BACKGROUND
Malignant melanoma are uncommon in children and are sometimes difficult to distinguish from Spitz nevi. Histological diagnosis is particularly difficult.

CASE REPORT
Three prepuberty children (aged 14, 10 and 14 years) underwent excision of suspicious nevi found at pathology examination to be malignant melanomas. After complementary treatment the recurrence-free survival has been 18, 14 and 4 years respectively.

DISCUSSION
Clinical signs of malignant melanomas are unspecific. As in adults, any modification in a melanic lesion should led to excision and pathology examination. In the literature, there is often a confusion between malignant melanoma developing in children and young adults making it difficult to determine the prognosis of the childhood disease. Prognosis of cutaneous malignant melanomas is generally good (excluding giant nevi and congenital malignant melanoma).


'Zero hunger is the world's pledge under the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition. Nevertheless, the mission had been seized as the world faced economic turndown due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. The circumstances have brutally affected society's ideal living standards and raised social problems such as extreme poverty, famishment, malnutrition, and medical conditions, specifically among vulnerable children. The essential purpose of this writing is to elucidate the 'zero hunger goal as one of the central legal rights and identify challenges in executing it during the COVID-19 crisis. Data were collected through library studies and analyzed critically using the content analysis method. The writing finds that the progress of zero hunger is decelerated as the pandemic has caused few challenges. The paper concludes that all objectives under the SDG 2 are significant to be achieved to ensure vulnerable children's survival. Thus, the paper recommends that humanitarian relief assists with food distribution among those in dire need, especially at-risk children. Furthermore, food and agricultural production must be maintained to guarantee enough food supply chain. Ultimately, every government must comply with SDG 2, specifically for the benefit of vulnerable children.


ABSTRACT Strain TBP-1, an anaerobic bacterium capable of reductively dehalogenating 2,4,6-tribromophenol to phenol, was isolated from estuarine sediments of the Arthur Kill in the New York/New Jersey harbor. It is a gram-negative, motile, vibrio-shaped, obligate anaerobe which grows on lactate, pyruvate, hydrogen, and fumarate when provided sulfate as an electron acceptor. The organism accumulates acetate when grown on lactate and sulfate, contains desulfoviridin, and will not grow in the absence of NaCl. It will not utilize acetate, succinate, propionate, or butyrate for growth via sulfate reduction. When supplied with lactate as an electron donor, strain TBP-1 will utilize sulfate, sulfite, sulfur, and thiosulfate for growth but not nitrate, fumarate, or acrylate. This organism debrominates 2-, 4-, 2,4-, 2,6-, and 2,4,6-bromophenol but not 3- or 2,3-bromophenol or monobrominated benzoates. It will not dehalogenate monochlorinated, fluorinated, or iodinated phenols or chlorinated benzoates. Together with its physiological characteristics, its 16S rRNA gene sequence places it in the genus Desulfovibrio. The average growth yield of strain TBP-1 grown on a defined medium supplemented with lactate and 2,4,6-bromophenol is 3.71 mg of protein/mmol of phenol produced, and the yield was 1.42 mg of protein/mmol of phenol produced when 4-bromophenol was the electron acceptor. Average growth yields (milligrams of protein per millimole of electrons utilized) forDesulfovibrio sp. strain TBP-1 grown with 2,4,6-bromophenol, 4-bromophenol, or sulfate are 0.62, 0.71, and 1.07, respectively. Growth did not occur when either lactate or 2,4,6-bromophenol was omitted from the growth medium. These results indicate that Desulfovibrio sp. strain TBP-1 is capable of growth via halorespiration.


The Belle II experiment will operate with SuperKEKB $e^+ e^-$ energy-asymmetric collider on
or near the $\Upsilon (4S)$ resonance energy region, and aims at obtaining an integrated luminosity of
$50 ~\rm ab^{-1}$, which is approximately 50 times that of KEKB. The Belle II detector is fully upgraded
from the Belle detector for much higher luminosity and contains new trigger system for single
photon and low multiplicity events. The new trigger system allows to search for new physics related
with hidden portal or axion-like particles. We briefly review the existing dark sector studies
by BaBar and Belle, and report on the status of Belle II studies of dark sector, in particular for
vector and axion portals.


The most important factor of the global economy development is its digitalization. The degree of introduction of technologies determines the overall level of national economy competitiveness. In this context, the research studies modern approaches to the definition of the digital economy and analyzes the digital economy development of the Eurasian Economic Union (the EAEU) countries. Therefore, the article, first, characterizes the features and challenges of the digital economy as a new socio-economic system. Second, it investigates the development of digital economy in the EAEU countries by analyzing the statistical data and indices and identifies the potential of the EAEU countries in this field. Specifically, a rating assessment is made based on the E-Government Development Index, the E-participation Index, the ICT Development Index, the Network Readiness Index, and the Global Cybersecurity Index. The research has showed that there are currently conditions for the development of the digital economy of the EAEU countries and the strengthening of cooperation between them in this field. The advantages of Russia are not total, and Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia have the best result in a number of indicators among the EAEU countries. In 2017 the "Main Directions for Implementing the Digital Agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union Until 2025" were approved by the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. This document includes the following directions: digital transformation of economic sectors and cross-sectoral transformation, digital transformation of the goods markets, services, capital and labor, digital transformation of management processes by integration processes, the development of digital infrastructure and ensuring the security of digital processes. In addition, a number of projects aimed at creating a single digital space are being implemented. This article extends the knowledge about the digital economy development of the EAEU countries, their potential in this area in terms of the implementation of the joint digital agenda.


The local enhancement of few-cycle laser pulses by plasmonic nanostructures opens up for spatiotemporal control of optical interactions on a nanometer and few-femtosecond scale. However, spatially resolved characterization of few-cycle plasmon dynamics poses a major challenge due to the extreme length and time scales involved. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate local variations in the dynamics during the few strongest cycles of plasmon-enhanced fields within individual rice-shaped silver nanoparticles. This was done using 5.5 fs laser pulses in an interferometric time-resolved photoemission electron microscopy setup. The experiments are supported by finite-difference time-domain simulations of similar silver structures. The observed differences in the field dynamics across a single particle do not reflect differences in plasmon resonance frequency or dephasing time. They instead arise from a combination of retardation effects and the coherent superposition between multiple plasmon modes of the particle, inherent to a few-cycle pulse excitation. The ability to detect and predict local variations in the few-femtosecond time evolution of multimode coherent plasmon excitations in rationally synthesized nanoparticles can be used in the tailoring of nanostructures for ultrafast and nonlinear plasmonics.


This research identifies the evolution of contemporary global business practices, scope and pace of international expansion, and technological competencies that are taking place in emerging markets such as Arab nations. Within this changing landscape, new organizational approaches are prerequisites for successfully entering emerging markets. Utilizing the concepts of Thomas L. Friedman along with Greenberg and Barron and Michael Porter's determinates of international competitiveness, this study identifies strategic factors which can be used to examine the determinates of international competitiveness of Arab nations.


Purpose : To summarize the clinical characteristics and outcome of adolescent patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with Chinese Children9s Leukemia Group (CCLG)-2008 protocol over a 5-year period from 2008 to 2013. Methods : Clinical features, immunophenotypes, cytogenetic abnormalities and prognosis of adolescent patients were compared with younger patients. Results : During 2008-2012, 723 patients with ALL were enrolled in our study. 14.11% of them were 10- to 18-year old patients. Compared to younger ones, adolescent patients demonstrated a higher incidence of T-cell lineage phenotype (14.71% vs 5.8%), t (9;22) (8.82% vs . 4.99%), t (1;19) (8.82% vs. 5.15%), and significantly lower frequency of t (12;21) (21.74% vs. 8.82%). In intermediate-risk group, the 5-year overall survival rate (OS) and event-free survival rate (EFS) of adolescent patients was compatible with pediatric patients, (92.88% vs. 90.86%) and (77.09% vs. 82.9%), respectively. However, the EFS of adolescent patients with high-risk ALL was worse than pediatric patients (42.78% vs . 54.12%). Conclusion : Despite of the increased incidence of adverse prognostic factors, the survival rate of adolescent patients has been improved when treated with pediatric ALL protocol. However, the poor prognosis of adolescent patients in the high-risk group remains the current challenge. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Government spending on health has grown as a percent of GDP over the last 40 years in industrialized countries. Widespread decentralization of healthcare systems has often accompanied this increase in spending. In this paper, we explore the effect of soft budget constraints on subnational health spending in a sample of OECD countries. We find countries where subnational governments rely primarily on central government financing and enjoy large borrowing autonomy have higher healthcare spending than those with more restrictions on subnational government borrowing.


The authors report on the effects of a trade show on incremental sales and profits for a manufacturer of gas chromatographic equipment. Their analysis indicates that the show provided positive economic returns to the firm. They also provide evidence that the show had positive effects on generating product awareness and interest. Although their research studies a single firm and the effect of a single show, the authors' results indicate that, under carefully controlled conditions, the returns from trade show investments can indeed be measured and quantified and that extensions of their approach may have broad applicability.


In the economic literature, there are two opposing views on the relationship between economic growth and the size of the government. The Wagner hypothesis states that as the economy grows so does the size of the public sector. This is in contrast to the Keynesian view that the growth of government expenditure results in the growth of GDP. The Wagner hypothesis was tested for different countries and the results were conflicting. The primary objective of this paper is test the Wagner hypothesis in the context of the Sudan for the period 1970-2010. The methodology used is cointegration, causality, and error correction model (ECM). The results for the Sudan indicate that the data for the period considered supports the Wagner's hypothesis.


