Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by the JC virus (JCV), a human papovavirus. PML is a relatively rare disease seen predominantly in immunocompromised individuals and is a frequent complication observed in AIDS patients. The significantly higher incidence of PML in AIDS patients than in other immunosuppressive disorders has suggested that the presence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the brain may directly or indirectly contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. In the present study we have examined the expression of the JCV genome in both glial and non-glial cells in the presence of HIV-1 regulatory proteins. We find that the HIV-1-encoded trans-regulatory protein tat increases the basal activity of the JCV late promoter, JCVL, in glial cells. In a reciprocal experiment, the JCV early protein, the large tumor antigen, stimulates expression from JCVL and HIV-1 long terminal repeat promoter in both glial and non-glial cells. This trans-activation occurs at the level of RNA synthesis, as measured by the rate of transcription, stability of the message, and translation. We conclude that the presence of the HIV-1-encoded tat protein may positively affect the JCV lytic cycle in glial cells by stimulating JCV gene expression. Our results suggest a mechanism for the relatively high incidence of PML in AIDS patients than in other immunosuppressive disorders. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the HIV-1 regulatory protein tat may stimulate other viral and perhaps cellular promoters, in addition to its own.


The authors report the results of their management of 14 forearm pronator teres contractures resulting from cerebral palsy. In almost every case, treatment was started with orthopedic splints and physiotherapy followed by the Gosset-Scaglietti technique and, one year later, Stoffel surgery, as proposed by Bastos-Mora in order to denervate the hypertonic pronator teres, was performed. The results were good in 80% of cases, fair in 16% and poor in 4%.


Underwater vehicles play a crucial role in various underwater applications, such as data collection in underwater sensor networks, target detection and tracking, and underwater pipeline monitoring. Real-time acquisition of their states, particularly their location and velocity, is vital for their operation and navigation. Consequently, the development of a remote tracking system to monitor these states is essential. In this paper, we propose a system that can track the underwater vehicle's location and velocity. We take a systematic approach that encompasses the system architecture, system composition, signal processing, and mobility state estimation. We present the system architecture and define its components, along with their relationships and interfaces. The beacon signal employed in the system features dual-hyperbolic-frequency-modulated (HFM) waveform and an OFDM symbol with cyclic prefix (CP). Based on this beacon signal, we demonstrate how signal processing techniques are utilized to precisely determine the time of arrival and reduce false alarm rates in underwater acoustic channels affected by impulsive noise. Additionally, we explain how the CP-OFDM symbol is used to measure the Doppler scaling factor and transmit essential information for localization and velocity estimation purposes. Utilizing the measurements obtained through signal processing, least squares estimators are used for estimating both the location and velocity. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we implement the system and conduct field trials. Two separate experiments were conducted in which the diagonal lengths of the square topology were designed to be 1000 m and 800 m. The minimum/maximum root mean square error of localization in the first and second experiment is 2.36/2.91 m and 1.47/2.49 m, respectively. And the minimum/maximum root mean square error of velocity estimation in the first and second experiment is 0.16/0.47 m/s and 0.21/0.76 m/s, respectively. Results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in estimating the location and velocity of the underwater vehicle. Overall, this paper provides a practical and effective design of a system to track the location and velocity of underwater vehicles. By leveraging the proposed system, signal processing, and mobility state estimation methods, our work offers a systematic solution. And, the successful field experiment serves as evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system, making it a valuable contribution to the field of tracking underwater vehicles.


A new approach in stereo vision is proposed which recovers 3D depth information using continuous vergence angle control with simultaneous local correspondence response. This technique relates elements with the same relative position in the left and right images for a continuous sequence of vergence angles. the approach considers the extremely fine vergence movements about a given fixation point within the depth of field boundaries. It allows the recovery of 3D depth information given the knowledge of the system's geometry and a sequence of pairs [αi, Ci], where αi is the ith vergence angle and Ci is the ith matrix of correspondence responses. The approach has several advantages over the current ones. First, due to its local operation characteristics, the resulting algorithms can be implemented in a modular hardware scheme. Second, unlike currently used algorithms, there is no need to compute depth from disparity values; at the cost of the acquisition of a sequence of images during the micromovements. The approach also greatly reduces the errors in stereo due to the sensor quantization. Last, and most important of all, the approach is supported by experimental results from physiology and psychophysics. Physiological results show that the human eye performs fine movements during the process of fixation on a single point, which are collectively called physiological nystagmus. One such movement, called binocular flicks, happens in opposing directions and produces convergence/divergence of the eyes. These are the micromovements that we suppose are the basis for depth perception. Therefore, the approach proposes a functional correlation between these vergence micromovements, depth perception, stereo acuity and stereo fusion. Comments University of Pennsylvania Department of Computer and Information Science Technical Report No. MSCIS-91-37. This technical report is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/cis_reports/370 The Role Of Vergence Micromovements On Depth Perception MS-CIS-91-37 GRASP LAB 262 AntGnio Francisco J6nior Department of Computer and Information Science School of Engineering and Applied Science University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-6389


Background: Although dental care attendance during pregnancy has been recommended by guidelines and institutions, the demand for dental services is still low among pregnant women. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of not receipt dental care and also determinants of that during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This population-based study was conducted on 4071 mothers in 10 provinces of Iran, during 2014–2015. We calculated the prevalence of not receipt of dental care, and reasons for nonreceipt of care. We used logistic regression to estimate odds of nonreceipt of care by demographics variables. In the analyses, the level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Overall, 54.70% of women had no dental visit during pregnancy. In mothers who had a history of stillbirth, neonatal death and live birth, the prevalence of not receipt dental care during pregnancy were 54.56%, 48.92%, and 58.76%, respectively. The logistic regression analyses showed that parity second-to-fourth birth than first birth (odds ratio [OR] 1.37 confidence interval [CI] 95% 1.17–1.59, residence in rural (OR 1.68 CI 95% 1.45–1.95), and not intended pregnancy (OR 1.32 CI 95% 1.03–1.68) associated with not received dental care during pregnancy. Conclusion: Most pregnant women in this study received insufficient dental care. The need for dental care during pregnancy must be promoted widely among women of reproductive age, and family barriers to dental care should be addressed.


Abstract In trying to outline the relationship between mobilities and cosmopolitanism, the nation state is always posited by scholars against cosmopolitanism. Mobility of images however, instead of denationalising spaces in fact fortifies the stereotypes of different territories. The cosmopolitan outlook that is deemed to be inherent to critical mobilities can identify with these mobile images and ideas precisely because of what is already perceived about a certain country. The article examines how the mobile images of the 'Help Bangladesh' poster and the concert in 1971, reinforces a certain representation of East Pakistan/Bangladesh as only poor and starving. It is this fixing of the image of the nation through mobile images which also comes into play when considering the concept of 'forced' migration. In trying to unpick and critique the so called the disjunction between the idea of 'forced' migration and migration by 'choice', in this article I focus on the encounter between middle class refugees, the poor and the raped migrant woman of the Bangladesh war of 1971 and the resulting displacement. The documentary Muktir Gaan (Songs of Freedom 1995) – billed as a documentary and a 'road movie' imbued with adventure, eroticism, pain and prospect of freedom – is the lens through which the paper highlights the encounter between different 'forced' migrants as a result of war and its resultant implications for a sociology of mobilities. It also allows an examination of the political economy of different 'forced' migrants, their classed and gendered locations. By focusing on romanticism linked to the idea of the adventure of war, the paper reveals who can be mobile or not and the conditions under which this mobility is made possible. In the process, the paper questions the potential of a global economy of signs to nurture a transantional civil society and global public.


In the present experimental study, a low aspect ratio, low hub-tip ratio contra-rotating axial fan is investigated to understand its performance under windmilling conditions. Two configurations are tested; in the first configuration (event A), the front rotor of the contra-rotating fan is powered and the rear rotor is allowed to windmill; in the second configuration (event B), the rear rotor of the contra-rotating fan is powered and the front rotor is allowed to windmill. The spanwise distribution of the loading coefficient and the flow angles at different streamwise positions reveal the details of the flow development across the rotors. Though the average total pressure drops across the windmilling rotor for both the events, a small spanwise region behaves as a fan or a stirrer. Thus, a "neutral radius" on the windmilling rotor is identified for both events A and B. The neutral radius appears close to the tip for event A and it appears close to the hub for event B. Thus, the span regions close to the tip behave as a fan for event A and the span regions close to the hub behave as a stirrer for event B. It is also observed that the neutral radius shifts to a lower span location as the flow coefficient reduces. Thus, the flow coefficient is a significant parameter that decides the position of the neutral radius. Further, the unsteady pressure measurements recorded at the casing capture the fundamental phenomena during the stall inception. The paper thus relates the similarities and unveils the contrasting features of the windmilling events A and B. In summary, this paper discusses the performance, flow physics, and stall inception characteristics of a contra-rotating axial fan under windmilling conditions.


After 20 years of multimedia data collection from endangered languages and consequent creation of extensive corpora with large amounts of annotated linguistic data, a new trend in Language Documentation is now observable. It can be described as a shift from data collection and qualitative language analysis to quantitative language comparison based on the data previously collected. However, the heterogeneous annotation types and formats in the corpora hinder the application of new developed computational methods in their analysis. A standardized representation is needed. Poio API, a scientific software library written in Python and based on Linguistic Annotation Framework, fulfills this need and establishes the bridge between Language Documentation and Natural Language Processing (NLP). Hence, it represents an innovative approach which will open up new options in interdisciplinary collaborative linguistic research. This paper offers a contextualization of Poio API in the framework of current linguistic and NLP research as well as a description of its development.


We demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that the optical Hall effect (OHE) can be observed in p-type monolayer (ML) hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on a fused silica substrate by applying linearly polarized terahertz (THz) irradiation. When ML hBN is placed on fused silica, in which the incident pulsed THz field can create local and transient electromagnetic dipoles, proximity-induced interactions can be presented. The Rashba spin-orbit coupling can be enhanced, and the in-plane spin component can be induced, along with the lifting of valley degeneracy. Thus, in the presence of linearly polarized THz radiation, the nonzero transverse optical conductivity (or Hall conductivity) can be observed. We measure the THz transmission through ML hBN/fused silica in the temperature range from 80 to 280 K by using THz time-domain spectroscopy in combination with an optical polarization examination. The Faraday ellipticity and rotation angle, together with the complex longitudinal and transverse conductivities, are obtained. The temperature dependence of these quantities is examined. The results obtained from this work indicate that ML hBN is a valleytronic material, and proximity-induced interactions can lead to the observation of OHE in the absence of an external magnetic field.


Radiation is one of the main treatment modalities in lung cancer, but low sensitivity and acquired resistance of lung cancer cells to radiation frequently result in treatment failure. The activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB is reportedly the main mechanism by which cancer cells exhibit resistance to external stresses, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In this study, we blocked the activation of NF-κB by adenovirus-expressing IκBα-SR and investigated the effect this had on radiation sensitivity. Transduction with ad-IκBα effectively blocked the activation of NF-κB by radiation in all the cancer cell lines tested, except for NCI H460. Clonogenic assay after radiation demonstrated that ad-IκBα transduction enhanced the sensitivity to radiation of the lung cancer cell lines and HeLa cells, except for NCI H460. The radiosensitizing effect of IκBα was more potent in lung cancer cell lines with radioresistance (SKMESres) (sensitizer enhancement ratio 1:61). From these findings, NF-κB blockade by ad-IκBα enhanced the radiation sensitivity and also abolished the acquired radiation resistance of lung cancer cell lines. This study provides a therapeutic rationale for combining an NF-κB-blocking strategy with radiation to both increase sensitivity and overcome acquired resistance to radiation.


Faecal occult blood testing can cut the number of colorectal cancer deaths by 27%, says the first study to show the impact of a population based screening programme.

The study, funded by the Scottish government Health Department, found a 10% reduction in bowel cancer deaths among all those invited for screening compared with those not invited. This rose to 27% among participants who actually completed the test. The research was presented at the National Cancer Research Institute Cancer Conference in Liverpool on 9 November.

Previous randomised controlled trials of faecal occult blood testing have shown a combined overall reduction in colorectal mortality of 16% in those invited for screening and 23% in participants.

Study author, Robert Steele, professor of surgery at the University of Dundee, said: "For the first …


Background: Due to the small specimen size of transbronchial forcepsbiopsy, the histological diagnosis of interstitial lung disease is often difficult. In comparison transbronchial cryobiopsies were shown to be bigger and to contain more often and larger amount of alveolar tissue. Methods: Since 2009, all histological results of patients suspicious of ILD (clinical signs, pulmonary function, CT-scan-criteria) who underwent bronchocoscopy with transbronchial forceps- and cryobiopsy were analysed concerning the impact of the additional use of cryotechnique. Results: We evaluated data of 34 patients (age 60.0 ± 13.2 years) who underwent forceps- and cryobiopsy. For 10 patients (29.4%) neither forceps- nor cryobiopsy assured a histological diagnosis. In 11 cases (32.4%) both methods ensured a diagnosis. In 12 cases (35.3%) a histological classification was found only in the cryobiopsy, in 1 case (2.9%) only in the forcepsbiopsy. Conclusion: By additiononal use of the cryoprobe in transbronchial biopsy, in this prospective case series up to today we were able to increase the amount of ensured histological diagnoses in ILD from 12/34 = 35,3 % without cryobiopsy to 23/34 = 67,6% with cryobiopsy. This shows the high potential of cryotechnique as a tool in transbronchial biopsy in the diagnostic of ILD.


Americans are living longer than ever before. A child born today can expect to live 80 years, 90 years, or longer. Many of today's children will live to be centenarians. Aging education to prepare people for the long life ahead has been endorsed since the first White House Conference on Aging in 1961. However, little is happening with aging education in our homes, schools, and communities. This article discusses the school nurse's role in helping to prepare children for the long life ahead of them and presents aging education resources and activities. School nurses can help to create a generation of Americans who value older adults, have positive attitudes about aging, and plan for successful healthy aging.


The technology advancement, especially in the field of website and internet, has many new innovations of the information systems to meet the need of all internet users. Real estate company PT. Greenhouse has obstacles in promoting property including selling and buying. There are many potential buyers who have difficulty in bidding on the property to be purchased, that is why they have been expecting website to be realized. PT Greenhouse real estate website created using ASP. NET and SQL Manager 2008 R2 to implement a dynamic website. This website is used by administrators and agent to register property listing. The mortgage calculations features were made to help the potential buyers in the calculation of mortgage installments given banks more easily

Keywords: real estate, Kredit Peminjaman Rumah, properti, promosi


Three applications of free-piston engines are considered: (a) An internal-combustion engine air compressor combination where the useful output is compressed air for pneumatic purposes. (b) An air compressor combustion-chamber combination for the production of hot gases under pressure for use in a turbine to produce shaft work. (c) The compressor system as described in (a) together with a combustion chamber for internal-combustion heating of the compressed air and then a turbine to utilize the hot gases for the production of shaft work. Performance data for several existing free-piston systems are presented together with the results of cycle studies. The thermodynamic-dynamic design aspects are considered relative to the conventional crank-type reciprocating internal-combustion-engine system. The general conclusion reached is that the free-piston system has the prime advantages of excellent thermodynamic performance combined with mechanical simplicity. Consequently, a major development effort appears to be well warranted.


Type I plant nucleases play an important role in apoptotic processes and cell senescence. Recently, they have also been indicated to be potent anticancer agents in in vivo studies. The first structure of tomato nuclease I (TBN1) has been determined, its oligomerization and activity profiles have been analyzed and its unexpected activity towards phospholipids has been discovered, and conclusions are drawn regarding its catalytic mechanism. The structure-solution process required X-ray diffraction data from two crystal forms. The first form was used for phase determination; the second form was used for model building and refinement. TBN1 is mainly α-helical and is stabilized by four disulfide bridges. Three observed oligosaccharides are crucial for its stability and solubility. The active site is localized at the bottom of the positively charged groove and contains a zinc cluster that is essential for enzymatic activity. An equilibrium between monomers, dimers and higher oligomers of TBN1 was observed in solution. Principles of the reaction mechanism of the phosphodiesterase activity are suggested, with central roles for the zinc cluster, the nucleobase-binding pocket (Phe-site) and Asp70, Arg73 and Asn167. Based on the distribution of surface residues, possible binding sites for dsDNA and other nucleic acids with secondary structure were identified. The phospholipase activity of TBN1, which is reported for the first time for a nuclease, significantly broadens the substrate promiscuity of the enzyme, and the resulting release of diacylglycerol, which is an important second messenger, can be related to the role of TBN1 in apoptosis.


The superiorly based and inferiorly based posterior pharyngeal flaps are compared. Reasons for choosing one or the other in specific cases are given. The complications with each are enumerated. The results obtained in speech comparing the two flaps in two retrospective series and one prospective series of cases failed to show a significant difference between them. Therefore, with little difference in the results and some good reasons for preferring one or the other under certain conditions, it would seem logical to select the one best suited for the particular problem.


Objectives
Fear of falling (FoF) is common in older adults. Physical activity decreases as FoF increases. However, this association between physical activity and FoF may vary depending on activity intensity. The current study was performed to explore the associations between FoF and step count, light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate/vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods
This cross-sectional observational study was held at a local community association center, with 242 older adults living independently in the community (mean age: 75.1 5.4 years). FoF was defined using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International and categorized into three levels (low, moderate, and high). Physical activity was measured using a uniaxial accelerometer worn for 7 consecutive days, and by calculating daily step count, LPA, and MVPA, over this period.

Results
Step count and physical activity intensity showed significant linear trends across FoF severity (p < 0.01, respectively). High FoF decreased step count by approximately 2000 steps/day. Further, high FoF was significantly associated with short durations of both LPA and MVPA. Additionally, moderate FoF was associated with decreased LPA duration, even after adjustment for confounding variables.

Discussions
Physical activity decreased concomitantly with a rise in FoF severity. Moreover, the association between physical activity and FoF differed by physical activity intensity level in community-dwelling older adults. Further studies are needed to investigate the causal relationship between FoF and objective physical activity in this population.


Jakarta Groundwater Basin is the Quaternary basin and has three zones of the aquifer, where the deepest aquifer is confined aquifer (Aquifer III). Stable isotope 18O and 2H (Deuterium/D) in this research studied to see its evolution, particularly in this deep groundwater. Isotopic evolution is studied to determine the distribution patterns of distribution and factors that may control in the evolution process. The research method was sampling of groundwater from bore wells that tap water from the Aquifer III, and then tested for the content of stable isotope and its TDS. Analyses have been done by using primary data and some secondary data of stable isotope and TDS data. The results showed that the isotopic evolution occurs in the deep aquifer, influenced by the action of water on rock minerals along groundwater flow. In general, isotopic enrichment occurs in line with groundwater flow, where the content of the stable isotope is heavier toward the north. This isotope enrichment related to the isotopic fractionation processes, which may be occur because of the limestone that consists of the aquifer III and Tertiary limestone of Klapanunggal and Bojongmanik Formations. Increasing of TDS in deep groundwater is followed by increasing of the isotope δ18O content, but it is unclear followed by an increasing of δD. Increasing of isotope content of groundwater in the aquifer is influenced by the groundwater flow velocity, where the rapid flow may occurred in the central part of the research area indicated by contours that curve northward, especially on the δ18O distribution contour pattern.


