Cerulean Pharma Inc.9s Dynamic Tumor Targeting™ Platform creates nanoparticle-drug conjugates (NDCs) designed to significantly mitigate a payload9s limitations by providing sustained drug delivery to the tumor and superior therapeutic index through controlled release kinetics. By conjugating drug payloads to our novel β-cyclodextrin-PEG copolymer through linker strategies that allow modulation of release and pharmacokinetics (PK), we provide advantages over entrapped nanoparticle strategies, e.g., polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes. Cerulean has two NDCs in the clinic, CRLX101 and CRLX301, evidencing the translatability of our technology. CRLX101 has been dosed in over 350 patients and CRLX301 is in an ongoing Phase 1/2a trial. Our Dynamic Tumor Targeting Platform is applicable to a diverse range of drug payload possibilities, including small molecules with a host of physiochemical properties, i.e., hydrophobic and hydrophilic payloads, and functional groups with chemical handles for conjugation. To illustrate the capabilities of our platform we will present the biological impact of a series of cabazitaxel-containing NDCs with linkers encompassing a diversity of in vitro release rates. In vivo PK studies showed high and sustained levels of released drug in tumor tissues (>168 hrs), and in vivo mouse tumor model studies demonstrated vastly improved efficacy, i.e., tumor regression and significant tumor growth delay, and survival over separately dosed cabazitaxel including efficacy in a taxane-resistant tumor model. Cerulean continues to expand its platform through the development of new and emerging capabilities to treat patients living with cancer. In this regard, we also will address the future evolution of NDCs, including the conjugation of multiple payloads to a single NDC and the development of antibody-conjugated NDCs. This abstract is also being presented as Poster B43. Citation Format: Chester Metcalf, III, Derek van der Poll, Liang Zhao, Tiffany Halo, Doug Lazarus, Adam Stockmann, Christian Peters, Donna Brown, Roy Case, Ellen Rohde, Lata Jayaraman, Hongwei Wang, Tiffany Crowell, Adrian Senderowicz, Scott Eliasof. Significant improvements in therapeutic index for conjugated payloads using a nanoparticle-drug conjugate (NDC) platform to provide sustained drug release and potentially improved anticancer effects. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology; 2016 Jun 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PR10.


Boreal black spruce (Picea mariana) forests are prone to developing thick organic layers (paludification). Black spruce is adapted to this environment by the continuous development of adventitious roots, masking the root collar and making it difficult to age trees. Ring counts above the root collar underestimate age of trees, but the magnitude of age underestimation of trees in relation to organic layer thickness (OLT) is unknown. This age underestimation is required to produce appropriate age-correction tools to be used in land resource management. The goal of this study was to assess aging errors that are done with standard ring counts of trees growing in sites with different degrees of paludification (OLT; 0–25 cm, 26–65 cm, >65 cm). Age of 81 trees sampled at three geographical locations was determined by ring counts at ground level and at 1 m height, and real age of trees was determined by cross-dating growth rings down to the root collar (root/shoot interface). Ring counts at 1 m height underestimated age of trees by a mean of 22 years (range 13–49) and 52 years (range 14–112) in null to low vs. moderately to highly paludified stands, respectively. The percentage of aging-error explained by our linear model was relatively high (R2adj = 0.71) and showed that OLT class and age at 0-m could be used to predict total aging-error while neither DBH nor geographic location could. The resulting model has important implications for forest management to accurately estimate productivity of these forests.


Brain computer interface causes direct operation between brain and computer. Interfacing of the EEG signal produced by the brain with any control or communication device produces unidirectional communicating channel. Among the non-invasive techniques for probing human brain dynamics, EEG provides a direct measurement of cortical activity i.e., intention of a human being; with millisecond temporal resolution. However, the well-off interconnectivity between the various cortical areas may allow for events in one area to be preceded or accompanied by detectable patterns in other unrelated areas. To develop a practical BCI system, three components should be considered. These are i) to establish an appropriate multivariate signal processing technique to extract multiclass features from multi-channel EEG signals, ii) to look up suitable pattern classification technique to improve the performance of BCI and finally iii) to develop an approprite interfacing circuit to control a user device. Due to poor classification acuracy, practical BCI system has not been fully materialised yet. However, an advanced and simple classification algorithm for motor imagery related BCI system has already been developed with Mahalanobis Discriminant Analysis (MDA) technique. It obtains 93% of kappa accuracy in evaluation phase, which is validated and acceptable, whereas the accuracy with others is maxmimum 86%. Moreover, the developed technique needs a very low computational requirement that makes it suitable for real-time BCI based system to control a wheelchair for the disabled people. To have a fruitful result, the next phase of hardware realization research and interfacing with users are essential which is highly desired factor in a practical/commercial BCI system development.


Wireless systems can be utilized in various areas. These wireless systems require a flexible mechanism for the allocation of the available time and frequency resources. The framework time-recurrence designation is very troublesome in the regular OFDM frameworks. The multicarrier procedure has been a dumbfounding technique in the advancement of the ongoing remote correspondence framework, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4G and 5G. The symmetrical recurrence division multiplexing (OFDM) has been broadly examined indicating that it has various insufficiencies making it less helpful to utilize contrasted with the UFMC. This paper will assess the correlation between the OFDM and UFMC to prescribe the best system to be utilized for the headway of remote innovation. The OFDM and UFMC dependent on the FBMC are the latest and compelling arrangements utilized for the remote system. In this examination, the burden of the OFDM has outlined that the UFMC is a progressively viable arrangement. The relative examination of OFDM and UFMC depended on a power ghostly densities, computational multifaceted nature, sub channel and the model channel correlation recreated in MATLAB.


Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) catalyses the reduction of 5,10‐methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5‐methyltetrahydrofolate, a carbon donor for homocysteine remethylation to methionine. Severe MTHFR deficiency is associated with hyperhomocysteinemia and homocystinuria. These patients show a wide variety of neurological and vascular symptoms, with variable age of onset. Residual enzyme activity is usually less than 20% of control values, and correlates reasonably well with age of onset of symptoms. A milder deficiency of MTHFR, with 30%–50% residual enzyme activity and increased enzyme thermolability, has been described as a risk factor for vascular disease and for neural tube defects. In earlier work, we isolated the human cDNA for MTHFR, and reported 14 mutations in severe MTHFR deficiency, as well as a common 677C→T missense mutation (Ala→Val) that encodes the thermolabile MTHFR. This variant has also been observed in some patients with severe MTHFR deficiency, in cis with their severe mutations. We report here the in vitro expression of seven severe MTHFR mutations in a bacterial expression system; six of these were expressed in cis with the Val allele to mimic the situation in the patients. We show that three of these constructs have significantly reduced enzyme activity (<10% of control); the presence of the thermolabile variant in these patients in cis is unlikely to affect enzyme function since activity is already low. One mutation causes a dramatic increase in activity when it is expressed in cis with the Ala allele, but is associated with extreme lability when in cis with the Val allele. Three mutations cause moderate decreases in enzyme activity, with a further decrease in activity when they are in cis with the Val allele. We hypothesize that deleterious mutations which alter stability may be compromised to a greater degree when the thermolabile variant is present on the same allele. Hum Mutat 16:132–138, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Fintech has been playing an increasing role in shaping financial and banking landscapes. In this paper, we use account-level data from LendingClub and Y-14M data reported by U.S. banks with assets over $50 billion to examine whether the fintech lending platform could expand credit access to consumers. We find that LendingClub's consumer lending activities have penetrated areas that may be underserved by traditional banks, such as in highly concentrated markets and areas that have fewer bank branches per capita. We also find that the portion of LendingClub loans increases in areas where the local economy is not performing well.


This thesis investigates the application of artificial intelligence to real time control in combination with image analysis techniques. The system consists of a "mouse" and a "cheese" in a two dimensional maze which are viewed by a video camera connected to a frame grabber board in a personal computer (PC). The maze is designed to be alterable during the mouse's navigation towards the "cheese" or target. The pc runs the frame grabber software which analyzes the maze to find the cheese, mouse and movement options during traversal. Parameters about the mouse's position, the maze constraints in the vicinity of the mouse and the general direction of the target are passed to a Prolog search algorithm which makes decisions on the next course of action for the mouse. Parameters on the movement of the mouse are passed via a serial port to a single board computer which controls the mouse's motion with two stepper motors. The intent is to investigate the integration of a simple real time control system with an intelligent host before expanding the system to handle more complex control algorithms where the computational requirements could easily overpower a single processor. This approach allows the possibility of mixing and matching processors for different applications. It also becomes easier to determine whether the Al-image analysis or the real time control activities are the computational bottlenecks and to decide on appropriate corrective measures.


Immunofluorescence localization of actin and myosin during mitosis indicates the significant roles of these cytoskeletons for cytokinesis. High frequency mitosis was induced by synchronous culture using temperature shift (T. Kitanishi-Yumura and Y. Fukui, 1987), and high resolution fluorescence microscopy was performed by the agar-overlay method (S. Yumura and Y. Fukui, 1984). It was shown that actin and myosin are dissociated from the cortex in prophase and reassembled in anaphase to form unique cortical structures: the contractile ring and/or polar lamellipodial network. Conventional myosin (myosin-II) is only localized in the contractile ring, whereas a low-molecular weight isozyme (myosin-I) is localized in the polar leading edge (Y. Fukui, T. Lynch, H. Brzeska, and E. Korn, 1989). Actin is localized in both structures and also forms a unique array in the furrow oriented perpendicular to the plane of constriction (Y. Fukui and S. Inoué, manuscript in preparation). The study suggests that conventional myosin provides the major force of constriction, whereas myosin-I participates in projecting lamellipodia, and actin is involved in several different functions in different regions of the cytoplasm.