The increasing availability of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images facilitates the generation of rich Differential Interferometric SAR (DInSAR) data. Temporal analysis of DInSAR products, and in particular deformation Time Series (TS), enables advanced investigations for ground deformation identification. Machine Learning algorithms offer efficient tools for classifying large volumes of data. In this study, we train supervised Machine Learning models using 5000 reference samples of three datasets to classify DInSAR TS in five deformation trends: Stable, Linear, Quadratic, Bilinear, and Phase Unwrapping Error. General statistics and advanced features are also computed from TS to assess the classification performance. The proposed methods reported accuracy values greater than 0.90, whereas the customized features significantly increased the performance. Besides, the importance of customized features was analysed in order to identify the most effective features in TS classification. The proposed models were also tested on 15000 unlabelled data and compared to a model-based method to validate their reliability. Random Forest and Extreme Gradient Boosting could accurately classify reference samples and positively assign correct labels to random samples. This study indicates the efficiency of Machine Learning models in the classification and management of DInSAR TSs, along with shortcomings of the proposed models in classification of nonmoving targets (i.e., false alarm rate) and a decreasing accuracy for shorter TS.


A bilayer tubular scaffold (BLTS) consisting of poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) (P(LLA-CL))/collagen submicron sized fibers and micron sized yarns, was prepared via electrospinning. Then, autologous tracheal epithelial cells and chondrocytes were separately seeded onto the two layers of the BLTS. After culturing for 7 days, the cell-seeded BLTS (CS-BLTS) was implanted and wrapped in rat tracheal fascia for pre-vascularization. The pre-vascularized BLTS (PV-BLTS) was subjected to an in situ trachea regeneration study using a rat trachea injury model, along with CS-BLTS and bare BLTS for comparison. The results presented the bilayer structure of the BLTS, and the two layers were arranged conterminously. The porosity of the outer layer (collagen/P(LLA-CL) yarns) was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the inner layer (collagen/P(LLA-CL) fibers). In vitro biological analysis demonstrated that the collagen/P(LLA-CL) showed good biocompatibility, which promoted tracheal epithelial cell initial adhesion and proliferation with a highly significant difference (P < 0.001) or significant difference (P < 0.05) compared to those of pure P(LLA-CL) materials respectively. Chondrocyte activity and proliferation were also enhanced on collagen/P(LLA-CL) yarns with a significant difference (P < 0.05) compared to those of pure P(LLA-CL). Chondrocyte penetration was promoted as well, due to the loose and porous structure of the electrospun collagen/P(LLA-CL) yarns. The in vivo evaluation results of immune response analysis and histological investigation demonstrated that the PV-BLTS performed better in new capillary regeneration, reducing immunogenicity and improving tracheal tissue regeneration compared to the CS-BLTS and bare BLTS, indicating its promising potential as a new tissue engineered alternative for trachea repair and regeneration.


Riparian forests serve an essential function in improving water quality through the filtering of sediments and nutrients from surface runoff. However, little is known about the impact of sediment deposition on productivity of riparian forests. Sediment inputs may act as a subsidy to forest productivity by providing additional nutrients for plant uptake or may act as a stress by creating anoxic soil conditions. This study determined how sediment deposition affected riparian forests along ephemeral headwater streams at Ft. Benning, Georgia, USA. Above- and belowground productivity, leaf-area index (LAI), and standing crop biomass for fine roots, shrubs, and trees were compared along a gradient of present sedimentation rates in 17 riparian forests. Annual litterfall production was determined from monthly collections using 0.25- m(2) traps; woody biomass was determined from annual diameter at breast height (DBH) measurements using species-specific allometric equations; fine root productivity was determined using sequential coring; LAI was measured by expanding specific leaf area by annual litterfall production; and shrub biomass was determined using species-specific biomass equations based on height and root collar diameter. Significant declines in litterfall, woody biomass production, fine root production, LAI, and shrub biomass were found with as little as 0.1 to 0.4 cm yr(-2) sedimentation. We conclude that the levels of sedimentation in this study do not subsidize growth in ephemeral headwater riparian forests but instead create a stress similar to that found under flooded conditions.


This paper reports an improved method of fabricating an ultra deep (40-120 /spl mu/m) and high aspect ratio (more than 25: 1) electrical isolation trench without void to increase the mechanical strength and reliability of the isolation trench in monolithic integration of bulk micromachining MEMS sensors. Before etching and refilling the trench, 0.1 /spl mu/m oxide and 3-4 /spl mu/m polysilicon are LPCVD deposited on the wafer surface as sacrificial films. After etching the trench by DRIE, such sacrificial films are removed to enlarge the trench opening. Then this trench is refilled well without voids using LPCVD oxide and polysilicon. Such an electrical isolation trench has been used in the monolithic integration of a bulk-micromachining MEMS gyroscope, which has shown high performance. Such an isolation trench has sufficient mechanical strength to sustain the bulk MEMS structure. Electrical test shows that such an isolation trench can electrically isolate the MEMS structures effectively from one another and from the on-chip detection electronics. The average resistance in the range of 0-100V is more than 10/sup 11/ /spl Omega/ and no breakdown under 100V.


MOOCs have recently become very popular, since some of these massive online courses can reach thousand students. Faculty members from top universities deliver courses through MOOC platforms: Coursera, Edx, Miriada X, etc. Apart from the content, many other factors can influence the quality of a course; for instance, a bad user experience of a Web MOOC platform can lead students to drop out an interesting and well-organised course. MOOC platforms require much effort to care for the user experience. This research aims to develop a specific method for evaluating the user experience of MOOC platforms. The method is based on the general principles of Web user experience and highlights the aspects influencing MOOCs. The system proposed in this paper calculates a quantifiable index, useful for comparing different MOOC platforms, quantifying the quality evolution of the user experience, and promoting further studies so as to determine the impact of the user experience on students: satisfaction in surveys, enrollment figures, dropout rates, among others.


The Catchment Area of Lake Toba experienced considerable environmental damage at this time. Lake Toba communit y activities that transform forests into agricultural land requiring rehabilitation efforts so that the condition of soil fertility can be restored. One of the efforts is to plant breadfruit because breadfruit has high adaptability, fast growing, does not have a requirement to grow a lot and suitable to grow in the highlands. This study aim ed to observed the response of seedling growth breadfruit (Artocarpus communis Forst) for the provision of additional material s to the growing media water-retaining compost. Type of compost that was used there are 4 types of Bernas, Bokashi, Rice Husk, Municipal Solid Waste. This study was conducted in September-November 2014. The study was conducted at Catchment Area of Lake Toba, District Haranggaol, Simalungun. The results showed that the use of different types of compost did not significantly affect the average height increment, diameter, leaf area, crown area, number of leaves and water content. Keywords : Breadfruit, Compost, Bernas, Bokashi, Catchment Area of Lake Toba


A new glutathione reductase gene (psgr) coding for glutathione reductase (GR) from an Antarctic bacterium was cloned and overexpressed into Escherichia coli (E. coli). A sequence analysis revealed that PsGR is a protein consisting of 451 amino acids, and homology modeling demonstrated that PsGR has fewer hydrogen bonds and salt bridges, which might lead to improved conformational flexibility at low temperatures. PsGR possesses the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) binding motifs. Recombinant PsGR (rPsGR) was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and was found to have a molecular mass of approximately 53.5 kDa. rPsGR was found to be optimally active at 25 °C and a pH of 7.5. It was found to be a cold-adapted enzyme, with approximately 42% of its optimal activity remaining at 0 °C. Moreover, rPsGR was most active in 1.0 M NaCl and 62.5% of its full activity remained in 3.0 M NaCl, demonstrating its high salt tolerance. Furthermore, rPsGR was found to have a higher substrate affinity for NADPH than for GSSG (oxidized glutathione). rPsGR provided protection against peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in recombinant cells, and displayed potential application as an antioxidant protein. The results of the present study provide a sound basis for the study of the structural characteristics and catalytic characterization of cold-adapted GR.


Objective—Dyslipidemia is implicated in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in humans and angiotensin (Ang) II–infused mice. This study determined effects of major lipoprotein classes on AngII-induced AAAs using multiple mouse strains with dietary and pharmacological manipulations. Approach and Results—Western diet had minor effects on plasma cholesterol concentrations and the low incidence of AngII-induced AAAs in C57BL/6J mice. Low incidence of AAAs in this strain was not attributed to protection from high-density lipoprotein, because apolipoprotein (apo) AI deficiency did not increase AngII-induced AAAs. ApoAI deletion also failed to alter AAA occurrence in hypercholesterolemic mice. Low-density lipoprotein receptor−/− mice fed normal diet had low incidence of AngII-induced AAAs. Western diet feeding of this strain provoked pronounced hypercholesterolemia because of increased apoB-containing lipoproteins with attendant increases of atherosclerosis in both sexes, but AAAs only in male mice. ApoE-deficient mice fed normal diet were modestly hypercholesterolemic, whereas this strain fed Western diet was severely hypercholesterolemic because of increased apoB-containing lipoprotein concentrations. The latter augmented atherosclerosis, but did not change the high incidence of AAAs in this strain. To determine whether reductions in apoB-containing lipoproteins influenced AngII-induced AAAs, ezetimibe was administered at a dose that partially reduced plasma cholesterol concentrations to ApoE-deficient mice fed Western diet. This decreased atherosclerosis, but not AAAs. This ezetimibe dose in ApoE-deficient mice fed normal diet significantly decreased plasma apoB-containing lipoprotein concentrations and reduced AngII-induced AAAs. Conclusions—ApoB-containing lipoproteins contribute to augmentation of AngII-induced AAA in male mice. However, unlike atherosclerosis, AAA occurrence was not correlated with increases in plasma apoB-containing lipoprotein concentrations.


