Background It is of great importance that emergency medical services professionals transport trauma patients in need of specialised care to higher level trauma centres to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Possibly, undertriage is more likely to occur in patients with a longer distance to the nearest higher level trauma centre. This study aims to determine the association between driving distance and undertriage. Method This prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2015 to December 2017. All trauma patients in need of specialised care that were transported to a trauma centre by emergency medical services professionals from eight ambulance regions in the Netherlands were included. Patients with critical resource use or an Injury Severity Score ≥16 were defined as in need of specialised care. Driving distance was calculated between the scene of injury and the nearest higher level trauma centre. Undertriage was defined as transporting a patient in need of specialised care to a lower level trauma centre. Generalised linear models adjusting for confounders were constructed to determine the association between driving distance to the nearest higher level trauma centre per 1 and 10 km and undertriage. A sensitivity analysis was conducted with a generalised linear model including inverse probability weights. Results 6101 patients, of which 4404 patients with critical resource use and 3760 patients with an Injury Severity Score ≥16, were included. The adjusted generalised linear model demonstrated a significant association between a 1 km (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.05) and 10 kilometre (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.42 to 1.58) increase in driving distance and undertriage in patients with critical resource use. Also in patients with an Injury Severity Score ≥16, a significant association between driving distance (1 km (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.07), 10 km (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.71 to 1.95)) and undertriage was observed. Conclusion Patients in need of specialised care are less likely to be transported to the appropriate trauma centre with increasing driving distance. Our results suggest that emergency medical services professionals incorporate driving distance into their decision making regarding transport destinations, although distance is not included in the triage protocol.


The Earth's surface processes are predominantly controlled by the interaction between the Earth's internal heat and solar radiation. Surface heat-flow measurements reflect the increase in temperature with depth, which results in flow of the Earth's internal heat from the core, through the mantle, to the surface. Heat-flow is highest in volcanically active regions and is lowest near oceanic trenches. The source of the Earth's internal heat comes from a combination of processes, which include the formation of the planet and its internal layers and the decay of its radioactive elements, which release heat as the unstable parent element is converted to a stable daughter element. Radioactive decay is the primary agent responsible for convection in the mantle that, in turn, results in plate tectonics.


Hierarchical carbon@Ni3S2@MoS2 (C@Ni3S2@MoS2) double core–shell nanorods have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method using highly conductive carbon/Ni (C/Ni) nanorods as both the precursor and template. As supercapacitor electrodes, the C@Ni3S2@MoS2 nanorods deliver a specific capacitance as high as 1544 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 with excellent cycling stability (retaining 92.8% of the capacitance after 2000 cycles at a current density of 20 A g−1). The C/Ni nanorods as the backbone played crucial roles in enhancing the rate performance of the device, in the meanwhile, interconnected MoS2 nanosheets on the shell provided numerous accessible surfaces and contacts with the electrolyte. Our work demonstrated an effective design of robust hierarchical double core/shell nanostructures, which could provide a general and promising approach to fabricate high-performance materials for energy storage applications.


Extrapolation methods belong to the class of one-step methods for the solution of systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). In this paper, we present parallel implementation variants of extrapolation methods for large shared-memory computer systems which exploit pure data parallelism or mixed task and data parallelism and make use of different load balancing strategies and different loop structures. In addition to general implementation variants suitable for ODE systems with arbitrary access structure, we devise specialized implementation variants which exploit the specific access structure of a large class of ODE systems to reduce synchronization costs and to improve the locality of memory references. We analyze and compare the scalability and the locality behavior of the implementation variants on an SGI Altix 4700 using up to 500 threads.


Previous approaches to NLP tasks on online patient forums have been limited to single posts as units, thereby neglecting the overarching conversational structure. In this paper we explore the benefit of exploiting conversational context for filtering posts relevant to a specific medical topic. We experiment with two approaches to add conversational context to a BERT model: a sequential CRF layer and manually engineered features. Although neither approach can outperform the F1 score of the BERT baseline, we find that adding a sequential layer improves precision for all target classes whereas adding a non-sequential layer with manually engineered features leads to a higher recall for two out of three target classes. Thus, depending on the end goal, conversation-aware modelling may be beneficial for identifying relevant messages. We hope our findings encourage other researchers in this domain to move beyond studying messages in isolation towards more discourse-based data collection and classification. We release our code for the purpose of follow-up research.


