Object Event Modeling and Simulation (OEM&S) is a general Discrete Event Simulation paradigm combining object-oriented modeling with the event scheduling paradigm. We show how to extend OEM&S by adding concepts of agent-based modeling and simulation, resulting in a framework that we call Agent/Object Event Modeling and Simulation (A/OEM&S). The main point for such an extension is to define agents as special objects, which are subject to general (physical) laws of causality captured in the form of event rules, and which have their own behavior allowing them to interact with their inanimate environment and with each other. Because agent behavior is decoupled from physical causality, an A/OE simulator consists of an environment simulator, which simulates the physical world (the objective states of material objects), and agent simulators, which simulate the internal (subjective) states of agents and their behaviors.


Substituted mono- and diamino-pyrimidines were synthesized as part of our medicinal chemistry programmes. Primary amines substituted at the 4-position exhibited room-temperature line broadening effects in both 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy due to the presence of rotamers, but these effects were not observed for substituents in the 2-position. This provided a simple diagnostic tool for the identification of regioisomers, a determination which would otherwise have required two-dimensional experiments.


Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) improve rodent β cell survival and function. In human β cells, GABA exerts stimulatory effects on proliferation and anti-apoptotic effects, whereas GLP-1-based drugs have only limited effects on proliferation. We previously demonstrated that GABA and sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor which increases endogenous GLP-1 levels, mediated a synergistic β cell protective effect in mice islets. However, it remains unclear whether this combination has similar effects on human β cells. To address this question, we transplanted a suboptimal mass of human islets into immunodeficient NOD-scid-gamma mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, and then treated them with GABA, sitagliptin, or both. The oral administration of either GABA or sitagliptin ameliorated blood glucose levels, increased transplanted human β cell mass and plasma human insulin levels. However, combined administration of the drugs generated significantly superior results in all these responses, as compared to monotherapy. Proliferation and/or regeneration, improved by the combination, were demonstrated by increased Ki67+, pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1+), or Nkx6.1+ β cell numbers. Protection against apoptosis was also significantly improved by the combined therapy. GABA and GLP-1 in combination notably increased Akt phosphorylation and insulin secretion, as well as the expression of sirtuin-1 and α-Klotho, both of which have been reported to have protective effects on β-cells. Our study indicates that combined use of GABA and sitagliptin produced greater therapeutic benefits, which was likely due to an enhancement of β cell proliferation and a decrease of apoptosis. Disclosure W. Liu: None. T. Jin: None. Q. Wang: None. Funding National Natural Science Foundation of China (81570518, 81630020); JDRF (2-SRA-2017-64-G-R to Q.W., T.J.), (2-SRA-2015-64 to Q.W., T.J.); Canadian Diabetes Association (OG-3-13-4066 to Q.W.)


Arsenic trioxide, the trade name Trisenox, is a drug used to treat acute promyleocytic leukemia (APL). Studies have demonstrated that arsenic trioxide slows the cancer cells growth. Although it has been reported that arsenic acts on cells by influencing numerous signal transduction pathways, cell cycle progression, and/or apoptosis, its apoptotic mechanisms are very complex. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the effects of arsenic trioxide on DNA synthesis and to determine whether arsenic induced-apoptosis is mediated via caspase activation, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and cell cycle arrest. To achieve this goal, the lung cancer (A549) cells were cultured following standard protocol, and exposed to various doses (0, 2, 4, and 6 µg/ml) of arsenic trioxide for 48 h. The effect of arsenic trioxide on DNA synthesis was determined by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation assay. Apoptosis was determined by caspase-3 fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) assay, and immunoblot analysis (p38 MAP kinase activity). The cell cycle analysis was evaluated propidium iodide assay. [ 3 H]Thymidine incorporation assay revealed dose-related cytotoxic response at higher levels of exposure. Our findings revealed that arsenic trioxide modulated caspase 3 activity and induced p38 map kinase activation in lung carcinoma (A549) cells. The data revealed no cell cycle arrest at the sub-G 0 in A549 cells when treated with arsenic trioxide. 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 3455.


Technology has drastically reshaped the workplace over the past decades. While it provides organizations and their employees a variety of benefits, there is also a growing perception that technological advancements (e.g., the evolution from telephone to smartphone) in the workplace may have a negative impact on employees' mental health. Using a diary approach, we examined the direct effect of workplace telepressure during off-job hours on psychological detachment from work and the potential mediating role of work-related smartphone use during off-job hours in this relation. In addition, employees' individual differences in empathy was proposed to act as a cross-level moderator of the relation between workplace telepressure and work-related smartphone use. A sample of 80 employees, representing a wide range of occupations and organizations, completed a daily survey on five successive workdays (N = 337–400 day-level observations). Results of multilevel analyses yielded no direct effect of workplace telepressure on psychological detachment on a day-to-day basis. Yet, the results supported a negative indirect effect of daily workplace telepressure during off-job hours on daily psychological detachment, mediated via daily work-related smartphone use during off-job hours. Additionally, the relation between workplace telepressure and work-related smartphone use was not strengthened by the affective component nor the cognitive component of other-oriented empathy. Our study highlights the importance of a clear organizational policy regarding work-related smartphone use during off-job hours and provides valuable input for strategies aiming to ameliorate employees' psychological detachment and proper smartphone use.


Music is an art, painting is an art, winemaking is an art. In the hands of a barista, COFFEE is also an art! South Africans have become far more discerning coffee consumers over the last decade or so. A coffee culture is developing here, with the number of roasters increasing fairly rapidly. The creation of a coffee training facility at Sevenoaks Trading in Johannesburg therefore comes at a very opportune time.


Research question: What is the sensitivity and specificity of WHO s syndromic approach in diagnosing Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs)? Objective: To test the validity of WHO diagnostic algorithm in diagnosing RTIs among married women. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Primary Health Centre Palam New Delhi. Participants: Married women attending antenatal and gynae clinics. Sample size: 300 married women. Statistical analysis: Proportions. Results: The prevalence of RTIs in married women was 37.0% by syndromic approach based on symptoms 51.7% by clinical examination and 36.7% by microbiological laboratory investigations. The sensitivity and specificity of syndromic approach to diagnose any RTI was 53.6% and 72.6% respectively while clinical examination had 68.2% sensitivity and 60.5% specificity. Overall clinical examination had relatively high sensitivity but low specificity. For trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis the clinical examination had low sensitivity but a high specificity. Conclusions: WHO syndromic approach based on symptoms had a low sensitivity in diagnosing RTIs among women. Sensitivity increased when clinical examination was used for the diagnosis of these infections. In the absence of microbiological laboratory facilities syndromic approach should be supplemented with clinical examination for diagnosing RTIs in women to avoid over-treatment of women. (authors)


In the world of parallel programming, the data parallel style is well suited for the GPUs. However nested data parallelism forms a difficult problem to solve, under the condition that we produce fast code. However, we need nested data parallelism for expressiveness in algorithms. In this thesis, we use Accelerate, a domain specific language embedded in Haskell, to investigate this problem. We look at the gridding algorithm, which is related to data processing for radio telescopes but also contains nested data parallelism. A vital component of those calculations is performing fast Fourier transformations, so we look specifically at different ways to speeds these up. We benchmarked these and found that, if we can stick to arrays that have the same shape called regular arrays, we obtain a good speed-up. We discuss the cases of when we can stay regular, also in intermediate calculations. We present two analysis compilers can use to remain regular. We call these the Independence and Shape analysis. We also implemented these in the Accelerate compiler. Finally, we show benchmarks of the gridding algorithm, that can use these analyses to stay regular. We conclude that this a step in the right direction for solving nested data parallelism, but that there are still other factors to consider.


This study investigates the relative effects of low-dose solar-simulated ultraviolet, ultraviolet A, and ultraviolet B radiation on the elicitation of contact hypersensitivity to nickel in nickel-allergic volunteers. A xenon arc lamp with changeable filters was used to irradiate groups of volunteers daily, on separate areas of their lower backs, with both solar-simulated ultraviolet (ultraviolet B, ultraviolet AII + ultraviolet AI) and ultraviolet A (same ultraviolet AII content but twice the ultraviolet AI as the solar-simulated ultraviolet spectrum) for 1 and 2 d; 3, 4, and 5 d; and from 1 to 4 wk. A fourth group was irradiated for 1-5 d with the ultraviolet B component of solar-simulated ultraviolet. Following the final irradiation in each group, nickel-containing patches were applied to both ultraviolet-treated sites and adjacent, unirradiated control sites. Erythema caused by nickel contact hypersensitivity at each site was quantitated 72 h later with a reflectance erythema meter. By comparing the nickel reactions of irradiated and unirradiated skin, ultraviolet immunosuppression was assessed with the different spectra and durations of ultraviolet exposure. We found significant immunosuppression with daily doses of ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A equivalent to approximately 6 min of summer sun exposure, and that ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B exerted their maximal immunosuppressive effects at different times. Solar-simulated ultraviolet-induced immunosuppression was significant after one exposure, near-maximal after two exposures and remained elevated thereafter. Ultraviolet B-induced immunosuppression was lower than that induced by solar-simulated ultraviolet, but followed a similar time-course. In contrast, ultraviolet A-induced immunosuppression was transient, peaking after three exposures. Immune responses returned towards normal with subsequent ultraviolet A exposure, suggesting that an adaptive mechanism may prevent immunosuppression by continued ultraviolet A irradiation.