Abstract Given the prevalence of group project assignments in college coursework, it is surprising that the extensive literature on achievement goal orientations has rarely included students' experiences during an assigned group project, especially when group conflict among group members is reported. Data came from online responses of 660 undergraduates (394 women; from all schools/colleges; all levels but 46% seniors; nearly half white/Caucasian but 22% of Asian and 13% Latin background). Multivariate multiple regression analysis was used to predict three outcomes (students' project commitment, positive emotions, and negative emotions), testing as predictors students' motivational goals, at both individual and group levels (Models 1 and 2), as well as their perceptions of intragroup conflict (Model 3). Fit tests of the multivariate regressions indicated that adding a measure of intragroup conflict to students' individual and group motivational goals significantly improved the prediction of project commitment and negative (but not positive) emotions.


Alcohol has been repeatedly charged with being the factor in degeneracy. Statistics of the first half of the present century seem to justify the conclusion that it is apparently the most potent factor, yet these statistics, as a rule, confound coincidence and cause, or effect and cause, or the vicious circles thereby resulting, to a remarkable degree. There are but few races in which alcohol has not been used and abused. The American Indians 1 had tizwein, chica and pulque long ere Columbus; the Tartars and Russians have bouza, kvas and kumyss; the South Sea Islanders have ava and toddy (from the cocoanut); the Tunisians have laymi. The vast majority of the races of mankind have used alcoholic beverages. Each was called by a local name and not by a. loan word, a most demonstrable evidence of local origin. Even the social insects (bees and ants) at times indulge in fruit


The results suggest that: 1) Zinc ions may chelate the histidines critical for the agonist binding preventing hydrogen bonds between nonprotonated nitrogen atom of His-251 and the exocyclic N6-H in CHA or CCPA molecule and between His-278 and -OH of the ribose ring. This mechanism can explain the reduction in the number of binding sites without changing the affinity. 2) Cadmium ions may oxidize cysteine SH-groups. The redox reaction between Cd2+ and receptor thiols may result in binding of the metal into stable (di)thiol-cadmium complexes rather than in the formation of disulfide and liberation of the reduced metal. This mechanism can justify the conformational modifications of the receptor molecule producing the decrease in affinity.


Multithreading is an efficient way to improve efficiency of processor cores in embedded products for networking infrastructures. To make such improvements also accessible to processor cores without hardware support for multithreading, we present a concept for efficient software multithreading through compiler post-pass optimization of the application code. Our approach aims at reducing the overhead for cooperative multithreading context switches at compile time by using standard compiler techniques such as context-insensitive analysis. Additionally, register usage is rearranged to reduce the amount of context-switch code by exploiting multiple-load/store instructions. Performance model analysis encourages the use of software multithreading to improve processor utilization by showing the benefit of our approach. We present results obtained by an implementation for the PowerPC ISA (Instruction Set Architecture) using the code of a real network application (iSCSI). We were able to reduce the expected run-time of a context switch to as little as 38% of the original.


Solar flares and coronal mass ejections erupting from the roiling Sun can smash into the Earth's magnetosphere causing geomagnetic storms that penetrate deep into the atmosphere, which can short out satellites, upset radio communications, disrupt navigation, and even damage terrestrial electrical power grids. Though effects on other regions of the atmosphere have been analyzed, the mechanism by which geomagnetic storms influence the ionosphere's middle latitudes remains poorly understood.

This brief report provides an overview of current knowledge in midlatitude ionospheric dynamics and disturbances, from the historic record to recent discoveries presented at a January AGU Chapman Conference.


This study elaborates the oppression against women in Marshall Herskovitz's A Destiny of Her Own based on socialist feminist approach. After
analyzing this movie, the writer finds the kinds of oppression against women in A Destiny of Her Own movie.
This study belongs to qualitative study. In the method, there are two types of data source, which are used by the writer, namely primary data source and secondary data source. The primary data source and the object is the film of the Marshall Herskovitz's A Destiny of Her Own itself, meanwhile he secondary one is other data that related of the study. The writer collects the data from both,
primary and secondary data sources in a short of document as evidence. The study uses library research to collect the data. The collected data are analyzed by means of descriptive analysis.
Having analyzed this film, the writer draws some conclusions as follows. Firstly, the structural element of A Destiny of Her Own movie are related to one another forming a unified whole. Secondly, the movie illustrates six types of oppression against women, namely: physical, psychological, social, political, economic, and law oppression. Thirdly, the movie represents a criticism of
different oppression experienced by women and that women should struggle in order to get their rights.


Background and Aims: De novo hypertension (HTN) in liver transplantation recipients is a known entity. We investigated haemodynamic behaviour after a liver transplant to see if it can predict survival to discharge from the hospital. Methods: electronic records of Haemodynamic parameters and laboratory investigations of 95 patients of living donor liver transplant (LDLT) were retrospectively analysed. Results: Twenty-three patients were operated for acute liver failure (ALF) and 72 patients for chronic liver disease (CLD). Eight patients of CLD and four of ALF did not survive. CLD patients had statistically significant rise in systolic blood pressure from the post-operative day (POD) 1 to POD 4 and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from POD 3 to POD 6. Heart rate (HR) significantly decreased from POD 3 to POD 5. Haemodynamic parameters returned to baseline values within 20 days. Diastolic HTN had a positive predictive value of 100% for survival with 100% sensitivity and specificity. Systolic HTN had a positive predictive value of 100% for survival (sensitivity-89%, specificity-100%). ALF patients had a significant decrease in HR from POD 2 to POD 10. Bradycardia (HR ≤60/min) had a positive predictive value of 100% for survival with a sensitivity of 45% and 58% in CLD and ALF, respectively, with a specificity of 100% in both the groups. Non-survivors had no significant change in haemodynamics. In CLD group, International Normalised Ratio had statistically significant, strong negative correlation with DBP. Conclusion: Haemodynamic pattern of recovery may be used for predicting survival to discharge after LDLT.


BACKGROUND
Quality indicators are quality assurance instruments for the evaluation of mental healthcare systems. Quality indicators can be used to measure the effectiveness of mental healthcare structure and process reforms. This project aims to develop quality indicators for mental healthcare systems in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Serbia to provide monitoring instruments for the transformation of mental healthcare systems in these countries.

METHODS
Quality indicators for mental healthcare systems were developed in a systematic, multidisciplinary approach. A systematic literature study was conducted to identify quality indicators that are used internationally in mental healthcare. Retrieved quality indicators were systematically selected by means of defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality indicators were subsequently rated in a two-stage Delphi study for relevance, validity and feasibility (data availability and data collection effort). The Delphi panel included 22 individuals in the first round, and 18 individuals in the second and final round.

RESULTS
Overall, mental healthcare quality indicators were rated higher in relevance than in validity (Mean relevance=7.6, SD=0.8; Mean validity=7.1, SD=0.7). There was no statistically significant difference in scores between the four countries for relevance (X2 (3)=3.581, p=0.310) and validity (X2 (3)=1.145, p=0.766). For data availability, the appraisal of "YES" (data are available) ranged from 6% for "assisted housing" to 94% for "total beds for mental healthcare per 100,000 population" and "availability of mental health service facilities".

CONCLUSION
Quality indicators were developed in a systematic and multidisciplinary development process. There was a broad consensus among mental healthcare experts from the participating countries in terms of relevance and validity of the proposed quality indicators. In a next step, the feasibility of these twenty-two indicators will be evaluated in a pilot study in the participating countries.


Eleanor Farjeon first met Edward Thomas in the late autumn of 1912, when her brother invited him to tea. It was the beginning of a deep friendship between the painfully shy 31-year-old woman and the reserved writer known for his prose works and literary criticism. Though he died at the Battle of Arras in April 1917, it was a friendship which for Eleanor did not end with his death, but lived beyond it in his letters, and his poems, many of which Edward had sent to her from the trenches of the First World War for her comments. This double memoir uses Edward's letters and Eleanor's diaries and linking commentary to provide an extraordinarily candid account of their developing friendship, and of the enthusiasms they shared - both loved walking, and it was during this period that Edward first found his way into poetry. Edward was often deeply depressed, a man who found in nature something fundamental and ideal, a soldier-poet who wrote about the war in a new way, but Eleanor also shows us another side to his character, capturing moments of joy and humour. She also offers a unique account of Thomas' development as a poet, including the momentous meeting in 1913 with the American poet Robert Frost, whose encouragement led to Thomas' first poems. Thomas describes for her his family, his friendships with other writers, D H Lawrence among them, and also provides an exceptionally detailed account of his experiences in the First World War with the Artists' Rifles. "Edward Thomas: The Last Four Years", was widely acclaimed on its first publication in 1958 - this second edition, published on the 80th anniversary of Thomas' death, has an introduction by Anne Harvey, a selection of Eleanor's sonnets "To E.T.", and "Walking Tom", a hitherto little-known poem about Edward written by Clifford Bax and Herbert Farjeon. Also included are eight pages of black and white photographs.


International intervention in internal wars has gained rhetorical legitimacy in the post-cold war period, but in practice it has remained problematic. Response to these conflicts has remained mainly diplomatic and military - and belated. Is there anything international actors can do to prevent, or at least ameliorate, such conflicts? Are conflict-prevention measures already being attempted, and sometimes succeeding so well that we are unaware of their effectiveness? If so, what can we learn from them? In this book, Robert J. Muscat, a veteran international development expert who has worked in South America, South and Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Balkans, attempts to answer these questions. Drawing on the work of others as well as his own extensive experience, he reviews the accrued insights into the causes of internal conflict. He examines nine cases in which the work of development agencies exacerbated or ameliorated the root causes of conflict. This permits some generalizations about the efficacy or deleterious effects of development programs - and of their futility when the conflict-prevention dimension of international assistance efforts is ignored.


