The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the psychiatric symptoms of anxiety and depression, as assessed by validated questionnaires on the success of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). A prospective observational study was carried out by the Uro-gynaecological Physiotherapy Department at the Singleton Hospital, Swansea. A total of 108 consecutive women with pelvic floor dysfunction were referred for physiotherapy and admitted to the 6-month physiotherapy programme. They underwent subjective and objective assessments of their pelvic floor and psychological health at the beginning and end of the programme. A strong correlation was noted between the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms and the severity of their pelvic floor dysfunction. Following physiotherapy, apart from sexual function, all domains of pelvic floor dysfunction showed significant improvement. Based on the severity of their anxiety/depression symptoms, the patients were stratified into three groups. The group of patients that benefitted most had either no or only mild anxiety/depression. This study raises the question of whether a targeted approach should be undertaken for managing patients who, in addition to their pelvic floor dysfunction, demonstrate psychiatric symptoms.


Rapid advances in sequencing technology have resulted in the availability of genomes from organisms across the tree of life. Accurately interpreting the function of proteins in these genomes is a major challenge, as annotation transfer based on homology frequently results in misannotation and error propagation. This challenge is especially pressing for organisms whose genomes are directly obtained from environmental samples, as interpretation of their physiology and ecology is often based solely on the genome sequence. For complex protein (super)families containing a large number of sequences, classification can be used to determine whether annotation transfer is appropriate, or whether experimental evidence for function is lacking. Here we present a novel computational approach for de novo classification of large protein (super)families, based on clustering an alignment score matrix obtained by aligning all sequences in the family to a small subset of the data. We evaluate our approach on the enolase family in the Structure Function Linkage Database. Availability and implementation ASM-Clust is implemented in bash with helper scripts in perl. Scripts comprising ASM-Clust are available for download from https://github.com/dspeth/bioinfo_scripts/tree/master/ASM_clust/


Strategic alliances, a manifestation of interorganizational cooperative strategies, entails the pooling of specific resources and skills by the cooperating organizations in order to achieve common goals, as well as goals specific to the individual partners. Gaining access to new markets; accelerating the pace of entry into new markets; sharing of research and development, manufacturing, and/or marketing costs; broadening the product line/filling product line gaps; and learning new skills are among the motives underlying the entry of firms into strategic alliances. During the last decade, an increasing number of firms have entered into alliances with other firms within the same industry, as well as within other industries. Some firms have progressed well beyond forming isolated alliances to establishing a web of intra- and interindustry, and intra-and international strategic alliances. Against this backdrop, we provide a synthesis of the conceptual foundations of strategic alliances and explore the role of marketing in strategic alliances.


Purpose Effective handovers (handoffs) are vital to patient safety. Medical educators investigated educational interventions to improve handovers in a 2011 systematic review. The number of publications on handover education has increased since then, so authors undertook this updated review. Method The authors considered studies involving educational interventions to improve handover amongst undergraduate or postgraduate health professionals in acute care settings. In September 2016, two authors independently conducted a standardized search of online databases and completed a data extraction and quality assessment of the articles included. They conducted a content analysis of and extracted key themes from the interventions described. Results Eighteen reports met the inclusion criteria. All but two were based in the United States. Interventions most commonly involved single-patient exercises based on simulation and role-play. Many studies mentioned multiprofessional education or practice, but interventions occurred largely in single-professional contexts. Analysis of interventions revealed three major themes: facilitating information management, reducing the potential for errors, and improving confidence. The majority of studies assessed Kirkpatrick's outcomes of satisfaction and knowledge/skill improvement (Levels 1 and 2). The strength of conclusions was generally weak. Conclusions Despite increased interest in and publications on handover, the quality of published research remains poor. Inadequate reporting of interventions, especially as they relate to educational theory, pedagogy, curricula, and resource requirements, continues to impede replication. Weaknesses in methodologies, length of follow-up, and scope of outcomes evaluation (Kirkpatrick levels) persist. Future work to address these issues, and to consider the role of multiprofessional and multiple-patient handovers, is vital.


Background: Picrorhiza kurroa (PK) belongs to Scrophulariaceae family and is a representative endemic, medicinal herb, widely distributed throughout the higher altitudes of alpine Himalayas from west to east, between 3000 and 4500 m above mean sea level. Objective: The objective of the present study is to assess the production of picroside I and picroside II from tissue cultures of PK. Materials and Methods: Auxiliary shoot tips of PK were incubated in Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid and kinetin phytohormones. The callus produced was collected at different time intervals and was processed for extraction of picroside I and picroside II followed by thin layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC analysis. Results: The maximum growth index was found to be 5.109 ± 0.159 at 16-week-old callus culture. The estimation of picroside-I and picroside-II was carried out by (HPLC) analysis; quantity of secondary metabolite found to be 16.37 ± 0.0007 mg/g for PK-I and 6.34 ± 0.0012 mg/g for PK-II. Conclusion: This is the first attempt to produce the Picroside-I and II in large amount by the tissue culture technique. It can be observed that the method of callus culture can be used in production of secondary metabolites Picroside-I and II from PK


Singlish can be interesting to the ACL community both linguistically as a major creole based on English, and computationally for information extraction and sentiment analysis of regional social media. We investigate dependency parsing of Singlish by constructing a dependency treebank under the Universal Dependencies scheme, and then training a neural network model by integrating English syntactic knowledge into a state-of-the-art parser trained on the Singlish treebank. Results show that English knowledge can lead to 25% relative error reduction, resulting in a parser of 84.47% accuracies. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to use neural stacking to improve cross-lingual dependency parsing on low-resource languages. We make both our annotation and parser available for further research.


Genital TB may present as an abdomino-pelvic mass mimicking ovarian malignancy because clinical and laboratory findings are similar but pulmonary tuberculosis presenting as multiple nodular opacity is very infrequent. Hereby we report a case of tuberculosis in a 53 year old lady, who presented to us with right adnexal mass with multiple different sized lung nodules suggestive of metastasis. According to best of our knowledge this type of case has not been published in standard english literature.


We have investigated strategies for enhancing ensemble learning algorithms for the analysis of high-dimensional biological data. Specifically we investigated strategies to force classifiers to consider the possible interactions between features. As a result an algorithm that induces decision trees with a feature non-replacement mechanism has been devised and tested on DNA microarray and proteomic datasets. The results show that feature non-replacement enables decision trees deeper than simple stumps to be used, thereby allowing feature interaction to be taken into account.


Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to discuss the role of muscle biopsy in the current age of genetic testing. Recent findingsThe diagnostic approach to patients with suspected genetically determined myopathies has been altered by recent advances in molecular diagnostic technologies and by the increased number of conditions for which the genetic alterations have been identified. Myopathological aspects can narrow down the differential diagnosis when the clinical phenotype is not informative enough and can help guide the molecular investigation. SummaryHere, we review genetic and myopathological aspects of selected genetically determined myopathies.


Gallbladder tuberculosis (TB) as an isolated infection and is an extremely rare entity even in parts of the world with endemicity. Though it has myriad ways of presentation, it can be cured successfully. We present a case of a 53-year-old man who presented with epigastric fullness and bloating with on and off low-grade fever for 2 months and significant weight loss. He underwent a CT scan, which showed a soft tissue gallbladder mass causing mural thickening of the antrum and lesser curvature. This was followed by a CT-guided core biopsy and gastric antrum biopsy via gastroscopy. Histopathology revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation in both samples. Various clinical presentations of gallbladder TB have been reported in literature, but to the best of our knowledge, the present case has a unique presentation and has never been reported before.


Abstract Oral administration is the preferred route for drug administration that leads to better therapy compliance. The intestine plays a key role in the absorption and metabolism of oral drugs, therefore, new intestinal models are being continuously proposed, which contribute to the study of intestinal physiology, drug screening, drug side effects, and drug–drug interactions. Advances in pharmaceutical processes have produced more drug formulations, causing challenges for intestinal models. To adapt to the rapid evolution of pharmaceuticals, more intestinal models have been created. However, because of the complexity of the intestine, few models can take all aspects of the intestine into account, and some functions must be sacrificed to investigate other areas. Therefore, investigators need to choose appropriate models according to the experimental stage and other requirements to obtain the desired results. To help researchers achieve this goal, this review summarised the advantages and disadvantages of current commonly used intestinal models and discusses possible future directions, providing a better understanding of intestinal models.


An on-line microcolumn switching method was developed for the removal of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) from tryptic digest samples. The system includes two micro-precolumns: a specific ionic detergent trapping column and a preconcentration column. Characterization of the proteinaceous samples, after isolation from the SDS, was performed by capillary liquid chromatography (LC) with UV absorption detection and electrospay mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Loading and clean-up of the samples and regeneration of the detergent trapping column were performed at 50 microl min(-1), resulting in sample clean-up times of only 30 s. SDS-containing tryptic digested protein samples were directly applied to the micro-precolumns without any previous sample pretreatment. The developed microcolumn switching method permits the on-line analysis of small tryptic digest samples by capillary LC/ESI-MS in the presence of SDS. The method is completely automated and can be performed unattended. The maximum amount of SDS, in terms of loadability and breakthrough, were determined. Also studied were the selection of the loading and clean-up solvents and the recovery of the peptides. Chromatographic separations and mass spectral data confirmed the removal of SDS.


Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is one of the lipid mediators of inflammation. Chronic inflammation drives overproduction of PGE2 that leads to development of chronic inflammatory diseases. PGE2 is synthesized by cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme that exists in isoforms of COX-1, which is constitutively expressed; and COX-2, which is expressed upon induction. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit COXs to control excessive production of PGE2 during inflammation but, most of commercialized NSAIDs selectively inhibit COX-1 or being non-selective which compensate for limitations and detrimental side effects of the medicine. Hence,deciphering the mechanisms of selectively inhibiting COX-2 is of great interest. Curcumin was known as remedy to treat the inflammatory-related diseases, but suffers from poor bioavailability and instability. Synthesis of curcumin derivatives was carried out to overcome the limitations. Thus, the objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of 43 curcumin derivatives towards activated cellular PGE2 production and COX's activity, as well as to understand its mechanism of actions in silico and in vitro.In this study, effects of curcumin derivatives on PGE2 production in murine macrophage (RAW264.7) cells which was stimulated by combination of interferongamma (IFN-) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), were evaluated using immunoassay procedures. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis was performed to correlate between the structure and PGE2 inhibition activity of curcumin derivatives.Enzymatic assay and molecular docking analysis were performed to decipher the mechanism of inhibition on COX activity by curcumin derivatives. Effects of active curcumin derivatives on gene expression of COX-1 and COX-2 were also determined.Results demonstrated that 3 out of 43 compounds significantly inhibited PGE2 production in IFN-γ/LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells dose-dependently which were
 2,6-bis(2-fluorobenzylidene)cyclohexanone (compound 25), 2,6-bis(4-fluorobenzylidene)cyclohexanone (compound 27), and 2,5-bis(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene)cyclopentanone (compound 43) with IC50 values of 6.15 ± 0.48 M, 5.78 ± 1.67 M and 12.15 ± 1.88 M respectively which were higher than that of curcumin. Furthermore, these three compounds were not toxic to the cells (cytotoxicity IC50>500 μM). The PGE2 inhibitory effect was contributed by the suppression of the IFN-γ/LPS-stimulated COX-2 gene expression, without affecting the phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated COX-1 gene expression in RAW264.7 cells by these three compounds. Arene substitution patterns and substituents of electron withdrawing groups may contribute to the PGE2 inhibition activity of the compounds. Besides,QSAR study recommended that positive contribution of lipophilicity and numbers of rotatable bonds, and negative contribution of kappa_2 descriptor of the compounds were crucial for their anti-inflammatory properties. The enzymatic assay showed that most curcumin derivatives tested selectively inhibited COX-1 activity rather than COX-2. However, compounds 25 and 43 selectively inhibited COX-2, unlike compound 27 which favours towards COX-1 activity. Moreover, docking study revealed that compounds 25 and 43 interacted with COX's active site receptors that favour towards COX-2 inhibition. Arg120, His90, Phe518 and Arg513 are important receptors involved in COX-2 inhibition, while Arg120 and Ser530 are important receptors in COX-1 inhibition. In conclusion, the experimental data have provided mechanistic insights into properties of compounds 25, 27, and 43 as COX-itors.Compounds 25 and 43 could be potential lead compounds for development of new COX-2 selective inhibitors.


Long-term synaptic plasticity, in the form of either potentiation or depression (LTP or LTD), is thought to provide the substrate for adaptive computations in brain circuits. Although molecular and cellular processes of plasticity have been clarified to a considerable extent at individual synapses, very little is known about the spatiotemporal organization of LTP and LTD in local microcircuits. Here, we have combined multi-spot two-photon laser microscopy and realistic modeling to map the distribution of plasticity in multi-neuronal units of the cerebellar granular layer activated by stimulating an afferent mossy fiber bundle. The units, composed by ~300 active neurons connected to ~50 glomeruli, showed potentiation concentrated in the core and depression in the periphery. This plasticity was effectively accounted for by an NMDA receptor and calcium-dependent induction rule and was regulated by local microcircuit mechanisms in the inhibitory Golgi cell loops. The organization of LTP and LTD created effective spatial filters tuning the time-delay and gain of spike retransmission at the cerebellum input stage and provided a plausible basis for the spatiotemporal recoding of input spike patterns anticipated by the motor learning theory.


A study was initiated to determine the possibility of using the fungus Aspergillus niger for bioleaching and then to identify and evaluate the parameters that affect this process. An oxidized mining residue containing mainly copper (7240 mg/kg residue) was studied. Sucrose and mineral salts medium were initially used to produce citric and gluconic acids by A. niger with various concentrations of residue (1, 5, 7, 10 and 15% w/v). Maximal removal of up to 60% of the copper was obtained for the 5% residue. These experiments showed that the pH decreased to around three within 10 days of incubation. Other substrates were evaluated including molasses, corn cobs and brewery waste. Sucrose gave the best results for copper removal, followed by molasses, corn cobs and brewery waste. Other experiments using ultrasound as a pre-treatment showed that 80% removal of the copper could be obtained for a 5% residue concentration. In conclusion, leaching of copper from a mining residue is technically feasible using A. niger . Further research must be performed to increase the economic feasibility of the process.


Extensive triaxial test data on soft Bangkok clay indicate that a unified normalized failure envelope in compression can be
obtained for all states and this envelope is only dependent on the frictional component. The failure envelope on the extension side is a
mirror image of the compression envelope on the mean normal stress axis. Triaxial compression and extension tests performed with a
wide variety of stress paths as well as stress probing experiments inside the state boundary surface seem to confirm this single set of
normalized failure envelopes. Such normalizable failure surfaces merge with the undrained stress paths of the normally consolidated
states to form the state boundary surface. This would imply that for natural un-cemented deposits of soft clays, effective stress analysis
could be performed successfully only with frictional mechanism in the limit state and the friction angle will vary dependent on the
overconsolidation ratio. Many of the case histories in the Muar clay series of test embankments seem to give successful predictions
when analysed using the CRISP Program and the limit state friction strength envelope. Similar experience is also noted in the
performance of the test embankments with the Bangkok clay


The risk of leukemia was evaluated in 9,170 2-or-more-year survivors of childhood cancer in the 13 institutions of the Late Effects Study Group. Secondary leukemia occurred in 22 nonreferred individuals compared to 1.52 expected, based on general population rates [relative risk (RR) = 14; 95% confidence interval (CI), 9-22]. The influence of therapy for the first cancer on subsequent leukemia risk was determined by a case-control study conducted on 25 cases and 90 matched controls. Treatment with alkylating agents was associated with a significantly elevated risk of leukemia (RR = 4.8; 95% CI, 1.2-18.9). A strong dose-response relationship was also observed between leukemia risk and total dose of alkylating agents, estimated by an alkylator score. The RR of leukemia reached 23 in the highest dose category. Radiation therapy, however, did not increase risk. Although doxorubicin was also identified as a possible risk factor, the excess risk of leukemia following treatment for childhood cancer appears almost entirely due to alkylating agents.


Objective The relationship between food insecurity and obesity is discussed in the literature. The objective of this study was to determine whether food insecurity and obesity were associated in the Paris metropolitan area. Methods: We used data from third wave of the Health, Inequalities and Social Ruptures (SIRS) cohort study, a longitudinal population-based, representative health and socioepidemiological survey of the general population in the Paris metropolitan area. The participants' BMI (calculated using self-reported height and weight) was analyzed as a continuous variable, and a dichotomous variable (BMI < 30 kg/m2/BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) was constructed. Food insecurity was estimated using the Household Food Security Scale Module (HFSSM) and was treated as a trichotomous variable (food security / low food security / very low food security). Multilevel models were estimated for men and women separately. Results: Obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) prevalence was 10.2%. The determinant of obesity differs according to gender. After adjustment for age, income and the sociooccupational group, very low food security was associated with obesity in women (OR = 2.01, 95%CI 1.05-3.82), and women with very low food security had a higher BMI (Coef. = 1.78, 95% CI 0.24-3.31). This association, however, was not significant for men (OR = 1.84, 95%CI 0.64-5.30). Conclusion: In times of economic crisis, it is increasingly essential to explore and understand the pathway through which very low food security is linked to obesity.


Were examined 33 patients with syringomyelia starting in mature age. The results showed that at an early stage of the disease the most common symptoms were sensitive disorders of 51.5% of patients and coordination disorders of 48.5% of patients. Assessment of the severity of neurological symptomatology at an early stage of the disease showed the presence of mild neurologic impairment of most patients. Basic versions of syringomyelia were suggested: slow (subtypes are secondary — stable and progressive) and moderate, fast, and non-progressive.Key words: syringomyelia, progression, ectopia of cerebellar tonsils, magnetic resonance tomography.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
A fundamental experiment was undertaken with reference to local resection with lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer. The intramural blood supply network of the stomach wall, about which no reports have previously appeared, was surgically investigated.

METHODOLOGY
Five pigs were used. The left gastric and the right gastroepiploic vessels and their branches were removed from all the animals. The right gastric vessels were also removed, while the short gastric and the left gastroepiploic vessels were preserved in the 1st pig. Only the short gastric vessels were preserved in the 2nd, and the right and the short gastric vessels in the 3rd. After resection of the whole stomach with the spleen, angiography was performed through the preserved arteries. The 4th and 5th pigs underwent the same procedures as the 1st, with additional local resection of the stomach in the 5th. Both pigs were maintained for 1 year and then, angiography was performed.

RESULTS
When the short gastric and the left gastroepiploic vessels, or the short and the right gastric vessels were preserved, the whole stomach continued to receive blood supply through the intramural network. Stomach wall resection therefore can be performed with no complications after these procedures.

CONCLUSIONS
The present results confirm the possibility of local resection with lymphadenectomy as a treatment for gastric cancer.


