OBJECTIVE
To study the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma.

METHODS
The clinical and histologic features of 23 cases of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma were analyzed. Immunohistochemical study was also performed in 14 of the cases.

RESULTS
The age of patients ranged from 12 to 47 years. Fourteen of them occurred in males. Thirteen cases involved the bony skeleton and 5 cases affected the soft tissue. The patients presented with pain and/or swelling. Histologically, the tumor consisted of a mixture of undifferentiated small round cells and hyaline cartilage. Transition between the two components was demonstrated and growth plate-like cartilage was observed. Immunohistochemical study showed that the small round cells were positive for Sox9 (14/14), CD99 (12/14), vimentin (6/14), CD56 (4/14), CD57 (4/14), neuron-specific enolase (3/14) and desmin(1/14). They were negative for Coll-II, S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen, pan-cytokeratin, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, CD34 and c-erbB2.

CONCLUSIONS
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor. Thorough histologic examination, when coupled with immunohistochemical findings, is helpful in arriving at a correct diagnosis.


We have performed torque measurements on Tb-Fe amorphous alloys. At low temperatures we find torque curves which are nearly reversible and which can be accounted for by a uniaxial anisotropy. The anisotropy axis is movable and so the anisotropy is a memory effect similar to that found in Cu-Mn alloys. The macroscopic anisotropy is uniaxial in nature for rotation about a single axis as expected since the microscopic anisotropy is uniaxial. For rotation about more than one axis our results are consistent with a triad anisotropy.


The nuclear performance of the thin Convective Liquid Flow First Wall (CLiFF) concept is investigated. Liquid walls offer the advantage of protecting solid structure behind them from excessive damage from neutrons originated in the plasma and thus have the capability for high power density applications; the central research focus of the Advanced Power Extraction (APEX) study. In the present parametric and scoping work, several combinations of liquid breeder and structure type where investigated. The aim is to maximize local tritium breeding ratio (TBR), power multiplication, and ensuring that the vacuum vessel and toroidal coils are protected from excessive radiation. The candidate liquid breeders considered are Li, Flibe, and Sn-Li. Vanadium-alloy is deployed with Li while either Ferritic steel or SiC is deployed with Flibe and Sn-Li. Deployment of other refractory alloys and their impact on TBR was also studied. The introduction of a beryllium multiplier zone in the blanket was shown to enhance tritium production capability, particularly for those liquid breeders whose TBRs are marginal.


The purpose of this 2-part commentary series is† to explain why we believe our ability to control injury risk by manipulating training load (TL) in its current state is an illusion and why the foundations of this illusion are weak and unreliable. In part 1, we introduce the training process framework and contextualize the role of TL monitoring in the injury-prevention paradigm. In part 2, we describe the conceptual and methodologic pitfalls of previous authors who associated TL and injury in ways that limited their suitability for the derivation of practical recommendations. The first important step in the training process is developing the training program: the practitioner develops a strategy based on available evidence, professional knowledge, and experience. For decades, exercise strategies have been based on the fundamental training principles of overload and progression. Training-load monitoring allows the practitioner to determine whether athletes have completed training as planned and how they have coped with the physical stress. Training load and its associated metrics cannot provide a quantitative indication of whether particular load progressions will increase or decrease the injury risk, given the nature of previous studies (descriptive and at best predictive) and their methodologic weaknesses. The overreliance on TL has moved the attention away from the multifactorial nature of injury and the roles of other important contextual factors. We argue that no evidence supports the quantitative use of TL data to manipulate future training with the purpose of preventing injury. Therefore, determining "how much is too much" and how to properly manipulate and progress TL are currently subjective decisions based on generic training principles and our experience of adjusting training according to an individual athlete's response. Our message to practitioners is to stop seeking overly simplistic solutions to complex problems and instead embrace the risks and uncertainty inherent in the training process and injury prevention.


In the Caenorhabditis elegans nematode, the oocyte nucleolus disappears prior to fertilization. We have now investigated the re-formation of the nucleolus in the early embryo of this model organism by immunostaining for fibrillarin and DAO-5, a putative NOLC1/Nopp140 homolog involved in ribosome assembly. We find that labeled nucleoli first appear in somatic cells at around the 8-cell stage, at a time when transcription of the embryonic genome begins. Quantitative analysis of radial positioning showed the nucleolus to be localized at the nuclear periphery in a majority of early embryonic nuclei. At the ultrastructural level, the embryonic nucleolus appears to be composed of a relatively homogenous core surrounded by a crescent-shaped granular structure. Prior to embryonic genome activation, fibrillarin and DAO-5 staining is seen in numerous small nucleoplasmic foci. This staining pattern persists in the germline up to the ∼100-cell stage, until the P4 germ cell divides to give rise to the Z2/Z3 primordial germ cells and embryonic transcription is activated in this lineage. In the ncl-1 mutant, which is characterized by increased transcription of rDNA, DAO-5-labeled nucleoli are already present at the 2-cell stage. Our results suggest a link between the activation of transcription and the initial formation of nucleoli in the C. elegans embryo.


The Advancement of Science and Technology (Science and Technology) has been widely felt by the general public. Many people enjoy facilities or tools that can simplify and speed up their work. The advancement of science and technology covers various fields, including electronics, automotive machinery, medicine and others. Progress in the electronics sector is growing very rapidly. For example, now many electronic devices are used by the public, such as radio, television, fans and others. The advancement in the electronics field is increasingly sophisticated and modern. For example television, in ancient times we had to press the buttons that were attached to the television, to move the television waves, adjust the volume, and use other adjustment buttons. But now no longer, we can control or regulate the functions that exist on the television from where we sit using the remote control. In modern times like today remote control devices need to be developed so that we can control things from where we sit or from whatever we want, so that human work becomes easier and faster.


This paper presents a framework for the realization of intelligent embedded systems for control applications. Requirements on system intelligence are translated into requirements on the system hardware and software. The hardware and software components of the design and their impact on system performance are discussed. Software and hardware architectures are presented that enable the realization of these requirements. Recent trends in the hardware-software co-design and hardware reconfiguration are utilized to design systems that are fault-tolerant and have higher reliability under all operating conditions. The design approach is validated by means of a case study


The advantages and disadvantages of using cold plasma conditions in combination with both the standard and the high-transmission ('jet') plasma interface and under dry and wet plasma conditions were evaluated in the context of high-precision isotopic analysis of Fe via multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). When using the standard interface and wet plasma, cold plasma conditions suppressed the occurrence of the polyatomic ions 40Ar14N+ and 40Ar16O+, but not that of 40Ar16O1H+. Dry plasma conditions efficiently removed the (hydr)oxide ions, but at the cost of a dramatic increase in the prevalence of 40Ar14N+. Thus, interference-free 56Fe/57Fe measurement can be performed at low mass resolution using cold plasma conditions and the standard plasma interface. No alleviation of the spectral interferences due to Ar-based ions was observed with the 'jet' interface with cold plasma conditions. With cold plasma conditions, the instrumental mass discrimination affecting the Fe isotope ratios was mitigated compared to that obtained with hot plasma when the standard interface was used (1.4% per amu versus 3.2% per amu, respectively). This mitigation in instrumental mass discrimination with cold plasma conditions was not observed when the high-transmission interface was used.


Despite an apparent renaissance of interest in the creative and emotional in English education there remains a paucity of research in the province of teacher interpretations of pupils' creative, "affective", and imaginative activity. Based on the findings of an Ed D study conducted in six primary schools in central England, the genesis of the enquiry sought to establish how primary teachers interpret this realm of pupil experience. Conducted over a period of two years and drawing on the traditions of eidetic and hermeneutic phenomenology, the research reveals the attributes of emerging educational practices amongst primary school teachers and their orientation to the imaginative lifeworld of pupils. Through these orientations it becomes possible to observe the ways in which the creative, imaginative, and affective life have become subject to marginalisation, appropriation, or redemption in the educational practices of primary school teachers. These orientations to professional practice, I will argue, have important consequences for an educational pedagogy that enables authentic engagement with the imaginative lifeworld of primary school pupils within the often inimical policy contexts of English state education.


The experimental investigation on improving the aircraft aerodynamic performance by DBD (Dielectric Barrier Discharges) plasma is described in this paper. The test has been carried out in a low speed wind tunnel with a wept aircraft model. The plasma actuators were set on the upper surface of swept wing combining with airplane body model. The test results presented include the flow field visualization by PIV (Particle Imaging Velocimetry), lift and drag characteristics under the plasma actuators off and on. The results show that the induced flow by DBD plasma may control the separation on the upper surface of the wing evidently, so that the highest stalling angle of the model increases and maximum lift-to-drag ratio rises, respectively. But with the wind velocity increasing, the effect of the plasma decreases gradually.


Abstract:Stereotyped pacing, self-biting, coprophagia, and other such behaviors have long been observed among animals in menageries and zoos. Yet it was only in the mid-twentieth century that such phenomena were scientifically problematized as abnormal—as deleterious modifications of natural behavioral norms due to captivity, specifically, anthropogenic modes of enclosure and exhibition that inadequately transposed natural environmental conditions. In the course of the biological modernization of zoological gardens, abnormal animal behaviors became knowable as psychological maladjustments to be remediated through productive biopolitical interventions. Reading zoo biologists Heini Hediger and Monica Meyer-Holzapfel, their psychological interpreters such as Henri Ellenberger, and philosophers of abnormality Georges Canguilhem and Michel Foucault, this essay will elucidate the scientific knowledge and practices that identified these abnormalities and sought to ameliorate them, thereby producing their own unrecognized transformations. It will also reflect on the more general significance of this dynamic for human-animal relations in the behavioral anthropocene.