To identify the progression of pathology over the entire course of Parkinson's disease, we longitudinally followed a clinical cohort to autopsy and identified three clinicopathological phenotypes that progress at different rates. Typical Parkinson's disease has an initial rapid loss of midbrain dopamine neurons with a slow progression of Lewy body infiltration into the brain (over decades). Dementia intervenes late when Lewy bodies invade the neocortex. Older onset patients (> 70 years old) dement earlier and have much shorter disease durations. Paradoxically, they have far more α‐synuclein‐containing Lewy bodies throughout the brain, and many also have additional age‐related plaque pathology. In contrast, dementia with Lewy bodies has the shortest disease course, with substantive amounts of Lewy bodies and Alzheimer‐type pathologies infiltrating the brain. These data suggest that two age‐related factors influence pathological progression in Parkinson's disease—the age at symptom onset and the degree and type of age‐related Alzheimer‐type pathology.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of different anesthesia ways on endorphin and hemodynamics of laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients in the perioperative phase.

METHODS
A total of 90 laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients, 29 to 80 years old, were randomly assigned to Group A (treated with electroacupuncture at acupoints combined general anesthesia), Group B (treated with electroacupuncture at non-acupoints combined general anesthesia), and Group C (treated with general anesthesia) according to American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II, 30 cases in each group. All patients were induced by 3 microg/kg Fentanyl (Fen), 2 mg/kg Propofol (Pro), and 0.1 mg/kg Vecuronium (Vcr). Bispectral index (BIS), being 40 -65, indicated the state of general anesthesia. The anesthesia was maintained by intravenous injecting Pro, interruptedly intravenous injecting Fen and Vcr. Each patient received patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after operation. On these bases, patients in Group A received electrical acupuncture at bilateral Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (PC6), Quchi (Ll11), Zusanli (ST36), and Yanglingquan (GB34). Patients in Group B received electrical acupuncture at the points beside acupoints. The electroacupuncture was lasted from 15 -30 min before anesthesia induction to the end of the operation in Group A and B. The heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI), cardiac output (CO), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), and acceleration index (ACI) were recorded before anesthesia induction, immediate before pneumoperitoneum, 5 min after pneumoperitoneum, excision of gallbladder, and at the end of operation. The time consumption from discontinuation to spontaneously breathing recovery, analeptic, and extubation were recorded. The blood samples (3 mL each time) were collected from the peripheral vein before anesthesia induction, 2 h after operation, the 1st day after operation, and the 3rd day after operation to detect the beta-endorphin (beta-EP) level. The visual analogue scale (VAS) were observed and recorded in the 3 groups at post-operative 4, 6, 8, 24, and 44 h, respectively.

RESULTS
(1) Compared with before anesthesia induction in the same group, the CI, CO, ACI of all patients decreased significantly at 5 min after pneumoperitoneum and at excision of gallbladder (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The HR, MAP, SVRI obviously increased in Group B and Group C at each time point (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Less change happened in Group A. Compared with Group C, the increment of MAP was less in Group A at 5 min after pneumoperitoneum, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). (2) The time consumption from discontinuation to analeptic and extubation was obviously shorter in Group A than in Group B and Group C (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (3) The level of beta-EP on the 1st day of operation was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (P < 0.05) and Group C (P < 0.01). (4) The VAS score at post-operative 44 h was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B and Group C (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Electroacupuncture at acupoints combined general anesthesia could maintain the stabilization of haemodynamics, and relieve the stress reaction after pneumoperitoneum and operation, and prolong it to early post-operative period, and strengthen the effects of post-operative analgesia. The post-operative recovery was fast, safe, and reliable.


We consider a standard federated learning architecture where a group of clients periodically coordinate with a central server to train a statistical model. We tackle two major challenges in federated learning: (i) objective heterogeneity, which stems from differences in the clients' local loss functions, and (ii) systems heterogeneity, which leads to slow and straggling client devices. Due to such client heterogeneity, we show that existing federated learning algorithms suffer from a fundamental speed-accuracy conflict: they either guarantee linear convergence but to an incorrect point, or convergence to the global minimum but at a sub-linear rate, i.e., fast convergence comes at the expense of accuracy. To address the above limitation, we propose FedLin a simple, new algorithm that exploits past gradients and employs client-specific learning rates. When the clients' local loss functions are smooth and strongly convex, we show that FedLin guarantees linear convergence to the global minimum. We then establish matching upper and lower bounds on the convergence rate of FedLin that highlight the trade-offs associated with infrequent, periodic communication. Notably, FedLin is the only approach that is able to match centralized convergence rates (up to constants) for smooth strongly convex, convex, and non-convex loss functions despite arbitrary objective and systems heterogeneity. We further show that FedLin preserves linear convergence rates under aggressive gradient sparsification, and quantify the effect of the compression level on the convergence rate.


To predict the duration of postoperative bladder drainage required after incontinence surgery, 30 patients were studied preoperatively using voiding-simultaneous urethrocystometry. Based on changes in bladder, urethral, and abdominal pressures, patients were divided into three groups. Patients who demonstrated adequate bladder contraction during voiding did not need prolonged catheterization (P < .005). Patients who did not demonstrate adequate detrusor contraction and used Valsalva maneuver during voiding were at 12 times greater risk of requiring prolonged postoperative catheterization (P < .05). Changes observed in urethral and abdominal pressures individually during voiding were not significant predictors of the need for prolonged catheterization. Preoperative knowledge of voiding mechanisms can predict postoperative catheterization need.


Michel Foucault writes that in societies that made use of ars erotica secrecy served the purpose of amplifying the truth that is drawn from pleasure and the importance of a master in transmitting it in an esoteric manner. He writes that the need for secrecy in sexuality was "not because of an element of infamy . . . but because of the need to hold it in the greatest reserve since according to tradition it would lose its effectiveness and its virtue by being divulged." It is no surprise then that secretive traditions often find in eroticism an apt metaphor for the expression of their esoteric concepts. In the same vein as ars erotica secrecy enhances the mystical enterprise and elevates it to the level of esotericism. It is imperative that something of the secret be revealed because secrecy is not the same as concealment. A secret that is fully concealed might as well not exist. However a total revelation would make the secret meaningless just as in eroticism consummation equates with termination for eroticism is the deferral of consummation. Thus the constitutive element of secrecy and eroticism is the communicative interplay of disclosure and concealment. (excerpt)


The N-centered radical directed remote C-H bond functionalization via hydrogen-atom-transfer at distant sites has developed as an enormous potential tool for the organic synthetic chemists. Unactivated and remote secondary and tertiary, as well as selected primary C-H bonds, can be utilized for functionalization by following these methodologies. The synthesis of the heterocyclic scaffolds provides them extra attention for the modern days' developments in this field of unactivated remote C-H bonds functionalizations.


A simple and efficient Ru(II)-catalyzed transfer hydro-dehalogenation of organic halides using 2-propanol solvent as the hydride source was reported. This methodology is applicable for hydro-dehalogenation of a variety of aromatic halides and α-haloesters and amides without additional ligand, and quantitative yields were achieved in many cases. The potential synthetic application of this method was demonstrated by efficient gram-scale transformation with catalyst loading as low as 0.5 mol %.


The objective of this research is to compare the effectiveness of different tracking devices underwater. There have been few works in aquatic virtual reality (VR) — i.e., VR systems that can be used in a real underwater environment. Moreover, the works that have been done have noted limitations on tracking accuracy. Our initial test results suggest that inertial measurement units work well underwater for orientation tracking but a different approach is needed for position tracking. Towards this goal, we have waterproofed and evaluated several consumer tracking systems intended for gaming to determine the most effective approaches. First, we informally tested infrared systems and fiducial marker based systems, which demonstrated significant limitations of optical approaches. Next, we quantitatively compared inertial measurement units (IMU) and a magnetic tracking system both above water (as a baseline) and underwater. By comparing the devices rotation data, we have discovered that the magnetic tracking system implemented by the Razer Hydra is more accurate underwater as compared to a phone-based IMU. This suggests that magnetic tracking systems should be further explored for underwater VR applications.


Atypical fibroxanthoma (AF) is generally considered as a low grade superficial variant of fibrohistiocytic neoplasm. In this report we present an unusual variant of this neoplasm arising from actinic damaged skin of an elderly individual. The case was characterized by numerous multinucleated osteoclast-like giant cells uniformly scattered through a pleomorfic cellular proliferation. The osteoclasts giant cell observed represent multinucleated histiocytes rather than true osteoclasts.


A wealth of information on plant anatomy and morphology is available in the current and historical literature, and molecular biologists are producing massive amounts of transcriptome and genome data that can be used to gain better insights into the development, evolution, ecology, and physiological function of plant anatomical attributes. Integrating anatomical and molecular data sets is of major importance to the field of wood science, but this is often hampered by the lack of a standardized, controlled vocabulary that allows for cross-referencing among disparate data types. One approach to overcome this obstacle is through the annotation of data using a common controlled vocabulary or "ontology" (Ashburner et al. 2000; Smith et al. 2007). An ontology is a way of representing knowledge in a given domain that includes a set of terms to describe the classes in that domain, as well as the relationships among terms. Each term can be associated with an array of data such as names, definitions, identification numbers, and genes involved. Ontologies are fundamental for unifying diverse terminologies and are increasingly used by scientists, philosophers, the military and online web search engines. In an ontology, terms are carefully defined, allowing a wide array of researchers to (1) use terms consistently in scientific publications or standardized handbooks on quality/trait evaluations, and (2) search for and integrate data linked to these terms in anatomical, genetic, genomic, and other types of biological databases.