The representation of tidal energy in future renewable energy systems is growing. Most of the current tidal turbine designs are limited by the minimum current velocity required for efficient operation. The Deep Green (DG) is a kite-borne tidal power plant designed to sustain efficient operation in tidal current velocities as low as 1.2 ms−1. This could increase the geographical areas suitable for large-scale tidal power arrays. Numerical modeling of the Deep Green was carried out in a previous study using large eddy simulations and the actuator line method. This numerical model is compared with acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements taken in the wake of a DG operating in a tidal flow under similar conditions. To be comparable, and since the ADCP measures current velocities using averages of beam components, the numerical model data were resampled using a virtual ADCP in the domain. The sensitivity of the wake observations to ADCP parameters such as pulse length, bin length, and orientation of the beams is studied using this virtual ADCP. After resampling with this virtual ADCP, the numerical model showed good agreement with the observations. Overall, the LES/ALM model predicted the flow features well compared to the observations, although the turbulence levels were underpredicted for an undisturbed tidal flow and overestimated in the DG wake 70 m downstream. The velocity deficit in the DG wake was weaker in the observations compared to the LES. The ALM/LES modeling of kite-borne tidal stream turbines is suitable for further studies of array optimization and wake propagation, etc.


We consider discrete time Markov chains in competition over a set of resources. We build a multidimensional Markov process based on the Cartesian product of the states space and on competition rules between the chains. When a resource is owned by a chain it affects the transition probabilities of the other components of the process. We prove that under some competition rules the steady-state distribution of the chain has a product form. This work extends Boucherie's theory based on continuous-time chains. The effects of the competition are slightly different from the restricted transitions studied by Boucherie. The proof is much more general and relies on algebraic properties of the generalized tensor product defined by Plateau and Stewart.


A sensor based on fringe projection technique was developed which allows ultrafast measurements of the surface of flat measuring objects which realizes a data acquisition rate up to 8.9 million 3D points per second. The high measuring velocity was achieved by consequent fringe code reduction and parallel data processing. Fringe sequence length was reduced using geometric constraints of the sensor arrangement including epipolar geometry. Further reduction of the image sequence length was obtained by omission of the Gray code sequence by using the geometric constraints of the measuring objects. The sensor may be used e.g. for inspection of conductor boards.


Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae), normally known as star fruit bears a great consequence in traditional medicine. Traditionally, A. carambola was used in ailments such as arthralgia, chronic headache, boils and pyodermas, colds, cough, epistaxis, spermatorrhea, fever, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, malaria, malarial splenomegaly, oliguria, postpartum edema, sore throat, subcalorism and traumatic injury. Pharmacological investigations on A. carambola have established anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antitumor and anti-ulcer activities. In addition, the plant possesses hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, nephrotoxic, neurotoxic, negative inotropic and chronotropic effects. Phytochemical investigations have exposed the occurrence of saponins, tannins, alkaloids and flavonoids. This review is an attempt to modernize the pharmacological activities and clinical studies on A. carambola.


: The effects of prophylactic, polyvalent intravenous immune globulin on cytomegalovirus infection and interstitial pneumonia in allogenic marrow transplants were evaluated in an ongoing, randomized controlled trial. Thirty-eight patients were given weekly doses (20 cc/kg) of polyvalent intravenous immune globulin before and after transplantation, and 37 patients were controls. Both symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection (17 of 37 or 46% vs. 8 of 38 or 21%, p = 0.04) and interstitial pneumonia (17 of 37 or 46% vs. 7 of 38 or 18%, p = 0.02) occurred less frequently in the recipients of polyvalent intravenous immune globulin. In separate kinetic studies, a 5 cc/kg dose of a cytomegalovirus-specific hyperimmune globulin produced cytomegalovirus antibody titers in patients equivalent to those achieved after the 20 cc/kg dose of polyvalent intravenous immune globulin. All immune globulin preparations were well-tolerated. These preliminary results suggest that intravenous immune globulin can modify the severity of cytomegalovirus infection and prevent interstitial pneumonia in marrow transplants. Additional trials are now needed to define the minimal effective dose of intravenous immune globulin and to compare the effectiveness of different intravenous immune globulin formulations.


This set of new hand held, deep retractors can be recommended for use by all abdominal surgical disciplines. It should be a useful and welcome addition to give improved and more controlled exposure during many surgical procedures.


On November 13, 2017, the Supreme Court granted a petition to review National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra, a case that implicates several distinct and complex First Amendment doctrines. Specifically, the Court will consider whether a California law providing information that certain pregnancy centers must disseminate to clients violates the Free Speech Clause. The Ninth Circuit previously upheld the California law, deepening a circuit split that raises questions beyond the highly charged context of family planning and pregnancy-related services. Part I of this two-part Sidebar provides an overview of the challenged law, followed by an analysis of how the Supreme Court might categorize the speech at issue. Part II discusses the potential implications of any Supreme Court decision in NIFLA for First Amendment jurisprudence and legislatures seeking to regulate in this area.


A lack of data hinders effective marine management strategies for developing island states. This is a particularly acute problem for the Commonwealth of Dominica. Here we use publicly available remote sensing and model data to map their relatively unstudied waters. Two study areas were selected; a smaller area focussing on the nearshore marine environment, and a larger area to capture broader spatial patterns and context. Three broadscale landscape maps were created, using geophysical and oceanographic data to classify the marine environment based on its abiotic characteristics. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on each area, followed by K-means clustering. The larger area PCA revealed three eigenvalues > 1, and one eigenvalue of 0.980. Therefore, two maps were created for this area, to assess the significance of including the fourth principal component (PC). We demonstrate that including too many PCs could lead to an increase in the confusion index of final output maps. Overall, the marine landscape maps were used to assess the spatial characteristics of the benthic environment and to identify priority areas for future high-resolution study. Through defining and analysing existing conditions and highlighting important natural areas in the Dominican waters, these study results can be incorporated into the Marine Spatial Planning process.


C57BL/6 mice are widely used for in vivo studies of immune function and metabolism in mammals. In a previous study, it was observed that when C57BL/6 mice purchased from different vendors were infected with Plasmodium yoelii, a causative agent of murine malaria, they exhibited both differential immune responses and significantly different parasite burdens: these patterns were reproducible when gut contents were transplanted into gnotobiotic mice. To gain insight into the mechanism of resistance, we removed whole ceca from mice purchased from two vendors, Taconic Biosciences (low parasitemia) and Charles River Laboratories (high parasitemia), to determine the combined host and microflora metabolome and metatranscriptome. With the exception of two Charles River samples, we observed ≥90% similarity in overall bacterial gene expression within vendors and ≤80% similarity between vendors. In total 33 bacterial genes were differentially expressed in Charles River mice (p-value < 0.05) relative to the mice purchased from Taconic. Included among these, fliC, ureABC, and six members of the nuo gene family were overrepresented in microbiomes susceptible to more severe malaria. Moreover, 38 mouse genes were differentially expressed in these purported genetically identical mice. Differentially expressed genes included basigin, a cell surface receptor required for P. falciparum invasion of red blood cells. Differences in metabolite pools were detected, though their relevance to malaria infection, microbial community activity, or host response is not yet understood. Our data have provided new targets that may connect gut microbial activity to malaria resistance and susceptibility phenotypes in the C57BL/6 model organism.


This study used Graph Theory to examine relationships within the Greek ICT start-up ecosystem, analyzing founders' views, strategies, and current perceptions regarding their ICT start-ups. The sample consisted of more than 90 founders of Greek IT start ups who participated in exhibitions as start-up companies during 2018 and 2019 and had completed at least one accelerator program. The study analyzed the dataset of a previous research project, using Graph Theory and R as the main tools for statistical analysis, in order to re-examine relationships between the key variables. The study highlighted a set of critical relationships and facts that were not revealed in past research. The dataset was first analyzed with the use of SPSS software for Pearson correlation, but using Graph Theory revealed a different picture. A literature review was also conducted to examine the key issues of entrepreneurship and Graph Theory and their applications to success factors for start-ups. The research findings provided a more precise understanding of the dynamics of Greek ICT start-ups, as well as the importance of Graph Theory for analyzing complex phenomena and business ecosystems. The findings may be useful for entrepreneurs, as they strive to increase the success rates of current and future projects, as well as for academics, since Graph Theory reveals a new, likely more effective and accurate way of analyzing data and estimating relationships in complex environments.
Keywords: innovation management, marketing, start-ups, founders, business models, entrepreneurship, strategy, Greek, Graph Theory


Due to Xinjiang Uyghur Muslim riots escalated in recent years, the issue of cracking down of three evil forces: terrorism, separatism, and extremism in China has become a topic of worldwide interest. However, the complexity of the issue urges China to not only care about the internal obstacles but also concentrate on a big picture, a regional solution to calm the storm. This paper focuses on two key sub-topics, one is to explore the reason why Xinjiang Uyghur Muslim uprisings got motivated and the other is to assess whether the closer China-Central Asia co-operations help ease the tension. Moreover, this research attempts to investigate the other external players involved in Uyghur turmoil. The study will employ the qualitative method to analyze how Sino-Central Asia relations play a role in the process of countering East Turkistan force and ease the Xinjiang tension. The analysis and argument are based on institutionalism of Neo-liberalism to examine the impacts of China's foreign policies towards Central Asia, especially the institute of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as well as the constructivism theory to analyze the norms, ideas that shape the political attitudes of external players on Xinjiang issue. This paper argued that in order to prevent the further sprawl of the East Turkestan forces and maintain the regional stability and peace, China will continue to work with Central Asian countries in terms of counter-three evil forces through the SCO. Finally, the research will explore the development and challenges that SCO will face and tries to analyze its impacts on the solution of Xinjiang Uyghur Muslim riots in the near future. © 2016 TAF Publishing. All rights reserved.


