The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a rational target for cancer treatment. While the mTORC1-selective rapalogs have shown significant benefits in the clinic, antitumor response may be further improved by inhibiting both mTORC1 and mTORC2. Herein, we established target profile of a novel mTOR kinase inhibitor (mTOR-KI) MTI-31 and employed it to study new therapeutic mechanism in breast cancer. MTI-31 demonstrated a potent mTOR binding affinity with >5000 fold selectivity over the related PI3K family isoforms. MTI-31 inhibited mTORC1- and mTORC2 function at ≤120 nM in cellular assays or 5 mg/kg orally in tumor-bearing mice. In a panel of breast cancer lines, the antitumor efficacy of MTI-31 was dependent on HER2+ and/or PIK3CAmut (HER2+/PIK3CAmut) status of the tumors and required mTORC2-specific modulation of Bim, MCL-1 and GSK3. Inactivation of Bim or GSK3 each attenuated apoptotic death resulting in mTOR-KI resistance. The antitumor response also required a suppression of lipid metabolism in therapy-sensitive tumors. Treatment with MTI-31 or AZD8055 substantially reduced lipogenesis and acetyl-CoA homeostasis, which was mechanistically linked to a blockade of mTORC2-dependent glucose-to-lipid conversion rate. We also found that the basal levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A and lipid catabolism were elevated in HER2+/PIK3CAmut breast cells and were inhibited upon mTOR-KI treatment. A CPT1A inhibitor etomoxir mimicked MTI-31 action in selective downregulation of cellular lipid catabolism. Co-treatments with MTI-31 and etomoxir enhanced the suppression of cyclin D1, c-Myc and cell growth in HER2+/PIK3CAmut tumors. These new mechanistic findings provide a rationale for targeting mTORC1 and mTORC2 in HER2+/PIK3CAmut breast cancer.


Money laundering, in its almost 90-year-long history, has attracted the attention of the scientific, professional, but also the general public. Throughout the entire period, the manifestations of this criminal phenomenon, its typology, etiological factors, etc., have changed, but the essence has remained the same: the transformation of illegally acquired money into legal financial flows. Emerging markets are particularly burdened, which is the subject of this paper: identifying, monitoring and proving the process of money laundering with the aim to reduce it in developing countries. In addition, what can be observed in these markets is that money laundering operations are mainly related to those activities where most of the payments are made in cash. Their specificity, that is, the basic motive for execution, is not just a profit, but the aspiration to introduce "dirty" money into legal flows. The aim of this paper is to use the method of description to explain and describe scientifically the money laundering process and to combat this phenomenon with a focus on the characteristics of the money laundering process. In addition, the paper describes the models and weaknesses of this process, while at the same time it respects the standards and specifics of business operations in emerging markets. The result of the paper is that it provides an overview of money laundering in the 21st century in small and open economies, including proposals to prevent and combat this negative phenomenon.


This article examines 1990s Internet firm Zip2 as an early case study in the political economy of location-based services (LBS) and "smart" cities in the United States. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's first startup, Zip2, combined digital maps built using public spatial data with computerized Yellow Pages listings to create city directory Web portals for daily newspapers. Examining the technical affordances, labor practices, and revenue models of the company's two key data providers, NavTech and American Business Information, reveals the conditions that enabled Zip2 to successfully employ data arbitrage as a corporate strategy. Despite its significant limitations as a consumer-facing technology, Zip2 was acquired by Compaq for $300 million in 1999. The company's founders leveraged government investment in digital mapping, fortuitous shifts in copyright law, and anxiety among newspaper publishers about missing the Internet boom into a business that prefigured many of the use cases and revenue models of contemporary LBS and Web maps. Key Words: computer navigation, data arbitrage, location-based services, smart cities, web mapping.


Species composition is a fundamental attribute of restored ecosystems, but it was excluded from a recent set of indicators of restoration success recommended for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Suganuma and Durigan (2015) write off species composition as "unpredictable," but their analysis did not account for key compositional predictors, like site history and restoration technique. The result is a framework for evaluating restoration success that is insensitive to common restoration failures—including poor ecosystem functioning and lack of resilience.


Many physicians are discouraged with the results of cancer thereapy. However, the opportunity is there for all physicianst o make an early diagnosis in all the gynecologic cancers except those in the tube and ovary. Stage for stage, little progress has been made in lowering mortality rates, but the overall mortality rate is decreasing because more patients are having their cancers diagnosed in early states of disease. This achievement is to the everlasting credit of the practicing doctors who have, by training and motivation, been successful in establishing early diagnosis as a protection for the women of the United States. Those women saved from the raves of cancer shall call their physicians blessed.


Labetalol, an antihypertensive agent that blocks both beta- and alpha-adrenergic receptors, was administered intravenously to 19 patients with accelerated hypertension who required rapid lowering of blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure was lowered from 209 +/- 4 to 143 +/- 2 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure was reduced from 140 +/- 2 to 93 +/- 2 mm Hg. Side-effects were minimal and included nausea, epigastric burning, rhinorrhea, and premature ventricular contractions. One patient became hypotensive and required treatment. Overall, the study demonstrates labetalol to be a safe and effective agent for the emergency lowering of blood pressure, with demonstrated results comparable to other parenteral agents.


Content is continuously produced by both companies and the public in form of reviews, comments, and status updates, in avenues such as; websites, social media, product review boards, message boards, blogs, emails, video presentations, slideshows, podcasts, online groups, articles, press releases and testimonials. Unfortunately, this is what makes content marketing a double edged sword – positive or negative – depending on the experiences customers have had with the company and its products and services.  If users post positive messages about the company, it shows that the company is doing something right. Conversely, if the messages are negative, they could water down and cause irreparable damage to the company's reputation and image.  Hence, companies need to take these messages seriously because they shape the perceptions of consumers towards brands.  This review paper utilises meta-synthesis to explore content marketing, and explain how both the internet and social media have influenced the creation of appropriate content for company products and services.  The paper provides valuable lessons and key success factors that can enable companies to develop and utilise both their own content and that generated by customers, to grow their brands and create increased traffic and business to themselves.


Global climate change is already impacting water resources and, in many areas, reducing the amount of water available for drinking, sanitation, and agriculture. Water conservation can be a means to mitigate the economic damages associated with water scarcity, including scarcity arising from climate change. In the agricultural sector, most water conservation efforts have focused on farm-level irrigation efficiency. However, since over one-third of water applied for agricultural irrigation in the U.S. comes from off-farm supplies, improvements in delivery and conveyance efficiency also have the potential to significantly reduce water losses. This study utilizes survey data from irrigation water delivery organizations in the Western U.S. to estimate the impact of lining and piping conveyance infrastructure on conveyance losses. The average irrigation delivery organization reports a conveyance loss of 15 percent of the total water brought into their system in 2019. Using a control function estimation, this study finds that at the margin an increase of one percentage point in the share of conveyance infrastructure piped leads to an expected 0.16 percentage point reduction in conveyance losses. A simulated water-conservation supply curve based on these estimates shows that about 2.3 percent of total water brought into these systems could be recaptured at a private capital cost below $10,000 per acre foot.


This paper presents a power factor corrected (PFC) fuzzy controlled zeta converter-fed brushless direct current (BLDC) motor drive as a cost-effective solution for low-power applications. In this work, by adjusting the dc link voltage of the voltage source inverter (VSI) feeding a BLDC motor, the speed of the BLDC motor is controlled . This paper deals with the implementation of pulse width modulated Zeta converter with power factor correction, lower total harmonic distortion factor and better efficiency. The proposed zeta converter based BLDC Motor drive is implemented to improve the power quality and to obtain unity power factor at ac mains for a wide range of speed control. A MATLAB/ Simulink environment is used to simulate the model to achieve a wide range of speed control with improved PQ (Power Quality) at the supply.


The aim of the research presented here was to test the role of velocity on the perceptual displacement of the starting point of target moving on horizontal and vertical trajectories. In this work we summarize the results collected in our previous work together with a new experiment. The results of four experiments are presented, in which the velocity of a moving target was modulated (experiment 1 and 2) and two different absolute velocities were tested (experiment 3 and 4). Pooling together all the results helps to understand the nature of the effect, which has a direction opposite to the direction of motion (i.e. backward mislocation) with slow velocity whereas with higher velocities the first part of the trajectory is deleted (i.e. Frohlich effect). Results are discussed in light of the motion extrapolation theory, suggesting a possible mechanism for dislocations of starting point.


D.J. Tylavsky et al. (see ibid., vol.74, no.9, p.1290-1292, 1986) formulate the boundary value problem of an electric line source eccentrically located in a cylindrical cavity. Their solution is consistent with the full-wave solution for a similar problem arising in electrical geophysics. The commenter claims that, in reducing their solution to a simpler form, the authors make some physical approximations which are questionable. In replying, Tylavsky et al. agree with Wait's comments that the application of a planar image model to the case of a conductor eccentrically located in a cylindrical dielectric is indeed a nontrivial problem. >


Use the "CRAAP" test criteria to evaluate the credibility of a source that you are considering to use as a reference. Evaluate Your Sources - Other Considerations


This article traces the development in Britain of research on information and communications in relation to trends in Sociology and this discipline's relations with Cultural Studies. It observes at the outset the seminal contribution of Daniel Bell's conception of Post-Industrial Society, characterizing it as blending theory with empirical observation while providing an account of the most consequential features of change. Sociology in the UK during the 1980s largely ignored macro-level analysis and focused on work and employment, took its starting point as opposition to the technological determinism associated with this first wave enthusiasm for the 'microelectronics revolution', and produced localized and textured studies. Manuel Castells' conception of the Network Society, while distinctive, signalled a return to the scale and scope offered by Bell, notably in being a macro analysis that combined theory and empirical evidence. Castells' contribution coincided with a second wave of technological enthusiasm associated especially with the Internet. Alongside this Sociology in Britain has experienced the rise of Cultural Studies, a field that has competed for important parts of what might have been considered Sociology's terrain. Indeed, Cultural Studies has outpaced Sociology in response to recent changes in the information domain. Its emergence expressed little concern with technological determinism, embracing 'virtuality' and being more open to the exploration of expanding culture. Nonetheless, Cultural Studies remains methodologically flawed while, like so much sociological research on ICTs and information, seemingly incapable of combining theory and empirical evidence that identify and explain the major contours of change.


