma with an external source S (cm/sup -3/ s/sup -1/) is studied analytically and numerically in drift-diffusion approximation. It is shown that, when the source is turned on, the steady-state level of electron concentration in the bulk plasma is attained rather quickly (the time being determined by the attachment rate). The time of establishing the ion concentration depends on the source intensity as S/sup -1/2/. In the steady state, the ratio of ion-to-electron concentrations is proportional to the source intensity as S/sup -1/2/ and can be very large for low-intensity sources. As a consequence, the process of a dust-grain charging in developing plasma differs significantly for low- and high-intensity sources. At sufficiently high rates of ionization, the grain charge in air is comparable to that in electropositive gases. For low-intensity sources when the ion concentration exceeds that of electron by several orders of magnitude, the grain charge is of the order of several tens of electron charges. The oscillating regime of a dust-grain charging is observed for low-intensity sources.


Before my performance of wayang golek menak (a rod-puppet performance of Islamic legends) Pak Narto, my teacher in Central Java, was trying to dress me for the role of a dhalang, the puppeteer of a wayang. He tugged down on the batik sarong, already wrapped low about my waist, and pulled at the dress hat and jacket that pinched my head and bound my shoulders, as if he could have concealed that I was anything more or less than a large American in Javanese dress. That evening, in the village of Gombong on the South coast of Central Java, I would perform a demonstration of wayang golek menak. I had only arrived a few months before to undertake my research with Pak Narto and was hastily prepared to perform for a celebration surrounding the wedding of his wife's cousin. After my brief demonstration, there would be an all night wayang performance by Pak Narto's brother, Pak Kuswanto.


A description is given of a compact 90Sr β-irradiator for the extracorporeal irradiation of blood. An arterial-venous shunt is used and no external pump is necessary. Doses between 3,000 and 18,000 rads per day can be given to the blood of a patient and the irradiation can be continuous for many days.


Differentiation therapy is used in cancer treatment. Epidemiologic studies showed that higher vitamin D levels are associated with reduced cancer risks. However, the therapeutic doses needed for differentiation are accompanied by hypercalcemia and intolerable pathological sequelae. In the present work we evaluated if RRD-251, a small-molecule, can enhance vitamin D3-induced differentiation of leukemic cells, in the hope of decreasing the needed vitamin D3-dose. We demonstrate that RRD-251 enhances vitamin D3-induced differentiation of leukemic cells, the enrichment of the c-Raf kinase in the nucleus, the binding of nuclear c-Raf to GSK-3, increased phosphorylation of GSK-3 ser 21/9 inhibitory sites, and the binding of GSK-3 to VDR, where GSK-3 inhibition is known to enhance transcriptional activation by VDR. Enhancement of D3-induced p-GSK-3 ser 21/9 by RRD-251 was associated with enhanced Akt-GSK-3 binding, Akt being a known GSK-3 inhibitor, and diminished Erk1/2 binding. Diminishing Erk interaction with GSK-3 was associated with enhanced interaction with Vav1, a known driver of myeloid differentiation. This is redolent of an ATRA/c-Raf/GSK-3/RARα axis we previously reported, although the phosphorylation effects to enhance transcriptional activation on RARα vs VDR diverge. Taken together this indicates potential therapeutic significance for a c-Raf/GSK-3/VDR or RARα axis for leukemic myelo-monocytic differentiation.


A new model for estimating human body surface area and body volume/mass from standard skeletal metrics is presented. This model is then tested against both 1) "independently estimated" body surface areas and "independently estimated" body volume/mass (both derived from anthropometric data) and 2) the cylindrical model of Ruff. The model is found to be more accurate in estimating both body surface area and body volume/mass than the cylindrical model, but it is more accurate in estimating body surface area than it is for estimating body volume/mass (as reflected by the standard error of the estimate when "independently estimated" surface area or volume/mass is regressed on estimates derived from the present model). Two practical applications of the model are tested. In the first test, the relative contribution of the limbs versus the trunk to the body's volume and surface area is compared between "heat-adapted" and "cold-adapted" populations. As expected, the "cold-adapted" group has significantly more of its body surface area and volume in its trunk than does the "heat-adapted" group. In the second test, we evaluate the effect of variation in bi-iliac breadth, elongated or foreshortened limbs, and differences in crural index on the body's surface area to volume ratio (SA:V). Results indicate that the effects of bi-iliac breadth on SA:V are substantial, while those of limb lengths and (especially) the crural index are minor, which suggests that factors other than surface area relative to volume are driving morphological variation and ecogeographical patterning in limb prorportions.