A rigorous scientific approach to causation analysis is essential. This analysis must be rooted in both reliable case facts and trustworthy science. A question about assessing the causation of meningioma following mild head trauma is used as an example to highlight the six-step standard method for causation analysis to validate a causation claim. This article uses causation analysis to examine head trauma as a possible cause of a benign meningioma becoming malignant.


Reply.— Dr Kingsbury's comments on my article1are internally contradictory. He begins by rejecting my suggestion that the biologic-psychologic tension current in psychiatry and psychology stems from a confusion of aleatoric and teleonomic frameworks on the grounds that both points of view are represented in each discipline and then presents a hypothesis purportedly explaining why psychiatrists and psychologists think of science in separate ways. His confusion, like Holzman's, stems from not keeping different explanatory frameworks distinct from professional disciplines. Nowhere in my article do I contend that study of psychologic teleonomy is the exclusive province of psychology as a discipline nor that it is the only approach within that discipline. If I equate the psychologic point of view with the teleonomic framework, that should not be interpreted to mean that that point of view is "psychology-as-adiscipline's" exclusive domain. As Kingsbury recognizes, there are both psychiatrists and psychologists (not to


AIMS
To develop and test labeled magnitude (LM) scales that are sensitive to variations in pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity (DH).

METHODS
Qualitative methods were used first to obtain words that describe the pain of DH. Magnitude estimation was then used to determine the position of these descriptive terms by relative magnitude along four vertical LM scales. To assess their DH, patients used the four LM scales following dentin stimulation with 4°C and 25°C water. The LM scales were then compared to visual analog scale (VAS) ratings by using eight pain scenarios of varying severity. Finally, participants with DH completed the four horizontal LM scales and VAS after dentin stimulation with 4°C and 25°C water. Within-subject t tests were used for comparisons between scales and water temperatures, and between-subject t tests were used for comparisons between participants with and without DH.

RESULTS
Participants showed comparable differentiation between 4°C and 25°C water on VAS and three of the LM scale measures. Responses on the fourth LM scale showed better differentiation than VAS between the two water temperatures. Participants used a greater portion of the LM scales than VAS when rating low-level pain scenarios.

CONCLUSION
LM scales were shown to provide some advantages compared to standard VAS when used to evaluate DH-associated pain. These advantages may be generalized to other low-level pain conditions.


DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) is the television digital system. It's however much more than a simple replacement for existing analogue television transmission, this system has many advantages su ...


We present a model for multiwavelength mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) based on coupled-mode equations. The proposed model applies to all kinds of SOA structures, takes into account the longitudinal dependence of carrier density caused by saturation, it accommodates an arbitrary functional dependencies of the material gain and carrier recombination rate on the local value of carrier density, and is computationally more efficient by orders of magnitude as compared with the standard full model based on space-time equations. We apply the coupled-mode equations model to a recently demonstrated phase-sensitive amplifier based on an integrated SOA and prove its results to be consistent with the experimental data. The accuracy of the proposed model is certified by means of a meticulous comparison with the results obtained by integrating the space-time equations.


Oral rehabilitation success depends upon the accuracy and dimensional stability of the impressions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dimensional changes of a first impression type VPS (Vinyl Polysiloxane) (Imprint™ 4 Preliminary Penta™ Super Quick, 3M ESPE™, St Paul, MN, USA). 10 samples were obtained from this silicone with an automatic mixing machine (Pentamix 2, 3M ESPE™, Seefeld, Germany) according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4823:2000 and stored in the IPQ (Portuguese Institute for Quality) for one week. The measurements were performed by laser interferometry, according to the Michelson technique. The dimensional stability was calculated according to the formula specified in ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 4823:2000. A statistical analysis via a one-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed. The material shrinkage was 0.29 ± 0.15% after setting, 0.32 ± 0.21% at 24 h and 0.30 ± 0.23% after 1 week. No significant shrinkage of the silicone under investigation was found over time. This material can be stored for a week without the risk of clinically significant dimensional changes.


In modeling flow in open channels, the traditional finite difference/finite volume schemes become inefficient and warrant special numerical treatment in the presence of shocks and discontinuities. The numerical oscillations that arise by making use of a second- and higher-order schemes require some additional smoothing mechanism. A characteristic feature of high-resolution schemes lies in smooth capturing of the shock fronts. We provide a general formulation for a flux-corrected transport algorithm to the one-dimensional open channel flow equations. The preliminary results presented show that the present algorithm is an efficient, conservative and robust tool that can be easily coded. To demonstrate the robustness of the present formulation, results are compared with other published numerical results, experimental data and analytical solutions when available. In particular, a comprehensive study on the effect of the source term, dry bed, variable width channel, steep sloping channel and flow with mixed flow conditions (as in a hydraulic jump) has been carried out to test the efficacy of the present algorithm


Objective: To determine frequency of different organisms from wound, skin and soft tissue infection and determine their resistance and sensitivity pattern.
Methodology: This retrospective descriptive study was done by analyzing data from records of Microbiology laboratory, Pathology Department, King Edward Medical University Lahore, Pakistan.
Results: Among 231 isolates, Pseudomonas was the most common organism; 80/231 (34.6%), followed be Staphylococcus aureus; 52/231 (22.5%) and E. coli 47/231 (20.3%). For gram-positive organisms, Linezolid was the most active drug (sensitivity 96.88%) followed by Vancomycin (sensitivity 95.74%). For gram-negative organisms, Teicoplanin was the most active drug (sensitivity 96.15%), followed by Piperacillin+Tazobactam (sensitivity 94.31%), Imipenem+cilastin (sensitivity 78.95%) and Meropenem (sensitivity 78.72%).
Conclusion: Most common isolates were resistant to most of the first line agents while some effective alternatives still exist.


C-reactive protein as the most important acute phase reactant in clinical use provides information about acute as well as chronic inflammatory processes. This application requires an improvement of traditional assays that have been available to the clinical laboratory regarding lipemic interference, precision especially at the lower end, assay and calibration stability as well. In the present study the improved Olympus turbidimetric assay for the determination of C-reactive protein (CRP) was evaluated on the Olympus AU640 analytical system. The assay has a lower detection limit of 1.57 mg/l CRP and is linear from 5 mg/l to 200 mg/l. Prozone hook effect did not occur until 300 mg/l with increased prozone sample detection to 3500 mg/l. Imprecison CV values for within-run of less than 2.25% and between-day of lower than 3.1% were found. On-board stability was extended to 60 days, and calibration stability to 28 days. Method comparison to another automated CRP assay yielded a correlation coefficient of r=0.999. Endogenous substances did not interfere with the test results. There was satisfactory recovery of target values according to CRM 470 standardization. In comparison to the previous assay the improved assay offers more accuracy, precision, and linearity and is free from any known interference, which meets user needs, for rapid and convenient determination of CRP on automated analyzers.


This report describes a set of nancial routines and example programs in C that have been developed at NAG A complete list of the available functions and their prototypes is given in the Appendix At present the routines are distributed as a Microsoft DLL which requires linking to the NAG C Library


It is established that mRNA for interoferon which is isolated from free polysomas bound with endoplasmic reticulum can translate protein in homological and heterological systems. The predominant synthesis of interoferon is observed on the bound polysomas.


A three by three factorial experimental design (cassapro levels 0, 5 and 10% x rice bran levels 0, 21 and 42%) was employed to study the effect of cassapro and rice bran and their interaction on boiler performance. All rations were formulated to be isonutrients . Each ration was fed to 40 three days old chicks, divided into 4 cages (10 birds/cage). Feed and water were given ad libitum during the 4 weeks trial . Feeding cassapro significantly (P<0 .05) improved body weight gain, with no significant effect on feed conversion ratio (FCR). Rice bran significantly (P<0 .001) reduced body weight gain and caused poorer FCR (P<0 .01) . There was a significant interaction effect of cassapro and rice bran on body weight gain (P<0.01) as well as FCR (P<0 .001) . It is concluded that cassapro contained some factors, which are most likely digestive enzymes, which enhhance digestibility of rice bran .


- As huge amount of organic fertilizer of fecal origin has annually been dispersed into field soils without checking included hazardous bacteria. In order to estimate their contamination level in Japanese field soils, MRB and fecal bacteria in nine composts, which had originated from cattle feces, pig feces, and chicken droppings andbeen applied on soils for organic farms in various regions of Japan, were evaluated by using an originally developed analysis method. The tested composts included higher number of general bacteria (from 7.08x109 MNP g-1 dry matter to 316.2x109 MNP g-1), where gram-positive bacterial groups, such as Actinobacteria, Bacillus sp., and Staphylococcus sp., and the other Firmicutes were the numerical dominant in most of them (22% to 98%). Six out of nine composts included over the detection limit of MRB, which proliferated under mixture of 25ppm each of streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and ampicillin(1x104 MPN g-1 dry matter to 84.9x104 MPN g-1), where gram-negative MBR were the numerically dominant(33.3% to 100%). As most of the composts included not only fecal bacteria and pathogenic bacteria but also MRB of fecal origin such as Bacteroides sp., B.coprocola, and Borrelia recurrent, large area of Japanese field soils were suggested to be contaminated with such the fecal bacteria through application of compost. Abstract- As huge amount of organic fertilizer of fecal origin has annually been dispersed into field soils without checking included hazardous bacteria. In order to estimate their contamination level in Japanese field soils, MRB and fecal bacteria in nine composts, which had originated from cattle feces, pig feces, and chicken droppings andbeen applied on soils for organic farms in various regions of Japan, were evaluated by using an originally developed analysis method. The tested composts included higher number of general bacteria (from 7.08x109 MNP g-1 dry matter to 316.2x109 MNP g-1), where gram-positive bacterial groups, such as Actinobacteria, Bacillus sp., and Staphylococcus sp., and the other Firmicutes were the numerical dominant in most of them (22% to 98%). Six out of nine composts included over the detection limit of MRB, which proliferated under mixture of 25ppm each of streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and ampicillin(1x104 MPN g-1 dry matter to 84.9x104 MPN g-1), where gram-negative MBR were the numerically dominant(33.3% to 100%). As most of the composts included not only fecal bacteria and pathogenic bacteria but also MRB of fecal origin such as Bacteroides sp., B.coprocola, and Borrelia recurrent, large area of Japanese field soils were suggested to be contaminated with such the fecal bacteria through application of compost. Correlation analyses of each bacterial numbers suggested that most of MRBmight had survived against the thermophilic phase in the composting process and could had been eliminated by regulating thermophilic phase.


