Most of the search literature considers univariate alternatives even though real-world alternatives are typically characterized by multiple attributes. We address this gap by developing a model of search for multiattribute alternatives, focusing on the case of parallel search. The univariate model of parallel search has been applied to vendor selection, new product development, and innovation tournaments; the same model can be applied to a multiattribute setting if the trade-offs to be used at the selection stage are known at the search stage. Yet because parallel search is often used when considerable time elapses between the search and selection stages, we must consider the case where the search decision is made before the trade-offs (to be used at the selection stage) are known. We show that accommodating uncertainty about trade-offs changes the optimal decision at the search stage. In particular, when the distribution of attributes is multivariate normal then more search is needed if uncertainty about trade-offs at the search stage is taken into account. As a result, underappreciation of uncertainty about trade-offs leads to a suboptimal search.


This article offers a critical forecast on violent crime as the UK begins to emerge from the global Covid-19 pandemic. The article is structured into three thematic sections that separately address three key issues related to the issue of violence contemporarily. Firstly, the article places in context the rise in serious forms of violent crime across England and Wales that occurred in the years preceding the arrival of Covid-19. Secondly, it considers, briefly, the pandemic's impact upon violence, specifically the effect of lockdown upon patterns of violence. Thirdly, and finally, the article provides a critical forecast, which draws together some of the points identified in the preceding two sections. This final section suggest that serious violence may become a more significant issue in the UK's post-pandemic context of inequality, austerity legacy, the harms of lockdown to vulnerable groups, and the cost-of-living crisis.


This paper quantitatively accounts for the cyclical dynamics of key macroeconomic housing and mortgage market variables using a tractable, search-theoretic model of housing with equilibrium mortgage default. To explain these dynamics, the model highlights the importance of liquidity spirals that arise from the interaction of search frictions and endogenous credit constraints. During housing busts, longer selling times spill over into higher foreclosure risk, thereby magnifying the response of credit constraints to the depressed housing market. This contraction in credit then deepens the downturn. During booms, the reverse occurs. Based on these insights, I consider a foreclosure reform that makes all mortgages full recourse, and I show that implementing such a reform would reduce foreclosures and dampen housing dynamics.


ABSTRACT Pyrethroids are commonly used pesticides for controlling agricultural pests. A pyrethroid resistant strain of T. urticae was obtained after laboratory selection with cypermethrin for determining mechanisms of cypermethrin resistance. TaqMan diagnostic assay as well as sequencing of voltage gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene were performed in order to detect previously known mutations in German susceptible strain (GSS) confirming that it does not carry any of the known VGSC mutations. Therefore, GSS strain was selected with cypermethrin and the resistant C6 strain was generated that is free of VGSC mutations. Toxicity assay data revealed relatively high resistance levels of the C6 strain (54.24-folds) in comparison to GSS. All inhibitors (piperonyl butoxide (PBO), esterases, P450; S-benzyl-O, O-diisopropylphosphorothioate (IBP), esterases; and diethyl maleate (DEM), glutathione S-transferase (GST)) were used in combined toxicity assays against the major detoxification enzymes, synergized resistance by 1.41-, 1.61-, and 2.27-fold, respectively. In the C6 strain, activities of P450, GST, and esterase showed elevated activity in comparison to GSS. By application of TaqMan diagnostic assay, we confirmed that both GSS and C6 T. urticae strains are free of VGSC mutations, indicating that detoxification-based cypermethrin resistance mechanisms are involved in resistance and have significant effect on the phenotype.


We report the modification of graphene oxide (GO) by thermal reduction to obtain reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and subsequent modification by sulfophenyl groups as well as the characterization of thesematerials by thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy (TGA-MS). The chemical modification of RGO was carried out by the spontaneous reaction of RGO with in situ generated sulfophenyl diazonium ions. The three different types of materials were also characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The characteristic absorption band at 1034 and 1160 cm 1 in the FTIR spectrum of the sulfophenyl-modified RGO (SRGO), as well as Raman spectroscopy and TGA-MS data indicated that sulfophenyl groups were successfully grafted on RGO. The presence of organic molecules at the SRGO surface was also demonstrated by elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and XPS. TGA data and elemental analysis results showed that the loading of sulfophenyl groups was about 12 wt% and UV-visible-near IR spectroscopy confirms the slight increase of the optical band gap of RGO after covalent grafting of sulfophenyl groups on its surface.


ABSTRACT Federal water agencies and other entities in the United States have invested extensive effort during the past three decades to develop generalized computer models for simulating water resources systems. A great deal of expertise, time, and expense was required to develop these models but they are now available to the professional water management community worldwide at nominal cost. With recent advances in computer technology, most people working in the water resources field have access to desktop computers providing all the hardware capabilities needed to execute the powerful array of available software. Many of these software packages are widely used by public agencies and private firms throughout the United States and in other countries. This paper highlights the availability and role of generalized computer modeling packages and outlines the institutional setting within which the models are disseminated throughout the water management community.


Avocado, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae) is a widely consumed fruit in many countries for its nutritional and medicinal benefits. In the present study, avocado fruit pulp (AFP) was investigated for its anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities in Wistar albino rats. Hyperlipidemia in the animal was induced by feeding high cholesterol diet (HCD) for 70 days in standard chow diet. Rats on HCD showed significant increase in serum liver marker enzymes (GOT, GPT, GGT, ALP) and bilirubin levels; cholesterol, increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) levels in serum were also elevated. Besides, an increase in lipid peroxidative indicator malondialdehyde (MDA) level, there was a decrease in serum HDL-C; non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) and total protein (TP) in both liver and heart tissues. Treatment with AFP (1 and 2 ml/rat/day, orally) showed significant decrease in serum cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL-C, TG, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), g-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin levels, while liver and heart MDA was also significantly decreased. After ingestion of AFP, significant increase in non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH), total protein (TP) contents in both tissues were observed. Assessment of liver and heart pathology showed that AFP administration caused an improvement in fatty acid changes of the tissues caused by heavy-chain disease (HCD). These results suggest that AFP possesses hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant properties due to its phytoconstituents contents and substantiates its use in folkloric practices to control dyslipidemia.

 Key words: Avocado, Persea Americana, hypolipidemia, anti-oxidant.


Resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) to antituberculous drugs has been threatening the public-health grossly. Recently, because of high-level of resistance to rifampicin in MTB, treatment is becoming impossible. In this study, 127 rifampicin resistant and 33 rifampicin susceptible strains were randomly chosen from tuberculosis culture-positive isolates, isolated in the laboratory of the Ataturk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Center in Ankara, Turkey, over a 2-year period (1997 to 1998). Clinical samples collected from patients with suspected tuberculosis were studied for acid-fast bacilli stain (AFBS) and cultured for detecting MTB. PCR was used to amplify genetic loci associated with rifampicin resistance. The amplified 305-bp fragment of the rpoB gene was applied to Heteroduplex assay for rapid detection of rifampicin resistance phenotype in MTB. The 127 rifampicinresistant and 33 rifampicin-susceptible isolates, selected according to conventional culture method, were tested again by PCR-Heteroduplex analysis. According to PCR-Heteroduplex analysis, 105 isolates of 160 M. tuberculosis were rifampicin resistant, 55 strains were rifampicin susceptible. Of 127 rifampicin-resistant isolates detected by conventional culture method, 101 had concordance with Heteroduplex analysis, whereas 26 isolates did not. While 4 strains were detected as rifampicin susceptible by conventional culture technique, they were rifampicin resistant by Heteroduplex analysis. It is thought that there might be a mutation out of fragment amplified, in 26 strains which were not observed as rifampicin resistant by Heteroduplex analysis; or a mistake in the result of resistance defined by classic culture method. In conclusion, however, PCR-Heteroduplex analysis is a rapid and reliable method to detect rifampicin resistance, although it is a relatively expensive technique. Key words: M. tuberculosis, Rifampicin Resistance, PCR-Heteroduplex Analysis, Proportional Method.


Injection of high-current-density (HCD) electron beam of nanosecond pulse duration into a dielectric creates strong electric field, from one side, and high density of electrons and holes trapped at the shallow levels in the band-gap, from the other side. Two types of high intensity electron emission from dielectric into vacuum are studied experimentally and considered theoretically. The first one is field electron emission from dielectric (FEED), which arises owing to intense detrapping electrons from shallow levels in high electric field. The second one is critical electron emission from dielectric (CEED), which arises when FEED current density exceeds critical value and induced point explosions of the microtips on the dielectric surface and ejects atom-ion plasmas from this points into vacuum. Full theoretical and computer simulation of FEED and CEED needs to take into account a lot of ultrafast excitation/relaxation processes in dielectric under HCD electron beam irradiation.


In this paper, we mainly consider the nonsmooth homogeneous optimization problem (HOP). By using the generalized Euler identity for Clarke's subdifferential, a sufficient condition for an optimal solution of (HOP) to be a KKT point is obtained. Moreover, we also give an equivalent characterization of KKT points (optimal solutions) of (HOP) and (̂HOP), which extend previous ones in [1]. Examples are also given to illustrate our results.


