Image fusion is becoming more popular in various field nowadays. The quality of accuracy and perception has been achieved with this con-cept. The field that is in urgent need of more contrast images and quality output of body organs image reproduction is medicine. This paper proposes the concept of introducing the image fusion in the area of body imaging to get a more accurate and contrast images for the identifi-cation of the tumor or any other mal-functionalities in the human body. The image fusion is enhanced with the choice of more efficient and contrast uplifting technique called stationary wavelet form. This technique accepts the input of two different perceptive images of the finicky region and enhances their details in the resulting image. The advantageous part of the technique outputs the more detailed edge separation feature which further more allows the fast diagnosis of the any defect prevailing currently in the place subjected to the imaging test. This technique also paves the way to get the more reliable and meticulous result in the future when the world starts embracing the advantage of automation in the field of medicine.


Objective: To evaluate the antinociceptive/analgesic action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; fluoxetine, escitalopram) and atypical antidepressants (mirtazapine, venlafaxine) and to delineate their probable mechanism. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on albino mice (25-35 g) and Wistar rats (80-100 g) of either sex. Different doses of morphine (0.5 and 1 mg/kg), fluoxetine (2, 5, and 10 mg/kg), venlafaxine (30, 40, and 50 mg/kg), mirtazapine (3, 5, and 7 mg/kg), and escitalopram (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) were administered subcutaneously in order to ascertain their subanalgesic doses using tail flick analgesiometer and writhing method. Tail flick latencies were obtained at 15, 30, 60, and 120 min after drug administration. In another set of experiments, abdominal writhing was produced by employing 4% saline (1 ml/kg; i.p.) as irritant. Pretested sensitive rats were given test drugs 10 min before saline injection and abdominal writhing was noted between 30 seconds and 3 min of administering saline. Naloxone (1 mg/kg) was administered 10 min prior to test drug for testing antagonism in both sets of experiments. Results: In both sets of experiments, fluoxetine (5 and 10 mg/kg), mirtazapine (5 and 7 mg/kg), and venlafaxine (40 and 50 mg/kg) were found to have antinociceptive activity, but not at lower doses. Escitalopram failed to show antinociceptive activity at any of the doses used. The antinociceptive effect of all the drugs was antagonized by naloxone. Further, subanalgesic doses of fluoxetine, mirtazapine, and venlafaxine showed analgesic activity with suboptimal dose of morphine (0.5 mg/kg). Conclusion: Fluoxetine, mirtazapine, and venlafaxine have antinociceptive activity, whereas escitalopram does not have; their site of action seems to be the same as that of opioid analgesics (mu receptors). However, involvement of other pathways (cholinergic, histaminic, noradrenergic, GABAergic) cannot be excluded in mediation of their analgesic activity, which requires further elucidation.


Introduction Income inequality has detrimental effects on health and oral health. However, this effect is doubtfully instantaneous and most studies have measured both income inequality and health contemporaneously. This study examined the association between state-level income inequality and tooth loss among adults in the United States, under different assumptions about lag periods. Methods This study pooled individual data from the 2008 Behavioural and Risk Factor Surveillance System and state-level data from the US Census Bureau. The Behavioural and Risk Factor Surveillance System collected information on demographic characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity and marital status), socioeconomic position (education and annual household income) and tooth loss, which was self-reported on a 4-point scale (none, 1 to 5, 6 or more but not all, and all teeth). Income inequality at state level was measured with the Gini coefficient, based on household income for 1979, 1989 and 1999, respectively. Two-level ordered logit models with individuals nested within states were used to test the association of state Gini coefficient at different lag periods with tooth loss after adjustment for state median household income and individuals' characteristics. Results In the fully adjusted models, state Gini coefficient was significantly associated with self-reported tooth loss when testing lag periods of 10- (OR: 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.32) and 20 years (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.32). However, no association was found when testing the 30-year lag period (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.35). Conclusion This study suggests that state income inequality has stronger effects on self-reported tooth loss up to 20 years later.


In the active search for potentially promising candidates for spintronic applications, we focus on the intermetallic ferromagnetic Mn5Ge3 compound and perform accurate first-principles FLAPW calculations within density functional theory. Through a careful investigation of the bulk electronic and magnetic structure, our results for the total magnetization, atomic magnetic moments, metallic conducting character and hyperfine fields are found to be in good agreement with experiments, and are elucidated in terms of a hybridization mechanism and exchange interaction. In order to assess the potential of this compound for spin-injection purposes, we calculate Fermi velocities and degree of spin-polarization; our results predict a rather high spin-injection efficiency in the diffusive regime along the hexagonal c-axis. Magneto-optical properties, such as L_2,3 X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, are also reported and await comparison with experimental data.


Most tripartite motif (TRIM) family proteins are critical components of the autophagy machinery and play important roles in host defense against viral pathogens in mammals. However, the roles of TRIM proteins in autophagy and viral infection have not been studied in lower invertebrates, especially crustaceans. In this study, we first identified a TRIM50-like gene from Penaeus monodon (designated PmTRIM50-like), which, after a white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) challenge, was significantly upregulated at the mRNA and protein levels in the intestine and hemocytes. Knockdown of PmTRIM50-like led to an increase in the WSSV quantity in shrimp, while its overexpression led to a decrease compared with the controls. Autophagy can be induced by WSSV or rapamycin challenge and has been shown to play a positive role in restricting WSSV replication in P. monodon. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PmTRIM50-like significantly increased with the enhancement of rapamycin-induced autophagy. The autophagy activity induced by WSSV or rapamycin challenge could be inhibited by silencing PmTRIM50-like in shrimp. Further studies showed that rapamycin failed to induce autophagy or inhibit WSSV replication after knockdown of PmTRIM50-like. Moreover, pull-down and in vitro ubiquitination assays demonstrated that PmTRIM50-like could interact with WSSV envelope proteins and target them for ubiquitination in vitro. Collectively, this study demonstrated that PmTRIM50-like is required for autophagy and is involved in restricting the proliferation of WSSV through its ubiquitination. This is the first study to report the role of a TRIM family protein in virus infection and host autophagy in crustaceans.


Severe, chronic growth retardation of cattle early in life reduces growth potential, resulting in smaller animals at any given age. Capacity for long-term compensatory growth diminishes as the age of onset of nutritional restriction resulting in prolonged growth retardation declines. Hence, more extreme intrauterine growth retardation can result in slower growth throughout postnatal life. However, within the limits of beef production systems, neither severely restricted growth in utero nor from birth to weaning influences efficiency of nutrient utilisation later in life. Retail yield from cattle severely restricted in growth during pregnancy or from birth to weaning is reduced compared with cattle well grown early in life, when compared at the same age later in life. However, retail yield and carcass composition of low- and high-birth-weight calves are similar at the same carcass weight. At equivalent carcass weights, cattle grown slowly from birth to weaning have carcasses of similar or leaner composition than those grown rapidly. However, if high energy, concentrate feed is provided following severe growth restriction from birth to weaning, then at equivalent weights post-weaning the slowly-grown, small weaners may be fatter than their well-grown counterparts. Restricted prenatal and pre-weaning nutrition and growth do not adversely affect measures of beef quality. Similarly, bovine myofibre characteristics are little affected in the long term by growth in utero or from birth to weaning. Interactions were not evident between prenatal and pre-weaning growth for subsequent growth, efficiency, carcass, yield and beef-quality characteristics, within our pasture-based production systems. Furthermore, interactions between genotype and nutrition early in life, studied using offspring of Piedmontese and Wagyu sired cattle, were not evident for any growth, efficiency, carcass, yield and beef-quality parameters. We propose that within pasture-based production systems for beef cattle, the plasticity of the carcass tissues, particularly of muscle, allows animals that are growth-retarded early in life to attain normal composition at equivalent weights in the long term, albeit at older ages. However, the quality of nutrition during recovery from early life growth retardation may be important in determining the subsequent composition of young, light-weight cattle relative to their heavier counterparts. Finally, it should be emphasised that long-term consequences of more specific and/or acute environmental influences during specific stages of embryonic, foetal and neonatal calf development remain to be determined. This need for further research extends to consequences of nutrition and growth early in life for reproductive capacity.


Elevated urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations have been associated with lung cancer in humans. However, toxicological studies demonstrated that the proliferation of lung cancer cells was inhibited by BPA exposure. Therefore, it is still necessary to determine whether exposure to BPA and other bisphenol analogues (BPs) is associated with lung cancer in humans. In this study, 226 lung cancer patients and 243 controls were randomly recruited. Concentrations of three BPs in human urine were quantified and their relationships with the risk of human lung cancer were evaluated. BPA (mean 1.03 ng/mL, 0.87 μg/g Cre) was the predominant BP in human urine, followed by bisphenol S (BPS) (0.72 ng/mL, 0.53 μg/g Cre) and bisphenol F (0.32 ng/mL, 0.37 μg/g Cre). Significant correlations between creatinine-corrected urinary BPA concentrations and the lung cancer risk (odds ratio (OR) adjusted = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17, 1.40; Ptrend = 0.04) were found using logistical regression analysis. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations of BPS in participants showed significant correlations with lung cancer (ORadjusted = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.59; Ptrend = 0.01) in the adjusted model. In the stratification analysis, the significant correlation between urinary creatinine-corrected concentrations of BPA and the risk of lung cancer still observed in male participants (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.62, p = 0.040). This study demonstrates that elevated human exposure to BPA and BPS may be associated with the increased lung cancer risk.