Case report. We report a case of acute spinal epidural abscess complicating methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteremia associated with an infected peripheral intravenous catheter in a 60-year-old woman admitted for treatment of congestive heart failure. A 60-year-old woman with history of coronary artery disease, ischemic cardiomyopathy with poor left ventricular function (left ventricular ejection fraction of 15%), valvular heart disease with moderate mitral regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitation, mild aortic regurgitation, and renal insufficiency presented to emergency department because of worsening leg edema and shortness of breath. She had been admitted on several previous occasions owing to congestive heart failure. She was admitted again for treatment of congestive heart failure. She was afebrile on admission. Her white blood cell count was 7900 109 cells/L. A peripheral intravenous catheter was inserted to the right antecubital area on admission for the administration of furosemide and dobutamine for the treatment of congestive heart failure. A new peripheral venous catheter was inserted over the left forearm 4 days later. After 2 days, the patient developed fever (38.3 C) with chills. The white blood cell count was 21,700 109 cells/L. She complained of pain at the intravenous catheter site at her left forearm, which was tender. The catheter was removed. Two sets of blood cultures were obtained. She was empirically treated with intravenous clindamycin because she was allergic to penicillin. All four bottles of blood cultures eventually grew MRSA. Clindamycin treatment was then changed to vancomycin. She had no signs of infective endocarditis such as conjunctival hemorrhages, Janeway lesions, Osler nodes, or Roth spots. The heart murmurs were unchanged. Both transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiogram and transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) revealed no lesions compatible with vegetation. Five days after developing fever and 2 days after intravenous vancomycin was started, she complained of lower back pain. There was tenderness at the L4–S1 spine area. An MRI scan of the lumbosacral spines revealed lesions compatible with spinal epidural abscess at level L4–S1 measuring approximately 3 1 cm, slight spinal canal stenosis, impingement of the external root on the left, and also mild early discitis of the disc at L5–S1 (Fig. 1). She underwent lumbar laminectomy of L5–S1, discectomy, and drainage of the spinal epidural abscess. Cultures of abscess obtained at operation grew MRSA. Both isolates from blood cultures and epidural abscess were susceptible to vancomycin and rifampin. After surgery, she continued to receive intravenous vancomycin, and rifampin was added. Her back pain gradually improved. She was discharged with no neurologic deficit and continued her treatment vancomycin and rifampin for a total of 6 weeks. She was asymptomatic at the 3-month follow-up visit.


Russia is part of a geopolitical system, and the transformation within the country are closely linked to external changes, which have a strong influence on an economic policy. The article presents an analysis of the factors getting an obvious trend in the distribution of the world community and an impact on the possibility of conceptual change in our country.


The principal limitations of the terms nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are the reliance on exclusionary confounder terms and the use of potentially stigmatising language. This study set out to determine if content experts and patient advocates were in favour of a change in nomenclature and/or definition.

METHODS
A modified Delphi process was led by three large pan-national liver associations. Consensus was defined a priori as a supermajority (67%) vote. An independent committee of experts external to the nomenclature process made the final recommendation on the acronym and its diagnostic criteria.

RESULTS
A total of 236 panellists from 56 countries participated in four online surveys and two hybrid meetings. Response rates across the 4 survey rounds were 87%, 83%, 83% and 78%, respectively. 74% of respondents felt that the current nomenclature was sufficiently flawed to consider a name change. The terms 'non-alcoholic' and 'fatty' were felt to be stigmatising by 61% and 66% of respondents, respectively. Steatotic liver disease (SLD) was chosen as an overarching term to encompass the various aetiologies of steatosis. The term steatohepatitis was felt to be an important pathophysiological concept that should be retained. The name chosen to replace NAFLD was metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). There was consensus to change the definition to include the presence of at least one of five cardiometabolic risk factors. Those with no metabolic parameters and no known cause were deemed to have cryptogenic SLD. A new category, outside pure MASLD, termed MetALD was selected to describe those with MASLD who consume greater amounts of alcohol per week (140 to 350 g/week and 210 to 420 g/week for females and males respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
The new nomenclature and diagnostic criteria are widely supported, non-stigmatising and can improve awareness and patient identification.


Empirical estimates of source statistical economic data such as trade flows, greenhouse gas emissions, or employment figures are always subject to uncertainty (stemming from measurement errors or confidentiality) but information concerning that uncertainty is often missing. This article uses concepts from Bayesian inference and the maximum entropy principle to estimate the prior probability distribution, uncertainty, and correlations of source data when such information is not explicitly provided. In the absence of additional information, an isolated datum is described by a truncated Gaussian distribution, and if an uncertainty estimate is missing, its prior equals the best guess. When the sum of a set of disaggregate data is constrained to match an aggregate datum, it is possible to determine the prior correlations among disaggregate data. If aggregate uncertainty is missing, all prior correlations are positive. If aggregate uncertainty is available, prior correlations can be either all positive, all negative, or a mix of both. An empirical example is presented, which reports relative uncertainties and correlation priors for the County Business Patterns database. In this example, relative uncertainties range from 1% to 80% and 20% of data pairs exhibit correlations below −0.9 or above 0.9. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.


The present invention provides a 5'-5'-guanylate and xanthan tilsan producing ability relates to the increased production capability microorganisms, specifically to a conversion proline dehydrogenase activity of endogenous activity in the corridor four bacteria increased microorganism and transformant prepared above by culturing a microorganism, it relates to a process for producing 5'-5'-guanylate or tilsan xanthan from the culture medium.


We describe an algorithm to compute the trace of Hecke operators acting on the space of Hilbert cusp forms defined relative to a real quadratic field with class number greater than one. Using this algorithm, we obtain numerical data for eigenvalues and characteristic polynomials of the Hecke operators. Within the limit of our computation, the conductors of the orders spanned by the Hecke eigenvalue for any principal split prime ideal contain a nontrivial common factor, which is equal to a Hecke L-value.


In this research, the electronic structure and optical properties such as dielectric function and optical constants of boron nitride and carbon nanotubes (0,5), (3,3) and (2,4), which all have a small diameter of about 4Å, it has been studied with the help of density functional theory and using first principles. The calculated band structure of these nanotubes shows that carbon nanotubes with a small diameter can have metallic or semiconducting properties depending on the chirality of the nanotube, while boron nitride nanotubes are semiconducting with a high gap regardless of the chirality. In addition, the results of optical calculations indicate that, unlike boron nitride nanotubes, the absorption spectrum of carbon nanotubes with a small diameter strongly depends on the chirality of the nanotube. The results of this research are reported in good agreement with theoretical and experimental data. The emergence of nanotechnology has caused a huge revolution in all aspects of human life, including electronics, medicine, the military, and space industries


A Fokker-Planck code is developed based upon Epperlein's scheme to investigate laser-produced plasmas in relevance to inertial confinement fusion. The equations are integrated implicitly by time-splitting method. Three test problems are simulated to show the versatility of the code. The results are in good agreement with the existing simulations.


We present the protocol for unified multicasting through announcements (PUMA) in ad-hoc networks, which establishes and maintains a shared mesh for each multicast group, without requiring a unicast routing protocol or the preassignment of cores to groups. PUMA achieves a high data delivery ratio with very limited control overhead, which is almost constant for a wide range of network conditions. Using simulations in Qualnet 3.5, we compare PUMA with ODMRP and MAODV, which are representatives of mesh-based and tree-based multicast routing in ad hoc networks. The results from a wide range of scenarios of varying mobility, group members, number of senders, traffic load, and number of multicast groups show that PUMA attains higher packet delivery ratios than ODMRP and MAODV, while incurring far less control overhead.


The present invention pertains to a surface-treated steel sheet for cans, a coating film made of an F-containing compound that primarily contains Zr being formed on said sheet. The coating film on the surface intended as the outer surface of the can has a Zr content of 80-200 mg/m2 and an F content of 12 mg/m2 or greater, which makes it possible to effectively prevent delamination of the resin coating in a dented portion of the outer surface of the can.


The aim of the study was to estimate and compare the distribution of Culicoides biting midges species at farms with different main hosts — cattle and horse. Culicoides spp. are known vectors of arboviruses including African horse sickness virus (AHSV), bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). The latter two have been already reported in Polish ruminants recently, while AHSV remains absent, however the risk of its emergence has been increasing in the recent years. In order to establish the activity of potential AHSV vector at vicinity of horses, an OVI midge trap has been placed at the horse stables in the southeastern Poland. Another trap has been placed 7 km away at the cattle farm. The collections were carried over the midge activity season from April until November 2016. The midge abundances at both sites were comparable with the total numbers of insects trapped of 43,153 and 34,829 at the cattle and horse farm, respectively. Midges belonging to C. obsoletus/scoticus complex were the dominant ones at both locations. The other most abundant species were C. punctatus and C. pulicaris, while the other ten species identified (C. chiopterus, C. deltus, C. dewulfi, C. fagineus, C. impunctatus, C. newsteadi, C. nubeculosus, C. parroti, C. riethi, C. stigma) accounted for less than 0.5%. The study has shown that the Orbivirus vectors are present at a high abundance at the Polish horse farm, what may be a helpful tool in the AHS risk assessment in the nonendemic part of Europe.


