Summary: Axillary hyperhidrosis is characterized by excessive sweating of the armpits, which can significantly affect quality of life. A new microwave-based therapy, MiraDry (Miramar labs, Sunnyvale, Calif.), is a promising minimally-invasive treatment option. We report a case of unilateral brachial plexus thermal injury in a thin 19-year-old man treated for axillary hyperhidrosis with the MiraDry system. He initially experienced swelling and pain in the left hand and was prescribed 1 week of methylprednisolone. He then presented 1 week later with induration and swelling of bilateral axillae with swelling of left thumb, left index, and left long fingers, decreased sensation in median nerve distribution of the left hand, and the inability to flex the left index finger DIP joint. EMG showed absent median nerve motor and sensory function, consistent with median nerve plexopathy. He was conservatively managed with close observation and regular occupational hand therapy appointments. At his 12-month follow-up, there was complete return of left pronator teres strength, thumb flexion, and index finger flexion. Decreased sensation remained at the tip of the left index finger. We report the case of median nerve palsy after MiraDry therapy for axillary hyperhidrosis in a thin young man. We recommend using low-energy settings and pre-procedural ultrasound for young, thin patients because of the more superficial course of the brachial plexus within the axilla.


Altruism is a ubiquitous strategy among organisms ranging from microbes to mammals. Inclusive fitness theory indicates that altruistic strategies can be beneficial when an altruist acts to benefit organisms that share its genes. It is common for such altruistic strategies to be negatively affected by cheaters that do not act altruistically. A more subtle form of cheating involves altruists that are more selective. For example, a selective organism may benefit from a distant kin's altruistic actions without reciprocating. We consider an organism's kin inclusivity level to be the maximum number of mutational differences where the other organism will be considered kin. We use evolving computer programs (digital organisms) to explore competitions among organisms with different kin inclusivity levels. Using competition assays that vary environmental parameters, we find that high mutation rates favor more inclusive colonies. When we competed colonies with a wide range of kin inclusivity levels, we found that moderate mutation rates and populations sizes led to intermediate inclusivity levels winning the competitions, indicating that extreme inclusivity levels were not always optimal. However, when organisms could set their own kin inclusivity level, we found that high mutation rates selected for highly inclusive organisms.


Several recently developed Multi-Agent Path Finding (MAPF) solvers scale to large MAPF instances by searching for MAPF plans on 2 levels: The high-level search resolves collisions between agents, and the low-level search plans paths for single agents under the constraints imposed by the high-level search. We make the following contributions to solve the MAPF problem with imperfect plan execution with small average makespans: First, we formalize the MAPF Problem with Delay Probabilities (MAPF-DP), define valid MAPF-DP plans and propose the use of robust plan-execution policies for valid MAPF-DP plans to control how each agent proceeds along its path. Second, we discuss 2 classes of decentralized robust plan-execution policies (called Fully Synchronized Policies and Minimal Communication Policies) that prevent collisions during plan execution for valid MAPF-DP plans. Third, we present a 2-level MAPF-DP solver (called Approximate Minimization in Expectation) that generates valid MAPF-DP plans.


An approach based on backward tree to compose services automatically is proposed. It composes services for a user through three steps: 1) Builds a complete backward trees on-line; 2) Searches for optimal valid generation sources (generation-paths); 3) Composes generation paths. Compared to traditional graph-based methods, it has a smaller search space and avoids the repetition search. Experimental results show that this method has a good performance even the repository has a large number of services.


Introduction The National Health Service expenditure on alcohol services is estimated to be £2.7 billion with over 78% of costs incurred from hospital-based care. Patients with alcohol problems are major contributors to hospital readmission.1Part contributor to this burden is the full in-hospital alcohol detox (AD) offered to such patients. We investigate the feasibility and safety of completing AD in the community. Method Discharge summaries, case-notes and blood results were reviewed for patients initiating in-hospital AD between 1/10/2013 and 1/3/2014 and were followed up to 1/8/2014. Satisfying our in-hospital risk assessment criteria, specific patients were selected for community AD (CAD) completion. The criteria which would exclude a patient from CAD completion included complex withdrawals, symptomatic in the past 24 h, unsupported living, mental health instability, chaotic drug use, mixing alcohol and medications and neurological symptoms. Data was collected on demographics, Emergency Department (ED) re-attendance, re-admission to hospital, CAD days, community alcohol services (CAS) engagement and Maddrey's Discriminant Function (MDF). Results 189 patients were identified requiring input from the in-hospital alcohol liaison team. Of these, 70% were male (n = 132) with mean age of 50 years old (range: 23 to 88 years). In-hospital AD was initiated in 76% (n = 144) of the patients and of these, 26% (n = 37) completed AD in the community satisfying the above criteria. Mean CAD completion days per patient was 3.3 days. There was no significant difference (SD) between full in-hospital AD and CAD completion in relation to subsequent ED re-attendance (p = 0.37), hospital re-admission and further AD (p = 0.97) and re-admissions secondary to alcohol (p = 0.98). Furthermore, there was no SD in readmissions of those referred to CAS (p = 0.24) or who had engaged with CAS (p = 0.87) between the groups. The severity of liver disease was similar as evidenced by a MDF score >32 in 8% in CAD completion and 11% of those whom completed AD in-hospital (p = 0.72). Conclusion This study demonstrates that completing AD in the community using pre-selected criteria is feasible, safe and will reduce the NHS expenditure in this area. Additionally this data validates our criteria for early discharge although we recommend further confirmation of these findings in a larger cohort of patients across multiple sites. In addition, we also validate our current in-hospital risk assessment tool. Disclosure of interest None Declared. Reference Alcohol related disease: meeting the challenge of improved quality of care and better use of resources (2010). A joint position paper by BSG/BASL/AHA. www.bsg.co.uk


We report an unusual presentation of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor which was initially misdiagnosed as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The diagnosis was only revealed after a major liver resection by histopathology. With adjuvant lanreotide injection, the patient survived for more than 16 months after the operation without tumor recurrence. Diagnosis of this rare tumor has been a major challenge and we emphasize the importance of a preoperative diagnosis. Surgical resection remains the mainstay for curative treatment, while peptide receptor radionuclide therapy is an emerging treatment option which has provided promising results.


This paper examines the conceptual and empirical adequacy of the Eurogang Network's survey measurement of gang membership. Using data from a nationally representative survey of young people in England and Wales, we employed a latent class analysis to model variation in the characteristics of peer groups. We found that while Eurogang survey items identified a distinct group of young people involved in more frequent and serious offending, this definition also extended to a separate group whose only 'vice' was recreational drug use. We discuss the conceptual validity of extending the 'gang' label to this latter group, together with the pressing need for more developmentally sensitive measures of peer networks in adolescence.


Dynamic rescheduling decision-making problem is an important issue in modern manufacturing system with the feature of combinational computation complexity. This paper introduces a multi-agent based approach using the detailed process, provided by Prometheus methodology, which used for the design of a simultaneous dynamic rescheduling decision making for flexible flow line manufacturing system that working under dynamic customer demand. The application has been completely modeled with the Prometheus Design Tool (PDT), which offers full support to Prometheus Methodology. The proposed dynamic scheduling decision making system is developed for Automated UPVC door and Windows Company and can be support both static and dynamic scheduling. Keywords—Multi Agent System; Dynamic Scheduling; Flow Line Manufacturing


The influence of anterior pelvic inclination on osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip joint was investigated. At first, we examined cadaver pelvises radiologically which had various pelvic inclination angles, and confirmed the correlation between the pelvic inclination and the numerical value of radiological measurement. 275 OA of the hip were classified into three groups according to this numerical value. In group 3, which included the cases with the least pelvic inclination, the incidence of OA not due to either acetabular dysplasia or femoral head deformity was higher than the other groups. Furthermore, OA which had destructed the femoral head was observed in 38.8% of the cases in group 3. It was concluded that the pelvic inclination may affect the pathogenesis of OA in the hip joint.


In this research study a low carbon steel with composition of C=0.11 %; Mn=1.30%; Cr=0.45%; Si=0.20%; Al=0.03% and Fe=bal. was cast and used in hot rolled condition. After intercritical annealing at different temperatures for different times, dual phase structures with various volume fraction of martensite were produced. Then the volume fraction of martensite for different samples were measured. Study of the relationship between temperature and time of intercritical annealing and martensite volume fraction showed that a new equation as f γ /f e =1 -exp(-kt) can be used to give variation of martensite volume fraction with temperature and time of annealing. Also it is found that k coefficient changes exponentially with annealing temperature.


Vertical and horizontal motion of the solid earth surface due to geological and geodynamical phenomena are generally consequences of terrain deformation. Variations as a result of the deformation affect structures, particularly large storage facilities that are steel and/or concrete in nature. The criticality of these phenomena underscores the need to carryout regular measurements and monitoring of its effect in all dimension. Over the years, methods and instrumentation for subsidence monitoring has evolved from the conventional to the recently high definition surveying approach with an increasing need to detect and analyse deformation changes with clarity at any given time. The aim of this work was to appraise the high definition surveying approaches in subsidence dynamics of crude oil storage facilities. Classical instrumentations and the terrestrial laser scanning equipment were deployed based on the principles of geodetic positioning and mapping for overlity, verticality and radial displacement parameters determination using the two approaches. This paper will provide spatial information in terms of point clouds, 2D and 3D models, vertical and radial displacement of the crude oil storage facility. The work will further demonstrate the optimal capability of high definition surveying approach in our quest to constantly manage the complexities associated with subsidence. Several crude oil storage facilities in addition to other private storage facilities all over the country, require a policy to ensure regular monitoring and analysis of these facilities especially with the trend of earth tremors being experienced in parts of the country.

