Abstract Cubosomes can be considered as a novel lipid-based nanosystems similar to well-known vesicular systems such as liposomes and niosomes. Cubosomes have been widely formulated using certain amphiphilic lipids (e.g. glyceryl monooleate and phytantriol) in the presence of a suitable stabilizer. They can represent a novel drug delivery system which could be loaded with hydrophilic, lipophilic and amphiphilic drug molecules. They are widely used for various drug delivery applications such as oral, ocular, transdermal and chemotherapy drug delivery. In this review, the pertinent literature of cubosomes with emphasis on theories of self-assembling, the composition of cubosomes, methods of preparation and drug delivery applications will be critically reviewed.


The Thermo Scientific™ Aquilos™ Cryo-FIB is a cryo-dedicated DualBeam™ system that delivers optimal sample preparation for high-end cryo-TEM tomography. The Aquilos completes our cryo-electron tomography workflow, allowing researchers to reliably create samples with precisely controlled thickness with minimal investment in time and effort.


154 p. Transcription of the second edition of that originally prepared in ASCII in 1993 by R.S. Bear from the John C. Nimmo facsimile (London, 1895) of the British Museum copy of the first edition of 1579. A number of errors were found in the first edition and have been corrected; it is to be hoped that new errors were not introduced. Long "s" has been modernized, "vv" has been replaced by "w", and catchwords have been omitted. Sixteenth century usage of "i" for "j" and of "u" and "v" has been retained, along with the original spelling. Text found in the original in Greek has been transliterated within brackets. A few printer's errors have been emended, also within brackets. The poems, which were originally in black letter, have been romanized. "E. K."'s notes in the original and in most editions are arranged in hanging indent paragraphs; these have been reformatted and hyper linked to the poems. The 12 woodcuts are included as inline GIF images.


INTRODUCTION
Different drugs can affect the hair. Among the various types of drug-induced hair changes, hair colour change is a rare phenomenon which is less reported in the literature. Hair colour changes include lightening of the hair, whitening or returning to the original colour and even change to a new colour. In this article we report a patient presenting with hair yellowing due to topical treatment with minoxidil and discuss the phenomenon of drug-induced hair colour changes.


This paper presents the development and research of intelligent controllers for pyrolysis reactors control systems on the basis of its mathematical models. The functional structure and mathematical model of the pyrolysis reactor control system are presented. The reactor heating temperature control system is developed with the fuzzy PD-controllers of Mamdani and Sugeno types. The adjustment procedures of the fuzzy controllers, simulation and quality indicators comparative analysis of the control systems with fuzzy and traditional PD-controllers are carried out. Simulation results confirm the efficiency of the developed control systems, based on intelligent controllers. The PLC based realization of most efficient fuzzy controller is then considered.


Abstract The measurement and inspection of manufactured parts play a vital role in manufacturing industry and is considered an integral part of the quality control. Though this is recognized, the state of the art in measurement and inspection of components is still recognized as a separate island of automation with no formal overall integration of standards and specifications. Although the introduction of probing has enabled automated inspection processes to become commonplace, the solutions for the in-process gauging at CNC machine tools and the programming of coordinate measuring machines is still vendor specific. The introduction of new standards for data exchange, such as STEP, AP219, and STEP-NC, has influenced the future direction of the inspection process. In light of current research in this field, a STEP compliant inspection framework for a component is presented. This framework aims to provide a capability to establish standardized measuring and inspection across the total CAx chain. It will facilitate the use of information downstream in the chain, such as an inspection workplan, workingsteps, and a mechanism to close the loop and feedback of inspection results to component model design. In order to achieve this integration STEP-NC (ISO14649) along with AP219 has been used in this research to provide the basis of a STEP-compliant inspection framework.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the natural infection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Guangdong Province, and to provide the scientific evidence for control measures.

METHODS
The investigation was carried out in 56 villages of 28 towns of 28 counties/districts in East Guangdong, West Guangdong, the mountain area of North Guangdong and Peal River Delta of the Province from 2005 to 2010. The rodents were captured with live trap and the species identified. Angiostrongylus cantonensis adult worms were collected from the hearts and lungs of rodents, examined, counted and the sex of worms identified.

RESULTS
The rodents were captured from 2005 to 2010, belonged to 2 orders, 2 families (subfamily), 4 genera and 10 species. Seven species of the rodents were found infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis in all 28 counties/districts. Totally 5 820 rats were examined and 496 infected ones were identified, with a mean infection rate of 8.52%. The infection rate of rodents was highest in the Peal River Delta, reaching 9.8% (205/2084) (chi2=15.25, P<0.01). Rattus norvegicus had the highest infection rate of 16.9% (310/1 835) (chi2=240.91, P<0.01). The mean intensity of infection was 6.1 worms/rat. 1 125 female and 1064 male worms were found respectively (chi2=1.75, P>0.05).

CONCLUSION
Natural infection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rodents has been found in all the 56 villages selected from the 4 regions of Guangdong Province.


SUMMARY Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from paddy fields is crucial both for the sustainability of rice production and mitigation of global climatic warming. The effects of applying industrial and agricultural wastes as fertilizer on the reduction of GHG emissions in cropland areas, however, remain poorly known. We studied the effects of the application of 8 Mg ha−1 of diverse wastes on GHG emission and rice yield in a subtropical paddy in southeastern China. Plots fertilized with steel slag, biochar, shell slag, gypsum slag and silicate and calcium fertilizer had lower total global-warming potentials (GWP, including CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions) per unit area than control plots without waste application despite non-significant differences among these treatments. Structural equation models showed that the effects of these fertilization treatments on gas emissions were partially due to their effects on soil variables, such as soil water content or soil salinity. Steel slag, biochar and shell slag increased rice yield by 7.1%, 15.5% and 6.5%, respectively. The biochar amendment had a 40% lower GWP by Mg−1 yield production, relative to the control. These results thus encourage further studies of the suitability of the use waste materials as fertilizers in other different types of paddy field as a way to mitigate GHG emissions and increase crop yield.


I will discuss the notion of time and spatial finiteness from the perspective of observational cosmology. Our observed universe is well described at early times by small fluctuations in the spatial gravitational field, distributed homogeneously and isotropically on an otherwise smooth background spacetime. The dominant paradigm for an even earlier phase of the evolution of our universe typically generates a space similar to what we observe but with vastly larger spatial extent. Even in a classical theory, the fact that we observe only a finite volume of space and time means that there are statistical uncertainties in testing and constraining the theory. In the absence of evidence that our observable universe is all there is, the cosmological principle suggests that we should consider ourselves to be a typical region of a vastly larger space. I will consider the problems of time and largest spatial scale of the universe from the perspective of accepting an imperfect and incomplete theory on scales currently out of reach of our necessarily imperfect and incomplete observations. The question then is how to work in incremental steps to push for a broader range of understanding.


The selection of earthquake motions is dependent on the engineering analysis to be performed. A pseudostatic analysis uses a coefficient usually obtained from an appropriate map, while a dynamic analysis is made using accelerograms assigned to a site or from specified response spectra. Each type of analysis requires significantly different input motions. All selections of motions must allow for a paucity of representative strong motion records, especially near field motions from earthquakes of Magnitude 7 and greater, and an enormous spread in the available data. One must project data and bracket its spread in order to fill in the gaps and assure that there will be no surprises. Meanwhile, each locality may have differing special characteristics in its geology, seismic history, attenuation, recurrence, interpreted maximum events, etc.; thus, each part of the investigation must entail differences in decision levels. In some cases, a "least work" approach may be suitable, simply assuming the worst of several possibilities and testing for it. Since there are no standard procedures to follow, multiple approaches are useful. For example, peak motions at a site may be obtained from several methods that involve magnitude of earthquake, distance from source, and corresponding motions; concurrently, motions may be assigned from other charts on the basis of earthquake intensity. There are various interpretations for duration, recurrence, effects of site conditions, etc. The various interpretations can be compared. Probabilities can be assigned, however, they present very serious problems when they are extrapolated beyond their data base. Ultimately, what is reasonable is a subjective judgment and should depend, to an important extent, on the consequences of failure. Usually, a mean plus one standard deviation of possible variants in the data puts one in a conservative position. Where failure presents no hazard to life, lower numbers may be justified providing there are cost benefits and the risk is acceptable to the owner. Where there is a large hazard to life, i.e., a dam above an urbanized area, one may wish to use values that approximate the very worst. Each selection has to be appropriate for its particular set of circumstances.


The African Union is preparing for its enhanced role in the maintenance of peace and security
by establishing a Peace and Security Council that is tasked with identifying threats and breaches
of the peace. To this end, the AU has recommended the development of a common security
policy and, by 2010, the establishment of an African Standby Force capable of rapid deployment
to keep, or enforce, the peace. The ASF would comprise of standby brigades in each of
the five regions, and incorporate a police and civilian expert capacity. G8 leaders have pledged
support for the AU proposal through funding, training, and enhanced co-ordination of activities.
For its part, the AU will need to undertake a realistic assessment of member capabilities, to
clearly articulate its needs, and to set realistic and achievable goals. The latest plan for establishing
a rapidly deployable African peacekeeping force will require something that similar proposals
have lacked: the political will to fund and implement a long list of recommendations.
Success will ultimately be judged by the AU's future responses to situations of armed conflict.
Even if such responses are largely symbolic in the short term, a sufficient display of political will
among African leaders could inspire the confidence needed to galvanise international support.


