This study reappraises the acquisition parameters defined by three current protocols for the specification of planar gamma camera performance. These are the manufacturer Standards of the National Electrical Manufacturers' Association [1] and the International Electrotechnical Commission [2], and the user-orientated protocol of the UK Department of Health (DoH, formerly DHSS) Gamma Camera Performance Assessment Group [3]. The study looks specifically at three major planar performance characteristics: intrinsic non-uniformity, intrinsic spatial resolution and intrinsic non-linearity (spatial distortion). Acquisition parameters specified for these characteristics are investigated by testing a range of values for each parameter around those figures currently advocated by the three protocols. Those acquisition parameters which may be relaxed without loss of data integrity are identified and the adoption of revised parameters for some measurements within the DoH assessment protocol is suggested. Reviewing the data obtained, observations are made regarding the accuracy of some tests performed regularly for quality control purposes. The feasibility and advantages of incorporating some suitably modified DoH performance assessment tests within a routine quality assurance protocol for the gamma camera are also discussed.


The effect of long-term administration of testosterone, progesterone, and a synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), on intermediary metabolism was studied in a freshwater fish Oreochromis mossambicus. The present study reveals that testosterone, progesterone, and Des specifically control key enzymes involved in carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism in the liver of O. mossambicus implying a general influence of sex steroids on intermediary metabolism. The activities of malic enzyme (ME), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), glucose 6 phosphatase (G-6-Pase), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are either stimulated or inhibited following the administration of sex steroids. The long-term in vivo i.p. injection of sex steroids intensely reveals that testosterone and progesterone are hyperglycemic, DES is hypoglycemic, testosterone and DES lipogenic, and progesterone antilipogenic (lipolytic) in the present study. It is also established that amino acid catabolism, mostly that of alanine, may be a major source of substrate for gluconeogenesis. A genomic mode of action is proposed for sex steroids for long term treatment, as their action is sensitive to transcription and translation inhibitors.


Time of flight-mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) is used to analyze positive and negative desorbed ions generated by UV laser ablation of several alkali (X) halide (Y) salts. Most of the observed desorbed cluster ions have the structure (XY)(n)X(+) or (XY)(n)Y(-). Their desorption yields decrease as exp(-kn), where k approximately 2 for both series, suggesting that the neutral component (XY)(n) plays the dominant role in the desorption process. Mass spectrum measurements were performed for compound samples in which two salts (out of CsI, RbI, KBr, KCl and KI) are homogeneously mixed or disposed in two superposed layers. The detection of small new ion species and large cluster ions of the original salts supports the scenario that the uppermost layers are completely atomized while deep layers are emitted colder and fragmented: It is proposed that ns-pulsed laser induced desorption of ionic salts occurs via two sequential mechanisms: (1) ejection of cations and anions in the hot plume, followed by recombination into new cluster ions and (2) ejection of relatively cold preformed species originated from deep layers or from periphery of the irradiated region.


The Canadian Shield is an area of Pre‐Cambrian rocks some 2,000,000 square miles in extent, which produces a half‐billion dollars worth of minerals per year. The geophysical prospecting methods of most use here are magnetic and electrical. Geophysical methods, after recovering from an earlier period of disfavor, are now beginning to be properly appreciated by the local mining industry. Several examples of important recent geophysical discoveries are presented. Future expansion in this field appears inevitable.


Researchers have long wondered why U.S. firms offer their equity in multiple global capital markets even though they have access to a deep domestic capital market. Based on a propensity score-matching sample of IPOs for U.S. firms from 1990 to 2003, this paper offers some potential answers. We find strong evidence that issuers who choose global equity offerings experience higher valuations at the IPO stage, as measured by Tobin's q. Our evidence also shows that global equity offerings serve as a deliberate strategic tool to increase issuers' international visibility and their propensity to diversify operationally to international markets. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


As one of the significant phenomena in earthquake geotechnical engineering, liquefaction can cause severe damages. A number of factors play a role in the occurrence of liquefaction such as magnitude of earthquake, void ratio, relative density, and fines content percentage. The impact of building construction overburdens on liquefaction is of paramount importance. The present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of overburden resulting from building construction on liquefaction potential of saturating soil layers along Tabriz Metro Line 2. Fifty-four boreholes and geotechnical information were collected from the research site. Overburden values were considered to be 100 kPa, 200 kPa, 300 KPa, and 400 KPa equivalents to 5-, 10-, 15-, and 30-story building, respectively. The assessment of liquefaction potential of soil layers was carried out using the standard penetration test (SPT) method. Furthermore, liquefaction potential index (LPI) of soil layers was evaluated. The findings demonstrated that overburden can affect liquefaction resistance of soil layers. With increasing overburden, safety factor against liquefaction became less than one in nearly 80% of soil layers. The rate of growth in LPI of boreholes in the research site was found to be roughly 70%. Hence, an increase in overburden elevated liquefaction hazards in the research site.


- Sustainable development and heritage conservation has become guiding principles for our today's modern society and its growth. In order to achieve a sustainable management of heritage building conservation in Nasik, maintenance takes an important role in conserving the heritage values of the buildings. Maintenance has been identified as a key intervention in protecting heritage building by prolonging its lifespan & it is also helpful to pass on the heritage values of our culture which our forefathers gave us to the future generation. Some studies have shown that resident's participation in terms of observing & reporting building defects is an important aspect in improving the existing building conditions and in avoiding deterioration of the heritage building. So the need of the study is to protect heritage of Nasik, Improving quality of life as well for socio-economic growth for Nasik with the objectives to understand various factors of maintenance priority & reasons of maintenance & Analysis of collected factors of maintenance through Relative importance index(RII).


We assessed the spectral imaginary part of refractive index (n i) of Asian dust aerosol in the visible wavelengths (0.412-0.865 µm) by comparing simulated and satellite-observed top of the atmosphere (TOA) reflectances. The approach employed in this study combines the results obtained from SeaWiFS ocean color sensor, the vertical profiles provided by CFORS mesoscale transport model, and the size distribution observed concurrently by Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites. Analyses for four dust instances over the Sea of Japan during 2001 and 2002 showed that the n i values of Asian dust are significantly lower than previously published, as low as about 0.001 at 0.5 µm. Although the backward trajectories suggest that the four events have different sources, all events show very similar n i values. The corresponding averaged coarse-mode dust single-scattering albedo (SSA) is found to be 0.98 ± 0.002 at 0.555 µm, which is consistent with the results of several contemporaneous observations conducted during Asian Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia). These results indicate that Asian dust particles itself may cool the climate system more strongly than is generally considered and a weakly absorbing model of Asian dust is more appropriate for use in climate modeling than the already used dust model.


AbstractThe authors investigate the origin of prefrontal, warm-season convergence lines over western Europe using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. These lines form east of the cold front in the warm sector of an extratropical cyclone, and they are frequently the focus for convective development. It is shown that these lines are related to a low-level thermal ridge that accompanies the base of an elevated mixed layer (EML) plume generated over the Iberian Peninsula and northern Africa. Using Q-vector diagnostics, including the components that describe scalar and rotational quasigeostrophic frontogenesis, it is shown that the convergence line is associated with the rearrangement of the isentropes especially at the western periphery of the EML plume. The ascending branch of the resulting ageostrophic circulation coincides with the surface velocity convergence. The modeling results are supported by a 3-yr composite analysis of cold fronts with and without preceding convergence lines using NCEP–NCAR...


Objective This study aimed to investigate whether a deep learning reconstruction (DLR) method improves the image quality, stent evaluation, and visibility of the valve apparatus in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) when compared with filtered back projection (FBP) and hybrid iterative reconstruction (IR) methods. Materials and Methods CCTA images of 51 patients (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 63.9 ± 9.8 years, 36 male) who underwent examination at a single institution were reconstructed using DLR, FBP, and hybrid IR methods and reviewed. CT attenuation, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and stent evaluation, including 10%–90% edge rise slope (ERS) and 10%–90% edge rise distance (ERD), were measured. Quantitative data are summarized as the mean ± SD. The subjective visual scores (1 for worst -5 for best) of the images were obtained for the following: overall image quality, image noise, and appearance of stent, vessel, and aortic and tricuspid valve apparatus (annulus, leaflets, papillary muscles, and chordae tendineae). These parameters were compared between the DLR, FBP, and hybrid IR methods. Results DLR provided higher Hounsfield unit (HU) values in the aorta and similar attenuation in the fat and muscle compared with FBP and hybrid IR. The image noise in HU was significantly lower in DLR (12.6 ± 2.2) than in hybrid IR (24.2 ± 3.0) and FBP (54.2 ± 9.5) (p < 0.001). The SNR and CNR were significantly higher in the DLR group than in the FBP and hybrid IR groups (p < 0.001). In the coronary stent, the mean value of ERS was significantly higher in DLR (1260.4 ± 242.5 HU/mm) than that of FBP (801.9 ± 170.7 HU/mm) and hybrid IR (641.9 ± 112.0 HU/mm). The mean value of ERD was measured as 0.8 ± 0.1 mm for DLR while it was 1.1 ± 0.2 mm for FBP and 1.1 ± 0.2 mm for hybrid IR. The subjective visual scores were higher in the DLR than in the images reconstructed with FBP and hybrid IR. Conclusion DLR reconstruction provided better images than FBP and hybrid IR reconstruction.