Software components are still considered the weakest link when it comes to addressing reliability of a system. We argue that a systematic application of Bertrand Meyer's design by contract methodology improves reliability quite significantly. In the perspective of design by contract methodology, reliability is viewed as correctness and robustness. The concept of Reliability by Construction is dealt with in detail. Process steps to introduce or integrate design by contract methodology into existing SDLC of a product or system are discussed. The notion of sufficiently strong contracts is dealt with along with their advantages in defect prevention. Composition of function calls or services and the properties that contract specifications of successive functions(calls) need satisfy are stated. The process of contract refinement during successive phases of SDLC is discussed. Contract specification rules in the presence of inheritance in object-oriented programs are also discussed. Finally, we argue that design by contract methodology is a step towards zero-defect programming.


Homeobox containing 1 (HMBOX1) is a novel transcription repressor that is significantly downregulated in human liver cancer tissues and cell lines, but the exact biological function of HMBOX1 in liver cancer is still unknown. We observed a negative association between HMBOX1 expression level and the clinical stages of liver cancer. HMBOX1 also increased the LC3 II/LC3 I ratio, the endogenous autophagy marker, and inhibited the p38/AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, cancer stem cell specific genes, including CD133, KLF4, ESG1 and SOX2, were significantly downregulated upon HMBOX1 overexpression. Finally, the susceptibility of HepG2 cells to NK cell‑mediated cytolysis was increased by HMBOX1 overexpression and weakened by siRNA‑mediated inhibition of HMBOX1. All these findings indicated that HMBOX1 expression in hepatocytes could protect against the progression of liver cancer, and the underlying mechanisms may include promoting autophagy, inhibiting CSC phenotype and increasing the sensitivity of tumor cells to NK cell cytolysis. Therefore, HMBOX1 may be useful for developing new treatments for liver cancer.


One of the topics which is gaining popularity is Home Automation System because of itsinnumerous advantages. Home automation refers to the monitoring and controlling of home appliances remotely. with the neverending growth of the Internet and its applications, there is much potential and scope for remote access and control and monitoring of such network enabled appliances. This paper deals with discussion of different intelligent home automation systems and technologies from a various features standpoint. The effort targeted on the home automation concept of where the controlling and monitoring operations are expediting through smart devices. Wide-ranging home automation systems and technologies considered in review with central controller based (Arduino or Raspberry pi), cloud-based, Bluetooth-based, SMS based, ZigBee based, mobile-based, RF Module based, web based and the Internet with performance.


ABSTRACT The synapsins are a family of nerve terminal-specific phosphoproteins associated with the cytoplasmic side of synaptic vesicles that interact with various cytoskeletal proteins in a phosporylation-dependent fashion. They are implicated in the short-term regulation of neurotransmitter release and in the maturation of developing nerve terminals during synaptogenesis.


Summary: The diagnostic goals in nonsurgical (conservative) epileptology differ from presurgical diagnostic aims. The resulting development of diagnostic methods in a tertiary‐level epilepsy center is shown and the major technical and organizational consequences of this difference for diagnostic long‐term monitoring (LTM) as opposed to presurgical LTM are investigated. A total of 133 consecutive daytime LTM investigations using radio telemetry were reviewed and seizure parameters such as type, duration, method of seizure detection, and need of mobility were evaluated and compared to presurgical LTM. Compared to presurgical LTM, partial seizures were relatively rare (17·8%) and short epileptic or nonepileptic motor events lasting <1 s, such as myoclonic, atonic, short tonic seizures, spasms, ties, or startle reactions, are frequent (34·9%). Of all seizures, 23% had no or minor ictal EEG changes, subtle symptomatology without signaling by a patient or accompanying person, and could be detected only by continuous online surveillance by an experienced EEG technician. Due to the nature of the patient population in diagnostic LTM, there is an increased need for ictal and interictal mobility (radio telemetry). LTM in conservative epileptology requires more intense human surveillance for seizure detection and increased patient mobility compared to presurgical LTM.


We study von Neumann Morgenstern stable sets for one-to-one matching problems under the assumption of coalitional sovereignty, meaning that a deviating coalition of players does not have the power to arrange the matches of agents outside the coalition. We study both the case of pairwise and coalitional deviations. We argue further that dominance has to be replaced by path dominance along the lines of van Deemen (1991) and Page and Wooders (2009). This results in the pairwise myopic vNM set and the myopic vNM set, respectively. We obtain a unique prediction for both types of stable sets: the set of matchings that belong to the core. We also show that the pairwise and coalitional analogues of the level-1 farsighted set yield the core as the unique prediction.


Open networks are always changing and unpredictable. The new trust management mechanisms will be needed in dynamic networks environment to ensure the open networks. A new trust management is proposed in this paper which trust is divided into two layers: network connection trust layer and application trust layer. Network connection trust layer is the foundation. If there is no network connection trust layer, there is no application trust layer. The trust relationship between each peer layer includes the basic trust and experience trust. Experience trust value is evaluated by fuzzy theory and a new connect operator and merge operator is presented to fuzzily evaluate the recommend trust value. Result shows that this trust architecture is suitable to establish trust relationship among principals and make a new secure solution in open network environment.


A hydropower generation plant is a complex system and composed of numerous physical components. To monitor the health of different components it is necessary to detect anomalous behavior in time. Establishing a performance guideline along with identification of the critical variables causing anomalous behavior can help the maintenance personnel to detect any potential shift in the process timely. To establish any guideline for future control, at first a mechanism is needed to differentiate anomalous observations from the normal ones. In our work we have employed three different approaches to detect the anomalous observations and compared their performances using a historical data set received from a hydropower plant. The outliers detected are verified by the domain experts. Making use of a decision tree and feature selection process, we have identified some critical variables which are potentially linked to the presence of the outliers. We further developed a one-class classifier using the outlier cleaned dataset, which defines the normal working condition, and therefore, violation of the normal conditions could identify anomalous observations in future operations.


4456 Many different cancer cell types will undergo cell cycle arrest, followed by apoptosis when methionine is restricted from the growth media and substituted with its immediate metabolic precursor homocysteine (Met-Hcy+). In contrast, non-transformed cells will continue to grow normally in Met-Hcy+ media â\#8364;" a phenomenon referred to as the methionine dependent phenotype of cancer cells. Methionine and homocysteine are metabolites in the transmethylation pathway, which leads to synthesis of the primary methyl-donor S-adenosylmethionine, and are thus essential to maintain the methylation potential of cells. We have used a colorimetric sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay to determine cell proliferation rates for various lines of cancer cells. All cancer cells tested showed a complete block of cell division in Met-Hcy+ media but divided rapidly in Met+Hcy+ or Met+Hcy- conditions. The cancer cellsâ\#8364;™ drastically reduced viability in growth media where homocysteine replaces methionine suggests a pathway containing potential drug targets to be exploited for therapeutic benefit. However, the molecular pathway that links the methionine/homocysteine effect to cell cycle progression is completely unknown. We have recently described a pathway in the model organism yeast that controls a cell cycle checkpoint in response to changes in metabolic profiles involving the transmethylation pathway. We are analyzing a similar pathway in mammalian cells. In addition, metabolic profile changes in cancer cells in response to methionine replacement by homocysteine will be important indicators for altered cell physiology in Met-Hcy+ medium. We will present our results on the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation by homocysteine and describe our approaches to achieve a molecular understanding of the cancer-specific antiproliferative effect of Met-Hcy+ medium.


The effects of primary-tone separation on the amplitude of distortion-product emissions (DPEs) at the 2f1-f2 frequency were systematically examined in ten ears of five subjects. All individuals had normal hearing and middle-ear function based upon standard clinical measures. Acoustic-distortion products were elicited at 1, 2.5, and 4 kHz by equilevel primaries at 65, 75, and 85 dB SPL, while f2/f1 ratios were varied in 0.02 increments from 1.01-1.41 (4 kHz), 1.01-1.59 (2.5 kHz), or 1.01-1.79 (1 kHz). A principal outcome reflected in the detailed structure of both average and individual ratio functions was a nonmonotonic change in DPE amplitude as the ratio of f2/f1 increased. Despite the presence of amplitude nonmonotonicities, there was clearly a region of f1 and f2 separation that generated a maximum DPE. The effects of primary-tone separation on DPE amplitudes were systematically related to DPE frequency and primary-tone level. For all three levels of stimulation, the f2/f1 ratio was inversely related to DPE frequency. Thus larger ratios reflecting a greater separation of f1 and f2 were more effective in generating DPEs at 1 kHz rather than at 4 kHz. The optimal ratio for 2.5 kHz fell at an intermediate value. Conversely, acoustic distortion-product amplitude as a function of primary-tone level was directly related to the frequency separation of the primary tones. Regardless of the frequency region of the primary tones, smaller f2/f1 ratios were superior in generating DPEs in response to 65-dB stimuli, whereas larger ratios elicited bigger DPEs with primaries at 75 and 85 dB SPL. Within any specific stimulus-parameter combination, individual variability in DPE amplitude was noted. When all stimulus conditions describing the variations in frequency and level were considered, an f2/f1 ratio of 1.22 was most effective in maximizing DPE amplitude.


In this paper, the lattice vibrations of barium metaborate (β-BaB2O4) crystal are analysed with the aid of space group theory. The β-BaB2O4 crystal belongs to space group C3v6 (R3C). The vibration modes are classified by the method of the factor group of the space group. The results of infrared and Raman spectra have been given.