 Key words: Subsidence, high definition surveying, radial displacement, crude oil facility, geodetic positioning.


в них. Summary. Introduction of information technology to improve the efficiency of security activity leads to the need to consider a number of negative factors associated with in consequence of the use of these technologies as a key element of modern security systems. One of the most notable factor is the exposure to information processes in protection systems security threats. This largely relates to inte- grated security systems (ISS) is the system of protection with the highest level of informatization security functions. Significant damage to protected objects that they could potentially incur as a result of abnormal operation ISS, puts a very actual problem of assessing factors that reduce the efficiency of the ISS to justify the ways and methods to improve it. Because of the nature of threats and blocking distor-tion of information in the ISS of interest are: the volume undistorted ISF working environment, as a characteristic of data integrity; time access to information as a feature of its availability. This in turn leads to the need to use these parameters as the performance characteris-tics of information processes in the ISS - the completeness and timeliness of information processing. The article proposes performance indicators of information processes in integrated security systems in terms of optimal control procedures to protect information from unauthorized access. Set the considered parameters allows to conduct comprehensive security analysis of integrated security systems, and to provide recommendations to improve the management of information security procedures in them. Ключевые


Long COVID is a clinical syndrome characterized by profound fatigue, neurocognitive difficulties, muscle pain, weakness, and depression, lasting beyond the 3–12 weeks following infection with SARS-CoV-2. Among the symptoms, neurocognitive and psychiatric sequelae, including attention and memory alterations, as well as anxiety and depression symptoms, have become major targets of current healthcare providers given the significant public health impact. In this context, assessment tools play a crucial role in the early screening of cognitive alterations due to Long COVID. Among others, the general cognitive assessment tools, such as the Montreal Cognitive assessment, and more specific ones, including the State Trait Inventory of Cognitive Fatigue and the Digit Span, may be of help in investigating the main neurocognitive alterations. Moreover, appropriate neurorehabilitative programs using specific methods and techniques (conventional and/or advanced) through a multidisciplinary team are required to treat COVID-19-related cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. In this narrative review, we sought to describe the main neurocognitive and psychiatric symptoms as well as to provide some clinical advice for the assessment and treatment of Long COVID.


Ruta, which belongs to tribe Ruteae, is the type genus of the subfamily Rutoideae and the family Rutaceae. Molecular systematic studies have shown that the genera in Ruteae are closer related to Aurantioideae than to most other genera of Rutoideae, some of the genera traditionally placed in Ruteae have been shown to be nested within the Aurantioideae clade, but the diagnostic characters for determining new patterns in the relationship are poor. In this study, we investigated the floral development of Boenninghausenia in Ruteae (sensu stricto), Haplophyllum in the basal position of Aurantioideae and Murraya in traditional Aurantioideae using scanning electron microscopy. The androecium of Boenninghausenia is obdiplostemony. As androecia in other genera within Ruteae (s.s.) are also obdiplostemonous, reconstruction of the ancestral state indicates that obdiplostemony is an ancestral character in this clade. Because the androecia of Haplophyllum and Murraya are also obdiplostemonous, obdiplostemony is also an ancestral character in Aurantioideae clade. The ancestral state reconstruction indicates this character can serve as a synapomorphy of the Ruteae-Aurantioideae clade. The results of our work also shed light on the evolution of the androecium in Rutaceae, as the obdiplostemony of this group is clearly derived from haplostemony in the ancestral genera in Rutaceae and has develop into polyandry by increasing antepetalous stamens.


Facial features are frequently used to represent local properties of a human face image in computer vision applications. In this paper, we present a fast algorithm that can extract the facial features online such that they can give a satisfying representation of a face image. It includes one step for a coarse detection of each facial feature by AdaBoost and another one to increase the accuracy of the found points by Active Shape Models (ASM) in the regions of interest. The resulted facial features are evaluated by matching with artificial face models in the applications of physiognomy. The distance measure between the features and those in the fate models from the database is carried out by means of the Hausdorff distance. In the experiment, the proposed method shows the efficient performance in facial feature extractions and online system of physiognomy. Keywords—Facial feature extraction, AdaBoost, Active shape model, Hausdorff distance


Tubular specimens were potted in metal grips to determine the feasibility of this gripping method in applying multiaxial loads. Strain gage rosettes were used to assess grip transitional strains, through thickness strain variation and strain variations along the tube length and circumference. The investigation was limited to loading 0, 45, ′ 45, and 90-deg graphite/epoxy and glass/epoxy tubes in axial tension. Results include modifications made to the grips to reduce transitional strains, illustrations of the tube failure modes, and some material properties. The gripping concept shows promise as a satisfactory technique for applying multiaxial loads to high-strength, high-modulus fiber composite tubes.


This paper describes a flexible infrastructure for fast computer architecture simulation and prototyping of accelerator IP. A trend for System-on-Chips is to include application specific accelerators on the die. However, there is still a key research problem that needs to be addressed: How do hardware accelerators interact with the processors of a system and what is the impact on overall performance? To solve this problem, we propose an infrastructure that can directly simulate unmodified application executables with FPGA hardware accelerators. Unmodified application binaries are dynamically instrumented to generate processor load/store and program counter events and any memory accesses generated by accelerators, that are sent to an FPGA-based out-of-order pipeline model. The key features of our infrastructure are the ability to code exclusively at the user level, to dynamically discover and use available hardware models at run time, to test and simultaneously optimize hardware accelerators in an heterogeneous system. In terms of evaluation, we present a comparison between our system and Gem5 to demonstrate accuracy and relative performance, using the SPEC CPU benchmarks; even though our system is implemented on Zynq XC7045 which integrates dual 667MHz Arm Cortex-A9s with substantial FPGA resources, it outperforms Gem5 running on a Xeon E3 3.2 GHz with 32GBs of RAM. We also evaluate our infrastructure in simulating the interaction of accelerators with processors using accelerators taken from the Mach Benchmark Suite and other custom accelerators from computer vision applications.


We connect two approaches for solving discounted optimal stopping problems for one-dimensional time-homogeneous regular diffusion processes on infinite time intervals. The optimal stopping rule is assumed to be the first exit time of the underlying process from a region restricted by two constant boundaries. We provide an explicit decomposition of the reward process into a product of a gain function of the boundaries and a uniformly integrable martingale inside the continuation region. This martingale plays a key role for stating sufficient conditions for the optimality of the first exit time. We also consider several illustrating examples of rational valuation of perpetual American strangle options.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the influence of education and training on quality of tooth color matching.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Dental students (N = 174), matched the color of eight shade tabs in a viewing booth, using VITA Linearguide 3D-Master shade guide. The experimental group had color education and training between the before and after session. The control group did not have any additional information in between two sessions. Color differences between the task tabs and selected tabs were calculated using CIE formulas. The score for the best match (smallest color difference) was 10 points, the 2nd best match 9 points, down to 1 point for the 10th best match. Means and standard deviations were calculated. Differences were analyzed using the Student t-test.

RESULTS
Shade matching scores in the experimental group were significantly better after education and training (p < 0.001), with a mean score before and after shade matching sessions of 7.06 (1.19) and 8.43 (0.92), respectively. The percentage of students in the experimental group that selected one of three best matches increased 24.3%. The control group exhibited no significant improvement in the after session.

CONCLUSIONS
Within the limitations of the study, education and training improved students' shade matching skills.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
While the vast majority of dental restorations and practically all restorations in the esthetic zone are tooth colored, the profession as a whole is far from perfect when it comes to accurate shade matching. Education and training can improve shade matching ability: enhanced esthetics of dental restorations, increased patient satisfaction, and a reduced number of color corrections are some of the notable benefits and rewards. (J Esthet Restor Dent 00:000-000, 2016) J Esthet Restor Dent 28:287-294, 2016).


This experiment was carried out with the objective of determining the macrominerals (Ca, P, Mg, K and Na) requirements of Nellore steers under grazing. Twenty four Nellore steers (371 ± 14 kg of BW and 26 mo old) were used. Four steers were slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment (reference group), serving as a reference in subsequent study. The remaining 20 animals were weighed and distributed into a completely randomized design with four supplementation levels offer: 0.0 (mineral mixture control), 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9% of BW, with five replications. The supplements, based on ground corn, soybean meal and/or urea, were previously balanced to achieve an average daily gain of 350, 650 and 850g, respectively, for the different supplementation levels offer. The contents of macrominerals retained in the animal body were determined by regression equations of the macrominerals body content logarithm in function of the empty body weight logarithm (EBW). Net macrominerals requirements for a gain of 1kg of EBW were obtained using the equation Y'= b.10a.Xb-1, with a and b, respectively, the intercept and the regression coefficient of the prediction equations of macrominerals in the animal body contents for each macromineral considered. The concentrations of all macrominerals, in the empty body weight and gain of the empty body weight, decreased with the increase in the body weight. Total calcium and phosphorus dietary requirements are higher than those recommended


Aminopeptidase-N (APN) has been identified [B. Delmas, J. Gelfi, R. L'Haridon, L. K. Vogel, H. Sjostrom, O. Noren, and H. Laude, Nature (London) 357:417-420, 1992] as a major receptor for porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV). Binding of TGEV to villous enterocytes from the jejuna of newborn pigs is saturable and at a higher level than that of binding of virus to newborn cryptal enterocytes or to enterocytes from older piglets (H. M. Weingartl and J. B. Derbyshire, Vet. Microbiol. 35:23-32, 1993). The distribution of APN in enterocytes in the jejuna of neonatal and 3 week-old-piglets, as determined by the measurement of enzymatic activity and by labeling of the cells with an anti-APN monoclonal antibody, did not correspond with the reported distribution of saturable binding sites on enterocytes. Monoclonal antibodies, which were prepared against plasma membranes derived from enterocytes harvested from the upper villi of newborn pigs, blocked the replication of TGEV, but not the porcine respiratory coronavirus, in ST cells and immunoprecipitated a 200-kDa protein in ST cell lysates. This protein was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and by fluorescence-activated cell scanning to be present on the villous enterocytes of newborn pigs but to be lacking on the cryptal enterocytes of newborn pigs and on the villous and cryptal enterocytes of 3-week-old piglets. Since this distribution of the protein corresponds to the previously demonstrated distribution of saturable binding sites, we conclude that the 200-kDa protein may be an additional receptor for TGEV which is restricted to the villous enterocytes of newborn pigs and which contributes to the age sensitivity of these animals to the virus.