In 1973 inadvertent contamination occurred in a special farm feed supplement for lactating cows. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were used in place of magnesium oxide resulting in serious harm to farm animals, including cattle, chickens, geese, ducks. Farm families, accustomed to eating their own products, were most heavily exposed. To further study the impact of PBBs, 45 adult Michigan farm residents who were originally examined in a clinical field survey were further studied with respect to their immunologic status. For comparison, 46 dairy farm residents in Wisconsin, who had not eaten PBB-contaminated food, were examined, as were 79 healthy subjects in New York City. Abnormalities in the Michigan group included significant decrease in absolute numbers and percentages of T and B-lymphocytes and increased number of lymphocytes with no detectable surface markers ("null cells"). Significant reduction of in vitro immune function was noted in 35--40% of the Michigan farm residents who had eaten food containing PBB. Despite the absence of any apparent numerical reduction, both T and B lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes showed evidence of functional defect. Ten of the 45 Michigan farmers studied showed impaired PHA-induced blastogeneic response, due to the decreased number and percent of T-cells in the PBLs. The decreased immune function detected among the PBB-exposed farm residents tended to affect families as a unit and was independent of exposed individuals' age or sex, speaking against the possibility of genetic predisposition.


STUDY OBJECTIVE
To psychometrically evaluate a cough-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (CQLQ) in adults.

DESIGN
Prospective evaluation of CQLQ using three different cohorts of adult subjects with cough.

SETTING
Academic tertiary-care ambulatory medical facilities.

PARTICIPANTS
One hundred fifty-four subjects complaining of chronic cough, 30 of acute cough, and 31 smokers with cough.

INTERVENTIONS
Self-administration of the CQLQ in acute coughers, smokers, and chronic coughers before and after therapy.

MEASUREMENTS
Psychometric analyses including factor analysis (FA), and assessments of reliability and validity.

RESULTS
Acute and chronic cough data were subjected to FA, and the Cronbach alpha and interitem correlations were computed. FA of chronic and acute cough data (n = 184) revealed six subscales. The Cronbach alpha for the total CQLQ was 0.92, and it was 0.62 to 0.86 (mean, 0.76) for the six subscales. Interitem correlations for the total CQLQ ranged from -0.06 to 0.72, with a mean of 0.28. Test-retest reliability in 52 chronic coughers demonstrated nonsignificant changes with readministration of the questionnaire, and the intraclass correlation for total CQLQ was 0.89, and for the subscales the range was 0.75 to 0.93. Analysis of variance followed by tests of contrasts among all possible pairings of chronic coughers, acute coughers, and smokers showed significant differences (p < or = 0.001) among the groups. Posttreatment cure scores were significantly lower (p < or = 0.001) than pretreatment scores in 24 chronic coughers.

CONCLUSIONS
The 28-item CQLQ has dimensionality that is consistent with a cough-specific quality-of-life instrument. It is a valid and reliable method by which to assess the impact of cough on the quality of life of chronic and acute coughers, and the efficacy of cough therapies in chronic coughers.


ABSTRACT Oncolytic virotherapy is an emerging treatment modality that uses replication-competent viruses to destroy cancer cells. M1 is a naturally occurring alphavirus (Togaviridae) which shows potent oncolytic activities against many cancers. Accumulation of unfolded proteins during virus replication leads to a transcriptional/translational response known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), which might counteract the antitumor effect of the oncolytic virus. In this report, we show that either pharmacological or biological inhibition of IRE1α or PERK, but not ATF6, substantially increases the oncolytic effects of the M1 virus. Moreover, inhibition of IRE1α blocks M1 virus-induced autophagy, which restricts the antitumor effects of the M1 virus through degradation of viral protein, in glioma cells. In addition, IRE1α suppression significantly increases the oncolytic effect of M1 virus in an orthotopic glioma model. From a molecular pathology study, we found that IRE1α is expressed at lower levels in higher-grade gliomas, suggesting greater antitumor efficacy of the oncolytic virus M1. Taken together, these findings illustrate a defensive mechanism of glioma cells against the oncolytic virus M1 and identify possible approaches to enhance the oncolytic viral protein accumulation and the subsequent lysis of tumor cells. IMPORTANCE Although oncolytic virotherapy is showing great promise in clinical applications, not all patients are benefiting. Identifying inhibitory signals in refractory cancer cells for each oncolytic virus would provide a good chance to increase the therapeutic effect. Here we describe that infection with the oncolytic virus M1 triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR) and subsequent autophagy, while blocking the UPR-autophagy axis significantly potentiates the antitumor efficacy of M1 in vitro and in vivo. A survey of cancer tissue banks revealed that IRE1α, a key element in the UPR pathway, is commonly downregulated in higher-grade human gliomas, suggesting favorable prospects for the application of M1. Our work provides a potential predictor and target for enhancement of the therapeutic effectiveness of the M1 virus. We predict that the mechanism-based combination therapy will promote cancer virotherapy in the future.


Background In March 2020, the government of Uganda implemented a strict lockdown policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) to assess whether major changes in healthcare seeking behavior, malaria burden, and case management occurred after the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods Individual level data from all outpatient visits occurring from April 2017 through March 2021 at 17 facilities were analyzed. Outcomes included total outpatient visits, malaria cases, non-malarial visits, proportion of visits with suspected malaria, proportion of patients tested using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), and proportion of malaria cases prescribed artemether-lumefantrine (AL). Pre-COVID trends measured over a three-year period were extrapolated into the post-COVID period (April 2020- March 2021) using Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations or fractional regression. Effects of COVID-19 were estimated over the 12-month post-COVID period by dividing observed values by the predicted values and expressed as ratios. Results A total of 1,442,737 outpatient visits were recorded. Malaria was suspected in 55.3% of visits and 98.8% of these had a malaria diagnostic test performed. ITSA showed no differences in the observed versus predicted total outpatient visits, malaria cases, non-malarial visits, or proportion of visits with suspected malaria. However, in the second six months of the post-COVID period, there was a smaller mean proportion of patients tested with RDTs compared to predicted (Relative Prevalence Ratio (RPR) = 0.87, CI [0.78, 0.97]) and a smaller mean proportion of malaria cases prescribed AL (RPR = 0.94, CI [0.90, 0.99]. Conclusions There was evidence for a modest decrease in the proportion of RDTs used for malaria diagnosis and the proportion of patients prescribed AL in the second half of the post-COVID year, while other malaria indicators remained stable. Continued surveillance will be essential to monitor for changes in trends in malaria indicators so that Uganda can quickly and flexibly respond to challenges imposed by COVID-19.


The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of cervical esophageal carcinoma (CEC) patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The clinical data of 175 biopsy-confirmed CEC patients treated with definitive CRT between April 2005 and September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The prognostic factors predicting overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were assessed in uni- and multivariable analyses. The median age of the entire cohort was 56 years (range: 26–87 years). All patients received definitive radiotherapy with a median total dose of 60 Gy, and 52% of the patients received cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy. The 2-year OS, PFS, and LRFS rates were 58.8%, 46.9%, and 52.4%, respectively, with a median follow-up duration of 41.6 months. Patients' performance status, clinical nodal stage, tumor size, and treatment response were significant prognostic factors for OS, PFS, and LRFS in univariate analysis. Non-complete treatment response was an independent predictor for poor OS (HR = 4.41, 95% CI, 2.78–7.00, p < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 4.28, 95% CI, 2.79–6.58, p < 0.001), whereas poor performance score was a predictor for worse LRFS (HR = 1.83, 95% CI, 1.12–2.98, p = 0.02) in multivariable analysis. Fifty-two patients (29.7%) experienced grade II or higher toxicity. In this multicenter study, we demonstrated that definitive CRT is a safe and effective treatment for patients with CEC. Higher radiation doses were found to have no effect on treatment outcomes, but a better response to treatment and a better patient performance status did.


Neurofibromatosis Type I (NFI) is a relatively common hereditary, autosomal dominant neurocutaneous condition. It is a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumour arising from Schwann cells and peripheral fibroblasts. Even though it is a neurocutaneous disorder, NF I has significant skeletal manifestations. Oral and maxillofacial skeletal structures are also often involved in the form of deepening of sigmoid notch, enlarged mandibular canal and notching of inferior border of mandible. In this paper, we are reporting a female patient of NF I who presented with a notching in the posterior border of ascending ramus of mandible.


Within the UK, there are a growing number of young people diagnosed with mental health difficulties and therefore in receipt of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Upon reaching age 18 years, institutional and legal requirements often necessitate a transition to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). Despite a national, top-down commitment to ensuring transitions are smooth, well-planned and person centred, often the reality is very different. Young people and professionals frequently report an experience marked by inconsistencies between CAMHS and AMHS, lack of collaboration, poor communication and high levels of uncertainty. The current literature review aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of transition from CAMHS to AMHS, from the perspectives of professionals, young people and families. A meta-synthesis of eight studies revealed four sub-themes; facing identity dilemmas, needing containment and trusting relationships, changing responsibility and talking a different language. The themes were conceptualised as a line of argument demonstrating the complexity of the experience and the interplay between multiple factors. The findings offered an in depth insight into the experience of transition, reflecting previous research, that policy and recommended practice is not always experienced at the ground level. The current research study aimed to explore the experiences and insights of nursing staff on the transition to AMHS, within the context of a secure inpatient CAMH service. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six experienced nursing staff within the adolescent service. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) generated four superordinate themes and 12 corresponding sub-themes. These themes were discussed in relation to existing theory and literature. Implications for clinical practice and future research were also discussed. The critical appraisal offers a reflective account of the research process. This aims to maximise transparency and offers a critique of the current research.


Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), comprise the most commonly diagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Approximately 60–65% of patients can be cured with standard front-line therapy R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone). However, the progress in the understanding of the disease has led us to appreciate its underlying heterogeneity.


Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter thrombosis can be fatal when it is not detected and treated. Its management can be challenging, because little evidence supports specific treatments. We present the case of a 72-year-old man with a history of deep vein thrombosis in whom IVC filter thrombosis developed 7 years after filter placement. Recanalization with oral anticoagulation had failed. Using intravascular ultrasonography, we performed pharmacomechanical thrombolysis, deploying 2 stents simultaneously through the IVC filter and then 2 more into the iliac veins, with excellent results. One year later, the patient's veins and IVC filter were patent, his symptoms were greatly improved, and only nonobstructive neointimal hyperplasia was seen. This case highlights the usefulness of balloon venoplasty and double-barrel stent placement in restoring blood flow through an occluded IVC, and the value of intravascular ultrasonography during and after such procedures.


Supporting top-k queries over distributed collections of schemaless XML data poses two challenges. While XML supports expressive query languages such as XPath and XQuery, these languages require schema knowledge so as to write an appropriate query which may not be available in distributed systems with autonomous and dynamic sources. Thus, there is a need for approximate query processing. Furthermore, retrieving the top-k results incurs large communication and processing cost, since partial result lists from numerous sites need to be combined and ranked to assembly the top-k answers. To address both of these issues, we present an approach for approximate XPath processing over distributed collections of XML data based on a clustered path index, where data is grouped based on structural information. Our method gradually generalizes a query by applying a set of structural transformations to it and the retrieved results are ranked based on the edit distance between two path expressions. A compact indexing data structure is used to reduce the index construction cost. Our experimental results show that our approach significantly reduces the communication cost for retrieving the top-k results, while maintaining a low construction cost for the clustered index.


Tagging systems design is often neglected despite the fact that most system designers agree on the importance of tagging. They are viewed as part of a larger system which receives most of the attention. There is no agreed method when it comes to either analyzing existing tagging systems or designing new ones. There is a need to establish a well-structured design process that can be followed to create tagging systems with a purpose. This chapter uses practical inquiry methodology to generate a general framework that can be applied to analyze tagging systems and proceeds to suggest a design process that can be followed to create new tagging systems. Existing user behavior while tagging is the main guide for the methodology.


Group-size effects, whereby antipredator vigilance decreases as group size increases, are widely reported in mammals and birds but a meta-analysis has only been conducted in birds. We systematically reviewed the literature on mammalian group-size effects, estimated the effect sizes in each study, and conducted a phylogenetic meta-analysis. We obtained 296 effect sizes from 97 species belonging to 10 Orders and 26 Families. Overall, effect sizes indicated a moderate negative effect of group size (r = −0.44), but 43% of the effect sizes were compatible with a null effect of group size. There was significant heterogeneity in effect sizes. Weaker effect sizes occurred when vigilance was measured as a frequency or a duration rather than as a percentage of time spent vigilant, when measured in closed habitats, during the reproductive season, and in mixed-sex groups or during times when juveniles were absent. We infer a "file drawer problem" because there were relatively few studies with smaller sample sizes reporting small group-size effects. The results confirm the importance of group size in explaining variation in mammalian vigilance but also suggest which a substantial amount of variation remains unexplained. We suggest that future studies should aim to study mammalian group-size effects by quantifying the percentage of time allocated to vigilance rather than lower-power methods such as frequency or duration of vigilance.


Panel discussion: Does numerical analysis need a model of computation? by M. Shub On numerical solving of nonlinear Polaron equations by P. G. Akishin, I. V. Puzynin, and Y. S. Smirnov Symmetry reductions for the numerical solution of boundary value problems by E. L. Allgower and P. J. Aston The combinatorics of real algebraic splines over a simplicial complex by C. L. Bajaj QMR and TFQMR method for sparse nonsymmetric problems on massively parallel systems by A. Basermann On multigrid techniques for thin plate spline interpolation in two dimensions by R. K. Beatson, G. Goodsell, and M. D. Powell Sparse matrix reordering schemes for browsing hypertext by M. W. Berry, B. Hendrickson, and P. Raghavan Algebraic settings for the problem ""P $\neq$ NP?"" by L. Blum, F. Cucker, M. Shub, and S. Smale A new algorithm for computing the spectral matrix for higher-order differential equations and the location of discrete eigenvalues by B. M. Brown, M. P. Eastham, and D. R. McCormack An asymptotically optimal non-adaptive algorithm for minimization of Brownian motion by J. M. Calvin On two iterative methods for approximating the roots of a polynomial by J.-P. Cardinal Algebraic approach of residues and applications by J. P. Cardinal and B. Mourrain Nash trees and Nash complexity by F. Cucker and T. Lickteig Operator equations, multiscale concepts and complexity by W. Dahmen, A. Kunoth, and R. Schneider Approximate solutions of numerical problems, condition number analysis and condition number theorem by J.-P. Dedieu Computing the distance from a point to an algebraic hypersurface by J. P. Dedieu, X. Gourdon, and J. C. Yakoubsohn Local analysis of a Newton-type method based on partial linearization by A. L. Dontchev Approximations and complexity for computing algebraic curves by B. C. Eaves and U. G. Rothblum Numerical univariate polynomial GCD by I. Z. Emiris, A. Galligo, and H. Lombardi A parallel preconditioned GMRES algorithm for sparse matrices by J. Erhel An optimal algorithm for the local solution of integral equations by K. Frank Descriptive complexity theory over the real numbers by E. Gradel and K. Meer Complexity theory of Monte Carlo algorithms by S. Heinrich Qualitative numerical analysis of ordinary differential equations by A. Iserles and A. Zanna Tapia indicators and finite termination of infeasible-interior-point methods for degenerate LCP by J. Ji and F. A. Potra Quasi-Monte Carlo methods in computer graphics: The global illumination problem by A. Keller Numerical algorithms with automatic result verification by U. Kulisch Random product homotopy with minimal BKK bound by T. Y. Li, T. Wang, and X. Wang Computational complexity over the 2-adic numbers by M. Maller and J. Whitehead Optimal reconstruction of stochastic evolutions by P. Mathe Lagrangian globalization: Solving nonlinear equations via constrained optimization by J. L. Nazareth Polynomial time methods in convex programming by A. Nemirovski Effective parallel computations with Toeplitz and Toeplitz-like matrices filled with integers by V. Y. Pan An efficient discretization for solving ill-posed problems by S. V. Pereverzev and S. G. Solodky Survey of computational complexity with noisy information by L. Plaskota Lazy analysis and elementary numbers by D. Richardson On the average case complexity of solving Poisson equations by K. Ritter and G. W. Wasilkowski On the average number of real roots of certain random sparse polynomial systems by J. M. Rojas Computations in real algebraic geometry by M.-F. Roy Path following for large nonlinear equations by implicit block elimination based on recursive projections by H. Schwetlick, G. Timmermann, and R. Losche Computability with neural networks by H. T. Siegelmann Numerical algebraic geometry by A. J. Sommese and C. W. Wampler Wavelets from filter banks by G. Strang A pragmatic overview of fast multipole methods by J. H. Strickland and R. S. Baty Topological complexity of root-finding algorithms by V. A. Vassiliev On the relationship between layered least squares and affine scaling steps by S. A. Vavasis and Y. Ye Enclosure methods for capricious solutions of ordinary differential equations by W. Walter QR-like algorithms-An overview of convergence theory and practice by D. S. Watkins The complexity of the Poisson problem for spaces of bounded mixed derivatives by A. G. Werschulz Overview of information-based complexity by H. Wozniakowski.


Trellis-code multiple-access (TCMA) is a narrow-band multiple-access scheme based on trellis-coded modulation. There is no bandwidth expansion, so K users occupy the same bandwidth as one single user. The load of the system, in number of bits per channel use, is therefore much higher than the load in, for example, conventional code-division multiple-access systems. Interleavers are introduced as a new feature to separate the users. This implies that the maximum-likelihood sequence detector (MLSD) is now too complex to implement. Iterative detectors are therefore suggested as an alternative to the joint MLSD. The conventional interference cancellation (IC), detector has lower complexity than the MLSD, but its performance is shown to be far from acceptable. Even after a novel improvement of the IC detector, the performance is unsatisfactory. Instead of using IC, another iterative detector is suggested. This detector updates the branch metric for every iteration, and avoids the standard Gaussian approximation. Simulations show that the performance of this detector can be close to single-user performance, even when the interleaver and the phase offset are the only user-specific features in the TCMA system.


This talk reviews status and results from the two presently operating underwater/ice neutrino telescopes, NT-200 in Lake Baikal and AMANDA-II at the South Pole. It also gives a description of the design and the expected performance of IceCube, the next-generation neutrino telescope at South Pole.


Social platforms have paved the way in creating new, modern ways for users to communicate with each other. In recent years, multiple platforms have introduced ''Stories'' features, which enable broadcasting of ephemeral multimedia content. Specifically, ''Friend Stories,'' or Stories meant to be consumed by one's close friends, are a popular feature, promoting significant user-user interactions by allowing people to see (visually) what their friends and family are up to. A key challenge in surfacing Friend Stories for a given user, is in ranking over each viewing user's friends to efficiently prioritize and route limited user attention. In this work, we explore the novel problem of Friend Story Ranking from a graph representation learning perspective. More generally, our problem is a link ranking task, where inferences are made over existing links (relations), unlike common node or graph-based tasks, or link prediction tasks, where the goal is to make inferences about non-existing links. We propose ELR, an edge-contextual approach which carefully considers local graph structure, differences between local edge types and directionality, and rich edge attributes, building on the backbone of graph convolutions. ELR handles social sparsity challenges by considering and attending over neighboring nodes, and incorporating multiple edge types in local surrounding egonet structures. We validate ELR on two large country-level datasets with millions of users and tens of millions of links from Snapchat. ELR shows superior performance over alternatives by 8% and 5% error reduction measured by MSE and MAE correspondingly. Further generality, data efficiency and ablation experiments confirm the advantages of ELR.


Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the impact of facial dysfunction on quality of life in patients who underwent surgery for vestibular schwannoma. Other factors with a possible impact on quality of life were also assessed. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 95 patients who underwent removal of a unilateral vestibular schwannoma. The Glasgow Benefit Inventory, an open-ended questionnaire, and a pain scale were sent to each patient. The questions were answered by 70 respondents (74%). After a minimum 1-year follow-up, the overall House-Brackmann postoperative facial function was grade I-II in 61% of patients, grade III-IV in 36%, and grade V-VI in 3%. Results: The open-ended questionnaire showed that 33% of patients stated a complaint related to facial dysfunction; it was the main complaint for 13% of patients. No significant difference was found in terms of Glasgow Benefit Inventory scores between patients with and without facial dysfunction, nor between those with different House-Brackmann grades. The most frequent complaint after surgery was hearing loss (46%). Postoperative pain was significantly associated with a worse postoperative quality of life. Conclusions: An overestimation of the effect of facial paralysis after vestibular schwannoma resection may exist on the surgeon's part. Detailed information about the possibility of hearing loss, vestibular problems, and pain must be given to all patients.


Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins into concentrated microdroplets (also called coacervation) is a phenomenon that is increasingly recognized to occur in many biological processes, both inside and outside the cell. While it has been established that LLPS can be described as a spinodal decomposition leading to demixing of an initially homogeneous protein solution, little is known about the assembly pathways by which soluble proteins aggregate into dense microdroplets. Using recent developments in techniques enabling the observation of matter suspended in liquid by transmission electron microscopy, we observed how a model intrinsically disordered protein phase-separates in liquid environment. Our observations reveal the dynamic mechanisms by which soluble proteins self-organize into condensed microdroplets with nanoscale and millisecond space and time resolution, respectively. With this method, the nucleation and initial growth steps of LLPS could be captured, opening the door for a deeper understanding of biomacromolecular complexes exhibiting LLPS ability.


Background: β2-agonists are standard treatments for asthma and COPD and are varyingly optimized for a number of key pharmacological properties, such as receptor selectivity, systemic exposure, onset of action and duration of effect. AZD3199 is a novel ultra long acting β2-agonist (uLABA) with improved properties designed to combine 24 hour duration of effect with low systemic exposure and an onset of action similarly rapid to that of formoterol.

Methods: The affinity, potency and efficacy of AZD3199 were measured at human β-adrenergic receptors. Onset of action was measured as relaxation of constricted guinea pig trachea and human bronchial tissue. Activity at the hERG voltage-dependent potassium channel was determined using electrophysiology. Plasma protein binding was measured in multiple species.

Results: AZD3199 was a potent agonist (6 nM EC50) at the human β2 receptor with an intrinsic activity of 0.8 relative to formoterol. AZD3199 had a rapid onset of action in both guinea pig (22 min) and human (11 min) lung tissue, very similar to formoterol (G-Pig 23 min, human 13 min) and significantly faster than salmeterol (>100 min in both). Similar β2-agonist activity was seen across multiple species including guinea pig, rat, dog, mouse and rabbit. AZD3199 was highly selective (>1500 fold affinity) for the human β2 receptor over human β1 and β3- receptors with no agonism at either receptor. No activity was seen at the hERG channel at concentrations up to 26 μM. High plasma protein binding (>90%) was seen across multiple species offering the potential for reduced systemic exposure.

Conclusion: AZD3199 is a potent and selective uLABA with an onset of action similar to that of formoterol.


Abstract Background Efavirenz (EFV)- and dolutegravir (DTG)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the former and current recommended regimen for treatment-naive individuals with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Whether they impact the immunological and neuropsychiatric profile differentially remains unclear. Methods This retrospective analysis included 258 participants enrolled during acute HIV-1 infection (AHI). Participants initiated 1 of 3 ART regimens during AHI: EFV-based (n = 131), DTG-based (n = 92), or DTG intensified with maraviroc (DTG/MVC, n = 35). All regimens included 2 nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors and were maintained for 96 weeks. CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts, mood symptoms, and composite score on a 4-test neuropsychological battery (NPZ-4) were compared. Results At baseline, the median age was 26 years, 99% were male, and 36% were enrolled during Fiebig stage I–II. Plasma viral suppression at weeks 24 and 96 was similar between the groups. Compared with the EFV group, the DTG group showed greater increments of CD4+ (P < .001) and CD8+ (P = .015) T-cell counts but a similar increment of CD4/CD8 ratio at week 96. NPZ-4 improvement was similar between the 2 groups at week 24 but greater in the DTG group at week 96 (P = .005). Depressive mood and distress symptoms based on the Patient Health Questionnaire and distress thermometer were similar between the 2 groups at follow-up. Findings for the DTG/MVC group were comparable to those for the DTG group vs the EFV group. Conclusions Among individuals with AHI, 96 weeks of DTG-based ART was associated with greater increments of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts and improvement in cognitive performance.


The discovery of the key negative regulator MDM2 (mouse double minute 2, also termed HDM2 for its human equivalent) provided a great opportunity to manipulate the levels of the tumor suppressor p53 in cancer cells. Activation of p53 in tumor cells by inhibiting the interaction of MDM2 with p53 has therefore been the focus of a large effort in drug discovery. The modulation of protein-protein interactions, however, has historically been very difficult to achieve owing to the large surface area of interaction. In this article, we review the recent accomplishments in this area and our quest for a clinically viable MDM2 inhibitor.


Three major potential sources of construct-irrelevant variability in the test scores can be the tasks, rating rubrics and rater judgments. The variance caused by these facets of assessment in the test scores is a threat to the dependability, and in turn, generalizability of the test scores. The generalizability of the test scores need to be empirically investigated; otherwise, no evidence can support the generalizability inferences made based on the test scores. The current study employed univariate generalizability theory to investigate the different sources of variance in the test scores and the dependability of the scores obtained from the Columbia University placement (CEP) speaking test (N=144). Moreover, this study used multivariate generalizability theory to look at the dependability of the individual scores obtained from the four scales of the analytic rubric of the test. Finally, justifiability of combining scores from the four analytic rubric scales to make a composite score was investigated. The univariate results revealed that the dependability of the scores of CEP speaking test is high enough to be taken as a consistent measure of the speaking ability of the test takers. The multivariate results showed that the high correlation between the four rating scales of the test and their almost equal effective weights in the composite score makes it justifiable to combine the four scores of the four scales to report a composite score. The present study can contribute to the understanding of L2 assessment researchers of the application of generalizability theory in their reliability and generalizability investigations.


The pressure and temperature phase diagram of Gd2Ti2O7 under irradiation are calculated by means of molecular dynamics calculations. The critical temperature for amorphization obeys a linear law with pressure. Gd2Ti2O7 under irradiation transits towards the fluorite above this temperature and amorphizes below. The configuration of the Ti interstitial reveals to be the key of the amorphizability of Gd2Ti2O7. Its stability depends upon disorder and pressure. Low pressure promotes the stabilization of Ti linked-polyhedra that drive the system to the amorphous state under irradiation. Conversely, high pressure activates its destabilization to interstitials that recombine with vacancies, driving the system to the fluorite structure under irradiation.


—We collected 532 fleas, 526 of which were Foxella ignota ignota, from 247 northern pocket gophers, Thomomys talpoides, in Elbert County, Colorado, over 13 months. Other fleas included 1 Hystrichopsylla dippiei ssp., 3 Spicata rara, 1 Oropsylla idahoensis, and 1 female flea tentatively identified as Oropsylla (Opisocrostis) sp. These are new records for H. dippiei ssp. and S. rara in Elbert County. Fleas were cleared using standard methods and were placed on microscope slides in Canada balsam. The number of fleas per host ranged from 0 to 26. The highest median number of fleas per host (n = 5) was in May with a low median (n = 0) in August. Mean intensity and relative density of fleas peaked in April and May, respectively. Total flea abundance peaked from April through July. Approximately 72% of the male gophers (N = 99) were infested with fleas, whereas 57% of the females (N = 148) had fleas. Flea abundance on male gophers did not decrease nor did flea abundance on females increase as would be expected if flea breeding were influenced by hormones of the host. We suggest further randomized studies of fleas on T. talpoides to investigate parasite abundance throughout the year.


This paper describes how a mobile robot (a six-wheeled Koala equipped with a PAL pan-tilt camera) can chase an elusive target (a remote controlled toy car) in a unknown and unconstrained environment. First, the paper demonstrates the efficiency, simplicity, and adequacy of Bayesian robot programming to quickly develop such applications. Next, it illustrates that a high information compression ratio may be obtained by some pertinent sensory-motor decoupling.


The cardiovascular system demonstrates left-right (LR) asymmetry: most notably, the LR asymmetric looping of the bilaterally symmetric linear heart tube. Similarly, the orientation of the aortic arch is asymmetric as well. Perturbations to the asymmetry have been associated with several congenital heart malformations and vascular disorders. The source of the asymmetry, however, is not clear. Cell chirality, a recently discovered and intrinsic LR asymmetric cellular morphological property, has been implicated in the heart looping and vascular barrier function. In this paper, we summarize recent advances in the field of cell chirality and describe various approaches developed for studying cell chirality at multi- and single-cell levels. We also examine research progress in asymmetric cardiovascular development and associated malformations. Finally, we review evidence connecting cell chirality to cardiac looping and vascular permeability and provide thoughts on future research directions for cell chirality in the context of cardiovascular development and disease.