The resistance to acidic and sulfate attack of Portland-pozzolan cement containing 35 wt.% of zeolite was compared with that of unamended Portland cement. Mortar specimens kept in 0.5% and 1.0% HCl solution, 5% Na2SO4 solution, and in reference water for 365 and 720 days were tested using a set of physical-mechanical and chemical techniques. The ability of mortars containing zeolitic cements with 15 to 50 wt.% of zeolite to protect steel against corrosion was verified by a potentiodynamic method. Mortar with zeolitic cement performs better when exposed to 1% HCl solution due to the presence of a finer pore matrix, a hydrate phase poorer in CaO-containing hydration products with lower leachability, and the high resistance of zeolite material itself to acidic attack, compared with Portland cement and siliceous sand. The improved sulfate resistance of the mortar with zeolitic cement is caused by the decreased C3A in the cement blend in comparison with that in Portland cement, a reduction in SO3 binding into the cement paste and decreased amount of CaO-containing hydration products capable of reacting with a sulfate solution forming voluminous reaction products, and consequent crack propagation, large expansion and structural disintegration. Passivation of steel in mortars with blends of Portland cement to zeolite percentage ratios of 85/15, 75/25 and 65/35 by weight is comparable to that of Portland cement mortar. This is particularly important because the mortar with zeolitic cement exhibits late strengths similar to that of Portland cement mortar. This confirms that zeolitic cement can replace Portland cement in many applications with the advantage of higher resistance to acidic and sulfate attack.


Industrial demands for higher productivity require the replacement of the
traditional control equipment with newer solutions that take advantage of the
latest technologies. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) based system has
been the main choice for control equipments for the last decades. With the rapid
advancement of computing technologies, the importance of PC-based system
increased remarkably in the last few years. Retrofitting the PLC based system
with the PC-based system offers many advantages. Among these advantages are
PC-based systems are more flexible, easy integration, lower costs, better human
machine interface (HMI) facilities. The implementation of a PC based motion
control on a three-axis ASRS system is the main focus of this work. The scope of
the work covers the implementation of two hardware platforms for the proposed
system and to implement PID system on the two platforms. The development of GUI for the ASRS system provides the users with a comprehensive and user
friendly interface to control the system. The performances of two types of
hardware platforms; PCI 7344 motion controller card and (FP) 2000 Field point is
compared based on trapezoidal motion profile. Both platforms are controlled by a
proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. The parameters for the controller
are determined experimentally. The experimental results show that both platforms
successfully tracked the motion profile, and the tracking performance improves as
the velocity of the system increase. Overall this work shows that PC-based system
offers many advantageous to control and ASRS system.


Abstract This paper provides new observations of volcanic features and hydrological characteristics in and around Southern Thule, the southernmost group of islands in the South Sandwich Islands, including the first high-resolution bathymetric image of the Douglas Strait caldera. The South Sandwich Islands are the summits of several very large subduction-related volcanoes constructed at the eastern boundary of the Scotia Sea. Observations of the islands are scarce owing to their remote location and they are only rarely visited, yet the area is an active volcanic arc that is rapidly changing as a result of eruptions, including one (on Montagu Island) that has been ongoing for six years and is creating new land. The three islands that make up Southern Thule are morphologically different, and they illustrate different stages in the construction and evolution of islands in the South Sandwich group. We present the results of an acoustic and hydrographic survey that resulted in the first high-resolution, multibeam 'swath' image of the submarine Douglas Strait caldera. The results confirm the presence of a large sediment mound (c. 1000 m3 in volume) on the floor of the Douglas Strait caldera related to a flank collapse of Thule Island. The image also shows an extensive arcuate fault structure, interpreted as evidence that the caldera is nested, and its geomorphological freshness suggests that it is a very young feature that formed conceivably in the last few decades or centuries. The bathymetric image also reveals at least three cone- or mound-like structures within the caldera that may relate to renewed post-caldera volcanism (as pyroclastic cones and/or pillow mounds). Recently formed cones and faults associated with caldera rims are often associated with hydrothermal activity. However, temperature and salinity data collected within the caldera do not yet show any evidence of hydrothermal venting. The ocean surrounding Southern Thule has a prominent surface layer of low salinity water that is probably caused by a high meltwater flux derived from ice caps on the islands. This flux may have been enhanced by the recent warming trend observed in the Antarctic Peninsula, although volcano-related geothermal melting in the ice-filled Thule Island caldera may also contribute to the meltwater flux.


In the current globalized world, the market is characterized by the high competitiveness, easy access to information and high consumer demand. The analysis of the impacts of lean office application to the supply unit on a construction company is very relevant, considering that companies focused on the civil construction area depend for consolidation of their businesses, efficient management strategies and suppliers of materials and services, external to their organization. The use of lean office as a management tool in the purchasing department of construction companies offers a competitive advantage amid the current market situation. Thereby, this study seeks to clearly conceptualize the lean philosophy and its tools as well as the management of the information systems and also the management of the supply chain, among other aspects. One construction company was then selected for the design research. This company contributes with information for the accomplishment of this work. The method used in this dissertation consists in describing the company, drawing the preliminary map of the supply unit, from this, it was possible to draw up the value stream map in the present state. With this map it could be analyzed and proposing improvements in the production process and then, designed a value stream map in the future state, applying these enhancements. The results led to the identification of flaws and possible opportunities for management improvements in the company.


Abstract:This article examines critiques of concubinage in the early Chinese Republic and their fruition in the anticoncubinage movement of the 1920s and 1930s. In contrast to Japan, concubines remained a public preoccupation long after China's legal embrace of monogamy. After examining the question of concubinage in missionary and Chinese Christian endeavors and egalitarian reconceptualizations of society, the article turns to concubine abolition movements. The class prejudices of female activists fractured their conceptualization of the modern category of "woman" and created exclusionary ideas of female personhood. These fractures suggest the enduring imprint of the hierarchic principles of polygyny on ostensibly egalitarian formations of identity.


Introduction: Armed conflicts result in the interruption of clinical services, public health services, and other health-related programs and damage to the health facilities and their infrastructures. Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of conflict on public health within the war-affected zones of the Amhara region. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Amhara region. Document review and interview administered questionnaires were employed for collecting the data during the study period. Result: Based on this assessment; more than 51% of health facilities and their infrastructures were damaged and looted. About 10,333 patients on chronic disease follow-up had interrupted their treatment and follow-up for more than three to six months. And also, more than 29632 civilians died in the conflict-sourced war. Maternal and child health services have been interrupted for more than70, 000 pregnant & lactating mothers. 1035 unwanted pregnancies and 934 sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) have been occurred due to the conflict. Conclusion: About 51% of health facilities in the region were damaged; following this essential health services such as chronic follow non-communicable and chronic infectious disease, maternal health services, and child health services have been interrupted in the affected zones. This had led to the occurrence of maternal mortality of 233 &child mortality of 166 among those who lived in the affected area. Therefore, it needs Rapid strengthening of mobile health services, and the reestablishment of health facilities buildings and their infrastructures to reduce future morbidity and mortality


AbstractSeveral types of discontinuities and defects may be present on a weld, thus leading to a considerable reduction of its resistance. Therefore, ensuring a high welding quality and reliability has become a matter of key importance for many construction and industrial activities. Among the non-destructive weld testing and inspection techniques, the time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) arises as a very safe (no ionising radiation), precise, reliable and versatile practice. However, this technique presents a relevant drawback, associated to the appearance of speckle noise that should be addressed. In this regard, this paper presents a new, intelligent and automatic method for weld inspection and analysis, based on TOFD, image processing and neural networks. The developed system is capable of detecting weld defects and imperfections with accuracy, and classify them into different categories.


Abstract The explication of prehistoric subsistence economies has been of increasing interest to archaeologists. This emphasis is reflected, in part, by the considerable attention afforded faunal analyses in the recent archaeological literature. However, little effort has been made toward developing methods that permit meaningful comparisons of food resources at the interspecies level. Data pertinent to the calculation of both quantitative and qualitative food potential of many of the vertebrate animals represented in archaeological contexts are extant. These data are lacking for freshwater mussels, frequently found in archaeological sites in eastern North America. Information relevant to determining the food energy provided by freshwater mussels common to much of the Mississippi River drainage is presented. Results are applicable to more credible interpretations of prehistoric subsistence as related to animal food resources.


Abstract Acceleration of a relativistic electron beam by the longitudinal field component of a focused laser or microwave beam is optimal when the laser beam is radially polarized. The electron energy gain between focusing optical lenses with an arbitrary optical mode cannot greatly exceed that available from a Gaussian beam of the same power. Off-axis transverse forces focus and recollimate appropriately phased off-axis electrons over the acceleration length.


The field of computational paralinguistics emerged from automatic speech processing, and it covers a wide range of tasks involving different phenomena present in human speech. It focuses on the non-verbal content of human speech, including tasks such as spoken emotion recognition, conflict intensity estimation and sleepiness detection from speech, showing straightforward application possibilities for remote monitoring with acoustic sensors. The two main technical issues present in computational paralinguistics are (1) handling varying-length utterances with traditional classifiers and (2) training models on relatively small corpora. In this study, we present a method that combines automatic speech recognition and paralinguistic approaches, which is able to handle both of these technical issues. That is, we trained a HMM/DNN hybrid acoustic model on a general ASR corpus, which was then used as a source of embeddings employed as features for several paralinguistic tasks. To convert the local embeddings into utterance-level features, we experimented with five different aggregation methods, namely mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis and the ratio of non-zero activations. Our results show that the proposed feature extraction technique consistently outperforms the widely used x-vector method used as the baseline, independently of the actual paralinguistic task investigated. Furthermore, the aggregation techniques could be combined effectively as well, leading to further improvements depending on the task and the layer of the neural network serving as the source of the local embeddings. Overall, based on our experimental results, the proposed method can be considered as a competitive and resource-efficient approach for a wide range of computational paralinguistic tasks.