High resolution synchrotron radiation has been used to make extensive measurements of the doubly excited states converging on the He+(N = 2) ionization threshold of helium. The excitation of two series of triplet doubly excited states, 2pnd(3Do) and sp2,n−(3Po), have recently been observed by Penent et al (2001 Phys. Rev. Lett. 86 2758). In this paper the excitation of a third weakly excited series of triplet doubly excited states, 2pnd(3Po), which was suggested by the previous measurements, is confirmed. The metastable atom yields, resulting from the radiative decay of these three observable series of triplet doubly excited series, are reported and compared to the recent theoretical calculations of Žitnik et al (2002 Phys. Rev. A 65 032520).


Abstract The development and modification of learning skills did not follow the boom of the other areas. In the teaching materials verbal knowledge is still the most significant, which does not require thinking and creativity from the students during acquisition; what more, sometimes even the pedagogues do not like those students, who apply unique problem-solving strategies. Making the knowledge applicable does not happen via passive reception, but rather via active learning based on individual thinking and experiences. Research based knowledge acquisition may be applied already from the age of 10; and it enables an prepares children to get along creatively in our knowledge-based society, which requires the individual search and use of information and sources, sensitivity towards problems and a general knowledge of research methods. During the lecture I will introduce the working group of young researchers, where children learn the basics of research step-by-step and show how the roles of students and teachers change during the individual discoveries. So-called "Dunántúli Mandulafa" is a scientific competition of 10-19-year-old young researchers, where they show their first ever presentation and make their first scientific publication - considering the abilities originating from their age, certainly.


This article explores the concept of compression-bandaging for venous leg ulcer management within the framework of clinical governance. It considers areas, such as clinical evidence, clinical audit, clinical risk-management, quality assurance and professional development, and relates this to everyday practice in the management of venous leg ulcers using compression-bandaging. It acknowledges that the elements of clinical governance are not new to nurses, but provide the relevant information that brings together clinical issues with nursing policy and government directives.


Background

With breast cancer becoming the most diagnosed cancer in the world, the number of breast cancer mothers with adolescent children is also rising. And for adolescent daughters, their mother server as a primary figure among the key processes of identification with their gender, femininity and sexuality. But breast cancer threats mother's health including such a key symbol of her womanhood, the breast. Which may adversely affect the development of an adolescent daughter's own sense of personal identity and womanhood. However, few researchers and practitioners on mother-daughter interactions in the context of breast cancer, therefor this study is aimed to reveal the nuances of interactive challenges with adolescent daughters faced by mother with breast cancer from mother' perspective.
Methods

A qualitative study was conducted. With the sample saturation principle, data collected by semi-structured interviews with 21 breast cancer patients who are in line with breast conserving. Colaizzi's method of phenomenology was used for data analysis and Foucauldian discourse approach was also partially integrated into the analysis for this research.
Results

Three major themes emerged from the data. The themes were the following: (1) Mothers are lost in chaos (unable to deal with the shock of cancer, powerlessness of the uncertainty about the life span, and confused about how to respond to daughter's curiosity); (2) Mothers struggle for balance (protect daughter or let her be independent, as a mother or a patient); and (3) Mothers are immersed in guilt (increasing risk of cancer for daughters, influencing the development of daughter, and bring burden to daughter).
Conclusions

Our findings explore the interaction experience of breast cancer mothers and adolescence daughters, and further reveal the nuances of mother–daughter interaction challenges faced by mother with breast cancer from mother' perspective. To help mothers enhance interaction with their daughters and assist health practitioners to translate our findings into health interventions.


Intracoelomic (IC) injection of xylazine was evaluated as a chemical euthanasia method for Anolis lizards (Anolis carolinensis or Anolis distichus). Lizards were allocated into 5 groups of 10 animals each. Each group was euthanized by one of these methods: 10 mg xylazine (100 mg/mL) IC; 10 mg xylazine and 0.5 mg acepromazine (10 mg/mL) IC; 10 mg xylazine IC followed by intracardiac injection of 0.1 mEq KCl (2 mEq/mL) once heart beats were no longer discernable by Doppler; 500 mg/kg 1% NaCO(3)-buffered MS222 solution IC followed by IC injection of 0.1 mL unbuffered 50% (v/v) MS222 solution (experimental groups); and 1.95 mg sodium pentobarbital, diluted 1:10 in sterile water (38.9 mg/mL) given IC (control group). Compared with those given sodium pentobarbital or MS222, lizards euthanized by using xylazine showed prolonged persistence of purposeful movement after cardiac arrest. Therefore, xylazine is not an acceptable alternative euthanasia agent for use in anoles.


Abstract We consider the nonlinear coupled hydroelastic problem of a general curved and twisted flexible slender structure (i.e. flexible riser, cable system, fish–farm net system, towed arrays, etc.) embedded in a nonuniform flow field such as the ocean environment; the flow direction is arbitrary, relative to the axis of the slender structure. The motion of the elastic structure is coupled with the hydrodynamic loads acting on the slender structure by the ambient flow field. An important input for such hydroelastic problems is the computation of the hydrodynamic loading per unit length experienced by the slender body. A rigorously derived improvement for the inertial loading per unit length over the commonly used Morison-type semi-empirical force (originally obtained for straight long structures in a uniform stream) is used. The structure is also allowed to undergo small (yet finite) deflections from its original reference central-line, due to a particular model of intrinsic elasticity governed by a corresponding nonlinear PDE, which corresponds to the well-known Kirchhoff rod elastic model. The system of coupled hydroelastic equations is investigated in order to derive analytically the influence of the hydrodynamic loading in a uniform stationary stream on the nonlinear stability of the straight rod. It is found that the presence of an ambient stationary stream decreases the critical parameters (critical twist) of the buckling phenomenon which is known to exist for the same rod when placed in a vacuum. Also revealed is a new type of stability loss, which is affected by viscous effects.


Background: Complications in anesthesia emergence after neurosurgery varies widely but is associated with negative neurological outcomes. The present study was to investigate postoperative complication in the PACU.Methods: During July 2015 to July 2016, the retrospective cohort study was conducted and 1586 adult patients who underwent selective neurological surgery in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, were recruited. The complications, including hypertension, hypoxia, etc. were determined by an anesthetist in PACU. Univariate statistics were performed using the chi-squared test, and 95% confidence intervals were determined for the resultant risk ratios. A multivariate model was constructed using significant variables from the univariate analysis (p < 0.05) with binary logistic regression.Results: Among the involved 1586 patients, the most frequent complications were hypertension (21.5% of patients) and hypoxemia (7.25% of patients), followed by airway obstruction (6.87%). Top three surgery for hypertension incidence were surgery for trigeminal neuralgia, aneurysm, subtentorial lesions. Significant predictors of hypertension included advanced age, sex, preoperative hypertension, and duration of general anesthesia.Conclusions: In the period of anesthesia recovery of neurosurgical patients, hypertension, hypoxemia, airway obstruction are three main complications in PACU.


This paper describes the predetermined interaction list oct-tree (PILOT) algorithm and its application in expediting the solution of full-wave electric field integral equation (EFIE)-based scattering problems for three-dimensional arbitrarily shaped conductors. PILOT combines features of the fast multipole method (FMM) and QR decomposition-based matrix compression techniques to optimize setup times, solve times, and memory requirements. The method is kernel independent and stable for electrically small structures unlike traditional FMM. The novel features of the algorithm, namely the mixed potential compression scheme and the hierarchical multilevel predetermined matrix structure are explained in detail. A complexity estimate is presented to demonstrate the scaling in time and memory requirements. Examples exhibiting the accuracy and the time and memory performances are also presented. Finally, a quantitative study is included to address the expected but gradual degradation of QR-based compression techniques for electrically large structures.


We propose new techniques and algorithms that advance the known methods for a number of fundamental problems of matrix computations. These problems includes approximation of leading and trailing singular spaces of a matrix with extensions to derandomized approximation by low-rank matrices and by structured matrices, support for numerically safe Gaussian elimination with no pivoting, and devising effective preconditioners that cover the general class of matrices having a small numerical nullity or a small numerical rank. Our technical novelties include randomized additive preconditioning and augmentation for general and structured matrices, derandomization, and dual extension of the Sherman–Morrison–Woodbury formula. Our extensive tests demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.


The Mississippian Barnett Formation of the Fort Worth Basin is a classic shale-gas system in which the rock is the source, reservoir, and seal. Barnett strata were deposited in a deeper water foreland basin that had poor circulation with the open ocean. For most of the basin's history, bottom waters were euxinic, preserving organic matter and, thus, creating a rich source rock, along with abundant framboidal pyrite. The Barnett interval comprises a variety of facies but is dominated by fine-grained (clay- to silt-size) particles. Three general lithofacies are recognized on the basis of mineralogy, fabric, biota, and texture: (1) laminated siliceous mudstone; (2) laminated argillaceous lime mudstone (marl); and (3) skeletal, argillaceous lime packstone. Each facies contains abundant pyrite and phosphate (apatite), which are especially common at hardgrounds. Carbonate concretions, a product of early diagenesis, are also common. The entire Barnett biota is composed of debris transported to the basin from the shelf or upper oxygenated slope by hemipelagic mud plumes, dilute turbidites, and debris flows. Biogenic sediment was also sourced from the shallower, better oxygenated water column. Barnett deposition is estimated to have occurred over a 25-m.y. period, and despite the variations in sublithofacies, sedimentation style remained remarkably similar throughout this span of time.