tions of Arabic papyri and discusses the manufacture of the papyrus roll. Francois Deroche discusses the use of parchment with particular reference to early Quran codices. Ibrahim Chabbouh presents the methods of mixing inks as described in two medieval treatises: al-Marrakushi's al-Azhdr fi 'amal al-ahbdr and al-QalalusI's Tuhaf al-khawass. Finally, in this part, Iraj Afshar presents what is known about paper and its manufacture from classical Persian sources. The second part examines the textual transmission of manuscripts in Islamic society, and deals with various aspects including authors' draft, problems of authorship attribution, the ijdza, and the role of professional witnesses in formularies and legal documents. The section begins with Ayman Fu'ad Sayyid's examination of al-MaqrizI's draft of the Kitdb al-khitat. Mohamed Bencherifa goes on to discuss the problems of attribution with illustrations from Arabic historical and geographical works; while the relationship between text and reader is developed in Jan Just Witkam's examination of the function and use of ijazas in Arabic manuscripts. The final paper by Leon Buskens analyses Malik! formularies and legal documents underlining the changing social and cultural role of professional witnesses in Morocco. Particularly appealing about this volume is its combination of wider issues of manuscript codicology with textual criticism. It becomes abundantly clear from this volume that the study of colophon, ownership marks, certificates, holographs, rubrics, quires, binding and writing materials is no less important than the text of a codex. What matters, as Witkam puts it, is ' the interaction between the text and the environment' (p. 130). Such considerations are of importance both for the cataloguer of Islamic manuscripts, and for the philologist preparing a critical edition of a text. A minor quibble with this otherwise excellent volume: although the papers are uniformly edited and well annotated, an index would have been useful. The volume is certainly an eloquent witness to the development of the systematic study of Islamic manuscripts in recent years.


This Comment is submitted in relation to the Federal Trade Commission's ("FTC") Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century. Specifically, we address the United States Supreme Court's holding in FTC v. Actavis, Inc. that reverse-payment settlements should be analyzed under the rule of reason. The Court also held that since a full rule of reason analysis is costly and difficult, the size of the settlement may be used a proxy. The idea is that, if a settlement is greater than the potential litigation costs, then this is an indicator of a weak patent, or an attempt by the patent holder to exclude competition—in sum, it indicates that consumer welfare has decreased. We submit this comment based upon our extensive experience and expertise in antitrust law and economics.


Our purpose was to quantify the effect of rhizosphere processes on the fractions of Copper (Cu) in 10 soils amended with sewage sludge under greenhouse conditions by using a rhizobox. For amended soils, 1% (w/w) of sewage sludge was added to soil samples and then amended soils were incubated at field capacity, for 1 month. After incubation, soils were put in rhizobox and seeds of wheat were planted. Plants were harvested after 8 weeks and rhizosphere and bulk soils were separated. Fractions of Cu in the rhizosphere and bulk soils were determined. The results showed that Cu extracted using several extractants in rhizospheric soils were significantly (P<0.01) lower than in bulk soils. In the rhizosphere of amended soils the average of residual Cu, Cu associated with iron-manganese oxides, Cu associated with organic matter, Cu associated with carbonates and exchangeable Cu were 18.8, 2.10, 1.00, 0.37 and 0.24 mg kg -1 respectively, whereas above fractions in the bulk soils were 18.1, 2.43, 0.80, 0.42 and 0.30 mg kg -1 respectively. This study illustrated that Cu-fractions in the wheat rhizosphere were different compare to bulk soils in sewage sludge amended soils.


Conversation Starters is a series of interactive prototypes that probe how to design explainable interactions with AI in everyday life. Taking a more-than-human approach, we explore how 'failures' could be transformed into opportunities for situated understandings of AI. We describe the process of designing fictional artifacts and scenarios about conversational agents that can grow at home. While overall the project suggests that misunderstandings could help people develop sensitivities for knowing when to trust AI systems, the metaphor of 'growing an AI' (which positions training as a matter of care), highlights that practices of sharing and experimenting could be valuable starting points for designing explainable and trustworthy interactions with of AI.


This paper analyzes the results of the O Boticario's advertising involving gay couples in Brazil.  On Virtual Social Media (VSNs), while conservative consumers, religious leaders and protestant politicians were trying to boycott, the LGBTTT community has shown their Buycott Intention. A non-probalistic sample with 336 consumers was used in this study and the Kruskal-Wallis's and Chi-Square Test have approved our three hypothesis: (H 1 ) - the politicians influence their followers on VSNs in relation to Boycott Intention -  consumers  influenced by Marcos Feliciano and Jair Bolsonaro have had more Boycott Intention than those who were connected to  Jean Wllys' ideas;  (H 2 ) - sexual orientation and (H 3 ) - Religion are associated to Buycott Intention in the O Boticario's case. Specifically, analyzing Religion in this sample, Catholics, Agnostic and Atheist have the same Buycott Intention when they are compared to Protestants (who have lower Buycott Intention). These results suggest the Buycott Intention within LGBTTT  consumers might be an answer about O Boticario's brand reposting.


Chavez: The Heritage and the ChallengesWritten following the death of Chavez, the article examines the achievements of the Chavist revolution and the challenges it now faces. Among its achievements can be numbered wealth redistribution, a strategy of regional anti-imperialist integration, and the setting-up of various institutions promoting popular participation. Question marks hang over the solidarity between the civil and military authorities or the sustainability of its economic model. The major challenge does however concern the possibility of sustaining popular participation in a process of democratisation and socialist transformation without the support of charismatic authority.


This paper describes a simple laboratory experiment designed with a conical pendulum to observe and verify the conservation laws of angular momentum and mechanical energy.


An apparatus capable of measuring triplet–triplet absorption spectra in the 200–300 nm region for molecules with triplet lifetimes in the 1 ms–100 ns region is described. Spectra obtained for some fluoro-, methyl- and trifluoromethyl-substituted benzenes in the vapour phase are assigned using CNDO/S calculations. Comparison is made with predictions from other calculations.


Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed at the cell surface by more than 90% of SCCs and its activation is responsible for cell cycle progression, proliferation, survival, angiogenesis and metastasis. Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) is an enzyme up‐regulated through EGFR signaling and responsible for some of the EGFR‐dependent biological effects. An 88‐year‐old man presented with a recurrent, locoregionally meta‐static SCC of the right parietal region, which was resistant to radiotherapy. With a combination therapy of an EGFR blocker (cetuximab) and a COX‐2 inhibitor (celecoxib), the tumor regressed partially and the patient's Karnofsky index improved. We speculate that the combined use of cetuxi‐mab and COX‐2 inhibitors can be a new and effective therapy for advanced and recurrent cutaneous SCCs.


OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to identify differences in regional brain activity between physiological and benzodiazepine-induced sleep to clarify the brain structures involved in the drug's hypnotic effect.

METHOD
Using positron emission tomography, they compared regional cerebral blood flow during non-REM sleep in nine volunteers treated with placebo or triazolam, a short-acting benzodiazepine, in a double-blind, crossover design.

RESULTS
Blood flow in the basal forebrain and amygdaloid complexes was lower during non-REM sleep when subjects were given triazolam than when they were given placebo.

CONCLUSIONS
The hypnotic effect of the benzodiazepines may be mediated mainly by deactivation of the forebrain control system for wakefulness and also by the anxiolytic effect induced by deactivation of the emotional center.


Myco-heterotrophs are non-photosynthetic plants that parasitize mycorrhizal fungi for their nutritional requirements, especially carbon. Because green plants sprout both to photosynthesize and to reproduce, the lack of photosynthesis in myco-heterotrophs suggests that these plants need only to sprout to reproduce. Further, they may be long-lived, with fitness favoring high, stable survival over frequent reproduction and leading to size-biased reproduction. We hypothesized that sprouting would be rare and would always lead to flowering in a ten-year monitoring study of a myco-heterotrophic plant, the autumn coral root Corallorhiza odontorhiza. We also postulated that these plants would exhibit strong size-based flowering patterns. We tested these hypotheses by parameterizing a variety of mark–recapture models of survival, fecundity, and demographic transitions among two life history stages: flowering and non-sprouting (vegetatively dormant). We further developed and tested novel models estimating the influence of reproduction on demographic transitions one, two, and three years after flowering. Our results suggested that this population is typically subterranean, with only a small proportion of living plants actually sprouting in any given year. Plants typically flowered and fruited when they sprouted (flowering frequency > 0.99), supporting our first hypothesis that sprouting occurs only in concert with reproduction. We also found that reproduction was associated with long-term reproductive demographic impacts – plants that flowered more in the past three years were more likely to continue doing so than those that flowered only once. Our use of 'memory' mark–recapture models, in which transitions across years are allowed to vary with demographic events occurring across several previous years, proved a powerful means of testing for their long-term impacts of reproductive events.


In today's data-driven landscape, the delicate equilibrium between safeguarding user privacy and unleashing data potential stands as a paramount concern. Federated learning, which enables collaborative model training without necessitating data sharing, has emerged as a privacy-centric solution. This decentralized approach brings forth security challenges, notably poisoning and backdoor attacks where malicious entities inject corrupted data. Our research, initially spurred by test-time evasion attacks, investigates the intersection of adversarial training and backdoor attacks within federated learning, introducing Adversarial Robustness Unhardening (ARU). ARU is employed by a subset of adversaries to intentionally undermine model robustness during decentralized training, rendering models susceptible to a broader range of evasion attacks. We present extensive empirical experiments evaluating ARU's impact on adversarial training and existing robust aggregation defenses against poisoning and backdoor attacks. Our findings inform strategies for enhancing ARU to counter current defensive measures and highlight the limitations of existing defenses, offering insights into bolstering defenses against ARU.