Variable annuities are retirement insurance products created by insurance companies that contain financial guarantees. To mitigate the financial risks associated with these guarantees, insurance companies have adopted dynamic hedging, which is a risk management technique. However, dynamic hedging is associated with computationally intensive valuations of variable annuity policies. Recently, metamodeling approaches have been developed to address the computational problems. A typical metamodeling approach consists of two components: an experimental design method and a metamodel. In this paper, we give a survey of metamodeling approaches developed in the past ten years. For each metamodeling approach, we will describe the experimental design method and the metamodel.


Research on microforming of fine-grained superplastic Zn-AI22 alloy was carried out in this paper by means of superplastic forming. With the selected material, microformability tests have been carried out with the specially developed evaluation method by using two kinds of stainless steel dies. With these dies, micro-extrusion tests have been carried out and the characteristics of microformability of the material have been clarified. Effects of processing parameters and die structure on forming have been analyzed. SEM and metallographic microscope have been used to analyze the formed specimens. Through analysis of flow lines of the formed specimen, behavior of material could be understood well.


Classification A.. Median Swellings. I. Solid. i. Nodule or ' adenoma' of the thyroid especially in the isthmus or pyramidal lobe. ii. Pretracheal and prelaryngeal lymph node enlargements. 2. Cystic. i. Sublingual dermoid cyst. ii. Thyroglossal cyst. ~ii. Cystadenoma of the thyroid. IV. Aneurysm of the innominate artery or aortic arch. v. Subhyoid bursa. B. Lateral Swellings. I. Solid. i. Goitres. ii. Lymph node enlargements. iii. Salivary gland enlargements. iv. Lipomata. v, Sternomastoid swellings especially infantile 'hrematornata ' and gummata in adults. VI. Carotid body tumours. vii. Bony swellings, especially a cervical rib, or swellings of the mandible. 2. Cystic. i. Abscesses, tuberculous and pyogenic. ii. Cystic goitres. iii. Branchial cysts. iv. Cystic hygroma and solitary lymph cysts. v. Aneurysms of the vessels in the neck. bjr


Abstract During reproduction, females often modify their behavior relative to the nonreproductive condition. These changes are frequently attributed to maternal efforts to optimize offspring development and survival (i.e., the maternal manipulation hypothesis). However, Schwarzkopf and Andrews (2012) recently challenged this concept as oversimplified, emphasizing that females should optimize their own lifetime fitness, and therefore maternal efforts may be directed at the female's future reproductive effort in addition, or even in contrast, to current reproductive effort. To provide insight into the relative importance of current versus future reproductive effort in shaping maternal behavior, we systematically explore a single study system—pythons. Pythons show distinct maternal behaviors during gravidity (modified basking effort), peri-oviposition (nest site selection), and postoviposition (egg brooding). By examining each component, we reveal that python maternal effort is predominantly aimed at current offspring. Yet, at times, females will make decisions that benefit their future reproductive potential at a cost to their current effort. Therefore, maternal behavior likely reflects a focused effort to maximize fitness through optimizing current reproductive investment, but such effort is not without consideration of future reproductive potential.


During the post-war period, the nature of 'the people' and popular culture was a matter of intense interest to the disciplines of architecture and urban design. These issues stand behind a debate between Denise Scott Brown and Kenneth Frampton in the December 1971 issue of Casabella. The disagreement between Frampton and Scott Brown concerns three issues: the nature of 'the people', the character of popular culture, and the role of architects in relation to popular culture. Underlying this last issue is the question of popular taste: whether a debased devolution from that of the educated and cultured classes, or an embodiment of its own intrinsic principles.

Scott Brown defines the people in terms of a set of 'subcultures', diverse groups of persons with relatively uniform sets of behaviours, values, attitudes, and preferences, coexisting together in society. She terms the emerging post-war urban environments 'the popular landscape' and claims that the symbolic additions made to homes constitute a source of information about popular values, attitudes, and preferences. Frampton refers to the people in terms such as 'the constrained masses', popular culture as 'engineered fantasies of mass taste', and the urban landscape as 'the alienated environment' of 'deculturated forms', a 'repressed consensus' of 'mid-cult kitsch'. The two also disagree about the role of the architect; Frampton is concerned about the loss of a connection of form to content and the reinforcement of alienation and conformity involved in the contemporary approaches to urban design; Scott Brown recommends helping 'the people' to 'live in houses and cities the way they want to live'.


Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment with BCR-ABL inhibitors is often hampered by development of drug resistance. In a screen for novel chemotherapeutic drug candidates with genotoxic activity, we identified a bisindolylmaleimide derivative, IX, as a small molecule compound with therapeutic potential against CML including drug-resistant CML. We show that Bisindolylmaleimide IX inhibits DNA topoisomerase, generates DNA breaks, activates the Atm-p53 and Atm-Chk2 pathways, and induces cell cycle arrest and cell death. Interestingly, Bisindolylmaleimide IX is highly effective in targeting cells positive for BCR-ABL. BCR-ABL positive cells display enhanced DNA damage and increased cell cycle arrest in response to Bisindolylmaleimide IX due to decreased expression of topoisomerases. Cells positive for BCR-ABL or drug-resistant T315I BCR-ABL also display increased cytotoxicity since Bisindolylmaleimide IX inhibits B-Raf and the downstream oncogene addiction pathway. Mouse cancer model experiments showed that Bisindolylmaleimide IX, at doses that show little side effect, was effective in treating leukemia-like disorders induced by BCR-ABL or T315I BCR-ABL, and prolonged the lifespan of these model mice. Thus, Bisindolylmaleimide IX presents a novel drug candidate to treat drug-resistant CML via activating BCR-ABL-dependent genotoxic stress response and inhibiting the oncogene addiction pathway activated by BCR-ABL.


In modern Grids, authentication is usually implemented via an X.509 PKI (Public Key Infrastructure). Proxy certificates are employed to facilitate interaction with the Grid, especially for purposes of delegation and single sign-on. We propose modifications to the Grid Security Infrastructure that allow reporting of proxy usage information to a database, giving the end user an opportunity to review by whom and for which purpose his credentials were used. By means of a standardized protocol for certificate revocation, they can then revoke affected proxies and stop abuse.


Measurements of neutron elastic and inelastic scattering from 23 Na have been performed for sixteen incident neutron energies above 1.5 MeV with the 7-MV University of Kentucky Accelerator using the 3 H(p,n) reaction as the neutron source. These measurements were complemented by γ-ray excitation functions using the (n,n'γ) reaction. The time-of-flight technique is employed for background reduction in both neutron and γ- ray measurements and for determining the energy of the scattered neutrons. Cross section determinations support fuel cycle and structural materials research and development. Previous reaction model evaluations (1) relied primarily on total cross sections and four (n,n0) and (n,n1) angular distributions in the En = 5 to 9 MeV range. The inclusion of more inelastic channels at lower neutron energies provides additional information on direct couplings between elastic and inelastic scattering as a function of angular momentum transfer. Reaction model calculations examining direct collective and statistical properties were performed.


Tolerance has been regarded as an essential key element in the modern multi-diversity society culturally, ethnically, religiously and politically. Various empirical evidences confirmed that tolerance has a positive effect towards social stability and harmony. However, when it involves voting behaviour as rational on ethnic and political tolerance, there has not been a sufficient study to explain such phenomenon. This study adds to the existing literature on ethnic tolerance, political tolerance and voting behaviour in Malaysia. This study has been conducted to address these matters, specifically, exploring the factors of voting behaviour in Malaysia. This study scrutinised such phenomena in the context of multi-ethnic Malaysia, with specific reference to the Johor Bahru (P160), Shah Alam (P108) and Bukit Bendera (P48) parliamentary. This quantitative study approach uses survey method with the self-administered set of the questionnaire as a data collection technique. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). 600 respondents were engaged in the survey using multistage cluster and random sampling techniques. The findings revealed that ethnic tolerance had a significant negative relationship with voting behaviour, while political tolerance is not statistically significant. But both, ethnic tolerance and political tolerance had a significant positive correlational relationship. It also discovered that social status that is; level of education, party supported and ethnicity had a significant positive relationship with voting behaviour.Thus, it is evident that ethnic political tolerance has a considerable effect on the rationale of voting behaviour. However, the consequences vary, in which homogeneous and heterogeneous ethnicities act as intervention factors. The present study filled the gap to the current body of knowledge and bears great significance at a situation where ethnic politics are perceived as the most important matter, and tolerance has increasingly become Malaysia's national agenda in managing a multi-cultural society.


A series of pyrazolo-triazole hybrids were designed and synthesized by combining the 1,3-diphenyl pyrazole and triazole scaffolds to obtain (1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methanones. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their anticancer activity against four tumor cell lines, viz. HT-29 (colon), PC-3 (prostate), A549 (lung), and U87MG (glioblastoma) cells. Most of the tested compounds showed moderate to potent cell growth inhibition on different cancer cells, in particular, the compounds 17, 23, and 29 exhibited promising cytotoxicity against these cell lines with the IC50 values in the range of 0.86-3.72 μM. In addition, the potential mechanism of cell growth inhibition and apoptotic induction by these compounds was investigated in U87MG cancer cells using cell-based assays, including wound healing assay, flow cytometry, Hoechst staining, acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, Annexin V-FITC/propidium Iodide dual staining, Rhodamine 123 staining, and carboxy-DCFDA staining. The results indicate that the compounds induce apoptosis in U87MG cells via mitochondrial pathway through up-regulation of pro-apoptotic (Bax) and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) genes. Based on these studies, three compounds 17, 23 and 29 have been identified as promising new molecules that have the potential to be developed as leads.