This paper provides an interpretation of the enigmatic concept of 'happy life' in the philosophy of Giorgio Agamben. It departs from a recognition of the ambivalence in Agamben's use of sacred and profane terminology that informs this concept. In a decidedly Benjaminian frame, and with the help of esoteric religious images, happy life is described by Agamben as a messianic life and a blessed life, while he, at the same time, explicitly defines it as a perfectly profane life. Reading Agamben's philosophy as aspiring to a radical transformation of our mode of being in the world, I argue that the consistency in his idiosyncratic attitude toward the sacred and profane can be shown, and new light can be shed on the nature of happy life. Beyond prevailing negative characterizations that describe what happy life is not to be, the interpretation developed in this paper argues that it positively entails an ethos of love and a practice of use. As such, the paper aims to contribute to recent attempts at analyzing the curative and promissory aspects of Agamben's philosophy over and above its critical potential, and provide a basic outline of happy life that allows for comparative analysis with other contemporary authors on the notion of happiness.


ABSTRACT Aim To explore the experiences of Saudi mothers with children or adolescents who have Type 1 diabetes mellitus at time of diagnosis. Background The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has one of the highest incidence rates of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents in the world. Few studies have considered the most appropriate methods of support for parents in the KSA and none report the experiences of Saudi mothers. Design Phenomenological inquiry. Method Qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 Saudi mothers and data were analysed following Giorgi's 5-step method. Results The lived experiences of Saudi mothers coalesced around three overarching themes and eight subthemes: 1. In the dark (mother's instinct, challenges of diagnosis phase, cultural reflections); 2. Empowerment (methods of support, mother's health and wellbeing); 3. Coping and acceptance (stigma and cultural perceptions, coping strategies, transformation and adaptation). Conclusions Effective interventions delivered in other countries to support mothers may be effective in the KSA. However, the central role that Saudi mothers play in the management of their child's condition, and the place of Islam in Saudi society, indicate the need for customized methods of support that take into account psychosociocultural needs of both mother and child.


In the text author presents the perception of therapy by preferential perpetrators of sexual offenses against children. Perpetrators commit those sexual behaviors due to the sexual preference disorders in the form of pedophilia (ICD-10 — F65.4; DSM-V — 302.2). The article is a summary of original research, which contain the result of a conversation with pedophiles about their treatment. The purpose of the work is to focus attention to the issue of treating perpetrators of sexual offenses related to their personal beliefs. Respondents often experience therapy by building and shaping therapeutic relationships and they attribute it to great importance in the process of change. Empirical qualitative research data contains not only and the characteristic nature of the treatment process, but also its subjectivity — it reveals the need for trust and relationships with the therapist. It turns out that the perpetrators declare their willingness to learn about their sexuality; they relate to the experienced therapy and stress the involvement and perceive support outside the isolation as a factor of great importance. The work can be seen as a critical reflection on the therapy process.


Global society has major scientific challenges to solve over the coming decades including climate change and food insecurity. Considering school-based agricultural education can play an important role in developing scientifically literate and civically engaged citizens to help address these challenges, this study sought to describe and compare Pennsylvania agricultural education students' science literacy, civic engagement, and science citizenship. In addition, the purpose of this study was to determine which variables of science literacy and civic engagement best predicted students' science citizenship. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, the study utilized a questionnaire adapted from three existing instruments to measure science literacy, civic engagement, and science citizenship. Data was collected from a proportionate stratified random sample of Pennsylvania agricultural education programs for a total of (n = 197) students. The multiple linear regression model was found to be a significant predictor of students' science citizenship and explained 57.8% of the variance. Civic skills efficacy, civic participation, value of science, science skills, and civic duty were significant predictors of students' science citizenship. Recommendations from results include incorporating civic education that builds students civic skills into agricultural education curriculum, educating pre-service agriculture teachers how to incorporate civic engagement into their programs, and further research to determine the extent to which agriculture teachers currently support students' civic engagement in their programs


A total of 8,699 female and 12,928 male farmers visited plant clinics in Kenya between 2012 and 2016. The lower clinic attendance by women farmers indicates they may lack information on plant health problems. This study aimed to understand the environment plant clinics operate in, identify the reasons for low clinic attendance by women, and possible strategies to reach more female farmers. Stratified random sampling was used to select 118 female and 119 male plant clinic users and, 138 male and 156 female farmers who had not used plant clinics. The study established there were significant differences (p<0.01) in use of different plant health information sources depending on region, gender and whether a farmer was a clinic user or not. Lack of awareness about plant clinics, services offered and who was supposed to attend were the main reasons for failure to attend plant clinics. Thus more awareness creation should be done. Limited access to plant clinics was reported by some farmers, suggesting that more plant clinics are needed. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in regional and gender access to plant clinics, highlighting the need for stratified plant health information dissemination methods. To extend the reach of plant clinics, training of plant nurses/lead farmers who are easily accessible to all farmers is warranted.

 Key words: Clinic attendance, gender, plant clinic, plant doctor, plant health advice.


This Letter presents a novel, wrist-worn heart rate sensor, which is comprised of only a passive resonator and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). It is clearly demonstrated that valid heart rate data can be extracted off the DC bias circuit of the VCO, making this sensor one of the simplest of its kind ever reported. Experimental results are shown for successful measurements of the user's heart rate when the VCO was tuned to 2.42 GHz, with a DC bias voltage fluctuation of up to 10 mV representing the heart rate. These results are in agreement with those taken using a commercial optical sensor based heart monitor.


CuIn(S,Se)2 (CIS) absorbers have been prepared by dissolving copper and indium sulphides in a hydrazine-free mixture of solvents, followed by spray deposition of the solution on molybdenum coated glass substrates. It was found that the choice of the solvent for dilution of the precursor solution can have an influence on the absorber quality and consequently, the device performance. The sprayed absorbers were implemented in solar cell devices, resulting in power conversion efficiencies (PCE) exceeding 7%.


Abstract The present investigation is aimed at development and characterization of sumatriptan succinate orodispersible tablets (ODTs) prepared by freeze drying technology. The tablet excipients were screened and the composition was optimized based on parameters which involved general appearance, tablet size and shape, uniformity of weight, mechanical properties, surface pH, moisture analysis, drug content, wetting time, in vitro and in vivo disintegration time. Furthermore, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron micrograph of cross-section of the tablet and in vitro dissolution studies were performed. Studies revealed that formulation containing gelatin–mannitol (3.75% w/v and 3.5% w/v, respectively) with camphor as a volatile pore forming agent exhibited superior properties with disintegration time of less than 10 s. Furthermore, in vitro release studies revealed 90% release of drug from developed dosage form within 10 min, thus suggesting rapid drug dissolution followed by faster onset of action, which forms a strong rationale for development of ODTs of sumatriptan succinate. The developed technology is simple, which involves few steps and can be easily scaled up. Thus, it holds enormous potential for commercial exploitation.


The major classes of lipoprotein, very low density, low density, and high density, as well as the lipoprotein-free protein were isolated from plasma by rate-zonal centrifugation. Fractionation of plasma after the addition of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) showed that over 60% of the drug is associated with the lipoprotein; the remainder of the drug appears to be bound by albumin. In human plasma the low density lipoprotein is the major lipoprotein; in rat plasma the very low density and high density lipoproteins predominate. The distribution of THC in the lipoprotein reflected this species difference. In both species the distribution of THC among the lipoproteins appears to be related to their content of neutral lipid or total lipid rather than that of phospholipid or protein. Fractionation of plasma after the addition of estradiol, imipramine, prostaglandin E2, digitoxin, or dicumarol demonstrated that the lipoproteins contribute little to their binding. Thus, even among lipid-soluble compounds, the binding of THC in plasma is unusual.


We study SRLG (Shared Risk Link Group) failure monitoring and localization in all-optical WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) networks. All links in each SRLG are logically grouped as a whole, and they fail at the same time when the SRLG failure event occurs. To achieve fast SRLG failure localization, monitoring is carried out at the optical layer using the recently proposed monitoring trail (m-trail) structure. By formulating an ILP (Integer Linear Program), we optimally solve the m-trail allocation problem to achieve unambiguous SRLG failure localization with the minimum monitoring cost. We claim that our work provides the first study in optimally allocating free-routed m-trails for achieving fast and unambiguous SRLG failure localization, with flexible tradeoff between the monitor cost and the bandwidth cost (i.e., supervisory wavelength-links).


Motivation Oncogenes are genes whose malfunctions play critical roles in cancer development, and their discovery is a major aim of cancer mechanisms study. By counting the mutation frequency, oncogenes have been identified with frequent mutations, while it is believed that many more oncogenes could be discovered by differential mutational profile analysis. However, it is common that current methods only utilize mutations in the cancer population, which have an obvious bias in background mutation modelling. Methods To predict oncogenes efficiently, we developed a method, DGAT-onco that analyzed the frequency distribution and functional impacts of mutations in both cancer and natural population. Our method can capture the mutational difference of two population, and provide a comprehensive view of genomics basis underlying cancer development. DGAT-onco was constructed by germline mutations from the 1000 Genomes project and somatic mutations of 33 cancer types from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Its reliability was verified on an independent test set including 19 cancers from other sources. Results We demonstrated that our method is more effective than alternative methods in oncogenes discovering. Using this approach achieves higher classification performance in oncogene discovery than 6 alternative methods, and 22.8% significant genes identified by our method were verified as oncogenes by the Cancer Gene Census (CGC). Availability DGAT-onco is available at https://github.com/zhanghaoyang0/DGAT-onco. Contact email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com