The consonant is an important element in Mandarin, and various categories of consonant generation effectuate various facial expressions. Specifically, there are changes in facial muscles when speaking, and these changes are closely related to pronunciation; the facial muscles are associated with these hidden articulators, and the effects on the facial changes can be seen as 3D changes. However, in most studies, 2D images are used to analyze facial features when people talk. The 2D images serve to provide information in two dimensions (xand y-axis); however, subtle deep motions (z-axis changes) of facial muscles when speaking can be difficult to detect accurately. Hence, the depth feature of the face (the point cloud feature in this study) was used to investigate the potential for consonant recognition, recorded by a time-of-flight 3D camera. In this study, we propose an algorithm to recognize the seven categories of Mandarin consonants using the depth features of the speaker's face. The proposed system yielded suitable classification accuracy for the recognition of seven categories of Mandarin consonants. This result implies that depth features can be used for speech-processing applications.


th year, the 2009 Sichuan TV Festival is hosting 'Australia Day', a special focus on Australia to promote business, communication and cooperation in the film and TV industry between China and Australia. Its aim is to establish an advanced platform for coproductions, program marketing and project investment and will be achieved by project presentations, one-on-one meetings and specially prepared panel presentations. The International TV Program Market is one of the biggest in China for TV, film, entertainment, documentary and information programs, and the main channel for the export and import of TV and film programs in Asia. Held every two years, in 2007 it attracted 1,222 Chinese delegates and a total of 2,750 participants from around the world, plus TV networks and broadcasters from 19 countries and regions. Producers are encouraged to apply who are working in television, animation or documentary, or digital and mobile content creators who are seeking to expand upon existing relationships in China, seeking potential co-production, investment and sales opportunities, or who are wanting to learn more about the Chinese market. Applicants will need to provide a strong market strategy outlining their argument for attendance, desired outcomes and a demonstrated understanding of the market. Preference will be given to applicants who have at least one project in development suitable for the Chinese market. Applicants can apply for up to $2,000 towards the cost of their travel, with Australian delegates receiving complimentary registration and discounted accommodation. For more information about the Sichuan TV Festival, visit their website.


Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common non-Hodgkins lymphoma in the United States. While the current diagnosis depends heavily on the review of H&E-stained tissues, additional sources of information such as IHC are occasionally needed. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) can be used to generate protein profiles from localized tissue regions, thus making it possible to relate changes in tissue histology to the changes in the protein signature of the tissue. It may be possible to determine potential biomarkers that can indicate disease state and prognosis based on the protein profile. This research aims to combine two different but related types of data in order to develop a unique diagnosis methodology that can potentially improve the accuracy of diagnosis. Preliminary analysis has shown promising results for distinguishing intrafollicle regions from the mantle and follicle zones in normal tissue.


We study the decentralized caching scheme in a two-layer network, which includes a server, multiple helpers, and multiple users. Basically, the proposed caching scheme consists of two phases, i.e., placement phase and delivery phase. In the placement phase, each helper/user randomly and independently selects contents from the server and stores them into its memory. In the delivery phase, the users request contents from the server, and the server satisfies each user through a helper. Different from the existing caching scheme, the proposed caching scheme takes into account the pre-stored contents at both helpers and users in the placement phase to design the delivery phase. Meanwhile, the proposed caching scheme exploits index coding in the delivery phase and leverages multicast opportunities, even when different users request distinct contents. Besides, we analytically characterize the performance limit of the proposed caching scheme, and show that the achievable rate region of the proposed caching scheme lies within constant margins to the information-theoretic optimum. In particular, the multiplicative and additive factors are carefully sharpened to be $\frac{1}{48}$ and 4, respectively, both of which are better than the state of arts. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the advantage of the proposed caching scheme compared with the state of arts.