There were many Jewish immigrants fled from different countries during World War II and migrated to the United States. They came from Poland, Russia, Cuba, Brazil, France, Syria, Israel, and other countries, hoping to find a more tolerant and secure place to raise their families. However, anti-Semitic violence and incidents have occurred over the years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of the second and third-generation Jewish immigrants toward their views of anti-Semitic violence and discrimination and safety needs. Additionally, this research relied on Social Identity Theory to understand the causes of the conflicts among the different groups. The author used a quantitative methodology, the author will collect information on participants' perceptions toward anti-Semitism and safety needs. This study gathered 300 participants of the second and third Jewish immigrant generations in Florida. The results indicated that over 64.7% of Jewish participants strongly agreed or agreed they were more worried about encountering anti-Semitism or discrimination in neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, or other places now than in the past ten years. Moreover, this study provided explicit recommendations for different groups dealing with anti-Semitism and discrimination.


Non-invasive skin cancer diagnostic methods develop rapidly thanks to Deep Learning and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). Currently, two types of diagnostics are popular: (a) using single image taken under white illumination and (b) using multiple images taken in narrow spectral bands. The first method is easier to implement, but it is limited in accuracy. The second method is more sensitive, because it is possible to use illumination considering the absorption bands of the skin chromophores and the optical properties of the skin. Currently CNN use a single white light image, due to the availability of large datasets with lesion images. Since CNN processing and analysis requires a large image database, only mathematical models have been used for multispectral diagnostics so far. Several scientific groups have created unique CNN, but the possibility of sharing pre-trained CNN models is limited due to the diversity of spectral bands used for skin lesion imaging. Current CNN models require image sets where each skin lesion has the same number of specific spectral bands. Therefore, researchers are unable to share their trained CNN models and each team uses a limited amount of skin lesions for CNN training. The paper proposes multi-input CNN architecture with a special encoding layer that allows using images in arbitrary spectral bands. That will allow sharing pre-trained models with other researchers to fine tune the model using additional wavebands. Additionally, the proposed model can adopt images taken under white illumination. As a result, it will be able to increase current melanoma detection accuracy


BACKGROUND
Knowledge of in vivo glenohumeral joint contact mechanics after total shoulder arthroplasty may provide insight for the improvement of patient function, implant longevity, and surgical technique. The objective of this study was to determine the in vivo glenohumeral joint contact locations in patients after total shoulder arthroplasty. We hypothesized that the glenohumeral joint articular contact would be centered on the glenoid surface because of the ball-in-socket geometric features of the implants.

METHODS
Dual-plane fluoroscopic images and computer-aided design models were used to quantify patient-specific glenohumeral articular contact in thirteen shoulders following total shoulder arthroplasty. The reconstructed shoulder was imaged at arm positions of 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees of abduction (in the coronal plane) and neutral rotation and at 90 degrees of abduction with maximum internal and external rotation. The patients were individually investigated, and their glenohumeral joint contact centroids were reported with use of contact frequency.

RESULTS
In all positions, the glenohumeral joint contact centroids were not found at the center of the glenoid surface but at an average distance (and standard deviation) of 11.0 +/- 4.3 mm from the glenoid center. Forty (62%) of the sixty-five total contact occurrences were found on the superior-posterior quadrant of the glenoid surface. The position of 0 degrees of abduction in neutral rotation exhibited the greatest variation of quadrant contact location; however, no contact was found on the superior-anterior quadrant of the glenoid surface in this position.

CONCLUSIONS
In vivo, glenohumeral joint contact after total shoulder arthroplasty is not centered on the glenoid surface, suggesting that kinematics after shoulder arthroplasty may not be governed by ball-in-socket mechanics as traditionally thought. Although contact locations as a function of arm position vary among patients, the superior-posterior quadrant seems to experience the most articular contact in the shoulder positions tested.


Landslides are the third most frequent disaster in Indonesia. One of these landslides occurred on March 10, 2017 in residential area of Jatiradio, Cililin Village, Cililin Sub-District, West Bandung Regency, West Java Province. Post-incident investigations have produced information regarding the characteristics of the area and recommendations for disaster mitigation. At present it is known that there are still problems left unsolved in the area that need to be mitigated. The purpose of this study is to identify those unsolved problems at the study site and formulate solutions to the problem using a soil bioengineering approach. Among all the data that need to be collected are the condition of both existing vegetation and subsurface profile on the former landslide slopes at the study site. Data from the observations were then analyzed to produce recommendations regarding the application of soil bioengineering at the study site. From this study, pine trees (Pinus merkusii) is recommended to be planted on the slopes and areas around the rock gabions. This type of vegetation has fulfilled four pre-determined criterias related to the function of slope protection and groundwater regulation for this particular area and is considered suitable to be applied to the study site.


Two amphiphilic and highly twisting perylene diimide (PDI) dimers, Bis-PDI-BDT-EG, were synthesized by using 4,8-bis(2-(2-ethylhexylthienyl) benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT-T) and 4,8-bis(2-ethylhexyloxy) BDT (BDT-O) as covalent bridges at the 7,7′-positions, while at the 1,1′-positions, they were functionalized with weakly solvophobic 2-methoxylethoxyl (EG) units. The subtle structural differences between BDT-O and BDT-T lead to distinct aggregation abilities: with respect to the over-strong aggregation ability of the BDT-O bridged dimer 2, the BDT-T bridged dimer 1 shows largely reduced aggregation ability and is solution-processable in the commonly used organic solvent. The highly twisted conformation between the PDI–BDT–PDI planes produced steric-pairing effects, which directed ordered packing of dimer 1. When dimer 1 was blended with P3HT in a weight D/A ratio of 1 : 2.5, the electron mobility (μe) was 3.4 × 10−5 cm2 V−1 s−1 and the best PCE was 1.72%. Slowing the solvent evaporation speed benefited the packing order of the PDI dimer, and the μe value was slightly increased to 6.0 × 10−5 cm2 V−1 s−1. The best PCE was improved up to 1.87%. The μe was further increased up to 3.4 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1 when the D/A ratio was decreased down to 1 : 2.2 and the best PCE of 1.95% was achieved. Solid absorption spectra and XRD data of the blended films supported the improvement of the packing order of the PDI dimer by slowing the solvent annealing speed. AFM images supported the largely reduced aggregation ability of dimer 1 when blended with P3HT. The observed phase size of 35 nm is formed under the slow solvent annealing speed and a D/A ratio of 1 : 2.2. Our results revealed that the amphiphilic nature of the bridged aromatic unit reduces the aggregation ability and facilitates the ordered packing of the PDI units, contributing to the improvement of efficiency.


Changing levels of cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) expression in the rat uterus during the estrous cycle have been reported by our laboratory. To understand the regulation of CFTR in the female reproductive tract, we investigated the modulation of CFTR expression by sexual hormones in reproductive tissues. Administration of PMSG to immature females, which showed no uterine CFTR messenger RNA by in situ hybridization, stimulated CFTR expression in the uterine epithelium 48 h post injection, coincident with the PMSG-induced peak in follicular estradiol. Twelve hours after administration of 17 beta-estradiol to immature and ovariectomized mature females, but not after progesterone injection, uterine CFTR expression was detected. CFTR messenger RNA was also found in the normal adult oviduct, being undetectable after ovariectomy and reappearing after estrogen treatment. On Western blots, a band of the predicted mol wt of CFTR was found in uterine and oviductal membrane preparations from estrogen-treated animals. Using an immunoperoxidase assay, apical labeling was observed in uterine and oviductal epithelial cells of estrogen-treated rats, similar to that reported for CFTR in Cl(-)-secreting epithelia. These results describe for the first time the hormonal up-regulation of CFTR in vivo, implying estrogen as a physiological regulator of CFTR in the female reproductive tract.


In this paper we characterize the mechanistic roles of the crystalline purple membrane (PM) lattice, the earliest bacteriorhodopsin (BR) photocycle intermediates, and divalent cations in the conversion of PM to laser-induced blue membrane (LIBM; lambda(max)= 605 nm) upon irradiation with intense 532 nm pulses by contrasting the photoconversion of PM with that of monomeric BR solubilized in reduced Triton X-100 detergent. Monomeric BR forms a previously unreported colorless monomer photoproduct which lacks a chromophore band in the visible region but manifests a new band centered near 360 nm similar to the 360 nm band in LIBM. The 360 nm band in both LIBM and colorless monomer originates from a Schiff base-reduced retinyl chromophore which remains covalently linked to bacterioopsin. Both the PM-->LIBM and monomer-->colorless monomer photoconversions are mediated by similar biphotonic mechanisms, indicating that the photochemistry is localized within single BR monomers and is not influenced by BR-BR interactions. The excessively large two-photon absorptivities (> or =10(6) cm(4) s molecule(-1) photon(-1)) of these photoconversions, the temporal and spectral characteristics of pulses which generate LIBM in high yield, and an action spectrum for the PM-->LIBM photoconversion all indicate that the PM-->LIBM and Mon-->CMon photoconversions are both mediated by a sequential biphotonic mechanism in which is the intermediate which absorbs the second photon. The purple-->blue color change results from subsequent conformational perturbations of the PM lattice which induce the removal of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions from the PM surface.