The Quaternary Tarosero volcano is situated in the East African Rift of northern Tanzania and mainly consists of trachyte lavas and some trachytic tuffs. In addition, there are minor occurrences of extrusive basalts, andesites and latites, as well as peralkaline trachytes, olivine trachytes and phonolites. Some of the peralkaline phonolites contain interstitial eudialyte, making Tarosero one of the few known occurrences for extrusive agpaitic rocks. This study investigates the genetic relationships between the various rock types and focuses on the peculiar formation conditions of the extrusive agpaitic rocks using a combination of whole-rock geochemistry, mineral chemistry, petrography, thermodynamic calculations, and major and trace element modelling. The Tarosero rocks formed at redox conditions around or below the fayalite–magnetite–quartz buffer (FMQ). During multi-level magmatic fractionation at depths between ∼40 km and the shallow crust, temperature decreased from >1100 °C at near-liquidus conditions in the basalts to ∼700 °C in the peralkaline residue. Fractional crystallization models and trace element characteristics do not indicate a simple genetic relationship between the trachytes and the other rock types at Tarosero. However, the genetic relationships between the primitive basalts and the intermediate latites can be explained by high-pressure fractional crystallization of olivine + clinopyroxene + magnetite + plagioclase + apatite. Further fractionation of these mineral phases in addition to amphibole and minor ilmenite led to the evolution towards the peralkaline trachytes and phonolites. The eudialyte-bearing varieties of the peralkaline phonolites required additional low-pressure fractionation of alkali feldspar and minor magnetite, amphibole and apatite. In contrast to the peralkaline trachytes and phonolites, the peralkaline olivine trachytes contain olivine instead of amphibole, thus indicating a magma evolution at even lower pressure conditions. They can be modelled as a derivation from the latites by fractional crystallization of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, magnetite and olivine. In general, agpaitic magmas evolve under closed-system conditions, which impede the escape of volatile phases. In the case of the extrusive agpaitic rocks at Tarosero, the early exsolution of fluids and halogens was prevented by a low water activity. This resulted in high concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) and other high field strength elements (HFSE) and the formation of eudialyte in the most evolved peralkaline phonolites. Within the peralkaline rock suite, the peralkaline olivine trachytes contain the lowest HFSE and REE concentrations, consistent with mineralogical evidence for formation at a relatively high water activity. The lack of amphibole fractionation, which can act as a water buffer of the melt, as well as the evolution at relatively low-pressure conditions caused the early exsolution of fluids and loss of water-soluble elements. This prevented a strong enrichment of HFSE and REE before the magma was finally extruded.


Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are highly successful plant symbionts. They reproduce clonally producing multinucleate spores. It has been suggested that some AMF harbor genetically different nuclei. However, recent advances in sequencing the Glomus irregulare genome have indicated very low within-fungus polymorphism. We tested the null hypothesis that, with no genetic differences among nuclei, no significant genetic or phenotypic variation would occur among clonal single spore lines generated from one initial AMF spore. Furthermore, no additional variation would be expected in the following generations of single spore lines. Genetic diversity contained in one initial spore repeatedly gave rise to genetically different variants of the fungus with novel phenotypes. The genetic changes represented quantitative changes in allele frequencies, most probably as a result of changes in the frequency of genetic variation partitioned on different nuclei. The genetic and phenotypic variation is remarkable, given that it arose repeatedly from one clonal individual. Our results highlight the dynamic nature of AMF genetics. Even though within-fungus genetic variation is low, some is probably partitioned among nuclei and potentially causes changes in the phenotype. Our results are important for understanding AMF genetics, as well as for researchers and biotechnologists hoping to use AMF genetic diversity for the improvement of AMF inoculum.


A 48-year-old white male presented with sudden loss of vision. He had vesicular eruptions of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) at that time. His best-corrected visual acuity was 20/200 in the left eye and 20/20 in the right eye. His ocular examination revealed that he had optic neuritis (ON) secondary to HZO. An extensive diagnostic work up revealed no underlying immunocomprise. The patient was given intravenous aciclovir along with oral prednisolone. At the twelfth month of follow-up, the vision is 20/40 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. In conclusion, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment is needed to restore some useful vision in cases with ON secondary to HZO.


This paper applies the Named Data Networking (NDN) concept to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications. Specifically, we develop a simple traffic information dissemination application based on the data naming design from our previous work and evaluate its performance through simulations. Our simulation results show that data names can greatly facilitate the forwarding process for Interest and data packets. With adequate vehicle density, data can propagate over long distances robustly at tens of kilometers per second, and a requester can retrieve the desired traffic information 10km away in a matter of seconds.


Introduction Annual TB notifications in Buhera District, Manicaland, peaked at 1,665 in 2008 and fell to 866 in 2012. The fall in TB notifications is disproportionate to national trends.1 We considered three possible reasons for the fall in TB incidence; a real reduction related to improved health of the population, an apparent reduction due to failure to identify or register new cases, and an apparent reduction due to fewer patients coming from outside the district to use relatively high quality services. We analysed existing data and planned further exploration. Methods We used the district's electronic TB database maintained by the charity TB Alert. We also accessed data relating to a recent pilot of the use of GeneXpert in the District. We planned further analyses to explore within district variation in notifications. We planned interviews with TB coordinators, primary care, hospital staff and senior staff from within and outside the province. Results The district TB register appeared complete. Treatment success rates increased from 2006 (55%) but stabilised at 65–70%. The proportion of TB patients who died peaked at 20% in 2006 and reduced to 10.5% in 2011 possibly due to changes in case ascertainment. Re-treatment cases increased from 2% in 2007 to 8.5% in 2012. Use of the GeneXpert machine identified 1 case of multi-drug resistant TB in 2008, increasing to 29 cases in 2012. The proportion of TB patients coming from outside the district seeking services appears to be constant, but high, at 22% in 2008 and 23% in 2012. Conclusions Initial analyses suggest that TB documentation in the district is well maintained.2 However there are significant changes in the local epidemiology of TB and the dramatic fall in the local incidence of tuberculosis is not completely explained. Further exploration of local TB documentation and practice associated with consultation with national and international TB experts should help to clarify the situation. References World Health Organisation. Global Tuberculosis Report, 2012. http://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/gtbr12_annex2.pdf Scott KM, Millard FJC, Smith RM, Manomano E, Glenshaw M, Barker RD. Five years of support for a tuberculosis programme in rural Zimbabwe: What has been achieved? Thorax 2009;64 (Suppl IV):A11.


Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common tachyarrhythmia and may cause serious complications, such as stroke. When atrial pressure was elevated, the effect refraction period (ERP) was shortened and the conductivity in atria was slowed and the heterogeneity of different parts of atria was increased. These changes facilitate the occurrence and maintenance of AF. Recent researches demonstrated that pulmonary veins (PVs) are important sources of ectopic beats in the initiation of paroxysmal AF. In patients with drug-resistant chronic AF and structural heart disease, after electrical cardioversion, the PVs are also the dominant trigger in reinitiating AF.1 Yamane et al2 reported that, AF patients were often with dilated PVs if the AF was initiated by focal activity in PVs. Atrial myocardial fibers wrap around the PVs entering the left atrium to form PV myocardial sleeves (PVMSs), and this structure is the origin of focal activity. Little is known about the effects of elevated atrial pressure on PV electrophysiology. In the present study, we found that, spontaneous activity in PVMSs could be induced by elevated atrial pressure and it could affect the atrial rhythm.


Abstract The length-weight relationship parameter is important for obtaining fish weight and biomass data with relevant implications about species role on ecosystem functioning. Here we report the length-weight relationship (LWR) for 24 fish species from three streams located in the Atlantic Forest in the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Fish were collected with electrofishing and standard length (cm) and wet weight (g) were measured to obtain the a and b parameters of the Log (W) = Log (a) + b Log (SL) equation. Length-weight relationships for seven out of 24 species (Hypostomus punctatus, Deuterodon taeniatus, Deuterodon hastatus, Deutorodon janeiroensis, Characidium vidali, Characidium interruptum and Rineloricaria zawadiskii) are reported for the first time. The length-weight relationships reported here contribute to the database that can support fish diversity conservation, fisheries management plans and studies on fish biology.


Using isolated ring preparations of major arteries mainly of canine origin, we attempted to explore the mechanism of the vasodilating effect of naftidrofuryl oxalate (I) at the concentration of approximately 10 microM. 1) The resting tension of canine carotid, femoral, coronary, renal and basilar arteries were not affected by I. 2) A weak or no papaverine-like activity was noted on coronary, renal and basilar arteries contracted by KCl (25 mM) or U46619 (20 nM). Porcine endothelin (30 nM)-induced contraction in the basilar artery also showed no response to I. 3) I produced a relatively strong anti-serotonergic effect in the basilar and femoral arteries, and the minimum effective concentrations of I for pretreating these arteries were 0.3 and 0.1 microM, respectively. I failed, however, to affect 8-OH-DPAT-induced contraction of the basilar artery. 4) In a low concentration such as 1 nM, I was able to release the vasodilating factor from the carotid artery. 5) The oscillatory contractions which developed in the rat thoracic aorta with phenylephrine (10 microM) were not affected by I (approximately 0.1 microM). 6) Na oxalate (approximately 1 mM) produced none of the effects of I described in 2) approximately 4). Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that I would exert its vasodilating effect not only directly via an anti-serotonergic action but also indirectly via its secretagogue-like action.


The vicissitudes of British imperial divestment after 1945 require scholars to explore systematically the United States' role in reshaping the contours of the British Empire. According to William Roger Louis and Ronald Robinson, 'the post-war Empire was more than British and less than an imperium ... it was nationalized and internationalized as part of the Anglo-American coalition. US foreign policy after 1945 was directed not only at forging a North Atlantic coalition which would 'contain' die Warsaw Pact, but also at collaborating in die management of the political and economic changes that swept die non-European world. The history of international relations since 1945 has been defined by the 'end of empire' - whether Belgian, British, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, or Soviet. As each empire has disintegrated, US influence has been extended during, and through, die process of imperial disengagement. In some cases, for example the Japanese mandates acquired at the end of die Second World War, die extension of US influence led to formal control. In others, as in Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, and die former Belgian Congo, the United States has used military and/or economic aid to fashion an 'informal empire', to borrow die term popularized by Robinson and John Gallagher. The transfer of power in British Guiana between 1961 and 1964 illustrates Louis and Robinson's claim that British imperial disengagement was managed by the Anglo-American coalition. It shows how die two powers constantly (re)negotiated die terms of their relationship in various parts of the world in order to maintain their strategic partnership. And it shows how British disengagement created the conditions for US control. In effect, die transfer of power in British Guiana was not simply the accession to office in an independent country by the nationalist elite; it also transferred control of the country's political system and economic and foreign policy to the United States. As Louis and Robinson observe, 'Kennedy's "New Frontier" began where Europe's imperial frontiers had ended.