This paper proposes a new model of an Evolving Spiking Neural Network (ESNN) for spatio-temporal data (STD) classification problems. The proposed ESNN model incorporates an additional layer for capturing both spatial and temporal components of the STD and then transforms them into high dimensional spiking patterns. These patterns are learned and classified in the evolving classification layer of the ESNN. A fast time-to-first-spike learning algorithm is used that enables the new model to be more suitable for learning from the STD streams in an adaptive and incremental manner. The proposed method is evaluated on a benchmark sign language video that is spatio-temporal in nature. The results show that the proposed method is able to capture important spatio-temporal information from the STD stream. This results in significantly higher classification accuracy than the traditional time-delay MLP neural network model. Future directions for the development of ESNN models for STD are discussed.


Dipyridamole-thallium imaging has been suggested as a method of preoperatively assessing cardiac risk in patients undergoing major surgery. To define more clearly its proper role in preoperative assessment, we prospectively evaluated 111 patients undergoing vascular surgery. In the first set of 61 patients, our data confirmed the value of preoperative dipyridamole-thallium scanning in identifying the patients who suffered postoperative ischemic events. Events occurred in eight of 18 patients with reversible defects on preoperative imaging, compared with no events in 43 patients with no thallium redistribution (confidence interval for the risk difference: 0.624, 0.256). The results also suggested that clinical factors might allow identification of a low-risk subset of patients. To test the hypothesis that patients with no evidence of congestive heart failure, angina, prior myocardial infarction, or diabetes do not require further preoperative testing, we evaluated an additional 50 patients having vascular procedures. None of the 23 without the clinical markers had untoward outcomes, while ten of 27 patients with one or more of these clinical markers suffered postoperative ischemic events (confidence interval for the risk difference: 0.592, 0.148). In the clinical high-risk subset, further risk stratification is achieved with dipyridamole-thallium scanning.


This paper summarizes the situation of knowledge transfer at the Career Service of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, Germany, and its diverse offers for students to develop additional qualifications to increase their nowadays highly demanded employability. In the following text, information about the formation of this institution, and about the development, implementation and contents of the currently existing e-learning and blended learning module portfolio will be given. Furthermore, four modules will be introduced: Project Management, MS Office, Leadership Skills and Soft Skills. Subsequently, statistics about the participants will be listed and results will be analyzed. Future prospects about possible further developments are mentioned in the last part, as well.


This paper describes the facile synthesis of sildenafil citrate (1) and its related compounds through an improved chlorosulfonation reaction using chlorosulfonic acid and thionyl chloride. This synthesis results in pure sildenafil with high yield. The structures of the compounds were determined with infrared (IR), 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopic methods, and high resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS) analysis.


Abstract : The groupthink psychological phenomenon prevalent in the homeland security enterprise is a significant threat to the United States. Homeland security is vulnerable to groupthink because its leaders frequently share similar backgrounds, work histories, and world-views. This similarity minimizes the chance of outside perspectives being introduced to the decision-making process, which insulates leadership from external ideas. This research project asks, Has groupthink influenced the homeland security enterprise and if so, what are the implications of this phenomenon? It examines case studies of decisions made by government in-groups to determine if the antecedent conditions and symptoms of groupthink are present and if the resulting fiascos are caused by groupthink. Furthermore, it analyzes Irvin Janis s original remedies, which have successfully alleviated groupthink in the past, and it offers recommendations to mitigate this phenomenon. Leaders who wish to alleviate groupthink should promote a culture in which employees are encouraged to play the role of devil s advocate by offering alternatives to organizational decisions and commonly held assumptions. Homeland security can reduce groupthink by employing Janis s remedies and encouraging critical thinking, innovation, and imagination to bolster the national security of the United States.


Abstract Recent taxonomic revisions of the Wandering Albatross sensu lato has resulted in four separate species, the rarest of which is the Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena). We present the first detailed morphometric measurements of the male and female of the Tristan Albatross. The results are used to separate this species from the more common nominate taxon of Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) from South Georgia. The Tristan Albatross is smaller than the Wandering Albatross in all measured variables, and males are larger than females in both species. A combination of bill measurements discriminated 97-98% of individuals of the two species, and tarsus and bill measurements allowed the sex of birds from both species to be determined. If the sex of the bird is known, then bill length should identify all individuals to species. This result is useful to allow fishery observers to correctly identify albatrosses killed on longlines in the Atlantic Ocean. However, care has to be taken outside this region, because the Tristan Albatross is very similar in size to published measurements of Gibson's Albatross (Diomedea gibsoni) and the Antipodes Albatross (Diomedea antipodensis), both of which breed off New Zealand and are thought to range across the South Pacific Ocean.


The question of obtaining the solution of an open-region (OR) problem from the limit of the solution of a related closed-region (CR) problem is investigated. An artifice based on using impedance surfaces is introduced to improve convergence of the CR solution to the OR solution. Computer results pertaining to the problem of radiation from an open-ended parallel-plate waveguide are presented.


We study unsupervised Retinex decomposition for low light image enhancement. Being an underdetermined problem with infinite solutions, well-suited priors are required to reduce the solution space. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of low-light images and their illumination component and identify a trivial solution not taken into consideration by the previous unsupervised state-of-the-art methods. The challenge comes from the fact that the trivial solution cannot be completely eliminated from the feasible set as it corresponds to the true solution when the low-light image contains a light source or an overexposed area. To address this issue, we propose a new regularization term which only remove absurd solutions and keep plausible ones in the set. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed prior, we conduct our experiments using deep image priors in a framework similar to the recent work RetinexDIP and an in-depth ablation study. Finally, we observe no more halo artefacts in the restored image. For all-but-one metrics, our unsupervised approach gives results as good as the supervised state-of-the-art indicating the potential of this framework for low-light image enhancement.


The incidence of primary splenic lymphoma (PSL) is <1%. Here we report a case of PSL in a 63-year-old female patient who had fever, night sweats, anorexia, and weight loss for 2 months. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed mild splenomegaly with multiple patchily enhancing splenic space occupying lesions (SOLs) along with multiple enlarged splenic hilar lymph nodes. A provisional diagnosis of splenic abscesses was made. Following splenectomy, histopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis revealed this to be a case of splenic non-Hodgkin lymphoma - diffuse large B-cell - nongerminal center type. This case is significant since it was misdiagnosed as splenic abscess initially. Even though, PSL is an extremely rare tumor, this entity must be borne in mind when splenic SOL is detected radiologically. Documentation of such rare cases is of utmost importance to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of similar cases in the future.


Oaxos E represented the -q resulting from contraction, while H represents primitive Greek 17. This view, however, as the author himself is forced to admit, is directly contradicted by the employment of H to designate the 17-sound arising by compensative lengthening; so that the variation in. question, if it actually have etymological significance, must be explained on other grounds than those suggested by the author.


The study sought to establish the experiences and perceptions of mentors and student teachers on the extent to which mentor selection enhanced continuous improvement in Zimbabwe's 2-5-2 teaching practice. The mixed methods design was used to collect data in two phases. The first phase used questionnaires to collect quantitative data while the second phase collected qualitative data through interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. The research findings revealed that mentor selection was the responsibility of the school head and that most student teachers were mentored by qualified and experienced classroom practitioners with high teaching experience and expertise, although in some isolated instances student teachers were either being mentored by junior teachers and temporary teachers or were on their own without mentors. The study recommended that teacher education institutions should support school heads through workshops on mentor selection and ensure that qualified experienced mentors are selected to mentor students.


The subunit assembly of RNA polymerase was investigated for the temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli strains carrying the mutation rpoA101 or rpoA112 in the gene encoding its alpha subunit, In cells carrying rpoA112, the sequential assembly of enzyme subunits is blocked at an early step, i.e., either the dimerization of altered alpha subunit or the subsequent association of altered alpha dimer with beta subunit. As a result, the unassembled free alpha subunit accumulates and the unassembled beta and beta' subunits are degraded rapidly, in particular at a nonpermissive temperature. The assembly defect is accompanied by an overproduction of enzyme subunits apparently due to the decrease in the concentration of repressor holoenzyme involved in the autogenous regulation. These results together with the previous observations [Ishihama, A., Shimamoto, N., Aiba, H., Kawakami, K., Nashimoto, H., Tsugawa, A., & Uchida, H. (1980) J. Mol. Biol. 137, 137-150] indicate that the temperature-sensitive growth of rpoA112 mutants is attributed to the assembly defect of RNA polymerase as well as to the thermolability of assembled polymerase. In contrast, the altered alpha subunit in a mutant carrying rpoA101 is assembled into the polymerase structure as efficiently as in wild-type cells; nevertheless, both beta and beta' subunits are rapidly degraded in this mutant. This indicates that the mutant polymerase is structurally different from the metabolically stable wild-type enzyme. Thus, the ts character of rpoA101 mutant is explained by the alteration in the structure and function of assembled RNA polymerase.