O STEOSCLEROSIS associated with chronic fluoride exposure is well documented. 1,2 Sodium fluoride has been used experimentally in the treatment of Paget's disease of bone, osteogenesis imperfecta, multiple myeloma, and osteoporosis. 3-7 Clinical and metabolic results have been obtained in these patients but detailed microscopic data on the effects of fluoride treatment on the bone have not been reported. The present report describes a patient with ulcerative colitis and hepatic cholangiolitis who was treated with corticosteroids with subsequent appearance of osteoporosis and vertebral body collapse. Sodium fluoride therapy was instituted for the osteoporosis and because of the active ulcerative colitis and liver disease, the patient was continued on corticosteroids. The present study was undertaken to obtain clinical, metabolic, and histologic data on this patient who was treated simultaneously with sodium fluoride and corticosteroids. Report of a Case A 63-year-old, married, white female (SMH 13-15-97) entered the hospital because of diarrhea


In the pristine model of general economic equilibrium producers and consumers are assumed to take prices for their inputs and outputs as given. A market equilibrium solution is obtained when the prices of all products lead to equal amounts of supply and demand for each. The mathematical properties of this model provide a rich and powerful unifying foundation for much of modern microeconomic theory. However, in many practical applications it is difficult or impossible to develop the data, and formulate and solve the equations required to implement the model of general economic equilibrium in its most general form. In practice, generality of formulation is often sacrificed for ease of computation and interpretation. These tradeoffs allow the latest breakthroughs in optimization algorithms and computer technology to be applied in the analysis of important societal problems.

A potential drawback associated with this otherwise desirable trend is that the analysis could become infatuated with the use of particular algorithms, and lose sight of the restrictive simplifying assumptions they imply. The present paper includes a comparison of the simplifying assumptions required in four of the most popular types of energy-economic models with respect to the model of general economic equilibrium. This comparison helps sharpen our appreciation for the tradeoffs between generalization of formulation and ease of computation and interpretation that are available.

The concept of general economic equilibrium is employed to provide a common framework for four ostensibly different approaches to large-scale modeling: 1 variable-coefficient input-output theory, 2 process network methodology, 3 linear programming and 4 general nonlinear optimization. The similarities and the differences of the four approaches are isolated within this framework. This comparison makes both the absolute and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the models more transparent.


Electronic noses are being developed as systems for the automated detection and classification of odors, vapors, and gases. Based on the study of the theory and constitutes of the electronic nose system, a set of independent component analysis (ICA) algorithms with BP neural network, for detection of gas mixture is designed and constructed, and the data processing which is measured by an electronic nose system consisting of five gas sensors is carried out. The results show that ICA algorithm can make a good classification for the data and reduce the data correlation. As the input of the BP network, it can predigest the structure and improve the convergence speed of the network.


Gout incidence and prevalence have surged in recent years, reflecting population risk factors and the cultural transmission of predisposing habits of diet and behavior. Fortunately, the rising prevalence of gout has brought a renewed interest in its biology, diagnosis, and treatment. A cross sectional, descriptive study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude towards gout and its management among the general population residing in Bhuri Village, Gautam Budh Nagar, UP. Sampling technique was convenience sampling and sample size was 200. Subjects above 18 years of age and those willing to participate in the study were considered as inclusion criteria. An online semi structured questionnaire was developed via Google forms, Likert scale was used to assess the attitude level. Data was analysed by using descriptive statistics. Results: Amongst the subjects 75% belonged to the age group 18 30 years, 69% were females and 31% were males. Majority of subjects (34 %) were graduates.81 % were unmarried and 71 % belonged to nuclear family. Total knowledge score was calculated and secured 1792 out of 3000, overall mean knowledge score was 8.9 and standard deviation was ±2.8. Majority of subjects i. e.; 57% had average knowledge, 32% had very good knowledge and whereas 11% had poor knowledge. Majority 42% of the subjects agreed that ayurvedic medicine is the best treatment for gout as compared to allopathic medicine.50.5% agreed that people with high blood pressure or kidney disease are at a higher risk for developing gout flare.56.5% agreed that mild exercise reduces the risk of gout. About 38.5% had neutral attitude that gout re occurs within 8 days after gout surgery. According to 40.5% agreed that tophi are developed if uric acid crystals formation is increased in joints. It is concluded that health program measures should be carried out to increase the awareness regarding gout.


The paper deals with stability of the rotor vibration in a journal bearing. The vibration signal, describing the rotor motion, is a complex signal. The real part of this kind of signals is a rotor displacement in the X-direction while the imaginary part is a displacement in the perpendicular direction, as we say in the Y-direction. A tool for analysis is a full spectrum, which results from the Fourier transform of the complex signal. The full multispectra of the rotor run up and coast down are employed to evaluate a magnitude as a function of the rotor rotation speed. The multispectrum slices serve to verification of the simplified mathematical model of a rotor system and to analyze the rotor vibration using a procedure based on the Nyquist stability criterion. As it is well known the self-excited vibration, called fluid induced vibration, occurs when the rotor rotation speed crosses a certain threshold.


Widely-used complex plane analysis of impedance data is insufficiently sensitive to characterize fully the bulk properties of YSZ single crystal. Instead, more extensive data analysis is needed which uses a combination of parallel, admittance-based formalisms and series, impedance-based formalisms. Bulk electrical properties are measured at higher frequencies and contain contributions from both long range conduction and local dielectric relaxation. At lower frequencies, electrode–sample contact impedances are measured and are included in full equivalent circuit analysis. The impedance of YSZ crystal of composition 8 mol% Y2O3 in the (110) orientation, with Pt electrodes, was measured over the temperature range 150–750°C and frequency range 0.01 Hz-3 MHz. Full data analysis required (i) a parallel constant phase element (CPE)–resistance (R) combination to model the electrode response, (ii) a series R-C element to represent local reorientation of defect dipoles and (iii) a R-C-CPE element to represent long range oxide-ion conduction; (ii) and (iii) together model the bulk response. The dielectric element underpins all discussions about defect structure and properties of YSZ but has not been included previously in analysis of impedance data. The new equivalent circuit that is proposed should allow better separation of bulk and grain boundary impedances of YSZ ceramics.


Background: Cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are frequent. We evaluated whether baseline variables can predict mortality and CV events in the TIOSPIR trial (17,116 COPD patients receiving tiotropium Respimat 5 or 2.5µg or HandiHaler 18µg for a mean of 2.3 yrs).

Methods: Exploratory pooled analysis from TIOSPIR to determine prognostic factors for mortality, major adverse CV event (MACE), fatal MACE, myocardial infarction and stroke outcomes was performed.

Results: Patients with the following characteristics had higher risk of death and/or CV event during the study period: Male, age ≥70 yrs, low FEV1, breathlessness (MMRC≥2), CV medication use and history of CV events (ischemic heart disease [IHD], cardiac arrhythmia), or exacerbation in the last year (table).

View this table:

Table: Unadjusted risk ratio (RR) by baseline characteristic for all-cause mortality/CV events

Conclusions: In TIOSPIR, prognostic factors for CV and all-cause mortality were similar, with greater risk for CV events in patients with CV medication or history (particularly IHD). High MMRC also particularly correlated with fatal CV events. Exacerbations were prognostic for both all-cause and CV death, but not for non-fatal CV events.

Funded by Boehringer Ingelheim.


The original hygiene hypothesis declares "more infections in early childhood protect against later atopy". According to the hygiene hypothesis, the increased incidence of allergic disorders in developed countries is explained by the decrease of infections. Epithelial cells and dendritic cells play key roles in bridging the innate and adaptive immune systems. Among the various pattern-recognition receptor systems of epithelial cells and dendritic cells, including toll-like receptors (TLRs), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs) and others, TLRs are the key systems of immune response regulation. In humans, TLRs consist of TLR1 to TLR10. They regulate cellular responses through engagement with TLR ligands, e.g., lipopolysaccharides (LPS) acts through TLR4 and dsRNA acts through TLR3, but there are certain common components between these two TLR pathways. dsRNA activates epithelial cells and dendritic cells in different directions, resulting in allergy-related Th2-skewing tendency in epithelial cells, and Th1-skewing tendency in dendritic cells. The Th2-skewing effect by stimulation of dsRNA on epithelial cells could be suppressed by the presence of LPS above some threshold. When LPS level decreases, the Th2-skewing effect increases. It may be via these interrelated networks and related factors that LPS modifies the allergic responses and provides a plausible mechanism of the hygiene hypothesis. Several hygiene hypothesis-related phenomena, seemingly conflicting, are also discussed in this review, along with their proposed mechanisms.


This article aims firstly to evaluate primary and secondary sources, published materials, and some official periodicals on Turkish foreign policy between 1923 and 1945. Secondly, it intends to introduce the Turkish archives, namely the Turkish Military Archive, Republican Archive of the General Directorate of the State Archives, and the Archives of Turkish Foreign Ministry for researchers who want to study on the Turkish Foreign Policy for the same period. Then the problems of periodization and archive in studying the history of the Turkish Republic are examined. Most scholars usually prefer to use the names of Ataturk and Inonu in periodization until 1945. Some other scholars prefer to describe in terms of historical events. Finally, the article discusses some problems of studies on Turkish Foreign Policy and proposes some suggestions. Firstly, one of the most important problems is insufficient use of the primary sources, because most of the official archives are closed. These archives should be opened to researchers. The second problem is the ignorance of the researchers for the Ottoman Turkish. Most researchers, who have academic formation in international relations in particular, have ignored Ottoman Turkish. If they want to produce original academic studies, they should learn the necessary tools, namely Ottoman Turkish. The final problem is methodological. Hitherto, foreign policy researchers, both from the disciplines of history and international relations, had only produced works with perspectives from their own disciplines. Instead a multidisciplinary study is offered in this article.