The navigation problem of the distributed satellites system (DSS) employing relative range measurements and some inertial position measurements of partial satellites is investigated. A fusion navigation algorithm based on the quasi-consistency extended Kalman filter (QCEKF) is proposed, which can provide an on-line evaluation of the navigation precision. Additionally, the fusion scheme can ensure that the upper bound for the algorithm is better than that without fusion. The simulations show the effectiveness of the navigation algorithms and the improved navigation precision of the fusion scheme.


Title of Document: EFFECTS OF GRAPE POMACE ON METABOLIC SYNDROME: DIABETES AND OBESITY Haiwen Li, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015 Directed by: Professor Thomas W. Castonguay Department of Nutrition and Food Science Diabetes and obesity are twin epidemics that are closely linked to each other. In the United States, diabetes currently affects approximately 29.1 million adults and children. The estimated economic cost of treating diabetic patients and their related complications reached $245 billion in the US in 2012. Additionally, the prevalence of obesity is increasing during the recent decades. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012 reported that more than twothirds of US adults (68.5%) are overweight, and more than one-third (34.9%) were obese. Both diabetes and obesity are currently considered diseases. Although they cannot be completely cured, diabetes and obesity can sometimes be prevented by increasing physical activity and eating healthy foods. Producing healthy foods or healthy agro-produced supplements would be the first line of defense against such diseases. In search of plant products that can be used for preventative medicine, we recently discovered that grape pomace, the by-product from the waste of the wine and juice industries, has great potential to prevent diabetes and obesity. The fundamental goal of this research is to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) of the grape pomace extract's (GPE) preventive functions on diabetes and obesity, and to provide scientific evidence to guide its use in developing functional foods for diabetes and obesity prevention. We hypothesize that GPE may prevent diabetes and obesity through altering the expression of genes on the signaling or metabolic pathways that lead to diabetes and obesity manifestation. This research project targeted on 4 specific objectives: 1) to characterize the action of GPE in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia through inhibition of alpha-glucosidase; 2) to understand the mode of molecular action of GPE in control of diabetes; 3) to understand the mode of molecular action of GPE in control of obesity; 4) to examine the effects of GPE on diabetes and obesity at genome wide. Throughout these research activities, we provided molecular evidence toward understanding the mode action of GPE in preventing diabetes and obesity. Such knowledge will provide guidance for future studies in developing GPE as an alternative therapeutic for the control of diabetes and obesity. Moreover this study may also lead to food industry applications in producing functional foods for diabetic and obese populations. EFFECTS OF GRAPE POMACE ON METABOLIC SYNDROME: DIABETES AND OBESITY


The choice of the beam shape allows additional control over the degree of equalisation and scatter rejection. The relation between beam shape and image quality is investigated for SER and an optimum is chosen for applications in chest imaging.


Giant cell hepatitis associated with direct Coombs' test-positive hemolytic anemia is a rare condition of childhood and the pathogenesis remains unclear. An autoimmune activation and loss of self-tolerance in these patients may be the underlying pathology related to the response of some of the patients to immunosuppressive treatment. Herein, we report the clinical presentation and course of three consecutive patients with this rare condition. We conclude that serum ferritin at diagnosis may be used for prediction of the outcome.


Tobacco products are a major cause of death and disease across the globe. These products killed 100 million people in the 20th century, and they are currently responsible for almost 6 million deaths annually. In 2008, more people died from tobacco products than from AIDS, TB, and malaria combined.

If current trends persist, it is estimated that tobacco products will kill more than 8 million people worldwide each year by the year 2030. By the end of this century, tobacco products may kill a billion people or more unless urgent action is taken.

Not only are tobacco products are a major cause of preventable death and disease, but they are also responsible for increasing health disparities. In high income countries, the prevalence of tobacco use is highest among the most disadvantaged segments of society, including those with mental health illnesses, those of low socioeconomic status, and those with comorbidities. But there are also major disparities in the burden of illness from tobacco products across nations, with low and middle income countries (LMIC) bearing the lion's share of the devastating impacts of tobacco products. This presentation will focus on global health disparities caused by tobacco.

Because low and middle income countries are still in the early stages of the tobacco epidemic, they have yet to experience the full impact of tobacco-caused disease and death already evident in wealthier countries where tobacco use has been common for much of the past century. Many of these countries have fewer resources to respond to the health, social and economic problems caused by tobacco use, which will exacerbate the tobacco epidemic's impacts. Tobacco-caused disease and death will hit these countries very hard in the coming decades, absent a strong international effort to combat tobacco use. The good news is that many countries have made great strides in implementing evidence-based tobacco control policies to address this preventable epidemic.

Citation Format: Joanna Cohen. Global tobacco control and disparities in smoking. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr PL04-04.


A Gaussian broadcast channel with r single-antenna receivers where the transmitter is equipped with t antennas and where both the transmitter and the receivers have perfect knowledge of the propagation channel is considered. This provides a very simple model for the downlink of a wireless system, but despite its apparent simplicity it is in general a nondegraded broadcast channel, for which the capacity region is not fully known. We propose a novel transmission scheme based on \ranked known interference". In brief, the transmitter decomposes the channel into an ordered (or ranked) set of interference channels for which the interference signal of the i-th channel is generated as a linear combination of the signals transmitted in channels j < i. In this way, known techniques of coding for non-causally known interference can be applied to make the interference in each channel harmless without further power penalty. We show that the proposed scheme is throughputwise asymptotically optimal for both low and high SNR. In the special case of 2-antenna and 2-users we propose a modi cation of the basic strategy achieving optimal throughput for all SNRs. Finally, the in nite-dimensional Rayleigh channel is considered and throughput closed-form expressions are provided in various cases. This analysis shows that a practical and sensible strategy to the downlink of a wireless system consists of hybrid TDMA and space-time multiplexing where only a subset of active users, whose optimal size depends on the available SNR, is served at any given channel use by using our ranked known interference scheme. TDMA is used for time-sharing between di erent active user subsets to give to all users the same average rate without penalty in the maximum throughput. Also, constant-power variablerate coding achieves practically the same throughput of variable-power variable-rate coding (water lling power allocation).


Background: To evaluate the modifications of circulating angiogenic factors, metalloproteinases and acute-phase cytokines after the first single zoledronic acid (ZA) intravenous infusion. Experimental Design:Eighteen consecutive breast cancer patients with bone metastases were evaluated for circulating levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), interleukins 1β, 6 and 8 (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), interferon γ, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor β1 just before and 2 and 7 days after ZA infusion. Results: The MMP-2 basal value showed a statisticallysignificant decrease 48 h after ZA (p = 0.01), being at 7 days higher than the day 2 value (p = 0.03). The VEGF basal value showed a statisticallysignificant decrease 48 h after ZA infusion (p = 0.03), increasing above the basal level at 7 days (p = 0.07). The bFGF basal level almost significantly decreased 2 days after infusion (p = 0.06), being at 7 days higher than the basal value (p = 0.09). Comparing the day 2 values with basal ones, the linear regression model showed a significantpositive correlation between IL-8 and bFGF (p = 0.02), IL-8 and TNF-α (p < 0.0001), bFGF and TNF-α (p = 0.01), MMP-1 and TNF-α (p = 0.02). Conclusions: ZA could exert an antiangiogenic activity and inhibition of tumor cell bone invasiveness by a transient reduction of VEGF, bFGF and MMP-2 circulating levels after infusion.


Recently, the perpendicular magnetization of tunnel junctions has been proposed as a way to reduce the size of spin-transfer torque random access memories. In order to determine the free layer of a magnetic tunnel junction, we present a Co(90)Zr(10) alloy that is expected to have a higher polarization than any other soft magnet. At a thickness of 0.6 nm, CoZr successfully forms a perpendicular magnetization because of the interfacial anisotropy on the CoZr/Pt interfaces. Unlike the Co/Pt multilayer, the CoZr/Pt multilayer shows magnetization recovery following 1.5-T field cooling after 300 °C annealing because Zr insertion prevents the formation of a CoPt alloy. This work proposes CoZr as a free-layer candidate for magnetic tunnel junctions due to its advantages of lower switching current and higher thermal stability.


Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection is a noninvasive means of obtaining lower respiratory tract samples that can be safely used to detect inflammatory markers and a variety of molecules. Interestingly, the concentration of these biomarkers in EBC is influenced by the presence of lung diseases and may be modulated by therapeutic interventions. Despite a number of technical limitations, EBC has multiple advantages, mainly related to its noninvasiveness, that make it especially attractive for use in critically ill and mechanically ventilated patients. However, although evidence on the use of EBC is increasing rapidly, only few studies including critically ill and mechanically ventilated patients have been published to date; most investigations have focused on EBC acidity, nitric oxide-related compounds, and markers of oxidative stress. Further research is needed to establish the possible role of EBC in the general management of critically ill patients in the future. The aim of this review was to analyze the current knowledge regarding EBC use in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.


This research had analyzed the causes of removal of work by disease problems in a public hospital net in Minas Gerais. The given were collected from the medical file of the workers in the division attention to worker healthy, referents to 2002. Were searched 16 hospital units. Between the 4735 medical licenses identified, 65,34% were extended from 1 to 3 days, considered a short duration. As the most frequent causes: diseases in the respiratory System (16, 20%), diseases in the muscle skeptical system and connective tissue (15,21%). The units of emergency had a projection on concession of licenses. The profile of absenteeism- disease showed different for short and long duration. The licenses over 15 days are cases more complex, chronicle process, while the 3 days licenses indicates diseases less serious and of a quicker solution.