A firm's competitive advantage can be created through developing and maintaining long-term effective relationships with customers. To achieve successful long-term business relationships, partners need to develop and maintain a high degree of relationship quality. Although the importance and benefits of high quality relationships are widely recognised, little research has been undertaken to examine the major factors that impact on relationship quality between exporters and importers. Internationalisation theory suggests that culturally distant exporters need to allocate significant resources to relationship building activities with their foreign customers in order to enhance mutual understanding and to help reduce the inherent uncertainties in international markets. Therefore, enhancing the understanding of, and adaptation to, differences in culture in foreign countries helps exporters reduce the "distance" between parties in export relationships. Consequently, it can be argued that exporters who are sensitive to their partners' cultures will face fewer barriers to effective communication and are more likely to achieve long-lasting successful business relationships. This research examined the impact of two cultural factors, i.e., cultural sensitivity and ethnocentrism, on business relationship quality between developing country-based exporters and their foreign importers. Also, it explored the relationship between relationship quality and its outcome, i.e., export performance. A random sample of 297 exporting firms in Vietnam was surveyed to empirically test the theoretical model. The results indicated that the model had an acceptable fit to the data and all of the hypotheses were supported. Implications for business firms and directions for future research were also addressed.


Objective To determine the potential association between infections and rituximab (RTX)-induced hypogammaglobulinemia among patients with CNS inflammatory diseases. Methods We included in a prospective observational study all consecutive adults with aquaporin 4 (AQP4) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody–positive disorders treated with RTX. Dosing schedule was adapted to memory B-cell measurement. Results We included 48 patients (mean age 47 [SD: 14] years; 77% females; 31 AQP4 positive and 17 MOG positive). The median follow-up was 3.6 years (range: 0.9–8.1 years). The median number of RTX infusions was 8 (range: 2–14). The median dosing interval was 6 months (range: 1.7–13.7 months). Sixty-seven symptomatic infections (SIs) were observed in 26 of 48 (54%) patients, including 13 severe infections in 9 (19%). Urinary and lower respiratory tract infections were the most frequent, representing 42% and 21% of SI. At RTX onset, the immunoglobulin G (IgG) level was abnormal in 3 of 48 (6%) patients. After RTX, 15 (31%), 11 (23%), 3 (6%), and 0 of 48 patients showed sustained IgG level <7, <6, <4, and <2 g/L, respectively. On multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, the main variables explaining the risk of SI were the presence of urinary tract dysfunction (hazard ratio [HR] = 34, 95% CI 4–262, p < 0.001), the dosing intervals (HR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–0.99, p < 0.001), and the interaction between IgG level and urinary tract dysfunction (HR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.53–0.85, p < 0.005). IgG level <6 g/L during RTX was associated with male sex (HR = 4, 95% CI 1.4–11.4, p < 0.01) and previous immunosuppression (HR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.2–10, p < 0.05). Conclusions RTX used as maintenance therapy in CNS inflammatory diseases is frequently associated with reduced IgG level and increases the infection risk of the most vulnerable patients.


Dementia not only affects the cognitive capabilities, especially memory and orientation, but also physical capabilities, which are associated with a decrease of physical activities. Here, ICT can play a major role to improve health, quality of life and wellbeing in older adults suffering from dementia and related stakeholders, such as relatives, professional and informal caregivers. The aim of the presented system is to increase physical and cognitive capabilities of people with dementia and their caregivers to support them in daily life activities, reduce the strain of the caregivers and improve both their wellbeing.


INTRODUCTION
Neurological conditions are associated with high levels of disability.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to describe, using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the most relevant aspects of disability in patients with neurological conditions. We collated data from previous studies on myasthenia gravis, migraine, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, vegetative state and minimally conscious state, and identified as relevant those ICF categories reported by at least 50% of patients in each condition.

CONCLUSIONS
Records from 1310 patients were available. A total of 97 ICF categories were reported, and 21 were commonly addressed in more than five conditions. Approximately half of the categories in body functions were related to mental and movement-related functions and more than 25% of the activities-related categories involved activities that require the support from a caregiver. Environmental factors were mostly reported as facilitators. Our data indicate a residual mind-body dichotomy, the relevance of disability not only for the patients but also for their caregivers, and the difficulties in addressing barriers in the environment.


This article asks why the disciplines of American Studies and U.S. history are so markedly underdeveloped in South Korea (Republic of Korea) and what this underdevelopment implies about U.S.-South Korean relations. Under Japanese colonial rule, the study of English in Korea was important for studying abroad, but few students studied America itself. Under American occupation and the following military rule in South Korea, American studies were not attractive to nationalist youth even though the English language remained useful. American cultural diplomacy fostered a small group of Americanists, but university enrollments were small. In the 1980s, Americans were blamed for their support of authoritarian rule. Japanese-trained historians saw American history as too short to be significant, and Japanese institutional legacies were an obstacle. Americans have also been too constricted in imagining who Koreans were, where Korean ambitions lay, and how Korean society worked. In a sense, the very differences between the two nations hindered them from realizing what those differences were.


Let 0 ≤ θ < π 2 and l2∞ ,θ be the plane with the rotated supremum norm ∥(x, y)∥∞,θ = max {|(cosθ)x + (sinθ)y|, |(sinθ)x − (cosθ)y|} . We devote to the description of the sets of extreme, exposed, and smooth points of the closed unit balls of L(2l2∞ ,θ) and Ls(2l2∞ ,θ), where L(2l2∞ ,θ) is the space of bilinear forms on l2∞ ,θ, and Ls(2l2∞ ,θ) is the subspace of L(2l2∞ ,θ) consisting of symmetric bilinear forms. Let F = L(2l2∞ ,θ) or Ls(2l2∞ ,θ). First, we classify the extreme and exposed points of the closed unit ball of F. We also show that every extreme point of the closed unit ball of F is exposed. It is shown that ext BLs(2l2∞ ,θ) = extBL(2l2∞ ,θ) ∩Ls(2l2∞ ,θ) and exp BLs(2l2∞ ,θ) = exp BL(2l2∞ ,θ) ∩ Ls(2l2∞ ,θ). We classify the smooth points of the closed unit ball of F. It is shown that sm BL(2l2∞ ,θ)∩Ls(2l2∞ ,θ) ⊊ sm BLs(2l2∞ ,θ). As a corollary, we extend the results of [18, 35].


Budget support is a form of macro-economic financial assistance that is designed to prioritise the fight against poverty and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The European Commission (EC) is providing more and more budget support under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA), which structures the provision of assistance by the European Union (EU) to the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. The EC also provides macro-economic support through its cooperation agreements with a number of non-ACP countries, for which it is now also introducing budget support.
During the course of its work in the ACP regions, the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) was approached by parliamentarians, representatives of non-governmental organisations and partner government officials, all of whom had certain questions to ask about the background to and operation of budget support. These actors regard budget support as an increasingly important mechanism for development cooperation, and one that has potentially far-reaching implications for their work. At the same time, it is a relatively new mechanism, is poorly understood and is driven by a relatively small group of experts in aid agencies and partner country finance or planning ministries.
We have prepared this Discussion Paper in response to these queries. Our aim is to give policy-makers and practitioners in-depth information on the nature and potential of, and the constraints associated with, budget support as a development cooperation modality. The paper explains the complex nature of budget support and its implications for the actors involved, as well as highlighting issues that have a bearing on its success.
Budget support creates opportunities that are not always fully appreciated by its critics. At the same time, it creates risks which tend to be downplayed by its supporters. Against this background, this paper also aims to contribute to this intensely debated issue by providing a balanced view for those seeking to understand its complexities.
As this is intended to be a relatively brief paper, it is limited to key policy issues and the challenges arising from recent experiences with budget support. For this reason, we have not devoted much space to discussing the issue of sector budget support. We advise the reader to consult the bibliography for more detailed information on the practice and technicalities of this rapidly evolving mechanism.
Finally, it is important to recognise that the move towards budget support has aroused many questions among partner government officials, donor agencies, consultants and academic institutes, which tend to feed into the production of specialist documents assessing approaches and experiences. For this reason, this paper can do no more than to describe the current state of a rapidly evolving debate and practice. We hope to be able to follow up this initial study and produce further publications on specific issues, tailored to the needs of individual ACP audiences, as part of our future work.


In this paper, we present design and evaluation of GNet, a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol that is well suited to support wide area location-based service. The GNet protocol uses hierarchical geographic address as identifier of Internet-connected nodes. By combining domain-progressive routing mechanism like plaxton mesh with geographical domain hierarchy, this P2P protocol has the advantages of efficient routing, locality preserving and load balancing etc. In particular, it will benefit Internet scale location-aware applications by supporting position-based, proximity-based and especially geographically scoped operations.


Ultracold atoms in optical lattices can be used to model condensed matter systems. They provide a clean, tuneable system which can be engineered to reach parameter regimes that are not accessible in condensed matter systems. Furthermore, they provide different techniques for probing the properties of these systems.This thesis presents an experimental and theoretical study of ultracold atoms in optical lattices for quantum simulation of two-dimensional systems.The first part of this thesis describes an experiment with a Bose-Einstein condensate of 87Rb loaded into a two-dimensional optical lattice. The beams that generate the optical lattice are controlled by acousto-optic deflection to provide a flexible optical lattice potential. The use of a dynamic 'accordion' lattice with ultracold atoms, where the spacing of the lattice is increased in both directions from 2.2 to 5.5 μm, is described. This technique allows an experiment such as quantum simulations to be performed with a lattice spacing smaller than the resolution limit of the imaging system, while allowing imaging of the atoms at individual lattice sites by subsequent expansion of the optical lattice. The optical lattice can also be rotated, generating an artificial magnetic field. Previous experiments with the rotating optical lattice are summarised, and steps to reaching the strongly correlated regime are discussed.The second part of this thesis details numerical techniques that can be used to describe strongly correlated two-dimensional systems. These systems are challenging to simulate numerically, as the exponential growth in the size of the Hilbert space with the number of particles means that they can only be solved exactly for very small systems. Recently proposed correlator product states [Phys. Rev. B 80, 245116 (2009)] provide a numerically efficient description which can be used to simulate large two-dimensional systems.
In this thesis we apply this method to the two-dimensional quantum Ising model, and the Bose-Hubbard model subject to an artificial magnetic field in the regime where fractional quantum Hall states are predicted to occur.


