(a) (b) (d) (e) (c) Figure 1: Example of applying the proposed expression flow for face component transfer. (a) and (b) are input images, and the user wants to replace the closed mouth in (a) with the open mouth in (b). (c). Expression flow generated by our system, which warps the entire face in (a) to accommodate the new mouth shape. Top: horizontal flow field, bottom: vertical flow filed. (d) Final composite generated by our system. (e). Composite generated using 2D alignment and blending. Note the unnaturally short distance between the mouth and the chin. Abstract We address the problem of correcting an undesirable expression on a face photo by transferring local facial components, such as a smiling mouth, from another face photo of the same person which has the desired expression. Direct copying and blending using existing compositing tools results in semantically unnatural composites, since expression is a global effect and the local component in one expression is often incompatible with the shape and other components of the face in another expression. To solve this problem we present Expression Flow, a 2D flow field which can warp the target face globally in a natural way, so that the warped face is compatible with the new facial component to be copied over. To do this, starting with the two input face photos, we jointly construct a pair of 3D face shapes with the same identity but different expressions. The expression flow is computed by projecting the difference between the two 3D shapes back to 2D. It describes how to warp the target face photo to match the expression of the reference photo. User studies suggest that our system is able to generate face composites with much higher fidelity than existing methods.


Motivated by weblogs and discussion forums, epidemic opinion propagation on affiliation networks is investigated. An affiliation network is a bi-partite graph describing the connections between individuals and their affiliations. In contrast to epidemics on complex networks, the epidemic spreading process in the current setting is not the consequence of pairwise interactions among individuals but of a group dynamic. We derive a Markov model for the epidemic process and its fluid limit obtained by sending the population size to infinity while keeping the number of affiliations constant. This results in a set of modified SIR-like ordinary differential equations. Different types of group dynamics are studied numerically and the accuracy of the fluid limit is verified by simulation.


Tumor avidity for Ga-67 is known to be correlated with the histopathologic stage of disease, yet quantitative imaging has remained elusive because Ga-67 images are seriously degraded by several factors. We have previously optimized and evaluated on projection images a general spectral (GS) approach to compensate for patient scatter and Pb x-rays from the collimator. We also recently developed a joint, multienergy iterative algorithm (OSEM-J) to compensate for nonuniform attenuation and for distance- and energy-dependent collimator resolution. In the work reported here, we evaluated the overall activity quantitation performance achieved by combining GS with OSEM-J, and compared this to the (almost ideal) performance obtained when reconstructing primary unscattered photons, as well as to that obtained with another proposed iterative approach (OSEM-S) in which the sum of the two lowest photopeak windows was reconstructed using a single, energy-weighted attenuation map. We simulated 96 projections of an anthropomorphic phantom containing seven 2-cm-diameter tumors with Ga-67 concentration values 4 to 8 times that of the local background. Sixteen noise realizations containing lesions and 16 without lesions were generated, and least-squares estimates of tumor activity were calculated for each reconstruction method. The mean bias of tumor estimates for primary+OSEM-J, GS+OSEM-J, and GS+OSEM-S was, respectively, 1.2%, 1.6%, and 8.0% The average precision of the corresponding estimates was 15.0%, 19.1%, and 24.8% These results suggest that use of a spectral-based estimate of contaminant photons within a joint multiple-energy iterative reconstruction leads to nearly optimal performance in quantitation of Ga-67 tumor activity.


In [1], Eckel et al. proposed using a convex-profiled pressure side region close to the tip, known as belly, as an effective method of extending the operating range of low-speed axial compressor rotors. In the literature, circumferential grooves are another well-described technique for improving the stable working range of a compressor rotor. No research has been conducted to date to determine which modification is more effective and how they interact when used together.
 This paper numerically investigates the influence of circumferential casing grooves and near tip modifications on the flow field in the tip region of a highly-loaded, low-speed axial compressor rotor. The simulated rotor consists of a hybrid blade configuration with a tandem profile in the mid-span region and single blade profiles near the endwalls. The single blade profile close to the tip features three different convex-profiled elements, which differ in their respective thicknesses. The aim of the numerical analysis is to explain the interaction of the secondary flow phenomena when applying the circumferential grooves and the belly geometries. For this purpose, eight different axial positions of the circumferential groove are investigated for each of the three belly configurations. These are arranged in 10 % increments from −7 % to 63 % along the axial rotor tip chord. The potential of the concept is evaluated by a numerical investigation in the 1.5-stage setup with an inlet guide vane and tandem stator.
 It is shown that a circumferential groove can further increase the operating range for all belly configurations when positioned axially correctly. In this respect, equalization of the near-casing deceleration in the circumferential direction leads to an extension of the stall margin with both modifications. Concentrated regions of low momentum fluid with a large extent in radial direction should be avoided consequently. A tip vortex stability factor is introduced to quantitatively evaluate this effect. The operating range can thus already be estimated in a first approximation at the design point.
 In general, the groove and belly should be positioned where the tip leakage vortex meets the pressure side of the adjacent blade. If the groove is used together with the belly, the leading edge of the former should be situated at the location of maximum thickness of the near tip modification. The effects of the circumferential groove and the belly are then superimposed. If using only one modification, the belly appears better suited for ensuring an extension of the operating range while maintaining high efficiencies.


Modern genomics experiments are often conducted in controlled environments on hundreds of plants at a time. As such, manual and destructive phenotyping techniques are no longer suitable. Recently there has been a trend toward automated high-throughput phenotyping facilities, in an attempt to relieve the phenotyping bottleneck. A majority of these facilities focus on the use of cameras for non-destructive recording of plant data. Hence, the new challenge lies in accurately segmenting the plants from 2D images in an automated manner and then analysing structural and statistical information about them.

One such technique for image segmentation is known as the active contour model. Active contour models have seen widespread success throughout a number of applied fields due to their versatility and semiautomated nature. However, a high majority of these models rely on arbitrary parameters that are required to be selected manually. Furthermore, small variations in these parameters can produce substantial variations in the method's overall accuracy. This makes them unsuitable for use by non-experts and also for the analysis of a series of images that can change significantly over time. For example an image sequence for the growth of a plant.

 In this paper we attempt to establish relationships between the parameter values of active contour models and the geometry of the objects/shapes that they are segmenting. Our goal is for users to be able to utilise some basic a-priori knowledge about the geometry of the object in order to automatically select a range of suitable parameter values. We analyse the accuracy of active contour models over multiple series of shapes that exhibit some pattern, such as decreasing number of sides or increasing concavity. We present a novel normalization technique so that the parameter values are of a similar scale. We also carefully design an experimental setup that ensures no bias between different shapes or parameter values.

We show that over a series of shapes the range of parameters that provide convergence do follow a trend. We also show that not all contours that converge to the objects boundary do so in a stable manner, with a substantial amount oscillating continuously. However more information, such as more shapes and more parameter values, is required to draw meaningful and quantitative conclusions from such an analysis. Future work includes incorporating more of this information along with the application to more active contour models. Another exciting future direction is the use of 2D shape diagrams to quantify relationships between shapes, parameter values and levels of accuracy.


There are two prerequisites for understanding high-temperature (high-T c ) superconductivity: identifying the pairing interaction and obtaining a correct description of the normal state from which superconductivity emerges. The nature of the normal state of iron-pnictide superconductors, and the role played by correlations arising from partially screened interactions, are still under debate. Here we show that the normal state of carefully annealed electron-doped BaFe 2 − x Co x As 2 at low temperatures has all the hallmark properties of a local Fermi liquid, with a more incoherent state emerging at elevated temperatures, an identification made possible using bulk-sensitive optical spectroscopy with high frequency and temperature resolution. The frequency dependent scattering rate extracted from the optical conductivity deviates from the expected scaling M 2 ( ω , T ) ∝ (  ω ) 2 + ( p π k B T ) 2 with p ≈ 1.47 rather than p = 2, indicative of the presence of residual elastic resonant scattering. Excellent agreement between the experimental results and theoretical modeling allows us to extract the characteristic Fermi liquid scale T 0 ≈ 1700 K. Our results show that the electron-doped iron-pnictides should be regarded as weakly correlated Fermi liquids with a weak mass enhancement resulting from residual electron-electron scattering from thermally excited quasi-particles. Strong electronic correlations and Mott physics have played an important role in shaping our understanding of high-T c superconductivity (HTSC) 1 . With the discovery of the iron-pnictide family of HTSCs a new playground to study correlation effects has emerged 2 . Unlike the cuprate HTSC, the pnictides are properly classified as moderately correlated semi-metals 3 . By studying their normal state properties a new picture has started to emerge 4 where intra-atomic exchange processes (Hund's coupling) govern the degree of correlation effects.


Objects composing a multimedia presentation need to be delivered based on the temporal relationships specified by the author or authors. Depending on the composition of multimedia presentations, disk access for retrieval may not be needed in every round. A presentation can skip a certain number of disk scheduling rounds before retrieving the next required chunk of data. In this paper, we present a min-max skip round disk access algorithm for the retrieval of multimedia presentations in a flexible manner depending on the presentation composition, client/server buffer, and server-disk/network bandwidths. The proposed min-max skip round disk scheduling algorithm can be used for push, pull, as well as hybrid approaches for delivering multimedia presentations. We consider storage of presentations on an array of disks as well as on multi-zone recording disks. A few simulation results are provided.