Subcutaneous emphysema (SE) and pneumomediastinum are rare complications of air beneath the skin layers and in the mediastinal space, respectively, following routine dental procedures. A few cases exist in the literature. A 53-year-old female presented to the emergency department shortly after a cavity filling, with marked swelling of her right orbit, face, and neck. Physical examination and computed tomography (CT) revealed subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum. The patient was treated with prophylactic antibiotics for one week and Peridex rinse twice daily. Subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum cases have been associated with potentially life-threatening sequelae and infections. Although these conditions are almost exclusively benign and self-limiting, physicians should consider the associated fatal complications and manage accordingly. Dental providers should be able to recognize this complication and provide patients with appropriate guidance.


The evolution of patient monitoring on general hospital wards is discussed. Patients on general wards are monitored according to the severity of their conditions, which can be subjective at best. A report by the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection in 2008 indicated dissatisfaction with patient monitoring. Commitment to providing quality health service by healthcare organizations encourages the implementation of other mechanisms for patient care. Remote patient monitoring (RPM), by supplementing the role of nurses, can improve efficiency and patient care on general wards. Developments in technology made it possible for wireless sensors to measure and transmit physiological data from patients to a control room for monitoring and recording. Two approaches in the application of wireless ZigBee sensor networks are discussed and their performances compared in a simulation environment. The role of RPM in early detection of deteriorating patients' conditions, reducing morbidity and mortality rates are also discussed.


Summary: Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) belong to the group of rare diseases. The European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID), is establishing an innovative European patient and research database network for continuous long-term documentation of patients, in order to improve the diagnosis, classification, prognosis and therapy of PIDs. The ESID Online Database is a web-based system aimed at data storage, data entry, reporting and the import of pre-existing data sources in an enterprise business-to-business integration (B2B). The online database is based on Java 2 Enterprise System (J2EE) with high-standard security features, which comply with data protection laws and the demands of a modern research


The effects of oxygen inhalation on blood pressure and pulse rate responses to the cold pressor test were determined in 10 subjects. The results showed that under basal conditions diastolic pressures and pulse rates were significantly (P < 0.001) reduced by oxygen breathing. However, greater increases in systolic (P = 0.05) and diastolic (P < 0.01) pressures and pulse rates (P < 0.01) attended cold stimulation when oxygen was inhaled. One minute after removal of the cold bath, systolic and diastolic pressures remained significantly (P = 0.02, <0.001, respectively) further from basal levels during O2 experiments, although pulse rates had reached control values. Submitted on August 20, 1959


This paper handles some key aspects of DVB-measurements viewed from the point of view of a consumer receiver. The choice between coded and uncoded BER concerning the RF-frontend is discussed and a way is given to qualify it. We mention the main parameters to be measured on the receiver and work out proposals for their analysis.


Background: Recently, some lncRNAs in studies were also regarded as the potential prognostic biomarkers for renal cell carcinoma. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the prognostic significance of lncRNAs for RCC and explore their correlation with lymph node metastasis (LNM) and distant metastasis (DM).Methods: A series of electronic databases were chosen to retrieve the eligible articles. A total of 35 studies involving 3535 patients with RCC were included finally. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA 16.0 and review manager 5.3 software. The relative risk (RR) and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the significance. The stratified subgroup analysis was conducted by the up-regulated group and down-regulated group. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis was performed by the sequential omission of individual studies, and the publication bias was detected using Begg's test.Results: The results indicated lncRNAs expression levels were correlated with LNM for up-regulated lncRNAs (RR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.53-2.78, p<0.00001) and down-regulated lncRNAs (RR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.31-0.76, p=0.002). The expression levels of lncRNAs were closely related to DM (RR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.21-2.29, p=0.002). Moreover, the expression levels of these lncRNAs were also associated with the overall survival (HR=1.71, 95% CI: 1.28-2.28, P=0.0003).Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggested that lncRNAs could be regarded as biomarkers for clinical lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis and also may serve as the potential predictive factors of prognosis for RCC.


The influence of testosterone and antiandrogen 4-nitro-3-trifluoromethylisobutyranilide (4N3TFMIBA) on the content and biosynthesis of nucleic acids and the protein in the ventral prostate and the seminal vesicles of Wistar rats was studied under experimental conditions. As revealed, with the simultaneous administration of the androgen and its antagonist there was a fall in the organs under study of the RNA and protein content and a reduction of incorporation of labeled precursors into the DNA, RNA, and protein. Similar changes were seen after castration. A conclusion was drawn that the capacity to block the stimulating influence of testosterone on the nucleic acid and protein biosynthesis underlay "castration" effects of antiandrogen 4N3TFMIBA, this causing atrophy of the accessory genital apparatus.


. In conventional Ciphertext-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (CP-ABE), the access policy appears in plaintext form that might reveal confidential user information and violate user privacy. CP-ABE with hidden access policies hides all attributes, but the computational burden increases due to the attribute hiding. In this paper, we present a Linear Secret Sharing Scheme (LSSS) access structure CP-ABE scheme that hides only sensitive attributes, rather than all attributes, in the access policy. We also provide an attribute selection method to choose these sensitive attributes and use an Attribute Bloom Filter (ABF) to hide them. Compared with the existing major CP-ABE schemes with hidden access policies, our proposed scheme is flexible in selecting attributes to hide. This scheme enhances the efficiency of policy hiding while still protecting policy privacy. Test results show that our approach is reasonable and feasible.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the sesquiterpene lactones of the aerial parts of Inula helianthus-aquatica.

METHOD
Compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. On the basis of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data, their structures were identified.

RESULT
Seven sesquiterpene lactones and four other compounds were obtained and identified as 2-desoxy-4-epi-pulchellin (1), 6-acetoxy-4-hydroxy-1, 10H-pseudoguaia-11 (13)-en-12,8-olide (2), 4-acetoxy-6-hydroxy-1, 10H-pseudoguaia-11(13)-en-12,8-olide (3), 8-epi-inuviscolide (4), 2,3,11,13-tetrahydroaromaticin (5), 11,13-dihydro-ergolide (6), 4-epipulchellin-2-O-acetate (7), 7-epiloliolide (8), loliolide (9), beta-sitosterol (10) and daucosterol (11).

CONCLUSION
All the compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.


Given the rising water footprint of humanity due to population growth, dietary changes, and increased use of biofuels; there is a need for an international agreement on water footprint quotas per country. Such an agreement could be similar in scope and effect to the Paris and Kyoto climate agreements. This agreement could include objectives, principles, targets, and regulation schemes aimed at achieving a global reduction of the water footprint of national consumption.
The goal of this thesis is to determine how international consensus can be reached on sustainable and equitable water footprint quotas per country. In order to reach such a consensus, negotiations have to take place. Relevant questions will be which countries will take part in these negotiations and what their narratives will be. A 'narrative' is defined here as the rationale of a country, including the perception of the problems and possible solutions. A narrative creates the perspective from which a country forms an opinion and makes decisions.
In order to assess the feasibility of such an agreement, explore the possible narratives by countries and study the dynamics in the negotiation process, a serious game was developed. In this 'Negotiation Game', eight players assemble at a negotiation table, where everyone takes up the role of a negotiator who acts on behalf of a country or a group of countries. These countries have been pre-selected based on a Power-Interest analysis. The goal of the Negotiation Game is to arrive at a final agreement that consists of four articles, namely: objectives, principles, targets, and regulation. Players are encouraged to determine their own position based on some underlying data that are provided.
During the negotiations, players express their own narrative, question the narrative of others, and strive to find common ground. If multiple players arrive at a similar line of reasoning and a comparable stake, we identify this as a shared narrative. Shared narratives may show potential for the direction that actual negotiations in practice might follow, and thus inform us how potential future international negotiations on water footprint reduction may evolve.
After determining the country selection, relevant indicators, and structure of the Negotiation Game, it was tested in practice with a group of professors, post-docs, and PhD and master students from the University of Twente. This experiment was recorded, and the resulting transcript was analysed. After an initial verbal communication analysis and a resulting analysis of characteristics of the narratives, the narrative of each country could be assessed. Combined with the quantitative results from this game, it is concluded that there is potential for an international water footprint reduction agreement, with the United States, Europe, Africa and India as the key players.
Shared narratives were observed between North-western Europe, Southern Europe, and the United States on the one hand; and Russia, India, and China on the other. The first were supportive of an agreement and a global reduction, while the latter were opposed. However, during the negotiations, the position of both India and China shifted towards being more supportive of at least stabilizing their water footprint (with respect to expected population rise). It seems, therefore, that the main initiative for the negotiations should come from Europe or the United States, and that China and India are the bystanders that should be convinced to become supporters. Nevertheless, it would be recommended to test the Negotiation Game several times more to draw any definitive conclusions.


We study the capture of light objects of arbitrary velocity by binary systems. Extending results for the capture of comets in the solar system, we develop a simple geometric characterization of the capture cross section, leading directly to the distribution of orbital parameters of captured objects. We use the same framework to study the lifetimes of these bound orbits prior to ejection, and find that a simplified version of the \"Opik--Arnold approach readily yields a closed-form estimate for the ejection rate that agrees well with numerical experiments. Without any detailed-balance assumptions, our results make manifest the characteristics of close encounters leading to capture and ejection. As an application of our results, we demonstrate the estimation of the equilibrium population of captured dark matter particles in a binary system.