The traditional notion of material authenticity as being the physical and aesthetic evidence of the artist's hand in the 'original' materials is outmoded. With the changed nature of art must come a
rethinking of the concept of authenticity. Authenticity was and is often discussed in relation to attribution, and is traditionally linked with the artwork's material presence. This thesis questions that assumption, drawing on the literature of philosophy that describes authenticity as someone's 'true essence' in order to propose the significance of the interrelation of the artwork's multiple attributes to the work's identity.

The artist's voice has been a crucial source in this re-evaluation, with the voices of Scottish artists, or artists represented by a Scottish gallery or collection, building a picture of the way practitioners think about the significance of materials to their work. These contemporary primary sources have been contextualised with artists' voices from published compendiums and international case studies. They have revealed the general pragmatism of artists' approaches, particularly in relation to their creative processes. Therefore, this thesis has based its discussion around seemingly incongruous approaches: a conceptual framework and artists' practices. However, these poles are reconciled by rooting the investigation at the point of the artwork's creation. This has meant placing weight on the artist's intentions for the work and his or her decision-making process, rather than the subsequent interpretations of curators and conservators that inevitably inform the artwork's institutional afterlife. Doing so has led to a greater understanding of artists' conceptions of material significance and their thoughts on the identity of their works. This inevitably bears implications for the preservation and display of contemporary art.


This paper demonstrates a data-driven control approach for demand response in real-life residential buildings. The objective is to optimally schedule the heating cycles of the Domestic Hot Water (DHW) buffer to maximize the self-consumption of the local photovoltaic (PV) production. A model-based reinforcement learning technique is used to tackle the underlying sequential decision-making problem. The proposed algorithm learns the stochastic occupant behavior, predicts the PV production and takes into account the dynamics of the system. A real-life experiment with six residential buildings is performed using this algorithm. The results show that the self-consumption of the PV production is significantly increased, compared to the default thermostat control.


The results of tocolysis applied for delaying premature delivery and abortion is reported as well as its side effects in the mother. 168 patients were included in the study. It is stated that fenoterol can be successfully administered for stopping early contractions. The side effects of the drug are relatively mild and avoidable. It is also stated that fenoterol treatment is not superfluous even in case of a ruptured membrane when the fetal lungs are not ripe yet. Looking for combined possibilities should be the subject of future studies.


Online advertising has been the major monetization approach for Internet companies. Advertisers invest budgets to bid for real-time impressions to gain direct and indirect returns. Existing works have been concentrating on optimizing direct returns brought by advertising traffic. However, indirect returns induced by advertising traffic such as influencing the online organic traffic and offline mouth-to-mouth marketing provide extra significant motivation to advertisers. Modeling and quantization of causal effects between the overall advertising return and budget enable the advertisers to spend their money more judiciously. In this paper, we model the overall return as individual advertising effect in causal inference with multiple treatments and bound the expected estimation error with learnable factual loss and distance of treatment-specific context distributions. Accordingly, a representation and hypothesis network is used to minimize the loss bound. We apply the learned causal effect in the online bidding engine of an industry-level sponsored search system. Online experiments show that the causal inference based bidding outperforms the existing online bidding algorithm.


This research was conducted to select, to identify LAB isolates and to investigate the effects of the LAB as probiotics candidate in the rumen fermentation. Nine isolates exhibited the potency as candidate probiotics for cattle. The experiment was arranged in randomized block design with ten treatments and three different times of in vitro as a block. The substrate consisted of 70% forage and 30% concentrate proportion. The substrate was incubated at 39 o C using serum bottle of 100 ml capacity for fermentation. Approximately 0.75 g of substrates was put inside the serum bottle glass and filled with 73 ml of buffered rumen fluid and 2 ml of LAB inoculant. Gas production was measured every 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of the incubation period. Gas production kinetic was estimated by the Orskov's equation. The LAB with the highest gas production, as probiotics candidate, were identified using partial 16S rDNA sequence. The results of this research indicated that nine LAB produced high gas production in the range of 193-198 ml compare to that of control (173 ml). The addition of LAB in rumen fermentation resulted in digestibility 65-75%, organic matter digestibility 51-73%, and 6.67-6.68 pH. Based on the molecular identification, 8 isolates are Lactobacillus plantarum and 1 of uncultured bacteria. The LAB strain 32 L. plantarum showed the best for a ruminant probiotic candidate based on the in vitro rumen fermentation characteristic.


Basing on the analysis of large number of studies revealing the mainstream science policy's consequences the paper shows that Russian state science policy includes the instruments preventing achieving the pronounced goals. It is established that at least following components are scientifically groundless: chosen mechanisms for increase public accountability of science; intentions to apply competitive research funding ubiquitously; tendency to concentrate research at the universities, and perform it mainly by efforts of professors; trend to amalgamate research organizations. The results of empiric research from different countries shows that in reality society's accountability is bureaucrats' accountability. Competitive research funding decrease probability of innovative researches that are far from mainstreams. Coercion of all academics to publish research papers especially in high-sited journals decrease time for increase lectures quality. Amalgamation of research organizations increase co-ordination costs, and not results to higher value scientific results.


Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers a range of possibilities in fluid flow research. An existing 2.5 m open channel fluid flow experiment contains a set of standard weirs which are limited in design. This research will compare experimental AM weirs (e.g. labyrinth, piano, catenary), that would not be possible on some laser-cut polymer or machined aluminium weirs. Due to the bespoke complex nature of weirs' design other manufacturing methods would be too expensive and impossible to use. AM technology allows a cost-effective solution for progressive design modifications to be implemented throughout investigations. This paper will highlight comparisons made between a range of AM produced weirs in terms of flow rate, fluid velocity profile, water level height and discharge coefficient. Computation fluid dynamic modelling (CFD) will also be used to verify, analyse, and compare results. Based on the experimental results and verification, the paper will also discuss the suitability of application of AM techniques in fluid flow analysis.


Social science has recently examined the dramatic increase of witchcraft and magic in everyday contemporary African. A study, which took place in the 1970's, on the representation of madness in postcolonial Congo, contributes to the elucidation of such an outgrowth. In line with the first version of La Psychoanalyse, it aimed at identifying variations in the images, beliefs, and attitudes associated with groups whose social positioning differed in relation to modernity. Sixty old men were interviewed. The respondents provided a representation in the making that neither reflected Western knowledge nor faithfully echoed local patterns. The Western elements were anchored in a strongly objectified local belief system. For "traditional" informants the meaning attributed to madness testifies to the transformation of a hegemonic representation into a polemical one since it addressed the question of their identity shaken by modernity. An emancipated representation emerged within the most educated group. A secondary analysis of the data contributes to current theoretical debates within social representations theory in focusing on tolerance/intolerance to alternative representations through semantic barriers. It brings more evidence to the fragmentation of the hegemonic system of belief and confirms how social—identity content and relations mediate knowledge construction.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of testosterone and oestrogen on regulating organic cation transporters (Octs) and multidrug and toxin extrusions (Mates) expression in the kidney of mice and urinary excretion of metformin. 8 week‐old male db/db mice were treated with estradiol (5 mg/kg), testosterone (50 mg/kg) or olive oil with same volume. Metformin (150 mg/kg) was injected in daily for successive 7 days. Plasma, urine and tissue concentrations of metformin were determined by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS) assay. Western blotting and Real‐time PCR analysis were successively used to evaluate the renal protein and mRNA expression of Octs and MATEs. After treatment, the protein expression of Mate1 and Oct2 in testosterone group was significantly increased than those in control group (both P < 0.05). The protein expression of Mate1 and Oct2 in estradiol group was significantly reduced by 29.4% and 43.3%, respectively, compared to those in control group (all P < 0.05). These data showed a good agreement with the change in mRNA level (all P < 0.05). The plasma metformin concentration (ng/ml) in mice treated with estradiol was significantly higher than control and testosterone group (677.56 ± 72.49 versus 293.92 ± 83.27 and 261.46 ± 79.45; P < 0.01). Moreover, testosterone increased the metformin urine excretion of mice while estradiol decreasing (both P < 0.01). Spearman correlation analysis showed that gonadal hormone was closely associated with Mate1 and Oct2 expression and metformin urine excretion in db/db mice (all P < 0.05). Testosterone and oestrogen exerted reverse effect on metformin urinary excretion via regulating Octs and Mates expression in the kidney of mice.


This article deals with the design of an innovative adaptive multi-modal tuned mass damper able to change its eigenfrequencies to recover shifts of the natural frequencies of the primary system which needs to be damped. This is accomplished using systems of shape memory alloy wires connected to a number of masses equal to the number of modes to be damped. This article presents the analytical model used to describe the behaviour of the adaptive tuned mass damper, showing which parameters can affect the performances of the device. The layout proposed for the tuned mass damper proves to be able to act on a wide frequency range and to work adaptively on at least two eigenfrequencies at the same time with a given level of independence. The last goal is accomplished, thanks to the special features of the shape memory alloys, by heating (or cooling) each wire of the device independently and allowing the exploitation of two different effects: the change of the axial load in the wires and the change of the geometry of the device. The reliability of both the design approach and the model of the new device is proved by means of an experimental campaign performed considering a random disturbance.


We experimentally investigate the all-optical regeneration of constant envelope alternative modulation format signals at 40 Gb/s. The regeneration scheme is based on hard-limiting amplification in a saturated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) that can remove the signal intensity noise. Indeed a significant improvement of the signal quality is reported for either polarization shift keying (PolSK) and frequency shift keying (FSK) signal formats, both detected using simple schemes based on direct detection. The regeneration solution, however, is found to be quite limited for non-return-to-zero (NRZ) differential phase shift keying (DPSK) (demodulated using a 1-bit delay interferometer). Indeed, SOA saturation generates a detrimental nonlinear phase noise that can override the reduction of intensity noise.