Abstract Introduction Ganglioneuroma (GN) is a benign, differentiated variety of neurogenic tumor. It is often asymptomatic and may be diagnosed by serendipity. Surgical removal is the treatment of choice. However, it has been suggested that postoperative complications and sequelae might outweigh the benefits of this approach. The purpose of the present study was to examine these issues in a large experience of neural tumors. Methods Patients treated between 1992 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Modern imaging, measurement of catecholamine metabolite excretion and metaiodobenzylguanidine were used for workup. Surgical treatment aimed at complete resection. Complications and sequelae were recorded. Literature was searched for regrowth or malignant transformation of GN. Results Of 227 patients with neural tumors, 24 were GN patients (12 abdominal, 11 thoracic and 1 cervical with 8 dumbbell extensions). Six children were symptomatic (three with abdominal pain and mass, one with stridor or dysphonia, and one each with anisocoria and opsomyoclonus). However, 18 (75%) were asymptomatic and the diagnosis was incidental. Several tumors were large and involved more than one body space. There were no neurologic symptoms in eight cases with dumbbell extension. Complete resection was achieved in 20 children (83%) whereas gross residual was left in four. Postoperative complications were: Horner syndrome (3 patients), mild scoliosis (1 patient), adhesive bowel obstruction (1 patient) and acute urinary retention (1 patient). There was no evidence of either regrowth or malignant behavior in residual masses left in place after follow-up of 84 (1–194) months. Conclusions There were a limited number of general minor complications in this series that did not include cases of regrowth or malignant transformation. However, these unfavorable events were occasionally reported in the literature. Since diagnosis of GN cannot be ascertained before removal of the mass, this should remain the aim of the treatment, although limiting the chances of complications to a minimum even if incomplete resection is the price to pay. Nonoperative attitudes should not be recommended in all cases, but they are certainly justified in some.


Limited empirical research on information consultancy and brokerage is documented and almost nothing originates from authors in the developing countries despite the upsurge of reasons for involvement in the services provided in the region. However, in considering investment in consultancy and brokerage services in a unique and unknown consumer environment such as Africa, it would be fool-hardy to ignore the complexities posed by the coexistence of an information-conscious population on the one hand and a semi-literate population on the other. This study investigates the need for information consultancy and brokerage services in Botswana for the advice, creation and development of information consultancy and brokerage services in the country. The study was conducted in Botswana and data was collected in Gaborone, which has 34.3% of the urban population, including 10% of the national population, and is also the capital city and seat for government and private agencies in the country. Data was collected by means of questionnaires and interviews with the public and private sectors as well as information consultants and brokers. The analysis of data and the subsequent results revealed that, while Botswana has information consultants and brokers, there is a need for their services in management mainly but also in information technology, information systems and informal training. Unexplored and less-exploited markets exist in both the private and public sector. So far, access to information used by clients is mainly through private contacts (70.6%), office files (69.6%), mass media (60.3%) and information consultancy and brokerage (34%). The study recommends that coordination, marketing, promotion and publicity of information consultancy and brokerage activities are essential. The areas identified for consultancy services need to be developed and exploited, clients' awareness of the usefulness of information management be created and the consultants and brokers be readily available when needed. The study provides a basis for market analysis that can benefit training institutions in librarianship and information management in capacity building.


This article reconsiders how the ṣaḍvārgika monks, or monks in the band of six, are represented in Vinaya, the codified Buddhist law texts. Conventionally, these ṣaḍvārgika monks are portrayed as evil figures whose behaviours have subsequently become exemplary of monastic violations in Vinaya literature. In this article, I discover a neglected alternative discourse in which the ṣaḍvārgika monks are perceived as supporters of Buddhism who were well educated in various secular and religious subjects. Specifically, this study reveals that the authors of two Chinese texts Lüjie benshu 律戒本疏 (T2788) and Guan wuliangshou jing yishu 觀無量壽經義疏 (T1749) argued that the ṣaḍvārgika monks are noble figures who had purposefully acted out various misdeeds to facilitate the promulgation of the Buddhist monastic law, which only becomes necessary when the situation requires it.


The rapid growth of location-based services has motivated the development of continuous range queries in networks. Existing query algorithms usually adopt an expansion tree to reuse the previous query results to get better efficiency. However, the high maintenance costs of the traditional expansion tree lead to a sharp efficiency decrease. In this paper, we propose a line graph-based continuous range (LGCR) query algorithm for moving objects in networks, which is characterized by a novel graph-based expansion tree (GET) structure used to monitor queries in an incremental manner. In particular, GET is developed based on the line graph model of networks and simultaneously supports offline pre-computation to better adapt our proposed algorithm to different sizes of networks. To improve performance, we create a series of related data structures, such as bridgeable edges and distance edges. Correspondingly, we develop several algorithms, including initialization, insertion of objects, filter and refinement and location update, to incrementally re-evaluate continuous range queries. Finally, we implement the GET and related algorithms in the native graph database Neo4J. We conduct experiments using real-world networks and simulated moving objects and compare the proposed LGCR with the existing classical algorithm to verify its effectiveness and demonstrate its greater efficiency.


A literature review of advanced technology braking systems and vehicle stability control systems available or under development around the world was undertaken. An analysis was also performed on local data sources to assess potential safety benefits in Australia. The findings from this review were somewhat inconclusive. Some evidence suggested that vehicles equipped with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) were involved in fewer crashes with opposing, adjacent or same direction vehicles compared to non-ABS fitted cars but were over-involved in run-off-the-road crashes. The analyses performed on local data suggested that ABS may have had some benefit in reducing injury severity to vehicle occupants in some specific models but these findings were rather weak and inconsistent. Preliminary evidence suggested that Electronic Stability Programs (ESP), currently gaining popularity in new vehicles, are having a very positive influence on safety with claims of reductions in crashes and injuries by up to 35 per cent. More comprehensive data that allow the effectiveness of ESP in improving safety in all surface conditions and for all types of crash configuration are required. (a)


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and is characterized by a high degree of malignancy and a low survival rate. Most HCCs express insulin-like growth factors and their receptors (IGF-IR), which mediate signaling, promote survival and invasion, and prevent apoptosis. Thus, they may be potential targets for the treatment of HCCs. In the present study, the potential therapeutic effect of Tyrphostin AG1024 in HCC was examined. After treatment with various concentrations of AG1024 (one selective inhibitor of IGF-IR), AG1024 not only dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells and induced apoptosis, but also markedly inhibited invasion ability. Expression of proteins detected by Western blot analysis revealed that AG1024 dose-dependently increased the expression of cytochrome C, while procaspase-3 and phospho-ERK were down-regulated. Thus, IGF-IR inhibition may be a promising novel approach to the treatment of HCC.


Two novel methods for surface profile extraction based on multiple ultrasonic range measurements are described and compared. One of the methods employs morphological processing techniques, whereas the other employs a spatial voting scheme followed by simple thresholding. Morphological processing exploits neighbouring relationships between the pixels of the generated arc map. On the other hand, spatial voting relies on the number of votes accumulated in each pixel and ignores neighbouring relationships. Both approaches are extremely flexible and robust, in addition to being simple and straightforward. They can deal with arbitrary numbers and configurations of sensors as well as synthetic arrays. The methods have the intrinsic ability to suppress spurious readings, crosstalk and higher-order reflections, and process multiple reflections informatively. The performances of the two methods are compared on various examples involving both simulated and experimental data. The morphological processing method outperforms the spatial voting method in most cases with errors reduced by up to 80%. The effect of varying the measurement noise and surface roughness is also considered. Morphological processing is observed to be superior to spatial voting under these conditions as well.


Pulmonary lymph drains into the thoracic duct and then into the systemic venous circulation. Since systemic venous pressure (SVP) must be overcome before pulmonary lymph can flow, variations in SVP may affect lymph flow rate and therefore the rate of fluid accumulation within the lung. The importance of this issue is evident when one considers the variety of clinical interventions that increase SVP and promote pulmonary edema formation, such as volume infusion, positive-pressure ventilation, and various vasoactive drug therapies. We recorded pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), left atrial pressure (LAP), and SVP in chronic unanesthetized sheep. Occlusion balloons were placed in the left atrium and superior vena cava to control their respective pressures. The superior vena caval occluder was placed above the azygos vein so that bronchial venous pressure would not be elevated when the balloon was inflated. Three-hour experiments were carried out at various LAP levels with and without SVP being elevated to 20 mmHg. The amount of fluid present in the lung was determined by the wet-to-dry weight ratio method. At control LAP levels, no significant difference in lung fluid accumulation could be shown between animals with control and elevated SVP levels. When LAP was elevated above control a significantly greater amount of pulmonary fluid accumulated in animals with elevated SVP levels compared with those with control SVP levels. We conclude that significant excess pulmonary edema formation will occur when SVP is elevated at pulmonary microvascular pressures not normally associated with rapid fluid accumulation.