A44 Introduction: Gene expression analysis in peripheral blood is an important tool in molecular diagnostics, monitoring diseases at the molecular level, clinical research, and clinical trials of new drugs. Since the introduction of the PAXgene Blood RNA System, researchers have expressed a need for a low-throughput, automated (LTA) solution for RNA preparation from blood collected in PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes, with purification based on the proven silica-membrane spin-column technology in the PAXgene Blood RNA Kit. The aim of this research study was to develop and optimize a protocol for LTA RNA purification using PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes and the (manual) PAXgene Blood RNA Kit on a robotic platform.
 (Note: The combination of the PAXgene Blood RNA Kit on the robotic platform is for research use only and not for use in diagnostic procedures. It has not received clearance or approval for clinical use in the US, Canada or Europe.)
 Methods: Replicate blood samples were collected in PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes, and starting from the resuspended nucleic acid pellet, RNA was purified using either the manual procedure according to the PAXgene Blood RNA Kit handbook (reference protocol) or the new automated purification procedure (test protocol). To enable comparison of the test and reference protocol performance, purified RNA from both protocols was analyzed spectrophotometrically, by capillary gel electrophoresis, in real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RQ-RT-PCR), and in PCR assays to measure RNA yield, purity, integrity, RQ-RT-PCR inhibition, and traces of genomic DNA (gDNA).
 Results: The new automated PAXgene Blood RNA protocol was highly reliable in that there were no failures in sample processing. Furthermore, the quantity and quality of purified RNA was comparable between both protocols: Greater than 95% of samples processed on the instrument yielded RNA of >3micrograms per tube, all samples contained Conclusion: This research study demonstrates that the new automated protocol using proven silica-membrane spin-column technology and existing chemistry with the new robotic platform provides an efficient and reliable alternative LTA solution to the manual protocol. Automated processing reduces user interaction and hands-on time, resulting in a more convenient workflow compared to the manual PAXgene Blood RNA procedure.


Cellular biology occurs through myriad interactions between diverse molecular components, many of which assemble in to specific complexes. Various techniques can provide a qualitative survey of which components are found in a given complex. However, quantitative analysis of the absolute number of molecules within a complex (known as stoichiometry) remains challenging. Here we provide a novel method that combines fluorescence microscopy and statistical modelling to derive accurate molecular counts. We have devised a system in which a given biomolecule is differentially labelled with spectrally distinct fluorescent dyes (label A or B), which are then mixed such that B-labelled molecules are vastly outnumbered by those with label A. Complexes, containing this component, are then simply scored as either being positive or negative for label B. The frequency of positive complexes is directly related to the stoichiometry of interaction and molecular counts can be inferred by statistical modelling. We demonstrate this method using complexes of Adenovirus particles and monoclonal antibodies, achieving counts that are in excellent agreement with previous estimates. Beyond virology, this approach is readily transferable to other experimental systems and, therefore, provides a powerful tool for quantitative molecular biology. The statistical models used in our analysis are available here: https://github.com/sophiamersmann/molecular-counting, the raw data used for molecular counting can be found here: 10.5281/zenodo.3955142.


Schools of allied health are relative newcomers to the formal academic setting. Consequently, these new academic units are particularly vulnerable to external threats to survival as they struggle to achieve acceptance by faculty and administrators in the traditional disciplines. This paper describes an application of Leavitt's Organizational Model for systems analysis of schools of allied health. A meta-analysis of studies reported in the Journal of Allied Health was conducted to provide administrative insight for the model's dimensions of task, structure, technology, and people. The model is helpful in organizing information and predicting effects of intervention strategies when any single dimension is changed. By viewing schools of allied health from a holistic perspective, deans and chair persons can anticipate the effect of change on variables (dimensions) other than those being manipulated and weight intervention strategies before their adoption.


We report the presence of 'plasticrusts' and 'pyroplastic' from coastal habitats in Giglio island, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. These novel plastic debris types have only recently been described for the first time from Madeira island (NE Atlantic Ocean) and the United Kingdom, respectively. While 'plasticrusts' are generated by sea waves smashing plastic debris against intertidal rocks, 'pyroplastic' derives from (un)deliberately burnt plastic waste. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we identified the 'plasticrust' material as polyethylene (PE) and the 'pyroplastic' material as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These polymers are widely used in everyday products and, therefore, contribute heavily to plastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial environments worldwide. Furthermore, our field surveys suggest that 'plasticrust' abundance is related to wave-exposure and that the 'pyroplastic' derived from beverage bottles which we frequently found along the Giglio coast. Overall, our findings corroborate the notion that 'plasticrusts' and 'pyroplastic' are common debris types in marine coastal habitats.


BACKGROUND
Breastfeeding has beneficial effects on numerous health outcomes.

OBJECTIVES
We investigated whether breastfeeding duration is associated with the development of early childhood autoimmunity, allergies, or obesity in a multinational prospective birth cohort.

METHODS
Infants with genetic susceptibility for type 1 diabetes (n = 8676) were followed for the development of autoantibodies to islet autoantigens or transglutaminase, allergies, and for anthropometric measurements to a median age of 8.3 y (IQR: 2.8-10.2 y). Information on breastfeeding was collected at 3 mo of age and prospectively thereafter. A propensity score for longer breastfeeding was calculated from the variables that were likely to influence any or exclusive breastfeeding. The risks of developing autoimmunity or allergy were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, and the risk of obesity at 5.5 y of age was assessed using logistic regression with adjustment by the propensity score.

RESULTS
Breastfeeding duration was not associated with a lower risk of either islet or transglutaminase autoimmunity (any breastfeeding >6 mo, adjusted HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; exclusive breastfeeding >3 mo, adjusted HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.15). Exclusive breastfeeding >3 mo was associated with a decreased risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis (adjusted HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.92; P < 0.01). Any breastfeeding >6 mo and exclusive breastfeeding >3 mo were associated with decreased risk of obesity (adjusted OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.81; P < 0.001; and adjusted OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.95; P < 0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Longer breastfeeding was not associated with a lower risk of childhood (islet or transglutaminase) autoimmunity in genetically at-risk children but was associated with decreased risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis and obesity at 5.5 y of age.


In the multi-axis machining of freeform surface, compared with ball end mill, the fillet end mill has higher machining efficiency under the same residual height and has been widely used. As the most important physical quantity in machining process, milling force has always been the focus of research. In this paper, the contact geometry between fillet end mill and freeform surface is analyzed by analytical method, and then the milling force prediction model of multi-axis machining is established. Based on differential discretization, the cutter location point of multi-axis machining of freeform surface is approximate to multi-axis machining of oblique plane, which simplifies the research object. The inclination angle is defined to describe the relationship among cutter axis, feed, and workpiece in cutter coordinate system. The space range of the cutting edge element participating in material cutting is constructed by the swept surface of previous tool path, the to-be machined surface and the feed direction surface, and the in-cut cutting edge is determined by judging the cutting edge element one by one. Considering cutter run-out, the element cutting forces on the cylindrical and fillet surfaces of fillet end mill are derived, and all the element forces within in-cut cutting edge are summed by vector to obtain the overall milling force of fillet end mill. Simulation results show that, compared with the solid method, this contact analysis method between cutter and workpiece can take both efficiency and accuracy into account. In the machining experiment, the measured force and predicted force are consistent in trend and amplitude, which verifies the effectiveness of the milling force prediction model.


The main purpose of this study is to see the impact of the servicescape on the customer satisfaction at LCCT parking. This research had been done at the LCCT area and all the respondent are from the LCCT user. The problem that the customers face at the LCCT is about the parking lot and the facilities that being provided at the LCCT parking area.

The first objective of this study is to determine the level of customer satisfaction at the LCCT parking. The second objective of this research is, to identify the servicescape ranking factor that contributes to the customer satisfaction at LCCT parking service. The next objective of this study is to determine the frequency of the consumer come to LCCT and uses the parking service, and the last objective of this study is to identify the solution/recommendation to increase the customer satisfaction at LCCT car park. For the research methodology, researcher used exploratory and descriptive research in conducted this research study. The populations in this study were the people that using the parking service at the LCCT Terminal. In this study, researcher was decided to use convenience sampling which is a non probability sampling technique that attempts to obtain a sample of convenient elements. The number of respondent for this research is 101. For this study, the researcher will use primary data in order to collect data from the sample. The technique for collecting data is by using the questionnaire. The finding for this research is the level of customer satisfaction that using the LCCT Parking service still in the average level. There are some customers that are still not satisfied with the service that being provided by MA Sepang Sdn Bhd. For the servicescape factor, the first ranking that contributes to the customer satisfaction is the spatial layout and functionality, and then the second is the signs symbols and artifacts, and lastly the ambient condition.


Natural oscillation modes of the Bay of Concepcion are determined by means of Empirical Orthogonal Functions. Simulations of the 2010 and 1960 tsunamis were performed using 4 nested grids of 120, 30, 6 and 1" arc resolution with the NEOWAVE model. In addition, a spectral analysis of tsunami waveforms at both the continental shelf and inside the Bay of Concepcion was performed, and the results were contrasted with natural oscillation periods. The results showed that the natural oscillation period of the first, second and third modes of the Bay were found to be 95, 37 and 32 min. It was found that large tsunami amplifications at the southern shore of the Bay of Concepcion were due to tsunami resonance and coupling between the shelf resonance and bay oscillations. Large inundations heights during 2010 tsunami were caused by the tsunami exciting the fundamental oscillation mode of the Bay. The relative low inundation during the 1960 tsunami was due to the tsunami exciting the higher frequency.