Two-dimensional MoSe2 has emerged as a promising electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), although its catalytic activity needs to be further improved. Herein, we report novel Se-rich MoSe2 nanosheets synthesized using a hydrothermal reaction, displaying much enhanced HER performance at the Se/Mo ratio of 2.3. The transition from the 2H to 1T' phase occurred as Se/Mo exceeded 2. Structural analysis revealed the presence of Se adatoms as well as the formation of Se-Se bonding. Based on first-principles calculations, we propose two equally stable Se-rich structures. In the first one, excess Se atoms bridge two MoSe2 layers via the interlayer Se-Se bonds. In the second one, the Se atoms substitute for the Mo atoms, and extra Se atoms are added closest to the Mo-substituted Se. Calculation of Gibbs free energy along the reaction path indicates that the Se adatoms of the second model are the most active sites for HER.


ABSTRACT Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, nonmotile, and opportunistic pathogenic species with clinical importance. It is a part of natural flora of humans and animals. Here we report the draft genome sequence of the type strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae (DSM 30104T) to provide taxonomic and functional insights into the species.


We investigate the Sagnac effect in the self-interference add–drop resonator (SIADR), and propose a rotation sensing frame based on the SIADR. The Sagnac effect in an SIADR can be equivalent to that in a two-resonator structure without the detuning between the two resonators. Two optical waves are spontaneously formed in the SIADR, and their interference signal carries the information of angular velocity. Distinguishing the direction of angular velocity can be achieved by setting asymmetrical coupling coefficients in the SIADR. We also show the rotation sensing experimental results in the SIADR made of single mode fiber, which are in good agreement with the theoretical results. The results may open new avenues for rotation sensing.


The context of this paper is the progress of national and international spatial data infrastructures such as the UK Location Programme and INSPIRE, contrasted against crowd-sourced geospatial databases such as Open Street Map. While initiatives such as INSPIRE tend towards a top-down process of harmonised data models and services using ISO & OGC standards, the OSM approach is one of tagged data with attribute tags agreed through consensus, but a tag set that can change with time (with inherent related issues of data quality). There is a danger that should the more formal approaches simply ignore the crowd sourced initiatives then they will miss an opportunity to evolve to better meet growing demands for geographic information. In any case both formal and informal data will increasingly coexist begging the question of how an end user gains maximum benefit from both.
Ordnance Survey as the national mapping agency of Great Britain provides authoritative datasets with published data specifications driven by a combination of user need and the history of national mapping with a remit to ensure real-world feature changes are reflected in the OS large-scale data within 6 months. OSM in contrast relies on the availability of local mapping enthusiasts to capture changes but through its more informal structure can capture a broader range of features of interest to different sub-communities such as cyclists or horse riders.
This research has been carried out to understand the issues of data integration between crowd sourced information and authoritative data. The aim of the research was to look into the mid-term and long-term effects of crowd sourcing technologies for understanding their effects on the change intelligence operations of national mapping agencies (NMAs) in the future. Mobile phones, with more computing power than the desktop machine of 5 years ago and incorporating built-in GPS receivers and cameras have become widespread and give people a multi-sensor capability. This combined with CCTV, sensor webs, RFID etc. offers the potential to make data capture pervasive and ubiquitous. All key sectors of modern economies will be affected by the developments in crowd sourcing of information. The synergies created by new technologies will create the conditions for exciting new developments in geospatial data integration. This has an impact in the spatial data collection domain especially in collecting vernacular and crowd-sourced information. Individual users will be able to use these technologies to collect location data and make it available for multiple applications without needing prior geospatial skills.
The basic question behind our research is how do we combine data from authoritative OS data sets with feature-rich, informal OSM data, recognising the variable coverage of OSM while capturing the best of both worlds? There have been previous studies (Al-Bakri and Fairbairn, 2010) focussing on geometric accuracy assessment of crowd-sourced data(OSM) with OS data.
Another important context is the rapid developments in Open Source GIS. The availability of free and open source GIS has made possible for large number of government organizations and SMEs to make use of GIS tools in their work. The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) is an excellent example of community initiative to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial technologies. OSGeo's key mission is to promote the use of open source software in the geospatial industry and to encourage the implementation of open standards and standards based interoperability in its projects.


Reduced immunity following exposure of skin to UV radiation (UVR) may explain the positive latitude gradient measured for a number of autoimmune diseases (greater incidence of disease with residence at higher latitudes), including multiple sclerosis, allergic asthma and diabetes. Humans obtain >80% of their vitamin D3 by exposure of skin to UVR in sunlight. In experimental models, both vitamin D3-dependent and vitamin D3-independent pathways have been implicated in the mechanisms of UVR-induced systemic suppression of immunity. However, where does the balance of control lie? How important is vitamin D3 other than providing a biomarker of sun exposure? Are other molecules/pathways activated by UVR more important? Murine and human studies suggest many molecules may play a role and their participation may vary with different diseases and the time of UVR exposure or vitamin D3 sufficiency/deficiency. Although low vitamin D3 levels have been associated with increased prevalence and progression of human autoimmune diseases, the benefits of supplementation with vitamin D3 have not been definitive. Vitamin D3 levels are a measure of past sun exposure but vitamin D3-dependent and vitamin D3-independent immunosuppressive effects of UVR may play a role in control of autoimmune diseases.


The aim of the study was to measure the actual dose at 1 m from the patients per unit activity with the aim of providing a more accurate prediction of the dose levels around radioiodine patients in the hospital, as well as to compare our results with the literature. In this work the demonstration of a patient body tissue attenuation factor is verified by comparing the dose rates measured from the patients with those measured from the unshielded radioiodine capsules immediately after administration of the radioactivity. The normalized dose rate per unit activity is therefore proposed as an operational quantity that can be used to predict exposure rates to staff and patients' relatives. The average dose rate measured from our patient per unit activity was 38.4±11.8 &mgr;Sv/h/GBq. The calculated attenuation correction factor based on our measurements was 0.55±0.17. The calculated dose rate from a radioiodine therapy patient should normally include a factor accounting for patient body tissue attenuation and scatter. The attenuation factor is currently neglected and not applied in operational radiation protection. Realistic estimation of radiation dose levels from radioiodine therapy patients when properly performed will reduce the operational cost and optimize institutional radiation protection practice. It is recommended to include patient attenuation factors in risk assessment exercises – in particular, when accurate estimates of total effective doses to exposed individuals are required when direct measurements are not possible. The information provided about patient attenuation might benefit radiation protection specialists and regulators.


A physics-based analytical model for the on-resistance in the linear transport regime and its application as an alternative tool for the investigation of the hot-carrier stress degradation in shallow-trench-isolation-based laterally diffused MOS devices are presented. The extraction of the model and its validation by comparison with experimental and TCAD data are reported. A thorough investigation of the degradation under low- and high-gate stress biases, corresponding to saturation and impact-ionization regimes, is carried out to gain an insight on the overall bias and temperature dependences of the parameter drifts.


Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are a robotic form of military aircraft that are remotely operated by humans. Due to lack of situation awareness, such technology has led to the deaths of civilians through the inaccurate targeting of missile or gun attacks. This chapter presents the case for how a patented invention can be used to reduce civilian casualties through attaching an affect recognition sensor to a UAV that uses a database of strategies, tactics and commands to better instruct fighter pilots on how to respond while in combat so as to avoid misinterpreting civilians as combatants. The chapter discusses how this system, called VoisJet, can reduce many of the difficulties that come about for UAV pilots, including reducing cognitive load and opportunity for missing data. The chapter concludes that using UAVs fitted with VoisJet could allow for the reduction of the size of standing armies so that defence budgets are not overstretched outside of peacetime.


Background: Knowledge of Community Medicine plays a pivot role in effective delivery of health care services. Effective Teaching-Learning (T-L) of a class of 150-200 students is a challenge. Research is needed to identify methods suitable to the needs of the students. Students' perspective is an important diagnostic feedback tool in this context. Aims & Objectives: To know the students' preferences and perceptions regarding current T-L methods and their felt need for modification in the T-L approach. Material & Methods: Responses were collected from students pursuing internship regarding their preferences and perception on a pretested, validated semi structured questionnaire, most of the responses were collected on a Likert type five point scale. The data was analyzed by calculating percentage, mean and Standard Deviation (SD). Result: Majority (66.2%) felt a need for modification in T-L Approach and 74% of these opined that it will improve their performance in assessments. Presentation of content was voted as most important component for effective T-L (mean 3.9± 1.39). Desirable modifications was more time allotment to integrated modular T-L (51%) and field visits (26%). Conclusion: A judicious combination of Power point presentations with Modular T-L sessions and Field visits can be a more effective T-L approach in Community Medicine from the students' perspective.