[aim] Increased lactate production is a feature of many neoplasms, and Lactate Dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) plays a key role in conversion of pyruvate to lactate. LDHA inhibition, therefore, is considered to be a promising approach toward developing a new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment focused on targeting cancer metabolism. Non-invasive imaging approaches able to monitor metabolic fluxes in vivo will be useful for this purpose. Hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been well known as a valuable technology to investigate metabolic processes in tumor xenografts, allowing us to perform dynamic 13C-metabolic flux analysis in vivo. Use of [1-13C]pyruvate with this technology provides the ability to monitor LDHA activity in real time through dynamic observation of conversion of [1-13C]pyruvate to [1-13C]lactate. This study aimed to monitor drug efficacy of a newly developed LDH inhibitor (LDHI, obtained from National Cancer Institute Experimental Therapeutics Program, NExT) in a xenograft tumor model using 13C MRI technology with hyperpolarized 13C-labeled pyruvate. [Results] Hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MR studies were performed before and after LDHI administration to assess the impact on metabolic flux in vivo. Using hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MR Spectroscopy (MRS), we found that lactate production was significantly suppressed by LDHI administration in MiaPaca (a glycolytic pancreatic cancer cell line) tumors, as was the [1-13C]lactate to [1-13C]pyruvate ratio ([1-13C]-Lac/Pyr), which was calculated from the areas under the curves (AUC) using time-intensity data. This ratio decreased from 1.08 to 0.128 (88.1% decrease) 30 minutes after intravenous administration of the LDHI. In addition, hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MRS revealed that LDHI significantly suppressed lactate production in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, Chemical Shift Imaging with 13C MRI demonstrated that the [1-13C]lactate signal in each voxel clearly decreased, compared to that before LDHI administration. The sum of [1-13C]lactate signals in the tumor region decreased after LDHI administration, resulting in a significant decrease in the tumor-specific [1-13C] Lac/Pyr ratio (1.463±0.31 before LDHI to 0.134±0.036 30 minutes after LDHI administration, a 90.67±2.56% decrease, n=3, p [Conclusions] These results indicate that hyperpolarized 13C-MRI is a useful method to evaluate on-target efficacy of novel LDH inhibitors in vivo, and this technique can be used to determine optimum dose and exposure time of the LDHI in the tumor region. The current method can be of great value in providing an in vivo pharmacodynamic biomarker for this novel anti-cancer therapeutic targeting deregulated tumor metabolism. Citation Format: Nobu Oshima, Shun Kishimoto, Kristin Beebe, Keita Saito, Kazutoshi Yamamoto, Jeffery Brender, Anastasia Sowers, Ganesha Rai, Bryan T. Mott, David J. Maloney, James B. Mitchell, Murali K. Cherukuri, Leonard M. Neckers. Monitoring the impact on metabolic flux in vivo of a newly developed LDH inhibitor using hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2852. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2852


The rapid expansion of the internet has made web a popular place for disseminating and collecting information and also it opens many research topics on varies research fields. Since last few years, several attempts have been made on Web based research particularly based on HTML web pages because of its more availability. So that many Research Data sets have created and few of them are made available on Web. But W3 consortium stated that, HTML does not provide a better description of semantic structure of the web page contents. To overcome this draw back Web developers started to develop Web page(s) on XML, Flash kind of new technologies [1]. It makes a way for new Research methods. This article mainly focuses on Data Set creation on XML Web pages by using Sequential search, Link Extraction and string based classification methods for future research avenues on XML Web pages.


Deep learning is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in medical research and applications while involving sensitive information and even critical diagnosis decisions. Researchers observe a significant performance disparity among subgroups with different demographic attributes, which is called model unfairness, and put lots of effort into carefully designing elegant architectures to address unfairness, which poses heavy training burden, brings poor generalization, and reveals the trade-off between model performance and fairness. To tackle these issues, we propose FairAdaBN by making batch normalization adaptive to sensitive attribute. This simple but effective design can be adopted to several classification backbones that are originally unaware of fairness. Additionally, we derive a novel loss function that restrains statistical parity between subgroups on mini-batches, encouraging the model to converge with considerable fairness. In order to evaluate the trade-off between model performance and fairness, we propose a new metric, named Fairness-Accuracy Trade-off Efficiency (FATE), to compute normalized fairness improvement over accuracy drop. Experiments on two dermatological datasets show that our proposed method outperforms other methods on fairness criteria and FATE.


An attempt is made to familiarize the family physician with the spectrum of grief and bereavement. Various modalities of treatment are discussed, and an appeal for further research in this field by family physicians is made.


This paper deals with uncertainty, asymmetric information, and risk modelling in a complex power system. The uncertainty is managed by using probability and decision theory methods. More specifically, influence diagrams—as extended Bayesian network functions with interval probabilities represented through credal sets—were chosen for the predictive modelling scenario of replacing the most critical circuit breakers in optimal time. Namely, based on the available data on circuit breakers and other variables that affect the considered model of a complex power system, a group of experts was able to assess the situation using interval probabilities instead of crisp probabilities. Furthermore, the paper examines how the confidence interval width affects decision-making in this context and eliminates the information asymmetry of different experts. Based on the obtained results for each considered interval width separately on the action to be taken over the considered model in order to minimize the risk of the power system failure, it can be concluded that the proposed approach clearly indicates the advantages of using interval probability when making decisions in systems such as the one considered in this paper.


Medical Imaging is a necessary component of many applications, such as clinical diagnosis, event tracking and decision making. Segmentation of anatomical organs in a medical image is a helpful processing of medical images for clinical purposes. Accurate manual segmentation requires considerable efforts and time, due to some challenges such as the invisibility of some organs in an image, for example. Here, image processing techniques are used to facilitate and improve the accuracy of such a segmentation.


Maternal obesity (defined as prepregnancy maternal BMI> or = 30 kg/m2) is a risk factor strongly associated with serious perinatal complications and its prevalence has increased rapidly in a general population during the last decades. Therefore, following international approach to regulate perinatal care in this population, Group of Experts of Polish Gynecological Society developed these new guidelines concerning perinatal care in obese pregnant women, including women after bariatric surgery. The recommendations cover detailed information on specific needs and risks associated with obesity in women of reproductive age, pregnancy planning, antenatal care, screening, prophylaxis and treatment for other pregnancy complications characteristic for maternal obesity fetal surveillance, intrapartum care and post-partum follow-up. Pregnancy planning in these patients should involve dietary recommendations aiming at well balanced diet and daily caloric uptake below 2000 kcal and modest but regular physical activity with sessions every two days starting from 15 min and increased gradually to 40 min. Laboratory work-up should include tests recommended in general population plus fasting glycemia and oral glucose tolerance if necessary thyroid function, lipidprofile, blood pressure and ECG. Patients after bariatric surgery should allow at least one year before they conceive and have their diet fortified with iron, folic acid, calcium and vit. B12. Antenatal care should include monitoring body weight gain with a target increase in body weight less than 7 kg, thromboprophylaxis, strict monitoring of blood pressure and diagnostic for gestational diabetes in early pregnancy. Fetal ultrasonic scans should be arranged following protocols recommended by US section of Polish Gynaecological Society with additional scan assessing fetal growth performed within 7 days before delivery and aiming at assessing a risk for shoulder dystocia in a patient. Intrapartum care should be delivered in referral centers where fetal and maternal intrapartum complications can be addressed, preferably equipped with a proper medical equipment necessary to deal safely with extremely heavy individuals. Medical staff taking intrapartum care for obese parturient should be also aware of reduced reliability of methods used for intrapartum fetal surveillance, increased risk for intrapartum fetal death, maternal injuries, postpartum haemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, thrombophlebitis and infection. Pediatrician should be also available due to increased neonatal morbidity mainly due to meconium aspiration syndrome, hypoglycemia, and respiratory distress syndrome. In puerperium, medical staff should be prepared to deal with breastfeeding disturbances and increased maternal mortality.


Cutaneous melanoma represents a malignant neoplasia with incidence that still doubles every ten years for unknown causes. The primary treatment was and remains up today fundamentally surgical in the I and II stadium (as AJCC classification). It consists according to the thickness in the radicalization to two centimetres around the lesion
and in the search of the lymph node sentinel (LS). The concept of LS has been developed from Morton et al. and was established in 1990 after having shown that the combination of the preoperatory lymphoscintigraphic study with the use of a vital dye allows with high reliability and precision the individualization and therefore the removal of
the LS, defined such the lymph node that drains a defined cutaneous area and therefore is the first structure met by the neoplastic cells. Since it seems that, in the majority of the cases, at least as it regards the initial stadiums of the illness, initially the neoplasia spreads for by lymphatic it is the LS the first one to be involved in the case of lymphatic metastases, therefore its negativity deposes for the negativity of the Whole lymphatic station. Therefore the biopsy of the LS solves the problem of the preventive lymphoadenectomy rather than waiting for some evidence of lymphnode metastasis.
KEY WORDS: cutaneous melanoma, sentinel lymph node.


For this study, we investigated anodization to improve the adhesion and corrosion resistance of A 5052 aluminum alloy. Sulfuric acid anodization was found to have excellent corrosion resistance but poor adhesion. Phosphoric acid anodization showed excellent adhesion but poor corrosion resistance. Two - step anodization with phosphoric acid anodization and sulfuric acid anodization produced both excellent adhesion and corrosion resistance.


Determination of the instability of air-jet textured yarns is a very important aspect of their quality characterization. To overcome this problem many researchers have suggested different techniques, however none has been accepted as a standard method. Among all the methods, that suggested by Demir et al. takes attention, since it was improved after investigating the advantages and disadvantages of most of the techniques in use. Recovery from strain measurements are commonly used to get information about fiber molecular structure. In this study, instability of air-jet textured yarns was investigated by using both Demir's instability test method and recovery from strain measurements. It was observed that Demir's method is a practical and reliable way to compare the instability of air-jet textured yarns produced from the same raw material. For comparing different materials it was more beneficial to use recovery from strain measurements.


We re-examine the notion of relative (p, ε)-approximations, recently introduced in [CKMS06], and establish upper bounds on their size, in general range spaces of finite VC-dimension, using the sampling theory developed in [LLS01] and in several earlier studies [Pol86, Hau92, Tal94]. We also survey the different notions of sampling, used in computational geometry, learning, and other areas, and show how they relate to each other. We then give constructions of smaller-size relative (p, ε)-approximations for range spaces that involve points and halfspaces in two and higher dimensions. The planar construction is based on a new structure—spanning trees with small relative crossing number, which we believe to be of independent interest. Relative (p, ε)approximations arise in several geometric problems, such as approximate range counting, and we apply our new structures to obtain efficient solutions for approximate range counting in three dimensions. We also present a simple solution for the planar case.