See Article on Page 42-48

It has already proved that laparoscopic surgery is not any less inferior to conventional open surgery in terms of its safety and efficacy to treat colon cancer [1, 2]. From this point of view, this study reviewed the outcomes of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy retrospectively as a treatment of colon cancer. The study was considered to be significant as the outcome of a single surgery although it was not the randomized prospective study with large scale of samples. In South Korea, the outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer have been reported but they have not been extensive yet. Therefore, the outcomes of a single surgery such as laparoscopic right hemicolectomy performed by the author of this study are judged to be a good evidence to support the outcomes of laparoscopic surgeries. Nevertheless, this study had several flaws to demonstrate the advantages of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy perfectly comparing to conventional open right hemicolectomy. It is mainly because this study is not prospective study and there aren't control groups as well as the sample size was too small. However, data is collecting prospectively with a larger scale of sample and more solid evidence is expected to be produce with this data. In addition to this, if more surgeons are participated in researches expanding the range of subjects, more reliable evidence will be constructed.


Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) comprise the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. They rapidly acquire resistance to chemotherapy and are also refractory to endocrine therapy and HER2 inhibitors. In fact, no targeted therapies are currently available against these tumors. Genome sequencing studies have shown that TNBCs are exceedingly heterogeneous in genetic mutations as well as copy number variations. Yet, TNBC almost invariably harbor inactivating mutations in TP53, which seems to be a crucial event in the pathogenesis of these tumors. We recently performed a series of siRNA lethality screens in vitro (N = 11 cell lines) to identify, in an unbiased way, recurrent vulnerabilities that could be harnessed as novel targets for TNBC therapy. Hits were genes whose silencing triggered massive cell death in ≥ 30% of TNBC lines tested. The screens re-discovered mitosis as a frequent Achilles' heel of these tumors (antimitotic drugs are currently a mainstay of TNBC therapy), supporting the validity of the approach. The nuclear transport gene RAN also scored among the most frequent TNBC selective dependencies. Moreover, TNBC cell lines were exquisitely sensitive to selinexor (KPT-330), a first-in-class inhibitor of exportin 1 (XPO-1) currently in phase 2 trials, both in vitro and in vivo. TNBC cells treated with selinexor died of apoptosis. In contrast, normal human primary breast epithelial progenitors (BPE) underwent cell cycle arrest (but not death) upon selinexor treatment, and were able to resume proliferation upon drug removal. The efficacy of selinexor across different TNBC models varied, suggesting that additional factors, beside the TNBC status, are at play. Preliminary data based on a genome-wide CRISPR screen for genes and networks conferring sensitivity to selinexor using a p53-mutant TNBC cell line (MDA-MB-231) implicated a number of TP53-related genes as key mediators of response. Together, these data support the notion that p53-mutant TNBC coopt nuclear export function to silence TP53-associated networks and that XPO-1 inhibitors could be a viable strategy to tackle TNBC in the clinic.

Citation Format: Fabio Petrocca. Targeting nuclear export for triple-negative breast cancer therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 74.


In this article, the effect of the volume content and distribution of non-metallic inclusions on the fracture toughness of a quenched and tempered 42CrMo4 steel is investigated. The investigations focused on the material behavior in the ductile-brittle transition range. To this end, fracture toughness tests were performed on 42CrMo4 with different inclusion characteristics. These were achieved by metal melt treatment with functional filter materials. The results showed a significant effect of both volume content and distribution of the non-metallic inclusions. The transition to brittle material behavior was accompanied by a decreasing fracture toughness as well as low scatter of the test data.


With the increasing demand for natural gas and higher prices, more and more gas basins within North America are undergoing infill drilling. It is not uncommon for a company to have hundreds or thousands of infill candidates to choose from. But quantifying the drilling or recompletion potential in large producing gas basins is often a challenging problem, due to large variability in rock quality, well spacing, and well completion practices, and the large number of wells involved. Complete integrated reservoir studies to determine infill potential are often too time consuming and costly for many large tight gas basins. In previous work, we evaluated the accuracy of a statistical moving-window technique that had been used in mature tight gas formations to assess infill and recompletion potential. We compared the moving window infill well predictions to those from reservoir simulation. Results indicated the technique accurately predicts the combined infill production estimate from a group of infill candidates, often to within 10%. Here, we report on a reservoir parameter sensitivity study and show that the accuracy of predicted infill performance decreases as heterogeneity increases and increases as the number of wells in the project increases. Also, the search area and well spacing have a large effect on the accuracy of estimates from the statistical method. Because of its speed, accuracy, and reliance upon readily available data, however, the statistical technique can be a useful screening tool for large infill development projects.