We present the mode identification of frequencies found in spectroscopic observations of the γ Doradus star HD 135825. Four frequencies were successfully identified: 1.3150 ± 0.0003, 0.2902 ± 0.0004, 1.4045 ± 0.0005 and 1.8829 ± 0.0005 d−1. These correspond to (l, m) modes of (1, 1), (2, −2), (4, 0) and (1, 1), respectively. Additional frequencies were found but they were below the signal-to-noise ratio limit of the Fourier spectrum and not suitable for mode identification. The rotational axis inclination and v sin i of the star were determined to be 87° (nearly edge-on) and 39.7 km s−1 (moderate for γ Doradus stars), respectively. A simultaneous fit of these four modes to the line profile variations in the data gives a reduced χ2 of 12.7. We confirm, based on the frequencies found, that HD 135825 is a bona fide γ Doradus star.


The work presented here demonstrates the capability of Gaussian Process (GP) regression for the prediction of aircraft structural loads based on recorded flight parameters. The objective of monitoring aircraft loads during operation is to develop a better understanding of aircraft usage and thus to provide the operator with an accurate estimate of the remaining useful life of components against their prescribed fatigue life. These loads are often difficult and expensive to measure and this motivates the use of advanced mathematical techniques to estimate them accurately based on other parameters that are typically measured during flight. Gaussian Process regression is a powerful Bayesian machine learning tool whereby predictions and their distributions can be obtained without having to specify a particular model/functional form. Data collected from a military trainer aircraft is used to demonstrate how the mapping of measured strains to basic flight parameters such as airspeed, accelerations, and control surface deflections can be performed using GP regression. It is also shown how these results can be applied in an aircraft usage monitoring context. The GP predictions for strain are compared to the actual measurements for 101 flights, and the results are presented in terms of fatigue life, correlation, and mean-squared error. The results are encouraging, with errors in fatigue life in the range of 5% to 30% in the worst cases.


Speech separation refers to extracting each individual speech source in a given mixed signal. Recent advancements in speech separation and ongoing research in this area, have made these approaches as promising techniques for pre-processing of naturalistic audio streams. After incorporating deep learning techniques into speech separation, performance on these systems is improving faster. The initial solutions introduced for deep learning based speech separation analyzed the speech signals into time-frequency domain with STFT; and then encoded mixed signals were fed into a deep neural network based separator. Most recently, new methods are introduced to separate waveform of the mixed signal directly without analyzing them using STFT. Here, we introduce a unified framework to include both spectrogram and waveform separations into a single structure, while being only different in the kernel function used to encode and decode the data; where, both can achieve competitive performance. This new framework provides flexibility; in addition, depending on the characteristics of the data, or limitations of the memory and latency can set the hyper-parameters to flow in a pipeline of the framework which fits the task properly. We extend single-channel speech separation into multi-channel framework with end-to-end training of the network while optimizing the speech separation criterion (i.e., Si-SNR) directly. We emphasize on how tied kernel functions for calculating spatial features, encoder, and decoder in multi-channel framework can be effective. We simulate spatialized reverberate data for both WSJ0 and LibriSpeech corpora here, and while these two sets of data are different in the matter of size and duration, the effect of capturing shorter and longer dependencies of previous/+future samples are studied in detail. We report SDR, Si-SNR and PESQ to evaluate the performance of developed solutions.


Although health apps have been developed and utilized in many countries, there is no baseline study about what percentage of Korean workers use these types of health apps. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the work-related stress, health status, and utilization of health apps of Korean adult workers. This descriptive study included 95 adults in South Korea. Demographic variables, work-related stress, health status, and utilization of health apps were obtained using an online self-reported survey. Descriptive analyses were used to explore prevalence of each variable. This study found that almost 65% of the participants fell into the higher work-related stress group. About 41.6% of the participants in this sample evaluated their general health status as fair to poor with 26.8% being overweight to obese and 11.6% having hypertension. However, only about 33.7% of the sample have used health apps. Therefore, utilization of health apps as health and stress management tools should be encouraged at a public health level.


In the previous paper (Beerens and Bouma, this issue) we have shown that in eccentric vision an adverse interaction between line-segments can be found which operates over the same distance as interaction between eccentrically presented letter stimuli. It is known that the interaction between letter stimuli in eccentric vision is asymmetrical around the test letters; the interaction is stronger if the interaction letter is on the peripheral side of the test letter rather than on the foveal side (Mackworth, 1965; Bouma, 1970). In this paper our aim is to show that the interaction between line stimuli is asymmetrical around the test stimulus with the same bias as found with letter stimuli, and that it seems possible to describe this asymmetry empirically by assuming the interaction to be symmetrical around the interaction stimulus. Furthermore, we have found indications that the form of the asymmetrical interaction area can be derived from the same assumption.


Pesticides are identified as hazardous contaminants due to high toxicity and persistence in the environment. In this context, it is necessary to monitor these pollutants in the environment in situ, with the use of low cost analytical techniques and of quick response. Biosensors are presented as a complementary analytical tool to more complex techniques, such as chromatography. The present work aims to develop, in a simple and low cost way, an amperometric biosensor for the detection of simazine in aqueous samples from the inhibition of the enzyme peroxidase extracted from the pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). For the development of the biosensor, the enzyme peroxidase was extracted in sodium phosphate buffer solution, of pH 6.0, and pre-purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation 40% (w / v) salt saturation to 50.0 ml of the protein extract. Peroxidase was characterized by electrophoresis and immobilized on silica-titanium oxide, synthesized by the sol-gel method in the proportions of 70% / 30% respectively. The biosensor showed linearity in the concentration range between 1.0 and 6.0 μgL-1 of simazine (R2 = 0.989) in the potential range 0.20 V to 0.30 V vs Ag / AgCl by the square wave voltammetry technique. The curve was obtained in the presence of 2.0 mgL-1 phenol and 3% H2O2 (v / v)), where the current density signal decreased in the presence of successive additions of the simazine inhibitor. The biosensor was applied to a standard simazine-fortified sample and detected the presence of simazine at the concentration of 35.05 μgL-1. Even showing a relative percentage error of 12.63%, when compared with the result of the analysis by high performance liquid chromatography, the biosensor is useful to monitor the presence or absence of the simazine pesticide in the solution.

 Key words: Simazine, Biosensor, Carioca beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).


The development trends and the state of income tax systems in the world and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union have been analyzed. Their similarities and differences have been revealed. The problem of harmonization of the legislation of income taxation of individuals has been considered. The assessment of justice and efficiency of the existing systems of income taxation in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union has been carried out. The concept of harmonization has been proposed, which allows not only to unify the laws of the Eurasian Economic Union countries, but also to ensure an increase of the efficiency and fairness of the system of income taxation of individuals.


Strategic voting is an important explanation for aggregate political phenomena, but we know little about how strategic voting varies across types of voters. Are richer voters more strategic than poorer voters? Does strategic behavior vary with age, education, gender, or political leaning? The answers may be important for assessing how well an electoral system represents different preferences in society. We introduce a new approach to measuring and comparing strategic voting across voters that can be broadly applied, given appropriate survey data. In recent British elections, we find that older voters vote more strategically than younger voters and that richer voters vote more strategically than poorer voters, even as strategic behavior varies little across the education level. The differences in strategic voting by age and income are smaller than observed differences in turnout by age and income, but they tend to exacerbate these better-known inequalities in political participation.


The primary objectives of this research were to investigate access management programs, plans, and related activities in various states in order to learn lessons from their experiences and to determine what Texas needs to do regarding legislation to develop and implement an access management program. This report summarizes the findings of case studies performed on selected states' access management activities, including New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon, Montana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Hawaii. The research team interviewed department of transportation (DOT) representatives from each state either in person or over the telephone to find out details about their activities and to develop recommendations. This report contains summaries of the state DOT responses and comments, as well as recommendations for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The findings and recommendations included in this report will aid TxDOT in the development of an access management program. Detailed information related to legal and legislative issues are included in a white paper titled "Access Management Strategy in Texas: Legal and Policy Considerations," also published as a part of this project and included in this report as Appendix D.


This study aimed to evaluate maternal left ventricular (LV) systo-diastolic function using conventional and TDI echocardiography and included 10 healthy Saint-Bernard pregnant bitches. M-mode, peak transmitral flow velocities during early diastole (E) and atrial contraction (A), aortic and pulmonic flow, myocardial performance index (MPI), TDI studies (peak myocardial velocities during early diastole (E'), atrial contraction (A') and peak systole (S')), and blood pressure were measured at 21 to 28 (T1), 40 (T2) and 60 (T3) days of gestation and four to eight weeks postpartum (T4). Cardiac output and heart rate were 20% and 9% higher at T3, respectively, compared to T4 (p < 0.01). Lateral S' was 36% higher at T3 than at T1 (p < 0.05). Changes in diastolic function were demonstrated by 10% lower E wave and 15% A wave at T1, compared to T4 (p < 0.05). E' and A' were 23% and 42% higher at T3 compared to T4 (p < 0.01). Both lateral E/E' and E'/A' were 6% and 19% lower at T3 compared to T1 (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). At T3, MPI was 51% and 34% lower when compared to T1 or T2 (p < 0.05). The echocardiographic evaluation of maternal cardiac function is important, as structural, and functional changes occur throughout pregnancy.


Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in the economies of countries throughout the world. They contribute to the creation of jobs, economic upliftment as well as the gross domestic product (GDP). It is of great concern however to note that the majority of SMEs fail within their first few years of operation which could be due to many factors such as management skills, finance, access to markets and appropriate technology. With the National Development Plan's objective to create 11 million jobs by 2030, it is crucial that the government provides assistance needed by SMEs to achieve this goal. Although government assistance may be evident, SMEs and their perceptions regarding this assistance is unclear. The purpose of this paper was therefore to investigate the perception of SME owners of the various government assistance and initiatives that are offered to them. The authors feel that the findings will be universally applicable to SMEs in most countries. The study followed a quantitative research approach, whereby a self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The results indicate that SMEs feel that local government and municipalities are not doing enough to support and assist them.


The aim of this study is to examine if and how the diagnosis of ADHD is important for the social practice delimitation to obtain an understanding of how the sorting and categorization of clients affects the distribution of resources. In a qualitative approach, the study is based on eight semi-structured interviews in five different social practices. Young adults diagnosed with ADHD who need society's help and support, constituted our focus in the study. The selection is based on gaining an understanding of how the client process proceeds. The interviews were supplemented with documents, such as legal and internal methodological support. The empirical results relate to Hasenfeld´s discussion on "raw material" and "transforming process", Lindqvist´s "organizational fields", Johansson's "freedom of action" and Stone´s "dilemma of distribution". The results indicate that the diagnosis of ADHD represents the basis for the target group, young adults, to gain entry into the community social practices in order to obtain access to resources. The results also show that several factors determine the design of interventions: the needs of the individual and the ability to express their needs, the relationship between the professional and the individual, but also the professional´s freedom of action. Furthermore, the results show that the diagnosis of ADHD affects the possibility of collaboration between organizations.


During the 6- to 7-week active life of soybean root nodules produced by a single strain of Rhizobium japonicum, the respiratory activity of the bacteria isolated from the nodules changed according to a definite pattern: a depression occurred 2 weeks after nodules first appeared, followed by a rise, and with a further sharp rise 1 week before nodule breakdown. The initial depression coincided with the onset of the bacteroid condition and the beginning of nitrogen fixation. The limits within which respiration varied depended on host-plant growth. The nitrogen-fixation rate remained constant from 2-3 weeks after nodule appearance until a few days before nodule decay began. The bacteroids isolated from the nodule did not oxidize substrates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle to completion, but the number of mole O2 consumed/mole substrate did not change during nodule life, and were similar to values obtained for cultures of the free living bacteria. Changes in bacteroid dry weight and nucleic acid content were observed; these were within the limits of dry weight and nucleic acid content of the same bacterial strain grown in liquid culture. The ratio acid soluble nucleotides: nucleic acid for bacteroids was between 0·12 and 0·13 during nitrogen fixation; these values are characteristic of bacteria of the same strain from the mid-logarithmic phase of growth in culture in spite of the fact that bacteroids are non-proliferating cells.


Sclerosing hemangioma (pneumocytoma) is a rare benign lung tumor with uncertain histogenesis but characteristic histology. Reports of the cytopathology of this tumor are even rarer with only a handful of cases in the literature—many of these incorrectly diagnosed by cytology initially. Herein, we describe a case of sclerosing hemangioma diagnosed prima facie by fine‐needle aspiration cytology. A cell block preparation with accompanying immunohistochemistry was instrumental in making the diagnosis. A review of the literature is also presented. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:242–246. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


CONTEXT
Systemic chemotherapies for advanced or metastatic thyroid carcinomas have been of only limited effectiveness. For patients with differentiated or medullary carcinomas unresponsive to conventional treatments, novel therapies are needed to improve disease outcomes.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
The PubMed and Google Scholar search engines were used to identify publications and peer-reviewed meeting presentations addressing chemotherapy and targeted therapy for differentiated or medullary carcinoma.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Multiple novel therapies primarily targeting angiogenesis have entered clinical trials for metastatic thyroid carcinoma. Partial response rates up to 30% have been reported in single agent studies, but prolonged disease stabilization is more commonly seen. The most successful agents target the vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, with potential targets including the mutant kinases associated with papillary and medullary oncogenesis. Two drugs approved for other malignancies, sorafenib and sunitinib, have had promising preliminary results reported, and are being used selectively for patients who do not qualify for clinical trials. Randomized trials for several agents are underway that may lead to eventual drug approval for thyroid cancer.

CONCLUSION
Treatment for patients with metastatic or advanced thyroid carcinoma now emphasizes clinical trial opportunities for novel agents with considerable promise. Alternative options now exist for use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are well tolerated and may prove worthy of regulatory approval for this disease.


The connection of new Offshore Wind Power Plants (OWPP) in the existing Dutch transmission system gives rise to many technical challenges. For example, it is expected that harmonic issues will occur more frequently when the number of large offshore wind farms increases. Cases have already been reported in which resonances were triggered in HVDC- or HVAC-connected OWPPs and the wind farms had to be taken out of operation.
Recently developed offshore wind farms contain wind turbines which are connected to the system with a full-scale back-to-back Voltage Source Converter, which is responsible for inserting harmonics into the system. The onshore grid is also responsible for injecting harmonics. Since the wind turbine converter is an active element, where the control loops actively determine its electrical behaviour, it interacts with other converters and with the background harmonics inserted from the network. The initial harmonic emissions and the harmonic interactions can lead to an excitation of a resonance frequency. The cables, transformers, capacitor banks and filters are responsible for shifting the resonance frequencies. Especially a long HV export cable can strongly alter the resonance frequencies of the system.
To analyze the impact of connecting an increasing amount of wind farms to the same Point of Connection on the harmonic emission levels, a Harmonic Impact Assessment was performed for three offshore wind farms in the Dutch North Sea. Since the wind turbine converters are active elements, its electrical behaviour can be captured with an equivalent impedance, or Norton Equivalent. This Norton Equivalent was utilized in the Harmonic Impact Assessment to include the active behaviour of the converter. When comparing this novel approach to the conventional methodology, the expected peaks in the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) are shifted. When an increasing amount of wind farms is connected, peaks in the THD shifted to lower frequencies. Then, depending on the specific profile of the background harmonics and the impedance profiles of the grid and the OWPP, this translates into the disappearance of appearance of an exceedance of the emission limits.
The effect of connecting two wind farms to the same Point of Connection instead of a single wind farm on the harmonic stability, was assessed. Frequency sweeps of the two assessed wind farms made clear that the presence of an additional filter in a wind farm leads to a small shift in the series resonance points. When multiple wind farms are connected instead of solely one wind farm, series resonance frequencies are shifted to lower frequencies and less damping appears to be present in the system.
Lastly, the postive-net damping criteria was applied to assess the stability of a system in which a varying number of wind farms is connected. Time-domain simulations in PSCAD were performed to varify the results. It can be concluded that a system becomes less damped, and therefore less stable, when an increasing amount of wind farms is connected. This effect arises since the various wind farms are placed in parallel and the total resistance of the wind farms becomes smaller than the sum of the resistances of each wind farm. Moreover, when less wind turbines are in operation, less damping is present in the system since the resistance of a single OWPP is then decreased.


BACKGROUND
Purely suprasellar and some complex intra-suprasellar Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) are commonly treated via extended endonasal endoscopic approach or traditional transcranial approach. The feasibility of the trans-eyebrow supraorbital keyhole approach (TSKA) for RCCs was evaluated in this retrospective study.

METHODS
A cohort of 16 patients (11 females and 5 males) with RCC was surgically treated via TSKA between January 2013 and November 2021. The medical data and follow-up results were analyzed.

RESULTS
Eight patients had a purely suprasellar RCC, and 8 patients had an intra-suprasellar RCC with most of pituitary gland occupying the sellar floor. The mean maximal size of the cysts was 15.4 (range 7-29) mm. Postoperatively, complete cyst drainage was achieved in 15 (93.7%) patients. Preoperative headache, visual dysfunction, and hypopituitarism improved in 12 (100.0%), 3 (75.0%) and 3 (75.0%) patients, respectively, and hyperprolactinemia normalized in all patients. Except 2 (12.5%) cases of transient diabetes insipidus (TDI), no other complications were observed. During the mean follow-up period of 41.0 (range 4-102) months, 1 (6.3%) radiological recurrence was found.

CONCLUSIONS
For the treatment of purely suprasellar and some intra-suprasellar RCCs with most of the pituitary occupying the sellar floor, the endoscopic TSKA has the advantage of the minimal invasiveness, excellent visualization of the intrasellar compartment, no additional damage to the underlying pituitary gland, and no risk of CSF leakage. TDI or DI is relative commonly found in treatment of these RCCs. During surgery, care should be taken to avoid damage to the surrounding structures, including the pituitary stalk.


Hoverflies spend most of their feeding time either taking nectar or pollen, in varying proportions according to species. Xylota species feed on pollen, but have a specialized method of collecting it from the surface of leaves. Multivariate morphometric data and activity data (in the form of time-budgets) are associated by using canonical correlation analysis. The main feature of the two data sets lies in the correlation between proboscis shape and the proportion of time devoted to feeding on nectar and on pollen. Additionally, increased body size is correlated with more time feeding on nectar. The second canonical correlation documents the decrease in the proportion of time spent in flight with increasing body size. Morphological similarity (distance apart in multivariate space) and ecological similarity (foraging niche overlap) are correlated. Species with similar size and shape feed on similar types of flowers and take similar foods (nectar or pollen). Reproductive and energy requirements alter with body size, and these are sufficient to explain the observed differences.