Background: Compared to influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus, common human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are relatively understudied due to the mild nature of HCoV infection. Given the lack of local epidemiology data on common HCoVs in Korea, we aimed to describe epidemiological characteristics of common HCoVs. Methods: Respiratory viral test results from more than 67,000 respiratory samples from the two data sources, Korea Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Surveillance System (KINRESS, N=58,253) and Seoul National University Children's Hospital (SNUCH, N=9,589) were analyzed from January 2015 to December 2019. Viral detection was done by the multiplex RT-PCR. Demographics and clinical diagnosis were collected for previously healthy children tested positive for HCoVs in SNUCH. Results: Of the 67,842 samples tested, 1 or more respiratory viruses were detected from 35,459 (52.2%) samples and 2,854 (4.2%) samples were positive for HCoVs (OC43 2.1%, NL63 1.7%, 229E 0.4%). All 3 types were co-circulated during winter months (November to February) with some variation by type. HCoV-OC43 was most prevalent, peaking every winter. HCoV-NL63 circulated with alternate peaks occurring between January-March and November-February. Meanwhile, HCoV-229E had smaller peaks every other winter in 2015/2016 and 2017/2018. From the national surveillance data, HCoV infection was most prevalent among 0 to 1 year old children and older adults aged over 70 years. 18.2% of the HCoV-positive samples were co-detected with other respiratory viruses, with the highest co-detection rate (33.7%) in children 0 to 1 year of age and the lowest co-detection rate (3.6%) in adults ≥70 years old. Upper respiratory tract infection was the most common (60.0%) clinical diagnosis of the 135 previously healthy children. Croup accounted for 17.0% of NL63-positive childrenConclusion: This study described the epidemiological characteristics of 3 types of common HCoVs (OC43, NL63, 229E) in Korea; the highest prevalence of OC43, concurrent circulation during winter, and age difference in HCoV infection and co-detection rate with other respiratory virus. It may be informative to monitor any changes in the epidemiology of common HCoVs as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.


ABSTRACT Within 2 months of acquiring glanders, a patient developed 8-, 16-, and 4-fold increases, respectively, in specific IgA, IgG, and IgM serological titers against Burkholderia mallei. Within 14 months of infection, the titers decreased to the baseline. Serum from this patient was also highly reactive against Burkholderia pseudomallei whole cells. Burkholderia mallei whole cells did not react with sera from patients with other diseases. Therefore, an assay using a B. mallei cellular diagnostic antigen may be useful for the serodiagnosis of glanders.


Policies and practices related to parental presence and participation in the care of a hospitalized child can be a source of tension between nurses and families. Tensions often revolve around "visiting" hours, who may visit, the number of visitors allowed at the bedside at a time, and inconsistent enforcement of existing visitation policies. A family-centered framework for evaluating these policies and practices can provide direction that will help reduce these tensions. Visitation policies that are flexible and offer guidelines, not rules, will usually best meet the needs of families. Some nurses may need education, mentoring, skill-building, and role-playing opportunities to work comfortably with flexible guidelines and increased family presence and participation.


In an increasingly globalized marketplace, it is common for marketing researchers to collect data from respondents who are not native speakers of the language in which the questions are formulated. Examples include online customer ratings and internal marketing initiatives in multinational corporations. This raises the issue of whether providing responses on rating scales in a person's native versus second language exerts a systematic influence on the responses obtained. This article documents the anchor contraction effect (ACE), the systematic tendency to report more intense emotions when answering questions using rating scales in a nonnative language than in the native language. Nine studies (1) establish ACE, test the underlying process, and rule out alternative explanations; (2) examine the generalizability of ACE across a range of situations, measures, and response scale formats; and (3) explore managerially relevant and easily implementable corrective techniques.


When is it appropriate for courts to second-guess decisions of private actors in shaping their business models, designing their networks, and configuring the (otherwise non-infringing) products that they offer to their customers? This theme appears periodically but persistently in intellectual property and antitrust, especially in disputes involving networks and technology. In both contexts, courts routinely invoke what I call a "non-interference principle" — the presumption that market forces ordinarily bring the best outcomes for consumers, and that courts and regulators should not meddle in the process. This non-interference principle means, for example, that intermediaries need not design their networks to optimize enforcement of intellectual property rights, and monopolists need not consider the effects on competitors when they devise and sell new products.Yet in both contexts, on rare occasions, courts deem the non-interference principle inapplicable and find liability, at least in part, based on a party's choice of product design. Although intellectual property and antitrust scholars have each addressed judicial treatment of product design within their discipline, commentators have given little attention to similarities and differences between how the non-interference principle plays out in each context. Such an investigation yields interesting insights about the values underlying non-interference, and has implications for judges applying the principle in both intellectual property and antitrust law. This essay explores the non-interference principle in intellectual property and antitrust law, with an eye toward the factors that determine its applicability across the two doctrinal contexts.


A hybrid switch that uses a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch as a gate driver of a MOSFET is applied to an energy harvesting system. The power management circuit adopting the hybrid switch provides ultralow leakage, self-referencing, and high current handling capability. Measurements show that solar energy harvester circuit utilizing the MEMS-MOSFET hybrid switch accumulates energy and charges a battery or drive a resistive load without any constant power supply and reference voltage. The leakage current during energy accumulation is less than 10 pA. The power management circuit adopting the proposed hybrid switch is believed to be an ideal solution to self-powered wireless sensor nodes in smart grid systems.


Purpose of the Study: The urgency of the problem under investigation is because, the issue of gifted students' education is one of the most difficult and interesting aspects of contemporary pedagogy. The purpose of the article is to identify the psychological characteristics of the gifted students' development. In this article, the school difficulties of gifted students are revealed and the causes of internal and external nature are analyzed.
Methodology: The leading approach to the study of this problem is a method of a theoretical analysis and synthesis of social, political, and psycho-pedagogical literature.
Results: The main result of the study is a theoretical analysis of the relationship between learning and the development of gifted children and their psychological characteristics.
Application:The materials of the article can be useful for teachers, students, and a wide range of readers interested in the problems of gifted students' education. The authors pay special attention to the social and emotional consequences, which can be rather destructive if appropriate assistance is not provided by teachers, psychologists, and parents.


We develop a topological analysis of robust traffic pace patterns using persistent homology. We develop Rips filtrations, parametrized by pace, for a symmetrization of traffic pace along the (naturally) directed edges in a road network. Our symmetrization is inspired by recent work of Turner (2019 Algebr. Geom. Topol. 19 1135–1170). Our goal is to construct barcodes which help identify meaningful pace structures, namely connected components or 'rings'. We develop a case study of our methods using datasets of Manhattan and Chengdu traffic speeds. In order to cope with the computational complexity of these large datasets, we develop an auxiliary application of the directed Louvain neighborhood-finding algorithm. We implement this as a preprocessing step prior to our main persistent homology analysis in order to coarse-grain small topological structures. We finally compute persistence barcodes on these neighborhoods. The persistence barcodes have a metric structure which allows us to both qualitatively and quantitatively compare traffic networks. As an example of the results, we find robust connected pace structures near Midtown bridges connecting Manhattan to the mainland.


America's cities: celebrated by poets, courted by politicians, castigated by social reformers. In their numbers and complexity they challenge comprehension. Why is urban America the way it is? Eric Monkkonen offers a fresh approach to the myths and the history of US urban development, giving us an unexpected and welcome sense of our urban origins. His historically anchored vision of our cities places topics of finance, housing, social mobility, transportation, crime, planning, and growth into a perspective which explains the present in terms of the past and ofers a point from which to plan for the future.


The effects of the absorption of the pump light by the first excited singlet state on the output of a Rhodamine 6G cw dye laser are investigated. Experimental results show a change in the incremental photon efficiency with pump wavelength. Theoretical expressions are derived for the output power, including the effects of excited state absorption. By matching experimental and theoretical results, values for the excited state absorption cross sections are found at four different wavelengths.


BACKGROUND
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has recently been advocated as a treatment for pemphigus, but the results of published studies are in conflict. This study was conducted to re-examine the effectiveness of IVIg for the immediate control of active disease and to study the mechanisms of its action.

METHODS
Six patients with active pemphigus vulgaris unresponsive to conventional therapy with high doses of corticosteroids were treated with IVIg (400 mg/kg per day for 5 days) and concurrently given cyclophosphamide (100-150 mg/d). The primary end points were healing of skin lesions and changes in the level of intercellular antibodies and steroid dose.

RESULTS
New lesions ceased to form within 1 week of initiating IVIg therapy, and within 2 weeks the extent of existing skin lesions was reduced by 80% or more in all but one patient. Within 3 weeks, steroid doses were reduced by an average of 41%. The improvement was more rapid than that in patients previously treated with similar doses of steroids and cytotoxic agents at the same institution. Clinical improvement was associated with a rapid decline in pemphigus antibodies whose levels decreased by 72% within 1 week of initiation of IVIg therapy. The rapidity and extent of this decline were similar to those achieved with intensive plasmapheresis. The decline was not due to blocking the synthesis or the immunologic activity of intercellular antibodies by IVIg, suggesting that it resulted from increased immunoglobulin catabolism.

CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that IVIg can effectively and rapidly control active pemphigus unresponsive to conventional therapy and suggest that the mechanism of its action is decreasing serum levels of intercellular antibodies.


BACKGROUND
Indirect evidence suggests that hypoxia contributes to the pathophysiology of rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the cellular location and kinetics of hypoxia, as well as potential hypoxia adaptation are unclear.