Cytokines including interferon (IFN) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are potent modulators of immune processes. They are synthesized in response to microbial infections and inflammation. TNF and IFN interact with other cytokines to elicit differentiation and cellular responses of specific target cells. In view of their multiple biological effects, we have postulated that dysregulation of IFN and TNF may contribute to the pathogenesis of HIV infection. Here, we review data showing that the expression of IFN-alpha receptors is down-regulated in patients with AIDS. As a consequence, HIV-infected cultured cells and cells from AIDS patients show hyporesponsiveness to IFN action. This could contribute to mechanisms by which HIV evades the antiviral activity of IFN-alpha in HIV-infected cells and raise the question of the usefulness of IFN-alpha in the treatment of end-stage AIDS. TNF is a major mediator of inflammation and sepsis and also is capable of inducing the replication of HIV. TNF synthesis and its receptor expression are upregulated by the acid-labile IFN-alpha subtype present in the sera of HIV-infected individuals. In addition, the acid-labile IFN present in AIDS sera may contribute to the pathophysiological changes in sepsis by rendering the cells from AIDS patients hypersensitive to endotoxin stimulation resulting in further synthesis of TNF. Thus aberrant regulation of these cytokines and their cognate receptors are likely contributing factors to the pathogenesis of AIDS.


In this paper, we analyse Pakistan's political risks and events that have affected the country's stock markets since 1947. We collected data in the form of questionnaires from historians, economists, politicians, government officials, bankers and stock market analysts in Pakistan and make forecasts using Bayesian hierarchical modelling and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques. Findings show that the probability of an event in any year is relatively high with an average arrival rate of 1.5 events per year with no time trend. In addition, forecasts suggest that the level of political risk should be remaining unchanged for the foreseeable future. Finally, we find that Pakistan's political risk carries a risk premium of between 7.5% and 12%.


Pentacyclic triterpenoids are considered to be the potential HMGB1 inhibitors, but due to the limited number of hydrogen bond donors and the number of rotatable bonds in the rigid skeletons, their further chemical biology research with this target was restricted. To improve these profiles, microbial-catalyzed Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of the primary ursane and oleanane-type triterpenoids including uvaol (1), erythrodiol (2), oleanolic acid (3), and ursolic acid (4) was performed by Streptomyces olivaceus CICC 23628. As a result, ten new and one known A-ring cleaved metabolites were obtained and the possible biogenetic pathways were also discussed based on the HPLC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the direct interactions between compounds 1d, 2b, and HMGB1 were observed by the biolayer interferometry technique. Molecular docking revealed that the newly introduced vicinal diol at C-4, C-24, and the hydroxyl group at C-21 of compound 1d are crucial for binding with HMGB1. The cellular assay showed that co-treatment of 1d could significantly block HMGB1-activated nitric oxide release with an IC50 value of 9.37 μM on RAW 264.7 cells. Altogether, our research provides some insights into 3,4-seco-triterpenes as potential anti-inflammatory candidates for the discovery of novel HMGB1 inhibitors.


Background : Tracheostomy is a procedure which aims at better managing patients' airway. It can be done using two methods: standard and percutaneous. The percutaneous method is a favorable choice for critically illpatients because it is a less invasive procedure. This study compares the short-term complications of these two methods (during 7 days after the procedure). Methods : This study was a cross-sectional research performed on 50 ICU patients in need of tracheostomy.The patients were divided into two groups of percutaneous procedure (15 patients) and standard procedure(35 patients). The complications were registered in questionnaires and the data were analyzed using SPSS software (χ² test and t-test). Results : The two groups had no significant difference in age, sex, and vital signs. Average duration of the procedure was 24.4 minutes in the standard procedure (10-45 minutes) and 26.78 minutes (5-70 minutes) in the percutaneous procedure, and there was no significant difference between two groups (P = 0.814). Average bleeding during 7 days after the procedure was 44 cc (10-150 cc) in standard procedure and 24.7 cc (10-50 cc) in the percutaneous procedure, and the difference was significant (P = 0.012). The other variables were not significantly different in two groups. Conclusions : There was no difference in short-term complications between percutaneous and standard tracheostomy method should be selected considering other important factors.


Visible light absorption and fluorescence of three positional isomers of protonated Rhodamine 19 (o-, m- and p-R19H(+)) were studied in solution and in the gas phase. In solution, strong solvatochromic effects lead to spectral shifts between rhodamine isomers. In contrast, in the gas phase, these species were found to exhibit very similar fluorescence, while pronounced differences were observed in the absorption spectra. The o-R19H(+) was found to have the largest Stokes shift in the gas phase (around 10 nm), suggesting that an intramolecular relaxation operates in the excited electronic state for this isomer. Several mechanisms for this relaxation are proposed, such as the change of the dihedral angle between the carboxyphenyl group and the xanthene chromophore or that between the carboxylic group and the phenyl ring.


Rat liver mitochondrial alanine aminotransferase (mALT) is known to be a very unstable enzyme, a property that has hindered efforts to purify it. In this report we examine the possibility of stabilizing mALT with ethanol, trehalose, and protease inhibitors. The presence of ethanol was shown to slow down the inactivation of mALT, increasing its half-life from 1 to 4 h. Trehalose was found to greatly enhance the stability of mALT in a concentration-dependent manner. In the presence of 36.5% trehalose, the half-life of mALT was 85 h. Of the protease inhibitors tested only antipain and chymostatin slowed down the inactivation of mALT but only within the first 24 h following preparation of the crude enzyme. It is concluded that the inclusion of ethanol and trehalose in purification protocols could aid the purification of the enzyme. It is also concluded that the inclusion of protease inhibitors in purification protocols of mALT may not be necessary as its inactivation does not seem to be due to protease activity.


Introduction: Increased physical activity (PA) is a major component in promoting public health, and active commuting could make an important contribution. Using an electric bicycle (e-bike) is reported to be of at least moderate intensity PA and is an alternative to other modes of transport for commuting. We aimed to explore the experience of commuting by e-bike in an intervention study. Methods: Focus group interviews with 21 previously inactive participants from three cities in Norway, who were given access to an e-bike for commuting for three (N = 2) or eight months (N = 19). Participants cycled for 226 days on average. The interviews were analyzed using systematic text condensation. Results: The use of e-bikes and active commuting stimulated some participants to take on additional PA in their leisure time. Others preferred active commuting to be their daily PA. Participants' experiences of commuting by e-bike were characterized by a motivational shift from external reasons for e-biking, such as pressure to get fit, to feelings of well-being, enjoyment and recognition of the health benefits. Conclusion: Commuting by e-bike was convenient and promoted good health. Promoting e-bikes could lead to long term changes among inactive people because positive experiences stimulate autonomous reasons for active commuting.


Minimising the aerodynamic drag of commercial vehicles is important economically and ecologically. This work demonstrates the effective use of lobed-mixing geometries, traditionally used to enhance flow mixing, as a viable, passive flow control method for reducing base pressure drag of boat-tailed ground vehicles. Experiments were performed on a 1/24 th -scale Heavy Goods Vehicle representative model at a Reynolds number of 2.3 × 10 5 with force and hot-wire anemometry measurements used to quantify drag and wake characteristics. Tests on a baseline (no boat-tail), an unaltered boat-tail, and lobed-mixing configurations with varying pitch and height were compared. Overall, the baseline and unaltered boat-tail exhibited good correlation to previous results. This provided confidence in the methodology adopted. Results using lobed mixers showed up to a 10.2% drag reduction with the added vorticity produced acting to fundamentally shift the nature of the wake. This is manifested principally through the generation of counter-rotating vortical structures which enhance crosswise flow entrainment into the base wake. This action is observed to limit flow entrainment towards the ground leading to a higher wake and a characteristic 'waist'. Enhanced mixing is also demonstrated. Overall, results suggest the suitability of lobed mixers as an effective means for drag reduction of boat-tailed ground vehicles.


The Mediterranean
fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) is one of the major
pests of fruit crops in Argentina and it is a phytosanitary barrier to the
export of fresh fruits. In the Province of San Juan, located in the
central-eastern region of Argentina known as Cuyo, control strategies against Medfly in fruit-producing
irrigated-valleys have been implemented by the National Fruit Fly Control and
Eradication Program (ProCEM) jointly with the provincial government and the
producers. This program uses an area-wide integrated pest management approach
that includes the use of environment-friendly strategies to suppress or
eradicate Medfly, such as the use of the sterile insect technique and the
application of new-generation bait sprays, and more recently the release of the
Indo-Pacific parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead). This
exotic larval-prepupal endoparasitoid is being
mass-reared on larvae of Vienna 8 TSL C. capitata strain at the BioPlanta San Juan facility. In this respect, the objective of
this study was to assess the effectiveness of laboratory-reared D. longicaudata females in order to find
and successfully parasitize Medfly larvae in different host fruit species once
released under semi-arid environmental conditions in ecologically isolated
fruit-growing valleys of San Juan. Ground releases were used to disperse
parasitoids in 6 fruit-producing valleys. In total, 40,000 adult parasitoids
were released at places with various Medfly host plants bearing fruits and in
which no insecticides were regularly applied, such as backyards and small
orchards. 119 D. longicaudata adults
were recovered from 6 Medfly-infested fruit species that were collected in 5
release sites (Pocito, Zonda, Santa Lucia, Caucete, and Rivadavia). The highest
number of parasitoids was recovered from fig, followed by grape, rose, orange,
tangerine, and persimmon. Data provided from this study
open up the possibility of implementing a parasitoid mass-release program in
San Juan.


BACKGROUND
Developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) is a common childhood disorder, and ultrasonography examination is routinely used for screening purposes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate a modified combined static and dynamic ultrasound technique for the detection of DDH and to compare with the results of static and dynamic ultrasound techniques.

METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, during 2013- 2015, 300 high-risk infants were evaluated by ultrasound for DDH. Both hips were examined with three techniques: static, dynamic and single view static and dynamic technique. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11.5.