Thirty-nine patients with acute myeloblastic or lymphoblastic leukaemia had peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected by 3 continuous-flow leukapheresis as they entered first remission after induction chemotherapy. CFU-GM were assayed as a measure of the number of haemopoietic stem cells in each collection. Numbers of CFU-GM harvested varied among the patients (for example 0.27 to 155.10(4)/kg for ANLL patients). Nineteen patients underwent peripheral blood stem cells autografts after a conditioning regimen with high dose cyclophosphamide and TBI. The patients were transfused with a median of 2.2.10(4)/kg CFU-GM cells (0.28 to 100.10(4) CFU-GM/kg). Only 1 patient had a graft failure. The rate of haemopoietic recovery was studied for our patients and those reported in the literature. A strong correlation exists between the numbers of CFU-GM transfused and the rate of granulocytes and platelets recovery. Very rapid recovery are regularly obtained when the number of CFU-GM transfused is superior to 5.10(4)/kg.


To investigate whether a direct influence exists between the prolactin suppressive effect of alpha-bromoergocriptine (CB 154) and the aldosterone response to a potassium stimulation, the present study was performed in 7 anephric patients and in 7 non-nephrectomized patients, all on regular haemodialysis. The increase in the plasma potassium concentration between dialysis was used as a stimulus to the adrenals, and was correlated to the increase in the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC). Plasma samples were obtained during a control period and during a corresponding period of treatment with bromocriptine. Despite a significant fall in the prolactin levels during the bromocriptine treatment, no differences in the aldosterone response to the increasing potassium concentration in the two periods were found neither in the anephric nor in the non-nephrectomized patients. It is concluded that depression of prolactin levels by the dopamine agonist (bromocriptine) has no influence on the ability of the adrenals to react with an increase in aldosterone secretion following potassium stimulation in dialysis patients with and without preserved renin-angiotensin system.


We prepared solid dispersion formulations of quercetin to enhance its solubility and dissolution rate. Various quercetinloaded solid dispersion were tested with quercetin, poloxamer 407, and carrier such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), polyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG 8000), and polyvinylpyrrolidone K40 (PVP K40) using solvent evaporation and freeze drying methods in terms of both the aqueous solubility and the dissolution rates of quercetin. The solubility of quercetin as its solid dispersion formulations was markedly improved compared with that of quercetin powder. Especially, highest solubility of quercetin was observed when HPMC was used as a carrier. The cumulative dissolution of quercetin within 360 min from solid dispersion composed of quercetin, poloxamer 407, and HPMC was 8.8-fold higher than the dissolution of pure quercetin. The results of powder Xray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated that quercetin transformed from a crystalline to an amorphous form through the solid dispersion formulation process. These results suggest that the solid dispersion formulation of quercetin with poloxamer 407 and HPMC could be a promising option for enhancing the solubility and dissolution rate of quercetin.


Cosmic rays are atomic nuclei arriving from outer space that reach the highest energies observed in nature. Clues to their origin come from studying the distribution of their arrival directions. Using 3 × 104 cosmic rays with energies above 8 × 1018 electron volts, recorded with the Pierre Auger Observatory from a total exposure of 76,800 km2 sr year, we determined the existence of anisotropy in arrival directions. The anisotropy, detected at more than a 5.2&sgr; level of significance, can be described by a dipole with an amplitude of percent toward right ascension &agr;d = 100 ± 10 degrees and declination &dgr;d = degrees. That direction indicates an extragalactic origin for these ultrahigh-energy particles.


The HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorder occurs in approximately one-third of infected individuals. It has persisted in the current era of antiretroviral therapy, and its study is complicated by the lack of biomarkers for this condition. Since the cerebrospinal fluid is the most proximal biofluid to the site of pathology, we studied the cerebrospinal fluid in a nonhuman primate model for HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorder. Here we present a simple and efficient liquid chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach that utilizes small amounts of cerebrospinal fluid. First, we demonstrate the validity of the methodology using human cerebrospinal fluid. Next, using the simian immunodeficiency virus-infected monkey model, we show its efficacy in identifying proteins such as alpha-1-antitrypsin, complement C3, hemopexin, IgM heavy chain, and plasminogen, whose increased expression is linked to disease. Finally, we find that the increase in cerebrospinal fluid proteins is linked to increased expression of their genes in the brain parenchyma, revealing that the cerebrospinal fluid alterations identified reflect changes in the brain itself and not merely leakage of the blood-brain or blood-cerebrospinal fluid barriers. This study reveals new central nervous system alterations in lentivirus-induced neurological disease, and this technique can be applied to other systems in which limited amounts of biofluids can be obtained.


We report on preliminary results from a public engagement project based on a procedural approach to sustainability. The project centered on an interactive art installation that comprised a live actor, an immersive soundscape featuring a handful of different characters, an interactive touch-table, and four interactive rooms within which participants wandered, partially guided by a narrative through-line, yet at the same time left to make sense of any larger meanings on their own. The installation was designed to experiment with two propositions: (1) that there is value in public engagement with sustainability based on the exploration and articulation of deeply held beliefs about the world—the worldviews, values, and presuppositions that mediate perception and action; (2) that there is value in replacing the infocentric tendency of most public engagement on sustainability with an approach premised in aesthetics and experiential resonance. Following the installation's two-week pilot run, our preliminary results indicated that the majority of participants found the experience both resonant and thought provoking, and were mostly willing to critically engage with their preexisting notions of sustainability.


Dietary calcium (Ca) supplementation has beneficial effects on bone health. However, it is not clear whether a high calcium diet (HCD) following 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6 Nx) is beneficial to bone health. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of an HCD on bone metabolism using a chronic kidney disease (CKD) mouse model. Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: Sham group, 5/6 Nx group and 5/6 Nx + HCD group. Mice were sacrificed 12 weeks post-surgery. Calcium (Ca) and creatinine (Cr) were measured using standard colorimetric methods and picric acid methods, respectively. Bone metabolism-associated markers, FGF-23, PTH, ALP-b and TRAP-5b were measured using ELISA kits. Lumbar vertebrae histomorphological analysis was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) mRNA was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Impaired renal function and histopathological damage was indicated in 5/6 Nx mice. However, HCD had no significant effects on these changes in 5/6 Nx mice. Notably, mineral metabolism disorder and histopathological damage to lumbar vertebrae were markedly improved in HCD-treated 5/6 Nx mice. Compared with 5/6 Nx mice, HCD supplementation significantly elevated the ratio of OPG/RANKL and inhibited RANKL mRNA expression in lumbar vertebrae. To conclude, the present findings indicated that increased Ca intake is effective in increasing bone mineral content of the lumbar vertebrae in 5/6 Nx mice. These results may provide a basis for the clinical use of dietary Ca supplementation as a therapeutic approach to treat CKD-induced disturbance of mineral metabolism and bone loss.


The usual management of cancer related breakthrough pain is with supplemental doses of analgesics (commonly opioids) at a dose proportional to the total around-the-clock opioid dose. The aim of this review, undertaken as part of a European Palliative Care Research Collaborative (EPCRC) project, to update the EAPC guidelines on opioid analgesics in cancer pain was to determine the evidence for the utility of opioids in the management of breakthrough pain in patients with cancer. Randomized controlled trials of opioids used as rescue medication were identified using electronic search strategies. Outcome measures sought were reduction in pain intensity measured by an appropriate scale, adverse effects, attrition, and patient satisfaction. The date of the final search was 31 July 2009. Eight studies (790 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Most studies investigated rescue medication delivery via the buccal or nasal transmucosal routes. Intravenous morphine has been compared with the transmucosal route and the two found to be effective. The oral route has not been formally tested although found to be an inferior comparator in one study. Most studies showed no meaningful relationship between the effective dose of transmucosal opioid and the around-the-clock scheduled medication or the previous rescue medication, although one study found a fixed proportion of either intravenous morphine or transmucosal fentanyl to be efficacious.


AIM
To evaluate the palliative therapeutic effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) complicated by portal hypertension.

METHODS
We performed TIPS for 14 patients with PVTT due to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Of the 14 patients, 8 patients had complete occlusion of the main portal vein, 6 patients had incomplete thrombosis, and 5 patients had portal vein cavernous transformation. Clinical characteristics and average survival time of 14 patients were analysed. Portal vein pressure, ascites, diarrhoea, and variceal bleeding and circumference of abdomen were assessed before and after TIPS.

RESULTS
TIPS was successful in 10 cases, and the successful rate was about 71%. The mean portal vein pressure was reduced from 37.2 mmHg to 18.2 mmHg. After TIPS, the ascites decreased, hemorrhage stopped and the clinical symptoms disappeared in the 10 cases. The average survival time was 132.3 d. The procedure failed in 4 cases because of cavernous transformation in portal vein and severe cirrhosis.

CONCLUSION
TIPS is an effective palliative treatment to control hemorrhage and ascites due to HCC complicated by PVTT.


This paper reports a novel method to accomplish automatic and real-time mode-matching control for a MEMS vibratory gyroscope based on fuzzy and neural network algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate that it only needs about 8 seconds to fulfil mode-matching automatically in the fuzzy control system, and a mismatching error lower than 0.32Hz is achieved over the temperature range from -40°C to 80°C in the neural network real-time control system. The scale factor of the mode-matched gyroscope with the closed loop controlled sense mode is measured to be 65.9 mV/deg/s with nonlinearity about 0.03%, and the bias instability and the angle random walk (ARW) are evaluated to be 0.68 deg/h and 0.028 deg/h1/2, respectively.