METHODS
Rhabdomyolysis was induced in rats by IM glycerol (GLY) injection, which largely recapitulates the full clinical syndrome. Additional rats received IV myoglobin (MYO), in order to assess the contribution of MYO per se. We performed immunohistochemistry for hypoxia markers [pimonidazole (PIM) adducts and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs)] and the cell-protective HIF target gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Furthermore, we sought a potential negative feedback loop to terminate HIF activation, driven by HIF prolyl-hydroxylase-2 (PHD-2).

RESULTS
In GLY, progressive tubular injury, mainly of proximal tubules (PT), developed over time, but its extent was heterogeneous. PIM, HIFalpha and HO-1 were all absent in controls, but strongly positive in GLY, with a specific spatio-temporal pattern. In PT, (a) PIM was detectable throughout the study with a maximum at 6 h, (b) HIF was activated only at 3 h and (c) HO-1 and PHD-2 appeared at 6 h and persisted at a lower level at 24 h. Apart from tubular cast formation, MYO did not cause overt tissue damage, but led to strong activation of HIFs, in a pattern similar to 3 h of GLY.

CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that renal hypoxia occurs in rhabdomyolysis, and that MYO, at least partly, contributes to hypoxia generation. Since in the most affected tubules transcriptional hypoxia adaptation is transient and inhomogeneous, pharmacologic HIF enhancement holds the potential to improve outcome in rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI.


Introduction: The viral infection COVID-19 is highly infectious and has claimed many lives till date and is still continuing to consume lives. In the COVID-19, along with pulmonary symptoms, cardiovascular (CV) events were also recorded that have known to significantly contribute to the mortality. In our study, we designed and validated a new risk score that can predict CV events, and also evaluated the effect of these complications on the prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, multicenter, observational study was done among 1000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients between June 2020 and December 2020. All the data of the clinical and laboratory parameters were collected. Patients were randomly divided into two groups for testing and validating the hypothesis. The identification of the independent risk factors was done by the logistic regression analysis method. Results: Of all the types of the clinical and laboratory parameters, ten "independent risk factors" were identified associated with CV events in Group A: male gender, older age, chronic heart disease, cough, lymphocyte count <1.1 × 109/L at admission, blood urea nitrogen >7 mmol/L at admission, estimated glomerular filtration rate <90 ml/min/1.73 m2 at admission, activated partial thromboplastin time >37 S, D-dimer, and procalcitonin >0.5 mg/L. In our study, we found that CV events were significantly related with inferior prognosis (P < 0.001). Conclusions: A new risk scoring system was designed in our study, which may be used as a predictive tool for CV complications among the patients with COVID-19 infection.


BACKGROUND
Sorafenib has proven survival benefits in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The viability of continuing sorafenib at a higher dosage in patients who experienced radiologic disease progression was investigated.

METHODS
Patients who experienced disease progression while on sorafenib 400 mg twice daily were randomized to sorafenib 600 mg twice daily (n = 49) or best supportive care (n = 52). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Time to progression, overall survival, and safety were also evaluated.

RESULTS
The study did not meet its primary end point. The difference in PFS between the sorafenib arm (3.91 months) and the best supportive care arm (2.69 months) did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.086). Adverse events were mainly grade 1-2 and similar across both groups. In the sorafenib arm, the most frequent events were diarrhea (80%), weight loss (75%), fatigue (67%), hand-foot-skin reaction (49%), abdominal pain (37%), and stomatitis (26%).

CONCLUSIONS
Escalated-dose sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC who progressed while on sorafenib, failed to provide any clinical benefit. Second-line treatment still remains an open issue to be explored in appropriate clinical trials.


Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) is a systemic disorder caused by progressive accumulation of extracellular material over various tissues. PES usually determines increased intraocular pressure, changes in the anatomical aspects of the optic nerve, and visual field alterations leading to the diagnosis of pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEG). Use of topical medical treatment usually leads to poor results in terms of long-term follow-up but many surgical techniques, such as Argon Laser or Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, have been proposed for the management of PEG affected patients. The present paper is a review on the pseudoexfoliation syndrome and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma with an update on surgical management.


Eighteen patients with intracranial trigeminal nerve lesions were investigated electrodiagnostically. The trigeminal motor root function was studied on the basis of the jaw reflex and masseter myograms and was disturbed in all cases. The jaw reflexes were abnormal in 16 and the masseter myograms in eight cases. An impressive trigeminal sensory root function was obtained from blink reflex, which was abnormal in 12 cases. The results show the diagnostic value of bilateral recording of the jaw reflex in such patients.


Background: We estimated and compared the differences in frailty, disability, and functional limitation among men and women, and among urban and rural dwellers. Further, this study also provides the analysis of key factors influencing frailty, functional limitation and disability among older persons in India. Study design: Two cross-sectional surveys. Methods: WHO-SAGE (2007-10) and BKPAI-2011 (Building Knowledgebase for Population Ageing in India) (2007-10) were used. Oaxaca decomposition method was used to decompose the gender and place of resident differentials. Statistical software RStudio (Version 1.2.1335) was used to perform these analyses Results: The decomposition model was able to explain 46.5%, 41.6% and 46.4% of the difference between frailty, functional limitation and disability among older persons respectively. The key factors, which significantly (P <0.05) explained the gap for both frailty and functional limitation, were Education (0.009 &1.24), working status (0.018 & 1.93), physical activity (0.001 & 0.15) and migration (0.018 & 1.98). Higher educational attainment (0.008 & 1.10) and wealth quintile (0.009 & 1.18) in urban areas might be a factors resulting in the lowering of frailty and functional limitations. Conclusion: The poorer functional health among older women can largely be explained by gender differentials in socioeconomic status and consequent empowerment (such as less control of their mobility and financial independence). This implies that efforts to improve gender disadvantages in earlier life stages might get reflected in better health for females in older age.


The use of supercritical water (SCW) in GEN IV reactors is a logical approach to the ongoing development of nuclear energy. A proper understanding of the radiation chemistry and reactivities of transients in a reactor core under SCW conditions is required to achieve optimal water chemistry control and safety. A Monte Carlo simulation study of the radiolysis of SCW at 400 °C by incident 2 MeV monoenergetic neutrons (taken as representative of a fast neutron flux in a reactor) was carried out as a function of water density between ∼150 and 600 kg/m3. The in situ formation of H3O+ by the generated recoil protons was shown to render the "native" track regions temporarily very acidic (pH ∼ 1). This acidity, though local and transitory ("acid spikes"), raises the question whether it may promote a corrosive environment under proposed SCW-cooled reactor operating conditions that would lead to progressive degradation of reactor components.


Val-Phe-Val-Arg-Asn (VFVRN) has been identified and screened from lipid-lowering chickpea peptides (ChPs) by using a pharmacokinetic model in our previous experiment. The present study was conducted to investigate its effects and mechanisms on lipid metabolism. A high-fat diet C57BL/6J mice model and 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell model were used. VFVRN was found to significantly decrease the levels of some blood lipids. The expressions of LDL receptor (LDLR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)α, liver X receptor (LXR)α, cholesterol 7αhydroxylase (CYP7A1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) in liver were up-regulated by VFVRN treatment. The expressions of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase (HMGR), fatty acid synthetase (FAS), 1-aminocyclopropane1-carboxylate synthetase (ACC), sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)1c and SREBP-2 in liver were significantly (P<0.05) down-regulated. Additionally, the expressions of PPARα and PPARγ in adipose tissues were up-regulated by VFVRN significantly (P<0.05). VFVRN might also contribute to transintestinal cholesterol efflux (TICE) by up-regulating the expressions of LXRα and ATP binding cassette G5/8 transporters (ABGC5/8). Moreover, VFVRN promoted 3T3-L1 preadipocyte apoptosis by up-regulating the expressions of BaX, cleaved Caspase-3 and down-regulating Bcl-2. VFVRN had potent effects in reversing metabolic disorders of blood and liver in a high-fat diet mice model, as well as to promote the apoptosis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.


Users can communicate with each other by posting multimedia materials such as audio, text, photographs, video, animation, and graphics via a forum known as social media networking through a website or application medium. Despite its benefits, Social media has posed a huge risk in various fields such as strategic interests and national security that leads to adverse impacts. Cybercriminals have turned to social media as an outlet for carrying out their criminal actions. Computers and the internet are used in carrying out cybercrimes by stealing other people's identities as well as tracking down personal information and victims. There are several types of cyber-crimes. It is necessary to incorporate security measures and methods to control cyber-crimes. In this paper, we provide an overview of cybercrimes on social media. We will discuss common cybercrimes, their mitigation techniques, and protection in social media.


Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship in 2010 represents a considerable opportunity for the Organisation. While Kazakhstan's Chairmanship cannot 'save' the OSCE from its current problems, it could help set a new direction for the Organisation and inject a degree of movement at time of growing paralysis. This will be a tall order which Kazakhstan alone will be unable to achieve. To make the most of opportunity presented in 2010, the countries of the European Union need to work closely with Astana to prepare the country for the Chairmanship and also to help to develop ways forward for the organisation. Relations between Astana and Brussels are built on a shared interest in diversifying energy export routes from Kazakhstan, growing business ties, a common caution about the role of Russia in Eurasia and on Kazakhstan's commitment to promoting European forms of development in the country. The EU should place the 2010 Chairmanship within the context of this growing relationship, linking Kazakhstan's domestic and international initiatives of the year to the longer term ambition of the country to build a deeper relationship to Europe as a means to achieve a European form of modernisation.