This paper discusses basic results and recent developments on variational regularization methods, as developed for inverse problems. In a typical setup we review basic properties needed to obtain a convergent regularization scheme and further discuss the derivation of quantitative estimates respectively needed ingredients such as Bregman distances for convex functionals. In addition to the approach developed for inverse problems we will also discuss variational regularization in machine learning and work out some connections to the classical regularization theory. In particular we will discuss a reinterpretation of machine learning problems in the framework of regularization theory and a reinterpretation of variational methods for inverse problems in the framework of risk minimization. Moreover, we establish some previously unknown connections between error estimates in Bregman distances and generalization errors.


A simplified control method for the single-phase active power filter is proposed. This method has the advantages of using only one current sensor, a simple control circuit and low implementation cost. A model of this method is derived. A prototype is also developed to demonstrate the performance of this method. The test results show that the proposed active power filter has the expected performance.


The Philadelphia Root Canal Study Club was formed in 19391 in an era that was seeing the wholesale extraction of teeth, based on the theory of focal infection.2 This one timely and fortuitous occurrence was the genesis for a national association of dentists interested in root canal therapy. With several other influential dentists in 1943, Dr. Louis I. Grossman, from Philadelphia, began organizing the American Root Therapy Association. At the Chicago Dental Society meeting in February of that year, nineteen dentists from across the country met and the American Society of Endodontists (ASE) was officially formed for the study of root canal therapy (Fig. 1).


The relationship between historians and archives is generally taken for granted. But this impression is misleading. Across the world, the building of archival collections involves a complicated process of selection and destruction. Traditionally, historians do not really know how this process is being conducted and very often a good proportion of them believe that all documents should be kept. The evolution of history and the questioning of the archives by philosophers cannot be ignored and these have changed the relationship between historians and archives. However, the construction of tomorrow's archives is happening right now, and historians should be prepared to find a way to participate in this operation. The role of archivists is central in the whole process. In the past, archivists generally received a basic training as historians, but since the 1950s, they have been more and more involved with other disciplines like library or information sciences. They became professionals in a new discipline. Historians should take notice of this reality and be prepared to work with archivists on an equal footing. They must learn what archivists are doing and join them to help create archival collections for the future. The last part of the paper takes a quick looks at the evolution of the Internet as an addition, or rather than as an extension, of archival holdings.


The Dutch Blood Transfusion Guideline 2011 consists of recommendations for the blood transfusion practice and the underlying arguments for these recommendations. They were created through study of the literature and subsequent opinion forming within a multi-disciplinary working group with delegated representatives from the various professional organizations involved in blood transfusion. The aim of the 2011 revision was to update the multidisciplinary guideline on transfusion policy of blood and blood components from 2004 to promote the quality of blood transfusion and the skills of employees involved in it, with a focus on the hospital situation. The working method consisted of the evaluation of the relevance of research data published since 2003, subjects that were not discussed in the previous version and developments in the social debate, and incorporation of these matters into the new guideline. The recommendations were formulated to stimulate a more uniform clinical thinking and acting in the field of blood transfusion. A set of internal quality indicators based on the guideline has been developed, aimed at stimulating the effective and safe use of blood components. To improve the accessibility, a search function has been implemented from the table of contents in the PDF guideline document. When the reader clicks the cursor on the desired paragraph in the table of contents, he ⁄ she will be linked to the relevant paragraph. Amended and new recommendations compared to the previous version of the Blood Transfusion guideline have been marked in the text in turquoise and yellow, respectively. We have also used colours to mark a number of different sections, so that various types of users (paediatricians, nurses and laboratory employees) can find the sections relevant to them more easily. Since we made significant use of foreign guidelines (usually in English) in the creation of this guideline, we thought it would be a good idea to make our guideline accessible to foreign colleagues by translating the guideline into English. We are extremely grateful to the Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation for financing this translation. The English translation of the Dutch Blood Transfusion Guideline 2011 can be downloaded at http://www.sanquin. nl/en/products-services/blood-products/transfusion-guide line/ or http://www.diliguide.nl/document/7584. We hope that many foreign colleagues will enjoy reading this English translation of the Dutch Blood Transfusion guideline.


This paper looks at the divergent economic trajectories of Barcelona and Madrid since Spain's transition to democracy. It highlights how Barcelona, the city that was better positioned four decades ago to emerge as the main Spanish economic hub, has lost out to Madrid. We argue that the contrasting trajectories of the two cities have less to do with the pull of Madrid as the capital of Spain, with the development of new infrastructure in the country, or with agglomeration economies, and more with institutional factors. A growing societal divide in Barcelona along economic, social, and identity lines has led to a greater breakdown of trust and to the development of strong groups with limited capacity to bridge with one another than in Madrid. This has entailed the emergence of negative externalities that have limited the economic potential for growth in Barcelona and facilitated the rise of Madrid as the main economic hub within Spain.


Abstract Aims In clinical practice, factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) like albuminuria, education level, or coronary artery calcium (CAC) are often known, but not incorporated in cardiovascular risk prediction models. The aims of the current study were to evaluate a methodology for the flexible addition of risk modifying characteristics on top of SCORE2 and to quantify the added value of several clinically relevant risk modifying characteristics. Methods and results Individuals without previous CVD or DM were included from the UK Biobank; Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC); Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA); European Prospective Investigation into Cancer, The Netherlands (EPIC-NL); and Heinz Nixdorf Recall (HNR) studies (n = 409 757) in whom 16 166 CVD events and 19 149 non-cardiovascular deaths were observed over exactly 10.0 years of follow-up. The effect of each possible risk modifying characteristic was derived using competing risk-adjusted Fine and Gray models. The risk modifying characteristics were applied to individual predictions with a flexible method using the population prevalence and the subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) of the relevant predictor. Risk modifying characteristics that increased discrimination most were CAC percentile with 0.0198 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0115; 0.0281] and hs-Troponin-T with 0.0100 (95% CI 0.0063; 0.0137). External validation was performed in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) cohort (UK, n = 518 015, 12 675 CVD events). Adjustment of SCORE2-predicted risks with both single and multiple risk modifiers did not negatively affect calibration and led to a modest increase in discrimination [0.740 (95% CI 0.736–0.745) vs. unimproved SCORE2 risk C-index 0.737 (95% CI 0.732–0.741)]. Conclusion The current paper presents a method on how to integrate possible risk modifying characteristics that are not included in existing CVD risk models for the prediction of CVD event risk in apparently healthy people. This flexible methodology improves the accuracy of predicted risks and increases applicability of prediction models for individuals with additional risk known modifiers.


Introduction: Ultrafast EEG signals, featuring frequencies above 500 Hz, can be observed in scalp somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP). Usually, these recordings have a low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) because weak signals are overlaid by intrinsic noise of much higher amplitude as generated by biological sources and the amplifier. Scalp recordings of SEP show bursts above 400 Hz with submicro-volt amplitudes, which could be extracted from noise up to now only by the use of massive averaging (n > 1000) and digital signal processing. Methods: Here, we investigate SEP up to 1 kHz elicited by median nerve stimulation with rates of either 0.99 Hz or 8.1 Hz. We exploit the increased SNR provided by a custom-made low noise amplifier technology together with an adapted implementation of Canonical Correlation Analyis algorithm, based on the assumption of high level stimulus phase locking across trials. Results: It proved possible in 3/3 subjects to discriminate hf-SEP generators at subcortical and intracortical levels at the single trial level, relying on the different neuronal refractory properties of these components which are phase-locked to the stimulus onset. Discussion: A custom-made low-noise EEG system enables the noninvasive detection of pre- and postsynaptic evoked activity at 1 kHz, i.e., in the frequency range housing spike-related multi-unit activity in intracortical recordings, providing the opportunity of non-invasive monitoring of multi-unit spike activity in man.


A 83-year-old male was referred to our hospital for further examination of abnormal shadow on chest radiography. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed a tumor mass in his right lung. Bronchoscopy brushing cytology revealed non-small cell lung carcinoma and right middle lobectomy was performed. Histological findings showed large cell carcinoma comprised of spindle cell component, finally diagnosing as pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung. Although he was diagnosed as pT2N0M0 (stage IA) after the operation, massive liver metastasis was found 7 months later. We report this case with references to the literatures on pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung.


With the emerging market for high-mobility remote access broadband services, satellite networks are becoming increasingly popular. Although the ubiquitous TCP/IP protocol is widely used to provide reliable data delivery in terrestrial networks, it faces many challenges in satellite environments. These stem from the inherent features of satellite channels, such as large delays, increased error rates, and bandwidth asymmetry. To address these concerns, a variety of solutions have been proposed. These include direct TCP enhancements to better tune the TCP/IP stack and additional selective acknowledgment mechanisms. Other proposals use advanced interworking to reduce sensitivity to various channel features. Examples include multiple TCP sessions, link-layer interworking, and ACK control schemes. Improving onboard satellite features (buffer management, flow control) can also provide benefits for TCP/IP transport. The objective of this article is to present the various solutions and discuss their possible trade-offs. Overall, there exists a rich set of alternatives to meet the challenges in this important arena.


Infectious mononucleosis complicated by acute myopericarditis was finally diagnosed in a 17-year-old boy who presented with sore throat and severe left-sided chest pain. A mononucleosis spot test and heterophil agglutination test turned strongly positive only on the sixth hospital day. The natural course of infectious mononucleosis complicated by myopericarditis appears to be benign.