The Authors report a case of eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome). The patient was a 61 year old woman, diabetic, with a cardio-respiratory insufficiency and a maniaco-depressive psycosis. She presented, on the upper arms and trunk, a cutaneous eruption of erythematous-urticarial plaques, that histopathologically were characterized by a dermic leukocyte population, with a prevalence of eosinophils, distributed in the perivascular site. Laboratory tests revealed eosinophilia and circulating immune complexes. The etiopathogenesis of the disease is discussed as is the possible role of immune complexes in eosinophilic cellulitis.


Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease thought to be caused, at least in part, by repetitive brain trauma, including concussive and subconcussive injuries. It is thought to result in executive dysfunction, memory impairment, depression and suicidality, apathy, poor impulse control, and eventually dementia. Beyond repetitive brain trauma, the risk factors for CTE remain unknown. CTE is neuropathologically characterized by aggregation and accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau and TDP-43. Recent postmortem findings indicate that CTE may affect a broader population than was initially conceptualized, particularly contact sport athletes and those with a history of military combat. Given the large population that could potentially be affected, CTE may represent an important issue in public health. Although there has been greater public awareness brought to the condition in recent years, there are still many research questions that remain. Thus far, CTE can only be diagnosed post-mortem. Current research efforts are focused on the creation of clinical diagnostic criteria, finding objective biomarkers for CTE, and understanding the additional risk factors and underlying mechanism that causes the disease. This review examines research to date and suggests future directions worthy of exploration.


Author(s): Pacheco, Tania L | Advisor(s): Pinderhughes, Howard | Abstract: This dissertation expands the understanding of how gender, immigration, and aging impact health behaviors in older Mexican immigrant men. Along with other Latino elders, these men are poor and plagued with chronic or disabling conditions, however, they live longer and have higher self-reported health than their white male counterparts. This research aims to 1) explain their conceptualization of health, illness, risk and prevention and 2) map the health seeking process. Data gathered includes 20 in-person interviews of older Mexican immigrant men in four Central Valley counties using a semi-structured interview guide and ethnographic data. Analysis of written, audio, and visual data was coded using grounded theory methods. Participants had clear conceptualizations of health, illness, and risk. While active in their own self-defined health regimens, participants rely on women to help them navigate the United States healthcare system. Participants saw themselves as adhering patients, did not have overarching negative sentiment about the healthcare system, and yet did not adhere to screenings, lab work, and avoided seeking healthcare. Abstaining from health care or modifying prescribed health regimes was due to distrust of biomedical risk, and the labeling of sick as being an overall impediment to their autonomy. They identified systemic barriers that were the sum of their lives as agribusiness farmworkers. Older Mexican immigrant men are using their agency to make decisions about seeking healthcare. Their desire for autonomy is conceptualized within the constraints to health care and as a consequence of systemic barriers. A discussion is needed on other marginalized groups and their movements in and out of the US healthcare system, its belief system, and technologies.


The purpose of this article is to consideration how artists perceive their creativity in art projects. Creativity or creating new values has been attracting attention through such concepts as "the creative city", although the sociology of the arts has not taken account of creativity. Art projects in which artists and citizens try to stimulate their communities through art and cultural activities have developed throughout Japan, but artists feel a duality in their art activities. They have an "art-orientation" directed to making their works valuable in aesthetic or artistic terms. At the same time, they have a "relation-orientation" that regards making relationships as important. This duality makes the activities of artists more difficult. Nonetheless, they are trying to achieve a creative balance between these two orientations.


Anesthetic management of patients with multiple trauma of the face or those undergoing multiple facial osteotomies is problematic perioperatively, because anesthetists and surgeons fight for the same space. A novel method is demonstrated with use of a nylon flexometallic tube carried across the mylohyoid muscle (floor of the mouth).


Photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) CO2 reduction to value-added chemicals is a promising solution to address the energy and environmental issues we face currently. Herein, a unique photocathode Bi@ZFO NTs (Bi and α-Fe2O3 co-modified ZnO nanorod arrays) with high utilization of visible light and sharp-tips effect are successfully prepared using a facile method. Impressively, the performance of Bi@ZFO NTs for PEC CO2 reduction to HCOOH included small onset potential (-0.53 V vs RHE), Tafel slope (101.2 mV dec-1), and a high faraday efficiency of 61.2% at -0.65 V vs RHE as well as favorable stability over 4 h in an aqueous system under visible light illumination. Also, a series of experiments were performed to investigate the origin of its high activity, indicating that the metallic Bi and α-Fe2O3/ZnO nanojunction should be responsible for the favorable CO2 adsorption/activation and charge transition/carrier separation, respectively. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the Bi@ZFO NTs could lower the intermediates' energy barrier of HCOO* and HCOOH* to form HCOOH due to the strong interaction of Bi and α-Fe2O3/ZnO.


Motivation: Analysis of relationships of drug structure to biological response is key to understanding off-target and unexpected drug effects, and for developing hypotheses on how to tailor drug therapies. New methods are required for integrated analyses of a large number of chemical features of drugs against the corresponding genome-wide responses of multiple cell models. Results: In this article, we present the first comprehensive multi-set analysis on how the chemical structure of drugs impacts on genome-wide gene expression across several cancer cell lines [Connectivity Map (CMap) database]. The task is formulated as searching for drug response components across multiple cancers to reveal shared effects of drugs and the chemical features that may be responsible. The components can be computed with an extension of a recent approach called Group Factor Analysis. We identify 11 components that link the structural descriptors of drugs with specific gene expression responses observed in the three cell lines and identify structural groups that may be responsible for the responses. Our method quantitatively outperforms the limited earlier methods on CMap and identifies both the previously reported associations and several interesting novel findings, by taking into account multiple cell lines and advanced 3D structural descriptors. The novel observations include: previously unknown similarities in the effects induced by 15-delta prostaglandin J2 and HSP90 inhibitors, which are linked to the 3D descriptors of the drugs; and the induction by simvastatin of leukemia-specific response, resembling the effects of corticosteroids. Availability and implementation: Source Code implementing the method is available at: http://research.ics.aalto.fi/mi/software/GFAsparse Contact: email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium sensing protein that regulates the function of a large number of proteins, thus playing a crucial part in many cell signaling path- ways. CaM has the ability to bind more than 300 different target peptides in a Ca2+-dependent manner, mainly through the exposure of hydrophobic residues. How CaM can bind a large number of targets while retaining some selectivity is a fascinating open question. Here, we explore the mechanism of CaM selective promiscuity for selected target proteins. Analyzing enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations of Ca2+-bound and Ca2+-free CaM via spectral clustering has allowed us to identify distinct conformational states, characterized by interhelical angles, secondary structure determinants and the solvent exposure of specific residues. We searched for indicators of conformational selection by mapping solvent exposure of residues in these conformational states to contacts in structures of CaM/target peptide complexes. We thereby identified CaM states involved in various binding classes arranged along a depth binding gradient. Binding Ca2+ modifies the accessible hydrophobic surface of the two lobes and allows for deeper binding. Apo CaM indeed shows shallow binding involving predominantly polar and charged residues. Furthermore, binding to the C-terminal lobe of CaM appears selective and involves specific conformational states that can facilitate deep binding to target proteins, while binding to the N-terminal lobe appears to happen through a more flexible mechanism. Thus the long-ranged electrostatic interactions of the charged residues of the N-terminal lobe of CaM may initiate binding, while the short-ranged interactions of hydrophobic residues in the C-terminal lobe of CaM may account for selectivity. This work furthers our understanding of the mechanism of CaM binding and selectivity to different target proteins and paves the way towards a comprehensive model of CaM selectivity. Author summary Calmodulin is a protein involved in the regulation of a variety of cell signaling pathways. It acts by making usually calcium-insensitive proteins sensitive to changes in the calcium concentration inside the cell. Its two lobes bind calcium and allow the energetically unfavorable exposure of hydrophobic residues to the aqueous environment which can then bind target proteins. The mechanisms behind the simultaneous specificity and variation of target protein binding is yet unknown but will aid understanding of the calcium-signaling and regulation that occur in many of our cellular processes. Here, we used molecular dynamics simulations and data analysis techniques to investigate what effect calcium has on the binding modes of calmodulin. The simulations and analyses allow us to observe and differentiate specific states. One domain of calmodulin is shown to be selective with binding involving short- distance interactions between hydrophobic residues, while the other binds target proteins through a more flexible mechanism involving long-distance electrostatic interactions.


The objective of this study is to assess the impact of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality, focusing on sex differences. The inhabitants of Reggio Emilia province on December 31, 2009, aged 20–84 were followed up for three years for mortality. The exposure was determined using Reggio Emilia diabetes register. The age-adjusted death rates were estimated as well as the incidence rate ratios using Poisson regression model. Interaction terms for diabetes and sex were tested by the Wald test. People with diabetes had an excess of mortality, compared with nondiabetic subjects (all cause: IRR = 1.68; 95%CI 1.60–1.78; CVD: IRR = 1.61; 95%CI 1.47–1.76; AMI: IRR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.27–1.99; renal causes: IRR = 1.71; 95%CI 1.22–2.38). The impact of diabetes is greater in females than males for all causes (P = 0.0321) and for CVD, IMA, and renal causes. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the difference in cardiovascular risk profile or in the quality of care delivered justifies the higher excess of mortality in females with diabetes compared to males.