13 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were studied for left ventricular function immediately after acute decompensation. Parameters of right and left ventricular function were measured. Mean pulmonary wedge pressure (Paw) was elevated (11.9 mm Hg) but there was no correlation between Paw and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). The indices of left ventricular contractility were in the normal range. In 4 patients, LVEDP was too high. A correlation was established between RVEDP and LVEDP. Left ventricular compliance, as studied by the index of Diamond and Forrester, was abnormal. Two conclusions are discussed: (1) in COPD, Paw cannot indicate left ventricular dysfunction; (2) alteration of left ventricular compliance is possibly related to an elevation of RVEDP.


This paper addresses the problem of single image depth estimation (SIDE), focusing on improving the quality of deep neural network predictions. In a supervised learning scenario, the quality of predictions is intrinsically related to the training labels, which guide the optimization process. For indoor scenes, structured-light-based depth sensors (e.g. Kinect) are able to provide dense, albeit short-range, depth maps. On the other hand, for outdoor scenes, LiDARs are considered the standard sensor, which comparatively provides much sparser measurements, especially in areas further away. Rather than modifying the neural network architecture to deal with sparse depth maps, this article introduces a novel densification method for depth maps, using the Hilbert Maps framework. A continuous occupancy map is produced based on 3D points from LiDAR scans, and the resulting reconstructed surface is projected into a 2D depth map with arbitrary resolution. Experiments conducted with various subsets of the KITTI dataset show a significant improvement produced by the proposed Sparse-to-Continuous technique, without the introduction of extra information into the training stage.


Purpose: The purpose of the study was to review lean philosophy practices prevailing in the manufacturing companies; explore the various tools of lean practices existing in the manufacturing Companies and investigate the obstacles to implementing lean and determine the critical success factors of lean tools. Design/methodology/approach: The study is qualitative in nature, and it is based on a study of lean literature from the knowledge web, journals, and conference proceedings. This article goes over the fundamentals of lean philosophy and its applications in manufacturing companies, techniques, tools, benefits, and obstacles in the manufacturing business. It takes into account the target articles and specifics of web information connected to lean practice that was only published in 2015 and later. The major findings were summarized based on these sources. Findings: The results of this paper reveals that there are various tools for implementing lean philosophy such as Just in time (JIT), Kanban, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Key Performance Indicator (KPI), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Kaizen, DMAIC, 5s and Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Manufacturing companies benefit from lean tools in a variety of ways, including reducing deficits, lowering production costs, motivating and involving employees to improve their performance, and maintaining a quality system. However, before deploying any form of lean tool, companies need to be aware that a lack of confidence and knowledge from top management, lack of lean culture, ineffective internal communication system, and a failure to analyze before implementing change are the major challenges that have been identified while applying lean tools. Therefore, establishing an effective communication system, providing adequate employee training and education, considering employee feedback, and establishing a strong top management system to maintain a high level of quality, taking all possible steps to change the minds of employees, are critical to the success of implementing lean philosophy. Research limitations/implications: This is a qualitative study that relies on secondary data from the literature review, empirical studies, and case studies and does not include a quantitative aspect, such as a survey. The research can help to expand the knowledge of more lean tools, benefits, and important success factors in order to make future improvements. Social Implications: The paper will assist the manufacturing companies, researchers, academicians, and Lean practitioners to understand the lean philosophy, tools, and obstacles and consider the key to success before approaching any tools. Originality / Value: The ambiguity of lean procedures grows in the industrial business due to a lack of literature. As a result, this article will assist lean practitioners, scholars, and academicians in comprehending real-world techniques, tools, and challenges, as well as success criteria for adopting lean philosophy. As a result, this study will serve as a foundation for future research. Keywords: Lean Concept, Lean Benefits, Lean Tools, Lean Obstacles, Success Factors.


This study was carried out in Diyarbakır Plant Protection Research Station field in 20102011. Studies were replicated in the same field for two years, to determine population dynamics of alate and apterous forms of Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on four different watermelon varieties (Crimson Sweet, Crimson Tide F1, Galactica and Sürme). Population dynamics of A. gossypii were monitored weekly by yellow sticky traps and by sampling leaves of watermelon varieties. According to the results that obtained from this study the most density of apterous form of A. gossypii was monitored as 1.5-2 aphids/leave averagely in 2010, while this density has increased two folds as 3.5 aphids/leaves averagely in 2011. The most density of alate form of A. gossypii was monitored as 38 aphids/traps averagely in 2010, while this density has increased nearly ten folds as 380 aphids/traps averagely in 2011. Density of population dynamics of alate and apterous forms of A. gossypii in 2010 was lower than density of 2011. However there was numerical difference between varieties as to density of population dynamics of alate and apterous forms of A. gossypii, but there was no any statistical difference between varieties. Therefore it could be said that A. gossypii prefers all varieties and there is no variety preference of A. gossypii. Under climatic conditions of Diyarbakır province density of apterous forms of A. gossypii was the highest in June and July months in both years, while density of alate forms of A. gossypii was the highest in August and September months in both years. Aphids are present in the fields as colonies in May and June months and these colonies continue to till the middle of July, then by increasing of summer hot weather apterous aphids are converting into alate aphids from July month to till September or


The herd dynamics model (HDM) component of the Linked Economic and Animal Systems (LEAS) model specifically documented here is developed in the context of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Animal Sciences. The main objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive analytical approach or systems model capable of assessing (i) how animal herd or flock sizes change over time and in response to on-farm policies; (ii) how alternative national trends and policies affect future development of the livestock system as a whole; (iii) how changes in livestock policies affect people working throughout the livestock system; and (iv) how changes in animal-source food (ASF) production and prices affect the real incomes and consumption patterns of different population groups. The HDM developed provides a highly detailed description of the cattle sector while laying a framework that can be easily adapted to other types of livestock. The model allows one to closely examine the performance of the livestock sector disaggregated by agroecology zones or regions. The HDM is linked both ways with a core economywide model through economic variables such as relative prices of livestock activities, prices and availability of intermediate inputs including feed, and changes in supply of livestock capital in the meat and milk production sectors. Given the complex interplay in the livestock sector such as offtake decisions, death rates, milk and meat yield, and feeding practices (through quality indexed feed demand), the HDM developed under this project is a fully dynamic livestock sector model that provides several avenues for policy analysis on livestock management, the sector's future trajectory, and its dynamics, given risks and opportunities within the sector and beyond.


The connector according to the present invention is provided with a housing for demarcating an insertion part into which a male connector is inserted from the exterior and a flow channel communicating with the insertion part, and an elastic valve body which has a slit and blocks the insertion part; the housing having a tip-receiving part for receiving the tip section of the male connector inserted through the slit of the elastic valve body, and the tip-receiving part being provided to an inner wall demarcating the flow channel, being orthogonal to the direction of insertion of the male connector, and being provided only to a part of the inner wall in a cross-section including at least a part of the tip-receiving part.


Allergic skin inflammation such as atopic dermatitis is characterized by skin barrier dysfunction, edema, and infiltration with various inflammatory cells. The anti-inflammatory effects of Apo-9′-fucoxanthinone, isolated from Sargassum muticum, have been described in many diseases, but the mechanism by which it modulates the immune system is poorly understood. In this study, the ability of Apo-9′-fucoxanthinone to suppress allergic reactions was investigated using a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. The Apo-9′-fucox-anthinone-treated group showed significantly decreased immunoglobulin E in serum. Also, Apo-9′-fucox-anthinone treatment resulted in a smaller lymph node size with reduced the thickness and length compared to the induction group. In addition, Apo-9′-fucoxanthinone inhibited the expression of interleukin-4, inter-feron-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin-stimulated lymphocytes. These results suggest that Apo-9′-fucoxanthinone may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating chronic inflammatory diseases.


This paper examines the roles played by market interdependence and contagion in the propagation of the 2007-2009 global financial crisis. For this purpose, five aggregate indices were employed, representing all the major financial markets from each geographical region. The data series are daily and they cover the period between 2002 and 2014. The presence of contagion and market interdependence was assessed by means of the values and value changes of the correlation coefficients between the ante crisis (2002-2007), the crisis (2007-2009) and the post crisis (2009-2014) intervals, as well as with the aid of a spillover index. The results indicate a high degree of interdependence between the global financial markets even before the occurrence of the crisis. On the other hand, there is evidence that the crisis spread through contagion mainly from the developed financial markets of Europe and North America to the emerging centers in Africa and Latin America while the markets from the Asia/Pacific region displayed lower correlations which may have given opportunities for the mitigation of losses. Moreover, since the majority of the correlation coefficients have not decreased significantly after the 2007-2009 period, it seems that the crisis intensified the degree of global financial integration.


PURPOSE
To investigate thickness profile changes of the corneal epithelium and Bowman's layer at the vertical and horizontal meridians with overnight myopia orthokeratology (OK) lenses.

METHODS
Twenty subjects (age range: 19-33 years) wore reverse-geometry rigid gas-permeable OK lenses in both eyes for 30 days. Before lens wear and after 1, 7, and 30 days of overnight lens wear, evaluation of lens fitting, visual acuity examination, corneal topography, and ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) were performed. The central, midperipheral, and peripheral cornea were imaged in both the horizontal and vertical meridians. Custom software was produced to acquire the thickness profiles of the epithelium and Bowman's layer.

RESULTS
Unaided visual acuity and refraction were improved significantly after OK lens wear. The central corneal epithelium thinned in the horizontal and vertical meridians after one night of lens wear (P < 0.05). In the horizontal meridian, the epithelium thickened at the temporal and nasal midperipheries (P < 0.05), while the superior midperipheral epithelium thinned in the vertical meridian. There were no changes in the thickness profile of Bowman's layer during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS
Overnight wear of OK lenses caused the central corneal epithelium to thin in both the vertical and horizontal meridians, while the midperipheral nasal and temporal epithelium became thicker and the superior midperipheral epithelium became thinner. The thickness of the central or midperipheral Bowman's layer in either meridian did not change. Improved vision acuity after overnight OK lens wear can be attributed to changes in the corneal epithelium and not Bowman's layer.