Following the reframing of "Deaf" as a cultural and linguistic identity, ethnic minority members of Deaf communities are increasingly exploring their plural identities in relation to Deaf and hearing communities of affiliation. This article examines Maori Deaf people's perceptions of identity, during a coinciding period of Tino Rangatiratanga (Maori cultural and political self-determination and empowerment)1 and the emergence of Deaf empowerment. Interviews with 10 Maori Deaf participants reveal experiences of enculturation into Maori and Deaf communities and how they negotiate identity in these contexts. Consistent with the model of contextual identity in Deaf minority individuals of Foster and Kinuthia (2003), participants expressed fluid identities, in which Maori and Deaf aspects are both central but foregrounded differently in their interactions with hearing Maori, Deaf Maori, and the wider Deaf community. This New Zealand case study illustrates how changing sociopolitical conditions affect Deaf minority individuals' opportunity to achieve and express identification with both Deaf-world and family heritage cultures.


We summarize and comment on the topics discussed by the contributors to this Special Issue of Asian Journal of Andrology. The scope of varicocele covers a wide spectrum, including proteomics and metabolomics, hormonal control, interventional therapy, and assisted reproductive technology (ART). The selection of topics demonstrates the exciting breadth of this thematic area and the opportunity research holds for both increasing the understanding and improving the reproductive health of males with varicocele.


Previous research has consistently found a negative statistical relationship between sibship size and children's intellectual development. Two explanations have been offered for this finding. The prevailing explanation is that the relationship is causal, suggesting that limiting family size would lead to more intelligent children. A second explanation maintains that the relationship is spurious—that one or more undetermined factors correlated with family size are causally related to intellectual development. Using data on children from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we reexamine the issue using change models. These change models allow us to control for such unmeasured effects as family intellectual climate, family value system, and family genetic heritage. We begin by replicating in these data the negative statistical relationship between three cognitive measures and sibship size. We then apply the change models to siblings measured at two points in time and to repeated measures of the same individuals. By considering sibship size as an individual trait that changes over time, we control for effects that are shared across siblings and over time. When these shared effects are controlled, the negative relationship between sibship size and intellectual development disappears, casting doubt on the causal interpretation of the negative relationship conventionally found.


In humans, trophoblast hypoxia during placental development can be a cause of serious pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. The pathogenesis of these conditions is not fully clear and may be associated with changed expression of some genes and regulatory molecules, including miRNA, in trophoblast cells. The aim of this study was to analyze miRNA profiles and measure the expression of their target genes in a model of trophoblast hypoxia. Human choriocarcinoma BeWo b30 cells were used as a trophoblast model. Hypoxia was induced by cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and an oxyquinoline derivative. MRNA and miRNA expression profiles were evaluated by means of next generation sequencing (NGS); the expression of individual genes was analyzed by PCR. We studied the secondary structure of mRNAs of target genes for those miRNAs whose expression had changed significantly and analyzed potential competition between these miRNAs for the binding site. The observed changes in the expression of the key genes involved in the response to hypoxia confirmed the feasibility of using CoCl2 and the oxyquinoline derivative as hypoxia inducers. The analysis revealed an increase in miR-374 levels following the activation of the hypoxia pathway in our trophoblast model. The changes were accompanied by a reduction in FOXM1 mRNA expression; this mRNA is a target for hsa-miR-374a-5p and hsa-miR374b-5p, which can compete with hsa-miR-21-5p for the binding sites on FOXM1 mRNA. The involvement of FOXM1 in the regulation of the invasive cell potential suggests the role of miR-374 and FOXM1 in the pathogenesis of disrupted trophoblast invasion during placental development as predisposing for fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia.


This study, one of the first ever published in that field of research, is devoted to the geography of sacerdotal vocations and is divided in two parts. The first part deals with the differential rates of sacerdotal vocations which characterize some regions of the Province of Quebec. The author bas calculated « index numbers of sacerdotal fecundity  », and he studies the variability of these indexes within the limits of the diocese of Trois-Rivieres. The data show that, before 1950, the St. Lawrence Lowlands region bas given a greater number of priests than the Valley of the St. Maurice River and a much greater number than the Laurentian Uplands. The second part of the article is more elaborated and treats of some « exterior » conditions which usually explain the number of vocations and justify the different contributions of various parts of the diocese. The various factors examined are demographic, familial, religious, economic, social, academic and historical. On this basis, the author formulates a series of observations which, taking into account the limited value of conclusions reached in social research, seem valuable for the understanding of the specific subject of this paper but also of many other problems concerning the social geography of the Province of Quebec.


panoramic machine to replace my trusty Panorex that I had had since 1979. I felt initially that I had sent my old friend to death row, but the new superior image quality and seductive ease of use soon led me to blot the old mechanical monster from my mind. On reading Panoramic Radiology, and performing a quick audit of the last films from my old machine, I was chastened to see examples of most of the errors highlighted in the quality assurance section. Panoramic radiology is probably the most misused and misunderstood imaging modality, and in this respect I have been as guilty as most of us. How many times in an orthodontic assessment do we simply count the erupted and unerupted teeth, or in a surgical assessment simply look at the impacted eights, ignoring the plethora of other features and potential pathology? How often do we accept films that are diagnostically unacceptable due to poor patient positioning or processing defects? It would be no great exaggeration to say that most practitioners skim-read films with more or less tunnel vision, and accept all sorts of badly imaged films. After an interesting historical review, showing some of the more bizarre machines with the radiation source (sometimes an isotope) inside the patient's mouth, the authors describe the modern accepted methods of achieving a panoramic image.The anatomy seen on a panoramic radiograph is then described, with some fascinating detail of soft tissue images, and the ghost images caused by the projection geometry. Already some of the odd light bands on my images are starting to make sense. Useful line drawings relating to many images are included. A short section on radiation dosage is followed by a section on uses in general dental practice. The use of panoramic radiography as a screening tool is discussed. I was particularly pleased to see the comments on unnecessary orthodontic exposure, and thought that the sections on periodontal diseases and caries were useful. I would have appreciated greater detail in the implantology section, with stress on the variation in magnification factors in different regions of the mouth, and the use of ball bearings of known diameter. Some mention of uses for patients with trismus should have been included, and I would have thought that expanded detail on sectional imaging (found on many panoramic machines) would be appropriate. For my part, the crux of the book is the chapter on quality assurance, which describes the various processing faults that can occur. This is followed by an excellent section on patient positioning, and the myriad of errors that can result from the objects being badly aligned within the focal plane. The final section is on radiographic interpretation of disease. Although this information is to be found in most radiology textbooks, the repetition with special reference to panoramic radiographs is certainly not wasted, and should sharpen up the acuity of discerning readers. The book would be a useful guide for practitioners and students alike. It would also be a good text for dental nurses preparing for the Certificate in Dental Radiography examination.


ABSTRACT This article explores the universalizing logic of precarity and precariousness in global studies discourse. Originally articulated in the work of Guy Standing and Judith Butler, this logic presupposes a possibility for a global politics of equality between precarious subjects in the North and South based on an emergent shared horizon of suffering. In a close reading of Standing and Butler, I challenge claims about equivalence by calling attention to the liberal analytics that inform their work. Drawing on a postcolonial attunement to historically constituted exclusions, I argue that precarity is better understood as a dis-ordering experience of sovereign subjectivity whose principal referent is the liberal not global subject of precarity. Globalizing the liberal subject of precarity entails the recuperation of its constitutive outside, namely the Third World, as the original site of abjection. The de-politicizing implications of attempts to universalize the subject of precarity are briefly outlined in conclusion.


Summary

Small urban forest reserves in New Zealand have been shown to have value in conserving indigenous beetle diversity. However there is little information available on the ability of non-native vegetation areas such as tree privet to support indigenous beetle assemblages. To investigate this for one site, ground-living beetles were collected using pitfall traps over a year at a small urban forest of the invasive tree Ligustrum lucidum (tree privet) in Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 815 beetles were found, from 20 families and 42 relative taxonomic units. Using monthly data, there was no correlation between soil moisture and diversity index (P = 0.805) or species richness (P = 0.375). These results raise the question of whether urban patches of non-native tree privet may have potential as reservoirs of beetle diversity, if only until they are replaced with native vegetation.


Endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is used to make a cytopathologic diagnosis of suspicious lesions located around the gastrointestinal tract. It is a safe technique with few complications. The most common complications of EUS-FNA are related to pancreatic lesions (pancreatitis, bleeding, and abdominal pain). Rare complications have been noted such as stent malfunction, air embolism, infection, neural and vascular injuries, and tumor cell seeding. There are very few studies examining equipment malfunctions. We report a case of needle fracture during the EUS-FNA of suspicious thoracic lymph nodes in a 79-year-old man investigated for unexplained weight loss.