After preliminary tests using a small 25 mm-caliber electromagnetic launcher, a larger mid-caliber launcher has been designed and fabricated. The launcher has a rectangular bore of 40 mm × 50 mm where the rails are separated by 50 mm each other and are 5.6 m long. To deliver an electrical current to the launcher, a new 4.8 MJ pulsed power supply (PPS) consisting of eight 600 kJ segments has been constructed. The 600 kJ segment is a basic building block of PPS operated independently. It contains a controller, a charger, a safety circuit, and six 100 kJ unit modules. Each unit module in the segment is composed of a 100 kJ capacitor bank, a thyristor switch, a crowbar diode, and a pulse-forming inductor. The modules in a segment are charged to the same voltage, but they are designed to have different triggering times to make a flexible shape of current waveform. Electrical parameters of the PPS were determined through the discharges of the unit modules, and those of the rails were done by launch experiments or short circuit tests at the ends of the rails. Launch experiments have been done using several current waveforms. The current of 1 MA in a few ms made the armatures of several hundred grams in mass accelerate to velocities near 2 km/s. In this paper, the design and basic performance of the constructed PPS and the electromagnetic launcher are presented.


Background: Cutaneous manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be among the initial signs of HIV-related immunosuppression. As such, recognizing HIV-related cutaneous manifestations may lead to the early diagnosis of HIV infection, enabling the prompt initiation of antiretroviral therapy. Purpose: The objective of this article is to discuss the disease history, clinical findings, serologic findings, and treatment options of cutaneous manifestations of HIV. Methods: A nonsystematic review of the literature was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus from which relevant articles were analyzed and summarized in the article. Results: There are a number of dermatologic conditions associated with HIV infection, which can be grouped into various categories: acute HIV infection, bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, parasitic infections, papulosquamous dermatoses, eczematous dermatoses, and miscellaneous disorders. Skin-related disorders observed in HIV may result from the viral infection itself or from opportunistic infections or skin disorders secondary to the immunocompromised state inherent to the infection. Many associated skin diseases are more severe in HIV-infected patients, particularly those with severe immunosuppression as seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Conclusion: Prompt recognition of these skin manifestations is critical to the initiation of disease-modifying antiretroviral therapy.


INTRODUCTION
global population projections forecast large growth in demand for long-term care (LTC) and acute hospital services for older people. Few studies report changes in hospitalisation rates before and after entry into LTC. This study compares hospitalisation rates 1 year before and after LTC entry.

METHODS
the Older Persons' Ability Level (OPAL) study was a 2008 census-type survey of LTC facilities in Auckland, New Zealand. OPAL resident hospital admissions and deaths were obtained from routinely collected national databases.

RESULTS
all 2,244 residents (66% = female) who entered LTC within 12 months prior to OPAL were included. There were 3,363 hospitalisations, 2,424 in 12 months before and 939 in 12 months after entry, and 364 deaths. In the 6 to 12 months before LTC entry, the hospitalisation rate/100 person-years was 67.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 62.5-72.1). Weekly rates then rose steeply to over 450/100 person-years in the 6 months immediately before LTC entry. In the 6 months after LTC entry, the rate fell to 49.1 (CI 44.9-53.3; RR 0.73 (CI 0.65-0.82, P < 0.0001)) and decreased further 6 to 12 months after entry to 41.1 (CI 37.1-45.1; rate ratio [RR] 0.61 (CI 0.54-0.69, P < 0.0001)).

CONCLUSIONS
increased hospitalisations a few months before LTC entry suggest functional and medical instability precipitates LTC entry. New residents utilise hospital beds less frequently than when at home before that unstable period. Further research is needed to determine effective interventions to avoid some hospitalisations and possibly also LTC entry.


Huntington's disease (HD) and other polyglutamine (polyQ) neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by neuronal accumulation of the disease protein, suggesting that the cellular ability to handle abnormal proteins is compromised. As both a cochaperone and ubiquitin ligase, the C-terminal Hsp70 (heat shock protein 70)-interacting protein (CHIP) links the two major arms of protein quality control, molecular chaperones, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Here, we demonstrate that CHIP suppresses polyQ aggregation and toxicity in transfected cell lines, primary neurons, and a novel zebrafish model of disease. Suppression by CHIP requires its cochaperone function, suggesting that CHIP acts to facilitate the solubility of mutant polyQ proteins through its interactions with chaperones. Conversely, HD transgenic mice that are haploinsufficient for CHIP display a markedly accelerated disease phenotype. We conclude that CHIP is a critical mediator of the neuronal response to misfolded polyQ protein and represents a potential therapeutic target in this important class of neurodegenerative diseases.


Background: It has been reported that sera from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (APT) induced nuclear changes in normal neutrophils that included pyknosis, swelling, apoptosis, and production of extracellular traps (NETs). Similar changes were observed with some sera from their household contacts but not with sera from healthy, unrelated individuals. It was suggested that those sera from household contacts that induced neutrophil nuclear changes might correspond to people with subclinical tuberculosis. Thus, our experimental approach might serve to identify individuals with early, ongoing disease. Methods: Nuclear changes in neutrophils were fully evident by 3 h of contact and beyond. Circulating mycobacterial antigens were the most likely candidates for this effect. We wanted to know whether the nuclear changes induced on neutrophils by the sera of APT patients would negatively affect the phagocytic/microbicidal ability of neutrophils exposed to APT sera for short periods. Results: We now provide evidence that short-term contact (30 min) with sera from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis increases several phagocytic parameters of normal neutrophils, including endocytosis, myeloperoxidase levels, production of free reactive oxygen species, phagolysosome fusion, and microbicidal activity on Staphylococcus aureus, with these effects not being observed with sera from healthy donors. We also give evidence that suggests that ESAT-6 and CFP-10 are involved in the phenomenon. Conclusion: We conclude that activation is a stage that precedes lethal nuclear changes in neutrophils and suggests that autologous neutrophils must circulate in an altered state in the APT patients, thus contributing to the pathology of the disease.


The ubiquitin‐proteasome system processes the majority of cellular proteins and is the principal pathway by which cells regulate protein homeostasis. The successful development of VELCADE® (bortezomib) for Injection for multiple myeloma and previously treated mantle cell lymphoma has validated the proteasome as a therapeutic target for the treatment of malignancies. MLN9708 is a second‐generation reversible proteasome inhibitor developed to achieve greater oral bioavailability, improved pharmacokinetics and greater antitumor activity than bortezomib. MLN9708 is currently in human clinical development for both hematological and non‐hematological malignancies. MLN9708 immediately hydrolyzes to the biologically active form MLN2238 upon exposure to aqueous solutions or plasma, and MLN2238 was used for all preclinical studies described below. In vitro, MLN2238 inhibited 20S proteasome activity, preferentially binding the 20S 5 site with an IC50 of 3.4 nM and demonstrated potent activity against cultured cancer cells in cell viability assays. In vivo, MLN2238 achieved exposures that resulted in significant blood and tumor proteasome inhibition in xenograft‐bearing mice and had increased plasma and tumor exposure compared to bortezomib when dosed at their respective maximum tolerated doses (MTD). MLN2238 also elicited a stronger pharmacodynamic (PD) response than bortezomib in xenograft tumors, as measured by tumor 20S 5 site‐specific activity and expression levels of GADD34 and ATF‐3, two genes involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway shown to be upregulated in response to proteasome inhibition. Here we describe the development of an ATF‐3 IHC assay suitable for use in bone marrow samples isolated from multiple myeloma patients enrolled in Phase I trials of MLN9708. Using both quantitativeWestern blotting and IHC assays, we demonstrated that treatment of cultured myeloma cell lines with MLN2238 results in a dose‐dependent increase in ATF‐3 levels. Antibody specificity was confirmed by IHC analysis of HCT‐116 cells following knockdown of ATF‐3 by siRNA. An ATF‐3 PD response is detectable by IHC in several xenograft models and in selected normal tissues from mice dosed with MLN2238. The elevation in ATF‐3 is delayed by several hours compared to 20S proteasome inhibition in cells and tissues, consistent with it being a downstream effect of proteasome inhibition. To test the use of the ATF‐3 IHC assay on clinical samples from multiple myeloma patients, we developed a dual staining assay with CD38, a marker expressed on multiple myeloma cells. We show baseline staining of ATF‐3 and CD38 in formalin‐fixed paraffin embedded bone marrow aspirates and biopsies from patients who have not received MLN9708. This assay has potential for use in evaluating the levels of CD38 and ATF‐3 in pre‐ and post‐treatment bone marrow samples from patients treated with MLN9708. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B40.


Background: Anemia is a worldwide public health problem, with significant outcomes for health social and economic growth of each country. Anemia is a hemoglobin concentration two standard deviation lower than the mean hemoglobin concentration for a normal population range of the same age and gender. Objective: To assess the prevalence of anemia in children and its contributing factors under 5 years old in Diyala/Iraq. Patients and Methods: A prospective cross sectional study was conducted at Al-Batool maternity and children teaching hospital from the first of August 2017 to first of January 2018. Five hundreds of children from the six months to five years old were included in the current study. Results: The percentage of anemia in the studied sample was 142 (28.4%), from which 104 (73.5%) was iron deficiency anemia, 2 (1.1%) was thalassemia major and intermedia and 6 (4.4%) was B-thalassemia trait and 30 (21%) other type of anemia. There were a highly significant association between anemia and artificial feeding, prolonged breast-feeding, tea consumption, worm infestations, absence of prenatal care, low birth weight, low parental education and low wealth index. They were a significant association between anemia and male gender, rural residency and positive family history of anemia. Conclusion: Anemia still represents a major health problem in children under 5 years in Diyala province with prevalence of 142 (28.4%), most of them 104 (73.5%) was iron deficiency anemia.