RESULTS
Patients aged 9 days to 83 weeks. 75% of the patients were 1 to 3 months old. Among 600 hip joints, about 5% were immature in static sonography and almost all of them were unstable in dynamic techniques. 0.3% of morphologically normal hips were unstable in dynamic sonography and 9% of unstable hips had normal morphology. The mean β angle differences in coronal view before and after stress maneuver was 14.43±5.47° in unstable hips. Single view static and dynamic technique revealed that all cases with acetabular dysplasia, instability and dislocation, except two dislocations, were detected by dynamic transverse view. For two cases, Ortolani maneuver showed femoral head reversibility in dislocated hips. Using single view static and dynamic technique was indicative and applicable for detection of more than 99% of cases.

CONCLUSION
Single view static and dynamic technique not only is a fast and easy technique, but also it is of high diagnostic value in assessment of DDH.


Guidelines on the use of inhaled steroids in asthma advocate that the daily dose should be chosen according to the severity of the disease. However, the question of the optimal starting dose remains to be properly addressed, as does the issue of the adjustment in dose required for a given patient. Whether a high initial dose of budesonide (800 microg b.i.d) was more efficacious than a standard dose (200 microg b.i.d) in controlling mild-to-moderate asthma was investigated, and whether the dose could be decreased, based on peak expiratory flow (PEF), symptom-score, beta2-agonist use in a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group 18-week study. One-hundred and sixty-nine patients (mean age 38 yrs, mean forced expiratory volume in one second 74% predicted) were enrolled. No difference was detected between the two groups in improvement in morning PEF (+61 L x min(-1) in the high-dose group, +60 L x min(-1) in the standard-dose group by 16 weeks). Morning and evening PEF values stabilized before the end of the first 4 weeks. No difference between groups was observed in symptom score, beta2-agonist use, number of exacerbation per interval and the best forced expiratory volume in one second achieved. The proportion of subjects being able to decrease the doses of budesonide was similar in both treatment strategies. It is concluded that both high and standard initial doses are equally effective in controlling symptoms and improving lung function in mild-to-moderate asthma.


The review gives a systematic account of data concerning the methods of synthesis of α-, β-, and γ-aminoacids containing fluorine atoms in the β-position relative to the aminogroup. The interest in these compounds is in many respects due to the fact that most of them have proved to be highly selective irreversible inhibitors of pyridoxal-5-phosphate-dependent enzymes acting via the "suicide-substrate" mechanism. Attention is concentrated on β-fluoro-derivatives of natural α-aminoacids. The bibliography includes 114 references.


Abstract Trace elements in dried blood spots (DBSs) from newborns were determined by laser ablation coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and data were subjected to chemometric evaluation in an attempt to classify healthy newborns and newborns suffering from metabolic disorders. Unsupervised [principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA)] and supervised [linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and soft independent modeling by class analogy (SIMCA)] pattern recognition techniques were used as classification techniques. PCA and CA have shown a clear tendency to form two groups (healthy newborns and newborns suffering from metabolic disorders). LDA and SIMCA have predicted that 90.5% and 83.9% of originally grouped healthy newborn cases were correctly classified by LDA and SIMCA, respectively. In addition, these percentages were 97.6% (LDA) and 80.6% (SIMCA) for DBSs from newborns suffering from metabolic disorders. However, SIMCA has only detected one misclassified DBS from the healthy group, and the lower percentage is attributed to four DBSs from the healthy newborn group and five DBSs from newborns with disorders that were found as belonging to both categories (healthy newborns and newborns with disorders) in the training set. LDA also gave a percentage of grouped maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) cases correctly classified of 100%, although the percentage fells to 66.7% when classifying phenylketonuria (PKU) cases. Finally, essential elements such as Fe, K, Rb, and Zn were found to be matched (correlated) with the concentration of amino acids such as phenylalanine, valine, and leucine, biomarkers linked with MSUD and PKU diseases.


The articles in this special issue focus on advancements in quality of life technology, or QoLT. This is defined as intelligent systems that augment body and mind functions for self-determination for older adults and people with disabilities. QoLT systems can take many forms: they could be a device that a person carries or wears, a mobile system that accompanies a person, or a technology-embedded environment in which a person lives.


The present protocol to visualize living bacteria at the pore level of cauliflower hydathodes is simple and trained users in confocal microscopy can execute it successfully. It can be easily adapted to capture images with other plant-microorganism interactions at the leaf surface and should be useful to obtain important information on pore and stomatal biology. A critical limitation to methods used to observe plant-microorganism interactions in the pore is the application of too much pressure to the sample during observations and z-stack acquisitions. To solve this issue, we recommend the use of a long working-distance water immersion objective lens that allows observations even with thick samples.


Prosocial and proactive behaviours among employees have been a central issue in the study of organizations in the past 30 years due to the considerable changes that have occurred within the world of work. In order to provide greater autonomy for work teams organizations have been implementing a flatter structure. The management style of supervisors has also changed as they increasingly rely on their workforce to be proactive and introduce changes to their jobs. In parallel with the focus on proactivity, the social and prosocial aspects of work have also received increased research attention. A shift from a manufacturing to a service economy resulted in a growing number of new working relationships, in which employees can express and experience prosocial behaviours. However, there has been very limited work on combining these two emerging areas. This PhD research aims to provide a significant contribution by investigating the fruitful integration of proactive and prosocial behaviours through examining a specific form of job crafting, namely Prosocial Job Crafting (PSJC). PSJC behaviours reflect the processes through which individuals modify their jobs' task, relational, and cognitive boundaries to allow them act in a manner that positively benefits the work and lives of colleagues and customers. The thesis includes three empirical studies. In the first two studies a new scale is developed and validated for the measurement of PSJC with two samples: sample one of 500 participants collected via Amazon Mturk, and sample two of 243 participants collected from academic libraries in the UK. The third empirical study describes the Structural Equation Modelling analysis of a conceptual model with a field sample of 262 participants from academic libraries in Hungary. Consistent with theoretical predictions, results show that task and cognitive prosocial job crafting were predicted by prosocial motivation, and task prosocial job crafting strongly and positively predicted self-report and supervisor ratings of individual performance. Implications of these findings for theory and for practice are discussed.


Objective: The objective of this experiment was to measure the effects of non-protein nitrogen (NPN; biuret) or NPN + ruminal modifier (biuret + Bovatec, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) inclusion in a commercial mineral mix on growth performance of yearling beef calves grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills. Study Description: Three hundred ninety-five crossbred steers (initial body weight: 612 ± 77.8 lb) of Texas origin previously backgrounded at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit were used. Three mineral treatments consisting of a basal supplement (control), a basal supplement plus NPN (biuret), and a basal supplement plus NPN and lasalocid (Bovatec) were provided with a 4 oz/head/day mineral consumption target. The three mineral treatments were randomly assigned to one of 18 pastures with a total of six pastures per treatment. Feeders were checked daily to determine days-to-empty and were weighed weekly to determine mineral consumption. Individual weights were collected at the start and end of the 90 days to determine initial and final body weights (BW). Results: There was no difference (P ≥ 0.31) in final BW, total BW gains, average daily gains, and mineral consumption between mineral treatments. For days-to-empty, there was an interaction between treatment and week of the experiment (P = 0.02). The bottom line: The data were interpreted to suggest that the addition of biuret or biuret and lasalocid to a commercial mineral supplement did not affect growth performance of yearling beef cattle grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills.


Synthesis 2003, No. 11, Print: 05 08 2003. Art Id.1437-210X,E;2003,0,11,1717,1721,ftx,en;C02703SS.pdf. © Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York Abstract: The adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) mediates ADP/ATP exchange in mitochondria and is also a critical component of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore. Opening of this physiological pore has been implicated as a key step in initiating cell death, hence agents that prevent MPT pore opening may be of potential therapeutic value. The natural product bongkrekic acid is a potent ANT inhibitor that is reported to block MPT opening. We present the design and synthesis of N-acyl iminodiacetic acids as novel inhibitors of ANT-1, using bongkrekic acid as an initial lead. The identification of potent ANT-1 inhibitors from a primary binding assay and the preliminary structure–activity relationship based on these new leads are discussed.