This paper presents thermodynamic analysis of piston friction in spark-ignition internal combustion engines. The general effect of piston friction on engine performance was examined during cold starting and normal working conditions. Considerations were made using temperature-dependent specific heat model in order to make the analysis more realistic. A parametric study was performed covering wide range of dependent variables such as engine speed, taking into consideration piston friction combined with the variation of the specific heat with temperature, and heat loss from the cylinder. The results are presented for skirt friction only, and then for total piston friction (skirt and rings). The effect of oil viscosity is investigated over a wide range of engine speeds and oil temperatures. In general, it is found that oils with higher viscosities result in lower efficiency values. Using high viscosity oil can reduce the efficiency by more than 50% at cold oil temperatures. The efficiency maps for SAE 10, SAE 30, and SAE 50 are reported. The results of this model can be practically utilized to obtain optimized efficiency results either by selecting the optimum operating speed for a given oil type (viscosity) and temperature or by selecting the optimum oil type for a given operating speed and temperature. The effect of different piston ring configurations on the efficiency is also presented. Finally, the oil film thickness on the engine performance is studied in this paper.


Antimicrobial surveillance and identification of the genetic basis of antimicrobial resistance provides important information to optimize patient care. The present study was an analytical cross-sectional study aimed at determining the prevalence of rifampicin and ofloxacin resistance genes among Mycobacterium leprae strains in three health districts in Chad.
The determination of the folP1, rpoB and gyrA resistance genes was carried out by PCR-RLEP and confirmed by sequencing from 80 biopsy samples taken from patients with multibacillary leprosy, including 12 relapsed patients and 68 new cases. In the whole cohort, 1/80 (1.2%) showed resistance to rifampicin and 1/80 (1.2%) to ofloxacin. No mutations were detected for dapsone. The presence of M. leprae mutation associated with rifampicin resistance was observed in a relapsed patient and the mutation associated with ofloxacin resistance was observed in a patient with multibacillary leprosy who had not been sensitized by ofloxacin but should have used other quinolones. Both mutant strains revealed the emergence of secondary resistance.
This study, the first to highlight the emergence of resistance to rifampicin and ofloxacin in Chad. It raises the need to implement a robust surveillance system to detect resistance of Mycobacterium leprae in Chad and even in Central Africa.
Keywords: Mycobacterium leprae, resistance, Chad


The war for talent has intensified over the past years. Firm executives and university leaders raise concerns about their ability to find talented employees to fill key positions. This research revolves around the identification and development of talent. It explores how firms and universities should - or sometimes should not - address the problem of identifying their future leaders. Building on this, the dissertation provides insights into the mechanisms that support the further development of identified talent and can help employees and organizations to fully exploit their potential.


Pesticides are widely used to reduce the incidence of crop destruction due to attack by insect –pests and thereby help to improve crop yield. But despite these benefits, they also contribute to the destruction of environment as well as human health, if not used as per the recommended guidelines. Hence, there is a need to educate the farmers and their families about the appropriate usage of pesticides to improve yield as well as quality of crops without harming themselves and the environment. This paper presents a review of various studies undertaken with the farming community to reduce pesticide exposure and change in their behaviour regarding handling pesticides through the means of educational intervention programmes. For this, eighteen researches published in various esteemed journals were selected on the basis of criteria like farmer's handling the pesticides and analysed through systematic approach. As an outcome of the review, it was found that the farming community showed improvement in safe pesticides handling practices as a result of educational interventions in the intervention areas (experimental) as compared to the non-intervention (controlled) areas. Hence, further provides scope for these kinds of researches and reviews in order to make people aware about these facts.