The growth response of Listeria monocytogenes strains A4413 and 9037-7 to carbohydrates was determined in a defined medium. Neither pyruvate, acetate, citrate, isocitrate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, nor malate supported growth. Furthermore, inclusion of any of these carbohydrates in the growth medium with glucose did not increase the growth of Listeria over that observed on glucose alone. Resting cell suspensions of strain A4413 oxidized pyruvate but not acetate, citrate, isocitrate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, or malate. Cell-free extracts of strain A4413 contained active citrate synthase, aconitate hydratase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, fumarate hydratase, fumarate reductase, pyruvate dehydrogenase system, and oxidases for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. The α-ketoglutarate oxidation system, succinate dehydrogenase, isocitrate lyase, and malate synthase were not detected. Cytochromes were not detected. The data suggest that strain A4413, under these conditions, utilizes a split noncyclic citrate pathway which has an oxidative portion (citrate synthase, aconitate hydratase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase) and a reductive portion (malate dehydrogenase, fumarate hydratase, and fumarate reductase). This pathway is probably important in biosynthesis but not for a net gain in energy.


BACKGROUND
Although statins are known to protect against cardiovascular accidents, their anti-inflammatory features could play a role in preventing tumorigenesis. We investigated the association between statin intake and prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and aggressiveness.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed. Our dataset on patients undergone systematic prostate biopsy from December 2008 to December 2022 was searched for histopathologic and clinical data. Prognostic Grade Group ≥3 tumors were defined as high-grade (HG). The association between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), statin use and PCa diagnosis and HG disease was assessed using logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS
Data on 1685 patients were collected; MetS affected 344 (20.4%) men and 138 (36.5%) were taking statins at least for 6 months at the time of biopsy. Among the 671 (39.8%) men diagnosed with PCa, 327 (48.7%) presented with a HG disease. Tumor incidence was higher among men taking statins, compared to controls (46.8% vs. 37.8%; P=0.002); also, high grade diseases were more common in the former group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (49.1% vs. 48.6%; P=0.89). Statin intake (OR 1.44; 95% CI [1.05-1.98]; P=0.02) independently predicted PCa diagnosis but not high-grade disease (P=0.8).

CONCLUSIONS
Statin use may be associated with an increased risk of PCa diagnosis.


Using simulations of box/peanut- (B/P-) shaped bulges, we explore the nature of the X-shape of the Milky Way's bulge. An X-shape can be associated with a B/Pshaped bulge driven by a bar. By comparing in detail the simulations and the observations we show that the principal kinematic imprint of the X-shape is a minimum in the difference between the near and far side mean line-of-sight velocity along the minor axis. This minimum occurs at around |b| = 4 ◦ , which is close to the lower limit at which the X-shape can be detected. No coherent signature of an X-shape can be found in Galactocentric azimuthal velocities, vertical velocities, or any of the dispersions. After scaling our simulations, we find that a best fit to the Bulge Radial Velocity Assay data leads to a bar angle of 15 ◦ . We also explore a purely geometric method for determining the distance to the Galactic Centre by tracing the arms of the X-shape. We find that we are able to determine this ill-known distance to an accuracy of about 5% with sufficiently accurate distance measurements for the red clump stars in the arms.


Binders play a crucial role in the development of silicon (Si) anodes for lithium-ion batteries with high specific energy. The large volume change of Si (∼300%) during repeated discharge and charge processes causes the destruction and separation of electrode materials from the copper (Cu) current collector and ultimately results in poor cycling performance. In the present study, we design and prepare hydrogen-bonding cross-linked thiourea-based polymeric binders (denoted CMC-co-SN) in consideration of their excellent binding interaction with the Cu current collector and low cost as well. The CMC-co-SN binders are formed through in situ thermopolymerization of chain-type carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC) with thiourea (SN) in the drying process of Si electrode disks. A tight and physical interlocked layer between the CMC-co-SN binder and Cu current collector is derived from a dendritic nonstoichiometric copper sulfide (CuxS) layer on the interface and enhances the binding of electrode materials with the Cu current collector. When applying the CMC-co-SN binders to micro- (∼3 μm) (μSi) and nano- (∼50 nm) (nSi) Si particles, the Si anodes exhibit high initial Coulomb efficiency (91.5% for μSi and 83.2% for nSi) and excellent cyclability (1121 mA h g-1 for μSi after 140 cycles and 1083 mA h g-1 for nSi after 300 cycles). The results demonstrate that the CMC-co-SN binders together with a physical interlocked layer have significantly improved the electrochemical performance of Si anodes through strong binding forces with the current collector to maintain electrode integrity and avoid electric contact loss.


Animals reared at 18 degrees C exhibit enhanced innervation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and greater cold tolerance as adults, yet gain more weight when fed an enriched diet compared with rats reared at 30 degrees C. To explore this paradox, sympathoadrenal activity was examined using techniques of [(3)H]norepinephrine ([(3)H]NE) turnover and urinary catecholamine excretion in male and female rats reared until 2 mo of age at 18 or 30 degrees C. Gene expression in BAT was also analyzed for several sympathetically related proteins. Although [(3)H]NE turnover in heart did not differ between groups, [(3)H]NE turnover in BAT was consistently elevated in the 18 degrees C-reared animals, even 2 mo after removal from the cool environment. Gene expression for uncoupling proteins 1 and 3, GLUT-4, leptin, and the alpha(1A)-adrenergic receptor was more abundant in BAT and the increase in epinephrine excretion with fasting suppressed in 18 degrees C-reared animals. These studies demonstrate that obesity consequent to exposure to 18 degrees C in early life occurs despite tonic elevation of sympathetic input to BAT. Diminished adrenal epinephrine responsiveness to fasting may play a contributory role.


This study provides both analysis and a refined, research-ready implementation of Tang and Kucukelbir's Variational Deep Q Network, a novel approach to maximising the efficiency of exploration in complex learning environments using Variational Bayesian Inference. Alongside reference implementations of both Traditional and Double Deep Q Networks, a small novel contribution is presented - the Double Variational Deep Q Network, which incorporates improvements to increase the stability and robustness of inference-based learning. Finally, an evaluation and discussion of the effectiveness of these approaches is discussed in the wider context of Bayesian Deep Learning.


The problem of increasing of performance parameters and efficiency of oscillating motors with hyperbolical dependence of permeance is analyzed in this paper. For this purpose it is used sharp rise part of dependence of permeance on coordinate of pendulum λ(h) approaching pendulum to the stator at most. It was used positioning of oscillating amplitude regarding the stator with aim to avoid of impacts the pendulum to the stator when working conditions change. Method was certified by modeling. In process of drive modeling for realizing of this principle simple modern technical means were used: microcontroller for system control, motor's voltage of controlled supply source must be rectangular pulses with const amplitude and controlled width of pulse, simple one bit sensor for feedback signal. Modeling results confirm that purpose can be achieved. Ill. 7, bibl. 8, tabl. 1 (in English; abstracts in English, Russian and Lithuanian).


A dual-band LC voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) architecture suitable for GSM/PCS/DCS applications is presented. The VCO utilizes a fourth-order resonance tank and avoids quality-factor-deteriorating switches. The paper outlines the design tradeoffs and the VCO when using a fourth-order resonator. The 0.8-GHz/1.8-GHz test chip was fabricated in the 0.5-mum IBM-5AM SiGe process and has achieved phase noise of -134 dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz frequency offset from the carrier, with 56-MHz and 121-MHz tuning ranges in the corresponding bands. The VCO core consumes 15 mW from a 2.5-V power supply


in time is bound to occur. The most effective and convenient method is to include the atropine with the anaesthetic substance. A relative increase in blood pressure and heart rate occurs after E.C.T. The carotid and aortic depressor mechanisms via vagal pathways are stimulated, with resultant hypotension, bradycardia, and cardiac arrhythmia. Intravenous atropine prevents untoward effect of vagal stimulation. During the last year, we have used all of the known antidepressants in conjunction with electroshock and have found that we are effecting a 36% economy in the number of electric treatments required to produce recovery. The authors agree with the economy of E.C.T. which is now widely accepted.


Abstract Since the release of dicamba-tolerant cotton in 2016, preplant and POST applications of dicamba to control glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth have increased. With the increase in area treated with dicamba, the risk of off-target movement to nontarget crops has increased. A field study was conducted at the Texas Tech University New Deal Research Farm equipped with subsurface drip irrigation in 2017 and 2018 to evaluate non-dicamba tolerant cotton response to dicamba when applied at four crop growth stages [first square (FS) + 2 wk, first bloom (FB), FB + 2 wk, and FB + 5 wk]. Dicamba at 0.56 (1×), 0.056 (1/10×), 0.0112 (1/50×), 0.0056 (1/100×), and 0.00112 (1/500×) kg ae ha–1 was applied to 'FM 1830GLT' cotton. When applications were made at FS + 2 wk, a shift in boll nodal position was apparent following dicamba at the 1/50× rate in 2017 and at 1/10× in 2018 compared to the nontreated control (NTC). A shift in boll distribution from the 1/50× rate of dicamba was apparent at FB in 2017, but not in 2018. Dicamba applied at the 1× rate at FB + 2 wk resulted in reduced boll numbers. No change in boll number or boll position was apparent following any dicamba rate when applied at FB + 5 wk in both years. Dicamba applied at 1/500×, 1/100×, and 1/50× rates at all timings did not affect yield relative to the NTC. When dicamba was applied at the 1/10× rate, the greatest yield loss was observed at FS + 2 wk followed by FB and FB + 2 wk. Micronaire increased following dicamba applied at 1/10× at FS + 2 wk, FB, and FB + 2 wk in 2017. In 2018, micronaire decreased following dicamba applied at 1/10× at FB + 5 wk. Nomenclature: Dicamba; Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.