Metabolic labeling techniques are used to study biosynthesis, processing, intracellular transport, secretion, degradation, and physical‐chemical properties of proteins. This update focuses on pulse‐labeling and pulse‐chase experiments done with [35S]‐methionine, but gives directions for labeling with other radiolabeled amino acids, and also offers guidance for the safe use and handling of 35S‐labeled compounds.


Food is often contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria strains, which have been associated with different diseases, including urinary tract infections. The consumption of meat by humans is a potential route of transmission of antimicrobial resistance, and food-producing animals have been associated as a major reservoir of resistant bacterial strains. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of the E. coli strains producing the CNF-1 toxin in pig kidneys. Pig kidneys were collected from a Mexican slaughterhouse and classified according to their coloration into reddish kidneys (RK) and yellowish kidneys (YK). A tissue sample from each kidney was processed for histological analysis, the presence of E. coli was determined by conventional PCR assay, and the CNF-1 toxin was detected by both conventional PCR and Western blotting. Herein, an inflammatory cell infiltrate was found in all collected kidneys, regardless of macroscopic differences. Surprisingly, E. coli and the CNF-1 toxin were detected in all kidney samples. We clearly demonstrate contamination by CNF-1 toxin-producing E. coli in pork kidneys from a slaughterhouse, even in those without apparent damage. This suggests that pork may serve as a reservoir for pathogens, representing an important risk to human health.


Conclusion: The appearance of some candidate proteins may be essential for compensation as spatio-temporal expression patterns and this proteomic analysis may be a useful tool to understand the molecular basis of vestibular compensation. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the proteins expressed in vestibular nucleus complexes (VNCs) using proteomics following unilateral labyrinthectomy. Materials and methods: Proteomic analysis was performed in VNCs of rats at 6 h, 72 h, and 7 days following unilateral labyrinthectomy in comparison to normal VNC. Twenty-seven interesting spots in both normal and study groups were selected for MALDI-TOF MS. Expression of some selected genes was confirmed by RT-PCR. Results: In all, 22 of 27 spots were matched after MALDI-TOF MS. Among these, 14 proteins were highly expressed in normal VNCs and 8 were newly expressed following labyrinthectomy. Among these 14 normal proteins, 9 were consistently expressed in both normal and labyrinthectomized VCNs, while 5 were down-regulated following labyrinthectomy. Eight were newly expressed following labyrinthectomy. Expression patterns of nine genes at RT-PCR were compatible with protein expression patterns.


Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a powerful tool that has gained popularity in recent years for its effectiveness in reprogramming the subconscious mind and acquiring foreign languages. By understanding the principles of NLP and applying them to language learning, individuals can unlock their linguistic potential and improve their proficiency in a foreign language. This essay will explore how neuro-linguistic programming can be utilized to harness the power of the subconscious mind and facilitate language acquisition.One of the fundamental concepts in neuro-linguistic programming is the idea that the subconscious mind is a powerful force that shapes our thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs. Through various techniques, such as visualization and affirmations, individuals can influence and program their subconscious mind to acquire foreign languages more effectively. By consistently exposing oneself to the target language through listening, reading, and speaking, the subconscious mind begins to assimilate the linguistic patterns and structures, ultimately leading to improved language proficiency. NLP helps individuals tap into the vast potential of their subconscious mind and utilize it as a tool for language acquisition.Another crucial aspect of neuro-linguistic programming is the recognition of different learning styles and preferences. People have unique ways of processing and assimilating information, and NLP acknowledges this diversity. By identifying one's preferred learning style, individuals can tailor their language learning approach accordingly. For instance, visual learners may benefit from using mind maps or flashcards to associate words with images, while auditory learners may find listening to native speakers or audio materials helpful. NLP provides a framework for individuals to discover their learning styles and leverage them to accelerate language acquisition.In addition to understanding learning styles, neuro-linguistic programming also emphasizes the importance of effective communication. Language learning is not only about vocabulary and grammar but also about developing excellent communication skills in the target language. NLP techniques can improve individuals' ability to understand and express themselves in a foreign language, including body language, tone of voice, and non-verbal cues. By practicing effective communication strategies, such as mirroring or pacing, language learners can establish rapport with native speakers and enhance their overall fluency.


Rural Landscape learning module. This series explores the range of elements that influence rural health, with special emphasis on the unique challenges and innovative solutions emerging in rural communities. This installment of the series will specifically examine the relationship between rural health and rural economies.


Between 1978 to 1994, 110 osteotomies were performed in 94 patients. Fifty hips (40 patients) were included in this study. Six hips were in stage II avascular necrosis (Arlet-Ficat staging) and 44 hips were in stage III. In 14 patients an etiologic association was discovered, the remaining 26 were considered idiopathic. The postoperative assessment (Harris score) showed that there is no statistic differences between sexes. Results strongly depend on the amplitude of the necrotic (Kerboul) angle (p < 0.01), the preoperative mobility of the hip (p < 0.01), and age. The best postoperative results are usually obtained in young, active, patients with unilateral involvement, a necrotic angle of less than 200 degrees, a good preoperative range of hip motion, and in which the osteotomy is performed before the collapse of sequestrum.


Abstract This study examines the managerial role of five school principals in Tbilisi in sustaining success and innovation. It describes the management and leadership practices of five school principals, who are considered to be innovative, well-managed, with excellent academic results, and highlights the principals' own contributions for school innovation and success. The study used the case study method based on the qualitative research method. At each school, opinions on school governance were gathered through individual interviews with the school principal, representatives of local resource centers, and other members of the school board. students and members of the school community. This study provides insight into organizational culture and school changes, as well as the principal role of principals in creating and managing a successful and innovative school. The study uses stakeholder perspectives on school leadership and school performance to provide us with insight into school management in each case, as well as draw attention to differences and similarities between different cases. The research findings highlight the importance of principals' life experiences in determining their management style and values. Innovative principals identify five common aspects of leadership and related behaviors that characterize their leadership style and underpin the success of their schools. Furthermore, innovation schools have common characteristics. A map of how the principal's management style and school innovation and success, life experience, five managerial aspects and corresponding behaviors, and other elements of school success are related to innovative aspects of management and leadership has been developed. Realizing what works in successful and innovative schools is the preliminary step in determining how to direct the practice of such schools to those parts of the school that require this experience. The current study demonstrates an innovative management style, demonstrating that some principals are very successful in creating an innovative culture, including behavioral patterns that can be learned and used by people aspiring to innovative and successful school management.


This paper examines the impact of globalization on total factor productivity (TFP) performance of the Malaysian manufacturing sector. The motivation for this study is bring due to the need to present the impact of globalization on the TFP estimates of the manufacturing sector. In this study, we observe the globalization impact by taking into account the variables that representing globalization economy. The variables comprise of foreign labour, technology, foreign direct investment and the openness of the economy. Apart from that, outputs and capital intensity are also taken consideration. This study utilizes data from the Industrial Manufacturing Survey, Department of Statistics Malaysia, which cover the period from 1990 to 2008. The analysis comprises of two parts; the manufacturing sector and 15 industries of the manufacturing sector. The findings show that the FDI and openness of the economy are statistically significant and positively contribute to the performance of TFP of the manufacturing sector. On the other hand, foreign labour and the number of technology agreement are not statistically significant. Both variables do not contributed to the TFP performance of the manufacturing sector. In terms of analysis by industry, three industries indicate the effects on the TFP performance are at the highest. These are industries of the manufacturing machinery and equipment products, industry scientific and measuring equipment products and industry of electronics and electrical products.


Objective: Using data from cancer registries to estimate thyroid cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2015. Methods: Data submitted from local cancer registries were checked and evaluated according to the criteria of data quality control, a total of 368 cancer registries' data were qualified for the final analysis. Data were stratified by area (urban/rural, eastern/central/western), sex and age, combined with national population data to estimate thyroid cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2015. Results: Approximately 200,700 new cases were diagnosed in 2015, accounting for 5.11% of all cancer cases. The crude incidence rate was 14.60/100,000. Age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and world standard population (ASIRW) were 12.05/100,000 and 10.44/100,000, with the cumulative incidence rate (0–74 years old) of 1.00%. About 7,900 deaths of thyroid cancer were reported in 2015, accounting for 0.34% of all cancer deaths. The crude mortality rate was 0.58/100,000, age-standardized mortality rates by Chinese standard population (ASMRC) and world standard population (ASMRW) were 0.37/100,000 and 0.36/100,000. The age-standardized incidence and mortality in females were significantly higher than those in males (P < 0.001). The rates in urban areas were higher than those in rural areas (P < 0.001). The ASIRC in eastern areas was higher than that in central and western areas (P < 0.001), while the ASMRC in central areas was higher than that in eastern and western areas (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The burden of thyroid cancer was heavy in China, cancer control faces the problem of the disparity between geographic areas, and the incidence and mortality rates were varied by sex and age. Targeted cancer preventive measures should be put into practice.


While examining the taste of various proteins, we found that hen egg-white lysozyme, a bacteriolytic enzyme, had sweetness. Lysozymes from other sources such as turkey and soft-shelled turtle also showed sweetness with different tastes, heavy or light. In contrast, human lysozyme was tasteless. The amino acid sequences of the various lysozymes were similar to that of hen lysozyme, but hen lysozyme did not show significant homology to sweet proteins.