Recent work in high-performance computing has shifted attention to PC cluster. For PC-clusters, member nodes are independent computers connected by general-purpose networks. The latency of data communications is long and load balancing among the nodes becomes a critical issue. We introduce a new model for program development on PC clusters, namely the super-programming model (SPM) to address this issue. In SPM, PC clusters are modeled as a single virtual machine with PC as their processing units. The workload is modeled as a collection of super-instructions (SI). Each SI can achieve a limited workload. Application programs are coded using SI. SI is dynamically assigned to available PC at run time. For limited workload, no SI overloads any PC. Therefore, dynamic load balancing becomes an easier task. We apply SPM to mining association rules. Our experiments show that under normal conditions the workload is balanced very well. A performance model is also developed to describe the scalable behavior of SPM.


We consider a variant of Gamow's liquid drop model with an anisotropic surface energy. Under suitable regularity and ellipticity assumptions on the surface tension, Wulff shapes are minimizers in this problem if and only if the surface energy is isotropic. We show that for smooth anisotropies, in the small nonlocality regime, minimizers converge to the Wulff shape in C1-norm and quantify the rate of convergence. We also obtain a quantitative expansion of the energy of any minimizer around the energy of a Wulff shape yielding a geometric stability result. For certain crystalline surface tensions we can determine the global minimizer and obtain its exact energy expansion in terms of the nonlocality parameter.


Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major cause of mortality in patients with diabetes, particularly those with type 2 diabetes. Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including terminal differentiation‑induced lncRNA (TINCR), myocardial infarction‑associated transcript (MIAT) and H19, serve a key role in the regulation of DCM. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) can inhibit the expression of mRNA at the post‑transcriptional level, whereas lncRNAs can mask the inhibitory effects of miRNAs on mRNA. Together, miRNAs and lncRNAs form a competitive endogenous non‑coding RNA (ceRNA) network that regulates the occurrence and development of various diseases. However, the regulatory role of lncRNAs in DCM is unclear. In this study, a background network containing mRNAs, miRNAs and lncRNAs was constructed using starBase and a regulatory network of DCM was screened using Cytoscape. A functional lncRNA, X‑inactive specific transcript (XIST), was identified in the disease network and the main miRNAs (miR‑424‑5p and miR‑497‑5p) that are regulated by XIST were further screened to obtain the ceRNA regulatory network of DCM. In conclusion, the results of this study revealed that lncRNAs may serve an important role in DCM and provided novel insights into the pathogenesis of DCM.


A critical event in the process of cancer invasion and metastasis is the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Heparanase participates in this event by degrading the heparan sulfate (HS) component of the cell surface and the ECM. The expression level of heparanase correlates with an aggressive phenotype and greater metastasis potential in most cancers. Therefore, a variety of heparanase inhibitors, including low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) have been developed as anticancer agents. An overlooked yet interesting effect of LMWH administration is an increase in the circulating level of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EcSOD), which may play a role in its anti-cancer function. We have previously shown that overexpression of EcSOD enhanced the inhibitory effect of LMWH on breast carcinoma growth, clonogenic survival, and invasion in vitro, partly by attenuating heparanase expression and preventing HS degradation. To further understand the role of EcSOD in breast cancer progression in vivo, we performed an experimental lung metastasis study in which MDA-MB231.luc cells were introduced intravenously into athymic nude mice and colonization of the cells to the lungs was monitored by bioluminescent imaging. Overexpression of EcSOD via intramuscular injection of adenovirus vector resulted in a significant reduction in lung colonization compared to the empty vector (AdEmpty) infected group by more than two fold. Strikingly, a ten fold suppression of lung metastasis was observed when a truncated form of EcSOD that has a deletion in its heparin binding domain, EcSODΔHBD was introduced. Furthermore, EcSOD also significantly prolonged the survival of the animals from 58 days in AdEmpty group to 78 days in the AdEcSOD group and 99 days in the AdEcSOD⊗HBD group. In addition to studying the lung colonization, we also determined he effect of EcSOD on a spontaneous metastasis using a yngeneic model whereby a highly aggressive mouse mammary carcinoma cell line, 4T1.luc was injected into the mammary fat pad of immuno-competent BALB/c mice. Bioluminescent imaging analysis indicated that when all animals in the AdEmpty group showed secondary metastasis, only 71% and 63% of mice infected with AdEcSOD and AdEcSODΔHBD, respectively, developed secondary metastasis. Moreover, both EcSOD and EcSODΔHBD prolonged the survival of the animals from 44 days in the AdEmpty group to 69 days in the AdEcSOD group to 77 days in the AdEcSODΔHBD group. These results clearly indicate that EcSOD plays an important role in suppressing breast cancer metastasis and that the EcSODΔHBD that remains in the circulation system is more efficient than the full length protein. Most significantly, this is the first study demonstrating the biological function of the truncated EcSOD. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3373.


Many plants were found to synthesize substances that are useful to the maintenance of health in humans and animals. Romman, pomegranate (Punica  grantum) has been reported to have some antimicrobial activity. The present study was aiming to investigate the antifungal and antibacterial properties of the Romman fruit peel and flower extracts. The radial growth and the dry weight methods were used for fungi, while, the plate count and the inhibition zone methods were used for bacteria. Both fruit peel and the flower were found to contain high amounts of tannins.  The study showed that the extracts were effectively inhibited mycelial growth and dry weight of both Aspergillus niger and Penicillium italicum . However, the effect was only significant at the higher concentration. On the other hand, the extracts of the fruit peel were highly effective against bacteria. It inhibited growth of both Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) and Gram- negative ( E. coli ) bacteria, although, the effect was more pronounced on the Gram- negative bacteria. Keyword: Antimicrobial Activity, Romman, fungi, bacteria.


ABSTRACT Azithromycin (AZM) ameliorates lung function in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This macrolide has been suggested to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as other effects potentially relevant for therapy of CF. In this study, we utilized three CF (IB3-1, 16HBE14o- AS3, and 2CFSMEo-) and two isogenic non-CF (C38 and 16HBE14o- S1) airway epithelial cell lines to investigate whether AZM could reduce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNA and protein levels by real-time quantitative PCR analysis and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. We studied the effects on the DNA binding of NF-κB and specificity protein 1 (Sp1) by an ELISA. Non-CF cells express significantly lower TNF-α mRNA and protein levels than an isogenic CF cell line. In CF cells, AZM treatment causes a 30% reduction of TNF-α mRNA levels (P < 0.05) and a 45% decrease in TNF-α secretion (P < 0.05), reaching approximately the levels of the untreated isogenic non-CF cells. In CF cells, NF-κB and Sp1 DNA binding activities were also significantly decreased (about 45 and 60%, respectively; P < 0.05) after AZM treatment. Josamycin, a macrolide lacking clinically described anti-inflammatory effects, was ineffective. Finally, AZM did not alter the mRNA expression levels of interleukin-6, a proinflammatory molecule not differentially expressed in CF and isogenic non-CF cells. The results of our study support the anti-inflammatory activities of this macrolide, since we show that AZM reduced the levels of TNF-α and propose inhibitions of NF-κB and Sp1 DNA binding as possible mechanisms of this effect.


This paper develops a relatively comprehensive and sophisticated constitutive model of concrete for finite clement analysis of concrete structures. The present model accounts for the hydrostatic pressure sensitivity and Lode angle dependence behavior of concrete, not only in its strength criterion, but also in its hardening characteristics. The implementation is carried out through incorporating the developed concrete model in User Subroutine Material(UMAT) of the general-purpose FE program ABAQUS(v.5.8). It is found that the model can sufficiently predict the hardening as well as the softening behaviour of concrete under high confining pressure.


The active ingredient of ecstasy, ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), in addition to its initial reinforcing effects, induces selective and non-selective brain damage. Evidences suggest that the hippocampus (HC), a central region for cognition, may be especially vulnerable to impairments on the long-run, nevertheless, transcription factors that may precede and regulate such chronic changes remained uninvestigated in this region. In the current study, we used gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to reveal possible transcription factor candidates responsible for enhanced vulnerability of HC after MDMA administration. Dark Agouti rats were intraperitoneally injected with saline or 15 mg/kg MDMA. Three weeks later HC gene expression was measured by Illumina whole-genome beadarrays and GSEA was performed with MSigDB transcription factor sets. The number of significantly altered genes on the genome level (significance < 0.001) in up/downregulated sets was also counted. MDMA upregulated one, and downregulated 13 gene sets in the HC of rats, compared to controls, including Pax4, Pitx2, FoxJ2, FoxO1, Oct1, Sp3, AP3, FoxO4, and vitamin D receptor (VDR)-regulated sets (q-value <0.05). VDR-regulated set contained the second highest number of significantly altered genes, including among others, Camk2n2, Gria3, and Grin2a. Most identified transcription factors are implicated in the response to ischemia confirming that serious hypoxia/ischemia occurs in the HC after MDMA administration, which may contribute to the selective vulnerability of this brain region. Moreover, our results also raise the possibility that vitamin D supplementation, in addition to the commonly used antioxidants, could be a potential alternative method to attenuate MDMA-induced chronic hippocampal impairments.