The development of an honors program at Rogers State University a decade ago brought about significant positive changes to our campus, where more than three-quarters of our students are the first in their families to attend college. Throughout the years, these young scholars have elevated academic discourse across campus and delivered an impact felt well beyond their honors classrooms. As we consider how an honors program has benefited our university, it is important to provide some context to our unique history. Rogers State University holds the distinction of being Oklahoma's newest regional institution of higher education, but it has roots that go back to shortly after Oklahoma's statehood. For most of our history, we operated as the Oklahoma Military Academy, with an on-campus high school and junior college. In the early 1970s, the military school became a community college that operated for more than a quarter-century. From that community college, the Oklahoma Legislature in 1999 created Rogers State University to address unmet educational needs for the state's second largest metropolitan area. Our service area includes some of the poorest communities in a state where one in six people live below the poverty line. Even with one of the nation's lowest in-state tuition rates, 84% of our students require some form of financial aid to attend college. We also find that the majority of our students are not fully prepared for college, with more than 55% requiring some level of remediation in English, math, reading, and/or science. Our campus leadership soon determined that adding an honors program would be crucial to our growth as a regional four-year university. The creation of the RSU Honors Program in fall 2005 served purposes both practical and idealistic With its full scholarship that included room and board, it provided an enrollment incentive to attract accomplished students, while improving the quality of our academic enterprise through the addition of some of Oklahoma's best and brightest students. Quite frankly, the move allowed RSU to attract outstanding students who might not have otherwise given a second look at a regional university that had recently transitioned from a community college just five years earlier. Further, the generous scholarship package opened doors for many students who had academic credentials to attend larger or more established schools but nevertheless chose to attend RSU About 90% of our honors program students are from Oklahoma, with most living a short drive from our main campus in Claremore. The RSU Honors Program was built on the high-impact educational practices developed by George Kuh, the founding director for the National Survey of Student Engagement. Built on the foundation of the honors program's learning community, the program also includes enriching activities like service learning, internships, and study-at-large (study abroad). Most RSU bachelor's degree programs include an intensive senior capstone project, which is a recommended practice from NSSE These features, when taken in combination, help broaden student perspectives and strengthen the academic experience. The honors program was designed around learning communities of academic high-achievers enrolled in a small number of designated honors courses Students in the RSU Honors Program typically take about a third of their classes within the program, with the majority of their studies taking place in classes where they mingle with the entire student population Soon after the honors program launched, longtime faculty noted that honors students helped spark more in-depth conversations and elevated discussion among students of all levels. …


Expression of CD19 on B cells modulates B cell receptor signaling threshold. Reduced CD19 expression has been observed in some human patients with common variable immune deficiency (CVID), a disease which is characterized by low production of mature B cells with a paradoxical increase in auto-reactivity. Development of the B cell repertoire in the absence of CD19 expression has not been well characterized. We previously showed that the B cell repertoire is controlled by the sequence characteristics of the complementary determining region heavy chain (CDR-H3). We sought to examine the CDR-H3 repertoire in mice lacking CD19 expression, using our novel bioinformatics system, to test whether its absence can affect the control of B cell repertoire content, yielding altered development and auto reactive antibody production. We analyzed the CDR-H3 based on its length, reading frame usage and average hydrophobicity of its amino acid contents. Follicular B cells lacking CD19 expression were found to express an increase in the use of both highly charged and highly hydrophobic CDR-H3 sequences, sequences that are normally excluded from the follicles. Conversely, when compared to C57BL/6 controls, hydrophobic CDR-H3s were suppressed among marginal zone B cells. These findings indicate a loss of normal repertoire control in the absence of CD19, which may help explain why CD19 deficient patients have altered responses to self and non-self antigens.


Abstract. Invasive predators are among the most detrimental biological invaders of island ecosystems. However, information detailing the effectiveness of trapping for these invasive species is often underreported. Here, we quantified the influence of environmental features on mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) trapping success across five forest types in eastern Puerto Rico. Specifically, we evaluated how canopy and understory cover, woody debris, proximity metrics, and elevation influenced the likelihood of capturing a mongoose at a trap location. The likelihood increased in habitats that were farther from rivers (P = 0.003), farther from recreation areas (P = 0.06), closer to trails (P = 0.11), and closer to coastal shoreline (P = 0.01). Optimizing capture success via trap placement can help reduce both trapping effort and costs. Thus, our results can be used to prioritize locations for future trapping as a means to improve capture success.


This paper approaches the problem of maximising Single Frequency Network (SFN) coverage for digital terrestrial television (DTT) based on the ISDB-T standard. An important issue to face up deals with the prioritization of specific zones in the study region (of high population density) with the aim of covering the most users possible. The optimization-based approach introduces directive receiving antennas along with transmitting sector antennas to make the network more realistic. Moreover, the ITU-R P.1546 propagation prediction method is used and applied to digital terrain maps (DTM) and the transmitters useful and interfering contributions are estimated at every receiver point within the region. The parameters to be optimized for every transmitter using the simulated annealing algorithm include static delays, the effective radiated power (ERP) and the relative azimuth orientation for sector antennas. Representative results considering a region in northern Spain with a topography similar to any coastal region in Chile surrounded by mountain ranges, are included and discussed.


Our patient presented with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Treatment failed despite splenectomy, corticosteroids, dextran, and antiplatelet drugs. Plasma infusions induced neurologic recovery, but hematologic improvement could not be sustained when they were discontinued. Cyclophosphamide, however, induced a sustained remission.


INTRODUCTION
The primary objective of this study was to compare surgical management options for various urolithiasis scenarios that urologists would choose for themselves vs. the options they would recommend for their patients. The secondary objective was to identify the common recommended treatments for upper urinary tract stones of various sizes and locations.

METHODS
Two surveys were sent by the Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society (CROES) to members of the Endourological Society. Standard demographic information was collected. The first survey asked the urologists to recommend treatment for urolithiasis in 10 different scenarios assuming that they were the patient with stone disease. The second survey, sent eight months later, asked urologists to recommend treatment for the same 10 scenarios for a theoretical patient. Only urologists who responded to the first and the second survey were included. Recommended treatment options were compared between the surveys. Agreement between the two scenarios was measured with Cohen's kappa. Surveys were conducted on the Internet using SurveyMonkey™. All statistical analyses were performed using R statistical program version 2.12.2.

RESULTS
The two surveys had response rates of 78% (160/205) and 84% (172/205), respectively with urologists from 38 countries. Median experience of respondents was seven years (range: 2-30). The majority of respondents, 117 (75%), were affiliated with academic hospitals. Recommended treatments for stone disease in different scenarios were not entirely consistent when the urologists considered themselves as the patients compared to the choice they might recommend for their patients. Cohen's kappa ranged from 0.292-0.534 for the different scenarios. Overall, shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and ureteroscopy (URS) were the most commonly chosen treatment options, with medical expulsive therapy (MET) and laparoscopy being the least recommended by urologists for themselves, as well as for their patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Although urologists were not entirely consistent in their recommendations for stone treatment, they generally followed the "golden rule" and treated their patients as they would want to be treated. The most commonly recommended treatments for upper urinary tract stones were SWL and URS.


Distributed energy resources installed in the residential areas enable energy consumers to participate in the demand response of distribution systems. In the literature, the algorithms used for the decision-making process of an energy consumer are often centralized and require a dedicated communication link with the power utility. In this paper, a novel decision-making algorithm known as the auction decision process has been proposed. It helps energy consumers to independently meet the demand response in a decentralized manner. The resultant demand response operates in a distributed manner, where the limited information is transmitted among the neighboring consumers using the short-range ZigBee communication. This minimizes the required initial bulk investment for a power utility compared to using a centralized communication system. The data privacy is also improved when compared to the centralized approach. For this work, finding a path with the least transmission loss is selected as the desired constraint for the decision-making process of the demand response. The proposed method has been demonstrated using the IEEE 33 bus systems.


It is now close to the halfway point in China's 2016 G20 Presidency, and this issue of the G20 Monitor discusses several additional considerations for China as it pursues a vision of an innovative, invigorated, interconnected, and inclusive world economy. In light of the challenges governments are facing in pursuing growth objectives and structural reforms, and the lack of consensus on how best to stimulate demand, the pressure remains on the Chinese G20 Presidency to lead by example. David Dollar suggests that China can set a positive example by opening up at least some important parts of its economy. Dollar highlights that if such change is linked to the global agenda, it can also help China in articulating its goals of an innovative, invigorated, interconnected, and inclusive world economy. Such domestic reform would inject new dynamism and innovation into sectors that are largely dominated by state enterprises and that are likely to be important growth centres in the new Chinese growth model; and would reaffirm an open trading and investment system at a time of difficult global growth and rising voices of protectionism around the world. Nicolas Veron reviews the achievements and challenges of the G20's financial regulatory agenda. Financial regulation was very prominent in the initial stages of the G20 as a leaders' forum, and this early emphasis saw significant successes. Over time, however, the success gradually gave way to a sense of disillusionment as the delivery of consistent outcomes was not sustained and the divergence among key jurisdictions became increasingly noticeable. Veron argues that the shortcomings are largely structural in nature, and that the G20 should identify and acknowledge the gaps in the institutional architecture during the Chinese Presidency in 2016 and the German 2017 G20 Presidency. Hannah Wurf cautions that the G20 should consider closely the way that it approaches target-setting. Poorly defined and measured targets with unclear burden-sharing responsibilities perpetuate uncertainty about the effectiveness and credibility of the G20. Wurf scrutinises three current, high-profile targets: the much-publicised ambition to lift G20 GDP by 2 per cent by 2018, the goal to reduce the gap in participation rates between men and women in G20 countries by 25 per cent by 2025, and the commitment to reduce the share of young people most at risk of being permanently left behind in the labour market by 15 per cent by 2025. These targets have added political momentum to addressing global challenges and allow the G20 to tell a compelling story to the public, but meeting the targets is proving challenging and the targets themselves face a variety of hurdles. Wurf concludes that the G20 cannot ignore the targets it has set and it would be fickle to abandon them. However, rather than setting new aspirational objectives, the G20 should to go back to basics: focus on cooperation and in communicating agreed outcomes, even if there is no headline-stealing outcome. Lastly, my paper focuses on the G20's approach on climate change in the aftermath of the Paris Agreement. In Hangzhou, the G20 should provide its political endorsement of the Paris Agreement, and key individual countries such as China and the United States should continue to influence global norms by setting an example in their domestic actions to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the diversity of views around the G20 table and fractious discussion means that it is unrealistic to expect a world-changing 'signature' outcome in Hangzhou where leaders signal their determination to take dramatic additional climate change action that exceeds the Paris Agreement. This is not to say that the G20's hands are tied. Thanks to the innovative joint leadership displayed by the People's Bank of China, the Bank of England, and the United Nations Environment Programme, discussions on promoting green finance and setting standards on climate disclosures holds the promise of additional, real action in years to come. A significant outcome from Hangzhou would be a clear signal that the G20 is on a path of transforming the talk that is taking place throughout 2016 into concrete policy. Such an outcome would reflect well on Chinese leadership in 2016. Also provided is a summary of policy options for the G20's energy agenda that came out of the conference "From Knowledge to Action: G20 Global Energy Governance Innovation", co-hosted by the Lowy Institute, the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and the Korean Development Institute, and held in Shanghai on 11–12 March 2016.