Choi, Gulati, Holman and Posner ask, "Do women make better judges?" Their results, as they summarize them, are not informative. They merely cannot reject the possibility of an absence of a relationship between gender and the particular measures they examine. This paper, focusing on reversals of federal district court judges, provides information more directly relevant to answering the question they posed, albeit not as to women as a whole but rather as among the limited set of men and women who are confirmed as judges. There is a consistent pattern of lower likelihood of reversal in summary statistics, overall and within each subsample of judges appointed by the three represented Presidents. The same pattern is found in the estimations, including a hierarchical linear model with random effects, which show women with statistically significant lower odds of reversal of between 6.6% to 8.9%. The only exception is the subset of opinions not having been assigned a primary case type by Westlaw. These include appellate dispositions presenting procedural matters, as well as perfunctory dispositions.


A 54-year-old Chinese woman with miliary choroidal tuberculosis was followed for more than three years. She had had tuberculous meningitis for about one month before an ophthalmologic examination for blurred vision OU. There were 50 to 60 choroidal tubercles OU which were located mostly at the posterior poles including the macular areas. The meningitis and tubercular lesions resolved with antituberculous medications. In a series of fundus photographs and fluorescein angiograms, a macular subretinal neovascularization was noted in association with the tubercular lesions which resulted in disciform maculopathy. To the best of our knowledge, this case had the largest number of tubercles reported in this century, and the association of macular subretinal neovascularization with choroidal tuberculosis has never been reported.


Crystallographic and magnetic properties are investigated for Co-Cr-Pt/Cr-Ti longitudinal media fabricated on MgO seedlayers (t=0-20 nm) prepared by Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) sputtering method. The MgO layer deposited at room temperature shows well developed {100} texture. Highly (100)-oriented Cr-Ti and (11.0)-oriented Co-Cr-Pt layers are epitaxially grown on the seedlayers. The media coercivity is enhanced by about 15% compared with that with no MgO seedlayer.


Fine-pore diffuser systems are selected for their potential energy efficiency, and during design their propensity for fouling and for an increase in pressure drop with time must be considered. Both fouling and pressure-drop increase cause an increase in blower power requirements. This paper presents a new approach to improve this design procedure, without altering the technical structure of the classical approach. While the administrative and bidding milestones are being carried out (i.e., in the first 6 months of the project milestones), an independent aeration team can test candidate diffusers suitable for design in an aeration column in situ. An extended fouling test in the plant's aeration tanks allows the collection of site-specific aeration performance data. These improve the accuracy of the design process, and limit the reliance on safety factors.


The kinetics of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are tightly controlled by specific kinases and phosphatases; disturbances are often disease-causing. Phosphorylation kinetics are normally monitored using radioactive isotopes of phosphorus, or by using stop-flow techniques. Approaches using mass spectrometry are severely limited by the lack of a stable isotope of phosphorus (other than 31P). The principal aim of this study is to develop a new method to incorporate 18O label into phosphorylation sites of phosphoproteins with a view of applying this method to enhance the detection of phosphorylation by mass spectrometry and to analyze the phosphorylation kinetics of proteins.Aurora-A kinase was selected to explore the possibility of using 18O-labelling to monitor phosphorylation kinetics. The kinase is well characterized, phosphorylated both in human cells and when expressed in recombinant form in E. coli and it contributes to development of some cancers when deregulated.Applying different mass spectrometric approaches resulted in the identification of 19 phosphorylation sites of Aurora-A including five new sites. Using H3P18O4 as a label donor to incorporate 18O into Aurora-A phosphorylation sites showed partial and inconsistent label incorporation. Alternatively, H218O was used to investigate the possibility of label incorporation. Preliminary results, however, showed high complex data which hampered precise identification of phosphopeptides and their labelling state.The labelling experiment was then redesigned in which induction took place in label free medium to allow the light version of the kinase to accumulate, before chasing with 18O label. This design successfully introduced fully labelled P18O3 into Aurora-A phosphorylation sites. LC ESI Q-ToF analysis of 18O labelled Aurora-A sample isolated according to this protocol identified 30 phosphopeptides showing label incorporation, which is double the number of phosphopeptides identified by MASCOT using the same MS analysis. The method was also used to investigate phosphorylation kinetics of Aurora-A. The results suggested differential regulation of phosphorylation sites of Aurora-A as some sites showed early phosphorylation while others were phosphorylated at later stages. Overall, a new approach was developed for enhanced detection of phosphorylation sites and analysis of phosphorylation kinetics.


Each year, nearly 250,000 women will die of coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death for women in America. A major contributing factor to coronary heart disease is the onset of hypertension, or high blood pressure. Hypertension is characterized as pertaining to a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or greater, 90-95% cases of which have no directly identifiable cause. It has been estimated that 6% of the world's deaths can be attribute to the effects of hypertension; these effects are systemic, and include damage to the brain, blood vessels, heart and kidneys. Most of these effects, however, often occur before the symptoms of hypertension actually arise, including arterial lesions of the brain, heart and kidneys, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and elevated hematocrit levels. Much valuable research has been conducted in the past pertaining to hypertension, but with a deficiency in the area of gender studies with most research being performed exclusively on male test subjects. The present study simultaneously compares the effects of hypertension on both male, female, and ovariectomized female subjects, using the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR) as a model. Collagen, which is the main focus of this study and the major ultrastructural protein in the heart, is quantitated using 2D-PAGE to analyze the differences in collagen density in male and female SHR hearts. It is our hypothesis that given the difference between male and female physiology, specifically the presence or absence of estrogen, that hypertensive effects will manifest differently between the sexes, in terms of collagen deposition and density in the cardiac architecture.


"This article explores the responses of peasant households in China to the quite new and radical demands made on their resources as a result of the various recent rural economic reforms....[It attempts] to identify current changes in size, structure and activity of domestic and kin groups, and to analyse the new socio-economic relations within and between households. It argues that in order to mobilise and maximise their labour and other resources to arrange for the production, consumption and welfare of household members, close kin and neighbouring peasant households have combined to give rise to a new family form, the aggregate family. This study analyses the factors leading to its formation, identifies the characteristics of this new family form and examines its relations both within and beyond the village."


The arguments for regarding the number 1 as a unit of the SI are reviewed. Examples of dimensionless quantities are presented, and problems associated with representing the values of dimensionless quantities of very small magnitude are discussed. The logarithmic ratio units bel, decibel and neper are discussed.


An evaluation of the composition of soil cement bricks with construction and demolition waste. Sustainable development requires the existence of a production network that includes the reuse of construction waste for new materials. Current analysis investigates an optimal soil-cement composition made up of construction and demolition waste for the manufacture of pressed bricks. Soil-cement bricks were manufactured from construction and demolition wastes (CDW), A-4 classified fine sandy soil and cement CP II Z 32. Laboratory tests, comprising test compaction, optimum water content and maximum dry specific weight, consistency limits, grain size distribution and linear shrinkage, were made to characterize the materials researched. Compressive strength and absorption tests were also undertaken in different combinations of composition. Results showed that the application of CDW improved soil-cement qualities and reduced shrinkage of the material used.


This study investigated the relation between mould exposure and allergic rhinitis in Istanbul through questionnaires and measurements of fungal propagules in indoor air. The study group was 42 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis who were sensitive to mould and 40 age and sex matched healthy subjects as controls. A questionnaire was used to characterise the variables of home environment and occupants' behaviour which might have an impact on the presence of fungal levels. At the same time, symptom scores were assessed according to the answers of the patients while air samples were collected to obtain a comparison between the patients' symptoms and the fungal counts. Samples were collected from the bedrooms and the main living rooms between 15 September and 15 November, 2002. Fungal concentrations were reported as colony forming units per cubic metre of air using the MAS 100 conversion unit table. The questionnaires showed that patients reported significantly higher dampness, mould and mildew in their homes than the controls (p = 0.004, p = 0.02, respectively). Also the relative humidity in the patients' houses was significantly higher compared to the controls (p ≤ 0.001). The total culturable concentrations of fungi were significantly higher in the patients homes compared to those in the homes of the controls (p = 0.003, p = 0.009, respectively). A significant positive correlation was found between the patients' symptom scores and the fungal propagule concentrations (r2 = 0.39–0.49, p ≤ 0.001). Overall the results of this study suggest that damp housing and indoor fungal concentrations show a positive correlation with symptoms of allergic rhinitis.


Objective. To compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to that of the general population and to investigate the association with disease activity, focusing on different clinical remission criteria. Methods. EQ-5D data from 3156 patients with RA from 11 Danish centers were compared with Danish EQ-5D population norms (n = 16,136). The Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and the Clinical Disease Activity Index score (CDAI) were used as definitions of disease activity and clinical remission. The score difference (ΔEQ-5D) was calculated in each patient as the difference from the age and sex-matched general population and adjusted for age, marital status, education, body mass index, smoking, exercise habits, disease duration, IgM-rheumatoid factor status, joint surgery, extraarticular features, treatment, and comorbidity in multiple linear regression models. Results. 37% vs 22% fulfilled the DAS28 and CDAI remission criteria, respectively. The ΔEQ-5D values for women/men in clinical remission were DAS28 0.05/0.06 vs CDAI 0.01/0.02; low disease activity: DAS28 0.12/0.13 vs CDAI 0.11/0.14; moderate disease activity: DAS28 0.18/0.20 vs CDAI 0.20/0.23; and high disease activity: DAS28 0.38/0.28 vs CDAI 0.33/0.26. Adjusting for confounders reduced the ΔEQ-5D values between 0 and 0.04 units. Conclusion. Patients with RA had worse EQ-5D scores than the general population, and the difference was strongly associated with disease activity. The EQ-5D score for patients in clinical remission approached that of the general population, suggesting that strict treatment goals are critical in order to achieve near-normal HRQOL in patients with RA.