Introduction Exploiting information in health-related social media services is of great interest for patients, researchers and medical companies. The challenge is, however, to provide easy, quick and relevant access to the vast amount of information that is available. One step towards facilitating information access to online health data is opinion mining. Even though the classification of patient opinions into positive and negative has been previously tackled, most works make use of machine learning methods and bags of words. Our first contribution is an extensive evaluation of different features, including lexical, syntactic, semantic, network-based, sentiment-based and word embeddings features to represent patient-authored texts for polarity classification. The second contribution of this work is the study of polar facts (i.e. objective information with polar connotations). Traditionally, the presence of polar facts has been neglected and research in polarity classification has been bounded to opinionated texts. We demonstrate the existence and importance of polar facts for the polarity classification of health information. Material and methods We annotate a set of more than 3500 posts to online health forums of breast cancer, crohn and different allergies, respectively. Each sentence in a post is manually labeled as "experience", "fact" or "opinion", and as "positive", "negative" and "neutral". Using this data, we train different machine learning algorithms and compare traditional bags of words representations with word embeddings in combination with lexical, syntactic, semantic, network-based and emotional properties of texts to automatically classify patient-authored contents into positive, negative and neutral. Beside, we experiment with a combination of textual and semantic representations by generating concept embeddings using the UMLS Metathesaurus. Results We reach two main results: first, we find that it is possible to predict polarity of patient-authored contents with a very high accuracy (≈ 70 percent) using word embeddings, and that this considerably outperforms more traditional representations like bags of words; and second, when dealing with medical information, negative and positive facts (i.e. objective information) are nearly as frequent as negative and positive opinions and experiences (i.e. subjective information), and their importance for polarity classification is crucial.


Recordings of intratubal pressure in women reveal a complex pattern of tubal contractions. Overall activity of the fallopian tube is increased during ovulation. During the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, activity is depressed but never suppressed. The fallopian tube remains active during gestation in contrast with the uterus which is quiescent. The early puerperal tube displays a pattern of activity similar to that recorded during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Activation occurs during suckling and in response to exogenous oxytocin, prostaglandins, nor-adrenergic compounds, and ergot derivatives. It is concluded that contractility of the fallopian tube is less influenced by ovarian steroids than that of the uterus.


Adolescence is a period of great physical, emotional and social transformations that aims to make the individual a mature and reproducible being. During this phase of life, adolescents are subject to many external influences and risky behaviors that can cause permanent changes, including illicit drug use. Cannabis use has been increasing worldwide and a growing number of adolescents have been exposed to this drug. This article presents some characteristics of adolescent neurological development and the physical and physiological repercussions that can be caused by cannabis use.


An order‐of‐magnitude estimate of the ratio of singly charged interstitial to substitutional zinc in GaAs is made by combining experimental data for copper in GaAs with theories of solubility and diffusion of interstitial impurities. Calculations of the diffusion constant on the basis of a substitutional‐interstitial mechanism yield values which agree to within one or two orders of magnitude with experimental values in the temperature range 750° to 1000°C.


This article is an examination of the Clinical applications and properties of Calcium Citrate Malate. The scientific development and subsequent need to understand the properties of Calcium Citrate Malate, that make it an excellent candidate for treatment of
disorders in various clinical domains, continues to influence the researchers all over the globe today. This article examines the
research done and published by researchers and scientists. Consideration of current trends and data in scientific queries and
demonstrates further aspects of the clinical applications and properties of Calcium Citrate Malate. Additionally, this article explores options for the role of Calcium Citrate Malate supplementation in dental care, to prevent tooth loss, erosion and abrasion, in Immunology as a critical signal for inflammation, in joints to treat osteoarthritis and in nephrology to tackle the renal stone problem.


Exposure to lead in homes poses such large risks to children's health that reducing it is a major public health priority. To limit these risks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed national standards to identify hazardous levels of lead dust and lead in soil, as well as hazardous conditions for lead-based paint. Meeting those standards would require controls that would cost an average of thousands of dollars per home in 21 million homes where lead-based paint is present, according to the EPA. Although the EPA believes its proposed standards reflect an appropriate balancing of benefits and costs, a proper assessment of its proposal suggests otherwise. Each of the EPA's proposed standards for paint, soil and dust would result in measures to control lead that have costs in excess of benefits. Together those costs, less the associated benefits, are likely to exceed $20 billion. Estimates of net costs would be still greater if based on an analysis that corrects remaining deficiencies in the EPA's work. The EPA's proposal would likely increase unnecessarily the premature abandonment of housing in instances where control costs are large relative to the market value of homes. Such abandonment is especially undesirable because it will occur mostly in low-income neighborhoods of older homes. Standards with lower costs would result in less abandonment. The EPA's media-specific, national standards would have other undesirable consequences. Perversely, about half of all the homes that do not meet the standards have risks of elevated blood-lead less than at other homes in full compliance with the standards. In addition, all homes built before 1978 would be subject to the same national standards, although exposure, risk and the cost of controls vary substantially among different households. As a consequence, the EPA's standards would result in controls in homes of more than one million middle-income families whose children face risks lower than the risks for children of poor families living in homes that meet the standards. Controls to reduce low risks are not likely to be cost-effective and are unfair to families facing lower risks who would bear the brunt of the control costs. The EPA can set standards that would offer greater net benefits and avoid controls in lower-risk homes. To provide greater net benefits, the EPA should set less stringent standards based on a more careful reappraisal of the benefits and costs of controlling residential lead hazards. To avoid control measures in lower-risk homes, the EPA should set standards based on lead levels in all media and establish a range of lead levels where recommendations to control lead depend on risk factors specific to individual homes


Tail length is the main secondary sexual characteristic of adult sea turtles. In order to assess the size at which sexual dimorphism in this character becomes evident, six different measurements of tail length were collected or calculated from 2631 Caretta caretta specimens found in the waters around Italy. These data show that an average male develops a longer tail at a size of 70 cm and attains sexual maturity at a size of 75-80 cm Curved Carapace Length. Studies of adult sex ratio based on tail measurements should therefore be restricted to specimens >75 cm. The distance from the cloaca to the posterior margin of the carapace appears to be the most effective measurement for sexing turtles of this size among the six characteristics investigated. In the sample, females are estimated to comprise 61% of the specimens >75 cm.


This study was done to prepare thymopentin (TP5)-loaded poly (butyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (TP5-PBCA-NPs) and evaluate thier efficacy for oral delivery. TP5-PBCA-NPs were prepared by emulsion polymerization, and the formulation was optimized based on Box-Behnken experimental design. The physico-chemical characteristics of TP5-PBCA-NPs were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), malvern zetasizer, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The encapsulation efficiency, enzymatic degradation and release behavior of TP5-PBCA-NPs in various media were evaluated using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The pharmacodynamic studies on oral administration of TP5-PBCA-NPs were performed in FACScan flow cytometry. An optimum formulation consisted of 0.7% poloxamer 188 (Pol), 0.6% dextran-70 (Dex), 0.1% sodium metabisulfite (Sm), 0.1% TP5 and 1% (v/v) n-butyl cyanoacrylate. The particle size and zeta potential of optimized TP5-PBCA-NPs was 212 nm and -22.6 mV respectively with 82.45% encapsulation efficiency. TP5 was entrapped inside the nanoparticles in molecular dispersion form. The release of TP5 from PBCA-NPs was pH dependent; the cumulative release percentage in 0.1 M HCI for 4 hours was less than 16% while it was more than 80% in pH6.8 PBS. The PBCA-NPs could efficiently protect TP5 from enzymatic degradation; the remained percentage of TP5 encapsulated in PBCA-NPs was 58.40% after incubated with trypsin in pH6.8 PBS for 4 h while it was only 32.29% for free drug. In the oral administration study in vivo, the lowered T-lymphocyte subsets values were significantly increased and the raised CD4+/CD8+ ratio was evidently reduced compared with that of TP5 solution (p < 0.05), and the improvement of bioavailability was dose-dependent. These results indicated that the PBCA nanoparticles may be a promising carrier for oral delivery of TP5.


TWIK-related K+ channel TREK1, a background leak K+ channel, has been strongly implicated as the target of several general and local anesthetics. Here, using the whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp technique, we investigated the effect of lidocaine, a local anesthetic, on the human (h)TREK1 channel heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells by an adenoviral-mediated expression system. Lidocaine, at clinical concentrations, produced reversible, concentration-dependent inhibition of hTREK1 current, with IC50 value of 180 μM, by reducing the single-channel open probability and stabilizing the closed state. We have identified a strategically placed unique aromatic couplet (Tyr352 and Phe355) in the vicinity of the protein kinase A phosphorylation site, Ser348, in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of hTREK1, that is critical for the action of lidocaine. Furthermore, the phosphorylation state of Ser348 was found to have a regulatory role in lidocaine-mediated inhibition of hTREK1. It is interesting that we observed strong intersubunit negative cooperativity (Hill coefficient = 0.49) and half-of-sites saturation binding stoichiometry (half-reaction order) for the binding of lidocaine to hTREK1. Studies with the heterodimer of wild-type (wt)-hTREK1 and Δ119 C-terminal deletion mutant (hTREK1wt-Δ119) revealed that single CTD of hTREK1 was capable of mediating partial inhibition by lidocaine, but complete inhibition necessitates the cooperative interaction between both the CTDs upon binding of lidocaine. Based on our observations, we propose a model that explains the unique kinetics and provides a plausible paradigm for the inhibitory action of lidocaine on hTREK1.