Few studies have reported injuries and physical characteristics in adolescent weightlifters. The purpose of this study was to report the results of orthopaedic medical examinations in adolescent amateur weightlifters that were performed cross-sectionally from 2012 to 2019. The orthopaedic medical examination included physical examinations, generalized joint laxity, muscle and joint tightness, static alignment, muscle volume of the lower extremities, and medial longitudinal arch of the foot (the height from the tip of the navicular tubercle to the ground surface). A questionnaire survey regarding pain in the spine and lower extremities was also performed. A total of 99 adolescent weightlifters were included (male/female, 71/28; mean age, 16.2 ± 0.2 years). A total of 9.1% had received orthopaedic treatments, with spine injuries being the most prevalent. Of those who had not received orthopaedic treatments, 31.1% had pain in the spine or lower extremities (for >4 weeks). There were no significant gender differences in the incidence of pain or positive findings of physical examinations. Female weightlifters had a more reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle joint than male weightlifters (p = 0.02). Male weightlifters had a lower flexibility of the quadriceps than female weightlifters. The results of orthopaedic medical examinations in this study may help clinicians and young weightlifters to prevent injuries in competitive weightlifting.


In the research of binocular vision J. E. Purkynĕ pointed out the role of retinal corresponding areas. He observed binocular interaction of pressure phosphenes elicited in them and the fusion of images projected on the corresponding foveal areas even in eyes with artificial divergency. For the first time he proposed the examination of visual fields (perimetry) in several planes and he also introduced the colour perimetry. Purkynĕ analyzed profoundly the different functions of direct (foveal) and indirect (peripheral) vision. In indirect vision he anticipated the modern concept of the useful field of view. Of fundamental importance was Purkynĕ's research of the strategy and different types of ocular movements. In analysis of motion perception, he evolved the hypothesis of "general sense of space" which is very close to modern feed-back conception of "corollary discharge".


A network can be represented by graph which is isomorphic to its adjacency matrix. Thus the analysis of networks involving rate of change with respect to time reduces to the study of graph differential equations and its associated matrix differential equations. In this paper we develop monotone iterative technique for graph differential equations and its associated matrix differential equations using Periodic boundary value problem.


Non-beneficial and harmful weeds are plants that are unwanted, outside their home farms are growing and have the potential to exceed. This study was done in order to screening fungai and isolating NLP phytotoxine from them for selective biocontrol of Amaranthus retroflexus and Rumes crispus as a dicot, common and chemical herbicide resistance weeds. NLPs are effective just on dicot plants. Contaminated soil and dicotyledons plants were Collected from different regions of Iran. after collecting and culturing them, The effect of Supernatant from fungal cultures, was asseyd by spraying of 5 µl /cm3 of it mid 20 µl tween-20 on leaves of Amaranthus retroflexus, Rumes crispus and wheat as negative control that were cultured in MS media and pots in 3 replications with completely randomized design in laboratory and research green house of baqiatallah university. The effects were assessed according to numbering method. Finally, the QAT5 and G7-1strains was selected from 9 top strains, because was more destructive than others on Amaranthus retroflexus and Rumes crispus respectively from necrosis to cell death with number 4 according to numbring method and has non-harmful effect on the wheat (Triticum aestivum). SDS-page results showed phytotoxine that was produced by QAT5 strain was a protein and this from G7-1 was non-protein. For better result on SDS-page protein was concentrated using by ammonium sulfat method, but about G7-1 again this outcomewas repeated. The protein purification of QAT5strain using FPLC showed the presence of a protein with about 24 kDa like other family members of this protein. Considering this fact that these phytotoxines according to the result had similarity features to what founded befor about NLPs, they are recommended as biocontrol factor of these weeds insteade of chemical herbicides. Keywords:Biocontrol, Amaranthus retroflexus, Rumes crispus, selective bioherbicide, Triticum aestivum, FPLC


This paper presents formulas, in terms of easily evaluated coefficients, for the armature current, field current, and torque of d-c machines on short circuit. The method of the paper makes it unnecessary to calculate the mutual inductance between the armature and field windings. Heretofore, this mutual inductance (between, two windings which normally are in quadrature with each other) has made it exceedingly difficult to calculate current and torque on short circuit. Under short-circuit conditions, the armature and field windings are not, in effect, in quadrature with one another and are mutually inductive partly because of saturation of the flux path at one side of the poles and partly because of commutation phenomena. These circumstances create difficulties uniquely overcome in the paper. A basic feature of the paper is the expression for the relation between flux, armature amperes, and field amperes. Calculations cannot be made without establishing this relationship (plotted for a specific case in Figure 9) and a simple expression for it has not been presented before to the author's knowledge. Another important feature, also believed to be new, is the development of an expression for the resistance to current flow created by the reactance voltage of the alternating current in the armature winding. A third feature is a formula for estimating the time constant of the armature circuit using an average coefficient of inductance. The results are applied to several machines and the calculated performance compared with test data.


Abstract. Several methods are employed to remove the moisture from organic or non-organic materials, in a variety of industrial applications. Among all, dehydration of fruits is an alternative to decline post-harvest loss of fruits and also a process to produce dried fruits, which can be directly consumed or become part of foodstuffs like cakes, and many others. In particular, drying provokes a series of changes in materials, such as oxidation, browning, or loss of nutritional-functional properties. Ultrasound is famous to have a significant effect on the rate of various processes. Quince is a fruit which is rich in polyphenols, organic acids, and amino acids with important health benefits. The present study examined the effect of ultrasound and blanching pretreatments prior to convective drying on quality properties of dehydrated quince slices. A completely randomized design was used to address the effect of time of sonication (10−30 min), temperature (40−60°C), and anti-browning agents including acetic, citric, and ascorbic acids as well as distilled water on quality properties of dehydrated quince slices. The obtained results revealed that the shortest drying time (270.33±35.59 min) and the highest total phenolic content (57.29±12.72 mg GAE/ml) were recorded for samples exposed to the ascorbic acid solution. Comparison of the pre-treated and control samples indicated that the highest rehydration ratio (2.75±0.29 %) was achieved by blanched samples in acetic acid solution. The use of citric acid solution led to the highest score in the taste (3.45±1.1), color (3.84±0.9), and texture (3.47±1.02) of quince slices on the basis of a 5point hedonic scale. The obtained results depended on both ultrasound and the type of blanching solution. Citric and acetic acid samples indicated the highest values of the sensory evaluation and water loss, respectively.


: Simple explanations are very often inadequate and can encourage faulty inferences. We examined college students' explanations regarding illegal immigration to determine the prevalence of single-factor explanations. The form of students' explanations was predicted by their responses on a simple three-item forced-choice multivariable causal reasoning task in which they selected the strongest evidence against a causal claim. In a further qualitative investigation of explanations by a sample of community adults, we identified positive features among those who scored high on this multi-variable causal reasoning task. We consider limitations of single-factor reasoning and means of encouraging more comprehensive explanations to support claims. Résumé


Certain parallel software performance evaluation problems are equivalent to computational geometric problems. Consider a timed transition system representing a parallel program: a set of variables, a set of states, an initial state, a transition function mapping a set to a set of successor states, and a description of the time between transitions. Given a timed transition system, the paper solves four problems: (1) state the necessary and sufficient conditions for a TES to contain a LCES; (2) given the initial starting time of each process, find a representation of the set of all possible TESs; (3) determine if any initial process starting times exist that lead to a LCES in which no process ever blocks; and (4) find the set of all possible LCESs.


BACKGROUND
This multicenter, prospective phase II study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the combination of docetaxel and vinorelbine in patients with platinum-resistant, paclitaxel-pretreated recurrent ovarian cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Treatment consisted of vinorelbine 25 mg/m(2) as a 20-min i.v. infusion (days 1 and 8), and docetaxel 70 mg/m(2), as a 1-h i.v. infusion (day 8). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support was administered prophylactically on days 12-16. Treatment was repeated every 21 days.

RESULTS
Forty-six patients were enrolled. The median number of previous chemotherapeutic regimens was one (range 1-3) with a median treatment-free interval of 4.3 months. Four chemotherapy cycles per patient were administered. Almost 75% of the planned doses for both drugs were given. Forty-one patients are evaluable for response. Three patients (6.5% of all patients; 7.3% of evaluable patients) achieved complete response and eight (17.4% and 19.5%, respectively) a partial response to chemotherapy, leading to overall response rates of 23.9% and 26.8%, respectively. Another 34.8% (39.0%) had stable disease. At a median follow-up of 30 months, the median disease-free survival was 13 months, relapse-free survival was 5 months, time to progression was 4.5 months, and overall survival was 9.3 months. Severe toxicities included leukopenia (31%), neutropenia (35%) and febrile neutropenia (20%).

CONCLUSIONS
The combination of docetaxel/vinorelbine is an effective regimen with manageable toxicity for the treatment of platinum-resistant, paclitaxel-pretreated ovarian cancer.


Abstract : This paper examines the National Security Strategy (NSS) document of September 2002 and determines whether it provides a grand strategic framework that can be sustained for the rest of the Bush presidency and beyond. The author examines the document through the prism of the elements of national power -- diplomatic, informational, military, and economic -- and discusses how the Bush administration has applied those elements in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Global War on Terrorism. He concentrates most heavily on the diplomatic and military elements, recommending ways to use bilateral and multilateral diplomacy and expeditionary military operations to improve the national security of the United States while promoting international stability in the future. He also looks at ways in which the United States can reduce its military profile overseas while continuing to maintain its presence by using diplomatic and informational means and expeditionary military forces to fill the gap left by military units being transferred back to CONUS. Two special cases are considered: India and China. The U.S. must work to expand its growing relationship with India through diplomacy, backed by increased military engagement and commercial ties. Through diplomacy, it must swiftly identify and then seek to exploit security and economic interests shared by the two largest democracies in the world. In many areas, our interests in the region converge. Where our opinions differ, such as over Kashmir, or diverge such as over the Indian nuclear posture, must be managed carefully through continued dialogue. The U.S. must deal with a rapidly emerging China through diplomacy also, backed by the military stick and the economic carrot. The author describes the role that interagency cooperation will need to play in the formulation of a sustainable grand strategy and how the political process and public opinion are likely to impact that strategy.