The objectives of this study were: (a) to examine the quality of life of the family as a unit during the long-term survivor phase of illness and (b) to test a family model of factors that may influence family quality of life. The family survivorship model, which includes illness survival stressors (family stressors, fear of recurrence, and patient somatic concerns), resources (family hardiness and family social support), appraisal (family meaning of the illness), and the outcome, family quality of life, was used to guide this exploratory cross-sectional study. A random, stratified sample of 123 families (N = 246 individuals) was interviewed 1-5 years after treatment ended. The model explained 63% of the variance in family quality of life, with the strongest predictors being concurrent family stressors, family social support, family member fear of recurrence, family meaning of the illness, and patient employment status. The study findings suggest the importance of addressing cancer-related stressors, family resources, and family meaning as key factors related to family quality of life.


Heuristic tools from statistical physics have been used in the past to locate the phase transitions and compute the optimal learning and generalization errors in the teacher-student scenario in multi-layer neural networks. In this paper, we provide a rigorous justification of these approaches for a two-layers neural network model called the committee machine, under a technical assumption. We also introduce a version of the approximate message passing (AMP) algorithm for the committee machine that allows optimal learning in polynomial time for a large set of parameters. We find that there are regimes in which a low generalization error is information-theoretically achievable while the AMP algorithm fails to deliver it; strongly suggesting that no efficient algorithm exists for those cases, unveiling a large computational gap.


The disadvantages of conventionally utilized techniques for the synthesis of organic and inorganic compounds include costliness, non-eco-friendliness, less effectiveness, and unsuitability in large-scale procedures. Green procedures minimize injurious chemical compounds and equipment, are inexpensive, facile, produce no detrimental chemicals, and are highly efficient. Nano-scale significantly raises the potentiality of compounds and the green methods of synthesis in synthetic chemistry are superior alternates and effective relative to conventionally used techniques. Calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO-NPs) are of value in adsorption, antimicrobial activities, catalysis, and adsorption. Green synthesis is the most preferable formulation technique because of using contamination-free chemical compounds and encouraging the application of non-toxic solvents, including water and plant extracts. This investigation aimed to propose the synthesis of CaO nanoparticles by an environmental-friendly green synthesis by P. atlantica leaf extract. The CaO-NPs were characterized in detail. In our investigation, the UV-Vis spectrums were determined in wavelengths ranging from 270 to 350 nm, suggesting


In today's rapidly urbanized and industrialized society, there is an increasing need for cost-effective and environmentally sustainable technologies for the removal of nutrients from the polluted water. Wastewater treatment principally relies on microorganisms for their ability to take up organic substrate and nutrients (i.e., nitrogen) from wastewater. The need for active aeration of the bulk wastewater to provide oxidation power to micro-organisms makes the wastewater treatment process extremely energy intensive. However, a recent study suggests that by exposing the biomass directly to air (passive aeration), the cost associated with aeration could be reduced. This thesis aimed to establish such a pas-sively aerated biofilm (to remove organics and nitrogen from wastewater) from activated sludge in order to investigate its real-world feasibility.

To enable cost-effective removal of organic compounds, a biofilm enriched with glyco-gen accumulating organism (GAO) was developed by selective enrichment from acti-vated sludge using sequences of anaerobic flooding followed by aerobic exposure of the biofilm directly to the atmosphere. The transition of activated sludge to the GAO biofilm was completed within eight weeks of continuous selective operation. The GAO biofilm enabled anaerobic removal of organic carbon (biochemical oxygen demand or BOD) from wastewater which was stored intracellularly as poly-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA). The PHA was oxidized in the subsequent aerobic stage to regenerate the biofilm's BOD stor-age capacity. With using acetate as synthetic BOD, the biofilm demonstrated efficient (>99%) and stable removal of organic carbon at an average rate of 256 mg BOD L-1 h-1.

Long-term operation of the established GAO biofilm leads to the very low amount of excess sludge produced. This is of particular interest since sludge disposal cost is the second greatest operational expense in traditional wastewater treatment facilities. The av-erage excess sludge (volatile suspended solids or VSS) production rate was found to be 0.05 g VSS g-1 BOD removed which is about 10-times lower than that of activated sludge process. Factors such as the high biomass content (21.41 g VSS L-1 of reactor) and the low growth yield of GAO were found to be associated with little sludge production. In addition, a high number of a predatory protozoan (Tetramitus) was found inhabiting the biofilm that minimized sludge production by effectively grazing on cells.

In order to allow next to organic carbon also nitrogen removal from wastewater, a hybrid biofilm system was developed by incorporating zeolite (an ion-exchange material) into the GAO biofilm and activated sludge as the sole source of nitrifying bacteria. During the anaerobic phase, zeolite adsorbed ammonium which was removed in the subsequent aer-obic stage by the combined action of nitrifying and GAO bacteria via simultaneous nitri-fication and denitrification (SND). The occurrence of SND under full atmospheric partial pressure was confirmed by trickling nitrate solution over the biofilm system which resulted in nitrate reduction in full atmospheric condition. Over four months of continu-ous operation, the biofilm reactor demonstrated sustained BOD (>90%) and nitrogen (about 70%) removal performance with a short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 5 h (2 h anaerobic and 3 h aerobic phase). The inadequate nitrogen removal efficiency was attributed to the limited capacity (1.474 mg NH4+-N g-1) of the zeolite used in this study. However, a subsequent repeat treatment of the effluent in the same biofilm reactor re-sulted in about 96 % ammonium removal from wastewater.

The capability of the GAO biofilm to treat high-strength (up to 4-times) wastewater was evaluated while keeping the same anaerobic duration (2 h). The amount of ammonium adsorbed onto zeolite was found to increase proportionally with influent feed concentration. However, the aerobic time required for zeolite regeneration was longer. Compared to single (1x) and double (2x) strength wastewater, the quadruple (4x) strength synthetic wastewater resulted in nitrite accumulation which took about 5 h (aerobic phase) for complete reduction. Similarly, the BOD removal rate of the biofilm system increased from 543 to 2308 mg L-1 h-1 for 1x and 4x strength wastewater, respectively. The in-creased uptake of BOD by GAO biofilm resulted in the improved storage of PHA (5.02 and 18.6 mmol L-1 for 1x and 4x wastewater, respectively) which contributed to the effi-cient regeneration of zeolite. The biofilm system showed its stability for the treatment of different strength wastewater over a period of 2-months operation suggesting the feasi-bility of 4x or more concentrated wastewater treatment using the proposed biofilm tech-nology with low aeration energy input.

To further optimize nitrogen removal performance in the zeolite amended GAO biofilm, several anaerobic and aerobic phases were used while keeping the total treatment time the same (8 h). An increase in the treatment cycles from 2 to 8, increased the nitrogen removal efficiency from 79% to >99%. A simple numerical model was developed that could effectively explain the trends of nitrogen removal in multiple treatment cycles on the basis of the Langmuir ion-exchange isotherm.

The main conclusion drawn from the study is that passively aerated GAO biofilm system can be established from standard activated sludge within a reasonable time. The amend-ment of the GAO biofilm by the addition of zeolite as an ammonium adsorbent enables nitrogen removal from wastewater. The proposed biofilm technology has the potential to reduce the energy cost associated with aeration while significantly improving nitrogen removal from high-strength wastewater.


Alcoholism occurs in 10 to 15% of the population over age 65 and may be difficult to diagnose. The diagnosis is based on a history aimed at detecting behavioral problems associated with drinking, administering an in-office screening instrument, and conducting tests of liver function and/or mean corpuscular volume. The most effective treatment approach in this population focuses on the stresses of aging and co-existing depression, rather than on alcohol use itself. This approach has been found equally effective in long-standing alcoholics and those who develop a drinking problem in late life. Generally, older alcoholics are very responsive to treatment.


The neurological criteria for brain death include coma, absent brain stem reflexes, and apnea. For patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), routine apnea testing is not possible because gas exchange occurs entirely through the membrane oxygenator. We describe the protocol we used to perform the apnea test and declare brain death in a patient on ECMO and review the literature of brain death testing in patients on ECMO. A 39-year-old female presented with cardiogenic shock followed by pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and eventually started on veno-arterial (VA) ECMO. Neurology was consulted for prognostication. Initial exam 48 hours after arrest showed absent brain stem reflexes. Another neurological exam 72 hours after arrest was compatible with brain death, so apnea test was performed. The apnea test involved preoxygenation, then she was disconnected from ventilator and the gas sweep rate decreased to 1 L/minute while maintaining the same blood flow rate. At 10 minutes, the PCO 2 level needed to declare brain death was achieved. With increasing use of ECMO to support critically ill patients, physicians should become familiar with the challenges this technology has created when testing for apnea in the determination of brain death. In this case report, we showed that apnea testing can be done in patients on ECMO without the need for ancillary testing. The mainstay of performing apnea testing on these patients is decreasing the gas sweep rate to 0.5 - 1 L/minute while maintaining the same blood flow rate. J Neurol Res. 2016;6(1):28-34 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jnr376w


We report on the feasibility of utilizing the field dependence of the Doppler-free unresolved absorption line amplitude of Rubidium vapour for magnetic field measurements for fields below 50 G. The field dependence of the saturation absorption and Doppler broadened fluorescence line amplitudes have been systematically analyzed by computing the hyperfine energy eigenvalues and the transition probability among the Zeeman sublevels.


The present research is conducted in order to investigate the mental health of the spouses of cardiovascular patients andspouses of normal individuals. IPAT ANXIETY and IPAT DEPRESSION scales were administered to 200 spouses and they were asked to mention their demographic data.

200 participants were divided in to two groups out of which 100 spouses were of the patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases and 100 spouses were of the normal individuals. These groups were further divided according to the gender differences. There were 50 wives of cardiovascular patients, 50 wives of normal individuals, 50 husbands of cardiovascular patients and 50 husbands of normal wives.