Purpose: There has been debate on the use of peritoneal irrigation and drainage following gastric cancer surgery. This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of routine peritoneal irrigation and drainage following gastric cancer surgery, especially with regard to the perioperative leukocyte count. Methods: Of 298 patients, 153 were enrolled in the test group (without peritoneal irrigation & drainage), between October 2001 and August 2002, and 145 in the control group (with peritoneal irrigation and drainage), between January 2001 and September 2001. The demographics, range of dissection, pathological staging, operation times, anesthesia times, fever, perioperative leukocyte counts and operative complications were retrospectively analyzed in these consecutive patients. Results: It was found that there was no difference in the demographics, range of dissection, pathological staging and operative complications between the two groups. However, the operation times, anesthesia times, and mean length of hospitalization in the test group were significantly shorter than those in the control group. No significance differences were found between the two groups with regard to the perioperative leukocyte counts. Conclusion: The routine usage of peritoneal irrigation and drainage was found to be neither safe nor effective in gastric cancer surgery patients.


Therapy-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is a highly aggressive subtype of prostate cancer with poor patient survival. Emerging evidence indicates that t-NEPC can develop when prostate adenocarcinoma cells acquire cancer stem-like cell signaling in the presence of androgen receptor inhibition, followed by re-differentiation toward neuroendocrine lineage and subsequent t-NEPC progression. Whether the stem-like signaling is controlled by the core pluripotency stem cell genes (e.g., LIN28 and SOX2) remains unknown. Here, we report that the transcription of LIN28B isoform and SOX2 are co-upregulated in t-NEPC patient tumors, patient-derived xenografts, transgenic mice, and cell models. Immunohistochemistry validated that LIN28B and SOX2 protein expression are elevated in t-NEPC patient biopsies. Using prostate adenocarcinoma and t-NEPC cell models, we demonstrated that LIN28B induces a stem-like gene network, neuroendocrine biomarkers, and neuroendocrine cell morphology. LIN28B depletion by CRISPR inhibited t-NEPC tumorigenesis and xenograft growth. These LIN28B functions were mediated mainly through the suppression of let-7 miRNA expression, resulting in de-repression of the transcription factors HMGA2 and HMGA2-mediated SOX2 expression. This study reveals a mechanism by which t-NEPC can develop through the LIN28B/let-7/SOX2 axis that regulates a cancer cell stem-like gene network, highlighting LIN28B as a potential therapeutic target in t-NEPC.


The central thesis of the paper is that Multinational Companies (MNC) should invest in the use of "soft" methods (socially responsible behavior) to mitigate costs in society accrued due to use of "hardcore" tax evasion tactics (Transf er mispricing) to maximize profits from operations in developing countries and/or countries with weak or inefficient tax laws and tax collection institutions. Therefore, we articulate the argument of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an indirect compensation for transfer mispricing. Our aim is not to present CSR as solution to transfer mispricing. An analytical approach is based on a content analysis of the existing literature with emphasis on a case study. We first discuss the dark side of transfer pricing (TP), next we present the link between TP and poverty and finally we advance arguments for CSR as a compensation for transfer mispricing. While acknowledging that TP is a legal accounting practice, we argue that in light of its poverty and underdevelopment externalities, the practice per se should be a strong defence for CSR because it is also associated with schemes that deprive developing countries of the capital essential for investment in health, education and development programmes.


To test the hypothesis that net nitrogen (N) mineralisation is concentrated in the surface few centimetres following minimal soil disturbance for crop establishment, mineralisation was measured during the growth of wheat. The soil was a Red Kandosol located in southern New South Wales. Mineralisation was estimated usingin situ incubations inside capped PVC tubes, which were sampled every 3 weeks. Soil from the tubes was sampled at depth intervals of 2 cm to a depth of 10 cm and at 5-cm intervals from 10 to 20 cm. The results showed that net N mineralisation decreased with depth to 20 cm. Over the season, an average of 32p of the N mineralised in the top 20 cm of soil originated from the 0–2 cm layer, 72p was from the 0–6 cm layer, and only 13p was from soil below 10 cm. The decrease in N mineralisation with soil depth was highly correlated with decreases in the organic carbon (r2 = 0.84, P < 0.05) and total N (r2 = 0.83, P < 0.05) concentration. The soil's N-supplying ability is concentrated near the surface where it is susceptible to erosional loss. The N supply may also be inhibited by temperature and moisture extremes, which are common in the surface few centimetres of soil where mineralisation was concentrated. The PVC enclosures created artefacts in soil temperature and moisture, although it is argued that the effects on net N mineralisation were small in most sampling periods.


The process of pediatric solid organ transplantation (SOT) places new and increased stressors on patients and family members. Measures of family functioning may predict psychological and health outcomes for pediatric patients and their families, and provide opportunity for targeted intervention. This systematic review investigated parent and family functioning and factors associated with poorer functioning in the pediatric SOT population. Thirty‐seven studies were identified and reviewed. Studies featured a range of organ populations (eg, heart, liver, kidney, lung, intestine) at various stages in the transplant process. Findings highlighted that parents of pediatric SOT populations commonly report increased stress and mental health symptoms, including posttraumatic stress disorder. Pediatric SOT is also associated with increased family stress and burden throughout the transplant process. Measures of parent and family functioning were associated with several important health‐related factors, such as medication adherence, readiness for discharge, and number of hospitalizations. Overall, findings suggest that family stress and burden persists post‐transplant, and parent and family functioning is associated with health‐related factors in SOT, highlighting family‐level functioning as an important target for future intervention.


RNase PH is one of the exoribonucleases that catalyze the 3′ end processing of tRNA in bacteria. RNase PH removes nucleotides following the CCA sequence of tRNA precursors by phosphorolysis and generates mature tRNAs with amino acid acceptor activity. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of Aquifex aeolicus RNase PH bound with a phosphate, a co-substrate, in the active site at 2.3-Å resolution. RNase PH has the typical α/β fold, which forms a hexameric ring structure as a trimer of dimers. This ring structure resembles that of the polynucleotide phosphorylase core domain homotrimer, another phosphorolytic exoribonuclease. Four amino acid residues, Arg-86, Gly-124, Thr-125, and Arg-126, of RNase PH are involved in the phosphate-binding site. Mutational analyses of these residues showed their importance in the phosphorolysis reaction. A docking model with the tRNA acceptor stem suggests how RNase PH accommodates substrate RNAs.


The hypothesis that a deficiency in social bonds is a significant causal factor in neurosis was examined in a sample of an urban population (N = 756). The General Health Questionnaire was used as a measure of morbidity while social bonds were measured by the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. An association was found between neurosis and a deficiency, particularly a perceived deficiency, in social bonds. Attention is now being directed to the interpretation of this association and to establishing the direction of causality.


Abstract Background and Objectives Transcutaneous point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a good tool to monitor the trachea in many clinical practices. The aim of our study is to verify the feasibility of POCUS-guided submucosal injection as a potential drug delivery method for the treatment of tracheal stenosis. Materials and methods The inner wall of the trachea was monitored via a bronchoscope during the POCUS-guided submucosal injection of methylene blue in fresh ex vivo porcine trachea to evaluate the distribution of methylene blue. The feasibility and eficacy of POCUS-guided submucosal injection were evaluated in a tracheal stenosis rabbit model. Animals were divided into sham group, tracheal stenosis group, and treatment group. Ten days after the scraping of the tracheal mucosa or sham operation, POCUS-guided submucosal injection of paclitaxel or saline was performed. Seven days after the submucosal injection, the trachea was assessed by cervical computed tomography (CT) scan and ultrasound. Results The distribution of methylene blue in trachea proved the technical feasibility of POCUS-guided submucosal injection. CT evaluation revealed that the tracheal stenosis index and the degree of tracheal stenosis increased significantly in the stenosis group, while POCUS-guided submucosal injection of paclitaxel partially reversed the tracheal stenosis. POCUS-guided submucosal injection of paclitaxel also decreased the lamina propria thickness and collagen deposition in the stenosed trachea. Conclusion POCUS-guided submucosal paclitaxel injection alleviated tracheal stenosis induced by scraping of the tracheal mucosa. POCUS-guided submucosal injection might be a potential method for the treatment of tracheal stenosis.


Trapezium components from two uncemented total joint replacements were compared in a three-dimensional finite element model. A 100 N axial and angular load was applied in a normal and an osteoporotic bone model. The axial deformation and maximum periprosthetic stress are greater for the Elektra than the Motec CMC cup. The Motec CMC design is less sensitive to changing bone quality. The Elektra cup transmits more stress to the cortical bone rim in all load conditions, but under angular loading the proportionate increase in stress is lower. The Motec CMC design distributes the stress and contact pressure more evenly, whereas the Elektra transfers most of the load to the cortical bone rim and the screw hole base. The design features that are believed to be of greatest significance for the differences are the raised centre of rotation of the Motec CMC cup and the collar acting as a lever arm.


This study documents the incidences of complete and partial metopism and their possible relationship to frontal sinus volume (FSV) in a sample of modern adult black South Africans with a view to evaluating the hypothesis that metopism affects frontal sinus hypoplasia. FSV was measured from CT scans and the incidence of metopism was recorded from direct observations of dried cadaveric crania. The sex of each individual was known. Four linear cranial dimensions were used to compute a geometric mean by which to scale FSV. The incidence of partial metopism (38%) is comparable to that reported for other population samples, although there is considerable variation among these global sample frequencies. It is significantly more common in male than female South Africans. FSV in individuals with complete metopism is smaller than average but not inordinately so. On the other hand, FSV is significantly larger in individuals with partial metopism than in those that do not present with this sutural remnant. The data on FSV in individuals with and without partial metopism contradict the hypothesis that there is a relationship between partial metopism and frontal sinus hypoplasia. As such, the metopic remnant evinced by the Late Pleistocene cranium from Hofmeyr, South Africa is unlikely to be related to its very small FSV.