To determine the incidence and "structure" of augmented breaths (AB) in neonates, we studied 13 preterm infants (GA 31± 0.4 wk; BW 1.56±0.09 kg; PNA 25±4 days) and 11 term infants (GA 40±0.3 wk; BW 3.4±0.14 kg; PNA 4±0,8 days). The incidence of AB was higher in periodic than in regular breathing both in preterm (0.914±0.07 vs 0.434±0.09 breaths/min; p=0.0063) and in term infants (0.803±0.09 vs 0.406±0.04 breaths/min; p=0.0009). In term infants the incidence was greater in active than in quiet sleep (0.79±0.12 vs 0.48±0.06 breaths/min; p=0.02). VT of the AB was 18.9±0.71 ml as compared to 7.5±0.71 (p<0.001) during control in quiet sleep in preterm infants. The increased VT was associated with an increase in Ti from 0.46±0.03 to 0.80±0.04 seconds (p<0.001), in VT/Ti from 15.9±1.46 to 23.5±1.8 ml/sec (p<0.001) with no change in Ttot. Instantaneous ventilation increased from 0.327±0.041 to 0.666±0.073 L/min/kg (p<0.001). VT of the first inspiratory component of the AB was greater than VT of control breaths, but similar changes in VT in other control periods was not associated with AB. Airway occlusion produced no pressure-on-the-top-of-a-pressure pattern but was followed by AB after occlusion was released. Results suggest, 1) ABs are highly correlated with prematurity, periodic breathing and active sleep; 2) their appearance is not dependent on chemical drive or volume alone. We speculate that both chemical drive and lung volume changes are important to induce augmented breaths in neonates.


In the 1980s, the French Administration Roads LCPC developed high modulus mixtures (EME) by using hard binder. This type of mixture presented good resistance to moisture damage and improved . mechanical properties for asphalt mixtures including high modulus, good fatigue behaviour and excellent resistance to rutting. In Iraq, this type of mixture has not been used yet. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of high modulus mixtures and comparing them with the conventional mixture, to achieve this objective, asphalt concrete mixes were prepared and then tested to evaluate their engineering properties which include moisture damage, resilient modulus, permanent deformation and fatigue characteristics. These properties have been evaluated using indirect tensile strength, uniaxial repeated loading and repeated flexural beam tests. EME mixes were found to have improved fatigue and permanent deformation characteristics, also showed more resistance to moisture damage than conventional mix by 9.3 percent and the resilient modulusat temperature 60 oC increased by 63 percent. The general theme viewed from the results of this study has added to local knowledge the ability to produce more durable asphalt concrete mixtures with better serviceability using EME mixes.


Fetal tumors are sporadic entities and in some cases can be diagnosed prenatally. A team approach, incorporating the skills of obstetricians, radiation therapists, pediatric medical oncologists and hematologists, neonatal surgeons, rehabilitation specialists, and social workers, is imperative to ensure that the patient receives the best treatment. Retinoblastoma is a relatively uncommon tumor of childhood that arises in the retina. The estimated annual incidence is between 1 in 15,000 and 1 in 34,000. Although it may occur at any age, it most often arises in younger children, with 80% of cases diagnosed before the age of 5 years. We report a case of prenatally diagnosed fetal retinoblastoma.


Drawing upon the findings of my doctoral research, this article examines social workers' understanding and interventions related to the promotion of citizenship in Chile. The study involved documentary analysis and 26 semi-structured interviews with social workers who, employed by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), implemented state policy for addressing poverty and social exclusion. The findings indicate that social workers understood citizenship as the exercise of individual rights mainly. At the same time, strategies employed by some social workers to oppose resistance to such neoliberal reworking of citizenship were identified. Suggestions are made with respect to the development of Chilean social work from a critical perspective.


Although the majority of the sea lamprey's (Petromyzon marinus) life cycle is spent as a burrow‐dwelling larva, or ammocoete, surprisingly little is known about intermediary metabolism in this stage of the lamprey's life history. In this study, larval sea lampreys (ammocoetes) were vigorously exercised for 5 min, and their patterns of metabolic fuel depletion and replenishment and oxygen consumption, along with measurements of net whole‐body acid and ion movements, were followed during a 4–24‐h postexercise recovery period. Exercise led to initial five‐ to sixfold increases in postexercise oxygen consumption, which remained significantly elevated by 1.5–2.0 times for the next 3 h. Exercise also led to initial 55% drops in whole‐body phosphocreatine, which was restored by 0.5 h, but no significant changes in whole‐body adenosine triphosphate were observed. Whole‐body glycogen concentrations dropped by 70% immediately following exercise and were accompanied by a simultaneous ninefold increase in lactate. Glycogen and lactate were quickly restored to resting levels after 0.5 and 2.0 h, respectively. The presence of an associated metabolic acidosis was supported by very high rates of metabolic acid excretion, which approached 1,000 nmol g−1 during the first 2 h of postexercise recovery. Exercise‐induced ion imbalances were also rapidly alleviated, as initially high rates of net Na+ and Cl− loss (−1,200 nmol g−1 h−1 and −1,800 nmol g−1 h−1, respectively) were corrected within 1–2 h. Although larval sea lampreys spend most of their time burrowed, they are adept at performing and recovering from vigorous anaerobic exercise. Such attributes could be important when these animals are vigorously swimming or burrowing as they evade predators or forage.


Immune homeostasis ensures effective pathogen defense and avoids overactivity, which is achieved through an orchestrated transcriptional network. Here we demonstrate that mosquito AhR and TIEG mediate a transcriptional axis to modulate the immune response. The AhR agonist compromised the immunity with reduced survival upon the challenge with bacterium Serratia fonticola, while the AhR antagonists enhanced the immunity with increased survival. The phenotype of pharmacological immune enhancement was corroborated genetically by the AhR gene silencing. The transcriptome comparison following AhR manipulations highlighted a set of AhR regulated genes, from which transcription factor TIEG, the ortholog of Krüppel-like factor 10, was chosen for further study. TIEG was required for the AhR mediated immune modulation. Silencing TIEG increased survival and reversed the immune suppression mediated by agonist-activated AhR. Among the transcriptomes, there were genes sharing co-expression patterns in the cohorts with AhR manipulation pharmacologically or genetically. Moreover, the mosquitoes with silenced TIEG and AhR shared ~68% altered genes upon infection. Together, the data suggest TIEG is downstream of AhR, acting as a major transcription factor mediating the immune modulation. The TIEG targets include genes involved in sugar metabolism and circadian rhythms, both processes are critical for immune homeostasis. In the naïve mosquitoes, the AhR-TIEG axis prevents the adverse effect of the overactivated IMD pathway created by silencing the inhibitor Caspar. In summary, AhR and TIEG constitute a transcriptional axis that mediates a gene network critical for maintaining immune homeostasis. Significance Immune homeostasis is sustained by various parameters involving different transcriptional regulatory networks. Such knowledge in mosquitoes remains scarce. Here, using AhR manipulation and transcriptome interrogation, we demonstrate that AhR and TIEG (a KLF10 ortholog) constitute a transcriptional axis to mediate immune modulation using an antibacterial immune model in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that senses environmental signals and transcribes relevant genes to modulate immune responses. TIEG/KLF10, conserved from invertebrates to mammals, mediates various transcriptional networks. Our data show that the AhR-TIEG axis controls the genes involving in sugar sensing and circadian rhythms in the infection context. This finding warrants further study to elucidate the transcriptional control of metabolic and circadian behind immune homeostasis.


The effectiveness of two simple load distributions for pushover analysis recently proposed by the authors is investigated through a comparative study, involving static and dynamic analyses of seismic response of eccentrically braced frames. It is shown that in the upper floors only multimodal pushover procedures provide results close to the dynamic profile, while the proposed load patterns are always conservative in the lower floors. They over‐estimate the seismic response less than the uniform distribution, representing a reliable alternative to the uniform or more sophisticated adaptive procedures proposed by seismic codes.


Many modern software systems are highly configurable, allowing the user to tune them for performance and more. Current performance modeling approaches aim at finding performance-optimal configurations by building performance models in a black-box manner. While these models provide accurate estimates, they cannot pinpoint causes of observed performance behavior to specific code regions. This does not only hinder system understanding, but it also complicates tracing the influence of configuration options to individual methods. We propose a white-box approach that models configuration-dependent performance behavior at the method level. This allows us to predict the influence of configuration decisions on individual methods, supporting system understanding and performance debugging. The approach consists of two steps: First, we use a coarse-grained profiler and learn performance-influence models for all methods, potentially identifying some methods that are highly configuration-and performance-sensitive, causing inaccurate predictions. Second, we re-measure these methods with a fine-grained profiler and learn more accurate models, at higher cost, though. By means of 9 real-world Java software systems, we demonstrate that our approach can efficiently identify configuration-relevant methods and learn accurate performance-influence models.