Chi - square test was applied for the statistical analysis of the data.

The results of the present study show that the spouses of cardiovascular patients are more depressed and anxious than the spouses of normal individuals.


BackgroundN6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant modification in RNAs that affects RNA metabolism, and it is reported to be closely related to cancer occurrence and metastasis. The aim of this study was to identify novel prognostic biomarkers by using m6A RNA methylation regulators capable of improving the risk-stratification criteria of survival for esophageal adenocarcinoma patients.MethodsThe gene expression data of 16 m6A methylation regulators and its relevant clinical information were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The expression pattern of these m6A methylation regulators was evaluated. Consensus clustering analysis was conducted to identify clusters of esophageal adenocarcinoma patients with different prognosis. Univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to construct multiple-gene risk signature. A survival analysis was carried out to determine the prognosis significance.ResultsTen m6A methylation regulators (HNRNPA2B1, HNRNPC, YTHDF1, METTL3, YTHDF2, RBM15, YTHDC1, WTAP, KIAA1429 and YTHDF3) showed significant up-regulation in tumor tissue. Consensus clustering analysis identified three clusters of esophageal adenocarcinoma patients with different overall survival. A five-gene signature, HNRNPA2B1, KIAA1429, WTAP, METTL16 and ALKBH5, was constructed to serve as a prognostic indicator for distinguish esophageal adenocarcinoma patients with different prognosis. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve which indicated the area under the curve (AUC) were 0.803, demonstrated that the prognostic signature had preferable prediction efficiency.Conclusionsm6A methylation regulators exert as potential biomarkers for prognostic stratification of esophageal adenocarcinoma patients and might help clinicians make individualized therapy for this patient population.


The efficiency of the 2-oxazoline system as a protecting group for the sterically hindered carboxyl function is demonstrated in the case of Grignard-reactions of certain organophosphorus compounds. Thereby, organophosphorus species with an o-carboxyphenyl group are easily accessible. Additionally, the enantiomer separation of an unsymmetrically substituted tertiary phosphine oxide with an o-carboxyphenyl group is described.


Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and devastating malignancies.             The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway has been reported to play an important role in pancreatic             cancer development and progression. The aim of this study was to examine the activation             of the Hh pathway in human pancreatic cancer tissue samples and pancreatic cancer             cell lines, and the molecular mechanisms involved in the Hh pathway mediated effects             on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and invasion. The expression levels of             Hh molecules in human pancreatic cancer tissue samples and pancreatic cancer cell             lines were evaluated using RT-PCR. The role of the Hh pathway in cell proliferation             and invasion was evaluated using flow cytometry, MTT, colony formation assays             and transwell invasion assays, and the expression of cancer stem cell markers             and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were evaluated using flow cytometry             and RT-PCR. Tumorigenicity assays were used to further investigate the role of             the Hh pathway in vivo. Hh molecules were highly expressed in human pancreatic             cancer tissue samples and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Inhibition of the Hh pathway             notably decreased cell proliferation and induced apoptosis through inhibition             of the PI3K/AKT pathway and cancer stem cells. Furthermore, inhibition of the             Hh signaling pathway significantly inhibited EMT by suppressing the activation             of transcription factors Snail and Slug, which are correlated with significantly             reduced pancreatic cancer cell invasion, suggesting that the Hh signaling pathway             is involved in early metastasis. These results indicate that activation of the             Hh pathway is a common event. Inhibition of the Hh pathway may be a potential             molecular target of new therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.


Nonoxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes has seen a renewed interest in recent years. While PtGa systems appear among the most efficient catalyst for this reaction and are now implemented in production plants, the origin of the high catalytic performance in terms of activity, selectivity, and stability in PtGa-based catalysts is largely unknown. Here we use molecular modeling at the DFT level on three different models: (i) periodic surfaces, (ii) clusters using static calculations, and (iii) realistic size silica-supported nanoparticles (1 nm) using molecular dynamics and metadynamics. The combination of the models with experimental data (XAS, TEM) allowed the refinement of the structure of silica-supported PtGa nanoparticles synthesized via surface organometallic chemistry and provided a structure–activity relationship at the molecular level. Using this approach, the key interaction between Pt and Ga was evidenced and analyzed: the presence of Ga increases (i) the interaction between the oxide surface and the nanoparticles, which reduces sintering, (ii) the Pt site isolation, and (iii) the mobility of surface atoms which promotes the high activity, selectivity, and stability of this catalyst. Considering the complete system for modeling that includes the silica support as well as the dynamics of the PtGa nanoparticle is essential to understand the catalytic performances.


The phase diagram of bulk quark matter in equilibrium with a finite hadronic gas is studied. Different from previous investigations, we treat the quark phase with the quark mass density-and-temperature-dependent model to take the strong quark interaction into account, while the hadron phase is treated by hard core repulsion factor. It is found that the phase diagram in this model is, in several aspects, different from those in the conventional MIT bag model, especially at high temperature. The new phase diagram also has strong effects on the mass-radius relation of compact hybrid stars.


The present study was conducted to predict T-cell epitopes of the antigen 85 complex capable of stimulating antibody generation by using immunoinformatics approaches. By applying computational biology software, the available data of the antigen 85 complex and related-epitopes would be turned into more constructive and useful scientific informations for the development of multiepitope-based anti-TB vaccine. The identification of T-cell epitopes capable of generating antibody was done by the 3DEX program, discotope analysis and PyMol program. Selected peptides having individual amino acids localized on the predicted antibody-binding sites were subjected to antigenic property analysis, including their hydrophilicity, flexibility and antigenic propensity. The 3DEX program identified 17 peptides having at least four individual amino acids located on the antigen surface. However, after homology analysis with preselected distance of 7 A and taking into account the spatial neighborship, only seven peptides of antigen 85A, 85B and 85C (3, 3 and 1 peptide(s) respectively) had individual amino acids overlapping the predicted antibody-binding site. Peptides 17838, 21780, 21275 and 36131 had an average score of antigenic propensity above 1.0. In conclusion, there are seven peptides representing T-cell epitope of antigen 85 complex that could potentially be capable of generating an antibody response. The seven peptides, P17838, P21093, P36131, P21275, P21780, P21796 and P10839, are suitable candidates for further study in order to develop a subunit-based multiepitope anti-TB vaccine.


A logic simulation approach suitable to get information about the dissipated power of a system without the need of a specific current simulation is described. With this approach it is possible to retrieve estimations for average power dissipation under typical operating conditions. Furthermore a mapping approach which performs a power-minimal mapping for a given CMOS combinational circuit structure is suggested.<<ETX>>


Numerous studies have proven a close relationship between inflammatory diseases and the state of hypercoagulability. In fact, thromboembolic complications represent one of the main causes of disability and mortality in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, cancer and obstetric complications. Despite this, the processes of hemostasis and immune responses have long been considered separately; currently, work is underway to identify the molecular basis for a relationship between such systems. It has been identified that various pro-inflammatory stimuli are capable of triggering a coagulation cascade, which in turn modulates inflammatory responses. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are the networks of histones of extracellular DNA generated by neutrophils in response to inflammatory stimuli. The hemostasis is activated against infection in order to minimize the spread of infection and, if possible, inactivate the infectious agent. Another molecular network is based on fibrin. Over the last 10 years, there has been accumulated a whole body of evidence that NETs and fibrin are able to form a united network within a thrombus, stabilizing each other. Similarities and molecular cross-reactions are also present in the processes of fibrinolysis and lysis of NETs. Both NETs and von Willebrand factor (vWF) are involved in thrombosis as well as inflammation. During the development of these conditions, a series of events occurs in the microvascular network, including endothelial activation, NETs formation, vWF secretion, adhesion, aggregation, and activation of blood cells. The activity of vWF multimers is regulated by the specific metalloproteinase ADAMTS-13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13). Studies have shown that interactions between NETs and vWF can lead to arterial and venous thrombosis and inflammation. In addition, the contents released from activated neutrophils or NETs result in decreased ADAMTS-13 activity, which can occur in both thrombotic microangiopathies and acute ischemic stroke. Recently, NETs have been envisioned as a cause of endothelial damage and immunothrombosis in COVID-19. In addition, vWF and ADAMTS-13 levels predict COVID-19 mortality. In this review, we summarize the biological characteristics and interactions of NETs, vWF, and ADAMTS-13, the effect of NETs on hemostasis regulation and discuss their role in thrombotic conditions, sepsis, COVID-19, and obstetric complications.


The geology near a seismic source has a major effect on seismic waves recorded at distance. This can be especially true in the case of man‐made explosions, due to increased geologic heterogeneity at shallow depths and interactions with the free surface. Yucca Flat (YF), a sedimentary basin on the Nevada National Security Site, has hosted hundreds of well‐recorded underground nuclear tests. As such, it should be an ideal natural laboratory for the study of shallow explosions. Unfortunately, basin‐wide models of such important physical properties as compressive‐ and shear‐wave velocity are not available with sufficient fidelity to maximize the potential of the studies. We attempt to remedy this situation by creating a new shear‐wave velocity model of YF. This model was generated by inverting Rayleigh‐wave phase‐velocity dispersion measurements. Because no single dataset provided a dispersion curve of the necessary frequency bandwidth for shallow, intermediate, and deep basin depths simultaneously, we combined three dispersion curves with complementary bandwidths from three data sources. The datasets, in order of low frequency to high, were (1) underground nuclear tests at YF, recorded on regional seismic networks (0.14–0.4 Hz); (2) a multimode spatially averaged coherency microtremor array located on YF (0.2–20 Hz); and (3) several refraction microtremor (ReMi) linear arrays, also on YF (2.5–50 Hz). Compared to previous work, our model is characterized by slower velocities. The known geologic boundaries such as the depth of the basin and water table are prominent at reasonable locations.