When traffic accident occurs on urban expressway network, lifesaving activity with emergency car is important that promptly executes arrival at the scene of the accident and transportation to a hospital. The execution of the lifesaving activity requires a lot of time by the cause such as traffic jam after accident occurs. Therefore, the fire fighting organization and the urban expressway organization should examine method of executing prompt the lifesaving activity even when traffic jam occurred by frequently executing the lifesaving training that assumes situation when the accident occurs. However, it is difficult on both sides of time and the cost to actually execute lifesaving activity in urban expressway. Then, in this study, we examined prompt lifesaving activity in urban expressway by using the traffic simulation system developed by authors. Specifically, by reproducing situation that the traffic accident occurs on urban expressway and the lifesaving activity executes with the system, we measured the arrival time that emergency car arrives at the scene of the accident. And, we examined the expected lifesaving effects by using the concept of Golden Hour Principle that shows relation between passage time since the injury and mortality rate, we made the problem of the present lifesaving activity clear. In addition, we proved that a lifesaving possibility improved by shortening time that the emergency car enters in the expressway.


We present a new stellar feedback model that reproduces superbubbles. Superbubbles from clustered young stars evolve quite differently to individual supernovae and are substantially more efficient at generating gas motions. The essential new components of the model are thermal conduction, sub-grid evaporation and a sub-grid multi-phase treatment for cases where the simulation mass resolution is insufficient to model the early stages of the superbubble. The multi-phase stage is short compared to superbubble lifetimes. Thermal conduction physically regulates the hot gas mass without requiring a free parameter. Accurately following the hot component naturally avoids overcooling. Prior approaches tend to heat too much mass, leaving the hot ISM below $10^6$ K and susceptible to rapid cooling unless ad-hoc fixes were used. The hot phase also allows feedback energy to correctly accumulate from multiple, clustered sources, including stellar winds and supernovae.
We employ high-resolution simulations of a single star cluster to show the model is insensitive to numerical resolution, unresolved ISM structure and suppression of conduction by magnetic fields. We also simulate a Milky Way analog and a dwarf galaxy. Both galaxies show regulated star formation and produce strong outflows.


We present a novel method for calculating the primordial non-Gaussianity produced by super-horizon evolution during inflation. Our method evolves the distribution of coarse-grained inflationary field values using a transport equation. We present simple evolution equations for the moments of this distribution, such as the variance and skewness. This method possesses some advantages over existing techniques. Among them, it cleanly separates multiple sources of primordial non-Gaussianity, and is computationally efficient when compared with popular alternatives, such as the δN framework. We adduce numerical calculations demonstrating that our new method offers good agreement with those already in the literature. We focus on two fields and the fnl parameter, but we expect our method will generalize to multiple scalar fields and to moments of arbitrarily high order. We present our expressions in a field-space covariant form which we postulate to be valid for any number of fields.


– Connectivity in any terms between machine to machine, machine to people or vice versa and between people is getting more importance in todays` community life. This reality leads to an increasing interest for intensified and complex communication standards to be used or investigated. One of the most important candidate solutions for these kinds of communications are encrypted and cognitive communication techniques. Main characteristic advantages of the circuits used in encrypted and cognitive communication systems will be highlighted as, agility and configurability. In this study, it`s aimed to provide circuit solutions for encrypted and cognitive communication systems with lower power consumption and higher bandwidth with respect to the investigated ones in the literature. CCCII circuits in this study are designed with STMicroelectronics` 28nm Process to take advantageous properties of a top notch process and applications with frequency agile and configurable filters realized as a first example application in this process. Main goal of this study is to support different GPS protocols with unique filter circuit as an application.


Abstract The lack of natural references of dry-mesic oak forests creates conceptual obstacles for their conservation and close-to-nature management in Central Europe. Single-tree inventory was used to investigate stand characteristics and old-growth attributes of a Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. and Q. cerris L. dominated, 120-year-old stand in a Hungarian forest reserve, abandoned approximately 40 years ago. All individuals were recorded with diameter ≥ 5 cm on the 3 ha study site. Logs, stumps, saplings and seedlings were also surveyed. 582 woody stem/ha belonging to 14 species were measured with single-tree inventory. Basal area values showed the total dominance of oaks in the canopy layer (99%) as a legacy of the long-term human exploitation. In contrast, young individuals of oak species were almost missing, and Acer campestre L. dominated the lower layers, indicating the transitional nature of the stand. Diameter classes showed a marked bimodal distribution. Both the abandonment of the reserve and the precedent severe oak decline contributed to the relatively high amount of dead wood (46 m3/ha). Four decades of abandonment is rather short time interval to generate a diverse forest composition and structure in a mature dry-mesic oak forest. The dense regeneration and shrub layer and the upsurgence of admixing species indicate the shift towards the uneven-aged and compositionally more diverse old-growth oak forest state. Among the structural forest features the dead wood had similar values as old-growth forests. If the recent trend continues, the studied oak forest develops towards a mixed forest with significantly lower ratio of oak species.


Some of the major challenges while developing a Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) related to BCI (Brain Computer Interface) applications is to increase the network lifetime and minimize the power consumption. An energy efficient and transmission reliable Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol can be used to address the above problems by modifying certain control parameters. Past study reveals that there has been no accurate model detailing on the control parameters of delay, minimum energy, and throughput for BCI applications. However, there is no mechanism available on the adoption and implementation details of these parameters on multiple transmitters implanted inside the brain. In this paper, we provide the mechanism for implementing an enhanced MAC protocol for implantable passive UHF-RFID transmitters by modifying the super-frame structure. In-depth analysis of energy consumption of multiple implantable transmitters including the delay constraints and reliable transmission is showcased in this paper. Moreover, the performance analysis is provided based on the results obtained using Opnet simulator with CSMA/CA and TDMA based MAC protocols.


The decline in the number of children nationally being vaccinated against pertussis has caused anxiety and concern, both for parents and for professional workers. Publicity by the media and professional press has added to the confusion, and has been largely held responsible for the present situation. A survey was undertaken to analyse the factors which may have been responsible for the reduction in the number of children coming forward for pertussis vaccination in Leicestershire. These factors included social class, the position of the child within the family, and the reasons given by families for omission of the vaccine. Observations on the computerized record of immunization and vaccination, and the family's own record of the dates of immunization were made. The results of the survey present a more complicated picture than expected, with the consequence that solutions are difficult to find.


BACKGROUND
There is need for a common and uniform nomenclature for suicide and related behaviors. Many nomenclatures exist to address the same.

AIMS
Study proposes to assess the inter-rater reliability of Silverman et al. nomenclature on suicide and suicidal behaviors.

METHOD
The present study was conducted at the crisis intervention clinic of a tertiary care centre. Case records of patients referred to the centre were evaluated by two trained psychiatrists and were rated according to the Silverman's nomenclature in the domains of suicide related ideation, suicide related communication and suicide related behavior. Inter-rater reliability was measured using kappa coefficient. The relationship of suicide intent item of a structured scale with suicide related ideation, communication and behavior were explored.

RESULTS
Inter-rater reliability of the two evaluators using the Silverman's nomenclature on 198 case records was in the moderate range for suicidal related ideation and behavior domains (kappa of 0.476 and 0.502 respectively), but low for communication domain (kappa value of 0.016). The stated intent item of the Pierce Suicide Intent Scale correlated highly with suicide related ideation and behavior as assessed using the Silverman et al. nomenclature (Kendall tau = 0.723 and 0.747 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Based upon the same case record material, evaluators rate suicide related ideations and behaviors with moderate degree of concordance. However, the concordance is poor for suicide related communication.


Using a laser cytopherometer, the electrophoretic mobility of glutaraldehyde-fixed erythrocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been compared with that of cells from control subjects. The effect of incubating cells with different concentrations of linoleic acid (LA) has been tested. At a concentration of 20 micrograms LA per 2 x 10(7) cells, slower mobilities were observed, on average, than those of control subjects, but there was overlap between control and patient groups. At a higher concentration of LA (160 micrograms per 2 x 10(7) cells), many of the MS samples showed a slower mobility than the control samples, although overlap was still evident. The value of the application of laser cytopherometry compared with conventional cytopherometry to this type of test is discussed.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Despite the success of Crizotinib in treating NSCLC patients with EML4-ALK fusions, cancers eventually develop resistance via a variety of mechanisms including mutations in the ATP binding site of the kinase domain. A series of 5-aminopyrazol-imidazopyridine compounds were identified to potently inhibit anaplastic lymphoma kinase and were found to be active against a number of mutations in vitro but suffered from strong Cyp inhibition and were found to be metabolically unstable by incubation in human hepatocytes and microsomes. Installation of a pyrimary alcohol group on the heteroaryl ethyl group of the scaffold consistently improved Cyp3A4 liability, and led to improvement in physical and DMPK properties as well as improvement of their metabolic stability in human Heps. The lead compound from this series was orally administrated to SCID mice in a Del xenograft model and achieved greater than 90% phospho-ALK inhibition over 6 hours post dose at 10 mg/kg dose. The lead compound was subsequently tested against Crizotinib-resistant ALK mutations in enzyme assays, and was shown to inhibit the clinically relevant ALK mutations, including L1196M. In enzyme assays, it was inactive against G1269S mutation, consistent with modeling studies. Subsequent profiling in an FDCP cell line over expressing ALK G1269S mutation showed potent anti-proliferative activity, suggesting off-target activity. Further characterization of this series identified AurB inhibition to be a key cell cycle kinase responsible for the off-target activity in the engineered cell line. The off target activity hinders it from assessing the primary pharmacology responsible for its preclinical efficacy in disease relevant models. In conclusion, we have identified a novel orally bioavailable compound that is a potent dual active ALK and AurB inhibitor that is active against clinically-relevant gatekeeper mutant.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3910. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3910


The size of particles mainly determines where the particle is deposited in the respiratory system, whereas the composition determines the type of body response. This study analyses Total Suspended Particles (TSP), Particulate Matter with aerodynamic diameter up to 10 micron (PM_(10)) and 2.5 micron (PM_(2.5)) and their chemical compositions. TSP, PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) samples were collected from August 2012 to September 2013 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Composition of PM was analysed, focusing on heavy metals, cations and anions. The heavy metals considered in this study were Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Vanadium (V), Arsenic (As), Mercury (Hg) and Aluminium (Al). Cations and anions considered were Chloride (Cl^-), Bromide (Br^-), Fluoride (F^-), Ammonium (NH_4^+), Phosphate (PO_4^(3-)), Sulphate (SO_4^(2-)), Nitrate (NO_3^-) and Nitrite (NO_2^-). Average TSP, PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) (μg m^(-3)) levels were 366.38, 233.38 and 143.49, respectively. The ratios of PM_(2.5)/PM_(10), PM_(2.5)/TSP and PM_(10)/TSP were 0.61, 0.39, and 0.64, respectively. NO_3^- and SO_4^(2-) were the most abundant anions in all three types of PM. NO_3^- contents (%) were 28.53, 39.79, and 30.77 in TSP, PM_(10) and PM_(2.5), whereas SO_4^(2-) contents (%) were 22.52, 17.02 and 21.37, respectively. In TSP and PM_(2.5), As showed the highest content, which was about 42% and 43%, whereas in PM_(10), Al showed the highest content (47%).