Abstract Kisspeptins, products of KISS1 gene, are ligands of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPR54), and the kisspeptin-GPR54 signaling has an important role as an upstream regulator of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Interestingly, extrahypothalamic expressions of kisspeptin/GPR-54 in gonads have been found in primates and experimental rodents such as rats and mice. Hamsters, another potent experimental rodent, also have a kisspeptin-GPR54 system in their ovaries. The presence of testicular kisspeptin-GPR54 system, however, remains to be solved. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the kisspeptin is expressed in hamster testis. To do this, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were employed. After the nest PCR, two cDNA products (320 and 280 bp, respectively) were detected by 3% agarose gel electrophoresis, and sequencing analysis revealed that the 320 bp product was correctly amplified from hamster kisspeptin cDNA. Modest immunoreactive (IR) kisspeptins were detected in Leydig-interstitial cells, and the weak signals were detected in germ cells, mostly in round spermatids and residual bodies of elongated spermatids. In the present study, we found the kisspeptin expression in the testis of Syrian hamster. Further studies on the local role(s) of testicular kisspeptin are expected for a better understanding the physiology of hamster testis, including photoperiodic gonadal regression specifically occurred in hamster gonads.


Background: Succession planning promotes the culture of private ownership, staff loyalty to the organization and develops organizational commitment, and increases organizational stability. The study was conducted to examine the status of succession planning in the Iranian health system in order to highlight the key concepts, provide new insight, and attract the attention of senior managers of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to the importance of succession planning in achieving organizational goals. Methods: In a qualitative study with a framework analysis approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample selected using purposive and snowball sampling procedure. The MAXQDA-10 was used to apply the codes and manage the data. The codes were extracted using inductive and deductive methods. Results: Fourteen themes and six main subthemes were identified, including planning, organizational culture, system approach, competency model, career path, and senior managers. Our findings indicate a lack of succession planning in the Iranian health system. Conclusion: lack of succession planning could lead to inefficiency and ineffectiveness in health services provision. Implementation of succession planning could maximize human resources utilization.


A series of nanoporous carbons (NPC) Fe-C/N-900 and C/N-900 have been synthesized from one-step carbonization of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin-Fe (Fe-TCPP) and TCPP, respectively and employed as photocatalyst for the degradation of organic dye methyl violet (MV) under UV irradiation. The optimized Fe-C/N-900 (carbonized at 900 oC for 2 h) exhibited an optimal performance in MV degradation. The photodegradation capacity of Fe-C/N-900 has been observed to be higher than that of C/N-900. The photodegradation ability of Fe-C/N-900 as a function of initial MV concentration, catalysis dosage, and pH has been also investigated. The Fe-C/N-900 material showed no apparent loss in MV degradation after four cycles. These features reveal that Fe-C/N-900 may be a promising degradant for dyes removal from water.

KEY WORDS: Photocatalysis, Nanoporous carbons, Methyl violet, carbonization

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2020, 34(2), 277-284
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v34i2.6


Describes the design and application of a SLAMSYSTEM model for an intermodal freight terminal in the rail industry. The model was built to examine various what-if questions relating to the design and operation of individual terminals within Conrail's intermodal network. An example application of the model is given to determine the feasibility of eliminating one terminal from the corporation's system and shifting the traffic volume to a remaining terminal. The study is based on current as well as forecasted future traffic volumes.


Preliminary objections are a frequent first defence used by Defendant States before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Despite this, the topic remains largely unexplored by legal authors. This article will conduct a systematic empirical analysis of all preliminary objections that the Court has examined during its 25 years of existence. Drawing on the analysis of primary data, the article will illustrate how the Court has actually dealt with 246 preliminary objections presented by the Defendant States. The purpose of the article is to use empirical evidence in order to identify those preliminary objections that are generally admitted by the Court, thus proving to be a valid defence; as well as those that are not successful, raising the question of the reasons behind their use by States.


The role of BDNF in depression and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has been extensively investigated in the literature. A summary of relevant papers, including a number of independent literature reviews, is presented, and the possibility that alteration in BDNF causes depression by altering memory is analysed and criticised in the context of consistency with cognitive models of depression.


In this paper, neural network based cryptology is performed. The sys- tem consists of two stages. In the first stage, neural network-based pseudo-random numbers (NPRNGs) are generated and the results are tested for randomness us- ing National Institute of Standard Technology (NIST) randomness tests. In the second stage, a neural network-based cryptosystem is designed using NPRNGs. In this cryptosystem, data, which is encrypted by non-linear techniques, is subject to decryption attempts by means of two identical artificial neural networks (ANNs). With the first neural network, non-linear encryption is modeled using relation- building functionality. The encrypted data is decrypted with the second neural network using decision-making functionality.


One benefit of group foraging is that individual foragers can join the food discoveries of companions and thus increase encounter rate with food patches. When food patches are exhaustible, however, individual shares of each patch will decrease with group size negating the effect of increased encounter rate. Mean feeding rate may actually decrease with group size as a result of aggression or time wasted joining already depleted patches, or when searching to join the food discoveries of others, which is referred to as scrounging, precludes finding food. I examined the relationship between mean feeding rate and group size in captive flocks of zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) foraging for small clumps of seeds. Finches in groups of two or four fared better than solitary birds in terms of mean feeding rate despite the fact that birds in groups scrounged a large proportion of their food. Solitary birds initiated feeding activity after a longer delay, which led to their lower success. Early departures by food finders from food patches joined by others may have lessened the impact of scrounging on mean feeding rate. As a result of benefits from the presence of companions, group foraging in zebra finches appears a viable alternative to foraging alone despite the cost of sharing resources.


Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate C-reactive protein (CRP) as a predictor of complications during autologous stem cell transplant (HSCT). Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 340 transplants. Correlation analyses were performed, including CRP obtained before HSCT, on Day+3, Day+6, Day+9, after Day+11, and at the onset of febrile neutropenia, and the following outcomes: bacteremia, severity of mucositis, length of neutropenia and hospitalization, and death. Results: the median age was 54 years old (ranging from 20 to 75), and 62% and 20% were multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases, respectively.  The median CRP levels increased from D+3 to D+9 and after that decreased progressively until discharge. CRP levels were associated with bacteremia, mucositis grade, length of neutropenia and hospitalization, and death. Variation in CRP values from D+3 to D+6 predicted complications. Mortality was associated with D+9 CRP levels (19 vs. 7.9 mg/dL; p<0.01), and a ROC curve area of 0.83 (95% CI 0.7 – 0.95) to predict mortality. At a cut-off of 8.5mg/dL, D+9 CRP had 83% and 79% sensitivity and specificity, respectively.
Conclusions: In this study, CRP dynamics were associated with several HSCT complications. CRP levels curve could be applied to indicate poor outcomes during HSCT.


Angiogenesis occurs in distinct phases: initial spouting is followed by remodelling in which endothelial cells (ECs) composing blood vessels rearrange by migrating against the direction of flow. Abnormal remodelling can result in vascular malformation. Such is the case in mutation of the Alk1 receptor within the mouse retina which disrupts flow-migration coupling, creating mixed populations of ECs polarised with/against flow which aggregate into arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The lack of live imaging options in vivo means that the collective EC dynamics that drive AVM and the consequences of mixed populations of polarity remain a mystery. Therefore, our goal is to present a novel agent-based model to provide theoretical insight into EC force transmission and collective dynamics during angiogenic remodelling. Force transmission between neighbouring agents consists of extrusive forces which maintain spacing and cohesive forces which maintain the collective. We performed migration simulations within uniformly polarised populations (against flow) and mixed polarity (with/against flow). Within uniformly polarised populations, extrusive forces stabilised the plexus by facilitating EC intercalation which ensures that cells remained evenly distributed. Excess cohesion disrupts intercalation, resulting in aggregations of cells and functional shunting. Excess cohesion between ECs prevents them from resolving diameter balances within the plexus, leading to prolonged flow reversals which exert a critical behaviour change within the system as they switch the direction of cell migration and traffic patterns at bifurcations. Introducing mixtures of cell polarity dramatically changed the role of extrusive forces within the system. At low extrusion, opposing ECs were able to move past each other; however, at high extrusion the pushing between cells resulted in migration speeds close to zero, forming traffic jams and disrupting migration. In our study, we produced vascular malformations and functional shunting with either excess cohesion between ECs or mixtures of cell polarity. At the centre of both these mechanisms are cell-cell adherens junctions, which are involved in flow sensing/polarity and must remodelling dynamically to allow rearrangements of cells during vascular patterning. Thus, our findings implicate junctional dysfunction as a new target in the treatment and prevention of vascular disease and AVMs.


Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) play a critical role in clearing hepatitis C virus (HCV). PBMC defects have been linked with HCV infection; however, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. We hypothesized that PBMCs of HCV-infected patients are more susceptible to programmed cell death (PCD), and are therefore unable to clear HCV. We compared spontaneous PBMC PCD and cytokine [interleukin (IL)-1, -6, -8, -10, and -12] secretion between untreated (naive) HCV+ and treated [sustained responder (SR)] patients with HCV, and HCV- healthy controls. Spontaneous PBMC PCD was assessed by annexin-V fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining, and cytokine levels were measured by cytometric bead array. Differences between groups were analyzed through paired and nonpaired t tests and Mann-Whitney U test. The rate of spontaneous PCD was higher in PBMCs of naive HCV+ patients (p < 0.0001) and SR-HCV patients (p < 0.002) than in HCV- controls. Significantly low levels of IL-8, -6, and -10 were detected in the supernatant of cell cultures of PBMCs from naive HCV+ (p < 0.05) and SR-HCV (p < 0.05) patients relative to HCV- controls. There was no difference between the naive HCV+ and SR-HCV groups in terms of PBMC PCD rate or cytokine levels. The present findings indicate that HCV infection is associated with increased PBMC susceptibility to PCD and decreased production of IL-8, -6, and -10.


A total of 5368 donors were screened. Fourteen of these (one in 383) had >10 IU/cm3, the minimum level required by the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service, and 11 (one in 488) had >15 lU/cm3, the level currently required by the Blood Products Laboratory for production of immunoglobulin. Our results were independently confirmed by the Blood Products Laboratory. The method provides an easy, rapid, and economic way of screening large numbers of donors to find those with antibodies to HBsAg. These donors could then be further considered for possible plasmapheresis, with or without boosting of the antibody by hepatitis B vaccine. The method also provides a ready means, both of screening medical and other staff who may have been exposed to Technical methods


Business corporations are critical institutions in our democratic republican market-based economic order. The United States Constitution, however, is completely silent as to their status in our system. The Supreme Court has filled this silence by repeatedly granting corporations rights against the citizenry and its elected representatives.Instead, we ought to view business corporations, like municipal corporations, as governance structures created by We the People to promote our general Welfare. On this social contract view, corporations should have the constitutional rights specified in the constitutional text: none. Instead, we should be debating which rights of citizens against governmental agencies should also apply to these state-like governance institutions.


ABSTRACT In the present study, the use of the rice husk biomass as an alternative biosorbent for treating the estrone, 17 β-estradiol, and estriol hormones in monocomponent and multicomponent systems was investigated. The high-performance liquid chromatography technique (HPLC-UV) was applied in order to quantify the hormones, validating this method according to ANVISA and INMETRO. The biosorbent presented functional groups typical of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and proteins, with an amorphous, fibrous, and porous surface. The best performance was obtained with a neutral pH and at room temperature (25C). The equilibrium times in batch systems were 60  min for the estrone, and 120 min for 17 βestradiol and estriol. The monocomponent kinetics of adsorption of estrone and estriol were adequately described by the pseudo-first-order model, whereas for the 17 β estradiol both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models well described the experimental data. For the multicomponent system, the kinetics of adsorption was appropriately represented by the pseudo-first-order model, demonstrating that the number of active sites was the limiting factor of the process. The monocomponent adsorption isotherms were adequately fitted by the Langmuir model, reaching adsorption capacities of 2.698, 1.649, and 0.979 mg g−1 for the estrone, 17 βestradiol, and estriol hormones, respectively. The ternary isotherm models did not represent the experimental data, indicating that there was no competition among the hormones. The reactions presented favourable and spontaneous characteristics. The rice husk biomass showed a great potential as an adsorbent when treating effluents contaminated with hormones. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


ABSTRACTA systematic and transparent layout of library material on book shelves of public libraries is one of the essential conditions for successful viewing and searching of materials. The research tried to determine the contemporary classification system of library material for the youth. The data needed for the research was gathered and analyzed by a questionnaire completed by five randomly selected central public libraries. Special collections, arrangement and classification of certain fiction and specialized monographic publications for infants, teenagers and adolescents were analyzed. It was of our interest to observe whether the libraries assign the elements of a call number - which are evident on the library material and in online catalogs – according to standards and current instructions. The article also focuses on the unity and differences of the technical processing, and on color and/or image of labels which additionally explain the classification and the contents of the monographic publications for the youth.


Changes in the social, political and economic make-up of contemporary society have resulted in greater emphasis on competition, entrepreneurship, individualisation and fragmentation but, at the same time, there has been growing calls by the community for improved connection between government and citizens, and greater integration and cooperation. Since governments cannot afford to tolerate excessive levels of tension between constituents and other stakeholders, and the previous systems of integration on their own are no longer sufficient, there is a need for new processes and mechanisms of connection. Universally, networked forms based on horizontal integration principles have been presented as the new mode for social connection. Despite their apparent simplicity, networked arrangements offer a wide array of options, structures and potential outcomes. This paper explores and analyses the emerging need to customise these linkages between governments and community to optimise inherent benefits of these modes of working. It is proposed that in this context, new ways of working together require specialised mixing, matching and managing of networked arrangements between government and citizens.


Plan recognition generates high-level information of opponents' plans, typically a probability distribution over a set of plausible plans. Estimations of plans are in our work, made at different decision-levels, both company-level and the subsumed platoon-level. Naturally, successful plan recognition is heavily dependent on the data that is supplied, and, hence, sensor management is a necessity. A key feature of the sensor management discussed here is that it is driven by the information need of the plan recognition process. In our research, we have presented a general framework for connecting information need to sensor management. In our framework implementation, an essential part is the prioritization of sensing tasks, which is necessary to efficiently utilize limited sensing resources. In our first implementation, the priorities were calculated from, for instance, the estimated threats of opponents (as a function of plan estimates), the distance to the opponent, and the uncertainty in its position. In this article, we add a particle filter method to more carefully represent the uncertainty in the opponent state estimate to make prioritization more well founded and, ultimately, to achieve robust plan recognition. By using the particle filter, we can obtain more reliable state estimate (through the particle filter's ability to represent complex probability distributions) and also a statistically based threat variation (through Monte-Carlo simulation). The state transition model of the particle filter can also be used to predict future states to direct sensors with a time delay (a common property of large-scale sensing systems), such as sensors mounted on UAVs that have to travel some distance to make a measurement.


The staggered passage of state medical marijuana laws increases state bonds' offering and trading spreads by 7-11 basis points. Consistent with medical marijuana laws causing an increase in states' credit risk, states incur higher safety and public welfare expenditures and experience greater deficits following the law's passage. Additional analyses show that the increase in spreads is stronger for states with greater corruption, more vulnerable demographics, and better cultivation environments. Overall, these results support economic theory on substance use, which suggests that legalizing marijuana for medical purposes expands the availability, reduces the perceived risks, and increases the local consumption of marijuana.


The scalability of recurrent neural networks (RNNs) is hindered by the sequential dependence of each time step's computation on the previous time step's output. Therefore, one way to speed up and scale RNNs is to reduce the computation required at each time step independent of model size and task. In this paper, we propose a model that reformulates Gated Recurrent Units (GRU) as an event-based activity-sparse model that we call the Event-based GRU (EGRU), where units compute updates only on receipt of input events (event-based) from other units. When combined with having only a small fraction of the units active at a time (activity-sparse), this model has the potential to be vastly more compute efficient than current RNNs. Notably, activity-sparsity in our model also translates into sparse parameter updates during gradient descent, extending this compute efficiency to the training phase. We show that the EGRU demonstrates competitive performance compared to state-of-the-art recurrent network models in real-world tasks, including language modeling while maintaining high activity sparsity naturally during inference and training. This sets the stage for the next generation of recurrent networks that are scalable and more suitable for novel neuromorphic hardware.


Sri Lanka is a key transshipment hub on the important East-West trade route. In terms of logistics performance, Sri Lanka ranked 94th out of 167 countries according to the World Bank's Logistics Performance Indicator (LPI) for 2018. If Sri Lanka is to exploit and leverage its positioning to its fullest potential, then it is imperative that the country must improve on its overall positioning in the index, by being competitive, improving on efficiency and being sensitive to customer needs. Improving customer satisfaction is crucial for business sustainability, and importantly act as a deterrent to prevent customer switching. Although previous research has captured the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality through a combination of the SERVQUAL (Service Quality) or SERVPERF (Service Performance) model, there are other controllable factors that can influence this relationship. The study examines from both a service as well as the performance perspectives and incorporates other controllable factors that influence customer satisfaction. The study is based on the third-party logistics (3PL) industry in Sri Lanka. It considered all the important influencing factors and their relationships with each other in a systematic review process and was supplemented by reviews from industry experts and data inputs from 3PL customers. It was found that customer handling, tech initiation, competitive prices, and flexibility, have a significance impact over the all the dependent variables (Customer Loyalty, Switching Behavior, Customer Complaints). The results could be used by the service providers, to realign their offerings to suit the demands of its customers and help the country become a logistics hub for the region.


A guide for new Pharmacy students and residents on the resources and services available at the UC San Diego Library.