This article investigated the Eastern Rwanda community's involvement in tourism and conservation activities in and around Akagera National Park. The study aimed at exploring the extent of community involvement in tourism development and conservation activities in Eastern Rwanda in 2009, following the 1994 devastating genocide. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from local communities, while interviews were conducted with key participants from the RDB (Rwanda Development Board) Tourism and Conservation Department, and other local government officials. The study found that local communities adjacent to the Akagera National Park have been marginalised by RDB-TC and that they are not happy with the treatment received from RDB-TC. The article argues that for RDB and the Government of Rwanda to better manage the natural resources within the Akagera National Park in order to promote tourism and community development, a participatory approach must be adopted to provide adequate powers to local communities in the decision making process. Keywords : Akagera National Park, community conservation, community involvement, Eastern Rwanda, Rwanda, tourism, tourism development


The technique of Affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) is a useful tool to characterize complexation and partition equilibria. A wide range of applications in pharmaceutics has been presented: the determination of pKA values, of association constants between drugs and cyclodextrins or amphiphilic compounds as well as the characterization of drug affinities to several vehicle systems, such as micelles, microemulsions and liposomes. Due to the widespread use of capillary electrophoresis in drug analysis, the technical equipment is quite common. ACE is advantageous as a rapid and simple screening method which provides quantitative results about various interactions with a minimum of substance consumption and time spent.


Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF)was evaluated by echocardiography commonly. In this study, we try to use Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Tissue-Tracking (CMR-TT) to assess left atrial (LA) function in hypertension patients (HP) with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). The results demonstrated that LA myocardial function decreased in HP with LVDD. LA myocardial strain parameters could detect sensitively the myocardial deformation of LVDD in HP. Total strain(εs) parameter was an excellent parameter for diagnose HFpEF and evaluating the degree of LVDD.


Site-specific mutation was demonstrated in a shuttle vector system using nitrogen mustard-conjugated oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs). Plasmid DNA was modified in vitro by ODNs containing all four DNA bases in the presence of Escherichia coli RecA protein. Up to 50% of plasmid molecules were alkylated in the targeted region of the supF gene and mutations resulted upon replication in mammalian cells. ODNs conjugated with either two chlorambucil moieties or a novel tetrafunctional mustard caused interstrand crosslinks in the target DNA and were more mutagenic than ODNs that caused only monoadducts.


Modern multi-megawatt wind turbines are currently designed as pitch-regulated machines, i.e., machines that use the rotation of the blades (pitching) in order to adjust the aerodynamic torque, such that the power is maintained constantly throughout a wide range of wind speeds when they exceed the design value (rated wind speed). Thus, pitch control is essential for optimal performance. However, the pitching activity is not for free. It introduces vibrations to the tower and blades and generates fatigue loads. Hence, pitch control requires a compromise between wind turbine performance and safety. In the past two decades, many approaches have been proposed to achieve different objectives and to overcome the problems of a wind energy converter using pitch control. The present work summarizes control strategies for problem of wind turbines, which are solved by using different approaches of pitch control. The emphasis is placed on the bibliographic information, but the merits and demerits of the approaches are also included in the presentation of the topics. Finally, very large wind turbines have to simultaneously satisfy several control objectives. Thus, approaches like collective and individual pitch control, tower and blade damping control, and pitch actuator control must coexist in an integrated control system.


Permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) has gained more interest recently in industrial applications. Digital hardware solutions such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are the most preferred methods for controlling PMSM drivers. This paper presents an implementation of a current control system for PMSM based on FPGA. Encoder-based speed and position detection method has been used in proposed hardware. The whole system has been modeled and simulated in system level using MATLAB/SIMULINK. Hardware architecture for all computational blocks is implemented using Verilog HDL. The hardware architecture has been successfully synthesized and implemented on Altera Cyclone II FPGA. Proposed system architecture and computational blocks are described and system level and RTL simulation results are presented. Simulation results show that the total computation cycle time of implemented system on Altera Cyclone II FPGA is 456ns. Keywords : PMSM, FPGA, Incremental encoder, CORDIC, Hysteresis Current Control.


The conditions of death are studied in a sample of oncological patients who died at home. By interviewing people, relatives or not, who assumed the main responsibility for the patient's care, information was gathered about different aspects of the patient's life in its terminal period. In this study, information was collected about the kind of medical assistance offered at home, and its intensity. Among 182 cases, 151 primary caregivers were interviewed; 78% of them were visited by the family doctor, on a regular or sporadic basis. Both the degree of family doctor information and the frequency of his/her visits to the patient, were related to the place of residence (better knowledge of the disease and higher frequency of visits in non-urban areas). 70% of the patients who were hospitalised at any time (127), maintained contact in some way with the attending hospital. This contact was direct (the patient attended the hospital) in 46% of cases. The factors dependent on the disease (diagnosis and symptoms) did not show any influence on the intensity of health care support.


Halodule uninervisis a flowering plant commonly known as needle seagrass. Halodule uninervis is widely distributed in the Indo-pacific region. In the Indian Ocean, it is found from Geographe Bay in Western Australia. It is a euryhaline species that can tolerate high salinity, grows, reproduce and complete their entire life cycle undersea at the submerged condition. Halodule uninerviswas found to be rich in phenol and phenylpropanoid derivatives such as p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acids. As the seagrasses are known to produce unique secondary metabolites as a defense mechanism, many research was targeted towards them in order to search novel potent antioxidants or antibiotics. p-hydroxybenzoic acid acts as an intermediate for several bioproducts that are commercially valuable in food, cosmetics, pharmacy, fungicides, etc. Caffeic acid acts as a free radical scavenger. It has been found that caffeic acid phenyl ester inhibits DNA, RNA and protein synthesis in HL-60 cells; thus, it arrests the growth of human leukaemia cells. The western Pacific and Indian oceans are the indigenous origins of Halodule uninervis. Interesting the fact that Halodule uninervisis an important food for the green sea turtle and dugong and as well as it was used traditionally for wound ailments. These make the seagrass Halodule uninervis a potent plant that needs to be exposed. This review elaborates on the features and recent approaches of the seagrass Halodule uninervis.


Introduction: Airway stenosis (AS) is the commonest airway complication after lung transplantation (LuTx) [1,2]. Treatment outcomes are disappointing due to high recurrence rates. Re-canalization is performed using argon photocoagulation (APC) and balloon dilatation (BD) with luminal patency being maintained by stents, localised brachytherapy or topical mitomycin. Paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) are used in coronary artery stenosis [3,4] and we aimed to evaluate similar PCBs in refractory airway stenosis after LuTx. Methods: Patients with recurrent AS under conventional treatment between 01.11.2011 and 01.11.2012 were recruited. Written consent and individual ethics committee approval was obtained prior to PCB. Dilatation was performed under light sedation using flexible bronchoscopy. Results: One heart-lung transplant and 8 double-lung transplant patients underwent PCB dilatation. Stenoses occurred 72 [IQR 37-77] days post-transplant, with previous treatment extending over 325 [IQR 274-394] days, requiring 20 [IQR 16-23] interventions. Three patients remained intervention-free 143 [IQR 128-201] days after PCB. Two patients were managed conservatively after re-stenosis, one being re-transplanted for chronic allograft dysfunction. All other patients continued APC in unaltered treatment intensity. One guide-wire related pneumothorax arose during PCB-dilatation, otherwise no complications occurred. Conclusion: Paclitaxel-coated balloons offer a viable treatment option in managing recurrent non-anastomotic AS following LuTx. Medium term efficacy appears comparable with current treatments. Larger prospective studies are required.


The role of the selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase (Se-GSHPx) in protecting against oxidative injury was studied in hepatocytes isolated from rats fed either a low-selenium (Se-) or a selenium-adequate (Se+, control) diet. In rats fed Se- diet for eight weeks the selenium content of plasma and liver was lowered to 15 and 8%, respectively. No Se-GSHPx and only 5% of total GSHPx activity was detected in Se- hepatocytes. However, the Se- hepatocytes were as resistant as the Se+ cells to oxidative injury by 0.8 mM tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH), or 0.2 mM t-BuOOH plus 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), an inhibitor of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) reductase. Only at 1.5 mM t-BuOOH or at 0.5 mM t-BuOOH with BCNU were cell damage and lipid peroxidation more evident in Se- cells. At all t-BuOOH concentrations used the depletion of cellular glutathione (GSH) was similar in magnitude in Se- and Se+ cells, but Se+ cells released more glutathione (mainly GSSG), obviously due to their higher Se-GSHPx activity. These results suggest that hepatocytes devoid of Se-GSHPx activity maintain a high capacity to resist peroxidative attack, either via residual (non-Se)GSHPx activity or other compensatory GSH-associated detoxication mechanisms.


This paper investigates factors contributing to the performance of the POS Tagger for Tagalog language. Tagalog, a morphologically rich language, exhibits complex morphological structure, makes use of morphological information in determining parts of speech of the word, aspect and voice. As word feature information plays important role in efficient tagging, tag set definition capturing word information also contributes to the success or failure of the tagger. A refinement of tag set is defined to possibly improve tagging performance.