In this work we propose an alternative procedure to calculate the classical limit ( ® 0) of the quantum mechanical equations of motion. We compare our method with the Ehrenfest theorem, the WKB approximation and the Bohm quantum potential Q ® 0. We also translate an Einstein's paper about the relation between quantum and classical theories.


The effect of the interacting counterpart's depth of strategic reasoning on social decision making was investigated. In the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, participants played competitive or collaborative matrix games with the other agent whose reasoning level was ranged from zeroth (low) to first (high). Results showed increased prefrontal activation for higher-level interaction compared to lower-level interaction, regardless of the type of social interaction. This result can be interpreted as the increased cognitive demand for social decision making in more complex situation (e.g., interaction with a higher-level agent). In summary, this study suggests that social decision making relies on how strategic the interacting agent's reasoning is.


The investigations were done on 34 hypophyses of the pig embryos aged c. 46-79 days of pregnancy. The name "dark cells" was given to one of the type of differentiated cells of the pars anterior which were characterized by intense electron density of the basic cytoplasm. The cells correspond to the "follicular cells" and the "stellate cells" described in many species of adult vertebrates. Probably the dark cells have supporting function, as they originate a system of nets and tubular structures which are the construction of the gland. It seems that the dark cells regulate osmotic pressure of the intercellular fluid, mediate the exchange of substances between the cells and blood vessels, and they take part in the degeneration process of the pars anterior cells of the hypophysis.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the application of prospective space-time scan statistic in the early stage of detecting infectious disease outbreaks.

METHODS
The prospective space-time scan statistic was tested by mimicking daily prospective analyses of bacillary dysentery data of Chengdu city in 2005 (3212 cases in 102 towns and villages). And the results were compared with that of purely temporal scan statistic.

RESULTS
The prospective space-time scan statistic could give specific messages both in spatial and temporal. The results of June indicated that the prospective space-time scan statistic could timely detect the outbreaks that started from the local site, and the early warning message was powerful (P = 0.007). When the merely temporal scan statistic for detecting the outbreak was sent two days later, and the signal was less powerful (P = 0.039).

CONCLUSION
The prospective space-time scan statistic could make full use of the spatial and temporal information in infectious disease data and could timely and effectively detect the outbreaks that start from the local sites. The prospective space-time scan statistic could be an important tool for local and national CDC to set up early detection surveillance systems.


Synthetic monocarbonyl analogs of curcumin (MACs) are cytotoxic against several cancers including head and neck cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer. Mechanisms of action include depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and inhibition of NF-κB, leading to apoptosis. We previously demonstrated that UBS109 (MAC), has preventive effects on bone loss induced by breast cancer cell lines. We determined whether UBS109 could inhibit and prevent lung metastasis, since lung metastasis of breast cancer is a major problem in addition to bone metastasis. A breast cancer lung metastasis (colonization) model was created by injection of breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 into the tail vein of athymic nude mice, nu/nu. Animals were treated with vehicle or UBS109 at 5 or 15 mg/kg body weight by intraperitoneal injection once daily 5 days a week for 5 weeks. UBS109 at 15 mg/kg significantly inhibited lung metastasis/colonization as demonstrated by reduced lung weight consisting of tumor nodules. The body weight of animals treated with UBS109 15 mg/kg remained the same as in the other groups. UBS109 killed completely (100%) MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells at 1.25 μM in a cytotoxicity assay in vitro. UBS109 15 mg/kg i.p. showed a maximal blood concentration (Cmax) of 432 ± 387 ng/mL at 15 min post injection. This is approximately 1.5 ng/ml in the blood of mice and equals 1.5 μM of UBS109. These in vitro and in vivo results are consistent with each other.


ABSTRACT Background: Food is already recognized as a trigger for migraine, but its mechanism of action has not been fully clarified. There is evidence that they act on the pathogenesis of migraine, interfering with meningeal inflammation, vasodilation and cerebral glucose metabolism. Aim: The aim of this study was to know which plant foods are triggers for migraine and the latency time for the onset of pain. Method: We interviewed patients with migraine and tension-type headache about plant foods that trigger headache and onset time of the headache. We studied 3,935 migraine patients and 1,163 with tension-type headache. Results: There were headaches triggered by plant foods after 90.5 ± 7.9 minutes of ingestion in 40.3% (1,584/3,935) of migraine patients and none with tension-type headache. Headaches triggered by plant foods intake are distributed in the following order of frequency: watermelon (29.5%), passion fruit (3.73%), orange (2.01%), pineapple (1.52%), grape (0.51%), banana (0.46%), cucumber (0.43%), acerola (0.25%) and papaya (0.25%). Conclusions: Many plant foods, especially watermelon, may trigger headache attacks in migraine patients within a few minutes.


The UK Cosmochemical Analysis Network (UK CAN) is an association of laboratory-based astronomers centred in four institutions within the UK. Our research complements ground-and spacebased astronomy, using microscopes and microprobes, rather than telescopes and spacecraft. As cosmochemists, we study the abundance, distribution, isotopic composition and interactions of the elements within the cosmos. Working together, using state-of-the-art instrumentation, we are developing sample handling, distribution and measurement protocols for the complete analysis of sub-milligram quantities of sub-micron-sized grains, to enable the UK to play a strong part in analysis of materials returned by space missions.


Paper presented at the 11th South African Conference on Computational and Applied Mechanics (SACAM 2018), Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, 17-19 September 2018


Breathing's remarkable ability to adapt to changes in metabolic, environmental, and behavioral demands stems from a complex integration of its rhythm-generating network within the wider nervous system. Yet, this integration complicates identification of its specific rhythmogenic elements. Based on principles learned from smaller rhythmic networks of invertebrates, we define criteria that identify rhythmogenic elements of the mammalian breathing network and discuss how they interact to produce robust, dynamic breathing.


The traditional grocery business in Thailand is one of the continuing growing business sector, that are driven the national economy with the largest local consuming spread around the nation. With a continue of growing business, grocery business in Thailand are facing of highly competition situation. Under the growing situation some of them are able to survive but some of them are leaving the market. The purpose of this article is used the management theories and concepts to analyze the traditional grocery business situation in Thailand with the focusing on the strategic management, and deeply explain the impact of dynamic situation by using dynamic managerial capabilities concept. For traditional grocery business situation are facing dynamically changing competitive environment, and continuing increasing of new entrepreneurs the effect of dynamic competitiveness, one of the concept that use to describe the survival of the business in the non – static situation within the emerging market is dynamic managerial capabilities. An understanding of dynamic managerial capability is focusing on three elements, manager build, integrate, and reconfigure organizational resources and competences. However, there are the linkage between the dynamic managerial capabilities and the dynamic competitive advantage all of these are having the characteristic of non – static situation.


A 16-year-old Thai girl presented with acute unilateral visual loss, proptosis, and ophthalmoparesis. CT demonstrated thickening and enhancement of orbital tissues including the orbital apex. A history of consumption of raw fish, together with the findings of cutaneous migratory swelling and eosinophilia, made the diagnosis of gnathostomiasis likely. Her serum was positive for Gnathostoma spinigerum using an immunoblotting technique. Parasites removed from the skin lesions revealed the typical head bulbs with 4 circumferential rows of hooklets and fine cuticular spines on their surface. Treatment with an antihelminthic and systemic corticosteroids led to resolution of orbital inflammation but left a persistent optic neuropathy marked by nerve fiber bundle visual field loss with normal visual acuity. Gnathostomiasis should be suspected in patients with an orbital apex syndrome who live or travel in an endemic area, have eaten raw fish, and develop a migratory skin rash.


One of the noise sources of a semiconductor radiation detector is thermal noise, which degrades the performance, such as the energy resolution and unexpected random pulse signals. In this study, PIN photodiode radiation detectors, with different active areas were designed and fabricated for an experimental comparison of the energy resolutions for different temperatures and capacitances by using a Ba-133 calibration gamma-ray source. The experimental temperature was approximately in the range from −7 to 24 °C and was controlled by using a peltier device. The design considerations and the electrical characteristics, such as the I–V and the C–V characteristics, are also addressed.


PAGE 39 these substances on sleep. Similarly when instructing them not to watch television in bed, tell them that using the bed only for sleep will help them condition themselves to sleep when they retire to bed at night. In addition, light from the television might delay sleep onset. 6. Encouraging patients to keep a sleep diary will help examine their sleep patterns and recommending changes appropriately. 7. Limit the use of computer closer to the bed time. 8. Avoid strenuous exercise late at night.


Previous research has demonstrated that distinct, gender-related differences exist in the morphology of the rat lacrimal gland. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether this sexual dimorphism is unique to the rat, or extends as well to other species. Lacrimal glands were collected from adult male and female rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and humans (biopsies). Tissues were processed for light microscopy and examined with a Zeiss Videoplan II image analysis system. For morphometric determinations, we measured the area of approximately 50 glandular acini per animal for a total count of greater than 244 acini per gender per species. Our results demonstrated that significant gender-related differences exist in lacrimal glands of rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and humans. In all species analyzed, acinar area in lacrimal glands of males was larger than that of females. These findings suggest that gender differences in lacrimal gland morphology may be a general phenomenon in a variety of species.