Abstract This review serves to examine The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change by Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten - Bloom (2010). It will introduce the topic of Appreciative Inquiry, giving supporting information from the book, and discuss its adaptability. The authors discuss Appreciative Inquiry as a positive approach to change, introduces the 4D cycle associated with it, and uses it to explain how Appreciative Inquiry is carried out in many capacities at the organizational level. Furthermore, this review includes a look into the basic premise of Appreciative Inquiry and how this premise alone affords this Appreciative Inquiry process to be used outside of the business and organizational realm, particularly with families and individuals. This review serves to examine The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change by Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom (2010). It will introduce the topic of Appreciative Inquiry, giving supporting information from the book, and discuss its adaptability. The authors discuss Appreciative Inquiry as a positive approach to change, introduces the 4D cycle associated with it, and uses it to explain how Appreciative Inquiry is carried out in many capacities at the organizational level. Furthermore, this review includes a look into the basic premise of Appreciative Inquiry and how this premise alone affords this Appreciative Inquiry process to be used outside of the business and organizational realm, particularly with families and individuals.


The leaves of horehound (Marrubium vulgare), were investigated for their phytochemical composition by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS2), this besides evaluating the antioxidant activity of methanol and acetone extracts. Total contents of phenols, flavonoids, and tannins have also been determined. The antioxidant potential was evaluated by DPPH•, activity against H2O2, antioxidant capacity, and iron-reducing power. The HPLC-MS2 analysis of the methanol extract revealed the presence of about 30 compounds of various families, of which 15 compounds have been tentatively identified for the first time. Flavonoids and phenylethanoid derivatives were the major compounds. Methanol extract was shown to contain more flavonoids and tannins. The ability of the methanol extract to scavenge H2O2 was found considerable (~60%). The best whole antioxidant capacity was demonstrated in the methanol leaf extract, indicating its use as a promising source of natural antioxidants for pharmaceutical and food applications, as well as in prevention of oxidative-stress-related diseases.


Introduction In a recently published paper 1 data were described which showed that the amount of convergence associated with a given change in the dioptric stimulus to accommodation is greatly increased when the eyes are under cycloplegia induced by homatropine over that when they are in the normal state. This phenomenon was first described by Maddox and more recently by Morgan. 2 As measured quantitatively, homatropine causes a marked increase in the accommodative convergence-accommodation (stimulus) ratio [(A — C)/A] over that ratio measured normally. The increase seems to vary as a function of the degree of cycloplegia. The data were obtained by the fixation-disparity technique. With this technique of measuring ocularmotor imbalance, extrafoveal binocular vision and fusion are maintained throughout the test and both eyes are subjected simultaneously to the same dioptric stimulus to accommodation. Most interestingly, the data showed that in the presence of homatropine cycloplegia the change in


This guide is useful to students looking for scholarships, and to give them some tips on how to search for a scholarship and how to apply


We present a holographic imaging device with a low-coherence light source that uses the reflection of the objective lens as reference illumination. This results in a simple setup and allows applications to microscopy with only small modifications of the setup for aberration measurements. In addition, it opens the prospects to in vivo ophthalmic imaging. We present in vitro experiments using a resolution test target to quantify the system performance. We demonstrate that we can achieve diffraction-limited resolution and show the possibility of aberration correction. We also present preliminary results using a scattering sample.


Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are biologically-inspired materials with capability of replacing their natural counterparts, such as antibodies or enzymes. MIPs have potential as artificial sensing units, just like biosensors. In this presentation, we will report on our optically-based MIP sensor developments with special emphasis on their analytical applications.


The role of blocked and random variable practice in the development of a spatial error detection mechanism in 2 experiments was investigated in the present study. Twenty-four (Experiment 1) and 40 (Experiment 2) college-aged participants made either 20, 40, 60 degrees quick lever reversal movements in the sagittal plane. During acquisition in both experiments, blocked practice resulted in less spatial absolute constant error (ICEI) relative to the random group. The blocked practice group showed a smaller mean absolute objective-subjective difference than the random practice group during acquisition (Experiment 1). On no-knowledge of results retention tests in both studies, the random practice group showed a smaller spatial ICEI and a smaller mean absolute objective-subjective difference than the blocked practice group, even on a novel amplitude (Experiment 2). The study demonstrated the advantage of random variable practice over blocked variable practice on retention tests for spatial performance and in developing a spatial error detection capability.


The reliability and the availability characteristics of a 2-unit cold standby system with a single repair facility are analyzed under the assumption that the failure and the repair times are both generally distributed. System breakdown occurs when the operating unit fails while the other unit is undergoing repair. The system is characterized by the probability of being up or down. Integral equations corresponding to different initial conditions are set up by identifying suitable regenerative stochastic processes. The probability of the first passage to the down-state starting from specified initial conditions is obtained by the same method. An explicit expression for a Laplace Transform of the probability density function (pdf) of the downtime during an arbitrary time interval is obtained when the repair time is exponentially distributed. A general method is suggested for the calculation of the moments of the downtime when the repair time is arbitrarily distributed.


Avoiding particle entrapment into the solidifying shell of a steel continuous caster is important to improve quality of the continuous cast product. Therefore, the fluid flow dynamics in the steel melt and mushy zone, heat transfer and solidification of the steel shell, as well as the motion and entrapment of inclusion particles during the casting process were investigated using computational models. Solidification of the strand shell is modelled with an enthalpy-formulation by assuming a columnar morphology in the mushy zone. The motion of particles is tracked with a Lagrangian approach. When the particles reach the solidification front they can be entrapped/engulfed into the solid shell or pushed away from the solidification front, depending on the mushy zone morphology and the forces acting on them. The current paper focuses on the mould region at a steel continuous caster, including the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) and 1.2 m length of the strand. The model results demonstrate the potential of the model to predict the positions and the amount of entrapped/engulfed particles in the solidifying strand.


The growing application of computational aerodynamics to nonlinear rotorcraft problems is outlined, with particular emphasis on the development of new methods based on the Euler and thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. Rotor airfoil characteristics can now be calculated accurately over a wide range of transonic flow conditions. However, unsteady three-dimensional viscous codes remain in the research stage, and a numerical simulation of the complete flow field about a helicopter in forward flight is not currently feasible. Nevertheless, impressive progress is being made in preparation for future supercomputers that will enable meaningful calculations to be made for arbitrary rotorcraft configurations.


X-ray computed tomography (CT) techniques have been us d to evaluate a structural index of high performance metal matrix composites (MMC). Bes id of classical features like the determination of number of fibres and eccentricity of fibre bundles an order parameter can be defined and demonstrated for the SiC fibre arrangem ent in Ti-MMC, which can be used to assess these materials. The samples for the investigations have been provid ed by MTU Aero Engines. They consist of a titanium matrix (Ti6242) reinforced by SiC fibres ( SCS6).


A ldquosilicon on thin BOXrdquo (SOTB) CMOS with a 50-nm single metal (FUSI) gate has been developed. By employing an intrinsic channel and a metal gate, this SOTB achieves the smallest Vth variability ever reported. The measured Pelgrom coefficients of the SOTB were 1.8 and 1.5 for NMOS and PMOS, respectively, even in the case of relatively thick EOT of 1.9 nm. Both multi-Vth control as well as suppression of short-channel effects were carried out simply by adjusting the impurity concentration beneath the BOX layer while keeping the channel almost intrinsic. Inverter delay and off-current were optimized by controlling gate-overlap length by means of a dual-layer offset spacer. It is shown that, within planar-type low-power CMOS devices, the SOTB is the most scalable because of its capability of multi-Vth and excellent matching characteristics.


The Crane Building and the Candle House. Crane was the first permanent building built by the MBL. Donated by Charles R. Crane in 1914, the Candle House has served many purposes in its 152 year history. Originally a spermaceti candle factory, it also was a supply house and store for the whaling ships that came to Woods Hole. Later, as an MBL facility, it served the Supply Department and was known as the Hotel Majestic by those bunking on its top floor. It has housed the MBL administration since 1982.


2 cases are reported with unusual manifestations of porokeratosis of Mibelli. In 1 case multiple atrophic facial lesions resembled plaques of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus. The second case exhibited extensive cutaneous involvement in the form of hyperkeratotic lesions in linear configuration.


An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a multifaceted review process that involves consideration of all aspects of development activities and how that development will affect and blend into the existing environment. It also acts as a link between the concerns of governmental bodies/regulatory agencies and the needs and priorities of the developer. For aquaculture development, an EIA can also be a tool in discerning the most appropriate species, system design, and management practices for ensuring that the environment needed for a successful culture venture remains sustainable. Some of the unique environmental concerns faced by aquaculturists in the Caribbean include limited freshwater supply, sensitive island habitats, oligotrophic waters, and coral reefs. Therefore, when reviewing the environmental impact issues for aquaculture development in the Caribbean, it is important to cover potential habitat loss, resource depletion, introduction of non-native species, and eutrophication from nutrient waste. Developing appropriate Terms of Reference along with mitigation and monitoring procedures will aid in governmental guidelines and regulatory parameters, while incorporating the aquaculture developer's needs for production. An environmental matrix that incorporates the culture species and systems considerations can be used for evaluating aquaculture development environmental impact issues, while providing an assessment guide for the government and the aquaculture developer.


We propose a motion recognition strategy that represents a videoclip as a set of filtered images, each of which encodes a short period of motion history. Given a set of videoclips whose motion types are known, a filtered image classifier is built using support vector machines. In offline classification, the label of a test videoclip is obtained by applying majority voting over its filtered images. In online classification, the most probable type of action at an instance is determined by applying the majority voting over the most recent filtered images, which are within a sliding window. The effectiveness of this strategy was demonstrated on real datasets where the videoclips were recorded using a fixed camera whose optical axis is perpendicular to the person's trajectory. In offline recognition, the proposed strategy outperforms a principal component analysis based recognition algorithm. In online recognition, the proposed strategy cannot only classify motions correctly and identify the transition between different types of motions, but also identify the existence of an unknown motion type. This latter capability and the efficiency of the proposed strategy make it possible to create a real-time motion recognition system that can not only make classifications in real-time, but also learn new types of actions and recognize them in the future.