The aim of this research was to identify the prevalence and distribution of vitreoretinal interface abnormalities (VIAs) among urban community population in Shenyang, China. According to the WHO criteria, a cross-sectional study was carried out among 304 Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients and 304 people without diabetes as control over 45 years old. The presence of VIAs was determined by standardized grading of macular optical coherence tomography (Optovue OCT; Optovue, Inc., Fremont, CA) scans and two-field fundus photographs in at least one eye. For both men and women, high prevalence of VIAs (70.79%) was observed among over 65-years-old T2D patients. Prevalence of VIAs was observed to be high among T2D patients in all age groups compared to normal subjects. Prevalence of VIAs increased with age in all subjects. Prevalence of components of VIAs was epiretinal membrane (ERM) 11.43%, posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) 17.76%, vitreomacular traction syndrome (VMT) 5.67%, macular cysts/macular edema (MC/ME) 4.61%, full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) 0.82%, and partial thickness macular hole (PTMH) 0.74% in any eye, respectively. ERM and MC/ME were more prevalent in T2D in both males and females. The results highlight the need for early detection using OCT and approaches for the prevention of VIAs of diabetes in urban community.


The performance evaluation of wind turbines operating in real-world environments typically relies on analyzing the power curve, which shows the relationship between wind speed and power output. However, conventional univariate models that consider only wind speed as an input variable often fail to fully explain the observed performance of wind turbines, as power output depends on multiple variables, including working parameters and ambient conditions. To overcome this limitation, the use of multivariate power curves that consider multiple input variables needs to be explored. Therefore, this study advocates for the application of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) methods in constructing data-driven power curve models that incorporate multiple input variables for condition monitoring purposes. The proposed workflow aims to establish a reproducible method for identifying the most appropriate input variables from a more comprehensive set than is usually considered in the literature. Initially, a sequential feature selection approach is employed to minimize the root-mean-square error between measurements and model estimates. Subsequently, Shapley coefficients are computed for the selected input variables to estimate their contribution towards explaining the average error. Two real-world data sets, representing wind turbines with different technologies, are discussed to illustrate the application of the proposed method. The experimental results of this study validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in detecting hidden anomalies. The methodology successfully identifies a new set of highly explanatory variables linked to the mechanical or electrical control of the rotor and blade pitch, which have not been previously explored in the literature. These findings highlight the novel insights provided by the methodology in uncovering crucial variables that significantly contribute to anomaly detection.


Abstract
 Carinodula chiapanensis Bares and Ivie, new species, is described from the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico. It is diagnosed and illustrated, distinguished from its only congener, Carinodula campbelli Gordon, Pakaluk, and Ślipiński, by details of the prothorax, first ventrite, and genitalia. The definition of the genus is expanded to accommodate the new species. The first example of sexual dimorphism in the tribe Carinodulini is described — the presence of a patch of dense setae on ventrite I of the male.


A B S TR A C T The aim of this observational pilot study was to evaluate effectiveness, safety and a possible antioxidant effect of sulphurous mud-balneotherapy in patients suffering from plaque psoriasis. The study was conducted on a sample of 58 subjects (50% women and 50% men) with a mean age of 52±13 years (age range 14-78 years) divided into 2 groups: A and B. The psoriatic patients of group A (n=33) was subjected to sulphurous mud-balneotherapy. In the patients of group B(n=25), composed of subjects with plaque psoriasis in pharmacological topical therapy, was associated the mud-balneotherapy carried out in the same way and modality in which it was made in the group A. After 2 weeks were assessed: the PASI index (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), the impact of the treatments used on quality of life for psoriatic people tested by the DLQI questionnaire and plasma concentration of ROMs (by d-ROMs Test, Diacron-Grosseto-Italy). The data collected at the end of mud-balneotherapy (group A) as compared to basal values have shown a significant (p<0.05) reduction of PASI score, DLQI score and plasma [ROMs]. The association pharmacological topical therapy and sulphurous mud-balneotherapy (group B) induced a significant (p<0.05) decrease of DLQI score and plasma [ROMs] in greater percentage as compared to group A, whereas for PASI score in groups A and B was demonstrated significant equal reduction. In conclusion, the results of this study show that the sulphurous mud-balneotherapy can play an important role in the therapeutic strategy of plaque psoriasis to the benefit of an improved quality of life.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1(MAdCAM-1) during small bowel graft rejection and the effects of MAdCAM-1 on the development of acute rejection.

METHODS
Rat heterotopic small bowel transplantation (SBT) was performed in F344/N rats with syngeneic and allogeneic (BN-F344/N) grafts. Bowel and gut-associated lymphoid tissue(GALT) samples were collected from small bowel transplants on postoperative day(POD) 1, 3, 5 and 7. Histopathology assessment of the grafts was conducted to identify the rejection. MAdCAM-1 was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

RESULTS
During acute rejection, MAdCAM-1 was highly-expressed on gut lamina propia and GALTs, particularly on vascular endothelial cells in the gut lamina propia. There were no change of MAdCAM-1 expression in syngeneic grafts from POD1 to POD7. In allogeneic grafts, MAdCAM-1 expression in mesenteric lymph nodes was down-regulated, while up-regulated on the vascular endothelial cells in the lamina propria during acute rejection.

CONCLUSION
Alteration of MAdCAM-1 expression may be associated with the development of SBT graft rejection.


Using the first-principles method based on density functional theory, we study the hydrogen storage properties of Li-doped single-layer aluminum nitride nanostructures (AlN). For the pristine AlN sheet, each Al atom adsorbs one H2 with an average binding energy of 0.14 eV/H2. The hydrogen blinding energies and storage capacities can be markedly increased by doping Li atoms onto the AlN sheet. The charge analysis shows that there are charges transferring from the Li atoms to the AlN sheet, thus the charged Li atoms can polarize hydrogen molecules and enhance the interaction between hydrogen molecules and the AlN sheet. In the fully loaded cases, the Li-doped AlN sheet can contain up to 8.25wt% of molecular hydrogen with an average binding energy of 0.20 eV/H2.


Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is one of the major causative mechanisms in the development of atherosclerosis. In previous studies, we showed that minimally oxidized LDL (mmLDL) induced inflammatory responses in macrophages, macropinocytosis and intracellular lipid accumulation and that oxidized cholesterol esters (OxCEs) were biologically active components of mmLDL. Here we identified a specific OxCE molecule responsible for the biological activity of mmLDL and characterized signaling pathways in macrophages in response to this OxCE. Using liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry and biological assays, we identified an oxidized cholesteryl arachidonate with bicyclic endoperoxide and hydroperoxide groups (BEP-CE) as a specific OxCE that activates macrophages in a TLR4/MD-2-dependent manner. BEP-CE induced TLR4/MD-2 binding and TLR4 dimerization, phosphorylation of SYK, ERK1/2, JNK and c-Jun, cell spreading and uptake of dextran and native LDL by macrophages. The enhanced macropinocytosis resulted in intracellular lipid accumulation and macrophage foam cell formation. Bone marrow-derived macrophages isolated from TLR4 and SYK knockout mice did not respond to BEP-CE. The presence of BEP-CE was demonstrated in human plasma and in the human plaque material captured in distal protection devices during percutaneous intervention. Our results suggest that BEP-CE is an endogenous ligand that activates the TLR4/SYK signaling pathway. Because BEP-CE is present in human plasma and human atherosclerotic lesions, BEP-CE-induced and TLR4/SYK-mediated macrophage responses may contribute to chronic inflammation in human atherosclerosis.


A 2-degree of freedom model of the hydraulic valve lifter of an internal combustion engine is investigated using different system parameters. The oil compressibility and bulk modulus are integrated into the model. System vibrations, friction forces between the parts, forces derived from the finger follower and cam system, and check valve criteria are considered within the model for the closest possible data to the real mechanism. The viscosity changes caused by the engine temperature changes, the spring constant variations resulting from the deformations and the plunger-body radial clearance changes have been investigated. Using different types of approaches, the solutions of the computer simulation are analyzed to achieve the best results.


The need for more research to answer the question, "Which of the strategies nurses use in coping with compassion fatigue are most helpful?" has been identified (Yoder 2010). The purpose of this study was to find out helpful strategies that are being employed in coping with compassion fatigue among nurses of different areas of speciality. Three research questions were formulated and answered: What are the strategies that are being employed among nurses in coping with compassion fatigue? In which specialities of the nursing profession have these coping strategies been reported as helpful? What are nurses' perceptions of the helpfulness of the strategies used among them in coping with compassion fatigue? A predefined review plan guided the implementation of the study. Seven articles were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria from electronic articles publish within the last decade. Data was extracted, analysed and synthesised using a narrative approach. A total of twenty distinct coping strategies were identified: Seven personal coping strategies (e.g. self-care and introspection) and thirteen work-related coping strategies (e.g. debriefing and developing supportive professional relationships). The coping strategies were being employed by nurses in paediatric, adult, and geriatric settings. There is an overall insufficiency of research investigating the ways nurses can cope with the insidious phenomenon of compassion fatigue. The key to combating compassion fatigue lies in the incorporation of the most helpful strategies into a single easy-to-do interventional programme that can fit into nurses' already busy schedules. More understanding of compassion fatigue coping strategies must be sought after in order to help nurses acquire the resilience they need in their job, and to flourish in compassionate care.