This Article argues for a moderate but significant recalibration of the dominant interpretation of §512 of the DMCA. While ISPs are correct that the existing language of §512 does not give copyright owners a right to the "take down and stay down" regime they would prefer, it does ask more of them than is presently being required. Receipt of a takedown notice does provide an ISP with information that is supposed to be relevant to its awareness of other apparent infringement beyond that specifically identified in the notice. Moreover, the standards for what facts and circumstances give rise to knowledge of "apparent" infringement have been construed in a manner more stringent than those commonly applied even to criminal defendants or persons facing civil forfeiture. Finally, the doctrine of willful blindness means that where circumstances indicate an objectively high likelihood that certain conduct is illegal, one has a duty to avail oneself of obvious opportunities to disconfirm the inference. This duty is narrow, and does not require an ISP to engage in comprehensive monitoring, filtering, or affirmatively searching for instances of infringement for which no red flag has been raised. But indicia of infringement are not as radically elusive as has been made out, and §512(m) should not be read so as to equate efforts to disconfirm already-known instances of likely infringement with the affirmative seeking out of evidence of infringement that the statute says is not generally required.


1State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences/Tian Shan Glaciological Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, CAS, 320 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China 2University of Khartoum, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Protection and Conservation, Code 13314, Shambat, Sudan 3Northwest Normal University, College of Geography and Environmental Science, Anning Road, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China 4Division of Hydrology Water-Land Resources, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, CAS, 320 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China


Functional and structural properties of fibronectin--high molecular weight glyco-protein from human plasma--were studied by monoclonal antibodies against fibronectin. It was shown that monoclonal antibodies against human plasma fibronectin exhibit a certain species specificity. Antigenic determinant for our monoclonal antibody is located in the central part of the protein polypeptide chain--in the structural domain. The monoclonal antibodies studied do not inhibit any tested functions of fibronectin. In contrast, polyclonal antibodies are not species specific and inhibit all fibronectin functions.


The shape and polarity of the C. elegans gonad is defined during early gonadogenesis by two somatic gonadal precursor cells, Z1 and Z4, and their descendants. Z1 and Z4 divide asymmetrically to establish the proximal-distal axes of the gonad and to generate regulatory leader cells that control organ shape. In this paper, we report that pop-1, the C. elegans TCF/LEF-1 transcription factor, controls the first Z1/Z4 asymmetric division and hence controls proximal-distal axis formation. We have identified two pop-1(Sys) alleles (for symmetrical sisters) that render the Z1/Z4 divisions symmetrical. The pop-1(q645) allele is fully penetrant for the Sys gonadogenesis defect in hermaphrodites, but affects male gonads weakly; pop-1(q645) alters a conserved amino acid in the beta-catenin binding domain. The pop-1(q624) allele is weakly penetrant for multiple defects and appears to be a partial loss-of-function mutation; pop-1(q624) alters a conserved amino acid in the HMG-box DNA binding domain. Zygotic pop-1(RNAi) confirms the role of pop-1 in Z1/Z4 asymmetry and reveals additional roles of pop-1, including one in leader cell migration. Two other Wnt pathway regulators, wrm-1 and lit-1, have the same effect as pop-1 on Z1/Z4 asymmetry. Therefore, wrm-1 and lit-1 are required for pop-1 function, rather than opposing it as observed in the early embryo. We conclude that POP-1 controls the Z1/Z4 asymmetric division and thereby establishes the proximal-distal axes of the gonad. This control over proximal-distal polarity extends our view of Wnt signaling in C. elegans, which had previously been known to control anterior-posterior polarities.


The range of domains and tasks for "knowledgebased systems" has been expanding at a furious pace. As we move away from trivial domains, such as the "blocks world", the demands on knowledge representation systems used by expert programs are becoming more extreme. For one thing, the domains themselves are getting so complex that specialized technical vocabularies are unavoidable; consequently, the issue of a system talking with un expert in ki8 own ianguage cannot be ignored. For another, tasks such as medical diagnosis, scene analysis, speech understanding, and game playing all have as a central feature an incrementally evolving model representing probably incomplete knowledge of part of the task domain. In this paper, we explore some of the impact of these two critical issues-complexity and incompletenesson knowledge representation systems. We review some aspects of current representation research that offer a foundation for coping with these problems, and finally suggest a way of integrating these ideas into a powerful, practical knowledge representation paradigm.


The evolution of multicellular organisms involves the possibility that what Professor Stoker in his recent Leeuwenhoek lecture (Stoker 1972) referred to as asocial cells may arise, i.e. cells which possess selective advantages in respect of their own survival but are disadvantageous as regards survival of the organism as a whole. Cancer provides a striking, though not unique, example of this phenomenon. The label enemy, which would certainly not be challenged by a patient with cancer or a clinician, seems therefore not inappropriate even in a strictly biological context. The reasons for the qualification elusive, which according to the O.E.D. connotes among other things the capacity 'to escape adroitly from ', will, I hope, become apparent in the course of the lecture, the main purpose of which is to consider where conventional methods of treating cancer fail and how they might be improved. In the course of this inquiry we shall have to consider also the question of the existence and nature of homeostatic mechanisms for the elimination or immobilization of asocial cells because, in so far as such mechanisms do exist, the risk of weakening them, and, on the other hand, the possibility of strengthening or supplementing them, become important considerations both in assessing existing therapeutic procedures and developing new ones.


This article investigates the adsorption of different frothers onto talc particles. The adsorption and flotation characteristisc of tallow amine acetate (TAA) + frothers (MIBC and pine oil) was studied for talc mineral. In this study, we analyzed some parameters affecting froth flotation performance and it was determined that adsorption capacity in particular, had an important role in froth flotation enrichment. The effect of pH and adsorption time on adsorption capacity was also studied. Analyses were carried out using ultraviolet spectrometry. The results showed that MIBC had the lowest frother adsorption capacity and it improved recovery during froth flotation of on the talc. It can be said that MIBC was adsorbed on the talc surface less and provided the best conditions to generate bubbles in flotation cell.


With rapid urbanization and industrialization, ecological disorders and environmental degradation have become serious, and the promotion of the coordinated development of the social economy and ecological environment is not only a pressing problem to be solved, but also an important step towards sustainable development. The coordinated development of the social economy and eco-environment is conducive to sustainable development. Considering the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration as a case study, this paper adopts panel data and establishes an index system to evaluate the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between the social economy and ecological environment based on the concept of high-quality development. From the perspective of time and space, the changing laws and characteristics of the CCD are analyzed, and the key factors affecting it are determined using regression analysis. The results show the following: (1) the CCD between the social economy and ecological environment of the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration presents a low level overall; (2) the CCD in more developed regions is significantly higher than that in less developed regions; thus, the characteristics of spatial differences are obvious; (3) the urbanization rate, ratio of actual use of foreign capital and GDP, ratio of total export-import volume and GDP, proportion of days with good air quality, and per capita public green space area are the main factors affecting the coordinated development of the social economy and ecological environment in the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration; and (4) Chongqing has obvious endogeneity. Finally, corresponding policy recommendations are provided aimed at promoting rapid economic development in the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration while focusing on environmental protection and promoting high-quality economic development with ecological environmental protection, while putting forward decision-making suggestions for high-quality development of urban agglomerations.


Abacavir (ABC) is an antiretroviral drug highly effective in the treatment of HIV, but its intake can cause severe hypersensitivity reaction (HSR). A strong association between HLA‐B*57:01 and ABC HSRs was reported by several studies, which demonstrated that HLA‐B*57:01 screening had a 100% negative predictive value and that it could accurately identify patients at high risk of ABC HSRs. We propose a new sequence‐specific primer PCR assay based on fluorescence detection through CE which is highly sensitive, allowing the use of non‐infective sources of DNA such as saliva and buccal swabs, in addition to blood and reproducible, allowing automation of the analytical process. The results of our study were first compared with a standard sequence‐specific primer PCR technique and reported a concordance of 100%, and then a blind external validation further confirmed the accuracy of our method.


Nine strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and one strain of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei that were recently isolated from prickly pears, fresh figs and blackberries, which are traditionally and largely consumed fruits in Kabylia (north of Algeria), were studied here for their antagonism and antioxidant properties as well as for production of exopolysaccharides. With respect to their inhibitory properties, these strains were tested against three food representative pathogens including Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Staphylococcus aureus 2S6 and Listeria monocytogenes 162. The antagonism of these pathogens was attributable to lactic acid production, present in the cell free supernatant, at concentrations ranging from 9 to 16.74 g/L. The anti-adhesive properties observed on polystyrene or eukaryotic Caco-2 cells were exerted in a strain dependent-manner. Indeed, the scores obtained ranged from 27% to 75% for S. aureus 2S6, 54% to 95% for L. monocytogenes 162, and 50% to 97% for E. coli ATCC 8739. The co-aggregation of these Lactobacillus strains with the aforementioned target bacteria appeared to be exerted in a strain-dependent manner, with noticeably the upmost rate for Lb. paracasei FB1 on S. aureus 2S6. Interestingly, these novel Lactobacillus strains were able to produce a large amount (315.55 to 483.22 mg/L) of exopolysaccharides, and showed a significant scavenging activity on the 2,2-di-phényl-2-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) synthetic free radical with rates of 51% to 56%. Of note, the highest antioxidant activity was observed for Lb. paracasei FB1 using the culture supernatants, intact cells or the intracellular extract. The statistical analysis of these data using the principal component analysis (ACP) enabled us to establish three distinct clusters with potential applications as bioprotective and/or probiotic agents, following further evaluation.