Data on population trends in Russia show that despite fluctuations, the long-term trend is a continued decline in the size of the Russian population. The government's pro-fertility policies may not be able to stem this trend, and the potential for in-migration of people of Russian descent is almost exhausted.


Bowel involvement in endometriosis is uncommon and is most frequently located in the sigmoid colon and the rectum. We present a case in a 37-year-old woman of a cecal endometrioid mass complicated with an ileocolic intussusception which extended beyond the splenic colon flexure. Careful manual extraction allowed a reduction of the intussusceptum, followed by an oncological right hemicolectomy. The patient suffered postoperative ileus, which was spontaneously solved. Intussusception is infrequent in the adult population and usually involves the small bowel. The great majority of ileocolic intussusceptions have a malignant origin (cecal adenocarcinoma). An endometriotic mass located at the cecum as the lead point for ileocolic intussusception is an extremely rare presentation. On reviewing the literature, we found only 13 reports with no other cases extending beyond the splenic flexure, as occurred in our patient.


Strongly coupled dye aggregates with tailored exciton properties may find their use in developing artificial light-harvesting and optoelectronic devices. Here, we report the control of tubular pseudoisocyanine (PIC) dye J- and H-aggregate formation with tunable exciton fluorescence using lithocholic acid (LCA) as a template. The LCA-templated PIC J-aggregate nanotubes formed at a higher LCA/PIC molar ratio (≥5:1) exhibit a sharp, red-shifted absorption band (at 555 nm), intense fluorescence (at 565 nm), and shorter lifetime (200 ps), all indicating their strong superradiance properties. In contrast, the H-aggregate nanotubes formed at a lower LCA/PIC molar ratio (2:1) exhibit a significantly blue-shifted absorption band (at 420 nm) and highly red-shifted fluorescence emission (at 600 nm) with enhanced lifetime (4.40 ns). The controlled switching of the optical properties of the PIC dye aggregates achieved by controlling the LCA/PIC molar ratio could serve as an important guideline for the design of organic photo-functional materials.


Populations of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, are comprised of at least two reproductively isolated, sympatric populations. In this issue, White et al. (2010) use extensive sampling, high‐density tiling microarrays, and an updated reference genome to clarify and expand our knowledge of genomic differentiation between these populations. It is now clear that DNA near the centromeres of all three chromosomes are in near‐perfect disequilibrium with each other. This is in stark contrast to the remaining 97% of the assembled genome, where fixed differences between populations have not been found, and many polymorphisms are shared. This pattern, coupled with direct evidence of hybridization in nature, supports models of "mosaic" speciation, where ongoing hybridization homogenizes variation in most of the genome while loci under strong selection remain in disequilibrium with each other. However, unambiguously demonstrating that selection maintains the association of these pericentric "speciation islands" in the face of gene flow is difficult. Low recombination at all three loci complicates the issue, and increases the probability that selection unrelated to the speciation process alters patterns of variation in these loci. Here, we discuss these different scenarios in light of this new data.


This paper aimed to provide an updated summary of theoretical tendences and research areas proposed from constructivism, in Latin American journals of psychology and education published during last ten years. For that, we explored the database REDALYC, which is considered as one of main Latin American open-access repository, with full text articles linked to psychology and education. First, we analyzed the epistemological assumptions of constructivism. Then, directly related to psychology and education, we reviewed central aspects and internal theoretical distinctions of this perspective. Finally, we identified some research topics studied from constructivism in psychology and education, in explored database. These were grouped into three areas: teaching and learning strategies, science teaching, and incorporation of TICs into teaching and learning process.


Emerging evidence suggests that E3 ligases play critical roles in diverse biological processes, including pathogen resistance in plants. In the present study, an ubiquitin ligase gene (SlBAH1) was cloned from a tomato plant, and the functions of the gene were studied. The SlBAH1 gene contained 1002 nucleotides and encodes a protein with 333 amino acids. The SlBAH1 protein contains a SPX domain and a RING domain. SlBAH1 displayed E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro. SlBAH1 was shown to localise in the nucleus, cytoplasm and plasma membrane by a subcellular localisation assay. The expression of SlBAH1 was induced by various hormones and Botrytis cinerea Pers. treatment. SlBAH1-silencing in plants obtained by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology enhanced resistance to B. cinerea, and the expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, including PR1, PR2, PR4, PR5, and PR7, was significantly increased. These results indicate that the SlBAH1-dependent activation of defence-related genes played a key role in the enhanced fungal resistance observed in the SlBAH1-silenced plants and may be related to the SA-dependent and JA-dependent signalling pathways.