PURPOSES
Evaluation of high resolution dynamic magnetic resonance angiography (ceMRA) in detection and graduation of carotid artery stenosis in comparison to intraarterial digital subtraction angiography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Magnetic resonance angiography and intraarterial digital subtraction angiography was performed in 65 patients with suspected carotid artery stenosis by ultrasound examination. Detection and graduation of carotid artery stenosis by magnetic resonance angiography were compared to those of intraarterial digital subtraction angiography after stenosis grading according to NASCET criteria.

RESULTS
All magnetic resonance angiographies were of excellent quality, with 46 stenoses type I and II and 12 stenoses type III NASCET correctly identified and classified by magnetic resonance angiography. Overestimation was found in 4 cases and underestimation in 2 cases. Both modalities detected 13 occlusions. Sensitivity and specificity of ceMRA were 92%. The positive predictive value was 86% and the negative predictive value 96%.

CONCLUSION
High resolution dynamic magnetic resonance angiography is suitable in detecting and classifying carotid artery stenoses over 70% with high sensitivity and specificity in comparison to intraarterial digital subtraction angiography. Intraarterial digital subtraction angiography should only be performed in critical cases.


BACKGROUND
Pulmonary problems often occur in patients with early-onset scoliosis (EOS). However, lung function in patients with EOS after growing rod surgery has not been documented. The aim of this study was to investigate lung function after the treatment for EOS with growing rod and its possible correlative factors.

METHODS
Eight patients with EOS were treated with growing rod surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September 2002 to September 2009. Four patients had finished the final fusion surgery (group 1), and the other 4 (group 2) were in the process of periodic lengthening. Preoperative forced vital capacity (FVC), ratio of FVC to predicted FVC, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), ratio of FEV1 to predicted FEV1, and radiographic measurements of Cobb's angle and C7-S1 distance were recorded. Lung function changes and correlations between lung function changes and radiographic changes (Cobb's angle and C7-S1 distance) were analyzed.

RESULTS
In group 1, FVC and FEV1 both increased. FVC showed a significant difference (P = 0.01), but FEV1 did not (P = 0.05). In group 2, FVC and FEV1 also increased, and both showed a significant difference (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively). Ratio of FVC to predicted FVC and ratio of FEV1 to predicted FEV1 changed similarly and did not show statistical differences in the 2 groups. There were no significant correlations between lung function changes and radiographic changes (Cobb's angle and C7-S1 distance) (P = 0.10 and P = 0.41, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Lung function increases after growing rod surgery in patients with EOS. Lung function changes do not correlate with Cobb's angle changes or C7-S1 distance changes.


Truth-telling to cancer patients is controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate oncologists', radiotherapists', and palliative care specialists' attitudes and truth-telling practices in Greece. A postal survey of a representative sample of 300 oncologists, radiotherapists, and palliative care specialists was made in February 1993. A total of 228 doctors completed and returned the questionnaires. It appears that withholding the truth from cancer patients remains very common in Greece.


A reaction mechanism is outlined which, during the diving phase of the collision, provides the conditions for phase transitions with respect to the density. Within this relativistic dynamical model possible first- and second-order phase transitions are considered. On this basis and in connection with experimental alpha -particle data the second minimum of the nuclear matter equation of state is found to be located at rho / rho 0=3.5 with a bump width of about 1/2 rho 0.


Prune Belly Syndrome is characterized by deficient a nterior abdominal wall, obstruction in the urinary tract and failure of testicular descent. It occurs in 1 in 40,000 live births with a male preponderanc e. Its presenting features can sometimes be missed by new and inexperienced clinicians, and more so by traditional birth attendants and parents. Such case s usually will present late with complications. Thi s report on a 3 week old male newborn that presented with typical features of the syndrome is aimed at highlighting the difficulties associated with the m anagement of PBS in Benin City. We observed that young maternal age, male sex and use of herbal conc octions in pregnancy were possible risk factors in developing PBS. We therefore recommend that all wom en of child bearing age should be taught to avoid using herbal concoctions and non-prescription drugs in pregnancy.


In recent years, self-supervised methods for monocular depth estimation has rapidly become an significant branch of depth estimation task, especially for autonomous driving applications. Despite the high overall precision achieved, current methods still suffer from a) imprecise object-level depth inference and b) uncertain scale factor. The former problem would cause texture copy or provide inaccurate object boundary, and the latter would require current methods to have an additional sensor like LiDAR to provide depth ground-truth or stereo camera as additional training inputs, which makes them difficult to implement. In this work, we propose to address these two problems together by introducing DNet. Our contributions are twofold: a) a novel dense connected prediction (DCP) layer is proposed to provide better object-level depth estimation and b) specifically for autonomous driving scenarios, dense geometrical constrains (DGC) is introduced so that precise scale factor can be recovered without additional cost for autonomous vehicles. Extensive experiments have been conducted and, both DCP layer and DGC module are proved to be effectively solving the aforementioned problems respectively. Thanks to DCP layer, object boundary can now be better distinguished in the depth map and the depth is more continues on object level. It is also demonstrated that the performance of using DGC to perform scale recovery is comparable to that using ground-truth information, when the camera height is given and the ground point takes up more than 1.03% of the pixels. Code is available at https://github.com/TJ-IPLab/DNet.


In this study, the structure and diversity of bacterial community were investigated in the surface and subsurface marine sediments using a NGS method (i.e. illumina sequencing technology). The bacterial community in the surface was distinct from that in the subsurface of marine sediment; with the exception of the phylum Proteobacteria, the relative abundance of Bacteroides phylum were higher in the surface than subsurface, whereas the sequences affiliated to the phyla Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria were relatively more copious in the subsurface than surface sediment. Moreover, interestingly, we observed that the phyla Nitrospinae and Nitrospirae contribute to nitrogen cycle in the marine sediment. This study may present the possibility for the presence of novel microorganisms as unexplored sources and provide basic information on the microbial community structure.


The genetic structure and temporal patterns of genetic diversity in a population of Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) cepacia, isolated from a southeastern blackwater stream, were investigated by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Allelic variation in seven structural gene loci was monitored at a single stream location at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h and at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 days. Over the length of the study, 217 isolates were collected, from which 65 unique electrophoretic types (ETs) were identified. Most of these ETs were present at only one or two time periods and were considered transients; however, one resident ET was particularly abundant (64 of the 217 isolates [29.4%]) and was found at all time points except day 32. The mean genetic diversity of the entire population was 0.520, and the index of association (a measure of multilocus linkage disequilibrium) was 1.33. These results, taken in conjunction with a previous study focusing on spatial patterns of genetic diversity in lotic B. cepacia, show that these bacterial populations exhibit greater variability among sites than within a site over time, suggesting relative stability over short time periods.


The high photosensibility of bilirubin represents the main reason why neonatal jaundice is treated with light. The relaxation processes of excited bilirubin appear to be governed by complex mechanisms which are not fully known. At room temperature, radiationless channels, such as Z----E configurational photoisomerizations and internal conversions, contribute mostly to the deactivation of singlet excited bilirubin. Exciton coupling processes between the two pyrromethenone chromophores constituting the molecule may play a crucial role in bilirubin photophysics.


Background and study aims  Endoscopy-related injury (ERI) is widespread among practicing gastroenterologists. However, less is known about the incidence among trainees. This study assesses the rate of self-reported ERI occurrence, patterns of injury, and knowledge of preventive strategies in a nationally representative sample of gastroenterology fellows. Methods  A 38-item electronic survey was sent to members of the American College of Gastroenterology. One hundred and sixty-eight gastroenterology fellows were included in analyses. Descriptive and univariate analyses evaluated the likelihood of ERI by workload parameters and gender. Results  ERI was reported by 54.8 % of respondents. ERI was most common in the thumb (58.7 %), hand/finger (56.5 %), and wrist (47.8 %). There was no significant difference in the reported occurrence of ERI between male and female gastroenterology fellows. However, female fellows were significantly more likely to report a greater number of body areas affected by ERI, and male fellows were more likely to report elbow pain. Most respondents (85.1 %) reported discussion about, or training in, ergonomic strategies during gastroenterology fellowship. Conclusions  ERI is reported to occur as early as gastroenterology fellowship. Results of this study support this finding and highlight the need for ongoing implementation and monitoring of a formal ergonomics training program as well as development of ergonomically appropriate instruments. Implications of these findings likely extend to trainees in other procedural related specialties like orthopedics and general surgery, though further research is required. Ergonomics training in gastroenterology fellowship and monitoring of its impact on trainees reported ERI is important due to negative effects on productivity and career longevity.


Human puberty is a complex, coordinated biological process with multiple levels of regulations. The timing of puberty varies greatly in children and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The key genes of pubertal onset, KISS1, GPR54, GNRH1 and GNRHR, may be major causal factors underlying gonadotropin-releasing hormone-dependent precocious puberty (GDPP). Two gain-of-function mutations in KISS1 and GPR54 have been identified recently as genetic causes of GDPP. GNRH1 and GNRHR are also gene candidates for GDPP; however no mutations have been identified in these genes. Presently potential genetic causes like LIN28B continues to appear; many areas of research await exploration in this context. In this review, I focus primarily on the genetic causes of GDPP.