Background: Pemetrexed-based chemotherapy represents the standard of care in first-line treatment of advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). However, there are no established predictors of clinical benefit. Pemetrexed inhibits multiple enzymes involved in pyrimidine and purine synthesis, but the main target is thymidylate synthase (TS). After cellular uptake pemetrexed is converted into more effective polyglutamated forms by folylpoly-&ggr;-glutamate synthetase (FPGS). We hypothesized that FPGS and TS protein expressions are associated with clinical outcome after pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Methods: Pretreatment tumor samples from 84 patients with histologically confirmed MPM, who received pemetrexed combined with platinum (79 of 84) or single-agent pemetrexed (5 of 84) as first-line treatment, were retrospectively analyzed. FPGS and TS protein expressions were semiquantitatively assessed by using the Hybrid (H)-scoring system (range, 0–300). H-scores were correlated with radiological response according to modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Median H-score of the entire cohort was 230 for FPGS (range, 100–300), and 210 for TS (range, 100–300). High FPGS protein expression was significantly associated with longer PFS (pCOX = 0.0337), better objective tumor response (partial response versus stable disease + progressive disease; pKW = 0.003), and improved disease-control rate (partial response + stable disease versus progressive disease; pKW = 0.0208), but not with OS. In addition, high TS protein expression was associated with progressive disease under pemetrexed-based therapy (p = 0.0383), and shorter OS (pCOX = 0.0071), but no association with PFS was observed. Conclusion: FPGS and TS expressions were associated with clinical response and outcome to pemetrexed-based first-line chemotherapy in MPM. Prospective evaluation of FPGS and TS expressions and their prognostic/predictive power in MPM patients is warranted.


Introduction: Treatment of displaced Gartland type 3 supracondylar humerus fractures in children may include closed reduction and percutaneous pinning. The pin configuration may be all-lateral entry or cross-pin. Despite the improved stability possible with cross-pinning, there is an inherent iatrogenic risk to the ulnar nerve of about 6%. As medial fixation may be necessary for certain fracture patterns, this study was conducted to evaluate the risk of ulnar neuropathy using a technique here described and developed to minimize injury to this structure. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on all children treated for a supracondylar humerus fracture at our institution between 2003 and 2010. All the type 3 displaced fractures were placed into 2 groups: lateral-entry pinning and cross-pinning. The 2 groups were then compared for risk of ulnar nerve injury, and a post hoc power analysis was performed. Results: A total of 381 supracondylar humerus fractures met the inclusion criteria. Our cross-pinning technique was used in 187 (49%) of the children with a mean age of 5.8 years (range, 0.92 to 13.92 y). There were 4 ulnar nerve injuries in the entire cohort and 2 sustained as iatrogenic injuries in the cross-pinning group (1.1%). There was no significant difference between our 2 groups in regard to risk of ulnar nerve injury (P=0.24). There is a statistically significant lower risk of ulnar nerve injury in our cross-pinning technique than previously described techniques (P=0.0028), with a post hoc power analysis of 93%. Conclusions: Despite the inherent risk for iatrogenic nerve injury with cross-pinning completely displaced supracondylar humerus fractures, there is often a need to use this technique to improve fixation and stability of the fracture. Our method of cross-pinning is safe and reproducible for providing fracture stability with a significant decrease in the risk of iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury (1 in 94) when a medial pin is required. Level of Evidence: Level III—therapeutic studies.


People with a mental illness often encounter stigma and discrimination from a variety of sources, reinforcing negative self-perceptions and influencing their health and well-being. Even though support systems and attitudes of the general public act as powerful sources of stigma, views and perceptions held by people with mental illness also influence their sensitivity to the experiences they encounter. The aim of the present qualitative study was to examine perceptions of stigma and discrimination and self-stigma in individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. This study adopted a narrative, descriptive method, using a semistructured interview guide to elicit participant perceptions regarding sources of stigma, discrimination, and personal factors that might influence their experiences. Twelve outpatients attending a clinic in Ghana were interviewed. Thematic content analysis was completed and augmented by field notes. Participants' perceptions about personal impacts of stigma were found to be influenced by self-stigma, anticipated stigma and discrimination, perceived discrimination, and their knowledge about their illness. For many participants, their views served to augment societal views, and thus reinforce negative self-perceptions and their future. However, for other participants, their views served as a buffer in the face of environmental situations that reflect stigma and discrimination. Stigma is a complex, socially-sanctioned phenomenon that can seriously affect the health of people with mental illness. As such, it requires coordinated strategies among public policy makers, governmental bodies, and health-care providers to address stigma on a societal level, and to address its potential impacts on broad health outcomes for individuals with mental illness.


The bglB gene fromPaenibacillus polymyxa was subjected to random mutagenesis mediated by error prone polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA shuffling. After this treatment, mutant variants of the encoded β-glucosidase with enhanced thermal resistance were selected. We identified five amino acid substitutions at four different positions of the sequence that increased the resistance of the enzyme to heat denaturation. Four of the mutations, H62R, M319V, M319I, and M361I, did not change the kinetic parameters of the enzyme. However, mutant N223Y, which caused only a marginal increase in thermoresistance, showed an 8-fold decrease in K m . Copies of thebglB gene carrying each one of the individual mutations were recombined in vitro by DNA shuffling. As a result, we obtained an enzyme that simultaneously exhibited a 20-fold increase in heat resistance and an 8-fold increase in the catalytic efficiency. The structural basis of the properties conferred by the mutations was analyzed using homology-based structural models. The four mutations causing a more pronounced effect on thermoresistance were located in loops, on the periphery of the (α/β)8 barrel that conforms the structure of the protein. Mutation N223Y, which modifies the catalytic properties of the enzyme, was on one of the barrel β-strands that shape the active center.


BackgroundPatch test readings are usually performed on day 2 (48 hours) and day 4 (96 hours). However, reports in the literature identify delayed allergy to metals, corticosteroids, antibiotics, some preservatives, acrylic and methacrylic monomers and p-phenylenediamine. ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to identify the benefit of performing a day 7 (168 hours) reading to identify relevant late positive reactions. Patients/Methods/MaterialsTwo hundred three consecutive patients were patch tested to the British Society for Cutaneous Allergy standard series with additional test series selected according to clinical history and applied at the same time. ResultsTwenty-six patients (12.8%) had new positive reactions on day 7 (168 hours), with 28 relevant positive reactions to 21 allergens. These included mercury 0.5% (2/26); cobalt chloride 1% (2/26); colophony 20% (2/26); disperse blue mix 106/124 1% (2/26); preservatives (4/26) that included Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, sodium metabisulfite, and diazolidinyl urea; fragrances (7/26); and gentamycin sulfate 20% (1/26). ConclusionsThese results confirm findings in the literature and support the argument for performing a day 7 reading (168 hours) to identify relevant late positive reactions.


ability in Arabic. The range of selections from some of the principal modern prose writers from Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq, is intended to introduce the student to Modern Arabic fiction, presenting to him a representative group of writers and styles. The notes to the texts include biographical notices, brief presentations of the texts themselves, and then glossaries which although not exhaustive, should be quite sufficient to enable intermediate students of the language to read the text with ease. This is an important principle for the teaching and studying of Modern Arabic, because the preparation of such glossaries means that students are able to concentrate their efforts on more critical appreciations of the material they read, instead of devoting so much time and energy to purely lexicographical difficulties which in many cases may make it impossible to ' read ' the text in any literary sense of the word. It is quite conceivable that this principle be extended beyond such short extracts as these, and that similar glossaries should be prepared for whole books on Modern Arabic syllabuses, with great benefit to teaching methods and the nature of the student's work.


42 years old female, accidentally injected auto-injector syringe to her left thumb that belongs to her daughter suffers from asthma. Through an auto-injector syringe delivering 0.3 mg of 1:1000 epinephrine. This injection caused moderate palpitation, sweat and discomfort. A review of the literature supports the subcutane phentolamine injection and nitroglycerin paste reverses ischemic effects and prevents skin necrosis after subcutaneous injection. Accidentally application of an improper anatomical region may results sequelae. Complaints and findings of our patient regressed without treatment. There were no complications during follow-up in emergeny room. As in our case theoretical, they should be safe to use, but studies have demonstrated that not like this. The purpose of this study was to emphasize the importance of education of usage of auto-injector syringe. We believe in that may be the most effective method of prevent for accidentally injected auto-injector syringe in patients of any age is personal education of usage of auto-injector syringe by nurses


Spacecraft missions provide the unique opportunity to study the properties of collisionless shocks utilising in situ measurements. In the past years, several diagnostics have been developed to address key shock parameters using time series of magnetic field (and plasma) data collected by a single spacecraft crossing a shock front. A critical aspect of such diagnostics is the averaging process involved in the evaluation of upstream/downstream quantities. In this work, we discuss several of these techniques, with a particular focus on the shock obliquity (defined as the angle between the upstream magnetic field and the shock normal vector) estimation. We introduce a systematic variation of the upstream/downstream averaging windows, yielding to an ensemble of shock parameters, which is a useful tool to address the robustness of their estimation. This approach is first tested with a synthetic shock dataset compliant with the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions for a shock, including the presence of noise and disturbances. We then employ self-consistent, hybrid kinetic shock simulations to apply the diagnostics to virtual spacecraft crossing the shock front at various stages of its evolution, highlighting the role of shock-induced fluctuations in the parameters' estimation. This approach has the strong advantage of retaining some important properties of collisionless shock (such as, for example, the shock front microstructure) while being able to set a known, nominal set of shock parameters. Finally, two recent observations of interplanetary shocks from the Solar Orbiter spacecraft are presented, to demonstrate the use of this systematic approach to real events of shock crossings. The approach is also tested on an interplanetary shock measured by the four spacecraft of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. All the Python software developed and used for the diagnostics (SerPyShock) is made available for the public, including an example of parameter estimation for a shock wave recently observed in-situ by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft.