ABSTRACT This study represents a tribute to Professor Alistair Anderson's contributions to female entrepreneurship research. Although female entrepreneurship was only one research line in Professor Anderson's extensive academic career, his contributions are embedded in the most contemporary discussion about the most vulnerable female entrepreneurs. Inspired by Professor Anderson's research on the influence of entrepreneurship on the empowerment and emancipation of female entrepreneurs in the Global South countries, our study provides empirical evidence about how entrepreneurship affects women's empowerment and emancipation compared with other occupational choices (e.g. full-time employees and homemakers). Our study includes provocative implications/discussion about gender dynamics, and the most vulnerable women enrolled in entrepreneurial activities.


The next era of program understanding is being propelled by the use of machine learning to solve software problems. Recent studies have shown surprising results of source code learning, which applies deep neural networks (DNNs) to various critical software tasks, e.g., bug detection and clone detection. This success can be greatly attributed to the utilization of massive high-quality training data, and in practice, data augmentation, which is a technique used to produce additional training data, has been widely adopted in various domains, such as computer vision. However, in source code learning, data augmentation has not been extensively studied, and existing practice is limited to simple syntax-preserved methods, such as code refactoring. Essentially, source code is often represented in two ways, namely, sequentially as text data and structurally as graph data, when it is used as training data in source code learning. Inspired by these analogy relations, we take an early step to investigate whether data augmentation methods that are originally used for text and graphs are effective in improving the training quality of source code learning. To that end, we first collect and categorize data augmentation methods in the literature. Second, we conduct a comprehensive empirical study on four critical tasks and 11 DNN architectures to explore the effectiveness of 12 data augmentation methods (including code refactoring and 11 other methods for text and graph data). Our results identify the data augmentation methods that can produce more accurate and robust models for source code learning, including those based on mixup (e.g., SenMixup for texts and Manifold-Mixup for graphs), and those that slightly break the syntax of source code (e.g., random swap and random deletion for texts).


We studied the formation and strain relaxation of Ge islands on Si(113) grown at 700 °C by molecular beam epitaxy. Atomic force microscopy reveals that they are mainly (113) top faceted and show a mesa-like shape. Initially formed Ge islands tend to elongate along [332] due to their anisotropic shear strain. With increasing Ge coverage, they grow mainly laterally towards particular directions, forming large V-shaped Ge clusters. This is analyzed to be caused by the formation of {111} slide plane-associated dislocations. The dislocations are shown to be localized in the islands. Considerable Si material has diffused into the Ge islands. Strain and Ge content in the islands are quantitatively analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy.


Background and Objective: A thorough insight into the management of hand injuries can shape the approach of a surgeon in order to achieve optimal outcomes for the patients. The aim of this study was to share our experience in reconstruction of the hand and establishing an algorithm for classification and treatment of hand injuries.
Methods: This is a descriptive cross sectional study and was conducted from January 2020 to August 2022 at Burns and Plastic Surgery center, Peshawar. Data was collected from medical records about the patient demographics, mechanism of injury and type of procedures done. Defect size was classified into small (<5cm), medium (5cm to 10 cm) and large (>10cm). The defect site and size was cross tabulated against the method of soft tissue reconstruction in order to make the algorithm for reconstruction of hand injuries. Data was analyzed using SPSS.
Results: The study population included 41 (75.9%) male and 13 (24.1%) female patients, mean age 31.56±14.1. Machine injuries (33.3%) and electric burns (24.1%) were the most common cause of hand soft tissue defects. The most commonly performed flap was Posterior introsseous artery (PIA) flap, followed by First dorsal metacarpal artery (FDMA) flap. Flap necrosis was observed in three cases (5.6%).
Conclusion: This treatment algorithm for coverage of soft tissue defects in hand injuries will help with the decision making process of hand reconstruction and has didactic value for novice surgeons. It will also form the foundation for further work on this aspect of hand injuries.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7484
How to cite this: Khan M, Hayat W, Hidayat Ullah, Khan NH. Reconstruction of soft tissue defects of hand: A systematic approach. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7484
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


The aim of this study was to compare the effect of combined exercises (plyometric and weight training) on vertical jump of female basketball players. Out of 35 basketball players who competed in first division league of Chitradurga Basketball clubs, 16 players (age: 20.38±3.7 yr, weight: 65.5±11.5 kg and height: 174.78±6.23 cm) participated voluntarily in this study. They were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group performed plyometric exercises (which consisted of side hop, lay up jump, depth jump) and weight exercises (which included leg press lying, calf raises, leg press standing) 3 days per week for 8 weeks while the control group performed only the vertical jump that was measured with Sargent Jump test. Both groups took part in the pretest and posttest. The accepted level of significant was p<0.05. The results indicated the significant effect of combined exercises on vertical jump (p<0.05). In addition, the results revealed that the vertical jump of experimental group was significantly greater than control group (p<0.05). The results showed that these exercises can also build up foot muscles and increase explosive feet power. Therefore, the Application of combined exercises to jumping sports was suggested.


The aim of the study was to investigate the Aloe vera phyto chemical compounds and antimicrobial activity of different extracts. The phytochemical compound screened by qualitative and GC-MS method. Qualitatively analyzed Tannin, Saponin, Flavonoids and Terpenoids gave positive results and phlobactanins and Steriods and Steriods gave negative results. In the GC-MS analysis, 26 bioactive phytechemical compounds were identified in the ethanolic extract of Aloe vera. Three different solvents such as aqueous, ethanol and acetone were used to extract the bioactive compounds from the leaves of Aloe vera to screen the antimicrobial activity selected human clinical pathogens by agar diffusion method. The maximum antibacterial activities were observed in acetone extracts (12±0.45nm, 20±0.35nm, 20±0.57nm and 15±0.38nm) other then aqueous extracts and ethanol extract. Antifungal activity of Aloe vera was analyzed gains Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. The maximum antifungal activity was observed in acetone extracts (15±0.73nm and 8±0.37nm) when compared other extracts. Aloe vera plant extract with acetone can be used as antimicrobial agents.


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

Though alcohol consumption has been implicated in the pathogenesis of oropharyngeal cancer, the molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of alcohol-related oropharyngeal cancer is poorly understood. In our study, we sought to identify key microRNAs (miRNA), piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNA), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) dysregulated by ethanol, as well as its known carcinogenic metabolite acetaldehyde, to determine the role these non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) play in the pathogenesis and progression of oropharyngeal cancer. Using next generation sequencing analysis, we analyzed the non-coding RNA of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. In order to further investigate these ncRNAs, we exposed a panel of normal oral epithelial cell lines (OKF4, OKF 6) to 0.1%, 0.3%, and 1.0% ethanol for 4 weeks to represent social drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers respectively, and performed qPCR arrays to determine alcohol regulation of piRNAs and lncRNAs in vitro. We identified a panel of 5 piRNAs, 6 lncRNAs, 8 miRNAs and that were dysregulated consistently in vitro and clinically between alcohol drinkers and those who are non-drinkers. The five piRNAs (piR 25894, piR 35373, piR 266308, piR 34946, and piR 58510) were upregulated between parental cells and the alcohol-treated derivatives in both clinical and in-vitro data, and further investigation may elucidate their role as oncogenes. SAF and Zeb2Nat, two lncRNAs implicated in oncogenesis, exhibited the highest fold change, and the stem cell genes Nanog and Oct-4, and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene Vimentin, were also upregulated through ethanol treatment, thus suggesting that SAF and Zeb2Nat are important in the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced oropharyngeal cancers by promoting expression of the EMT phenotype and stemness. Ectopic expression of miR-30a-5p and miR-934 resulted in increased expression of the stem cell genes, CD44, Oct3/4, Nanog, BMI-1. Forced expression of these miRNAs also resulted in increased proliferation, increased invasion, and inhibition of cisplatin-induced apoptosis, signifying the malignant transformation of normal oral cells. Identification of key ncRNAs differentially expressed in alcohol-related oropharyngeal cancer may reveal important steps in the initiation and progression of oropharyngeal cancer. These key ncRNAs may also serve as indicators and therapeutic targets for more effective treatments of alcohol-associated oropharyngeal cancer.

Citation Format: Maarouf A. Saad, Elizabeth Kim, Vicky Yu, Jonjei Ku, Selena Z. Kuo, Hao Zheng, Elham Rahimy, Jessica Wang-Rodriguez, Weg M. Ongkeko. Alcohol-dysregulated non-codingRNAs in the pathogenesis of oropharyngeal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3556. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3556


The current U.S. Social Security program redistributes resources from high wage workers to low wage workers and from two-earner couples to one-earner couples. The present paper extends a standard general-equilibrium overlapping-generations model with uninsurable wage shocks to analyze the effect of spousal and survivors benefits on the labor supply of married couples. The heterogeneous-agent model calibrated to the 2009 U.S. economy predicts that removing spousal and survivors benefits would increase female market work hours by 4.3-4.9% and total output by 1.1-1.5% in the long run, depending on the government financing assumption. If the increased tax revenue due to higher economic activity after the policy change was redistributed in a lump-sum manner, a phased-in cohort-by-cohort removal of these benefits would make all current and future age cohorts on average better off.