In a prospective, controlled study, 40 patients receiving a cadaveric renal transplant (first grafts) were randomized into two groups. Twenty patients were given antilymphocyte globulin (Behringwerke AHLG) in a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight for a total no. of 25 times in combination with a standard regimen of prednisone and azathioprine. Graft survival and graft function were similar in the two groups both at 18 and 30 months post transplantation. No serious side effects of the ALG treatment were observed.


The study of low-copy viral or genomic DNA sequences by in situ hybridization (ISH) is often limited by sensitivity. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the amplification of target DNA sequences in fixed cells [in situ PCR] (ISPCR) before ISH, we have been able to greatly improve the sensitivity of ISH. Viral DNA present in low copy number, single-copy genes, as well as immunoglobulin gene rearrangements (VH3 family genes), were successfully amplified in cells in suspension or on glass slides (cytospins). Single primer pairs were used in the in situ amplification step and 35S- or digoxigenin-11-dUTP-labeled region specific oligonucleotide probes were used for detection of amplificants by ISH. Artifacts, presumably resulting from leakage of in situ amplificants out of cells, may be a significant problem in selected instances. By optimal fixation and permeabilization of cells, limiting PCR cycle number, amplification of long DNA sequences, and/or incorporation of biotinylated dNTPs to produce bulkier amplificants together with washing of cells after ISPCR, diffusion artifacts were significantly reduced. Probe hybridization to single-stranded long PCR fragments or messenger RNA were excluded as a source for false-positive ISPCR results. The techniques reported dramatically increase the sensitivity of ISH in the detection of low-copy viral infection as well as in the study of gene rearrangements, and provide unique opportunities to study chromosomal translocations and point mutations at the cellular level.


This paper describes the analog front-end of a fully integrated CMOS TV decoder, suitable for the reception of terrestrial as well as satellite signals, based on the D2-MAC transmission system. While the video reconstruction is undertaken using DSP, the front-end subsystem incorporates many linear and non-linear analog functions, including amplitude measuring, AGC, clamping, data slicing, clock recovery and of course, A/D conversion for the MAC signal processing. The chip is fabricated in 1-/spl mu/ CMOS, and operates from a single 5-V supply. >


In presenting the sexual politics in her stories, Ismat Chughtai is often quite deconstructive. In her stories, "The Mole" and "The Homemaker," she breaks the traditional power nexus of man as the subject and woman as the Other in the politics of sexuality by presenting the characters of Rani and Lajo respectively. These characters, with their bold and authoritative sexuality, choose their sexual relationships on their own and posit themselves at the centre of those relationships—Rani in her relationships with Choudhry, Chunnan and Ratna; and Lajo in hers with Mirza. By portraying these two women as the subject in their sexual politics, Chughtai redefines the Other to be the man, instead of the woman. The pattern that Chughtai weaves here to do that has two distinct threads: first, empowering both Rani and Lajo with their sexuality and second, making them reciprocal in the sexual politics they share with the men in the stories. Drawing on the theoretical perspective from Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, this paper examines Chughtai's process of redefining the Other in the sexual politics between the men and the women in her stories. The study demonstrates that the author has redefined the Other to be the men in the stories when it comes to the question of a reciprocal sexual politics and thus she has contributed to the gynocentric Urdu narratives by manifesting an intellectual rebellion against the phallocentric notions of her time.


For the study of boundary value problems for delay differential equations, the contraction mapping principle and topological methods are used to obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution of differential equations with a constant delay. In this paper, the ideas of the contraction mapping principle are used to obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution of linear boundary value problems for integro-differential equations with many variable delays.
Smoothness properties of the solutions of such equations are studied and the definition of the boundary value problem solution is proposed. Properties of the variable delays are analyzed and functional space is obtained in which the boundary value problem is equivalent to a special integral equation. Sufficient, simple for practical verification coefficient conditions for the original equation are found under which there exists a unique solution of the boundary value problem.


Background and Purpose: Endovascular therapy (ET) is increasingly utilized in acute ischemic stroke treatment and is now considered the gold standard approach for select patient populations. Prior studies have demonstrated that eventual patient outcome depend on both patient specific factors as well as procedural considerations. However, these factors remain unclear for acute basilar artery occlusion stroke. We sought to determine prognostic factors of good outcome after ET for acute posterior circulation stroke Methods: We reviewed our prospectively collected endovascular databases at two tertiary care academic institutions for patients with acute posterior circulation strokes from September 2005 to September 2015. Baseline characteristics, procedural data and outcomes were evaluated. A good outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 at 3 months. The association between clinical and procedural parameters and functional outcome was assessed. Results: A total of 214 qualified for the study. Smoking status, creatinine levels, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS), anesthesia modality (conscious sedation vs general anesthesia), procedural length and reperfusion status were significantly associated with outcomes in the univariate analysis Multivariate logistic regression indicated that only smoking (odds ratio, 2.49; 95% confidence interval 1.16-5.36; P=0.019), low NIHSS (odds ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval 0.88-0.96; P Conclusion: Our study suggests that baseline NIHSS, smoking and reperfusion status are independent predictors of good outcomes after ET for acute posterior circulation stroke.


The clinical application of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has revolutionized the field of cancer therapy, as it has enabled the successful treatment of previously untreatable types of cancer. Different mechanisms play a role in the anti‐tumour effect of mAbs. These include blocking of tumour‐specific growth factor receptors or of immune modulatory molecules as well as complement and cell‐mediated tumour cell lysis. Thus, for many mAbs, Fc‐mediated effector functions critically contribute to the efficacy of treatment. As immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes differ in their ability to bind to Fc receptors on immune cells as well as in their ability to activate complement, they differ in the immune responses they activate. Therefore, the choice of antibody isotype for therapeutic mAbs is dictated by its intended mechanism of action. Considering that clinical efficacy of many mAbs is currently achieved only in subsets of patients, optimal isotype selection and Fc optimization during antibody development may represent an important step towards improved patient outcome. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of the therapeutic effector functions of different isotypes and Fc‐engineering strategies to improve mAbs application.


Introduction Australia's National Quality Standard (NQS) outlines the criteria to assess the quality of early childhood services. A four-point rating scale: (i) Exceeding NQS; (ii) Meeting NQS; (iii) Working Toward NQS; and (iv) Significant Improvement Required is applied to services following a regular assessment and rating process. Settings rated as Working Toward are reassessed within 12 months. Most settings achieved a one-step improvement in this Time 2 reassessment, moving to a Meeting rating but some settings made a two-step improvement, moving to an Exceeding rating. The QIP is a key document used by authorities to assess the quality of a service. Methods A grounded theory, data driven approach was taken to deepen understanding of quality rating improvements in long day care services in Australia of quality rating improvements by early childhood education and care [ECEC] services in Australia. This study, part of the second phase of a three phase study involved a document analysis of the Time 2 Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) of a representative sample of Long Day Care (LDC) services (n = 60) from all Australian states and territories to determine what factors may have contributed to these different levels of improvement, with a focus on Quality Area 1 (QA1) (Educational programs and practices) and Quality Area 7 (QA7) (Governance and leadership). The study utilized the semantic analysis tool Leximancer 4.5. Leximancer 4.5 statistically analyses the semantic relationships between concepts in documents by measuring word proximity and correlation. The software creates visual maps of concepts and their connections to each other in texts. Concepts located near one another on the map are more likely to be contextually related. This tool is particularly useful when there are multiple, complex documents to analyze, reducing the potential biases that can arise from documents that use language with which these researchers are very familiar with. Results The analysis found clear differences between the Time 2 QIPs of services who had made a two-step rating improvement and those who made a one-step improvement. Two-step (Exceeding NQS) category improvers for QA1 placed attention in their QIPs on improvement to the program and overall practice, with an orientation to the role of the educational leader. Two-step (Exceeding NQS) category improvers for QA7 seemed to be more oriented to a systemic view of the processes encompassed by QA7; how the management of the service and information supports the work of educators, with stronger links made between leadership roles (the manager and nominated supervisor) and the work of educators. Discussion The QIPs demonstrated how the intentional and systemic processes in these quality areas related to practice, management, and leadership.


Drama has always fascinated audiences. Audiences have been captivated by dramatic presentations of the plights of others since antiquity, which not only satisfies their natural curiosity but also provides a platform from which dramatists can tackle pressing issues of the day and present them in a manner that is both easily understood and literately accessible. Many of Ben Jonson's plays, like Volpone, or The Fox (1606) and The Alchemist (1610), are caustic condemnations of prevailing societal norms. The famed British poet and dramatist Ben Jonson was born in London on 11 June 1572. His father, who was a priest, died just a month before his birth, and his mother promptly remarried again master bricklayer Robert Brett. After getting a classical education at school, Ben Jonson rose from an apprentice bricklayer and soldier to become one of the most acclaimed playwrights and poets of the 17th century. As a writer, he had a troubled beginning, having spent time in prison for writing a controversial play and then murdered another actor shortly after his release. Jonson was a contentious figure due to the extent to which he satirised the English upper classes as he grew in stature. Although he never entirely reconciled himself to English authority, his talent as a dramatist and courtier earned him a pension from King James I and, in effect, the position of unofficial Poet Laureate of England. He brought to the fore the comedy of humor. The current study aims to study the English Playwright Ben Johnson, commenting on his literary style, and presents his most famous plays Volpone, or The Fox (1606) and The Alchemist (1610). The research paper falls into introduction, two sections, and a conclusion which sums the whole findings.