The human Na+-sulfate cotransporter (hNaSi-1) belongs to the SLC13 gene family, which also includes the high-affinity Na+-sulfate cotransporter (hSUT-1) and the Na+-dicarboxylate cotransporters (NaDC). In this study, the location and functional role of the N-glycosylation site of hNaSi-1 were studied using antifusion protein antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies against a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein containing a 65-amino acid peptide of hNaSi-1 (GST-Si65) were raised in rabbits, purified, and then used in Western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments. The antibodies recognized native NaSi-1 proteins in pig and rat brush-border membrane vesicles as well as the recombinant proteins expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Wild-type hNaSi-1 and two N-glycosylation site mutant proteins, N591Y and N591A, were functionally expressed and studied in Xenopus oocytes. The apparent mass of N591Y was not affected by treatment with peptide-N-glycosylase F, in contrast to the mass of wild-type hNaSi-1, which was reduced by up to 15 kDa, indicating that Asn591 is the N-glycosylation site. Although the cell surface abundance of the two glycosylation site mutants, N591Y and N591A, was greater than that of wild-type hNaSi-1, both mutants had greatly reduced Vmax, with no change in Km. These results suggest that Asn591 and/or N-glycosylation is critical for transport activity in NaSi-1.


Previously, transmit antenna diversity (TAD) has been considered as a key technique to improve the capacity of wireless systems over a fading channel. A type of TAD is closed-loop TAD, which utilizes channel conditions. Closed-loop TAD has a drawback caused by the feedback delay under a fast fading channel environment. If the channel information is outdated due to the feedback delay, the performance can be severely degraded. In this correspondence, we find the bit error rate (BER) of the closed-loop TAD with the feedback delay for a time-variant Rayleigh fading channel. For example, it is observed that there is about 2-dB degradation at the BER of 10-2 when four transmit antennas are used, and the feedback delay is 5 ms with the updating rate 400 Hz.


This essay focuses on the interrelationship of regulation and private life in human rights. It argues three main points. (1) Article 8 connects the question of protection of private lives and privacies with the question of their management. Thus, Article 8 orients regulatory practices to private lives and privacies. (2) Article 8's holders are autonomous to the extent that laws respect their private lives and privacies. They are not autonomous in a 'pre-political' sense, where we might expect legal rules to protect an already autonomous private life or privacy. (3) Article 8 does not simply prohibit or permit acts. In certain cases, it also 'enables' acts. Then, this essay introduces the idea of oikopolitics. This idea allows us to capture these three points in a useful manner. By this idea, this essay means the context (a) where the interpretation of privacy reaches out to broader social practices and norms and (b) where the status of rights-holders living their private lives makes them objects of attention.


Force development of smooth muscle cells is directly regulated by the concentration of free calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, and the sarcoplasmic concentration of calcium ion can be modulated by electrogenic Na-K pump. The role of Na-K pump on vascular tone was studied in isolated rabbit renal artery.
Helical strips of arterial muscle were prepared from left renal arteries. All experiments were performed in HCO 3 -buffered Tyrode solution which was aerated with 3%CO 2 -97% O 2 mixed gas and kept at 35℃. In some experiments, rabbit was injected intraperitoneally 18~24 hours prior to the experiments, with a large dose(5 mg/kg body wt) of reserpine, in order to eliminate the catecholamines present in intrinsic adrenergic nerve terminate. Treatment used in this experiment that inhibits Na-K pump was the exposure of strips to K-free Tyrode solution.
Contractile response to K-free Tyrode solution developed slowly and the time required for maximum contracture was 20~30 minutes. This K-free contracture was rapidly relaxed by the addition of potassium to the bathing solution.
No K-free contracture occurred in a Ca-free Tyrode solution. But contraction developed rapidly when calcium ion was added to the bathing solution after 30 minute exposure of the strip to Ca-free Tyrode solution. This contracture was completely inhibited by Ca-antagonist, verapamil.
The K-free contracture was abolished by α-adrenergic blocker, phentolamine, as well as by the catecholamine depletion from adrenergic nerve terminals.
Even in reserpinized strip, the exogenous norepinephrine-induced contraction in K-free Tyrode solution was rapidly suppressed by the addition of potassium ion.
The results of this experiment suggest that K free contracture develops by norepinephrine release from adrenergic nerve terminals, while the relaxation of K-free contracture is induced by the activation of electrogenic Na-K pump.


Physical inactivity continues to be a major concern in the lives of youth. It is possible that participation in high school sport might contribute to enhancing self-efficacy which, in turn, would positively influence physical activity levels. In this study, the association between physical activity participation and self-efficacy for physical activity was measured in adolescent males from a private high school in Canada. Also, the possibility that self-efficacy levels differed between school sport participants and non-school sport participants was explored. The results of the Spearman's p test showed a moderate positive, and significant correlation between the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and the Self-Efficacy for Daily Physical Activity Questionnaire (SEPAQ) scores, r(113) = .571, p .05. Interestingly, PAQ-A scores and school sport participation explained a significant proportion of variance in SEPAQ scores, R^2= 0.33, F (2, 112) = 27.11, p < .001. Results from this study support previous research regarding the positive connection between physical activity and self-efficacy. These results also suggest that small increases in physical activity, whether through school sport or physical education, may influence not only physical health but psychological health for youth. Implications for male participation in physical activity are discussed along with ideas for increasing self-efficacy within the physical education context.


In recent years, in Nepal, while some languages of the nation are on the verge of extinction, some foreign languages (such as Japanese, Korean, Chinese) are emerging as newattractions among the youths andadults andarewidely taught in the marketplaces through the private sector initiative. Against this backdrop, in this article, we have examined the current foreign language teaching and learning situation drawing on qualitative empirical data obtained from the institutes involved in foreign language instruction in a city in Gandaki Province of Nepal. The data were collected from a survey in forty institutes, ten individual interviews and five focus group discussions. Drawing on the data, an ecological model was adopted, which focused on dynamic interaction, co-existence, and competition among languages, and findings were discussed in line with these aspects of ecological understanding. Findings revealed that learning foreign languages has been established as a conduit towards economic gains and opportunities for employment and education, which has largely been contributory towards reshaping the ecological relationship among the foreign languages in Nepal.


The investigation of intrinsic interactions in polariton condensates is currently limited by the photonic disorder of semiconductor microcavity structures. Here, we use a strain compensated planar GaAs/AlAs0.98P0.02 microcavity with embedded InGaAs quantum wells having a reduced cross-hatch disorder to overcome this issue. Using real and reciprocal space spectroscopic imaging under non-resonant optical excitation, we observe polariton condensation and a second threshold marking the onset of photon lasing, i.e., the transition from the strong to the weak-coupling regime. Condensation in a structure with suppressed photonic disorder is a necessary step towards the implementation of periodic lattices of interacting condensates, providing a platform for on chip quantum simulations.


: A method of securing the endotracheal tube using a plastic 'Nosworthy' connector and a commercially available 'O' ring is described.


In this paper, the nonlinear approximation by piecewise constants is investigated, and a partition method for balancing the total variation over the intervals is proposed. Based on this method, the result of Kahane is proved, and the application in signal restoration is given. Finally, the numerical experiments are conducted to assess the proposed method in comparison with different wavelet thresholding methods. One of the experiments is to denoise the real-life precipitation data in Northeast China. The results show that our method performs well in terms of Signal to Noise Ratio(SNR) over many standard wavelet based methods.


As the days going on, desires of netizens increases to meet unforeseen emergency online demands for accessing the services, owning the resources for required period which exists in the e-pool distributive. The needs met by the on-the-fly framed infrastructure (i.e) virtual organization which assimilates the dynamic collection of diverse resources and provides the large-scale resource sharing and multi-institutional collaboration called grid computing. The prominent feature of this computing is the collaboration of manifold units to perform coordinated sharing tasks that basically rely on two functions: communication and resource sharing through the internet usage. As the Internet is not designed on strong security basis, there exist various attacks, due to malicious internal and external users. Securing grid communication and controlling access to shared resources in a fine-tuned manner are important issues for grid services. This paper is proposed to give remedial for key escrow and analysis of security attributes by mounting a secured grid infrastructure with Identity


Ventilated patients are at risk of acquiring ventilator-associated pneumonia. Various techniques are available for diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia including bronchoalveolar lavage, protected specimen brush and non-directed bronchoalveolar lavage. There is a paucity of evidence regarding the safety profile of these techniques, particularly non-directed bronchoalveolar lavage. This service evaluation aimed to establish whether non-directed bronchoalveolar lavage is a safe procedure. A prospective service evaluation of non-directed bronchoalveolar lavage on our adult intensive care unit was undertaken by a senior physiotherapist trained into carrying out the procedure, measuring pre- and post-procedure vital signs including heart rate (HR), tidal volume (VT), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse oximetry (SpO2). Eighty-five episodes in 41 patients were included in the evaluation. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and immediately post-procedure recordings for all vital signs measure. HR (min-1), means (SD) 87.1 (16.4), 91.5 (16.5), 87.5 (15.9), 87.7 (15.7) respectively pre, immediately, 5 min after and 30 min after procedure (P < 0.01). SBP mmHg, means (SD) 133.9 (26.1), 142.1 (25.6), 136.9 (25.3), 134.8 (23.4) pre, immediately, 5 min and 30 min after procedure (P < 0.01). VT mL, median (range) 0.523 (0.118–1.180), 0.512 (0.131–1.05), 0.519 (0.104–0.95), 0.534 (0.110–1.080) each pre, immediately, 5 min and 30 min post procedure (P < 0.05). SpO2 %, median (range) 98 (89–100), 100 (96–100), 98 (92–100), 97 (90–100) again each pre-, immediately post, 5 and 30 min post-procedure time-points (P < 0.0001). The statistically significant difference was not detected between pre-, 5 or 30 min post-procedure time-points. None of the changes observed were clinically significant and no untoward events happened to any of the subjects included. Non-directed bronchoalveolar lavage is a safe and inexpensive procedure that can be carried out easily in an intensive care setting by a trained physiotherapist, avoiding the need for invasive bronchoscopy.