Abstract
Efficient use and management of organic matter are important aspects of sustainable agricultural. Organic matter is relatively low in majority of soils in Iran, and continuous use of N fertilizer would create environmental hazards. Therefore, the combined use of N fertilizer and organic wastes is an effective strategy. The purpose of this study was investigating of residual effects of different sources of organic matters with or without nitrogen on wheat dry matter and soil chemical characteristics. Treatments included two organic matter sources (municipal solid waste compost and cow manure), in four rates (0, 1, 2, and 4%) and three N levels (0, 75, 150 mg kg-1 soil). The experiment was carried out in factorial manner in a completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments applied in rice and the residual effects were studied on growth and chemical composition of wheat and some soil chemical characteristics after wheat harvest. Application of both organic matter sources enhanced wheat growth. With compost, addition of N did not affect crop growth while with cow manure, application of N led to increase wheat growth in all organic matter levels. The effect of N was the most in the higher cow manure levels. Application of N alone did not affect wheat growth. Wheat plants enriched by either of the two organic wastes accumulated more phosphorus (P), potassium (K), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chlorine (Cl) and sodium (Na) than control plants. Post harvest soil sampling indicated that addition of organic matter significantly increased study chemical characteristics. Organic matter, total nitrogen, available P, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn, soil electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio in soil enriched with organic matter were more than those in control. In general, residual effects of cow manure particularly with chemical nitrogen on dry matter and soil chemical characteristics were more than those of compost.

Keywords: Wheat, Residual effect, Nitrogen, Municipal compost, Cow manure, Nutrient elements


Older people who are caring for their adult sons and daughters with disabilities are under tremendous stress because they may suffer health problems themselves; have financial problems due a lifetime of caring; may have to care on their own due to the death of their spouse; worry about the future care of their child; and may feel uncomfortable approaching professionals for help. Professionals working with these families need to take contextual pressures into consideration when planning intervention. Twenty-nine parents of 27 adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (including autism) were asked about present care and service arrangements, health issues, family support, and "futures planning." The research reported here identifies complex networks of relationships. Virtual absence of structured futures planning was one of the key issues. Recommendations are made for professionals working in this field.


The SGA infant is at increased risk of short and long-term health complications. Identifying the SGA fetus remains challenging. Placental insufficiency contributes to pathogenesis and it has been proposed that markers of placental function such as PlGF may improve prediction. PELICAN FGR, a large multicentre, prospective observational study measuring PlGF in women with reduced symphysis fundal height (SFH), assessed the ability of PlGF and ultrasound parameters to predict delivery of an SGA infant. 592 women with singleton pregnancies and reduced SFH between 24–37 weeks' gestation across 11 sites in UK and Canada were analysed. Plasma PlGF was measured at enrolment and ultrasound data recorded. Plasma PlGF concentration <5th centile, estimated fetal weight <10th centile (EFW10), umbilical artery Doppler pulsatility index > 95th centile and oligohydramnios were compared as predictors for an SGA infant <3rd (SGA3) and <10th (SGA10) customised birthweight centiles. Test performance statistics were calculated for all parameters in isolation and combination. Sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) of EFW10 for SGA3 (n = 78) were 61% and 93% respectively; for SGA10 (n = 192) they were 49% and 77% respectively. PlGF had sensitivity of 37% and NPV of 90% for SGA3. In combination, PlGF and EFW10 had sensitivity of 69% and NPV of 93% for SGA3. In women presenting with reduced SFH, EFW10 and other ultrasound parameters have modest test performance for prediction of a subsequent SGA infant. PlGF performed no better than EFW10 in determining delivery of an SGA infant. Incorporating PlGF with ultrasound parameters provided modest improvements in test performance.


Stroke is a devastating complication of sickle cell anemia (SCA), occurring in 11% of patients before age 20 years. Previous studies of sibling pairs have demonstrated a genetic component to the development of cerebrovascular disease in SCA, but few candidate genetic modifiers have been validated as having a substantial effect on stroke risk. We performed an unbiased whole-genome search for genetic modifiers of stroke risk in SCA. Genome-wide association studies were performed using genotype data from single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays, whereas a pooled DNA approach was used to perform whole-exome sequencing. In combination, 22 nonsynonymous variants were identified and represent key candidates for further in-depth study. To validate the association of these mutations with the risk for stroke, the 22 candidate variants were genotyped in an independent cohort of control patients (n = 231) and patients with stroke (n = 57) with SCA. One mutation in GOLGB1 (Y1212C) and another mutation in ENPP1 (K173Q) were confirmed as having significant associations with a decreased risk for stroke. These mutations were discovered and validated by an unbiased whole-genome approach, and future studies will focus on how these functional mutations may lead to protection from stroke in the context of SCA.


Many recent studies have assessed the prevalence and role of herpesviruses in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal diseases, which has led to the realization of intricate interactions between viruses and bacteria within periodontal pockets. It has also been shown that the occurrence of herpesviruses may vary depending upon the age of the patient and the race of the population studied. Thus, the present study aimed at detecting herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV 1 and 2), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in periodontal pockets of Indian patients with chronic and aggressive periodontitis. Subgingival plaque samples (n = 33) were collected from 19 randomly chosen chronic periodontitis and 14 aggressive periodontitis patients. Herpesviruses were detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction technique. Chronic periodontitis patients revealed presence of HSV-1 in 19 (100%) samples, HSV-2 in 3 (15.7%), EBV in 15 (78.9%) and HCMV in 5 (26.31%) samples. Samples from aggressive periodontitis patients showed the presence of HSV-1 in 8 (57.14%), EBV in 4 (28.57%) and HCMV in 1 (7.14%), whereas HSV-2 was not detected in any specimen. In this population, herpesviruses were found more frequently in chronic periodontitis than in aggressive periodontitis patients and their prevalence may vary according to the age and race of the patient.


In order to measure a dose acquired over a long period of time the dosimetric information must be stored without loss. A dosemeter is described in which the information is in digital form and stored in an electronic scaler. The scaler is designed to draw little power and operate over a wide temperature range. During mains failures the scaler can switch to an internal battery for periods up to one week without affecting the accumulation and storage of information. The digital information is obtained from a Geiger tube which provides a pulse rate proportional to the γ-ray intensity. Steps have been taken to minimize the effect of photon energy on this proportionality.


Resistance to carbendazim of Fusarium graminearum is conferred by point mutation in the b 2 -tubulin gene that plays an important role in spindle assembly. The spindle assembly checkpoint is a cellular surveillance system that is critical for maintaining genomic stability. Predicted protein Mad2- and Bub1-encoding genes in F. graminearum ( FgMad2 and FgBub1 ) were isolated and characterized. There was no difference in FgMad2 and FgBub1 expression levels between carbendazim-sensitive and -resistant strains; however, after carbendazim treatment FgMad2 expression increased while FgBub1 expression stayed the same. Both the FgMad2 and FgBub1 deletion mutants became more sensitive to carbendazim. The FgMad2 deletion mutants grew more slowly, produced fewer conidia and both hyphae and conidia were malformed. Conversely, deletion of FgBub1 had no effect on fungal development other than a reduction in conidia production. FgMad2 deletion mutants exhibited a severe decrease in perithecia production and pathogenicity along with a down-regulation of trichothecene production, whereas FgBub1 deletion mutants exhibited only a slight reduction in perithecia production and was accompanied by a twofold increase in trichothecene production. Overall, the results indicate that both FgMad2 and FgBub1 are involved in carbendazim resistance and trichothecene biosynthesis, and FgMad2 plays an important role in fungal development in F. graminearum .


Approximation of behavioral theory of management is one of the signs of the modern stage of economic development. At the stage of the formation of the behavioral economy in Ukraine, taking into account the impact of the global information space, enterprises need to adapt their activities to a new paradigm of accounting theory that determined by the integration of relevant factors of the present - information, communications, knowledge, and the formation of new socio-economic relations. The transformation of the economy leads to an increase in the requirements for the qualitative and quantitative parameters of the accounting information that used in the formation and implementation of the guiding influence. Therefore, in the context of behavioral economy, the innovative development of the concepts of accounting becomes more actual in the activity of business entities. The purpose of the study is develop of proposals for the modern development of the concept of accounting in accordance with the tendencies of transformation of the economic environment under the influence of new institutional mechanisms. The impact of the trends of behavioral economy and institutional mechanisms at development of accounting concept in Ukraine was estimated. Philosophical context modernization of accounting system and formation of accounting information was determined. Multivariate of organization accounting and reporting was substantiated. Concretized content of innovatization and defined its emphasis in development of national accounting system. Priority of behavior in modeling of accounting system was determined. Adhering to logic of scientific maxims, which are characterized by active dominant rules of informal institutes, the strengthening of the role of innovative decisions as a basis of accounting development was substantiated.


Research guide to free, online resources concerning fantasy literature, the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and others, as well as the myths, legends, and folktales that inspired them.


Risk and uncertainty have always been an important issue for investors, researchers and policymakers. Thus, the explanation of the mechanism of spreading volatility between different markets has been the focus of attention by researchers. Determining the return and volatility interaction between oil prices and stock markets will be useful not only for pricing and hedging financial assets, but also for detecting and interpreting the reflection of the problems arising in the oil industry on the country's economies. In this study, the VAR-GARCH model introduced by Ling and McAleer (2003) was used to determine the interaction between oil prices and stock markets in terms of return and volatility for developing countries (BRICS-T). The reason for choosing this model is to reveal whether the shocks and volatility in these markets have a transitional effect.


Heterotrimeric G‐proteins relay signals between membrane‐bound receptors and downstream effectors. Little is known, however, about the regulation of Gα subunit localization within the natural endogenous environment of a specialized signaling cell. Here we show, using live Drosophila flies, that light causes massive and reversible translocation of the visual Gqα to the cytosol, associated with marked architectural changes in the signaling compartment. Molecular genetic dissection together with detailed kinetic analysis enabled us to characterize the translocation cycle and to unravel how signaling molecules that interact with Gqα affect these processes. Epistatic analysis showed that Gqα is necessary but not sufficient to bring about the morphological changes in the signaling organelle. Furthermore, mutant analysis indicated that Gqβ is essential for targeting of Gqα to the membrane and suggested that Gqβ is also needed for efficient activation of Gqα by rhodopsin. Our results support the 'two‐signal model' hypothesis for membrane targeting in a living organism and characterize the regulation of both the activity‐dependent Gq localization and the cellular architectural changes in Drosophila photoreceptors.