This empirical study investigated military connected student perspectives at a large public university concerning any benefits gained by their involvement with the university's career center's inceptive veteran specific career development program referred to by the pseudonym, Student Veteran Career Development Transitional Program. Participants for this program were all former or current military service members currently enrolled as college students and ranged from five to twenty student veterans. The central research question was, "What are the participating military connected student perspectives as to if and how the program sessions and material may help them find civilian employment in their future career goals?"  Methods such as participant observation, observation, program participant questionnaires, and a reflection summary from the program coordinator were used to gather data, which was inductively analyzed. Resultant findings looked at perspectives of participating stakeholders, which supported this study's assertion that the Student Veteran Career Development Transitional Program was positive in enhancing university military connected students' future employability.


The effects of long-term nitrogen fertilization of chlorophyll fluorescence of winter wheat at its grain-filling stage on Loess Plateau highland were studied. The results showed that the actual photochemical efficiency of PS II reaction center (phi PS II) was decreased with leaf water stress aggravated, while was increased by nitrogen supply. The phi PS II of 0 kg.hm-2, 90 kg.hm-2 and 180 kg.hm-2 nitrogen treatments at noon were 0.197, 0.279 and 0.283, which decreased by 57.7%, 56.4% and 40.2% compared to that of morning, respectively. While they were all resumed at afternoon, even it was higher, for 180 kg.hm-2 nitrogen treatment, than that of morning. Maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), and non-photochemical quenching coefficient (qNP) were also increased by nitrogen supply, showing that the light energy conversion efficiency, and potential activity of photosynthetic reaction center and the non-photochemical dissipation of excess light energy, which resisted the damage on photosynthetic apparatus of environmental stress, were improved. No significant difference was found between 90 kg.hm-2 and 180 kg.hm-2 N treatments, which indicated that excess nitrogen was not favorable to photosynthetic performance, and photosynthetic capacity was not improved in proportion with nitrogen supply.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
This review highlights epidemiologic changes in e-cigarette use in adolescents, discusses recent advances in aerosolized nicotine delivery, and provides and updated profile of research related to the lung-specific harm of e-cigarettes.

RECENT FINDINGS
In the past decade, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes have emerged as the most popular tobacco and nicotine delivery modality among adolescents in the United States. The surge in popularity of these devices has coincided with an outbreak of vaping-related lung injury, bringing e-cigarette use to national attention, and creating a great deal of confusion regarding their potential for respiratory harm. Newer pod-based devices and formulations of e-liquids have resulted in products appeal to youth and deliver nicotine with increasing efficiency. E-liquid aerosols are associated with direct harm to respiratory epithelium and have been shown to alter pulmonary function, inflammation, mucociliary clearance, and lung histology.

SUMMARY
Although the long-term harms of regular e-cigarette use are unknown, numerous studies including early longitudinal data suggest e-cigarette use is associated with incidence of respiratory disease, independent of concurrent traditional cigarette use. Improved understanding and recognition of harm will contribute to the basis of further studies examining the role of e-cigarettes on chronic respiratory disease and will inform future prevention education.


This study analyses the role general self-efficacy plays within the relationship between culture and communication behavior in an unstudied Arab culture; Syria. Participants were 402 undergraduate students at Damascus University. General self-efficacy mediated the relationship between culture and touch, eye contact, gestures, paralinguistics, facial expressions, interpersonal distance and tolerance for disagreement. Thus, indicating that perceptions of 'the self' reduces the impact of culture on individual behavior. Results from this study could help for the better understanding of Arab communication behavior and for the increase of the generalizability of theories developed in Western societies. KeywordsCommunication; GSE; Collectivism; Individualism; Syrian Arabs.


This is the second publication on the results of studies of the whiskered auklet breeding biology on Buldir Island. In 1993, according to the time of chick hatching the egg-laying period began in late April-early May. The single egg was incubated by both parents, which relieved each other once a day, usually at early night. Among the chicks under observation, the first hatched on June 11; the median of hatching was on June 17. After hatching, the egg shell usually remained in the nest. The chick was continuously brooded by one of parents for the first several days but since the age of 7-9 days, it stayed in the nest by itself during the daytime. Each parent fed the chick once a day, at early night, although occasional feedings were recorded also during daytime and at dawn. A newly hatched chick was covered by typical embryonal (natal) down. The remiges, rectrices, their coverts, and large feathers on pteryla humeralis had a mesoptile stage during their growth (the second down generation). The juvenile plumage consisted of semiplumes of types I and II and contour feathers of type I and, possibly, type II. In fledglings, the ornamental feathers were underdeveloped: the crest was absent and facial plumes only began growing. By reaching 100 g, the chicks left their nests at the age of about 37 days. A longer nesting period than in other Aethia auklets appears to be related to a low feeding rate due to the nocturnal activity in the colony.


Computing is currently getting at the same time incredibly in the small with sensors/actuators embedded in our every- day objects and also greatly in the large with data and ser- vice clouds accessible anytime, anywhere. This Internet of Things is physically closed to the user but suffers from weak run-time execution environments. Cloud Environments provide powerful data storage and computing power but can not be easily accessed and integrate the final-user context- awareness. We consider smartphones are set to become the universal interface between these two worlds. In this position paper, we propose a middleware approach where smartphones provide service gateways to bridge the gap between IoT services and Cloud services. Since smartphones are mobile gateways, they should be able to (re)configure themself according to their place, things discovered around, and their own resources such battery. Several issues are discussed: collaborative event-based context management, adaptive and opportunistic service deployment and invocation, multi-criteria (user- and performance-oriented) optimization decision algorithm.


Production of superoxide (O-.2) was measured in alveolar macrophages (AM) exposed to asbestos in vitro and in cells obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of rats inhaling asbestos. Steady state levels of O-.2 released by AM in vitro were dose and time dependent in response to crocidolite, chrysotile, and opsonized zymosan, a particulate used to trigger O-.2 generation. In contrast, an inhalation exposure for 1 h to crocidolite or for 6 days to either crocidolite or chrysotile asbestos resulted in a decreased production of O-.2 by BAL cells. Likewise, BAL cells from rats inhaling chrysotile for 1 h or crocidolite for 9 days exhibited a diminished capacity to secrete O-.2 when challenged with the particulate opsonized zymosan. Diminished generation of O-.2 by asbestos occurred in BAL cell populations containing either significantly increased numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes (6- and 9-day exposures) or 99% AM (1-h exposure). Thus, these novel observations suggest that short-term inhalation of asbestos compromises the ability of BAL cells to produce O-.2 in the presence or absence of an additional phagocytic stimulus.


Critically ill preterm neonates requiring oxygen therapy often experience frequent apneas with intermittent hypoxia (IH). IH-induced oxidative stress causes lipid peroxidation, which targets the liver and contributes to toxic drug reactions. We tested the hypothesis that incremental IH episodes induce oxidative damage in the neonatal liver and alter the expression of genes that regulate drug metabolism. Newborn rats were exposed to increasing IH episodes (12% O2) during hyperoxia (50% O2), or placed in room air (RA) until postnatal day 21 (P21) for recovery from IH (IHR). RA littermates served as controls, and pups exposed to 50% O2 served as hyperoxia controls. Hepatic histopathology, biomarkers of oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage, antioxidants, and expression of genes that regulate drug metabolism were assessed. Oxidative stress and DNA damage, evidenced by 8-isoprostaglandin F2α (8-isoPGF2α) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), respectively, increased as a function of IH episodes, and was associated with decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased catalase activities. Pathological changes including cellular swelling, steatosis, necrosis, and focal sinusoid congestion were seen in IH, but not in IHR. Similarly, IH was associated with upregulation of several genes involved in DNA repair, which were downregulated during IHR. Of the genes involved in drug metabolism, aldehyde dehydrogenases (involved in lipid peroxidation) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes of the 2C family (involved in oxidative stress) were robustly upregulated both in IH and in IHR. Hepatic oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation occurring in response to chronic IH have implications for preterm infants, and may explain, in part, the pharmacokinetic variations and drug toxicities in this vulnerable population.


There are about 1.2 million eunuchs residing in India. They are deprived of various human rights like right to vote, stand in election, right to marry, hold ration cards etc. They are deprived of such rights because India recognizes only two sex i.e. male and females and so eunuch being third sex is deprived of exercising their rights as all rights are available only to male and females. However, when it comes to criminal liability, they cannot escape punishment because Court always includes them either under male or female. But as far as civil rights are concerned they fail to exercise that as courts do not consider them as legal entity. Constitution of India provides various rights to "persons." Person means artificial and natural person. Natural person include all human being. But naturally eunuch are also person. However, two articles of constitution of India i.e article 15 and 16 uses the word sex. So, these two rights can not be exercised by eunuch as sex is narrowly interpreted by the court as to include only male and female. The interpretation of sex in a narrow way has not allowed eunuch to exercise their basic human rights. They are not allowed to vote as in voting list there exist only two category i.e male and female. This view of Court is contrary to the intention of the legislature. Before Independence, government of India has formed an act to regulate the activities of the eunuch. This shows that they are legal entity. Also in all the statute where ever the word person is defined, it has never specifically mention that eunuch are excluded. So, the narrow interpretation of word sex by the Courts in India, is unjust and unfair and violates human rights of the eunuch. Research Questions * Whether eunuch are recognized legal entity; * Whether they are recognized as a third sex or are recognized into the category of male and female; * Whether they can contest elections; * Whether they can be punished for any crime commited * Whether they can exercise their civil right i.e fundamental rights.