ABSTRACT ERG (ETS-related gene) is a member of the ETS (Erythroblast-transformation specific) family of transcription factors abundantly present in vascular endothelial cells. Recent studies demonstrate that ERG has important roles in blood vessel stability and angiogenesis. However, it is unclear how ERG is potentially involved in microvascular barrier functions and permeability. A wide variety of diseases and clinical conditions including trauma-hemorrhagic shock and burn injury are associated with microvascular dysfunctions, which causes excessive microvascular permeability, tissue edema and eventually, multiple organ dysfunction and death. The main purpose of this study was to determine the specific role of ERG in regulating microvascular permeability in human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMEC) and to evaluate if exogenous ERG will protect the barrier. The HLMECs were grown on Transwell inserts as monolayers and were transfected with ERG CRISPR/cas9 knockdown plasmid, ERG CRISPR activation plasmid, recombinant ERG protein or their respective controls. Recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was used as an inducer of permeability for evaluating the effect of ERG activation on permeability. Changes in barrier integrity and permeability were studied using monolayer permeability assay and immunofluorescence of adherens junction proteins (VE-cadherin and β-catenin) respectively. CRISPR/cas9-based ERG knockdown as well as VEGF treatment induced monolayer hyperpermeability, VE-cadherin, and β-catenin junctional relocation and cytoskeletal F-actin stress fiber formation. CRISPR based ERG activation and recombinant ERG transfection attenuated VEGF-induced monolayer hyperpermeability. ERG activation preserved the adherens junctions and cytoskeleton. These results demonstrate that ERG is a potent regulator of barrier integrity and permeability in human lung microvascular endothelial cells and endogenously or exogenously enhancing ERG provides protection against barrier dysfunction and hyperpermeability.


The paper presents clinical, hematological, morphological and immunological characteristics of B-cell lymphosarcoma with prolymphocytic-lymphocytic type of leukemization in 50 adult patients (9 females and 41 males aged 29-86 years). In B-cell immunological subvariant of prolymphocytic-lymphocytic leukemization changes in the primary tumor always corresponded to prolymphocytic variant of lymphosarcoma. This distinguishes B-cell lymphosarcomas from previously described T-cellular ones in which the type of eventual leukemic changes did not always correspond to the kind of initial tumor. The presence or absence of prolymphocytes with split nuclei in bone marrow puncture samples was neither of clinical nor of prognostic significance. In leukemization of B-cell prolymphocytic lymphosarcoma from the cells with split nuclei or cells with different configuration of the nuclei, immunological phenotype typical for B-cell chronic lymphoid leukemia did not occur. In prolymphocytic lymphosarcoma from cells with round nuclei one-third of patients had immunological phenotype more typical for B-cell chronic lymphoid leukemia. However, among them were patients with aggressive course with predominant extranodal location of tumor and prolymphocytic type of leukemization. Tumor nodes in B-cell prolymphocytic lymphosarcomas, irrespective of leukemization morphological variant, proved rather resistant to therapy. A complete clinicohematological remission according to the international criteria occurred in 2 of 50 patients, only.


Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), when used as an antiplatelet agent, plays and important role in reducing ischemic complications from coronary artery disease and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is recommended to be administered together with ticlopidine or clopidogrel to reduce adverse cardiovascular effects in patients with acute coronary syndrome and in those patients who require placement of a stent. Hypersensitivity or intolerance to ASA, both accepted terms when referring to allergic and pseudoallergic reactions to cyclooxygenase (COX1) enzyme inhibitors, can manifest as rhinitis or rhinosinusitis and asthma, urticaria-angioedema, or anaphylaxis. It occurs in up to 10% of asthmatic patients, while the prevalence of urticaria due to ASA exposure varies between 0.07% and 0.2% in the general population. There are various reviews of studies on protocols for desensitisation to ASA in patients with cardiovascular disease, and they all agree on the importance of performing desensitisation once 2 factors appear: coronary artery disease and sensitivity to aspirin. We present 5 patients between the ages of 53 and 79 years with a history of an adverse reaction after taking ASA in the form of urticaria in 3 of them and facial angioedema in the other 2. None of them had bronchospasm or an anaphylactic reaction. All suffered from acute coronary artery disease that required placement of an intracoronary stent and dual anti-platelet treatment with clopidogrel and ASA. With the patients permission and after signing informed consent, a rapid oral desensitisation scheme to ASA was performed, adapted and modified from Wong et al and Silberman et al, consisting of the administration of increasing doses at 15-20 minute intervals, beginning with 0.1 mg and ending with 100 mg (0.1, 0.2, 1, 3, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg), performed in a hospital setting with continuous vital signs monitoring and strict medical oversight without premedication with antihistamines or corticosteroids. In all cases, the ASA desensitisation process was successful, achieving the recommended dose of 100 mg, with a maximum time of 2.20 hours without causing adverse reactions. Currently, the 5 patients tolerate a daily dose of 100 mg of ASA. The total tolerance time from the moment of performing desensitisation to present varies between 5 and 46 months. ASA intolerance was not confirmed using a controlled oral provocation test when treating patients with ACS since this situation is contraindicated. Hypersensitivity to ASA appears to be a pharmacological process rather than an immune process due to the inhibition of COX-1 and it is dose-dependent. A diagnosis of ASA hypersensitivity normally leads to not prescribing this drug and, given that treatment with ASA reduces mortality in coronary artery disease, desensitisation is indicated in these cases. The published ASA desensitisation protocols propose administering the doses at intervals between 2 and 24 hours, according to the different guidelines. This long interval involves several days to complete desensitisation which is not recommended in patients with unstable coronary artery disease, especially after stent placement. In these cases, a short interval between doses like we propose here (15-20 minutes) facilitates urgent and rapid desensitisation. Unlike the Wong protocol, we did not premedicate with H1 antihistamines and had good results. A rapid ASA desensitisation guideline may be safe and effective in patients with a history of urticaria or facial angioedema that require dual anti-platelet treatment due to acute coronary syndrome.


Obesity is a global health problem associated with the development of chronic degenerative diseases. Bariatric surgery has proven to be the most effective treatment for severe obesity. Despite surgery, patients must change their lifestyle in order to maintain weight loss in the long term. It has been reported that cognitive behavioral interventions have been effective to promote a lifestyle change and weight loss in obese patients. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group intervention on weight loss and quality of life before surgery. Participants were nine morbidly obese patients, without psychiatric comorbidities, candidates for bariatric surgery. An initial assessment of quality of life that measured weight and BMI [Body Mass Index, for its English acronym] was performed. Patients underwent a group intervention in order to promote weight loss through cognitive behavioral techniques. The average weight loss was 5.7 kg during the five weeks of treatment, showing statistical significance of .001. In turn, along with weight loss, there was a decrease in BMI, with a statistical significance of .002. Regarding quality of life, there was significant improvement in body perception and attitude toward treatment.


There was no identified leadership model for American Indian women leaders. Through an exhaustive review of leadership styles it was identified that the Centered Leadership approach lends itself to the culture of American Indian Women. The components of the Centered Leadership approach include: utilizing personal strengths, managing energy, positive framing, relationship building, and collaborating with others to take advantage of opportunities. Based on the review of the literature and native women's leadership styles, the concepts of the Centered Leadership Model were utilized to develop "Native Women Leadership: Indigenous Pathway". Prior to European contact, native women held positions of leadership, shared in decision making and owned property. Today Native women leaders and managers are reclaiming their decision making authority to improve the lives of their nations. The Native Women Indigenous Pathway has not come without barriers and discrimination. The Centered Leadership approach assists in the examination of the American Indian woman's pathway to decision making. Native women find themselves living in two worlds and must navigate expectations and responsibilities by switching between mainstream American and tribal values. How a native woman decides to negotiate these two worldviews is part of what creates her individual identity and her leadership style. A Native American Leadership Indigenous Pathway model is proposed.


: Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the second commonest cancer arising in the world. Colorectal cancer can present with an array of symptoms and approximately 35–48% of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer have experienced rectal bleeding. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to analyse the role of gut microbiota alteration in colorectal cancer and its clinical implications. Material and methods: This is basically a descriptive study which was conducted in Allied Hospital Faisalabad during January 2019 to November 2019. Several studies have shown that numerous bacterial species appear to be associated with the pathogenesis of CRC and recent studies have provided a mechanism for the participation of gut microbiota in the progress of CRC. Results: The median age of the patients was 56 years (range: 20–86), and 73% were male. Most patients were married [85.6%], and more than half of the participants were high school educated or higher [77.8%] and unemployed 52.8%. The differences in microbial community abundance between the two groups were examined by statistical methods, and the significance of the differences was evaluated by FDR (false discovery rate). We screened out the species that caused the difference in the composition of the two groups of samples.


Mobilities of Li(+)-attached butanol isomers, (n-BuOH)Li(+), (s-BuOH)Li(+), (i-BuOH)Li(+), and (t-BuOH)Li(+), in helium gas were measured over a range of reduced electric fields (E/N = 25-96 Td) at room temperature. Arrival time measurements accurately identified small differences in the measured mobilities of the isomer ions. At low E/N (≤30 Td, corresponding to a mean collision energy ε≤0.05 eV), (n-BuOH)Li(+) showed a mobility about 1.5% greater than that of the other ions, but at high E/N (≥75 Td, ε≥0.1 eV) its mobility was about 1.1% less.