In this book, Michael J. Buckley investigates the rise of modern atheism, arguing convincingly that its roots reach back to the seventeenth century, when Catholic theologians began to call upon philosophy and science-rather than any intrinsically religious experience-to defend the existence of god. Buckley discusses in detail thinkers such as Lessius, Mersenne, Descartes, and Newton, who paved the way for the explicit atheism of Diderot and D'Holbach in the eighteenth century. "[A] capaciously learned and brilliantly written book...This is one of the most interesting and closely argued works on theology that i have read in the last decade."-Lawrence S. Cunningham, Theology Today


Abstract A woman's freedom to develop her personality or identity as she sees fit is supposed to be legally protected in twenty-first century Europe. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) provides a right to respect for one's private life in Article 8 which has been judicially interpreted to provide a right to identity or personality development. Additionally, Article 14 provides for non-discrimination and Articles 9 and 10 for freedom of expression, including that which is religious. Arguments are examined of some different interpretations of the overall purpose of human rights law − to respect human dignity and human freedom. These are examined by reference to the recent criminalisation of wearing face coverings in public places in certain European countries where the intention is to prevent the wearing of the Islamic full-face veil.1 It is argued that each woman's identity is legally recognised when the concepts of human dignity and human freedom are interpreted as empowering and self-determining rather than constraining and paternalistic. Legally banning full-face veils, in liberal democracies in situations where an adult woman says she has freely chosen to wear such a garment, misrecognises her and disrespects her identity or personality: as a human being, as a member of a religious or cultural group and as an individual person capable of subjectively interpreting her own identity or personality as she sees fit.


The poems in Ros Barber's debut collection demonstrate her skill in isolating the extraordinary within the commonplace, conveying universal emotions with unusual directness and resonance. In so doing, she looks set to become one of those few poets to appeal to the general reader and achieve an audience beyond the limited confines of the poetry circuit. Striking as a performer of her own poems, Barber is also a writer of rare ability in transferring her voice – and often the voices of others – to the page, without losing any subtlety of inflection. The intricacies of human feeling are adroitly evoked in narratives arranged with formal dexterity, from tight, highly charged sonnets to more extended pieces such as the title sequence. Throughout, a leavening of dark humour provides a counterbalance to the bittersweet tone that pervades many of the poems.


Fibrinopeptide A and thrombin-antithrombin III complex were used respectively as markers for in vivo thrombin formation and beta-thromboglobulin as a marker for platelet activation. In cases of acute renal failure (ARF) a heightened plasma concentration in the hemostasis activation markers may occur, because of a renal elimination disturbance, without a previous activation of the hemostasis. In order to check the validity of fibrinopeptide A, thrombin-antithrombin III complex and beta-thromboglobulin as markers for the hemostasis activation in cases of ARF we examined 32 patients prior to renal replacement therapy. A significant rise in fibrinopeptide A (x +/- SD: 34 +/- 22 ng/mL, ref < 3.0), thrombin-antithrombin III complex (19 +/- 15 ng/mL, ref 1.0-4.0) and beta-thromboglobulin (149 +/- 58 U/mL, ref 10-40) was found. None of the parameters examined showed a correlation to the serum creatinine. A correlation was observed respectively between fibrinopeptide A (r = 0.34, p < .05), beta-thromboglobulin (r = 0.39, p < .05) and the beta-thromboglobulin/creatinine coefficient (0.50 +/- 0.30, r = 0.72, p < .001) on the one side and the thrombin-antithrombin III complex on the other. A greater rise in the concentration of all parameters in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was established, in contrast to patients without DIC (fibrinopeptide A: 44 +/- 31 vs. 32 +/- 20 ng/mL, beta-thromboglobulin: 169 +/- 57 vs. 144 +/- 60 U/mL, thrombin-antithrombin III complex 40 +/- 21 vs. 14 +/- 7 ng/mL, p < .05). Fibrinopeptide A and beta-thromboglobulin/creatinine coefficient in combination with the thrombin-antithrombin III complex can be employed as markers for the activation of hemostasis in cases of ARF there is no direct relationship between restricted kidney function in ARF and the plasma concentration of these markers, which behave similarly in spite of their varying elimination patterns.


We report two unusual cases of left atrial wall dissection creating a left atrial pseudoaneurysm associated with regurgitation a few months after mitral valve replacement. We emphasize the important role of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis. The two patients successfully underwent surgery.


IMPORTANCE
Little attention has been paid to clinical features of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in individuals without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical manifestations and comorbidities of patients without HIV infection who have CMV-associated posterior uveitis or panuveitis.

DESIGN AND SETTING
Retrospective observational case series in an academic research setting.

PARTICIPANTS
The medical records were reviewed of 18 patients (22 affected eyes) diagnosed as having posterior uveitis or panuveitis who had aqueous positive for CMV by polymerase chain reaction techniques.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Demographic data, clinical manifestations, and associated systemic diseases were recorded.

RESULTS
Ocular features included focal hemorrhagic retinitis (n = 13) and peripheral retinal necrosis (n = 7). Two eyes had no focal retinal lesions but manifested vasculitis and vitritis. All patients exhibited vitreous inflammation. Inflammatory reactions in anterior segments developed in 14 of 22 eyes (64%). Retinal vasculitis was observed in 16 of 22 eyes (73%) and included mostly arteries (in 13 of 16 eyes [81%]). Eleven of 18 patients were taking immunosuppressive medications (5 for hematologic malignant diseases, 4 for systemic autoimmune diseases, and 2 following organ transplants). One additional patient was diagnosed as having non-Hodgkin lymphoma 3 months after the onset of CMV-associated panuveitis, and another patient had primary immunodeficiency disorder. Of the remaining 5 patients, 2 had diabetes mellitus, and 3 had no associated systemic diseases and exhibited no evidence of immune deficiency.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Cytomegalovirus-associated infections of posterior eye segments can develop in patients without HIV infection who have compromised immune function of variable severity but may occur also in individuals who have no evidence of immune insufficiency. Cytomegalovirus infections located in posterior eye segments in patients without HIV infection caused intraocular inflammatory reaction in all cases and demonstrated more variable clinical presentation than classic CMV retinitis observed in patients with HIV infection.


Dysregulated VLDL-TAG (very-low-density lipoprotein triacylglycerol) metabolism in obesity may account for hypertriacylglycerolaemia and increased cardiovascular disease. ω-3 FAEEs (omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters) decrease plasma TAG and VLDL concentrations, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we carried out a 6-week randomized, placebo-controlled study to examine the effect of high-dose ω-3 FAEE supplementation (3.2 g/day) on the metabolism of VLDL-TAG in obese men using intravenous administration of d5-glycerol. We also explored the relationship of VLDL-TAG kinetics with the metabolism of VLDL-apo (apolipoprotein) B-100 and HDL (high-density lipoprotein)-apoA-I. VLDL-TAG isotopic enrichment was measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Kinetic parameters were derived using a multicompartmental model. Compared with placebo, ω-3 FAEE supplementation significantly lowered plasma concentrations of total (-14%, P<0.05) and VLDL-TAG (-32%, P<0.05), as well as hepatic secretion of VLDL-TAG (-32%, P<0.03). The FCR (fractional catabolic rate) of VLDL-TAG was not altered by ω-3 FAEEs. There was a significant association between the change in secretion rates of VLDL-TAG and VLDL-apoB-100 (r=0.706, P<0.05). However, the change in VLDL-TAG secretion rate was not associated with change in HDL-apoA-I FCR (r=0.139, P>0.05). Our results suggest that the TAG-lowering effect of ω-3 FAEEs is associated with the decreased VLDL-TAG secretion rate and hence lower plasma VLDL-TAG concentration in obesity. The changes in VLDL-TAG and apoB-100 kinetics are closely coupled.


fourth-order transverse anisotropies are shown to lead to field-tuned QTh4 and the corresponding steps in the magnetization. These terms allow transitions that obey the selection rules A m = 2 1.22.24, respectively, where m is the magnetic quantum number. For the fourth-order transverse anisotropy the fields at which pair of levels cross are not regularly spaced. The role played by the orientation and sweep procedure of the applied field are also studied, the steps size being very sensitive to the latter. Magnetization curves for non-saturated initial states as well as for excited initial states can show steps when the field decreases in absolute value, a feature not observed in experiments. This phenomenon can be relevant for the analysis of the proposition of temperature assistance to field-tuned QTM. Finally, calculations for the experimentally determined estimations of the spin Hamiltonian parameters are presented and discussed in relation to the experimental observations on the above-mentioned high-spin compounds.


A comprehensive lumped parameter electrical analog model of cardiopulmonary (CP) system to study the interaction between cardiovascular and respiratory system is presented. This model consists of 1) cardiovascular model which integrates four cardiac chambers with valves, pulmonary and systemic circulation, septal and pericardial coupling, and baroreflex control 2) respiratory system with lung mechanics and gas transport at alveolar-capillary membrane. The cardio-pulmonary interaction is realized by intrapleural pressure (Ppl). The governing equations for pressure, volume and flow in each vascular and respiratory compartment are derived from mass balance and continuity principles. Computer simulations are accomplished by numerically integrating the differential equations. Parameters of this combined model are adjusted to fit nominal data, yielding accurate hemodynamic waveforms and validated with literature data. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to individual model parameters. The respiratory influence on aortic pressure is analyzed with pulse pressure (PP) in Valsalva Maneuver(VM). Photoplethesmography is recorded to validate the aortic pressure variations in VM. The maximal percentage changes of PP in phase II of VM shows moderate negative correlation in both simulation and experiment. In summary, this model can be used to analyze cardiopulmonary interactions in normal and pathological states of both the systems.