A series of outdoor tests were conducted on a fiber optic solar concentrator system for its performance on daylighting. The system is comprised of four main components - a parabolic dish reflector, a convex mirror, a homogenizer tube and an optical fiber cable. Results show that the system could he successfully applied for indoor lighting if some improvements are made for light transmiting (optical) cables. A maximum concentration ratio of 90 was observed deliveling the illuminance of 4.800 lux at a distance of l.2m from the diffuser for the outdoor illuminance of 102,100 lux.


Human recombinant interleukin-1 alpha or beta was injected intraarticularly several times into the knee joints of rats and hens at different dosages (50-2000 ng) and intervals. No loss of cartilage detectable by width of the radiological joint space and no degenerative changes of subchondral bone could be observed during 16 weeks using X-ray analysis. The macroscopical examination of articular cartilage of hens after this period and of rats after one year showed no morphological cartilage damages. These data suggest that human recombinant Il-1 alpha and beta alone may not be sufficient to induce a progressing osteoarthritic process in these animals.


Biomass production and essential oil of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) in function of the height and interval between the cuts. Rosemary is an exotic plant and the interest in its cultivation has been growing along the years, because it can be used for medicinal or aromatic ends, however the agricultural knowledge about the species is quite limited. The goal of this research was to evaluate the influence of the cutting height and of the interval of these cuts on the biomass production and on the yield of the rosemary essential oil. The experiment was conducted at the Agronomical Institute, in Campinas - SP, from January 2006 through July 2007. It was organized in a completely randomized design with 8 treatments in a 2 x 4 factorial system, with two cutting heights (20 and 40 cm) and four intervals between cuts (60, 80, 100, 120 days) and three replications. Characteristics such as plant height, dry mass of the aerial part, yield and quality of its essential oil were evaluated. It was observed that longer intervals among cuttings provided longer height of the plant and greater dried mass of the aerial part. The yield and the quality of the essential oil were not affected throughout the experimental period.


Hospitals and health systems are facing a new kind of shortage among the nursing workforce: a shortage of experience. As older nurses retire and the influx of new nurses continues to grow, the net effect is a decline in the overall experience of the nursing workforce. At the same time, care delivery is becoming more complex. We call this phenomenon "the experience-complexity gap." If left unaddressed, the experience-complexity gap will widen and could put quality and safety at risk. In this article, the authors explore this new challenge and suggest 3 key strategies for addressing it.


The characters of novel Brick Lane are seen constantly striving to unearth their true happiness under the sky beyond what is destined to them. Each of them struggles to change and move on in life. Each of them fights against Fate, Ties and cultures. Ali attempts to blend conventionally with modernity and with responsibility with self determination in a quite remarkable manner through novel. The protagonist of 'Brick Lane' Nazneen, her husband Chanu and her sister Hasina, reflecting dominance of Fate as a steering force of their life.


Purpose of the present study is to investigate impact of art-based classroom activities on primary school children's social-emotional skills. Study group included 35 primary school children who study in 4th grade. 18 of them were assigned to treatment group while 17 of them were recruited in control group. Art-based classroom activities include 10 instructional activities and lasted for 15 course hours. The control group received curricular activities, the treatment group were instructed through the art-based classroom activities. Data were collected through Facial Emotion Recognition & Empathy Test and Ten Years Emotional Intelligence Test developed. Data were analyzed through Repeated-Measures of ANOVA. Result of the study indicated that  the art-based classroom activities significantly increased emotion recognition, empathy, and emotional intelligence skills of the participant children from the treatment group. Results, which were reached in the study, were discussed in the light of relevant literature and Experiential Learning Theory.