The paper offers a semantic analysis of the word family of the South Slavic *xala. attested in Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian and Bulgarian, this noun originally used to denote both the storm, tempest and the daemon causing it. According to popular beliefs the principal attributives of *xala are enormous size, strength and obesity, so the noun has secondarily developed such meanings as "a huge creature", "a man or animal of enormous physical strength", "an obese, greedy man". The semantic complex of the noun proper has yielded various meanings of nominal derivatives, such as "windy" "angry", "to rage", "to eat", etc. Certain meanings within this word family have been developed under the influence of etymologically diverse, but formally and semantically close lexemes, Slavic (e.g. *xalг "dirt(y)" *xaliti "to hit; pet") as well as non-Slavic (e.g. Gk. cal(n)w "destroy demolish").


Human beings are social by nature and like to form the group with the similar minded people. Therefore, for understanding the behaviour of an individual, besides the information of the individual, we need to look at the interaction of the individual in physical world groups. Likewise, the workers form various formal and informal groups in the organization for mutual interactions. For monitoring context as well as behaviours of the workers, identification of such groups and understanding their dynamics are essential. Moreover, this information is used for analysing the organizational efficiency. In an institutional environment, the knowledge of the student group formation helps the instructor to the analyse the performance of the students. On the other side, the proper selection of groups leads to the improvement of the students. Understanding the group dynamics in sports is also important. The proper interpretation of the group dynamics reveals the strategy of the team. Hence, for the future sports event, it is useful to the opponent team.


Abstract: Basaloid follicular hamartoma (BFH) is one of several benign skin tumors that may occur in multiple and solitary forms. While the histologic findings of BFH may be observed in a variety of clinical settings, familial multiple BFH represents a distinct clinical entity characterized by tiny flesh‐colored papules scattered predominantly over the face. We present two sisters with this rare condition and review the clinical and histologic differential diagnosis of familial multiple BFH.


Climate change has been associated with intensified harmful algal blooms (HABs). Some harmful microalgae produce toxins that accumulate in food webs, adversely affecting the environment, public health and economy. Ocean acidification (OA) is a major consequence of high anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The carbon chemistry and pH of aquatic ecosystems have been significantly altered as a result. The impacts of climate change on the metabolisms of microalgae, especially toxin biosynthesis, remain largely unknown. This hinders the optimization of HAB mitigation for changed climate conditions. To bridge this knowledge gap, previous studies on the effects of ocean acidification on toxin biosynthesis in microalgae were reviewed. There was no solid conclusion for the toxicity change of saxitoxin-producing dinoflagellates from the genus Alexandrium after high CO2 treatment. Increased domoic acid content was observed in the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia. The brevetoxin content of Karenia brevis remained largely unchanged. The underlying regulatory mechanisms that account for the different toxicity levels observed have not been elucidated. Metabolic flux analysis is useful for investigating the carbon allocations of toxic microalgae under OA and revealing related metabolic pathways for toxin biosynthesis. Gaining knowledge of the responses of microalgae in high CO2 conditions will allow the better risk assessment of HABs in the future.


Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) is a widely planted tree species on Loess Plateau for revegetation. Due to its symbiosis forming capability with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, we explored the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant biomass, root morphology, root tensile strength and soil aggregate stability in a pot experiment. We inoculated R. pseudoacacia with/without AM fungus (Rhizophagus irregularis or Glomus versiforme), and measured root colonization, plant growth, root morphological characters, root tensile force and tensile strength, and parameters for soil aggregate stability at twelve weeks after inoculation. AM fungi colonized more than 70% plant root, significantly improved plant growth. Meanwhile, AM fungi elevated root morphological parameters, root tensile force, root tensile strength, Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) content in soil, and parameters for soil aggregate stability such as water stable aggregate (WSA), mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). Root length was highly correlated with WSA, MWD and GMD, while hyphae length was highly correlated with GRSP content. The improved R. pseudoacacia growth, root tensile strength and soil aggregate stability indicated that AM fungi could accelerate soil fixation and stabilization with R. pseudoacacia, and its function in revegetation on Loess Plateau deserves more attention.


In their expanding role as tutors, home and healthcare assistants, robots must effectively interact with individuals of varying ability and temperament. Indeed, deploying robots in long-term social engagements will almost certainly require robots to reliably detect and adapt to changes in the demeanor of social partners to promote trust and more productive collaboration. However, the recognition of emotional state typically relies on the interpretation of very subtle cues, often varying from one person to the next. In addition, while facial expressions, body posture and features of speech have been used to detect affective changes, the robustness of these measures is often hindered by cultural and age differences. Recently, infrared thermography has shown promise in detecting guilt, fear and stress, indicating that it may be a viable sensing modality for improved human-robot interaction. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of using a far infrared (FIR) camera for detecting robot-elicited affective response compared to video-elicited affective response by tracking thermal changes in five areas of the face. Further, we analyzed localized changes in the face to assess whether thermal and electrodermal responses to emotions elicited by traditional video techniques and by robots are similar. Finally, we performed principal component analysis to reduce the dimensionality of data and evaluated the performance using machine learning techniques for classifying thermal data by emotion state, resulting in a thermal classifier with a performance accuracy of 77.5%.


In this paper we focus on quasi-market reforms for employment and training services for job seekers. Open tendering is the standard form for the introduction of market forces in several countries, with a competitive bidding process used to determine with which provider an order is placed for a particular service. It is an alternative to the more traditional method of subsidising providers, where a country's own government department/service, in a protected legal position, receives a guaranteed share of government funding. The focus on quasi-market reforms means that we will not cover the broader evaluation issues of active labour-market and training policies, in so far as they are disconnected from the mode of service delivery. Quasi-market changes are only just being put into place but this does not mean that any kind of evaluation is impossible. We start from a theory of quasi-markets as developed by Le Grand and Bartlett (1993) which specifies the conditions quasi-markets have to meet if they are to succeed. In our analysis, we will make a preliminary assessment of the extent to which those conditions appear to be met in practice. (1) Ludo Struyven is working as a research manager in the Education and Labour Market Section at the Higher Institute of Labour Studies, Catholic University of Leuven, Van Evenstraat 2E, B-3000 Leuven; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com. Dr. Geert Steurs is working as a project manager at IDEA Consult, Congresstraat 37-41, bus 3, B-1000 Brussels; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.


Purpose. To understand the meanings of art-making among a group of women living with the occupational constraints and stigma of CFS/ME. The study explored their initial motives for art-making, and then examined how art-making had subsequently influenced their subjective well-being. Method. Ten women with CFS/ME were interviewed; three provided lengthy written accounts to the interview questions. Findings. Illness had resulted in devastating occupational and role loss. Participants took many years to make positive lifestyle changes. Art-making was typically discovered once participants had accepted the long-term nature of CFS/ME, accommodated to illness, and reprioritized occupations. Several factors then attracted participants specifically to art-making. It was perceived as manageable within the constraints of ill-health. Participants also tended to be familiar with craft skills; had family members interested in arts and crafts, and some desired a means to express grief and loss. Once established as a leisure activity, art-making increased subjective well-being mainly through providing increased satisfaction in daily life, positive self-image, hope, and contact with the outside world. Participants recommended provision of occupational/recreational counselling earlier in the illness trajectory. Conclusions. Creative art-making occurred as part of a broader acceptance and adjustment process to CFS/ME, and allowed some psychological escape from a circumscribed lifeworld.


The study examined entrepreneurship skills needed by students/graduates for global relevance. The survey research design was chosen for the study. The population of the study comprises Business Education lecturers and students from three polytechnics, four Colleges of Education and Delta State University, Abraka, all in Delta State. A sample of 110 was randomly selected comprising 53 lecturers and 57 students. Data collection was via the questionnaire which was validated by three Business Education lectures from Delta State Polytechnic Ozoro, College of Education, Agbor and Delta State University, Abraka, all in Delta State, Nigeria. In analyzing data, mean and standard deviation were used for research questions, while independent samples t-test was used to test hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that entrepreneurship skills needed by students/graduates of tertiary institutions include trade show planning, promotion and execution. Others include skills for processing inventories, gross and net profit as well as keeping debt ledgers. The findings also specified ICT skills needed by students/graduates to include skills for accessing contra vision electronic software, deleting and merging mails, keying in data, copying, pasting and inserting in appropriate locations. Also revealed in the findings are significant difference between entrepreneurship and ICT skills essential for students and those essential for graduates. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended that some of these skills should be integrated into the tertiary education curriculum so that undergraduate students could be exposed to them as early as possible.