In this note, we consider the problems of stochastic stability and sliding-mode control for a class of linear continuous-time systems with stochastic jumps, in which the jumping parameters are modeled as a continuous-time, discrete-state homogeneous Markov process with right continuous trajectories taking values in a finite set. By using Linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) approach, sufficient conditions are proposed to guarantee the stochastic stability of the underlying system. Then, a reaching motion controller is designed such that the resulting closed-loop system can be driven onto the desired sliding surface in a limited time. It has been shown that the sliding mode control problem for the Markovian jump systems is solvable if a set of coupled LMIs have solutions. A numerical example is given to show the potential of the proposed techniques.


Friction under lubricated conditions is known to depend on pressure, and experimental determination of this dependence has typically quantified pressure as an average value over the contact area. However, non-uniform pressure distributions at the contact interfaces of draw-bend tests have been reported from various experiments and simulations. A previous study by the authors has evaluated the current methodology, which assumes uniform pressure distribution to estimate friction coefficients from draw-bend friction tests, and has concluded that the current methodology is only valid for measuring an average friction coefficient over the pressure range, which exists in the specific draw-bend system. In this paper, a new methodology to extract non-constant friction coefficients from draw-bend friction tests is suggested. In the methodology, contact pressure maps obtained from simulations, instead of the uniform pressure assumption, are included in the analysis of test data to measure the pressure dependency of friction coefficient. The methodology is tested by applying the method to back predict the input friction data from finite element simulation results of draw-bend friction tests, in which non-constant friction models are used as friction input.Copyright © 2006 by ASME


Individuals who have endured childhood sexual abuse (CSA) often struggle with long-term consequences throughout their lives. Research examining consequences of CSA, such as somatic, mental, and emotional distress are reviewed. Using archival data, the current study (a) explored prevalence of CSA among adults in addiction treatment, (b) examined if diagnoses and addictive behaviors differ for those who report CSA, and (c) examined potential differences in chemical and process addictions and diagnoses for those who report CSA. Eighty-eight participants reported CSA (25.8%; N = 246). Chi-square analysis found the most significant differences between those who reported CSA and those who did not report CSA was in compulsive behaviors, specifically related to hypersexual behavior, disordered eating, and gambling. Statically significant results were also found in the use of sedative hypnotic drugs c 2 (1, N = 246) = 0.046, p< .001. Increasing awareness of the possible addictive behaviors that correlate with CSA could improve assessment of trauma's impact on addiction and increase an understanding of how interventions can be focused for addiction recovery in populations with CSA. Future research might examine the impact of targeted early interventions around compulsive sexual, food, and gambling behaviors for survivors of CSA.


An liquid phase plasma process system was applied to the production of low molecular weight heparin. The molecular weight of produed heparin decreased with increasing liquid phase plasma treatment time. The abscission of the chemical bonds between the constituents of heparin by liquid phase plasma reaction did not alter the characteristics of heparin. Formation of any by-products due to side reaction was not observed. It is suggested that heparin was depolymerized by active oxygen radicals produced during the liquid phase plasma reaction.


Functional decline in seniors admitted to hospital is due in part to lack of mobilization. Many Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives targeting mobilization of the elderly population in acute care exist; however, their long-term effectiveness is not well-documented. Mobilization of Vulnerable Elders (MOVE) was a grant-funded initiative that started in Ontario and spread to Alberta. The primary objective of this project was to ascertain the sustainability of the MOVE project 1 year post implementation at two hospital sites in Alberta, Canada. Qualitative and quantitative cross-sectional data were gathered from multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. Our findings suggest MOVE was not well-sustained one year post implementation. Examination of specific survey questions provided an indication of strengths and weaknesses of the MOVE QI. Sustainable and cost-effective QI targeted at this elderly patient demographic could alleviate some of the demand on the healthcare system. Modifications to improve the sustainability of MOVE are summarized.


Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, EC 22.214.171.124) activity and mRNA content is altered in the androgen-responsive human prostate carcinoma cell line LNCaP after exposure to the synthetic androgen R1881. Elevation in GAPDH activity is noted as early as 24 h after treatment with 1 nM R1881 and lasts at least 96 h. R1881 has no effect on the activity of GAPDH in androgen-independent DU145 cells. LNCaP GAPDH mRNA content is lowered by treatment with 1 nM R1881; the magnitude of reduction appears to depend on the length of exposure. The results present at least one means by which androgen-responsive tissues may develop alterations in GAPDH mRNA or activity, as is found in certain tumor tissues.


We report investigations on the degradation of GaN-based light-emitting diodes due to high dc current stress by examining two types of devices with the same fabrication procedures except for the growth conditions for the InGaN quantum wells (QWs). Higher trimethylindium and triethylgallium fluxes are used for type A devices resulting in a threefold increase in the InGaN QWs growth rate compared to type B devices. Detailed structural and optoelectronic properties of the devices are investigated by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermal imaging, I-V measurements, and the low-frequency noise properties of the devices as a function of the stress time, tS. The experimental data show that the QWs in type B devices are dominated by spiral growth and they have substantially higher strain nonuniformity than type A devices. The highly strained GaN/InGaN interfaces in device B are also responsible for the faster increase in the defect density due to hot-electron injection. The defects enhance the trap-assisted tunneling in the multiple quantum wells (MQWs) resulting in the development of hot spots among type B devices after high current stressing of the MQWs. This in turn leads to an increase in the defect generation rate resulting in a thermal run-away condition that ultimately resulted in the failure of the device. The data show that an increase in the growth rate in the InGaN layer led to the domination by the step flow growth mode over the spiral growth mode in the MQWs. This is the main reason for the reduction in the dislocation density in type A devices and hence their increase in device reliability.We report investigations on the degradation of GaN-based light-emitting diodes due to high dc current stress by examining two types of devices with the same fabrication procedures except for the growth conditions for the InGaN quantum wells (QWs). Higher trimethylindium and triethylgallium fluxes are used for type A devices resulting in a threefold increase in the InGaN QWs growth rate compared to type B devices. Detailed structural and optoelectronic properties of the devices are investigated by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermal imaging, I-V measurements, and the low-frequency noise properties of the devices as a function of the stress time, tS. The experimental data show that the QWs in type B devices are dominated by spiral growth and they have substantially higher strain nonuniformity than type A devices. The highly strained GaN/InGaN interfaces in device B are also responsible for the faster increase in the defect density due to hot-electron injection. The defects enh...


BACKGROUND
microRNAs serve as important regulators of the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. Among them, miR-183 is well documented as a novel tumor suppressor in previous studies, whereas it exhibits a downregulated expression in cardiac hypertrophy recently. The present study was aimed to examine the effect of miR-183 on cardiomyocytes hypertrophy.

METHODS
Angiotensin II (Ang II) was used for establishment of cardiac hypertrophy model in vitro. Neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) transfected with miR-183 mimic or negative control were further utilized for the phenotype analysis. Moreover, the bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays were used for exploring the potential target of miR-183 in cardiomyocytes.

RESULTS
We observed a significant decreased expression of miR-183 in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. Overexpression of miR-183 significantly attenuated the cardiomyocytes size morphologically and pro-hypertrophic genes expression. Moreover, we demonstrated that TIAM1 was a direct target gene of miR-183 verified by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays, which showed a decreased mRNA and protein expression in the cardiomyocytes transfected with miR-183 upon Ang II stimulation. Additionally, the downregulated TIAM1 expression was required for the attenuated effect of miR-183 on cardiomyocytes hypertrophy.

CONCLUSION
Taken together, these evidences indicated that miR-183 acted as a cardio-protective regulator for the development of cardiomyocytes hypertrophy via directly regulation of TIAM1.


This study investigated the influence of specific cognitive factors believed associated with the onset and maintenance of depression. Of specific interest was the relationship of dysfunctional attitudes to levels of depression in a comparison of two research populations of helping professionals: Presbyterian Church (USA) clergy and mental health professionals. Data from 515 respondents (51.5 percent clergy, 54.2 percent female) were utilized in regression analysis procedures. Results of the data analysis confirmed a positive, directional association between the level of dysfunctional attitudes and level of depression. The presence and persistence of thew dysfunctional attitudes evidently heightened the development of symptoms associated with depression. This finding emphasizes the importance of attending to the influence of cognitive features in personal and professional life. The results do not support the idea that a significant pattern of cognitive resistance to depression was present by virtue of membership in the clergy sample. Test scores indicated that clergy members were at greater risk for symptoms associated with depression than their counselor counterparts. Further study is needed to explore those variables which may increase the efficiency of belief systems as coping mechanisms and thereby reduce the effect of underlying attitudes which predispose a person to depression. (Contains 48 references.) (RJM) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Cognitive Factors in Depression


Human relationship is an inter-personal exchange of oneself, be it superficial or in-depth. Various dimensions of the human faculties are at play in this reciprocal act of relatedness. Much of these faculties are socio-psychological and bio-anthropological interactivities. In this article we identify two of the multi-faculties that are present in human relationships, such as psychological momentum and psychological synergy. The interpersonal "I-Thou" relationship, can be actualized in marital-relationship as it comes closers to embrace all the dimensions of relationship. Hereby the process of psychological momentum and psychological synergy in marriage and relationships is fascinating and challenging to comprehend.