Air quality assessment and monitoring could be efficiently performed by a distributed network of cost effective chemical sensors cooperating for the reconstruction of a chemical image of the sensed environment. The obtainable insights are of paramount importance in many applications ranging from city air pollution monitoring to energy efficiency in smart buildings. However several research studies have highlighted the challenging nature of developing such architecture. Actually, the intrinsic properties of the sensed phenomena, those of the commercially available chemical sensors including power requirement and stability, together with the needed communication infrastructure make a real world implementation of such a system a problem worth of significant investigation efforts. This paper encompass the ENEA-UTTP efforts in providing solutions to several challenges both in indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring setups.


A surgeon of the British East India Company, Dr Thomas Richardson Colledge, founded the Macao Ophthalmic Hospital in 1827. This was not only the first Western hospital ever opened in China for the purpose of bringing modern medicine to the Chinese but also the precursor of similar efforts of later medical missions in China. The gratifying results of this institute proved that employing Western medicine was an effective way to introduce Christianity to China and to open her door to the outside world. Though not a missionary himself, Colledge is rightfully regarded as the originator of medical missionaries to China.


A scalable system can be built when the storage devices such as HDD's are provided to the system via network and the parallel data paths between the hosts and the storage devices are provided independent of others. We built a parallel network direct attached storage architecture that offers two requirements for scalable storage system; (1) unlimited storage expansion via network, and (2) parallel direct data paths between the hosts and the HDD's. Our prototype was verified to have practically unlimited storage capacity up to hundreds of HDD's with its total aggregated I/O bandwidth proportional to the number of HDD's attached to the network. From the experiments, actual performance of individual HDD's in our prototype was verified to be about 70MB/s per HDD with the maximum total aggregated I/O speed of n x 70MB/s where n is the total number of HDD's attached to the network.


The final report from the WHO Commission on the social determinants of health recently noted: 'For policy, however important an ethical imperative, values alone are insufficient. There needs to be evidence on what can be done and what is likely to work in practice to improve health and reduce health inequities.' This is challenging, because understanding how to reduce health inequities between the poorest and better-off members of society may require a greater use of subgroup analysis to explore the differential effects of public health interventions. However, while this may produce evidence that is more policy relevant, the requisite subgroup analyses are often seen as tantamount to statistical malpractice. This paper considers some of the methodological problems with subgroup analysis, and its applicability to considerations of equity, using both clinical and public health examples. Finally, it suggests how policy needs for information on subgroups can be met while maintaining rigour.


Abstract The corn wireworm, Melanotus communis (Gyllenhal), is the most important wireworm pest of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid) production in Florida. The feeding behavior of wireworms (larvae) at soil temperatures from 18 to 28°C characteristic of Florida sugarcane was determined in laboratory tests. In blind tests, we showed that small, smooth-skinned Baby Yukon Gold potatoes, Solanum tuberosum L., could be used to successfully detect even minor feeding by the wireworms. This technique may prove useful to other wireworm researchers. Feeding frequency and percentage of wireworms feeding increased with increasing soil temperatures. Similarly, there was a positive correlation of weight gain with soil temperature. Our data showed that, although slowing down in the winter, some feeding damage by the wireworms is expected throughout the year in Florida sugarcane. Lastly, we observed very high variability in wireworm feeding and weight change even under constant conditions. Overall, our experience in this study is consistent with the general theme that wireworm feeding and weight change are highly variable even under constant conditions.


Experiments in automatic music recognition at CCRMA have been in progress for five years. Digitized sound recordings of instrumental music are analyzed and transcribed by computer. The current effort is directed at polyphonic examples with a variety of instruments and musical styles. The paper discusses acoustic analysis issues in accurately transcribing polyphonic input. The overall goal of the work is to provide a tool for the study of musical performance, for applications requiring tracking of live musicians, for manuscript work and for segmentation of digital audio recordings.


Abstract Background: Mutation testing is a widely explored technique used to evaluate the quality of software tests, but little attention has been given to its mathematical foundations. Aim: We provide a formal description of the core concepts in mutation testing, relations between them and conclusions that can be drawn from the presented model. Method: We introduce concepts of mutant space and patch space, and refer to patch merging procedure from the patch theory. We explicitly present constraints, such as location-dependence, that affect mutation operators. We also present a way to use introduced formalism with traditional operators proposed in other papers. Results: The proposed formalism allows to describe interactions between separate mutations using well-known abstract algebra notation. Conclusion: The presented formalism may substantially decrease the number of tested weak mutants and increase the number of valuable ones, while giving tools to partially address the problem of equivalent mutants, particularly for higher-order mutation testing. However, additional empirical evaluation is still needed.


Background and Aims: Hypertension continues to be the major modifiable risk factor leading to premature death due to cardiovascular diseases. Therefore awareness, timely diagnosis, treatment and control of hypertension in primary care are crucial for reducing disease burden. In this respect, authentic data on these issues are paramount of importance. The aim of this study was to address this gap in a well-educated group of Nepalese subjects. Methods: A cross-sectional study in the delegates of the national level meeting of a professional group - lawyers was conducted in 2015 February. Standard criteria were used to define hypertension and blood pressure goal. Awareness and treatment were based on self-report. Results: A total of 249 subjects were included in the study. The prevalence of hypertension was 18.88%. Among hypertensive, 70% subjects were newly detected and they were unaware of their blood pressure status before. Remaining 30% were known cases of hypertension and among them only 64% were on medicine and 36% were not despite awareness of hypertension. Only 55.5% of them on medicine had achieved blood pressure goal. Conclusion: The scenario of hypertension in Nepal even in educated group is very alarming with majority of them being unaware of the hypertension status, more than one third not taking medicine and nearly half on medicine not achieving desired blood pressure goal. From this, the situation obviously seems more warning in general population and needs well-designed assessment. Nepalese Heart Journal 2017; 14(1): 21-24


Tuberculosis (TB) is a common infection and public health problem attacking developing countries or those whose undergo food and drug depleting crisis. Tuberculosis regard important killer among top ten infectious agents and the mortality compile 10% of new registered cases among Asia and Africa. The socio-environmental factors play a vivid role in mass transfer of TB includes: low-ventilation, darkness, wetness and crowdedness. Tuberculosis is a public health priority in Iraq. Iraq regard one of the region of high burden of TB, and accounts for 3% of the total number of cases. There are a predictable 20 000 TB patients in Iraq with death rate of 20% annually. Iraq is one of the six countries (Egypt, Indonesia, Yemen , Netherland and UK) whose compile 9% of total incidence of TB worldwide. The results show high incidence, prevalence and mortality of TB-infected patients in years 2003 and 2004 and this can be interpreted due to bad and high shortage of health service in Iraq directly after 2003 invasion war by US army while years after 2004 (2005-2017) show decrease in incidence, prevalence and mortality. Concern the age groups of patients with TB, it seem the 25-34 years and 15-24 years were most common for male and female respectively. The current review conclude that, decreasing in incidence, prevalence and mortality for last 7 years due to application of national and international health polices of TB in Iraq.


Mathematical modeling gene regulatory networks is important for understanding and controlling them, with various drugs and their dosage regimens. The ordinary differential equations approach is sensible but also very difficult. Our reverse engineering algorithm (RODES), based on neural networks feedback linearization and genetic programming, takes as inputs high-throughput (e.g., microarray) time series data and automatically infer an accurate ordinary differential equations model. The algorithm decouples the systems of differential equations, reducing the problem to that of revere engineering individual algebraic equations, and is able to deal with missing information, reconstructing the temporal series of the transcription factors or drug related compounds which are usually missing in microarray experiments. It is also able to incorporate common a priori knowledge. To our knowledge, this is the first realistic reverse engineering algorithm, based on genetic programming and neural networks, applicable to large gene networks.


Carbonic anhydases (CAs) are ubiquitous enzymes present in human under 15 different isozymes. Each active one catalyzes the hydration reaction of carbon dioxide into bicarbonate anion and proton. Some isozymes contribute to basic physiological processes like among other respiration and acid-base homeostasis while other isozymes are involved in pathologies such as epilepsy (CA VII) and cancer (CA IX). Convulsions observed during epileptic seizures are partly attributed to carbonic anhydrase VII which play a role in neuronal excitation phenomenon. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is overexpressed in most cancer tissues and is absent from their normal counterparts. It can acidify the extratumoral medium leading to metastatic behavior. To improve our knowledge on the role of these isozymes, the design of selective CA VII and IX inhibitors is of a great interest. Otherwise, such compounds can potentially be developed as antiepileptic or anticancer agents. A molecular modeling study which combines a direct (homology modelling, docking) and an indirect (pharmacophore, virtual screening) approach of drug design was conducted to create novel and selective inhibitors. In parallel, original indanesulfonamides were designed, synthesized and their inhibitory potencies against the CAs were determined. Docking studies of some derivatives allowed to rationalize the enzymatic data. Then, we evaluated the effect of some indanesulfonamides on a model of cancer cells. The study of the anticonvulsant activity was performed on an in vivo model. Finally, during this work other series of potentially CA inhibitors were also evaluated for their CA inhibitory activities and for one of them for its anticonvulsant effect.


OBJECTIVE
Aspergillosis is a common fungal infection of the paranasal sinuses. Localization in the frontal sinus is usually secondary to involvement of one of the other sinuses. Isolated frontal sinus aspergillosis is rare and only 5 cases are described in literature.

CLINICAL CASE
We report a case of a patient with a frontal sinus aspergilloma associated with ipsilateral chronic ethmoidal and maxillary sinusitis, successfully treated with a combined endoscopic and mini-trephination approach "Lemoyne technique".

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The endoscopic approach to the frontal sinus is considered the best way to deal with frontal sinus aspergilloma, but it is sometimes not sufficient to guarantee the complete removal of the fungus ball. In such cases a mini-trephination of the frontal sinus with associated irrigation provides a more accurate visualization and toilette of the sinus.