We are interested in translating three-dimensional arrays of real numbers (images) into simpler structures that nevertheless capture the topological/geometrical essence of the objects in the images. These structures are to be used as descriptors of images in databases. A foreground history tree structure (FHTS) contains all the information on the relationships between connected components when the image is thresholded at various levels. Unsimplified FHTSs are too sensitive to errors in the image to be good descriptors. We present a method of simplifying FHTSs, which can be shown to be robust in the sense of producing essentially the same simplifications in the presence of small perturbations. We demonstrate the potential applicability of our methodology to macromolecular databases by showing that the simplified FHTSs can be used to distinguish between two slightly different versions of an adenovirus.


In many practical applications of system identification, it is not feasible to measure both the inputs applied to the system as well as the output. In such situations, it is desirable to estimate both the inputs and the dynamics of the system simultaneously; this is known as the blind identification problem. In this paper, we provide a novel extension of subspace methods to the blind identification of multiple-input multiple-output linear systems. We assume that our inputs lie in a known subspace, and we are able to formulate the identification problem as rank constrained optimization, which admits a convex relaxation. We show the efficacy of this formulation with a numerical example.


This study investigates the potential of information system solutions to streamline the management of physics laboratories in educational institutions. With the aim of enhancing operational efficiency, resource utilization, and overall student experience, the study adopts the Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology and leverages Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) principles. Common challenges in laboratory management, including resource allocation, communication, safety compliance, and data management, are addressed through the development of an integrated information system. Tests data and user feedback demonstrate the system's effectiveness in optimizing laboratory operations and enhancing user engagement. The study contributes insights into the benefits of technology-driven solutions in educational settings and highlights the importance of user-centric design and safety integration. The successful application of RAD and OOAD methodologies underscores the potential for streamlined educational processes and administrative efficiency in modern learning environments.


In the discourse of Philippine national history, the ethnolinguistic groups in the marginalized islands of Visayas and Mindanao play an important role in the construction of the nation. For instance, the parang sabil of the Tausug may be considered as a form of resistance against the colonizers vis-a-vis the 1896 revolution of the Katipuneros in Luzon. The term parang sabil comes from parang, meaning war or sword, and sabil, meaning killed in the way of God. It is a traditional Tausug practice by which the Tausugs defend their religion Islam against the threatening infidels. This paper will make use of an ethnic narrative song of the Tausug of Sulu entitled "The Parang Sabil of Abdulla and Putli' Isara," as a tool to understand how the group fought based on their cultural beliefs, from the armed struggle against a country who treats them as outsiders up to the battles invoked in the name of religion. Keywords: Folk literature, ethnic studies, Mindanao studies, Spanish colonialism in the Philippines


Rationale: Concomitant RT-CT demonstrated survival advantage for stage III NSCLC. A few phase II studies comparing induction to consolidation RT-CT cannot allow definitive conclusion. The ELCWP designed a phase III trial with survival as primary endpoint. Methods: Previously untreated locally advanced unresectable non metastatic NSCLC were centrally randomised. CT consisted of P (60 mg/m²) and D (75 mg/m²) every 3 weeks. During RT-CT, P and D were given both at 20 mg/m² weekly for up to 6 cycles. Radiotherapy consisted in a 5fx/week schedule, 2Gy per fx for a total dose of 66Gy. Due to poor accrual, a futility analysis was performed and the trial was prematurely closed. Results: From 01/2007 to 10/2013, 125 patients were randomised. There was no imbalance between arms for the main patients9 characteristics. Median survival times were, respectively in the induction and the consolidation arms, 22.7 months (95% CI 16.0-39.2) and 19.5 months (95% CI 11.5-27.0). Hazard ratio was 0.89 (95% CI 0.56-1.40). Response rates and median PFS were 51% (95% CI 37%-64%) and 7.4 months (95% CI 6.2-11.7) in the induction RT-CT arm and 57% (95% CI 44%-70%) and 10.2 months (95% CI 8.1-15.0) in the consolidation RT-CT arm. Induction RT-CT was associated with more leucopenia (p = 0.002) and stomatitis (p = 0.03). Conclusion: In this prematurely closed phase III trial, we are confirming the results from our individual data meta-analysis (Radiother Oncol 111 suppl 1, p34, 2014) concluding to the absence of any detectable difference between induction and consolidation RT-CT.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of 2,3-dihydrocyclopenta coumarins to the growth of transgenic hairy root of Polygonum multiflorum and the accumulation of active ingredient stilbene glucoside in the culture.

METHOD
In different culture time, 2,3-dihydrocyclopenta coumarin compounds were administrated to the hairy roots. The yield of stilbene glucoside and the growth of the hairy roots were determined after some period of co-culture. Through the investigation of the different concentrations of the 2,3-dihydrocyclopentacoumarin, and sub-culture times, the optimal experimental conditions were established.

RESULT
The optimal administration time of the 2,3-dihydrocyclopentacoumarin was on the fourth day, the optimal concentration of 2,3-dihydrocyclopentacoumarin was 0.025 g x L(-1). Under this condition, the growth of the hairy root greatly increased. Comparing with control group, the accumulation of stilbene glucoside was increased about four times.

CONCLUSION
2, 3-dihydrocyclopentacoumarins could promote the hairy hair root growth and stimulate the stilbene glucoside accumulation.


Discrete two-dimensional squareand triangular-cell lattices consisting of point particles connected by bistable bonds are considered. The bonds follow a trimeric piecewise linear forceelongation diagram. Initially, Hooke's law is valid as the 9rst branch of the diagram; then, when the elongation reaches the critical value, the tensile force drops to the other. The latter branch can be parallel with the former (mathematically this case is simpler) or have a di:erent inclination. For a prestressed lattice the dynamic transition is found analytically as a wave localized between two neighboring lines of the lattice particles. The transition wave itself and dissipation waves carrying energy away from the transition front are described. The conditions are determined which allow the transition wave to exist. The transition wave speed as a function of the prestress is found. It is also found that, for the case of the transition leading to an increased tangent modulus of the bond, there exists nondivergent tail waves exponentially localized in a vicinity of the transition line behind the transition front. The previously obtained solutions for crack dynamics in lattices appear now as a partial case corresponding to the second branch having zero resistance. At the same time, the lattice-with-a-moving-crack fundamental solutions are essentially used here in obtaining those for the localized transition waves in the bistable-bond lattices. Steady-state dynamic regimes in in9nite elastic and viscoelastic lattices are studied analytically, while numerical simulations are used for the related transient regimes in the square-cell lattice. The numerical simulations con9rm the existence of the single-line transition waves and reveal multiple-line waves. The analytical results are compared to the ones obtained for a continuous elastic model and for a related version of one-dimensional Frenkel–Kontorova model. ? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


Molecular mimicry manifests antagonistically with respect to the specificity of immune recognition. However, it often occurs because different Ags share surface topologies in terms of shape or chemical nature. It also occurs when a flexible paratope accommodates dissimilar Ags by adjusting structural features according to the antigenic epitopes or differential positioning in the Ag combining site. Toward deciphering the structural basis of molecular mimicry, mAb 2D10 was isolated from a maturing immune response elicited against methyl α-d-mannopyranoside and also bound equivalently to a dodecapeptide. The physicochemical evidence of this carbohydrate–peptide mimicry in the case of mAb 2D10 had been established earlier. These studies had strongly suggested direct involvement of a flexible paratope in the observed mimicry. Surprisingly, comparison of the Ag-free structure of single-chain variable fragment 2D10 with those bound to sugar and peptide Ags revealed a conformationally invariant state of the Ab while binding to chemically and structurally disparate Ags. This equivalent binding of the two dissimilar Ags was through mutually independent interactions, demonstrating functional equivalence in the absence of structural correlation. Thus, existence of a multispecific, mature Ab in the secondary immune response was evident, as was the plasticity in the interactions while accommodating topologically diverse Ags. Although our data highlight the structural basis of receptor multispecificity, they also illustrate mechanisms adopted by the immune system to neutralize the escape mutants generated during pathogenic insult.


Three simulations by a computer model of human skull, implemented on finite elements and virtual works principles, were performed by a 15 Kg loading of the structure according rules of mechanical stresses of chewing. First model had all elements in place, second was without vault and third was without orbital walls. Stability of the structure was evaluated in terms of "instability coefficient" as an index of sum of moduli and number of considered nodes such moduli give spatial displacement of nodes after loading and deformation of shell elements. All parts of the structure are involved in ensuring stability so that it decreases as different segments or elements are not considered during simulation. The vault plays a great role in total stability of the model while orbital walls appear as a mechanical link between anterior (frontal) and posterior (occipital) parts of the model.


Acid-catalyzed degradation of lignin in toluene containing methanol selectively yields C6-C2 lignin monomers and releases lignin oligomers, a potential raw feedstock for epoxy resins. We herein characterize the structures of the lignin oligomers by focusing on the changes in the interunit linkage types during solvolysis. The oligomeric lignin products were analyzed via thioacidolysis and 2D-HSQC-NMR. The results show that lignin oligomers ranging from monomers to tetramers are released through considerable cleavage of the β-O-4 linkages. The lignin oligomers from Cryptomeria japonica (softwood) mainly comprise β-5, β-1, and tetrahydrofuran β-β linkages, whereas Eucalyptus globulus (hardwood) yields oligomers rich in β-1 and syringaresinol β-β linkages. Both wood samples exhibit selective release of β-β dimers and a relative decrease in 5-5 and 4-O-5 bonds during solvolysis. The method presented for the separation of lignin oligomers without β-O-4 linkages and with linkages unique to each wood species will be useful for the production of lignin-based materials.