Background It is widely accepted that inflammation may contribute to cognitive impairment in patients with vascular dementia (VD). Our prior clinical researches have reported that acupuncture can alleviate cognitive function in VD, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. The purpose of this research was to explore whether acupuncture alleviates cognitive impairment by suppressing the microRNA-93- (miR-93-) mediated Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway, which triggers inflammatory responses in the central nervous system. Methods VD was established by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion in male Wistar rats. Three days after operation, the rats began daily treatment with acupuncture for two weeks. The levels of miR-93, Toll-like receptors (TLR2 and TLR4), intracellular signaling molecules (myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)), and inflammatory cytokines were subsequently detected. TLR4 colocalized with neurons, microglia, and astrocytes in the hippocampus was evaluated. Neuroinflammation and cognitive function were determined after intracerebroventricular injection of TLR4 antagonist TAK-242 or agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without acupuncture. Results We found that acupuncture notably repressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus and plasma of VD rats. The expression of TLR4, but not TLR2, was markedly downregulated by acupuncture, accompanied by a decrease in miR-93 and MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway activation. The overexpression of TLR4 in microglia, but not in astrocytes and neurons, was reversed by acupuncture. Furthermore, intracerebroventricular injection of TAK-242 had similar effects to acupuncture on inflammation and cognitive function, while LPS injection abolished the beneficial effects of acupuncture. Conclusions Taken together, these findings provide evidence that acupuncture attenuates cognitive impairment associated with inflammation through inhibition of the miR-93-mediated TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in experimental VD. Acupuncture serves as a promising alternative therapy and may be an underlying TLR4 inhibitor for the treatment of VD.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease, in which the immune system attacks joint tissue. Interleukin (IL)-6 is a key proinflammatory cytokine in RA progression. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a platelet-derived lysophospholipid mediator, reportedly regulates osteoimmunology. Here, we examined the effects of S1P on IL-6 expression in osteoblasts. Our results and records from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database demonstrate higher levels of IL-6 in patients with RA compared with those with osteoarthritis. Stimulation of osteoblasts with S1P increased mRNA and protein expression of IL-6. PI3K, MEK, ERK and NF-κB inhibitors and their small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) reduced S1P-promoted IL-6 expression. S1P also facilitated PI3K, MEK/ERK and NF-κB signaling cascades. Our results indicate that S1P promotes the expression of IL-6 in osteoblasts via the PI3K, MEK/ERK and NF-κB signaling pathways.


Background: ARID1A is a key component of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, which has been identified in various cancers. Loss of ARID1A expression is correlated with poor prognosis in gastric cancer (GC); however, the clinical relevance of ARID1A mutations in GC has not yet been reported. Materials and Methods: A total of 518 GC patients receiving gastrectomy were enrolled. The analysis of 13 mutations of the ARID1A gene using mass spectrometric single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping technology was conducted. The clinicopathological features of GC with and without ARID1A mutations were compared. Results: Among the 518 GC patients, 59 (11.4%) had ARID1A mutations. For diffuse-type GC, patients with ARID1A-mutated tumors were older and had fewer poorly differentiated tumors, fewer incidence of Epstein–Barr virus infection, a higher likelihood of ARID1A expression loss, more microsatellite instability-high tumors, a lower prevalence of peritoneal recurrence, and better survival rates than those with ARID1A nonmutant tumors. For intestinal-type GC, patients with ARID1A-mutant tumors had more PI3K/AKT pathway genetic mutations than patients with ARID1A nonmutant tumors. Multivariate analysis showed that ARID1A mutations are an independent prognostic factor in diffuse-type GC. Conclusion: ARID1A mutations are associated with a better prognosis in diffuse-type GC.


Abstract Electron probe microanalyses of zoisites from high-grade metamorphic rocks in Galicia, NW Spain have been obtained. The elements Na, Mg, P, K, Ti, and Mn were not detected above the 0.1 wt. % level. Assuming all Fe is present as Fe3+, a clear relation is obtained between the Fe content and the optic axial angle. Zoisite with 1.6 wt. % Fe2O3 proves to be uniaxial at 589 nm; uniaxiality in blue light (470 nm) lies at 1.5 wt. % Fe2O3. A change of the optic sign, from positive to negative, is obtained at 2.9 wt. % Fe2O3. The presence of minor elements greatly affects this relation, as is indicated by analyses of sector-zoned Sr-bearing zoisites of a muscovite-zoisite pegmatite from the same region. Under retrograde conditions Fe-rich α-zoisite reacts to form less Fe-rich α-zoisite or β-zoisite and clinozoisite.


Social media addiction (SMA) has been increased in the office environment. It raised serious concern about its effects on employees and organization performances. The addiction blowout without age, gender, culture, and social class differentiation. To study its consequences on various facets of life has grew more importance. In this study, role of SMA among the employees and its consequences on the organization performance has been investigated through a cross-sectional survey method. The data were collected through adopted scales from middle-line managers of Islamic banks. The date then was analyzed by applying linear regression techniques in SPSS 24 software package to analyze the causality of relationships between the variables. It was found that there is a significant positive relationship exist between SMA and organization performance. While, SMA has been found less significant in influencing employees' performance. The relationship of SMA and employee's performance had been moderated by masculinity. Their performances have been interactive differently between males and females.


Background: Producing quality data for decision at all levels of the health communication is a global imperative. Following that, recently, many organizations are evaluating various prevention communications; however, adequate data has not been obtained. This study is aimed to explore factors that have impact on health seeking behavior for HIV/AIDS among public college community. Methods: Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted from March 1-30, 2012 with students, teachers and HIV mainstreaming heads in the three colleges of Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia. Data was captured using voice recorders, and field notes were transcribed verbatim from the local language into English. Key constructs and thematic frameworks were developed using the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and health belief model (HBM), and presented in narratives using the respondents own words. Results: Participants had very low self-susceptibility to HIV/AIDS but they claimed others as highly susceptible. Self-efficacy (confidence in performing the behaviour), and response efficacy (the belief of efficacious of the message) regarding acceptance of recommended preventive message were the most important correlates of the perception. Conclusion: Lack of awareness of self-susceptibility is a critical problem for adaptation of behavior. All the participants' agree seriousness of the problem which is not attached with using recommended methods. Selecting one recommended response hampered the others prevalence. For instance, low self-efficacy and response efficacy were the critical problems in condom use. Accesses to services for social marketing were poor for a variety of psycho-social and cultural reasons. Prior to the promotion of prevention programs, health service related factors that influence health seeking behaviour must be addressed through appropriate behaviour change communications.


Weed management is critical in hazelnut (Corylus avellana) production. Weeds reduce nutrient availability, interfere with tree growth, and reduce handharvesting efficiency. Field experiments were conducted from Fall 2006 to 2010 to test effects of brassica (Brassica sp.) cover crops and hazelnut husk mulch as alternative weed management strategies in hazelnut. The cover crop treatments consisted of rape (Brassica napus), field mustard (Brassica rapa), oriental mustard (Brassica juncea), and fallow with no cover crop. Hazelnut husk was surface-applied at two thicknesses, 5and 10-cm-thick layer. Dry biomass production by the cover crops was relatively consistent among years with oriental mustard producing the most biomass. Throughout the growing seasons, the cover crops reduced weed density, weed dry weight, and the number of weed species when compared with the fallow treatment. The most effective cover crop at suppressing weeds was oriental mustard. Hazelnut husk applied as a 10-cm-thick layer on the ground was highly effective at controlling weeds up to 180 days after application and reduced total weed dry weight by 83% at the end of the season. Our findings indicate that brassica cover crops or hazelnut husk may help control annual weed species in hazelnut orchards during early summer. However, these strategies should be combined with other methods like chemicals or cultivation for adequate weed management.


WaveNet is a state-of-the-art text-to-speech vocoder that remains challenging to deploy due to its autoregressive loop. In this work we focus on ways to accelerate the original WaveNet architecture directly, as opposed to modifying the architecture, such that the model can be deployed as part of a scalable text-to-speech system. We survey a wide variety of model compression techniques that are amenable to deployment on a range of hardware platforms. In particular, we compare different model sparsity methods and levels, and seven widely used precisions as targets for quantization; and are able to achieve models with a compression ratio of up to 13.84 without loss in audio fidelity compared to a dense, single-precision floating-point baseline. All techniques are implemented using existing open source deep learning frameworks and libraries to encourage their wider adoption.


Adult rats treated neonatally with guanethidine had normal arterial blood pressures, but these were more dependent on the renin-angiotensin system than in control animals. Antagonism of V1-receptors (with d(CH2)5DAVP) enhanced the depressor effects of captopril in guanethidine-treated animals, but blood pressure was unaffected by this manoeuvre in control animals. Although there is evidence that sympathetic efferent vasomotor function is abolished following the schedule of neonatal guanethidine treatment used, pentolinium had a hypotensive effect in the presence of d(CH2)5DAVP and captopril, indicating that the adrenal medulla could have been contributing to the maintenance of blood pressure. This is consistent with the finding of marked supersensitivity to exogenous adrenaline in guanethidine-treated rats.


Anorexia nervosa shows some clinical differences in children as compared to adults, although the aetiology is similar in both age groups. Detection is especially important in children because the self-starvation may affect growth. Most cases can be helped by out-patient family therapy, but some need in-patient treatment, and for this group many have persistent difficulties. Bulimia nervosa is rare in children, and treatment has not been well evaluated.