K18 is a conjugate of human immunoglobulin G and melphalan and has been reported to accumulate selectively in the tumor. In the present study, the in vitro antitumor effect of K18 was assessed in a total of 107 fresh human tumors by DNA synthesis (3H-thymidine incorporation) inhibition assay, and compared with that of other drugs. Human tumor cells showed a variety of sensitivities to K18: gastric, breast, pancreatic, liver or ovarian cancer cells were comparatively sensitive to K18, while esophageal or colorectal cancers were insensitive. These results suggest that the conjugation of melphalan with IgG did not reduce the antitumor activity of melphalaln and that K18 may be applied in cancer chemotherapy instead of melphalan.


We have used chemical models that include both gas-phase and grain-surface processes to try to understand the low water and molecular oxygen abundances inferred from SWAS observations towards dense molecular clouds. The models represent an improvement over pure gas-phase chemistries in that they are more realistic, and they are largely successful at reproducing the low O 2 abundances. For cold clouds, such as TMC-1 and L134N, the limits on the H 2 O abundance are met by the models only after relatively long periods of accretion (10 6 –10 7  yr), but we show that ground-based observations of these clouds do not necessarily contradict these ages, especially for L134N. If the upper limits on the H 2 O abundance were to be revised downwards, however, or if water were to be observed in the cold clouds at the same level as in some star-forming regions, then even heavier depletions would be required. For this reason, the low H 2 O abundance observed by SWAS in ρ  Oph cannot be reproduced by the models without calculating unphysically low abundances of CO.


Traumatic social violence provokes adaptive transubjective phenomena of banalization, familiarity and obviousness, which can be understood as a 'defence through ambiguity' that leads to an 'adaptation to whatsoever'. In a state of ambiguity there is numbing of critical thinking and of the alarm mechanisms. During the psychoanalytic process with survivors of social violence (torture, etc.) we can find a secret refusal of the external alienating situation in the intrapsychic representation of an 'object to be saved', an object of concern. In this paper, Ferenczi's concept of 'identification with the aggressor' (introjection of the culpability of the abuser on the child's subjectivity) is compared with this clinical experience. We try to understand and challenge through comprehension and insight the subjective consequences of traumatic social violence, in the three spaces of subjectivity (intra‐, inter‐, trans‐) considering psychic dynamics in relation to reality contexts.


AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) acts as the cell's master energy regulator, sensing and maintaining the concentration of ATP in a narrow range irrespective of energy demand. This kinase has received significant attention as a drug-target for type-2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. Although historically the AMP:ATP ratio has been considered the signal for AMPK activation, we have recently demonstrated that ADP is likely to be an important physiological regulator of AMPK in both mammals and yeast. The binding of adenine nucleotides and staurosporine to the full-length alpha1beta1gamma1 heterotrimer, both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated, is described. Binding was monitored through displacement of fluorescently labelled nucleotides (coumarin-AXP), either via direct coumarin excitation or Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) in which tryptophan residues were excited. Mg.ATP was found to bind more weakly than ADP, a feature which is likely key to AMPK regulation. A Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) coupled spectrophotometric assay was used to monitor AMPK kinetics and its regulation by nucleotides. NADH binds at Site-1, within the gamma-subunit, and competes with allosteric activation by AMP, but not the protective effect of AMP/ADP against alpha-T172 dephosphorylation. Therefore it seems that AMP binding at Site-1 mediates allostery whilst AMP/ADP binding at Site-3 affords protection against dephosphorylation. In order to explore this idea further, AXP binding constants were used to model binding site occupancies over the concentration ranges used in vitro. The modelling demonstrates that, in vitro, Site-1 is occupied by AMP and Site-3 by AMP/ADP in a manner consistent with their assigned regulatory functions. This modelling study was also extended to consider in vivo binding site occupancy. It was important to verify that coumarin-ADP bound in a homologous fashion to ADP, specifically in the same exchangeable binding pockets. X-ray crystallography was used to determine the structure of a truncated form of AMPK in complex with coumarin-ADP. This structure is compared to an ADP-bound form. SNF1 is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae AMPK ortholog. The binding of nucleotides to SNF1, and its regulation by ADP, was also characterised. As with the mammalian enzyme AXP bound at two exchangeable sites, and interacted with Mg.ATP more weakly than ADP.


Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations of 258 Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation water samples in the Athabasca oil sands region (54 to 58°N and 110 to 114°W) were mapped using published data from recent government reports and environmental impact assessments. McMurray Formation waters varied from nonsaline (240 mg/L) to brine (279,000 mg/L) with a regional trend of high salinity water approximately following the partial dissolution front of the Devonian Prairie Evaporite Formation. The simplest hydrogeological explanation for the observed formation water salinity data is that Devonian aquifers are locally connected to the McMurray Formation via conduits in the sub-Cretaceous karst system in the region overlying the partial dissolution front of the Prairie Evaporite Formation. The driving force for upward formation water flow is provided by the Pleistocene glaciation events that reversed the regional Devonian flow system over the past 2 m.y. in the Athabasca region. This study demonstrates that a detailed approach to hydrogeological assessment is required to elucidate TDS concentrations in McMurray Formation waters at an individual lease-area scale. The observed heterogeneity in formation water TDS and the potential for present day upward flow has implications for both mining and in situ oil sands resource development.


Objectives: Oral cancer is one of the 11 most frequently occurring cancers worldwide and has a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer or cervical cancer because of late detection. In the present study we found out the difference in the dielectric properties of saliva between controls, controls with tobacco habit but having no lesion and patients with squamous cell carcinoma. The dielectric parameters have correlated with histopathological grades and clinical stages of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Dielectric relaxation studies have been carried out for saliva of 88 (48 oral cancer and 40 healthy) patients having tobacco habit but no squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and those having tobacco habit with SCC using picoseconds time domain reflectometry over the frequency range of 10 MHz to 20 GHz at room temperature.


As Geoffrey Hudson demonstrates in his introduction to this volume of nine essays, recent interest in the history of military medicine has not redressed a lack of research on British military and naval medicine of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Despite this, the handful of articles and books discussed by Hudson in his useful summary of the existing historiography is evidence that the work undertaken has produced a set of important hypotheses about the relationship of military medicine to the birth of the clinic and development of hospital medicine; the prevalence of experiment and innovation within the two services; and the operational imperatives which led to a focus on population and preventative approaches to the practice of medicine. The essays which follow this introduction build on those findings and highlight areas for future research. The only chapter to provide an overview is Patricia Crimmin's piece on the Navy's Sick and Hurt Board from 1700–1800. This chapter is complemented by Margarette Lincoln's thoughtful consideration of the ways in which medical publications affected public perceptions of the Navy. J D Alsop gives an interesting account of the development of 'British imperial medicine 1600–1800', concluding that the Royal Navy's extensive engagement in the wars of this period created an imperial medicine which reflected the needs of the State, aimed at young, fit men, and which gave scant attention to broader themes of commerce, immigration, or population vitality. Within this analysis Alsop raises another theme also discussed in many of the essays in this volume—the effect of manpower crisis as a driver behind developments in military and naval medicine. Paul Kopperman considers the army medical department in North America and the West Indies, 1755–83 and reinforces the findings of historians of other theatres regarding the importance of sanitation and officer support for the maintenance of troop health. He concludes his essay with an attempt to assess the efficacy of the service. A similar evaluation is attempted by Eric Gruber von Arni in his detailed study of army nursing during the English Civil War. Mark Harrison discusses the emergence of tropical therapeutics in the British East India Company considering both the culture of innovation within military medicine and how military service produced a medicine similar to the "hospital medicine" of the later eighteenth century. Philip Mills also develops these themes in his examination of the treatment of inguinal hernias in military hospitals during the seventeenth century. His analysis of the interplay between medical experiment, military exigencies, and military and political patronage provides insight into how the emerging population medicine of the British Army functioned. Christine Stevenson gives a useful summary of her findings about medical theory and its effects on the architecture of the great military and naval hospitals both in Britain and in the empire during this period. In the final essay, Hudson makes excellent use of the previously unexamined minutes of the Greenwich Council which administered discipline at Greenwich Hospital. Hudson's findings challenge accepted understandings of the purpose and operation of the hospital and also shed fascinating light onto the first-hand experiences of pensioners accommodated there. It is neither the intention nor effect of the volume to give a comprehensive account of the development of military and naval medicine during the long eighteenth century. Its primary contribution lies in investigating the questions which have previously been raised about military and naval medicine. Hudson claims that the volume "highlights the value of challenging the inherited notion that military medicine was in all respects 'a good thing' for medicine and society" and demonstrates "that medicine and war were, indeed, components of a wider social, economic, cultural, and political framework" (p. 18). The latter of these two claims is well


The wideband radar signal has random parameters features, and traditional radar signal detection methods mainly detect the low resolution narrowband radar signal, the wideband and high resolution radar signal detection performance is bad. An improved high resolution wideband radar signal detection method is proposed based on feature analysis. A group of full range of wideband high resolution radar signal features is extracted for analyzing the wideband high resolution features of radar signal accurately, the concept of level feature quantity accumulation point is proposed, the scale factor and level factor can control the signal feature quantity, the resolution and the sensitivity of the radar signal are improved, feature cluster analysis method is used in analyzing the radar signal, the feature relationship of high resolution radar signal is analyzed, the artificial neural network algorithm is used to realize the detection of radar signal. Experiment results show that the new method can improve the radar signal detection efficiency and accuracy.


ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the quantitative association between short-term exposure to air pollution and respiratory disease outpatient visits among children in China. Methods: We searched articles from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020 in six peer-reviewed literature databases following PRISMA guidelines. Results: Of 2668 records, 33 were included in meta-analysis. The pooled excess risks of respiratory disease outpatient visits among children in China per 10 μg/m3 increase were 0.75% (95% CI: 0.54%, 0.96%) for PM2.5, 0.70% (95% CI: 0.50%, 0.89%) for PM10, 0.82% (95% CI: 0.58%, 1.05%) for SO2, 1.61% (95% CI: 1.25%, 1.98%) for NO2 and 0.74% (95% CI: 0.01%, 1.46%) for O3. In subgroup analysis, air pollution had a greater impact in southern or central cities, cold seasons, and areas with high relative humidity. Conclusions: Short-term exposure to air pollution was significantly associated with an increased excess risk of respiratory disease outpatient visits among children in China.


Denitrification causes nitrogen losses from terrestrial ecosystems. The magnitude of nitrogen loss depends on the prevalence of denitrifiers, which show ecological differences if they harbour nirS or nirK genes encoding nitrite reductases with the same biological function. Thus, it is relevant to understand the mechanisms of co-existence of denitrifiers, including their response to environmental filters and competition due to niche similarities. We propose a framework to analyse the co-existence of denitrifiers across multiple assemblages by using nir gene-based co-occurrence networks. We applied it in Mediterranean soils before and during one year after an experimental fire. Burning did not modify nir community structure, but significantly impacted co-occurrence patterns. Bacteria with the same nir co-occurred in space, and those with different nir excluded each other, reflecting niche requirements: nirS abundance responded to nitrate and salinity, whereas nirK to iron content. Prior to fire, mutual exclusion between bacteria with the same nir suggested competition due to niche similarities. Burning provoked an immediate rise in mineral nitrogen and erased the signals of competition, which emerged again within days as nir abundances peaked. nir co-occurrence patterns can help infer the assembly mechanisms of denitrifying communities, which control nitrogen losses in the face of ecological disturbance. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Methacrylic acid with isoproturon has been utilized to prepare molecularly imprinted polymeric (MIP) membrane on Whatman filter paper no. 5 for selective electrochemical estimation of isoproturon pesticide. MIP membrane was prepared by radical polymerization and characterized using Ultra Violet spectrophotometer, Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Contact angle study was used to determine the surface energy of the MIP membrane and electrical conductivity measurements were performed by applying a small-amplitude alternating voltage (20 mV) with frequencies varying from 20 Hz to 80 kHz generated by a low-frequency wave form generator. Different isoproturon concentrations in samples were tested and analyzed. Results indicate linear increase in membrane resistance with increasing isoproturon in 10-3 to 10-6 M range. The selectivity of the electrochemical sensor was confirmed by testing isoproturon in presence of the structurally related compounds monouran and diuran. Results reveal highly selective and sensitive sensor, which can be employed for regular estimation of isoproturon in fields.


Percutaneous balloon occlusion of a large hypertensive idiopathic renal arteriovenous fistula is reported. A lumbar thrill was noted in a 52-year-old hypertensive woman. Intravenous digital substraction angiography identified the lesion. After arteriographic assessment a percutaneous embolisation was performed with a releasable balloon positioned on a coaxial micro-catheter. Immediate post-procedural angiographic control demonstrated complete occlusion with a small segmental area of renal hypoperfusion. The lumbar thrill disappeared. Normalisation of the blood pressure was noted two days later and confirmed eight months later. Persistent occlusion of the fistula was angiographically confirmed, whereas the area of renal hypoperfusion had partially decreased. Releasable balloon percutaneous embolisation appears to be a safe alternative to surgery in the treatment of large renal arteriovenous fistulas.


In recent years a growing number of pacemakers have been implanted in Switzerland. An indication for this treatment, in addition to AV block with or without syncope, is now sick sinus syndrome. Intracardiac ECG recording is demonstrated, in view of the fact that this technic has made it possible to differentiate blocks in the bundle of His and in the fascicles. The pacemaker systems most used in Switzerland are described, with comparison of the new lithium cells and mercury batteries. The importance of follow-up in these patients is stressed. Finally, reference is made to the ECG alterations in pacemaker carriers which may cause difficulties of interpretation.


It is being increasingly recognized that the success of efforts to preserve/restore biodiversity in urban areas is highly contingent on the preferences of human urban dwellers. We investigated preference ratings for photos of high- versus low-habitat-providing garden landscapes among residents (n = 487) in two specific areas of Perth, Western Australia, and their relationship with general environmental concern and attitudes toward native plants and urban biodiversity. We also investigated the impact of localized descriptive gardening norms. The findings indicate that the distinction between high-/low-habitat-providing gardens was important to respondents' landscape preferences. The attitudinal variable with the strongest relationship to garden-type preference was residents' attitudes toward native plants. Preferences were also highly related to prevailing gardening norms in respondents' local area. We discuss our findings in relation to the structure and dynamics involved in human perceptions of and interactions with urban landscapes.


For several decades, much effort has been put into identifying classes of CNF formulas whose satisfiability can be decided in polynomial time. Classic results are the linear-time tractability of Horn formulas (Aspvall, Plass, and Tarjan, 1979) and Krom (i.e., 2CNF) formulas (Dowling and Gallier, 1984). Backdoors, introduced by Williams Gomes and Selman (2003), gradually extend such a tractable class to all formulas of bounded distance to the class. Backdoor size provides a natural but rather crude distance measure between a formula and a tractable class. Backdoor depth, introduced by M\"{a}hlmann, Siebertz, and Vigny (2021), is a more refined distance measure, which admits the utilization of different backdoor variables in parallel. Bounded backdoor size implies bounded backdoor depth, but there are formulas of constant backdoor depth and arbitrarily large backdoor size. We propose FPT approximation algorithms to compute backdoor depth into the classes Horn and Krom. This leads to a linear-time algorithm for deciding the satisfiability of formulas of bounded backdoor depth into these classes. We base our FPT approximation algorithm on a sophisticated notion of obstructions, extending M\"{a}hlmann et al.'s obstruction trees in various ways, including the addition of separator obstructions. We develop the algorithm through a new game-theoretic framework that simplifies the reasoning about backdoors. Finally, we show that bounded backdoor depth captures tractable classes of CNF formulas not captured by any known method.


In this paper we have penetrate an era of Big Data. Through better analysis of the large volumes of data that are becoming available, there is the potential for making faster advances in many scientific disciplines and improving the profitability and success of many enterprises. However, many technical challenges described in this paper must be addressed before this potential can be realized fully. The challenges include not just the obvious issues of scale, but also heterogeneity, lack of structure, error-handling, privacy, timeliness, provenance, and visualization, at all stages of the analysis pipeline from data acquisition to result interpretation.


It has been generally demonstrated that the valine‐to‐glutamic acid substitution at position 600 (V600E) in the v‐Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) gene is an effective diagnostic/prognostic marker mainly for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The detection of this mutation typically has been achieved using DNA‐based techniques. The recently introduced monoclonal V600E antibody (clone VE1) is likely to be an alternative strategy for detecting this mutation in thyroid lesions. The authors investigated molecular and immunocytohistochemical BRAF analyses in a prospective series of samples from patients with PTC.


The segmentation and word discovery problem arises because speech does not contain any reliable acoustic analog of the blank spaces between words of printed English. As a result, children must segment the utterances they hear in order to discover the sound patterns of individual words in their language. A number of computational models have been proposed to explain how children segment speech and discover words, including ten new models in the last five years. This paper reviews all proposed models and organizes them according to their fundamental segmentation strategies, their processing characteristics, and the ways in which they use memory. All proposed models are found to use one of three fundamental strategies: the utterance-boundary strategy, the predictability strategy, or the word-recognition strategy. Selected predictions of the models are explained, their performance in computer simulations is summarized, and behavioral evidence bearing on them is discussed. Finally, ideas about how these diverse models might be synthesized into one comprehensive model are offered.


Many biologically important macromolecules are internalized into cells by clathrin-coated pit endocytosis. The mechanism of clathrin-coated pit budding has been investigated intensively, and considerable progress has been made in characterizing the proteins involved in internalization. Membrane lipid composition and the lateral organization of lipids and proteins within membranes are believed to play an important role in the regulation of membrane-trafficking processes. Here we report that membrane cholesterol plays a critical role in clathrin-coated pit internalization. We show that acute cholesterol depletion, using beta-methyl-cyclodextrin, specifically reduces the rate of internalization of transferrin receptor by more than 85%, without affecting intracellular receptor trafficking back to the cell surface. The effect on endocytosis is attributable to a failure of coated pits to detach from the plasma membrane, as visualized by using a green fluorescent protein-clathrin conjugate in living cells. Ultrastructural studies indicate that acute cholesterol depletion causes accumulation of flat-coated membranes and a corresponding decrease in deep-coated pits, consistent with the possibility that flat clathrin lattices are direct precursors of indented pits and endocytic vesicles in intact cells. We conclude that clathrin is unable to induce curvature in the membrane depleted of cholesterol.