Histamine (HA) is a known neurotransmitter with a wide spectrum of biological actions at the central and peripheral levels. Recently, it has been found that HA is involved in the regulation of immune cell function, acting as an immunomodulator. A hyperactivation in the histaminergic system has been demonstrated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), including increased levels of HA in brain, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients. In addition, changes in phospholipid metabolism and neuroimmune function have been reported in AD. CDP-choline (cytidine-5-diphosphate-choline) participates in the phospholipid metabolism pathway incorporating free choline into phosphatidyl-choline and choline plasmalogens in several tissues, including the central nervous system. In this study we have measured the concentration of HA in blood from patients with early-onset AD (EOAD) and late-onset AD (LOAD) under treatment with CDP-choline (1000 mg p.o. x30 days). HA was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorometric detection. CDP-choline reduced the basal levels of blood HA in both EOAD and LOAD by 2-fold. The reduction in blood HA content was observed 2 h after CDP-choline administration and gradually progressed for 30 days of treatment. These results confirm the potential immunogenic effects of CDP-choline and also that an excess of HA might influence some etiopathogenic events in AD.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible effects of synchronized metronome training (SMT) on movement dynamics during golf-swing performance, as captured by kinematic analysis. A one-group, between-test design was applied on 13 male golfers (27.5 ± 4.6 years old, 12.7 ± 4.9 handicap) who completed 12 sessions of SMT over a four-week period. Pre- and post-assessments of golf swings with three different clubs (4-iron, 7-iron, and pitching wedge) were performed using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Club velocity at three different swing phases (backswing, downswing, and follow-through) was measured and cross-correlation analysis of time-series signals were made on joint couplings (wrist–elbow–shoulder) of both arms, and between joints and the club, during the full golf swing. There were significantly higher cross-correlations between joint-couplings and concomitant changes of the associated phase-shift differences, as well as reduced phase-shift variability at post-test. No significant effect of SMT was found for the club velocities. We suggest that domain-general influences of SMT on the underlying brain-based motor control strategies lead to a more coordinated movement pattern of the golf-swing performance, which may explain previous observations of significantly improved golf-shot accuracy and decreased variability after SMT.


ABSTRACT Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin belongs to the RTX family of toxins but is the only member with a known catalytic domain. The principal pathophysiologic function of AC toxin appears to be rapid production of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) by insertion of its catalytic domain into target cells (referred to as intoxication). Relative to other RTX toxins, AC toxin is weakly hemolytic via a process thought to involve oligomerization of toxin molecules. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3D1, which binds to an epitope (amino acids 373 to 399) at the distal end of the catalytic domain of AC toxin, does not affect the enzymatic activity of the toxin (conversion of ATP into cAMP in a cell-free system) but does prevent delivery of the catalytic domain to the cytosol of target erythrocytes. Under these conditions, however, the ability of AC toxin to cause hemolysis is increased three- to fourfold. To determine the mechanism by which the hemolytic potency of AC toxin is altered, we used a series of deletion mutants. A mutant toxin, ΔAC, missing amino acids 1 to 373 of the catalytic domain, has hemolytic activity comparable to that of wild-type toxin. However, binding of MAb 3D1 to ΔAC enhances its hemolytic activity three- to fourfold similar to the enhancement of hemolysis observed with 3D1 addition to wild-type toxin. Two additional mutants, ΔN489 (missing amino acids 6 to 489) and ΔN518 (missing amino acids 6 to 518), exhibit more rapid hemolysis with quicker onset than wild-type toxin does, while ΔN549 (missing amino acids 6 to 549) has reduced hemolytic activity compared to wild-type AC toxin. These data suggest that prevention of delivery of the catalytic domain or deletion of the catalytic domain, along with additional amino acids distal to it, elicits a conformation of the toxin molecule that is more favorable for hemolysis.


Abstract Based on extrusion deposition and foaming technique, a novel method for biological hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds was introduced in this paper. The scaffolds were primarily characterised by interconnected and hierarchically porous structures with high porosity, adjustable distribution of pore sizes, as well as considerable mechanical strength. In order to confirm that fine control of bulk porosity and mechanical strength was possible and feasible, further analysis of obtained scaffolds was carried out by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), compressive test and calculation of volumetric shrinkage; in particular, the additional porosity resulting from the introduction of pore former was evaluated. The results indicated that this method can have a great potential to construct HA scaffolds of suitable quality for spongy bone in bone tissue engineering.


"…and he sighed with contentment to realize that he could now be finely dressed and still be the shaggy man." One cannot say that the people of Oz valued difference or valued the diversity of its people. Because in Oz, difference and diversity simply was; difference in OZ simply existed. Rather, it might be more accurate to say that the people in the Fairy Land of Oz had a practice of difference in which different people or beings of all sorts were simply accepted and embraced. Not just accepted, as in tolerated in the way someone from Kansas or the greater United States might understand it, but difference in Oz was inherent in the place, it was expected -- respected -- promoted -- taken for granted -- embraced -- sometimes celebrated -- but rarely condemned or rejected. This practice of difference informed and was informed by a theory. But the theory was not a theory about the value of difference or the value of a diverse society. Rather, this practice was informed by a theory, philosophy and ethic of care; care for all sentient beings. In the United States, by contrast, the rhetoric of diversity is everywhere. This essay briefly examines the story of the Shaggy Man's Welcome in L. Frank Baum's series of fairytales about the Wonderful Wizard and the Marvelous Land of Oz. It argues, through an analysis of Justice O'Connor's opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger and against the background of the debates and practices of diversity in the United States, that the people of Oz sincerely value difference and diversity, even though they do not engage the rhetoric of diversity. They instead value difference through an ethic of care, a moral philosophy developed by feminist long after the story was imagined. The essay suggests that, like the Shaggy Man, racial difference may have value for peoples of color and society at large. Thus it argues, consistent with Ozian ethics of care that society should recognize, respect, respond to and -- provide for -- differences in a manner that enables participation. This vision is in contrast to Justice O'Connor's vision of the future in which she ultimately promotes the non-recognition of race while others seek its replacement with class.


BACKGROUND
The Keeler Pulsair 3000 is a recently introduced non-contact tonometer that is especially useful for children and those for whom sitting at a slit-lamp or table-mounted unit would be difficult. In this project, intraocular pressures (IOPs) measured by Keeler Pulsair 3000 and Goldmann tonometers were compared to assess validity and reliability of the Pulsair 3000 data.

METHODS
Two Pulsair 3000 IOPs (each the mean of four individual air-puff readings) and two Goldmann IOPs were measured for each eye of 113 subjects. Subjects were also asked which measurement technique they preferred.

RESULTS
IOPs ranged from 9 to 28 mmHg. Correlations between the two Goldmann IOPs measured for the right and left eyes were 0.98 and 0.97, respectively. These values are higher than correlations between Pulsair and Goldmann measurements (0.86 to 0.91). Pulsair 3000 IOPs were slightly above Goldmann values for pressures of less than 15 mmHg and slightly below for IOPs greater than 15 mmHg. Extrapolation to a Goldmann IOP of 30 mmHg suggests the Pulsair 3000 would read about 6% (1.7 mmHg) too low at this IOP. Eight eyes (7%) had differences between Pulsair 3000 and Goldmann IOP readings of 5.0 mmHg or more. Single outlier pressures accounted for these differences in three out of the eight eyes.

CONCLUSIONS
In the range of 10 to 24 mmHg, the Pulsair 3000 tonometer produced IOP readings that corresponded well with Goldmann values for most eyes and was preferred by the majority of subjects who indicated a preference. The Pulsair 3000 is relatively easy to use by technicians and has numerous special applications in optometric practice (e.g. measuring IOPs for pediatric patients and those with compromised corneas).


Abstract
 The literature on marriage norms and aspirations across societies largely sees the institution as static – a tool for the assertion of masculinities and subordination of women. The changing meanings of marriage and conjugality in the contemporary context of globalisation have received scant attention. Based on research in rural Bangladesh, this article questions the usefulness of notions of autonomy and dependence in understanding conjugal relations and expectations in a context of widespread migration for extended periods, especially to overseas destinations, where mutuality is crucial for social reproduction, though in clearly gender-demarcated domains.