This paper examines the proposition that "timing" (of referral) is a crucial element in determining the effectiveness of the discharge planning process. A brief review of the relevant literature is followed by the description of a study undertaken to assess the impact that various impediments had upon discharge planning practice in two matched ward populations of a large, acute care university hospital. Along with timing, three other impediments were identified and their influence assessed; (a) noncompletion of transfer forms required; (b) unavailability of an appropriate (i.e., needed level of care) bed in an approved facility; and(c) unanticipated change in the patient's medical condition. Some implications of the findings are examined and discussed, and directions for future study are identified. Appended are facsimiles of the instruments employed.


In this paper we propose SWOR, an architecture to deliver Scalable Video Coding (SVC) contents over P2P network. SWOR architecture is based on twofold mechanisms: (1) organization of peers in Small-World (SW) overlay networks, (2) delivering SVC content using push-pull mechanism. SWOR is evaluated and compared with CoolStreaminglDONet (CS) on QoS metrics using NS-2 simulator. Performance evaluation demonstrates that SWOR outperforms CS and provides a significant improvement in the received video quality in terms of lowering the packet loss and transmission delay.


Background Sex differences in RA prevalence, disease activity levels, and patient-reported outcomes are documented, but no studies have documented drug retention or drug-survival differences. Objectives To determine retention and drug-survival duration on first and subsequent biologic agents by sex. Methods Data source: Alberta Biologics Pharmacovigilance Program (ABioPharm), a population-based longitudinal registry. Analysis: Comparison of disease activity measures by sex over the treatment course, drug retention on the first and subsequent biologic agents, number of treatment switches required and drug survival using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results 572 patients (423 females, 74.0%) with established RA (11.8 years) were included. Disease activity indices were similar at baseline for females and males (swollen joints (28 joints) 3.1 vs 3.0, tender joints 4.3 vs 3.7, DAS28 5.83 vs 5.72). Females reported worse function (HAQ 1.64 vs 1.51 (P=0.037)) and more fatigue (6.7 vs 5.9, 0-10 scale (p=0.013)), but the same global score for disease activity as males (6.9 vs 6.8, 0-10 scale). No differences in disease activity measures or patient-reported outcomes developed, but females continued to report poorer function. The first biologic agents used were similar (etanercept 60.8% vs 61.1%; infliximab 20.3% vs 16.1%; adalimumab 17.0% versus 17.5%) as was retention on the first biologic agent (62.7% versus 70.5%, P=0.0866) with a median survival of 3.7 vs 3.3 years (logrank test p=0.25) (Figure 1). Frequency of switching and survival on subsequent biologics were the same. Image/graph Conclusions No sex differences were detected in drug retention and survival for patients requiring biologic therapy for RA. Females reported poorer function throughout the treatment course but disease activity measures were similar. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


The egg contains a set of molecules that can be used to trigger cell‐shape changes leading to morphogenetic movements. The temporally and spatially controlled activation of these molecules, and hence the choreography of gastrulation movements, is determined by region‐specific expression of transcription factors which turn on a set of downstream targets whose products mediate the successive steps of gastrulation.


Background: One important aspect of service quality is the fulfillment of client rights in health service which are: lnformation, Access to service, lnformed choice, Safe service, Privacy and confidentiality, Dignity, comfort and expression of opinion, and Continuity of care. Methods: This study measured 114 pregnant mothers opinion regarding the fulfillment of that right during antenatal care service in 14 Health Centers at 4 districts and municipalities of East Java and Central Java provinces. Results: The results of this study found that only very few pregnant mother's who always had gotten those right during antenatal care service in Health Center which is indicated the low quality of antenatal care service. Since the patient right was stated in Indonesian Law no. 36 year 2009 about Health. It is strongly recommended to improve knowledge and skill of health providers (midwives and doctors) to be able to fullfil pregnant mother right and to improve the quality of antenatal care service at Health Center. It is necessary to more focus to soft skills as interpersonal communication skills practice in midwifery and medical education. Key words: Opinion, Pregnant mother's right, Antenatal care


We present an experimental study of walk-off attenuation for Type II SHG, concerning both weak and strong focusing. In particular, we study 1.064 /spl mu/m SHG in KTiOPO/sub 4/ (KTP). The optimum focusing conditions and saturation length are well described by the Gaussian model contrary to the plane waves approximation. The saturation of the associated angular acceptance is clearly put in evidence for the strong focusing cases. >


The performance of earth-to-satellite link largely depends on various environmental factors like rain, fog, cloud, and atmospheric effects like ionospheric and tropospheric scintillation. In this paper, the tropospheric scintillation of Bangladesh, a subtropical country, is predicted based on measured climatic parameters, like relative humidity, temperature. In this prediction, ITU scintillation model are used. Four major cities, named Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Sylhet, of Bangladesh are selected for prediction of scintillation. From the simulation result, Rajshahi is found to be the most badly affected region by the scintillation fade depth (SFD), which is followed by Chittagong and the SFD is minimum in Dhaka and Sylhet. The difference in SFDs among the considered cities does not vary heavily. It is also found that the SFD varies from 3 dB to 13 dB depending on the frequency in used. Moreover, higher scintillation is found in rainy season of Bangladesh. During this period, the scintillation becomes double of the average figure.


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

Recognition of DNA damage by repair proteins is crucial for genomic stability. Several repair enzymes recognize aberrant DNA structural features, including nicks, gaps, and abasic sites, in a sequence-independent DNA manner. Reported here is a strategy to model these protein-DNA interactions using small proteins. A phage-displayed library of approximately one hundred million distinct zinc fingers was engineered at the DNA level based on the DNA binding domain of the repair protein poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Eight codons, representing amino acid residues in 'loop' regions of the zinc finger structure, were randomized using an NNK codon scheme. The DNA cassette was cloned into a commercially obtained T7 phagemid vector. The resultant phage library was exposed to nicked DNA molecules, which were attached to magnetic beads via a biotin-streptavidin linkage. In four rounds of selection that featured negative selection against non-nicked DNA and streptavidin coated beads, viral retention on the affinity resin increased from a negligible quantity to 62%. DNA sequencing following the final round revealed near convergence to a single, 39-mer peptide. This selected peptide will be generated by bacterial expression and assayed for binding activity using multiple strategies. While phage display of sequence specific DNA binding proteins is well-precedented, selection of peptides that bind specific DNA structures has not been reported. Molecules discovered by this strategy will help illuminate the structure-function relationships of proteins that recognize distinct DNA structures and may lead to new anticancer approaches.

Citation Format: Rachel M. Guerra, Kristina M. Langenborg, Kayla M. Gross, Emily V. Sher, John W. Gilboy, Dylan Plaskon, Kevin P. Rice. A selection strategy for the design of small proteins that can distinguish DNA repair intermediates. [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 2236. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2236


With the move toward mobile computing being the trend of this technology era it is clear that our way of life and how we deal with objects in it is changing. This swift shift from large desktop computers to inexpensive, low power applications that are easily carried in our pockets or placed next to a cup of coffee on the living room table clearly changed the way we interact with media and contact friends, colleagues and family members. This also created advancement in the field of digital forensics as with every device coming to the market, studies have been conducted to investigate the possible evidence that can be found on them. As we realize that with the comfort these devices do provide as a result of their mobility they are also providing a wealth of information about the users themselves for the same reason, hence they are really valuable source of evidence in an investigation. In this paper we will discuss one of these mobile devices which is Amazon kindle Fire. Being a new player in the mobile computing sector there haven't been enough studies of it in the field of digital forensics regarding it. In this paper we will discuss an imaging process to acquire the data from the device then we will provide an analysis of these data and their possible sources of evidence.


1 . Cocaine did not antagonize the tyramine‐induced contractile response of the isolated rat vas deferens at the same concentrations which markedly potentiated the contractile response to noradrenaline. 2 . Imipramine and amitriptyline non‐competitively antagonized the contractile response to tyramine but did not potentiate noradrenaline. Desmethylimipramine produced both potentiation of noradrenaline and antagonism of tyramine. 3 . Dexchlorpheniramine non‐competitively antagonized the contractile response to tyramine. It also produced an atypical potentiation of noradrenaline in which lower concentrations of noradrenaline were potentiated to a greater extent than higher ones. 4 . Imipramine inhibited the in vitro uptake of noradrenaline‐3H in rat vas deferens as did cocaine, desmethylimipramine and dexchlorpheniramine. These results suggest that the α‐adrenergic blocking property of imipramine masks the potentiation of noradrenaline by uptake inhibition. 5 . Evidence is also presented which suggests that α‐adrenergic blockade of released noradrenaline may be the major mechanism for tyramine inhibition by imipramine‐like drugs. This may explain why cocaine, which has no real alpha blocking action, is ineffective against tyramine.


Ancient Venus and Earth may have been similar in crucial ways for the development of life, such as liquid water oceans, land-ocean interfaces, favorable chemical ingredients, and energy pathways. If life ever developed on, or was transported to, early Venus from elsewhere, it might have thrived, expanded, and then survived the changes that have led to an inhospitable surface on Venus today. The Venus cloud layer may provide a refugium for extant life that persisted from an earlier more habitable surface environment. We introduce the Venus Life Equation (VLE)-a theory and evidence-based approach to calculate the probability of extant life on Venus, L, using three primary factors of life: Origination, Robustness, and Continuity, or L = O · R · C. We evaluate each of these factors using our current understanding of Earth and Venus environmental conditions from the Archaean to the present. We find that the probability of origination of life on Venus would be similar to that of Earth, and argue that the other factors should be nonzero, comparable with other promising astrobiological targets in the solar system. The VLE also identifies poorly understood aspects of Venus that can be addressed by direct observations with future exploration missions.