The next generation network (NGN) and the speed-up of access lines will sharply increase the demand for one-way applications such as internet protocol television (IP TV) and video on demand (VOD). One-way applications make the downlink bandwidth much larger than the uplink bandwidth. Asymmetric traffic is best supported by using different numbers of wavelengths in the uplink and downlink, which presumes the use of a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network. Unfortunately, the existing 2- or 4-fiber ring network architecture is symmetric, and so it cannot efficiently accommodate asymmetric paths. This paper proposes a novel 1-fiber WDM protection ring that offers a cost-effective optical network architecture for asymmetric traffic as well as symmetric traffic. It also proposes a new 1:1 protection switching scheme and automatic protection switching (APS) control protocol that can reduce capital expenditures for optical-electro-optical termination cards and provide nonrevertive protection switching with extra traffic and APS with end-to-end supervision including optical switching fabrics. Moreover, this paper shows that the proposed wavelength switching scheme offers much better network survivability after multiple wavelength failures than the existing bidirectional switching scheme can offer.


Commercial and residential buildings sector is one of the most important and rapidly growing energy consumer in any developed country. Construction industry has strong negative influence on the environment because of greenhouse gas emissions and aggravation of Global Warming problem. Therefore it is very important in terms of sustainable development to elaborate and spread widely building technologies that are low carbon and energy effective. The book provides comprehensive research of usage possibility of Zero Energy Building and Zero Carbon House technologies for constructing multistoried residential buildings in appliance to harsh climate of the Middle Ural (Russia). Analysis methods used in the book should help professionals in Green Building Industry working in various climate conditions.


Many methods have been described for preventing or reducing postoperative adhesions. In this work, we evaluated the effectiveness of Budesonide in combination with SprayGel in a reducing postoperative adhesion in rats as the model. Cecal abrasion was achieved in 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats, by brushing and by applying 70% alcohol. The rats were separated into six groups and treated with six solutions (Group I – saline; II – Budesonide 50 μg; III – Budesonide 250 μg; IV – SprayGel; V and VI – SprayGel + Budesonide 50 and 250 μg). Serum Budesonide, glucose, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and blood urea nitrogen levels were measured at postoperative day (POD) 2 and 14. The rats were killed on POD 14, and intra-abdominal adhesion formation was scored. Histopathological samples were obtained from the cecum and terminal ileum to evaluate microscopic adhesion formation. Our results showed that Group VI had both the minimum macroscopic adhesion score and the minimum microscopic score. All other groups had significantly lower microscopic adhesion scores than Group I. However, there was no statistical significance among any other groups. Serum AST levels of Group III were significantly higher than in Groups I, II, IV, and V (p < 0.046). Serum AST levels of Group III on POD 14 were also significantly higher than that of all other groups (p < 0.02). On POD 14, there was no Budesonide in the sera of Groups II and V. However, Groups III and VI had trace amounts of Budesonide (0.009 and 0.007 μg, respectively). In conclusion, we have showed that the effect of Budesonide is dosedependent. Both anti-adhesive and hepatotoxic side effects of Budesonide increased as the dose increased. Combining Budesonide with SprayGel synergistically increased the anti-adhesive benefits and prevented hepatotoxicity from the slower release of Budesonide.


The reduction of D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) by hydrated electrons (eaq-) has been studied in the absence and presence of benzoate by pulse radiolysis. The eaq-did not reduce the flavin moiety in DAAO and reacted with the amino acid residues in the protein. In the presence of benzoate, eaq- first reacted with benzoate to yield benzoate anion radical. Subsequently, the benzoate anion radical transferred an electron to the complex of DAAO-benzoate to form the red semiquinone of the enzyme with a second-order rate constant of 1.2 X 10(9) M-1 s-1 at pH 8.3. After the first phase of the reduction, conversion of the red semiquinone to the blue semiquinone was observed in the presence of high concentration of benzoate. This process obeyed first-order kinetics, and the rate increased with an increase of the concentration of benzoate. In addition, the rate was found to be identical with that of the formation of the complex between benzoate and the red semiquinone of DAAO as measured by a stopped-flow method. This suggests that bound benzoate dissociates after the reduction of the benzoate-DAAO complex by benzoate anion radical and that free benzoate subsequently recombines with the red semiquinone of the enzyme to form the blue semiquinone.


A Minkowski class is a closed subset of the space of convex bodies in Euclidean space Rn which is closed under Minkowski addition and non-negative dilatations. A convex body in Rn is universal if the expansion of its support function in spherical harmonics contains non-zero harmonics of all orders. If K is universal, then a dense class of convex bodies M has the following property. There exist convex bodies T1; T2 such that M + T1 = T2, and T1; T2 belong to the rotation invariant Minkowski class generated by K. It is shown that every convex body K which is not centrally symmetric has a linear image, arbitrarily close to K, which is universal. A modified version of the result holds for centrally symmetric convex bodies. In this way, a result of S. Alesker is strengthened, and at the same time given a more elementary proof.


The present report documents the research activities undertaken in Task 3.1 of the COMIC project. The objective of the three years of research of Strand 3 is to develop a conceptual foundation for designing computational mechanisms of interaction for CSCW applications that can support the complex task of articulating distributed cooperative activities. The present deliverable presents analyses of a number of realworld mechanisms of interaction. In doing that, the deliverable focuses on the features of these mechanisms that enable them to provide efficient and flexible support of coordination of distributed activities and the way these mechanisms are managed cooperatively. On the other hand, based on these and other studies, the deliverable presents and discusses a conceptual framework for analysis of mechanisms of interaction and derives a set of requirements for a notation for constructing computational mechanisms of interaction Document ID COMIC-D3.2 Status Final Type Deliverable Version 1.4 Date September, 1994 Editors K. Schmidt (Risø) Task 3.1  The COMIC Project, Esprit Basic Research Action 6225 Project coordinator: Tom Rodden Computing Department University of Lancaster Lancaster LA1 4YR United Kingdom Phone: (+44) 1524 593 823 Fax: (+44) 1524 593 608 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com The COMIC project comprises the following institutions: Gesellschaft für Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung (GMD), Bonn, Germany Risø National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden Swedish Institute for Computer Science (SICS), Stockholm, Sweden Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands University of Lancaster, Lancaster, United Kingdom (Coordinating Partner) University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom University of Milano, Milano, Italy University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Editor of this report: Kjeld Schmidt Cognitive Systems Group Risoe National Laboratory P.O. Box 49 DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark Phone: (+45) 4677 5146 Fax: (+45) 4675 5170 Email: email@example.com ISBN 0 901800 55 4 Lancaster University, 1994 This report is available via anonymous FTP from ftp.comp.lancs.ac.uk. Further information on COMIC is available from http://www.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/cseg/comic/ COMIC Social Mechanisms of Interaction September 1994 3 Table of contents Introduction .......................................................................................................... 5 Part 1. Mechanisms of interaction — Conceptual framework .................. 13 1.1. Mechanisms of interaction reconsidered........................................ 15 1.2. Mechanisms of interaction and technologies of representation — Examining a case study ................................... 123 1.3. Two comments on MOIs.............................................................. 149 Part 2. Mechanisms of interaction — Case studies ................................. 159 2.1. The construction note ................................................................... 161 2.2. The bug report form ..................................................................... 187 2.3. The augmented bill of materials................................................... 221 2.4. The CEDAC board ....................................................................... 237 2.5. The product classification scheme ............................................... 247 2.6. The fault report form — Mechanisms of interaction in design and development project work......................................... 257 Appendix. The Foss cases.............................................................................. 295


Background: The age at first birth corresponds to the age of the mother giving birth to the first child. The study aims at accessing the determinants of timing to age at first birth among Ethiopian women.
Methods: The data for this study was extracted from the published reports of Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. The study used15, 683 women aged 15-49 years from nine regions and two city administrations. Cox Proportional hazards model was used for identifying factors associated with age at first birth.
Results: The median time of age at first birth for Ethiopian women was22 years with 95% CI; (21.82, 22.18). Cox Proportional Hazards Model shows that region, place of residence, education, wealth index, religion, work status, age at first marriage, age at first sex, and use of contraceptives have significant effects on the age at first birth at 5% level of significance. From region category, Amhara region (p-value=0.398), Benishangul Gumuz(p-value=0.112) Region, and Gambella region(p-value=0.062) were not significant at 5% level of significance.
Conclusions: The age at first birth was positively correlated with the age at first sexual inter course. A woman who has sexual intercourse much earlier gives birth earlier than a woman who is late for first intercourse.


Aiming at the solving problem of improved nonhomogeneous Poisson process( NHPP) model in engineering application,the immune clone maximum likelihood estimation( MLE)method for solving model parameters was proposed. The minimum negative log-likelihood function was used as the objective function to optimize instead of using iterative method to solve complex system of equations,and the problem of parameter estimation of improved NHPP model was solved by immune clone algorithm. And the interval estimation of reliability indices was given by using fisher information matrix method and delta method. An example of failure truncated data from multiple numerical control( NC) machine tools was taken to prove the method. and the results show that the algorithm has a higher convergence rate and computational accuracy, which demonstrates the feasibility of the method.