Maitotoxin (MTX) activates a Ca2+-dependent non-selective cation current (ICa-NS) in insulinoma cells whose time course is identical to non-selective cation currents activated by incretin hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion by activating cAMP signaling pathways. We investigated the mechanism of activation of ICa-NS in insulinoma cells using specific pharmacological reagents, and these studies further support an identity between MTX- and GLP-1-activated currents. ICa-NS is inhibited by extracellular application of genistein, econazole, and SKF 96365. This inhibition by genistein suggests that tyrosine phophorylation may play a role in the activation of ICa-NS. ICa-NS is not inhibited by incubation of cells in glucose-free solution, by extracellular tetrodotoxin, nimodipine, or tetraethylammonium, or by intracellular dialysis with 4-aminopyridine, ATP, ryanodine, or heparin. ICa-NS is also not significantly inhibited by staurosporine, which does, however, partially inhibit the MTX-induced rise of intracellular Ca2+ concentration. These effects of staurosporine suggest that protein kinase C may not be involved in the activation of ICa-NS but that it may regulate intracellular Ca2+ release. Alternatively, ICa-NS may have a small component that is carried through separate divalent cation-selective channels that are inhibited by staurosporine. ICa-NS is neither activated nor inhibited by dialysis with KF, KF + AlF3 or GTPγS (guanosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate)), suggesting that GTP-binding proteins do not play a major role in the activation of this current.


ABSTRACT Rationale/Purpose: This study examines how China's status as a global leader in esports reflects its pursuit of global ascendancy, through exercising soft power attained from esports diplomacy as a power resource. Design/Methodology/Approach: Research for this study was based on textual analysis where public discourse on esports in China is examined. We then proposed an esports diplomacy model and examined how esports is used to achieve diplomatic outcomes for China. Findings: Soft power was an important way forward for China pursuit of global power status. Esports is utilised as resources to engage, inform and create a favourable image of China among foreign publics and countries. The explicit and implicit outcomes generated through esports diplomacy, provided resources for this soft power quest. Practical Implications: This study encourages thinking on how esports can be used as a means to achieve diplomatic outcomes for governments and regimes, rather than a mere economic and/or entertainment tool for financial gains. Research Contribution: Besides contributing to and updating research on China's esports landscape, this study also answer calls for academic research to expand the discourse on esports diplomacy. Theoretically, our research adds on the existing knowledge on sports diplomacy and soft power through the exploration of key elements of our proposed esports diplomacy model.


Intraperitoneal insulin requirements were evaluated in six diabetic patients who were switched from continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis to continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis. The mean total daily intraperitoneal insulin dose on continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis was 85% of the mean dose on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (66 +/- 33 vs. 78 +/- 47 units/day, respectively, not significant), with comparable glycemic control. Twenty-five to 58% (mean value, 41%) of the total daily intraperitoneal insulin was administered in the diurnal exchange of the patients on continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis. The ratio of the total intraperitoneal insulin dose on continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis to the subcutaneous insulin dose predialysis was between 1.2 and 2.4 (mean value, 1.9). As guidelines for converting intraperitoneal insulin doses for patients switched from continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis to continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis, we recommend starting continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis with a total daily insulin dose 15% less than the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis dose and giving approximately 40% of the total daily insulin dose in the diurnal exchange.


In his allegorical tale "Racism's Secret Bonding," legal scholar Derrick Bell imagined the occurrence of fourth of July "racial data storms." During these storms, the consciousness of each and every White American was flooded with full information about the slave trade, slavery, lynching, Jim Crow, and contemporary discrimination, as well as a powerful emotional appreciation for the human suffering entailed by these conditions. Bell's "racial data storms" created great turmoil, anxiety, and demands for action. These demands focused on preventing future waves of "racial data storms" but also sought significant progressive policy intervention against discrimination and inequality. Bell mused that by the time the "racial data storms" had stopped, they "left behind them the greatest social reform movement America had ever known" (1992, p. 150).


We performed two independent series of experiments aiming at establishing dose-response curves for lethality or oncogenic transformation in vitro following acute and protracted X-ray doses between 0.25 and 2 Gy. In the first series of experiments, we measured the survival of C3H/10T1/2 CL8 fibroblasts and their transformed counterparts (MCA TCL15) as a function of X-ray dose delivered at 0.49 Gy/min. In addition, 1- and 2-Gy doses were split into four fractions separated by 3-h intervals. The accuracy of survival fraction measurements was about 2%. We found that the dose-response curve at 0.49 Gy/min was a linear function of the dose for both cell lines with a negative slope of 0.171 +/- 0.007 Gy-1 or 0.160 +/- 0.003 Gy-1 for 10T1/2 or MCA cells, respectively, indicating a similar initial radiosensitivity of normal and transformed 10T1/2 cells. Dose fractionation resulted in a significant increase of the survival, relative to that measured when X-ray dose was delivered in a single fraction. The enhancement of survival was not, however, significantly different for 10T1/2 and MCA cells, indicating similar cellular repair abilities. In the second series of experiments, we measured oncogenic transformation in vitro (along with the survival) of C3H/10T1/2 cells, using a constant exposure time technique in which the dose rate was proportional to the total dose so that the repair time was equal at all dose levels. The dose-response curves for oncogenic transformation in the low-dose range between 0.25 and 2 Gy were consistent with a linear response with a positive slope 2.50 +/- 0.11 X 10(-4), 1.50 +/- 0.03 X 10(-4), or 0.87 +/- 0.05 X 10(-4) Gy-1, for acute, 1-h, or 3-h protracted exposures, respectively. Hence, relative to the acute irradiation, the 1- or 3-h protraction of the X-ray dose reduced the slopes by 0.60 +/- 0.03 or 0.35 +/- 0.03, respectively. These results indicate that in the dose range between 0.25 to 2 Gy, the dose-response curves for survival or oncogenic transformation were linear and can be modified by the temporal distribution of the X-ray dose.


Fracture mechanical properties of hard cellular solids (porous materials) with the Young modulus E larger than 3000 MPa have been well understood; scaling relations between fracture mechanical quantities and porosity are established, which can be explained by a theory based on the geometrical parameters of a cellular solid. In this study, we obtain experimentally the fracture energy of a very soft polyethylene foam with E around 1 MPa. We find scaling laws different from those for hard foams, which can be understood by considerations independent of the structural parameters of foams.


Background Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the connective tissue characterized by vasculopathy and progressive fibrosis thickening of the skin and internal organs. Vascular damage is recognized as a diagnostic landmark in SSc, both in its limited and diffuse form. Micro- and macro-vascular damage have been involved in the pathology; early detection may be helpful in therapeutic planning and management. Subclinical cardiac damage can be detected with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) while arterial stiffness can be measured by Pulse wave velocity (PWV). Both have been shown to have an independent predictive value in cardiovascular risk stratification. However it is not yet clear whether they are actually present and detectable in SSc patients, or if an association with a specific subtype exists (1). Objectives to evaluate the presence of subclinical cardiac organ damage in patients with limited and diffuse SSc, in comparison with a cohort of healthy individuals. Methods Patients with limited and diffuse SSc referred to the Rheumatology Unit in our Hospital, in according to 2013 ACR/EULAR Classification Criteria, were enrolled. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by our Ethics Committee. All patients underwent a complete transthoracic echocardiogram, and PWV evaluation, which were performed in agreement with the last International Guidelines (2). Past medical history and risk factors, clinical and biochemical data were collected. 23 healthy subjects, similar for demographic characteristics, were used as controls. Results 41 patients (35 female,age 56.9±13.6 years), 21 with diffuse and 20 with limited SSc were recruited. Past medical history, cardiovascular risk factors, gender distribution and disease duration were similar in the two subgroups with no statistically differences. Patients with limited SSc were mean of 10 years older than patients with diffuse SSc. TEE parameters – left ventricular remodeling, atrial enlargement, diastolic disfunction - and hemodynamic indexes – PWV (6.5 [6;6.8] vs 7.0 [6.2;8.5], p=0.24) and Augmentation index (145.6±14.2 vs 149±20.6,p=0.52) did not show significant difference. Indeed, in the regression analysis, PWV was correlated to age (rho=0.60,p<0.001). When compared with healthy controls, again no significant difference emerged, considering echocardiographic and hemodynamic indexes. Conclusions In SSc, PWV seems to increase in according to age, with no additional impact of the specific pathology nor subtype. Vascular damage in the SSc population is likely not reflected in increased arterial stiffness or subclinical cardiac damage. Evaluation of SSc patients with PWV and TEE should not be routinely performed. References Ngian GS, Sahhar J, Wicks IP, Van Doornum S. Arterial stiffness is increased in systemic sclerosis: A cross-sectional comparison with matched controls. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2014;32(6 Suppl 86):S-161–6. Lang RM, Badano LP, Mor-Avi V, Afilalo J, et al. Recommendations for cardiac chamber quantification by echocardiography in adults: An update from the american society of echocardiography and the european association of cardiovascular imaging. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2015, Jan;28(1):1–39.e14. Disclosure of Interest None declared


A tremendous effort is currently devoted to the generation of novel hybrid materials with enhanced electronic properties for the creation of artificial photosynthetic systems. This compelling and challenging problem is well-defined from an experimental point of view, as the design of such materials relies on combining organic materials or metals with biological systems like light harvesting and redox-active proteins. Such hybrid systems can be used, e.g., as bio-sensors, bio-fuel cells, biohybrid photoelectrochemical cells, and nanostructured photoelectronic devices. Despite these efforts, the main bottleneck is the formation of efficient interfaces between the biological and the organic/metal counterparts for efficient electron transfer (ET). It is within this aspect that computation can make the difference and improve the current understanding of the mechanisms underneath the interface formation and the charge transfer efficiency. Yet, the systems considered (i.e., light harvesting protein, self-assembly monolayer and surface assembly) are more and more complex, reaching (and often passing) the limit of current computation power. In this review, recent developments in computational methods for studying complex interfaces for artificial photosynthesis will be provided and selected cases discussed, to assess the inherent ability of computation to leave a mark in this field of research.