A co-ordinated control scheme for STATCOM and generator excitation to achieve transient stability, damping and voltage regulation enhancement of power systems is presented. First, the nonlinear model of STATCOM installed in a power system is derived. Then, using the feedback linearisation technique, the nonlinearities of the generator and the STATCOM model are alleviated. With the help of robust control theory, the variation of system structure, the parameter uncertainties and the interconnection between the generator and STATCOM are taken into consideration in the controller design. Only local measurements are required. The performance of the proposed control scheme is evaluated through a real time test by means of the real time digital simulator (RTDS). The results present comparisons of the system performance with different controllers, over a wide range of operating conditions. It is shown that the proposed co-ordinated control can provide better stability, voltage control and damping than other schemes.


The activity of the enzyme 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta-OHSD) and concentrations of oestrone (E1), oestradiol (E2) and progesterone have been measured in leiomyoma and myometrium obtained at different stages of the menstrual cycle. Apart from conversion of E2 to E1 in the proliferative phase, no significant difference in enzyme activity was noted between normal and tumour tissue. However, interconversion in both tissues was shown to be higher in the secretory than the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle. E1 concentrations were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in leiomyoma than in myometrium, obtained during the proliferative phase. Concentrations of both oestrogens, in some tumour and normal tissues, were higher in the proliferative than the secretory phase. Secretory phase tissues contained higher concentrations of progesterone than those obtained in the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle. Considerable differences in both enzyme activity and steroid concentrations were noted in different areas of the same tumour.


The complex nature of coaching challenges instructional coaches (ICs) professionally as it requires them to deal with not only teachers' resistance, acceptance and expectation but also adhere to the complex and multifaceted roles that they are bearing. Psychological capital (PsyCap) has been upheld as an effective construct for defending against stress, negative emotions and burnout among educators. This phenomenological study explores ways in which PsyCap was experienced by Malaysian instructional coaches (ICs). Data were gathered from face-to-face interviews with seven instructional coaches purposefully selected from six different District Education Offices (DEOs) throughout Malaysia. Extracted from participants' own words and through the exploration performed, PsyCap was experienced by the participants through a sense of responsibility, positive resources and work commitment. This study highlights the importance of PsyCap as inner positive psychological resources that aided instructional coaches in their practice of coaching. In addition, this study suggests future research recommendations towards implementing PsyCap developmental training with another group of instructional coaches.


Iodo[14C]antipyrine autoradiography was used to measure gastric mucosal blood flow in anesthetized rats and to study regional distribution. Blood flows of 61 +/- 8 ml.100 g-1.min-1 (means +/- SE) in corpus and 84 +/- 9 ml.100 g-1.min-1 in antral mucosa compared well with previously reported measurements by hydrogen clearance. Blood flow in the crests of corpus mucosal folds was significantly higher than in the valleys between folds, indicating that the greater susceptibility of the former areas to acute injury, documented in several studies, is not associated with a perfusion defect in the resting stomach. Corpus mucosal blood flow was also higher in the side walls of the stomach than in the greater curvature region, and in distal than in proximal locations. No systematic regional variations within antral mucosa were demonstrated.


The Protestantization of the Roma refers to a more recent process of mass involvement of the Serbian Roma in small religious communities of Protestant provenance. Cultural factors, reflected in the level of similarity between elements of the Romani cultural identity and the religious experience of the communities belonging to Protestant provenance, play a crucial role in the process of Protestantisation. Among these factors, the most important are: the role of music and dance in celebrating God, freedom and expressiveness in demonstrating spirituality, and closeness of the established religious bonds. Celebration and adoration in the Pentecostal movement are parts of religious service which particularly appeal to the Roma. By clapping their hands and swinging their bodies, they express their gratitude to God, and by shouting 'Hallelujah' and 'Amen' they confirm the testimonies and prayers of gratitude of other believers. With their eyes closed, they cross their arms across the chest or raise them and stretch them out towards preachers with microphones in their hands. Sometimes they even cry. Special attention in Protestant communities is paid to the first and direct individual experience of the people with whom they spend time during service. In common alienation, which is omnipresent in modern times and in the situation in which the Roma are observed as enemies by the majority, small religious communities represent oases of friendship, loving shelters and new families which protect them from solitude, fear, poverty and sickness. They heartily communicate with each other with their glances and smiles, before, during and after the service. Not only the designated member, but all other believers as well, will shake hands with anyone who enters their church, and give them a hug once they have met them.


The mass spectra of all isomers of mononitrotoluene, four isomers of dinitrotoluene and of 2,4,6,-trinitrotoluene, obtained by multiphoton ionization utilizing ultrashort laser pulses with center wavelengths of either 206 nm or 412 nm, are presented and discussed. Under these ionization conditions all nitrotoluenes exhibit a high degree of fragmentation which increases with the degree of substitution. For the compounds having a nitro group in position 2 and/or 6 a pronounced ortho effect leading to the loss of OH is observed. The fragmentation patterns in the lower mass range are typical for alkylated aromatic substances. While no fundamental differences between the mass spectra obtained with the two wavelengths were observed, the visible light in all cases resulted in a broader variety of fragments and additional signals in the higher mass range. The latter can be used for isomer identification.


Figures 3, 4 & 5 have been removed for copyright reasons, but may be accessed via their source listed in the caption.


A big challenge for the development situated agents is that they need to be capable of grounding real objects of their enviroment to representations with semantic meaning, so they can be comunicated to human agents using the human language. de Graaf (2016) developed the KILLE framework, which is a static camerabased robot capable of learning objects and spatial relations from very few samples using image processing algorithms suitable for learning from few samples. However, this framework has a major shortcoming: the time needed to recognise an object increased greatly as the system learned more objects, which motivates us to design a more efficient object recognition module. The following project researches a way to improve object recognition of the same robot framework using a neural network approach suitable for learning from very few image samples: Matching Networks (Vinyals et al., 2016). Our work also investigates how transfer learning form large datasets could be used to improve the object recognition performance and to make learning faster, which are very important features for a robot that interacts online with humans. Therefore, we evaluate the performance of our situated agent with transfer learning from pre-trained models and different conversational strategies with a human tutor. Results show that the robot system is capable of training models really fast and gets very good object recognition performance for small domains.


The spliced leader RNA genes of Bodo saltans, Cryptobia helicis and Dimastigella trypaniformis were analyzed as molecular markers for additional taxa within the suborder Bodonina. The non-transcribed spacer regions were distinctive for each organism, and 5S rRNA genes were present in Bodo and Dimastigella but not in C. helicis. Two sequence classes of 5S rRNA were evident from analysis of the bodonid genes. The two classes of 5S rRNA genes were found in other Kinetoplastids independent of co-localization with the spliced leader RNA gene.


Introduction CD47 is a membrane protein overexpressed on tumour cells and considered as an innate immune checkpoint. CD47 interacts with SIRPα on myeloid cells and induces a 'don't eat me' signal limiting cell clearance by phagocytes. Blocking the CD47-SIRPα axis is thus an attractive approach to foster tumour cell killing by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and boost cross-priming of anti-tumour T cells by dendritic cells (DC). However, CD47 targeting is hindered by haematological toxicity due to its ubiquitous expression. To focus CD47 blockade on tumour cells, we generated two bispecific antibodies (biAbs) pairing a high affinity arm targeting a tumour associated antigen (TAA), i.e., CD19 or mesothelin (MSLN), to an optimised lower affinity arm targeting CD47 and investigated their efficacy and mechanism of action (MoA) in xenograft tumour models. Material and methods BiAbs targeting CD47xCD19 or CD47xMSLN were tested in immunodeficient mice implanted with the following human tumour cell lines: Raji (CD19+, lymphoma), OVCAR-3 (MSLN+, ovarian) or MSLN-transfected HepG2 (hepatic). Analysis by flow cytometry was used to evaluate the impact of the biAbs on the tumour microenvironment (TME). The contribution of macrophages to tumour growth inhibition was addressed by clodronate-mediated depletion. Finally, biAbs-stimulated cross-priming of anti-tumour T-cells by DC was assessed in vitro. Results and discussions BiAbs controlled the growth of CD19 +lymphomas and MSLN +tumours. In the Raji xenograft model, treatment with the CD47xCD19 biAb did not increase the number of TAMs, but enhanced their tumoricidal activity (i.e., more macrophages engulfing tumour cells). The treatment also reduced the proportion of CD11b+Ly6g+ granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells. In contrast, in the MSLN-transfected HepG2 xenograft model, treatment with the CD47xMSLN biAb induced a significant increase of macrophages in the tumour. Depletion of phagocytic cells with clodronate in both models impaired the anti-tumour activity of the biAbs, highlighting the role of macrophages in the MoA. In the antigen-cross presentation assay, the biAbs promoted cross-priming of tumour antigen-specific T-cells, suggesting the potential of CD47xTAA biAbs to trigger anti-tumour T cell responses. Conclusion CD47 targeting biAbs, tethered to cancer cells by their TAA binding arm, remodel the TME and control the lymphoma and MSLN +tumours. Furthermore, the observed induction of the adaptive immune response may further enhance the antitumor efficacy of such biAbs in patients.


In this article, I explore how the traditional understanding of uncertainty in project management can be revised in light of the philosophical input from Kierkegaard, Dewey, and Wittgenstein. Planning models of projects tend to view uncertainty as a threat to successful project implementation. An alternative approach can emerge from a philosophical investigation of the potentials embedded in surprising turns of events. It is possible to retain a planning orientation to projects while also embracing uncertainty as a potentially energizing dimension of projects—one that can activate positive personal and collective drama in project management.