This empirical study based on a survey in Malaysian organizations was conducted to investigate perceived justice in distribution of organizational resources. It was designed to study the issues such as recruitment, promotion, performance appraisal and distribution of other perks and benefits to the workforce. Assuming value differences in the major ethnic groups in the country, namely Malays, Chinese, Indians, and others, the study however, expected differences in allocation decisions made only in Malay and Chinese majority organizations. The findings indicated that, in general, merit was the most important norm of distribution of organizational resources. This was followed by need of the recipient and equality in terms of merit and need. Contrary to expectations, Malay‐dominated organizations had lower preference for relationship, political connection, power and status, race and gender, factors compared to the Chinese. However, perception of minority ethnic groups differed from the majority on several factors including fairness of the allocation decisions. The implications of the findings are discussed in the light of management practices and organizational culture in Malaysian organization.


Zoonoses are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "Those diseases and infections naturally transmitted between vertebrae animals and man" (WHO 1959) (Palmer et al., 1998). They may be caused by viruses, bacteria, including chlamidiae and rickettsiae, fungi, protozoa, helminths and arthropods (Krauss et al., 2003), and transmitted directly (through contact with skin, hair, eggs, blood or secretions) or indirectly (by insect vectors and ingestion of contaminated food). Currently, 1415 pathogens for humans have been identified and of these approximately 61% (868) are agents of zoonoses, some of which manifest with neurological signs; 132 agents are also associated with emerging zoonoses (Asjo et al., 2007; Matassa, 2007; Taylor et al. , 2001). Neurological zoonoses are widespread, especially in the developing countries where they are not even diagnosed in most cases. Emerging zoonoses of recently identified pathogens are Lyme disease, cryptosporidiosis, West Nile disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, and possible variants of the avian influenza virus, which have found new favourable conditions for spreading. In contrast, re-emerging zoonoses are well-known diseases considered as eradicated in a given country but recur with an exponentially increasing incidence, such as tuberculosis, leptospirosis, rabies (Matassa, 2007). Pathogens are constantly evolving and spreading in different countries through animals that act as an asymptomatic reservoir and release pathogens into the environment (Krauss et al., 2003). Among these, wild animals, both mammals and migratory birds, play an important role.


An optimization model was developed to estimate the potential for a BEV, when replacing one of the conventional cars, to viably contribute to the performance of the driving in the households. It uses data from 1 to 3 months of simultaneous GPS logging of the movement patterns for both cars in 64 commuting 2-car Swedish households. The results show that the BEV can potentially roughly double the driving and still decrease the unfulfilled driving in the household with a flexible car use strategy compared to a BEV substituting the 2nd car only, turning the BEV economics into a TCO gain. © 2016 WEVA.


Surabaya is one of the big cities in Indonesia which experiences population increase every year due to urbanization. Population growth can cause changes in land cover such as vegetation into built-up areas and an increase in energy consumption. Changes in land cover and increased in energy consumption resulted changes in the average temperature of urban areas. This change can disrupt health and thermal comfort. Temperature changes can be analyzed using remote sensing technology by observing land surface temperature (LST). LST observations can be carried out using Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS image. Landsat-8 has ability to record data continuously and has good resolution for thermal analysis. Image data processing was performed using Google Earth Engine (GEE) due to its advantage in computing big data without the need for good computer specifications. GEE can perform time series data calculations so that the results obtained will be more numerous and better The results showed that the temperature in the city of Surabaya tends to change every year with an average temperature of 31°C. The mean LST in Surabaya City decreased significantly in 2016 by 4°C but increased again in 2017 with an increase of 1.5°C. In the following years, the LST value in the city of Surabaya continued to increase with a constant increase every year. There were more than 20 districts which have temperatures above average. Those districts were located in the center of Surabaya city extending from north to south. In the other side, the districts in the west and east of Surabaya have temperatures below average. There were 17districts experienced a decrease in temperature and 14 districts experienced an increase in temperature. Benowo, Tandes, and Pakal districts were the areas that experienced an average temperature increase. Meanwhile, the districts that experienced the highest decrease were Tegalsari, Wonokromo, and Genteng


Purpose : The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and course of neutropenia following intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in children with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Methods : From January 2001 to June 2006, fifty-four patients with ITP were enrolled in this study. Forty-two of 54 patients were treated with IVIG, while the other 12 were treated with anti-D immunoglobulin (Anti-D Ig). Post-treatment absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were compared between patients who received IVIG and those who received Anti-D Ig. Comparison of post-treatment ANC between patients who treated with two different IVIG regimens (400 mg/kg/day for 5 days and 1 g/ kg/day for 2 days) was also performed. Results : Pretreatment ANC were not significantly different between the two treatment groups. After treatment with IVIG, 32 out of 42 patients (76.2%) showed more than 50% decrease of ANC from the baseline. On the other hand, only 2 out of 12 patients (16.7%) showed more than 50% decrease of ANC from the baseline after treatment Anti-D Ig. No significant difference was observed in the decline of ANC between the first IVIG treatment (42 patients) and repeated IVIG treatment groups (7 patients). There was no statistical difference in post-treatment ANC between patients who treated with two different IVIG regimens. The neutropenia induced by IVIG had resolved spontaneously in 38 out of 39 patients (97%) after several days. Conclusion : Neutropenia following IVIG administration may not be an uncommon finding in children with ITP. It seems to be transient and self limited.


Electronic institutions are a formalism to define and analyse protocols among agents with a view to achieving global and individual goals. In this paper we elaborate on the verification of properties of electronic institutions based on the dialogues that agents may hold. Specifically, we provide a computational approach to assess whether an electronic institution is normatively consistent. In this manner, given an electronic institution we can determine whether its norms prevent normcompliant executions from happening. For this we strongly rely on the analysis of the dialogues that may occur as agents interact by exchanging illocutions in an electronic institution.


ABSTRACT Mucuna bracteata DC. is a legume cover crop to prevent erosion and to suppress weed growth. M. bracteata can fix N2 from the air with the help of Rhizobium. M. bracteata get benefit from the symbiosis in the form of increased nodule weight, shoot dry weight, and leaf nitrogen content when the Rhizobium population in the soil is optimal. Application of inoculant is one method to increase the Rhizobium population in the soil. This study aimed to analyze the effects of inoculation times and inoculant rates on M. bracteata growth. The research was conducted in Boyolali, Central Jawa, from February to August 2014. The inoculant contained Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Aeromonas punctata. This experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with two factors and three replications. The first factor was two inoculation times, i.e at the nursery when the seedlings were 2 weeks old and in the field when the seedlings reached 5 weeks old. The second factor was 5 inoculant rates (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 g per plant). The results showed that inoculation on 5-week-old seedlings was the best result compared to the 2-week-old seedlings. The recommended inoculant rate for Mucuna bracteata was 6.43 g per plant. Keywords: legume cover crop, nitrogenase activity, nodule, nutrient content, runner


The preparation of ester enantiomers (acetates, butanoates, hexanoates and octanoates) of the secondary alcohols 2-pentanol, 2-heptanol and 2-nonanol via lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolutions was investigated. Conversion rates and stereochemical courses of esterification and hydrolysis reactions catalyzed by commercially available enzyme preparations were followed for the homologous series of these passion fruit-typical 2-alkyl esters by capillary gas chromatography using heptakis(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral stationary phase. An efficient method was developed to prepare the ester enantiomers via lipase-catalyzed esterifications: optically pure (R)-2-alkyl esters (ee > 99.9%) were obtained by esterification of the racemic alcohols with enantioselective Candida antarctica lipase B (immobilized) as catalyst. The subsequent esterification of the unreacted alcohols using lipase from Candida cylindracea yielded the optically enriched (S)-esters (ee > 81.4%). The separation of the products via liquid solid chromatography using a mixture of silica gel and aluminum oxide (basic) resulted in high chemical purities and yields (> 40 mol %).


The title compound, C(20)H(25)N(3)O, an important precursor for the preparation of benzovesamicol analogues for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, has been synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopic analyses. The crystal structure was analysed using powder diffraction as no suitable single crystal was obtained. The piperazine ring has a chair conformation, while the cyclohexene ring assumes a half-chair conformation. The crystal packing is mediated by weak contacts, principally by complementary intermolecular N-H···O hydrogen bonds that connect successive molecules into a chain. Further stabilization is provided by weak C-H···N contacts and by a weak intermolecular C-H···π interaction.


Purpose: To assess the expression of T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule 3 (Tim-3) in the spleens of BALB/c mice undergoing anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). Methods: ACAID was generated after intracameral (i.c.) injection of ovalbumin (OVA) into BALB/c mice and evaluated by assessing the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response following a subsequent subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of OVA emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) on Days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Tim-3 mRNA levels were detected using real-time RT-PCR, and the frequency of CD4+Tim-3+ T cells in splenocytes as well as the coexpression of Tim-3 with CD25 on CD4+ T cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Results: A significantly suppressed DTH response was observed on Days 7, 14, 21, and 28, but not on Days 0 and 3 during the development of ACAID. The levels of Tim-3 mRNA and the frequency of CD4+CD25+Tim-3+ T cells in the splenocytes reached a peak on Day 3, declined on Day 7, and returned to basal levels thereafter. Conclusions: A transient upregulation of Tim-3 expression was observed in the early stage of ACAID, suggesting its possible involvement in the development of ACAID.


This paper analyses the application principle of XMLHTTP communication transmission structure under the mode of B/S,and gives the data transfer method based on XMLHTTP under the mode of C/W.