Background: Proper hand hygiene was identified as one of the simplest most cost-effective Covid-19 prevention measures. However, there is no available evidence indicating that hand hygiene is fully practiced by health care workers Objectives: This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing the attitudes regarding hand hygiene practice among nursing staff during the Covid-19 pandemic Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional design was carried out in three hospitals' Intensive Care Units from the period (20th December 2021 to 30th January 2022). A non-probability sampling method consists of (130) nurses who were selected purposively based on the study criteria Results: The majority of the study participants (73.1%) had negative attitudes towards hand hygiene. Conclusion: There were an overall high proportion of participants with negative attitudes level toward hand hygiene. Keyword: Attitudes, Hand Hygiene, Nurse, Covid-19


Developing accelerator controls software is a challenging task requiring not only a thorough knowledge of the different aspects of particle accelerator operations, but also application of good development practices and robust project management tools. Thus, there was a demand for a complete environment for both developing and deploying accelerator controls software, as well as the tools to manage the projects. As an outcome, a versatile development process was formulated, covering the controls software life cycle from the inception phase up to the release and deployment of the deliverables. In addition, a development environment was created providing management tools that: standardize the common infrastructure for all the concerned projects; help to organize work within project teams; ease the process of versioning and releasing; and provide an easy integration of the test procedures and quality assurance reports. Change management and issue tracking are integrated with the development process and supported by the dedicated tools. This approach was successfully applied for all the new controls software for LEIR, SPS, LHC, injection lines and CNGS extraction.


Depleted patients were maintained on intravenous infusions of amino acids and glucose with constant N intake (173 mg/kg body weight), and three different levels of energy intake (15.4, 37.6, and 58.5 kcal/kg) given sequentially for 4 days each. Changes in N balance were abrupt and maximal in 1 to 2 days. Maximal changes in N balance preceded, and were not dependent on maximal changes in fat and glucose metabolism. N retention increased 1.7 mg/kcal of increased energy balance, during both hypocaloric and hypercaloric intakes, a value similar to that observed in normal adults. No increase in resting energy expenditure occurred with increasing energy intake during negative energy balance. During positive energy balance resting energy expenditure increased by 1 kcal for each 5 of intake. It seems likely that increasing energy restores mainly that portion of lean body mass associated with fat deposition; and rapid restoration of lean body mass requires high N intakes. At zero energy balance, N balance in these depleted patients was only slightly positive at an intake of 173 mg N per kilogram. This is about twice the intake of N required to maintain zero N balance in normal adults.


Immediate precursors of 16S rRNA are processed by endonucleolytic cleavage at both 5' and 3' mature termini, with the concomitant release of precursor fragments which are further metabolized by both exo- and endonucleases. In wild-type cells rapid cleavages by RNase III in precursor-specific sequences precede the subsequent formation of the mature ends; mature termini can, however, be formed directly from pre-16S rRNA with no intermediate species. The direct maturation is most evident in a strain deficient in RNase III, and the results in whole cells are consistent with results from maturation reactions in vitro. Thus, maturation does not require cleavages within the double-stranded stems that enclose mature rRNA sequences in the pre-16S rRNA.


Discrepancies in the terminology of elementary lesions persist when texts from Dermatology and Semiology books are compared, which can cause some confusion in both the teaching of undergraduate medical students and the learning acquired by professionals in the field. This review aims to compare and clarify the differences in the description of elementary lesions by many authors, used as references for specialists in dermatology.


Background and Objectives: Nutrition affects physical status, brain function, memory and learning. High-fat diets can cause memory impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of cheese and butter on the memory and learning of male rats. Materials and Methods: Totally, 24 Wistar male rats (8-week old) were divided into three equal groups and fed with high-fat chow diets (control group) or two experimental diets of butter and cheese for 12 weeks. Then, spatial memory and passive avoidance learning (PAL) were assessed using Morris water maze test and shuttle-box apparatus, respectively. Results: In PAL test, step-through latencies in retention (STLr) test and time spent in the dark compartment (TDC) were significantly different between the groups. The step-through latencies in retention scores of the butter group were significantly lower than that of the control and cheese groups. However, dark compartment of the butter group was significantly greater than that of the control and cheese groups. In Morris water maze test, no significant differences were seen in escape latency, travelled distance and mean swimming speed of the various groups. During the probe trial, the butter groups spent significantly less time in the target quadrant than that the control and cheese groups did. Conclusions: In general, cheese includes further favourable effects on spatial memory and PAL, compared to that butter


The study area is part of the East African Rift system, characterized by a cluster of lakes occupying an extremely faulted rift floor with geothermal manifestations. Some of the lakes illustrated contrasting water levels and size evolution over the last few decennia, believed to have been caused by various natural and anthropogenic factors. The relative importance of these factors, however, is unknown. This study attempts to present the hydrology of the lakes in a broader context, by giving more emphasis to lake water level fluctuations and to the water balance. These factors have far-reaching implications in regard to future management of the lake basin water. It also provides information on the relation of the groundwater with the lakes, and with the local and regional groundwater flow system from the adjacent highlands to the floor of the Rift. The methods utilized in this study include conventional hydrogeological field surveys, and hydrometeorological and data analyses, coupled with digital image processing and spatial analysis under a Geographic Information System environment. Ancillary supporting information has been obtained from environmental isotopes and hydrochemical data. The study results indicate the terminal Ethiopian lakes changed in size and water level significantly over the last half century. In contrast, the Kenyan lakes only exhibited slight changes. The lakes in both countries exhibit a striking similarity in their subsurface hydraulic connection, and are strongly governed by complex rift geological structures. Groundwater plays a vital role in the water balance of the study lakes. The study results indicate that future sustainable use of the study lakes demands that serious attention be given to the role of the groundwater component of the lake water balances.


Mouse sciatic nerves were transected and 3 hr to 16 days later proximal segments were removed and homogenized. Supernatants of these segments or of normal sciatic nerves were added to Schwann cells maintained in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) + 15% fetal calf serum (FCS). After 6 days, Schwann cells were solubilized and the protein content was measured using a Bio‐Rad (Melville, NY) protein assay. Samples containing the same amounts of protein were then applied to microtiter plates and the laminin content was determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Lysates of cultures treated with 24 hr proximal segment supernatants contained significantly higher levels of laminin than those prepared from other intervals, from distal segments, or from control nerves. Increased surface and cytoplasmic anti‐laminin immunoreactivity also was found in Schwann cells treated with 24 hr supernatants. To identify the source(s) of this effect, proximal segments removed 24 hr after transection were bisected; supernatants were prepared from each half and tested. Significant increases in laminin production were produced by supernatants from both halves. When supernatants from proximal and distal halves were compared, the latter produced significantly higher laminin levels. Electron microscopic examination of both halves showed that distal halves contained sprouting neurites and growth cones ensheathed by Schwann cells which had a basal lamina and resembled those seen during development and regeneration. Proximal halves appeared normal. Schwann cell proliferation also was compared in supernatant‐treated cultures by using a bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) ELISA. The 24 hr and 2 day supernatants increased Schwann cell proliferation significantly; 12 hr, 4 day, and 8 day supernatants produced smaller increases. Our observations suggest that axons undergoing early regenerative changes are one of several possible sources of substance(s) in our proximal segment supernatants which increased Schwann cell proliferation and laminin production. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


A parameter identification technique of an underlying bubble model of an experimentally observed single bubble in a cluster under dual-frequency external forcing is presented. The measurements are carried out via high-speed camera recordings at a rate of 162750 frames per second. The used frequencies during the experiment are 25 kHz and 50 kHz. With a digital image processing technique, the measured bubble radius as a function of time is determined. The employed governing equation for the parameter fitting is the Keller–Miksis equation being a second order ordinary differential equation. The unknown four-dimensional parameter space is composed by the two pressure amplitudes, the phase shift of the dual-frequency driving and the equilibrium size of the bubble. In order to obtain an optimal parameter set within reasonable time, an in-house initial value problem solver is used running on a graphics processing unit (GPU). The error function measuring the distance between the numerical simulations and the measurement is based on the identification of the maximum bubble radii during each subsequent period of the external forcing. The results show a consistent estimation of both pressure amplitudes. The optima of phase shift and equilibrium bubble size are less significant due to a valley-like shape of the error function. Nevertheless, reasonable values are found that lead to estimations of pressure and temperature peaks during bubble collapse.


Despite the magnitude of remittances as an alternative source of investment financing in Africa, the financial sector in Africa has significantly remained underdeveloped and unstable. Finding a solution to Africa's financial deregulation problems has proved tenacious partly because of inadequate literature that explain the nature of Africa capital and financial markets which has shown to be unorganised, spatially fragmented, highly segmented and invariably externally dependent. We examine the structural linkages between remittances and financial sector development in Africa. Panel data on indices of remittances was regressed on indices of financial sector development in fifty-three (53) African countries from 1986 through 2017 using the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimation procedure. We accounted for cross-sectional dependence inherent in ordinary panel estimation and found a basis for the strict orthogonal relationship among the variables. Findings revealed a positive long-run relationship between remittances and financial development with a significant (positive) short-run relationship. It is suggested that, while attracting migrants' transfers which can have significant short-run poverty-alleviating advantages, in the long run, it might be more beneficial for African governments to foster financial sector development using alternative financial development strategies.