Abstract This paper mainly studies the formation and development of the rhizoids of Marchantia polymorpha L. using light and electron microscopy, and cytochemical methods. Marchantia polymorpha has highly specialized rhizoids that can be divided into two types, namely, tuberculate rhizoids and smooth-walled rhizoids. Tuberculate rhizoids individually originate from the lower superficial cells of the apical meristem. Obvious tubercles exist in the lumen of rhizoids, which always lie parallel to the thallus surface and converge toward the midrib. Smooth-walled rhizoids always exist in clusters in free portions near the midrib in the posterior of the thallus. These smooth rhizoids always grow toward moist soil and lie perpendicular to the thallus surface. Developmental observations show that the initial cell of a tuberculate rhizoid that arises from the lower epidermis possesses a dense cytoplasm. The rapid polar growth of a rhizoid produces a non-pigmented tubular cell. A growing rhizoid possesses an apical cytoplasmic mass, which contains numerous vesicles, Golgi bodies, and peripheral endoplasmic reticula. The nucleus always follows the apical cytoplasmic mass. The remainder of the cytoplasm located behind the nucleus appears to undergo a degeneration process. Simultaneously, a tuberculate wall is formed by the deposition of fibrillar materials onto the inner side of the primary wall. Histochemical investigation shows that the wall of the rhizoid is polysaccharide in nature and most likely contains callose that accounts for their fluorescence property upon staining with Aniline Blue. The base of a smooth-walled rhizoid has small tuberculated projections; however, the wall of the anterior part of the rhizoid is always smooth.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Background: We previously reported that high levels of serum enterolactone, a metabolite of the phytoestrogen group of lignans, are associated with lower mortality in postmenopausal breast cancer patients (Buck et al. JCO 2011). Two subsequent studies confirmed this finding. In order to provide more insight into this association, we investigated whether enterolactone concentrations are affected by other lifestyle factors and tumor characteristics and whether the association might be restricted to subgroups defined by these factors.

Methods: To increase study power, we additionally measured enterolactone concentration in patients of the second study center of the two-center MARIEplus study. The 1,990 postmenopausal breast cancer patients, aged 50-74 years and diagnosed between 2001 and 2005 in Germany, were prospectively followed up until end of 2009. Vital status was assessed via local population registries, deaths were verified by death certificates. Information on the clinical course and treatment was collected and verified by clinical records. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for post-diagnostic enterolactone levels in relation to overall survival (OS) were estimated using delayed entry Cox proportional hazards models stratified by age at diagnosis and study center and adjusted for prognostic factors. Potential differential effects by hormone receptor status, HER2 status, tumor characteristics, and lifestyle factors such as BMI, physical activity and smoking, were assessed.

Results: Overall 257 patients had died. Median follow-up time from recruitment to death or censoring was 5.4 years. Median enterolactone levels for deceased and non-deceased patients were 17.3 and 20.8 nmol/L, respectively. Patients with high enterolactone levels were more likely to have tumors of smaller size, lower grade, hormone receptor expression positive and screen-detected, and to be HRT users, of normal weight and non-/former smokers and had not received chemotherapy. High enterolactone levels were associated with better OS (highest, Q4, vs. lowest quartile, Q1, HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.41-0.90). Per 10 nmol/L increment, HR was 0.94 (95% CI 0.90-0.98).

In subgroup analysis, we found a stronger inverse association with estrogen receptor (ER) negative tumors (Q4 vs. Q1, HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.93) than with ER positive tumors (HR 0.76, 0.46-1.25). Stronger associations were also observed in normal weight women (Q4 vs. Q1: HR 0.56, 0.35-0.90) than overweight women (HR 0.80, 0.36-1.75), in more active (HR 0.54, 0.33-0.90) than less active women (HR 0.78, 0.39-1.58) and in current smokers (HR 0.35, 0.14-0.89) than non-smokers/former smokers (HR 0.72, 0.46-1.13). However, subgroup differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: The inverse association of high enterolactone levels with overall mortality may be modified by hormone receptor status and lifestyle factors.

Citation Format: Petra Seibold, Katharina Buck, Alina Vrieling, Theron Johnson, Rudolf Kaaks, Jakob Linseisen, Judith Heinz, Nadia Obi, Dieter Flesch-Janys, Jenny Chang-Claude. Enterolactone levels and prognosis after invasive postmenopausal breast cancer: Potential effect modifiers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 115. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-115


BACKGROUND
Community-associated (CA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections were reported in the United States in the 1990's among healthy children, without traditional risk factors for infection with MRSA. CA-MRSA is now epidemic in the United States causing superficial infections and severe invasive disease. There is a paucity of data about CA-MRSA disease in the pediatric Israeli population and the common belief is that CA-MRSA disease is rare.

OBJECTIVE
Prospective surveillance for CA-MRSA strains among hospitalized children at the Western Galilee Hospital in Israel over a 1-year period.

METHODS
Staphylococcus aureus isolates were collected prospectively in 2007-8. CA-MRSA strains were defined as MRSA isolated in the first 72 hours of hospitalization with non-multi-drug resistant profile (resistant to < 3 non-beta-lactam antimicrobials). Patients' clinical characteristics were collected from medical charts.

RESULTS
Five of 103 (4.8%) children were identified with Staphylococcus aureus isolates that were infected with CA-MRSA strains. All five had MRSA isolated from skin abscesses; their median age was 2.5 years. Skin and soft tissue infections were evident among 59 children infected with Staphylococcus aureus, 5 of which were CA-MRSA strains (8.5%). The calculated prevalence of CA-MRSA infections among pediatric patients within the study period was 76 cases per 100,000 admissions. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid, rifampin, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, and clindamycin. Four of the 5 children presented with recurrent MRSA infections. Possible risk factors for CA-MRSA were noted among 3 patients: participation in contact sports, atopic dermatitis, and family history of MRSA infections.

CONCLUSIONS
A significant rate of CA-MRSA disease exists among children in the Western Galilee Region. CA-MRSA disease presents as recurrent skin and soft tissue infections. Awareness and recognition by culturing, mainly of skin lesions, is the first crucial step in investigating the magnitude of CA-MRSA disease. The old school thinking of MRSA being solely a hospital-based pathogen, in patients with frequent exposure to the healthcare system, is no longer valid in Israel.


In particular, for arid regions, water is the main factor that limits regional development. However, Water amount from the Yellow River is decreasing in Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia (China), which will be limited to 4.0 × 109 m3/a by the State Department of China in the future. Therefore, to establish a numerical simulation model for the groundwater dynamics and to utilize the limited water resources in this region have become an urgent problem that needs to be solved. Based on the field observed data from 1981 to 2000, the groundwater numerical simulation model was established in this paper, and the changes of groundwater level in irrigated area were analyzed under different irrigation water and groundwater exploitation before and after water saving reconstruction. Finally, the reasonable exploitation of groundwater was calculated according to the simulated results. The research results have the important signification to the sustainable development of irrigation district, which can also provide the valuable reference for conjunctive use of surface and ground water.


An electric circuit with dichotomous resistor is investigated. It is shown that the amplitude of the average electric current washing the resistor represents the phenomenon of stochastic resonance, which is the response as a function of the correlation time of the dichotomous resistor.


Starting from the viewpoint that career is a gender concept, the author suggests that organisational culture is a key determinant in relation to career paths, fostering success for men, and difficulty for women. Four case study organisations were investigated using repertory grid interviews with men and women managers, group discussions, and documentary evidence. In each case the organisational background, and traditional and current career paths are described, with comments on the extent to which these could be negotiated by women. Respondents outlined what is valued in managers in terms of characteristics and behaviour in their respective organisations. All these aspects are linked to the key assumptions underlying each organisational culture. In three out of the four organisations women faced serious difficulties. Only in a NHS Trust with a female chief executive was there close congruity between culture and style, and career paths open to all.


There are certain characteristics in a dialysis machine that would be desirable for use in home and limited care environments. These features relate to safety, ease of use, consideration of physical space, and reliability. The Bellco Formula Domus Home Care System was designed to meet all these requirements. Bellco's philosophy of patient treatment centers on global biocompatibility. This is evident in the design of the Formula Domus Home Care System. It has the smallest hydraulic fluid pathway of any dialysis machine on the market. Formula is capable of preparing ultrapure dialysate. The ultrafiltration measurement mechanism, the patented Coriolis flow meter, measures the mass of the dialysate, not the volume. For this reason it is the only dialysis machine that detects actual backfiltration, not just the theoretical possibility of it based on transmembrane pressure. The Coriolis flow meter also ensures that dialysate flow is a true single pass. The operator interface is a single window operating control. It is possible to select up to 14 different languages. There is an online help key to assist patients with troubleshooting. Programmable start‐up and shutdown times save time for the patient. Formula is the only dialysis machine to offer a backup battery feature. Formula is capable of communicating with any software available. The focus on global biocompatibility ensures the best quality dialysis treatments for a population of patients who will likely remain on dialysis for a longer period of time than conventional dialysis patients.


The inability to efficiently tune the optical properties of waveguiding structures has been one of the major hurdles for the future scalability of integrated photonic systems. In silicon photonics, although dynamic tuning has been achieved with various mechanisms, even the most effective thermo-optic effect offers a refractive index change of only $1.86 \times 10^{-4} K^{-1}$. To enhance this small change, light recycling based on resonators has been employed in order to realize efficient modulators, phase shifters, and optical switches. However, the resonant enhancement comes at a great cost of optical bandwidth, fabrication tolerance and system scalability. Here we demonstrate a scalable light recycling approach based on spatial-mode multiplexing. Our approach offers a fabrication tolerance of ${\pm}$ 15 nm, in stark contrast to the non-scalable subnanometer tolerance in typical silicon resonators. We experimentally demonstrate light recycling up to 7 passes with an optical bandwidth greater than 100 nm. We realize power-efficient thermo-optic phase shifters that require only 1.7 mW per ${\pi}$, representing more than an 8-fold reduction in the power consumption.