Motorcycle sales have increased significantly, motorcycle manufacturers are competing to produce the latest models which are then sold to consumers. As a result, motorcycle dealers are overwhelmed with more and more data, not knowing what to do with it. Motorcycle dealers also have difficulty calculating the total sales of motorcycles. We try to provide solutions to deal with data overflow. We propose designing a star schema as the basis for creating a data warehouse. To create a star schema, we propose a four-step sequence in creating an effective star schema, starting from requirements analysis and reporting, understanding business processes, connecting and matching business processes with suitable entities and determining the dimensions of the business processes. We get a star schema with 1 fact table, motorcycle_sales and 11 of dimension tables, such as brand, color, customer, customer_contract, distributor, district, motorcycle, repair_workshop, sell_location, type and time.  The star schema is an optimized model that provides the best performance in presenting more complex information


Recent feature contrastive learning (FCL) has shown promising performance in unsupervised representation learning. For the close-set representation learning where labeled data and unlabeled data belong to the same semantic space, however, FCL cannot show overwhelming gains due to not involving the class semantics during optimization. Consequently, the produced features do not guarantee to be easily classified by the class weights learned from labeled data although they are information-rich. To tackle this issue, we propose a novel probability contrastive learning (PCL) in this paper, which not only produces rich features but also enforces them to be distributed around the class prototypes. Specifically, we propose to use the output probabilities after softmax to perform contrastive learning instead of the extracted features in FCL. Evidently, such a way can exploit the class semantics during optimization. Moreover, we propose to remove the `2 normalization in the traditional FCL and directly use the `1normalized probability for contrastive learning. Our proposed PCL is simple and effective. We conduct extensive experiments on three close-set image classification tasks, i.e., unsupervised domain adaptation, semi-supervised learning, and semi-supervised domain adaptation. The results on multiple datasets demonstrate that our PCL can consistently get considerable gains and achieves the state-of-the-art performance for all three tasks.


Myalgic Encephalopmyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is the name given to an illness that may affect more than 250,000 people in the United Kingdom. ME/CFS is most often characterised by the cardinal symptoms of fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment and sleep dysfunction. Unlike other illnesses, ME/CFS remains a contested illness domain with no proven aetiology. In addition, there are conflicting models to explain the disease. More broadly, fatigue is a major presenting complaint in general practice and significant numbers of patients present to hospital and community medicine with unexplained symptoms. There has been strong impetus to tackle conditions with unexplained symptoms utilising a biopsychosocial model (BPS). The BPS model is promoted as an important tool for dealing with patients with conditions such as ME/CFS. Despite the BPS model moving medical practice away from the narrow bio-pathological focus, to include wider social and psychosocial aspects of illness, ME/CFS patients report high levels of dissatisfaction around doctor-patient encounters: many report feeling traumatised or harmed by interactions with doctors who challenge their symptoms and illness experience. This narrative review seeks to account for the possible reasons for patients reporting negative accounts of doctor-patient interactions. Outcomes from this review suggest harm and patient dissatisfaction may be tentatively linked to a number of areas of medical practice, these include: where doctors challenge patients? understanding of their illness aetiology and symptomology; where doctors promote treatments that are rejected by patients; or where doctors do not fully involve the patient (individual or collective group) narrative and experience. This review identifies a number of potential modalities of iatrogenesis within the medical encounter and concludes that the current BPS approach to the treatment and management of ME/CFS is too narrow in focus and fails to adequately incorporate the patient perspective. As a result, conflict and harm are possible outcomes where the illness remains contested and where doctor and patient perspectives remain incongruent. Iatrogenic harm might be minimised by adopting a more patient-friendly approach.


In this work, we have investigated the effect of a transversal applied DC magnetic field on the longitudinally measured magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Finemet cores. The core was prepared by stacking up toroidal sheets (Dext = 17.5 mm, Dint = 8.5 mm) cut from 20 mm wide Finemet ribbon of 22 μmm thickness. The resulting height of the toroid was 5 mm. The stack was heat treated in hydrogen at 550°C for 1 h. Quantitative measurements were conducted by using a Helmholtz coil for generating the transversal field along the ring axis so that the magnetization of the toroidal core is forced to turn out of the sheet, transversal to the measuring magnetic field applied along the toroid. Flattening of the quasi-static loop as a function of transversal field is accompanied by a diminution of the remanence and coercive field. The relative permeability could be diminished by more than two orders of magnitude (from 60 000 to 700). Correspondingly, the eddy current frequency limit (where the imaginary part of the permeability is maximal) was shifted from 60 kHz to 1 MHz. Tayloring the hysteresis loop will be discussed in terms of rotational magnetization which dominates over the domain wall displacement mechanism when the magnetization is forced to turn out of the sheet plane.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare job satisfaction, quality of life (QOL), incident report rate and overtime hours for 12-hour shifts and for 8-hour shifts in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: A descriptive survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 36 staff nurses from a PICU in a regional hospital in Korea. Data were collected using self-administrated questionnaires regarding job satisfaction and QOL at 6 months before and after the beginning of 12-hour shifts. Incident report rate and overtime hours for both 12-hour and 8-hour shifts were compared. Comparisons were made using x 2 -test, paired t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: After 12-hour shifts were initiated, job satisfaction significantly increased (t=3.93, p<.001) and QOL was higher for nurses on 12-hour shifts compared to 8-hour (t=7.83, p<.001). There was no statistically significant change in incident report rate (x 2 =0.15, p=.720). The overtimes decreased from 36.3±34.7 to 17.3±34.9 minutes (Z=-8.91, p<.001). Conclusion: These results provide evidence that 12-hour shifts can be an effective ways of scheduling for staff nurses to increase job satisfaction and quality of life without increasing patient safety incidents or prolonged overtime work


Interest in the study of cell population heterogeneity among immune system grows with advances in multicolor flow cytometry techniques. Natural killer cells are represented by several subpopulations. Their maturation is a continuous process that begins with CD27 - CD11b - -cells and ends with mature cells with the CD27 - CD11b + -phenotype. Phthisiology is one of the areas for studying the NK-cell polymorphism due to the fact that the mechanism of prolonged persistence of M. tuberculosis in the human body is not fully understood. Moreover, there is increasing number of patients with infectious comorbidities, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The aim of this study was to determine some subpopulations of NK cells in the patients with pulmonary tuberculous granuloma, as well as in the absence of a synergistic HIV infection. The study involved 46 people grouped in three cohorts. The 1st group included 24 practically healthy people, the 2nd group consisted of 12 patients with pulmonary tuberculous granuloma without clinical and laboratory signs of HIV infection, and the 3rd group was represented by 10 patients with pulmonary tuberculous granuloma infected with HIV. The causative agent of pulmonary tuberculosis in all patients was drug-resistant. All the patients with HIV infection had stage 4 disease. Immunological status was assessed by flow cytometry. The following cell populations were detected: CD45 + CD3 + CD19 - , CD45 + CD3 - CD19 + , CD45 + CD3 - CD16 + CD56 + , CD3 + CD16 + CD56 + , CD45 + CD3 - CD8 + , CD45 + CD3 - HLA - DR + , CD45 + CD3 - CD16 + CD56 + CD11b + . Leukocytosis and leukogram were determined with a 5 Diff Mythic 22 AL clinical analyzer (Cormay, Poland). Statistical studies of the data were performed in the Windows 10 operating environment (Microsoft Corp., USA); the computer program Statistica v. 12.5 (StatSoft, USA) was used. The normality of the data distribution was also evaluated. Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance (pk-w) was used as criterion for assessing differences between the compared groups at a significance level of differences p < 0.017 (between three unrelated groups), as well as Wald–Wolfowitz test (pw-w) with a significance level of differences p < 0.05. Factor analysis was performed. We have found that the presence of pulmonary tuberculous granuloma is accompanied by a decrease of NK-cells number by 33%, a two-fold decrease in the number of NKT-cells, a 34.3% decrease in the population of CD3 - HLA - DR + -cells, and a 21.7% decrease in the number of CD3 - CD16 + CD56 + CD11b + -cells. Coinfection with HIV in cases of pulmonary tuberculous granuloma was associated with a three-fold decrease in the leukocyte numbers, significant variability in lymphocyte counts, e.g., 3-fold decrease in NK-cell counts, with NK-cells expressing α-chain of the CD8 antigen decreased by 2.3 times; 6-fold drop of NKT-cell, CD3 - HLA - DR + -cells decreased by 42.9%; 2.3-fold decline in CD3 - CD16 + CD56 + CD11b + -cells. Decreased control of M. tuberculosis infection was observed both in patients with pulmonary tuberculous granuloma, and in presence of HIV infection as associated comorbidity.


We study the Maurer-Cartan equation of the pre-Lie algebra of graphs controlling the deformation theory of associative algebras. We prove that there is a canonical solution (choice independent) within the class of graphs without circuits, i.e. at the level of the free operad, without imposing the Jacobi identity. The proof is a consequence of the unique factorization property of the pre-Lie algebra of graphs (tree operad), where composition is the insertion of graphs. The restriction to graphs without circuits, i.e. at "tree level", accounts for the interpretation as a semi-classical solution. The fact that this solution is canonical should not be surprising, in view of the Hausdorff series, which lies at the core of almost all quantization prescriptions.


Abstract Interest in nuclear power has grown in some Middle Eastern states despite poor economics, seismic activity, and attacks on nuclear facilities in the region. This article assesses risks from cesium-137 release and dispersal from spent nuclear fuel fires at Barakah in the United Arab Emirates and Bushehr in Iran to public health, the water supply, and the food security of major Persian Gulf cities. Doha, Dammam, Al-Hofuf, and Manama are most at risk of receiving 1.5 MBq/m2 for a spent fuel fire at Barakah, while a spent fuel fire at Bushehr could affect Shiraz, Ahvaz, Basrah, and Kuwait City, albeit at lower probabilities. Absent a decision to end nuclear power in the region, options for reducing the potential risks of spent fuel fires on Persian Gulf populations include the timely transfer of spent fuel from pools into safer dry cask storage, multilateral disaster-response planning, and a commitment not to attack nuclear facilities.