Background While use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is increasing, little is known about how patients view healthcare AI. Characterizing patient attitudes and beliefs about healthcare AI and the factors that lead to these attitudes can help ensure patient values are in close alignment with the implementation of these new technologies. Methods We conducted 15 focus groups with adult patients who had a recent primary care visit at a large academic health center. Using modified grounded theory, focus-group data was analyzed for themes related to the formation of attitudes and beliefs about healthcare AI. Results When evaluating AI in healthcare, we found that patients draw on a variety of factors to contextualize these new technologies including previous experiences of illness, interactions with health systems and established health technologies, comfort with other information technology, and other personal experiences. We found that these experiences informed normative and cultural beliefs about the values and goals of healthcare technologies that patients applied when engaging with AI. The results of this study form the basis for a theoretical framework for understanding patient orientation to applications of AI in healthcare, highlighting a number of specific social, health, and technological experiences that will likely shape patient opinions about future healthcare AI applications. Conclusions Understanding the basis of patient attitudes and beliefs about healthcare AI is a crucial first step in effective patient engagement and education. The theoretical framework we present provides a foundation for future studies examining patient opinions about applications of AI in healthcare.


This two-part paper presents the first complete, generalized basic theoretical formulation for electron beam-wave interactions in a plasma-filled (corrugated or smooth-walled) waveguide immersed in a finite magnetic field. The general interaction and dispersion equations of the longitudinal and transverse interactions in both smooth and corrugated magnetized plasma-filled waveguides (MPWs) are formulated. Our approach differs from that of previous investigators in that we begin by first deriving the dispersion relation of an MPW and then using the resulting electromagnetic fields, which embody the plasma effects, as the basis field vectors. We then investigate the underlying interactions with a superimposed electron-beam in a variety of microwave device configurations. For example, we examine plasma Cherenkov radiation, the plasma-filled travelling-wave-tube/backward-wave-oscillator (TWT/BWO), the plasma-filled electron cyclotron resonance maser (ECRM), and other beam-wave interactions including those involving ion-channels. Some possible new interactions in a magnetized plasma-filled waveguide (MPW) are proposed. A detailed discussion and analysis of the important physical role of the plasma background are given. Many interesting features of beam-wave interactions in an MPW are pointed out, three of them being most essential. One is that transverse interactions are always accompanied by longitudinal interactions. The second is that the magnetized plasma itself is strongly involved in the interaction mechanisms via an additional component of the field. The third interesting feature is that the plasma-filled ECRM prefers to operate at high cyclotron harmonics. The first part of this two-part paper presents formulations using a fluid model for both the plasma and the beam. It also includes a detailed treatment of the physical effects of the ion channel that is formed in the plasma by an intense electron beam. Part II extends the analyzes by retaining a fluid treatment for the plasma-fill but substituting a kinetic theory treatment for the electron beam. This kinetic theory model should be used when the velocity spread of the beam's electrons must be taken into account. The theory presented in both parts of this paper is based upon the "given field" approach that has been widely used successfully in science and technology, in particular in microwave electronics. In both parts of the paper, sample numerical calculations are also presented in order to illustrate the physics.


Not only did male inmates of the St. Martin in the Fields Workhouse in London
manipulate the offered assistance to meet their needs, but in doing so actually demonstrated
the very virtues the workhouse was intended to instil. The logic of the
behaviour of these poor men becomes readily apparent from a close analysis of
workhouse admission and discharge records between 1815 and 1819 and of parish
officials' interviews with applicants. As an inculcator of moral virtue, the workhouse
was redundant and, hence, unnecessary. This evidence begins to call into
question one of the basic premises of nineteenth-century poor law reform: the need
for moral regeneration.


The new type of generalized proportional integral (GPI) observers for descriptor linear systems is proposed. Based on a complete parametric solution to a type of generalized Sylvester matrix equations, a parametric approach for the design of the GPI observers is established. The proposed approach gives parameterizations of all the observer gain matrices in terms of some free parameters which represent the degrees of design freedom. Moreover, the parametric expression of the corresponding finite left eigenvector matrix of the observer system is also presented. The proposed approach, which guarantees the regularity of the observer system, realizes the elimination of impulsive behaviors of the observer system. The proposed design method offers all the degrees of design freedom which can be further utilized to achieve additional specifications and performances. An illustrative example shows the effect of the proposed approach


Trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, live in or on the human body. Microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions are often influenced by diffusible and microbe-associated small molecules. Over the past few years, it has become evident that these interactions have a substantial impact on human health and disease. In this Perspective, we summarize the research involving the discovery of methanogenic and non-methanogenic archaea associated with the human body. In particular, we emphasize the importance of some archaeal metabolites in mediating intra- and interspecies interactions in the ecological environment of the human body. A deep understanding of the archaeal metabolites as well as their biological functions may reveal in more detail whether and how archaea are involved in maintaining human health and/or causing certain diseases.


This paper presents an application of a neuro-fuzzy controller for compensating the effects induced by the friction in a DC motor system. The neuro-fuzzy controller is a combination of a linear controller and a neurofuzzy network which compensates for nonlinear friction. The proposed scheme is implemented and tested on an IBM PC-based DC motor control system. The algorithm, simulations, and experimental results are described. The results are relevant for precision drives, such those found in industrial robots.


We present new UBV I CCD observations of the old LMC globular cluster RETICULUM. These data allowed us to re-determine periods and light curves and to identify 4 double mode RR Lyrae stars. A comparison with the theoretical instability strip in the MV − logP plane shows good agreement between theory and observations when an apparent distance modulus of (m−M)=18.45±0.12 mag (i.e.(m−M)0=18.39±0.12 mag) is assumed.


Type of funding sources: None.

 Data about VT ablation in patients with electrical storm (ES) is limited. This study sought to compare the prognostic outcome of patients undergoing VT ablation after electrical storm with and without a septal substrate on mortality, VT recurrence rates, rehospitalization rates and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

 In this large single-centre study patients presenting with ES and undergoing VT ablation were included from June 2018 to April 2021. Patients with septal substrate were compared to patients without septal substrate. The primary prognostic outcome was cardiovascular mortality, secondary endpoints were VT recurrence rates, rehospitalization rates and MACE all after a median follow-up of 22 months.

 A total of 108 patients underwent a first VT ablation due to electrical storm and were included (65 ± 13 years; 86% male; 45% ischemic cardiomyopathy). Cardiovascular risk factors were equally distributed among both groups (all p>0.05). Major complications occurred in 11% of all patients with increased postinterventional third degree AV blocks among patients with septal substrate (9% vs 0%; p=0.062). Noninducibility of the clinical VT was achieved in 98% of all patients without a septal substrate and in 91% of all patients with a septal substrate (p=0.136). Noninducibility of any VT was achieved in 88% without a septal substrate and in 66% with a septal substrate (p=0.011). However, in non-invasive programmed stimulation before hospital discharge VT inducibility did not differ among both groups (p>0.05). After 1 year and a median of 22 months follow-up, patients with septal substrate died significantly more often due to cardiovascular causes (25% vs. 7%; log-rank p=0.021). In univariate analysis cardiovascular mortality for ES patients with septal substrate was 3.9 fold higher (HR 3.979; CI 95% 1.124 – 14.092; p=0.032). Independent predictors of adverse outcome in multivariable regression analysis were presence of septal substrate (HR 4.836; p=0.026) and increased numbers of VTs inducible during VT ablation (HR 1.635; p=0.007). VT recurrence during follow-up was 59% and equally distributed among both groups (log rank p=0.911). Rehospitalization rates (log rank p=0.532) and rates of MACE (log rank p=0.463) were equal.

 Presence of a septal substrate is associated with adverse long-term cardiovascular mortality in patients admitted for VT ablation after electrical storm. Despite decreased ablation success in these patients VT recurrence rates were not increased during follow-up.


Connected Autonomous Space Environment Sensor (CASES) Global Positioning System (GPS) software‐defined receivers developed for ionospheric scintillation studies have been deployed on Autonomous Adaptive Low‐Power Instrument Platforms (AAL‐PIP) at South Pole, Antarctica. In this paper, we describe the AAL‐PIP experimental setup focusing on CASES. We explain in detail the method developed for analyzing CASES data, and report initial AAL‐PIP CASES results. Furthermore, we compare the CASES measurements with those from a modified Novatel GSV4004 GPS Ionospheric Scintillations and TEC Monitor (GISTM) receiver at the South Pole. CASES receivers have been successfully deployed and reliably operated in equatorial and midlatitude regions. Four of these GPS receivers, for the first time, are deployed in high‐latitude regions as a part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project of deploying space science instrument platforms, AAL‐PIPs, in Antarctica since December 2010–2011. We present initial scintillation results recorded by a CASES receiver at South Pole during the storm on 24 January 2012 along with AAL‐PIP magnetometer observations. We have deduced that the CASES receiver scintillation observations agree with those from the Novatel GPS scintillation receiver. Since this is the first time a CASES receiver has been deployed to operate in a high latitude, low temperature, and low humidity environment, we consider this comparison a demonstration of its reliable operation as a science‐grade scintillation receiver in such conditions. We plan to study high latitude ionospheric irregularities by using observations from CASES and other ancillary instruments from Antarctica coupled with physical parameters derived from models.


This study was carried out to know the effects of marketing mix 7Ps on switching mutual personal relation, attraction of alternatives and converting cost of barriers intentions. Based on the result, the purpose of this study is to suggest the ways to prevent customer separation and increase sales consistently. secure new customers. As for the subject of this study, 731 customers of hair salons in Seoul and Kyonggi Province were selected to respond to and analyzed the self-administered questionnaire. Collected data was analyzed using SPSS 22.0. Analytical analysis was carried out on the data in the form of frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, and regression analysis. Firstly, the effect of marketing mix on mutual personal relation has partly significant result in people, product, price and promotion. Secondly, influence of marketing mix on attraction of alternatives has partly significant result in all of 6Ps, except people. Thirdly, the effect of marketing mix on converting cost has partly significant result in promotion and people. In conclusion, on the basis of this research, it can be seen that the beauty manager should notice continuous use and strengthen marketing which leads to the number of frequenter and sales.