International competitiveness, accelerated by the impact of new technologies, has pressurised industry to meet the challenges for higher productivity, faster product cycles, higher levels of quality and lower costs in increasingly internationalised markets. Multi-functional teams have been heralded as a management solution and an innovative organisational approach to address these challenges. This paper summarises the findings from a research programme which aimed to identify the most appropriate team approaches for co-ordinating innovative product/process developments and for enhancing their success. It is based on case studies of environmental technology projects in 25 companies in the United Kingdom. Team approaches were broadly classified as "single-disciplinary", "multi-disciplinary" or "multi-functional" according to members' expertise and innovation function, which could be more or less integrated. The research findings emphasised the diversity of organisational teams which varied according to different projects, organisational, inter-organisational and market conditions, and were more complex when several departments, teams or companies were involved. The findings revealed that multi-functional teams were important in achieving success in open markets, because of their control over appropriate expertise, even though they did not guarantee commercial success. Integrated team approaches were not sufficient for achieving susscess, although most companies regarded their teams as necessary.


Objectives: Cytokines-chemokines play an important role in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), including tumor-cell proliferation, angiogenesis and vascular permeability. As DC-SIGN expressing B cells are natural targets for HHV-8, we examined the production of soluble factors by HHV-8 infected B cells and their relationship to HHV-8 replication. Methods: B cells were loaded with purified HHV-8, UV-light inactivated HHV-8 (UV-HHV-8) or soluble HHV-8 glycoprotein B (gB). Intracellular staining and flow cytometry were used to determine cytokine-chemokine production by B cells. Supernatants were examined for protein secretion by Cytometric Bead Array. Results: Peak levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, MIP-1α and MIP-1β of 570 (TNF-α) to 2.5 x 104 (MIP-1β) pg/ml were detected in HHV-8 infected cultures by 24-48h, which were 16 to 100 fold higher than in uninfected B cell cultures. Treatment with gB or UV-HHV-8 induced a similar pattern of cytokine-chemokine production by B cells. Conclusions: Elevated levels of several inflammatory cytokines and MIP chemokines were detected in HHV-8 infected B cells. Similar production of these factors by HHV-8 gB and UV-HHV-8 implies that full cycle virus replication is not necessary to elicit a strong immune response to HHV-8 infection. Determining the cytokine-chemokine response to HHV-8 infection of B cells could be significant to our understanding of HHV-8 pathogenesis, and could provide novel targets for vaccine development.


Solid-state superconducting devices coupled to coplanar transmission lines offer an exquisite architecture for quantum optical phenomena probing as well as for quantum computation implementation, which is the object of intense theoretical and experimental investigation lately. Under appropriate conditions, the transmission line radiation modes can become strongly coupled to a superconducting device with only two levels—for that reason called an artificial atom or qubit. Employing this system, we propose a two-quantum bit gate encoding, involving quantum electromagnetic field qubit states prepared in a coplanar transmission line capacitively coupled to a single charge qubit. Since dissipative effects are more drastic in the solid-state qubit than in the field one, it can be employed for the storage of information, whose efficiency against the action of an ohmic bath shows that this encoding can be readily implemented with present-day technology. We extend the investigation to generate entanglement between several solid-state qubits and the field qubit through the action of external classical magnetic pulses.


Power transformers demand a high degree of care during installation. The large capital investment for the transformer and their importance to the power system demonstrate the need for careful field preparation for service. This chapter will highlight recommendations for the proper receipt, inspection, field assembly, oil processing, acceptance testing, and maintenance of large liquid-immersed power transformers rated 10 MVA or greater or with primary voltage rating of 69 kV and above. Basic transformer field installation and maintenance processes will be reviewed to include receiving inspections, assembly of transformer, field dry out techniques, determination of insulation moisture concentration, provision for cold ambient temperature processing, vacuum filling processes, acceptance testing, maintenance schedules, components maintenance, and oil reconditioning and reclamation. The processes and recommendations introduced may not cover all possible contingencies based upon design, construction, and application of the transformers; therefore, the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) instructions may differ from standard industry practice. The manufacturer's guidelines 22


Economic growth in industrialized countries over the past few decades did not result in improved subjective well-being (SWB) of citizens. This finding, known as the "Easterlin Paradox," is mainly a result of the fact that subjective well-being is a positive function of income but a negative function of relative position. Recognition of the impact of relative standing on well-being in the discipline of economics dates back to the times of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. The current paper builds on existing studies and investigates the impact of relative standing on SWB in households in urban Ethiopia using three rounds of data spanning a decade. The data set contains detailed information on comparisons of respondents with others, with oneself over time, and with anticipated changes in the future, which enables to compare the differences in the magnitude of the impact of these variables on SWB.


In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, where death, sickness and suffering persist, there is some hint that there is nothing so special about the human race that particularly makes it immune to decimation. This is at odds with the general feeling that there is something significant, purposeful and/or meaningful about human life. Thus, the question that immediately comes to mind is whether the present pandemic and the negative situations it presents, destroy any hope of attaining meaning in life. In this article, we critically examine how the Covid-19 pandemic affects meaning in life. While it is not far-fetched to assume that the pandemic, suffering, isolation, economic hardship, and so forth disrupt humanity's abilities at creating moments of meaning in life, it is our claim that it does not destroy it altogether, as many persons have found new ways of creating such moments, albeit small, through self-sacrifice/care, solidarity, and more. Finally, we conclude that in the face of this tragedy, what humanity can best hope for is the continuous creation of moments of meaning in life in order to reduce despair and sustain hope, however small. We expect that this article will foster future discussions about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the question of meaningfulness.


In a typical introductory AI class, the topic of reinforcement learning may be allocated only a few hours of class time. One engaging example of reinforcement learning uses a crawling robot that learns to use its two-degree-of-freedom arm to drag itself forward. Unfortunately, the cost of the required hardware is prohibitively expensive for many departments for what is typically a once-a-semester demonstration. So we decided to port the algorithm to a platform that many departments may already have on hand: the LEGO Mindstorms RCX 2.0. Initially the task seemed relatively straightforward: build a robot base out of LEGO parts and implement the algorithm in the Not Quite C language. However the challenges of designing a robot arm without servos and attempting to trim code down to a size that would fit on the RCX has proven to be as educational to the undergraduates working on the project as we hope the final product will be to students in AI classes. This paper describes the challenges we have faced and the solutions we have implemented, as well as the work that remains to be completed.


Different wheat species, common wheat (Triticum aestivum subsp. aestivum), spelt (Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta) and einkorn (Triticum monococcum subsp. monococcum), were analyzed for physicochemical (moisture, ash, protein, wet gluten, lipid, starch, carbohydrates, test weight and thousand-kernel mass) and mineral elements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu) concentrations in grains. Additionally, wheat grain microstructure was determined using a scanning electron microscope. SEM micrographs of wheat grains show that einkorn has smaller type A starch granule diameters and more compact protein bonds compared to common wheat and spelt grains, making it easier to digest. The ancient wheat grains presented higher values for ash, protein, wet gluten and lipid content compared to the common wheat grains, whereas the carbohydrates and starch content were significantly (p < 0.05) lower. The mean values showed that spelt (Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta) grains presented the highest values for Ca, Mg and K, while einkorn (Triticum monococcum subsp. monococcum) grains had the highest values for the microelements Zn, Mn and Cu. The highest values of Fe were recorded for common wheat varieties whereas no significant differences among the species were obtained for Na content. The principal component analysis (p > 0.05) between wheat flours characteristics showed a close association between wheat grain species and between the chemical characteristics of gluten and protein content (r = 0.994), lipid and ash content (r = 0.952) and starch and carbohydrate content (r = 0.927), for which high positive significant correlations (p < 0.05) were obtained. Taking into account that Romania is the fourth largest wheat producer at the European level, this study is of great global importance. According to the results obtained, the ancient species have higher nutritional value from the point of view of chemical compounds and macro elements of minerals. This may be of great importance for consumers who demand bakery products with high nutritional quality.


Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond films were prepared using a variation in nitrogen addition into the gas source admixture by a direct current CVD method. The influence of nitrogen addition on the crystallographic texture and grain shape evolution in heteroepitaxial polycrystalline diamond films was investigated using high-resolution electron backscattering diffraction and x-ray diffraction. The analysis reveals that an addition of 1.5% N2 to the CH4 gas flow leads to a strong enhancement in a {110} fiber texture. The phenomenon is discussed in terms of a competitive growth selection mechanism.


To maximize the impact of research on programs, this article proposes a 'reaching-down—reachingup' perspective in evaluation design, whereby it serves two functions simultaneously: the program improvement function, reaching down, and the knowledge development function, reaching up. This proposal frames applied research as a particular species of evaluation. As validity is a fundamental assessment of how well a design supports particular inferences related to specific uses, the article subsequently summarizes and integrates disparate validity perspectives to develop an argument-based approach to validity in a 'reaching-down—reaching-up' evaluation model case study. Lastly, the location(s) of validation is considered in order to highlight evaluator responsibilities.