Three case studies failed to demonstrate impacts of early environment or maternal effects on breeding in situations where they could have been expected. This leads to a number of methodological questions about the resolving power required to detect such impacts, but above all else to the conclusion that maternal effects and homeotic control are opposites. When assessing potential maternal effects, one has to consider not only the developmental period in which they occur but also the later stage of life of concern, because, with age, maternal effects may become less and less important or disappear altogether. The only real measure that there is of the relative importance of early environment and maternal effects is their proportion in phenotypic variance in the traits of interest.


title inscribed in pencil on verso. inscribed in pencil on verso: c. fox photo 20 melbourne streett geelong west victoria.


Leptospirosis is considered a worldwide distributed zoonosis, caused by the bacteria Leptospira spp. Since several species of wildlife animals are reportedly reservoirs, the aim of the present study was to know the epidemiology of leptospirosis at the Sorocaba Zoo, Southern Brazil. Serum samples of wild mammals from Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Didelphimorphia, Diprotodontia, Perissodactyla, Pilosa, Primates, Proboscidea and Rodentia orders, kept in captivity as well as from zoological staff were assayed by microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Whole blood, urine and tissue samples from wild mammals and synanthropic animals were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An epidemiological survey was applied to evaluate the risk factors for animal infection and staff level of knowledge on leptospirosis. A total of 13/229 (5.68%; CI95% 3.37-9.47%) serum samples from wild mammals were reagent on MAT. Serology from synanthropic animals, zoo staff and molecular analysis of animal samples were all negative. Leptospirosis knowledge of zoo park staff was considered medium. In conclusion, leptospiral infection occurs at the studied zoo but due to the low occurrence found, the lowest reported in literature, wild captive mammals do not act as source of infection of leptospirosis to other animals and human beings.


Abstract. The Upper Devonian sedimentary sequences of Central Armenia, which mainly consist of shallow water, mixed carbonate-siliciclastic deposits, contain abundant and diverse brachiopods that are dominated by spiriferides. Based on newly collected material from the lower Famennian Aramazdospirifer orbelianus brachiopod zone (coeval to the Palmatolepis crepida conodont zone) of Armenia, we here introduce two new cyrtospiriferid genera and fully document their type species, including their intraspecific variability. Pentagonospirifer n. gen. is a monospecific genus assigned to the subfamily Cyrtospiriferinae that is currently known only from the lower Famennian of Armenia; it is likely that its type species, P. abrahamyanae n. sp., evolved from the species Cyrtospirifer verneuili sensu Abrahamyan, known from the Frasnian and lower Famennian of Armenia. The second new genus, Tornatospirifer n. gen., is assigned to the subfamily Cyrtiopsinae and defined on the basis of one of the most biostratigraphically valuable cyrtospiriferid species, namely T. armenicus n. comb., described previously from the lower Famennian Aramazdospirifer orbelianus Zone of Armenia. It is likely that it evolved from a Frasnian ancestral stock of Tiocyrspis Sartenaer, known from northwestern Europe, which probably migrated during the early Frasnian to the north Gondwanan margin. A neotype is selected for Abrahamyan's species because the type material is lost. Epibionts (Cornulites, Hederella) attached to brachiopods are also documented for the first time from the Upper Devonian of Armenia.


While papillomavirus (PVs) are an established cause of human cancer, few reports have supported a relationship between PV and canine squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Human oncogenic PVs lead to an increased expression of the p16 tumor suppressor protein, and the latter can be demonstrated immunohistochemically to support a likely causal relationship between tumor and PV infection. In the present study, archive samples of canine SCC from different anatomical locations were tested by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of PV DNA and by p16 immunohistochemistry. The aims were to investigate the relationship between p16 expression and presence of PV DNA, in order to assess the utility of p16 overexpression as a biomarker of PV infection in canine SCC. A total of 52 SCCs were included. Nine cases (17.3%) showed moderate p16 immunoreactivity, with no association with tumor degree of differentiation, histotype or mitotic activity. The canPVf/FAP64 primers amplified Canis familiaris PV-1 DNA from 3 out of 52 tumors (5.8%), one cutaneous, one oral and one tonsillar SCC. There was no association between PV presence and p16 immunostaining. These results do not support a significant role of PVs in the development of canine SCCs. Additionally, PV infection was apparently not the cause of the p16 immunostaining observed in a subset of canine SCCs. A better awareness of p16 level of expression and cellular function in canine cancer may help to define its diagnostic and prognostic role.


The purpose of the study was to determine the dynamics of anthropometric and functional indicators of the physical condition of first-year cadets over three years (from 2019 to 2021). Materials and methods. 152 cadets from Ivan Kozhedub Air Force National University were involved in the experiment. The age of participants was from 17 to 22 years. All cadets were informed about the experiment and gave their consent. Anthropometric (measurement of anthropometric data) and medical-biological (rhythm inversion, electromanometry) methods of investigation were used to determine the assessment of the cadets' physical condition. A highly informative method – the assessment of O. Pirogova index was used for analysis of the cadets' physical condition. Pirogova physical condition index is a complex indicator based on the heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, age, body weight, and body height. Statistical analysis of the results was carried out using the EXCEL tables. The data was analyzed using Student's test, p less than 0.05 was considered the level of significance. Results and discussion. The results of the study showed that the mean values of the anthropometric and functional indicators of the first-year cadets have not been changed statistically significant over three years. The exception is the difference in the average value of systolic blood pressure of control group 1 and control group 3 representatives, which is statistically reliable (p <0.05). Current anthropometric indicators of cadets obtained during the experiment confirmed the data available in the scientific and methodological literature about the anthropometric indicators of candidates for training in higher military educational institutions of Ukraine. The Pirogova physical condition index calculating showed the following average values of the Pirogova physical condition index: control group 1 – 0.704 points, control group 2 – 0.688 points, control group 3 – 0.671 points. However, the results of the study show a statistically significant deterioration of the Pirogova physical condition index of the 2021 recruitment cadets by 4.7% compared to the representatives of 2019. The comparative analysis of the first-year cadets' physical condition assessments demonstrates a gradual, significant decrease in the number of "high" physical condition ratings: 12% among control group 1 cadets (2019 year of recruitment); 9% among control group 2 representatives (2020 year of recruitment) and only 3% among control group 3 cadets (2021 year of recruitment). However, over three years, the percentage of representatives with physical condition assessment rating "Lower than average" has increased significantly: 1% among cadets of control group 1 (2019 year of recruitment); 7% among cadets of control group 2 (2020 year of recruitment); 7% among representatives of control group 3 (2021 year of recruitment). Conclusion. Over the last 3 years, there has been a deterioration of the general physical condition of higher military educational institution cadets


A recently developed methodology-primed in situ labeling (PRINS)-can be used in place of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to diagnose microdeletions. To demonstrate the efficiency, sensitivity, and specificity of PRINS in the diagnosis of microdeletions, we studied groups of patients with Prader Willi/Angelman (PWS/AS) syndrome and DiGeorge/velocardiofacial syndrome (DGS/VCFS). Results obtained by PRINS were then confirmed with the results obtained with FISH. Oligonucleotide primers specific for SNRPN and GABRB3 were used for PWS/AS syndromes. For DGS/VCFS, the primers used were DGCR2/TUPLE1 loci. Labeling patterns obtained by PRINS and FISH were analyzed and scored under a fluorescence microscope. Five normal subjects served as controls and were used for standardization of the PRINS protocol. In all, 20 study patients were involved: 10 PWS/AS and 10 DGS/VCFS. Five of the 10 patients referred with the clinical diagnosis of PWS/AS showed absence of labeling for SNRPN and GABRB3 on one chromosome 15, confirming deletion of the two loci. Similarly, 6 of the 10 patients referred for DGS/VCFS showed deletion for the DGCR2/TUPLE1 loci on one chromosome 22. The remaining patients and controls had normal patterns for all the loci as indicated by FISH and PRINS. Concordant FISH and PRINS results were obtained in all patients and controls studied.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Albuminuria is associated with risk for renal and cardiovascular disease. It is difficult to predict which persons will progress in albuminuria. This study investigated whether assessment of urinary markers associated with damage to different parts of the nephron may help identify individuals that will progress in albuminuria.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
Individuals were selected from a prospective community-based cohort study with serial follow-up and defined as "progressors" if they belonged to the quintile of participants with the most rapid annual increase in albuminuria, and reached an albuminuria ≥150 mg/d during follow-up. Patients with known renal disease or macroalbuminuria at baseline were excluded. Each progressor was matched to two control participants, based on baseline albuminuria, age, and sex. Furthermore, damage markers were measured in a separate set of healthy individuals.

RESULTS
After a median follow-up of 8.6 years, 183 of 8394 participants met the criteria for progressive albuminuria. Baseline clinical characteristics were comparable between progressors and matched controls (n=366). Both had higher baseline albuminuria than the overall population. Urinary excretion of the glomerular damage marker IgG was significantly higher in progressors, whereas urinary excretion of proximal tubular damage markers and inflammatory markers was lower in these individuals compared with controls. Healthy individuals (n=109) had the lowest values for all urinary damage markers measured.

CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that albuminuria associated with markers of glomerular damage is more likely to progress, whereas albuminuria associated with markers of tubulointerstitial damage is more likely to remain stable.