Throughout the later Middle Ages, English towns continued to augment both their legal privileges and the physical spaces in which they exercised them. Urban officials struggled to define civic identity as distinct from the rural, noble, and ecclesiastical power that surrounded them. Four case studies from Exeter, Shrewsbury, Norwich, and York allow in-depth explorations to be made of the ways in which towns defined physical and juridical space through lawsuits. The disputes and their pursuit before the law show clearly how urban space impacted territorial, legal, and ethnic identity in late medieval society.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
The purpose of this study was to identify important clues in differentiating biliary atresia (BA) from causes of neonatal cholestasis other than BA (non-BA) and establishing the reliability of current tests.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty-four patients with BA and 27 patients with non-BA cholestasis being monitored at the Çukurova University Medical Faculty, the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department and the Pediatric Surgery Department between 2009 and 2015 were retrospectively assessed.

RESULTS
Cases of early onset jaundice, acholic stool, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) elevation, and absent or small gallbladder on ultrasonography (USG) were greater in the BA group, while the levels of consanguinity and splenomegaly were higher in the non-BA group. The highest positive predictive value and specificity was determined for a GGT level greater than 197 in addition to absent or small gallbladder on USG and acholic stool in the BA group. Moreover, the presence of acholic stool (97%) exhibited the highest sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of BA.

CONCLUSION
Pale stool, GGT elevation, and absent or small gallbladder on USG are the most reliable tests for diagnosing BA. We recommend that intraoperative cholangiography should be performed without waiting for further test results when a neonate or infant presents with acholic stool, high GGT values, and absent or small gallbladder on abdominal USG.


Mountaintop mining with valley fills (MTM/VF) is the main source of landscape change in central Appalachia. While our knowledge of the local-scale effects of MTM/VF on stream chemistry and biotic assemblages has recently improved, the effects at the landscape scale are less well known. In this study, we explore the effects of MTM/VF on the distributions of six fish species with contrasting ecologies in the upper Kentucky River basin, an area heavily affected by MTM/VF. Using a museum-based data set of 239 occurrence records, land use/land cover data and boosted regression tree modelling, we were able to create robust predictive models for the focal species (AUCs = 0.82–0.93). Models explained from 41.2 to 71.9% of the variation in species distributions. We detected a marked negative influence of MTM/VF in four of the six species distribution models – with relative influences ranging from 5.9–12.7%. Species typically inhabiting faster-flowing riffle and run mesohabitats appeared to respond more strongly to MTM/VF. Interestingly, the mean patch size of MTM/VF was more influential than the overall proportion of the watershed affected by MTM/VF in our models. Thus, our data suggest the spatial pattern of mining disturbance is very important in determining the cumulative impact of MTM/VF. Considering the central Appalachian region is a continental hot spot for freshwater biodiversity, establishing a firm understanding of the effects of MTM/VF at the landscape scale is essential if we wish to protect these natural resources.


Novel, rapid, highly sensitive and selective spectrophotometric method for the determination of traces of vanadium (V) in environmental and biological samples, pharmaceutical and steel samples was studied. The method is based on oxidation of 2,4- dinitro phenyl hydrazine(2,4-DNPH) by vanadium (V) followed by coupling reaction with N-(1-naphthalene-1-yl)ethane-1,2-diamine-dihydrochloride (NEDA) in acidic medium to give red colored derivative or on oxidation of 4-Amino Pyridine by vanadium (V) followed by coupling reaction with NEDA in basic medium to give pink colored derivative. The red colored derivative having an λmax 495 nm which is stable for 8 days and the pink colored derivative with 525 nm is stable for more than 7 days at 350C. Beer's law is obeyed for vanadium (V) in the concentration range of 0.02 - 3.5 μg mL–1 (red derivative) and 0.03 – 4.5 μg mL–1 (pink derivative) at the wave length of maximum absorption. The optimum reaction conditions and other analytical parameters were investigated to enhance the sensitivity of the present method. The detailed study of various interferences made the method more selective. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of vanadium in natural water samples, plant material, soil samples, synthetic mixtures, pharmaceutical samples and biological samples. The results obtained were agreed with the reported methods at the 95 % confidence level. The performance of proposed method was evaluated in terms of Student's t-test and Variance ratio f-test which indicates the significance of proposed method over reported method.


Laryngeal cancer is predominantly a squamous cell in origin that can present with voice changes and difficulty or pain with swallowing. It is more likely to cause local spread than distant ones. The prognosis depends on multiple factors, including the stage, tumor differentiation, extranodal extension, and adjuvant therapy. Head and neck cancers have a higher tendency for perineural invasion and spread, one of the most vital factors correlating with poor outcomes and recurrence rates. We present a rare case of a 52-year-old male with an extensive history of tobacco use (five packs per day over 30 years) who developed laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma that spread to the brain despite total laryngectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy. Despite resection of the brain metastasis, the tumor metastasized again in the brain through perineural spread. Due to the side effects of repeated radiotherapy and starting chemotherapy, the patient opted for comfort care and refused further treatment. The perineural spread of head and neck cancers is not abundant in the literature, and we believe our case will add to the future treatment of head and neck cancers with perineural invasion.


We consider guiding denoising diffusion models with general differentiable loss functions in a plug-and-play fashion, enabling controllable generation without additional training. This paradigm, termed Loss-Guided Diffusion (LGD), can easily be integrated into all diffusion models and leverage various efficient samplers. Despite the benefits, the resulting guidance term is, unfortunately, an intractable integral and needs to be approximated. Existing methods compute the guidance term based on a point estimate. However, we show that such approaches have significant errors over the scale of the approximations. To address this issue, we propose a Monte Carlo method that uses multiple samples from a suitable distribution to reduce bias. Our method is effective in various synthetic and real-world settings, including image super-resolution, text or label-conditional image generation, and controllable motion synthesis. Notably, we show how our method can be applied to control a pretrained motion diffusion model to follow certain paths and avoid obstacles that are proven challenging to prior methods.


Simultaneous observations of the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and visible-near-IR emission from radio frequency discharges in gaseous Kr with small (<0.1%) Xe admixture concentrations were conducted in the pressure range 80-400 hPa. The spectra were used for investigation of energy transfer from the lowest excited states of both atomic krypton and krypton molecules to the ground state xenon atoms. The VUV emission spectra allowed us to obtain a value of 3.9×107×PXe hPa-1 s-1 for the energy transfer rate from the 1u state of Kr2* molecules and a rate of 1.7×106×PXe hPa-1 s-1 for the energy transfer rate from the system of the four lowest Kr excited states to Xe ground state atoms. A value of 1.6×106×PXe hPa-1 s-1 was independently obtained for this atom-to-atom energy transfer channel based on our observations of IR emission.


This paper develops the non-equilibrium statistical fatigue damage theory to study the statistical behaviour of micro-crack for metals in magnetic field. The one-dimensional homogeneous crack system is chosen for study. To investigate the effect caused by magnetic field on the statistical distribution of micro-crack in the system, the theoretical analysis on microcrack evolution equation, the average length of micro-crack, density distribution function of micro-crack and fatigue fracture probability have been performed. The derived results relate the changes of some quantities, such as average length, density distribution function and fatigue fracture probability, to the applied magnetic field, the magnetic and mechanical properties of metals. It gives a theoretical explanation on the change of fatigue damage due to magnetic fields observed by experiments, and presents an analytic approach on studying the fatigue damage of metal in magnetic field.


To assess the clinical value of simultaneous dual myocardial imaging with iodine-123-beta-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (123I-BMIPP) and thallium-201 (201Tl), myocardial imaging was performed at rest and during exercise in seven patients with coronary heart disease. When 123I-BMIPP and 201Tl images were compared, the initial exercise and resting images agreed 87% and 64%, respectively. In the initial resting images, the regional uptake of 123I-BMIPP was frequently less than that of 201Tl. The incidence of exercise-induced reversible defects by 201Tl in the Tl > BMIPP regions was significantly higher than that in the Tl = BMIPP regions (57% vs 4%, p < 0.01) and the incidence of coronary narrowing of more than 90% in the Tl > BMIPP regions was also significantly higher than that in the Tl = BMIPP regions (91% vs 38%, p < 0.01). In addition, this disparity (Tl > BMIPP) was found more frequently in regions with abnormal wall motion than in regions with normal wall motion (hypokinetic regions; 68%, severe hypokinetic or akinetic regions; 50%, vs normokinetic region; 4%, p < 0.01). In contrast, the uptake of 123I-BMIPP correlated closely with that of 201T1 in normal myocardium and the uptake of both 123I-BMIPP and 201Tl was severely reduced in myocardium with severe ischemia during exercise and prior infarction. These results indicate that dual myocardial imaging with 123I-BMIPP and 201Tl may provide a unique means of identifying patients with metabolically disturbed myocardium, such as hibernating and stunned myocardium.


Malaria is responsible for more than 1.5 million deaths each year, especially among children (Snow et al. 2005). Despite of the severity of malaria situation and great effort to the development of new drug targets (Yuan et al. 2011) there is still a relative low investment toward antimalarial drugs. Briefly there are targets classes of antimalarial drugs currently being tested including: kinases, proteases, ion channel of GPCR, nuclear receptor, among others (Gamo et al. 2010). Here we review malaria signal transduction pathways in Red Blood Cells (RBC) as well as infected RBCs and endothelial cells interactions, namely cytoadherence. The last process is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. The molecules displayed on the surface of both infected erythrocytes (IE) and vascular endothelial cells (EC) exert themselves as important mediators in cytoadherence, in that they not only induce structural and metabolic changes on both sides, but also trigger multiple signal transduction processes, leading to alteration of gene expression, with the balance between positive and negative regulation determining endothelial pathology during a malaria infection.