Quality of life assessments were performed in 24 haemodialysis patients (10 males, 14 females, age 45 +/- 15 years) undergoing rHuEpo treatment. The results in the rHuEpo-treated patients were compared with those in eight haemodialysis patients not on rHuEpo and with the results of a nationwide study of dialysis patients in Sweden (carried out before rHuEpo was registered). Survey questionnaires (112 items, divided into three dimensions, i.e. physical, social, and emotional wellbeing) were completed before treatment (Hb 73 +/- 1.1 g/l), when the target Hb value of 10 g/dl was reached (1-7 months) and in 14 patients 1 year after correction of the anaemia. Before treatment, the rHuEpo group had significantly more complaints about poor appetite, fatigue, and irritability than the controls. After the anaemia was corrected, the rHuEpo group had significantly improved physical and emotional wellbeing. The most significant changes occurred in satisfaction with health, physical activities of daily life, and fatigue. Alterations in emotional symptoms, such as depression and apathy, were less pronounced. Only minor changes were observed in their social wellbeing. One year after correction of the anaemia, the improvements in physical and emotional wellbeing were still present in the rHuEpo-treated patients. A positive effect was also noted on hospitalization rate. Scores for the subdimensions of satisfaction with health, sexual adjustment, physical symptoms, and emotional wellbeing improved in the rHuEpo-treated group and reached a level that was the same, or even higher, than the scores in the dialysis patients in the nationwide study. In conclusion, the quality of life improved during rHuEpo treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The renal insufficiency which has been described in some of Legionnaires' Disease, has not been characterized. We describe a patient who developed severe oligoanuric renal failure associated with Legionnaires' Disease. Renal biopsy revealed acute tubular necrosis.


There has been an explosion of research on analyzing social media to map human behavior relevant to public health, such as drinking or drug use. However, it is important not only to detect the local regions where these activities occur, but also to analyze the degree of participation in them by local residents. We develop powerful new methods for fine-grained localization of activities and home locations using Twitter data. We apply these methods to discover and compare alcohol use patterns in a large city, New York City, and a more suburban and rural area, Monroe County.


Meissner W., Koss M. 2009. Biometrical differentiation of the Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) migrating in autumn through north-eastern Poland. Ring 31, 1: 15-22. The Common Snipe is a medium-sized wader with a broad range of distribution. The analysis of recoveries shows that most of Common Snipes migrating through the southern Baltic come from Scandinavia, Baltic countries and north-western and western Russia. In this paper differentiation in the biometrics of Common Snipes migrating through north-eastern Poland was described. The data were collected at two ringing stations in north-eastern Poland. No significant differences were found between biometrical parameters from these two ringing sites. The obtained results are similar to the ones from the Gulf of Gdansk. Mean values of particular measurements and body mass of adult and juvenile birds did not differ significantly. There was no significant biometrical variance among juvenile birds between three analysed half month periods as well as between 5 years of study except for the seasonal differences in the mean value of tarsus with toe measurement. The mean values of measurements taken from the birds studied in this work are similar to the results obtained for the Gulf of Gdansk region, and higher than in the places located more inland (southern and eastern Poland). It might be caused by differences in the biometrical values among different populations. Low values of the body mass are characteristic for Common Snipes staying in places with different habitat conditions, which shows that this species migrates in autumn with very small energetic reserves, what is typical for strategy minimising energetic expenses during migration.


In renal clearance experiments with dogfish, trimethylamine HCL (TMA) administration (i.m.) results in a large increase in trimethylamine oxide (Oxide) excretion. This is shown to occur by inhibition of net renal tubular reabsorption of the Oxide. The TMA, on the other hand, reaches the urine by net tubular secretion in quantities which are consistent with the attainment of diffusion equilibrium across the pH gradient between urine and plasma. The effect of TMA is not related to increased urine flow but is a specific effect on Oxide reabsorption. The administration of the homologue of TMA, dimethylamine, results in a similar but less profound blockade of Oxide reabsorption. Methylamine, however, has no effect at all on Oxide reabsorption. Large excretory losses of TMAO occurred without any change in TMAO plasma level, further indicating the physiological regulation of the plasma concentration of this weak base.


&NA; Risk factors for the introduction, spread and persistence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia lamblia infections in child day‐care centers are not well understood. In 1989 and 1990 stool specimens were obtained from 292 diapered children attending 17 randomly selected daycare centers in Fulton County, GA; 8 (2.7%) children in 2 centers were infected with Cryptosporidium and 21 (7.2%) children in 7 centers were infected with Giardia. In 1986 the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in these same centers had been 0.4 and 11.0%, respectively; the prevalence of Cryptosporidium, but not Giardia, increased significantly (P = 0.04) between 1986 and 1989 to 1990. Risk factors for Giardia infection included day‐care attendance for >3 months, the presence of toddlers in the classroom and the presence of other children in the household. Day‐care centers with a Giardia‐positive child in 1986 were not more likely to have an infected child in 1989 to 1990. Cryptosporidium, like Giardia, may be endemic in day‐care centers in Fulton County.


This paper presents the development and experimental results of photovoltaic and thermal hybrid (PV/T) simulator. The light source of the simulator consists of 16 halogen lamps with 4×4 arrangements. The PV/T collector is constructed from the mono-crystalline type of PV cell and backed by the 8 mm thick polyvinyl chloride (PVC) thermal collector. In order to understand and evaluate precise behavior of PV/T system, we applied 3 different mass flow rates; 200, 250, and 300 g/min. The result shows that the PV output behavior of the simulator for the radiation seems to be similar to that done under the sunlight experiment. At certain surface temperatures of PV, the collector thermal efficiency of PV/T system increases with the mass flow rate. This may be due to the internal heating of the PV cell.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


The effect of zinc supplementation on concentrations of zinc in hair and serum of 213 pregnant Hispanic women attending a clinic in Los Angeles was assessed using a random, double-blind experiment. Both the treatment (T) and control (C) groups received similar vitamin and mineral supplements except that 20 mg zinc was added to the supplements for the treatment group. Nutrient intakes were calculated from 24-h recalls. The initial mean dietary zinc intake of both groups was about 50% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (9 +/- 5 mg). Initially there were no significant differences between the two groups in mean zinc levels in serum (66 +/- 11 micrograms/dl, C, and 65 +/- 12 micrograms/dl, T) or in hair (184 +/- 41 micrograms/g, C, and 175 +/- 38 micrograms/g, T). Zinc supplementation did not alter mean zinc levels in serum or hair but significantly (p less than 0.05) reduced the number of low serum zinc values (less than or equal to 53.3 micrograms/dl) toward the end of pregnancy. Although serum zinc levels do decline in pregnancy, our results suggest that severely depressed levels (less than or equal to 50 to 55 micrograms/dl) indicate inadequate zinc status.


Failure of attachment ("pull-off") of Gardner-Wells tongs from the cranium occasionally occurs, and may cause problems, especially in cases of significant cervical spinal instability. The optimal method for Gardner-Wells tongs attachment is not well defined: the effect on pull-off strength of stem protrusion of the spring-loaded pin, and user accuracy in setting stem protrusion do not appear to be documented In the medical literature. The authors measured pull-off strength from five fresh cadaveric crania, for each of five stem protrusion settings. In a related experiment, staff surgeons were asked to follow the standard instructions for applying clinically available Gardner-Wells tongs (smooth, unmarked indicator stems on the spring-loaded pins), after which the actual stem protrusion lengths were recorded. When the indicator stem protruded 1.0 mm (manufacturer's recommendation), the mean pull-off strength (standard deviation [SD]) was 137 ± 34 pounds (610 ± 151 N). Even with stem protrusions as low as 0.25 mm, the lowest pull-off strength was 60 pounds. Failures of fixation occurring with traction loads of 35 to 50 pounds are almost surely associated with stem protrusions of less than 0.25 mm. Even without an indicator line on the stem at 1 mm, all of the 13 orthopaedists tested produced an actual stem protrusion of 0.37 mm or more. Secure attachment of larger cranial traction loads requires careful attention to pin tightening. Proper location on the skull and the risk of penetration through the inner table must also be kept In mind.


Recent psychophysical studies have shown that perceived timings of events can be dissociated from their physical temporal relationship. In the flash-lag effect (FLE), a flash presented at the same spatiotemporal position as a continuously moving stimulus is perceived to lag behind the moving stimulus. In the present study, we report a peculiar condition in which FLE does not occur even when the position of a moving object is estimated at the moment of a transient event. In a series of experiments, we compared perceived timings and processing delays for appearance of a new object against feature changes of an existing object. We found that perceived timing of the appearance of a new object is delayed compared to the perception of feature changes updating the properties of an object. Our results suggest the construction of a new object representation requires additional time to establish a stable neuronal representation.


This paper addresses the constituent elements of Positive Psychology, especially relating to healthy human development. It revises authors of Humanistic-Existential Psychology, the proposal to unite the human flourish to personal and social well-being, with the division into three major elements, namely: positive emotions, positive traits and positive institutions. It depends on building themselves a salutogenic health way as structure of a personological basis, constantly developing in the course of life, directing to reflections on the vital dynamics, throughout the existence, taking into account aspects of well-being and best development of expectations, feelings and values. And it provides interfaces Emotional Calendar recently stressed that allows us to understand how the environment and the person interact across the life cycle, reviewing the seasons, times and spaces, and significant events that act along the maturation and human maturity. All these elements lead to better understand and be able to act in a human development in all its phases and dimensionalities.


: Background and aims: Beside the vast usages of styrene in different industries, this compound can be considered as an important organic air pollutant. Styrene, in one hand, can adversely affect on workers and on the other hands can cause air pollution in the environment. In this study, Tabriz Petrochemical Complex was selected for evaluation of styrene. Methods: Measurements were performed separately in production lines of olephin and styrene and sampling sites were selected randomly in both olephine and styrene lines. For evaluation of styrene, occupational sampling was performed based on method number 834 recommended in the book "Air sampling analysis". The method was extended using some correction factors. Sampling process was performed in seasons Summer and Autumn. To draw isoline curves of Pollution, Surfer software version 504 was used. Results: The results showed that, there were no significant difference between concentration of pollutants and seasons. Agreement between styrene concentration and prailing winds showed a significant difference between styrene and prailing winds. i