Abstract Oilseed rape seed yield has increased in the last 40 years in most countries, but this yield gain has not been accompanied by greater yield stability. The current study aimed to quantify the genotype by environment (G × E) interaction on oilseed rape yield, identify genotypes with broad adaptability and the main environmental drivers related to seed yield. A weighted two-stage mixed-model analysis was applied to official multi-environment trials of nine spring genotypes (G), in three locations (L) during 6 years (Y) on central and southern Argentine Pampas under rainfed conditions. Best linear unbiased prediction of seed yield ranged from 0.37 to 3.73 kg/ha. Fixed effect L × Y was highly significant and G variability was estimated as 130 kg/ha of standard deviation. Contrasting genotypes were identified by Shukla's stability index and two of those showed the best yield performance in the wettest year. Factor analysis explained 0.75 of total variation and discriminated genotypes with broad and specific adaptability, as well as combined environments according to the similarities in seed yield of the evaluated genotypes. Environmental loadings of Factor 2 were linearly associated with cumulative rainfall in the post-flowering period (up to 230 mm). It is concluded that (i) a significant G × L × Y interaction underlies the high variability of seed yield, (ii) two genotypes (G6 and G7) with high yield stability were identified, and (iii) G × E effects are associated with post-flowering rainfall.


What does it mean to say, "a new association is learned"? And how is this learning different when adding new information to already-existing knowledge? Here, participants associated pairs of faces while undergoing fMRI, under two different conditions: a famous, highly-familiar face with a novel face or two novel faces. We examined multivoxel activity patterns corresponding to individual faces before and after learning. In the hippocampus, paired novel faces became more similar to one another through learning. In striking contrast, members of famous-novel pairs became distinct. In the cortex, prior knowledge led to integration, but in a specific direction: the representation of the novel face became similar to that of the famous face before learning, but less so vice versa, suggesting assimilation of new into old memories. We propose that hippocampal separation might resolve interference between existing and newly learned information, allowing cortical assimilation. Associations are formed through divergent but specific neural codes, that are adaptively shaped by the internal state of the system – its prior knowledge.


Complete resection of the trapezium combined with interposition and ligament reconstruction with flexor carpi radialis remains the author's preferred method thumb basal joint arthritis the surgical treatment. Elevating half of the tendon takes a long time and is not so easy to perform. Using palmaris longus tendon with a fragment of muscle seemed to be more practical and quicker. It allowed simultaneously stabilization (tendon part) and an effective interposition (muscle part).


A great deal has been written about the intellectual sources of E. H. Carr's most famous book in International Relations, The twenty years' crisis, published on the eve of the Second World War. However, very little attention has been paid to the contribution which Chatham House made to the book after having appointed Carr to chair a study group on 'Nationalism' in 1936. The volume which appeared three years later was not the most scintillating of studies, bearing as it did all the hallmarks of having been composed by a committee whose members held sharply differing views. On the other hand, the deep research that went into the volume (published in 1939 under the somewhat unimaginative title of Nationalism) contributed in significant ways—as Carr himself confessed at the time—to informing his ideas about the critical role played by nationalism and the nation-state in the crisis of the inter-war system. As this review essay shows, Carr's long journey towards rethinking world order began in Paris in 1919, as he grappled with the problem posed by nationalism in central and eastern Europe; continued through the 1930s with further work on the subject; and reached a resolution in his own work with the appearance of The twenty years' crisis, followed in 1945 with the publication of his best-selling volume, Nationalism and after.


Targeted mutagenesis in model organisms is key for gene functional annotation and biomedical research. Despite technological advances in gene editing by the CRISPR-Cas9 systems, rapid and efficient introduction of site-directed mutations remains a challenge in large animal models. Here, we developed a robust and flexible insertional mutagenesis strategy, homology-independent targeted trapping (HIT-trapping), which is generic and can efficiently target-trap an endogenous gene of interest independent of homology arm and embryonic stem cells. Further optimization and equipping the HIT-trap donor with a site-specific DNA inversion mechanism enabled one-step generation of reversible and conditional alleles in a single experiment. As a proof of concept, we successfully created mutant alleles for 21 disease-related genes in primary porcine fibroblasts with an average knock-in frequency of 53.2%, a great improvement over previous approaches. The versatile HIT-trapping strategy presented here is expected to simplify the targeted generation of mutant alleles and facilitate large-scale mutagenesis in large mammals such as pigs.


Two non-identical units are to be issued sequentially. The optimal policy determines the issuing sequence which maximizes the expected lifetime of the pair of units. The units each have non-decreasing hazard rates which depend on whether the unit is in service or in storage. Sufficient conditions are obtained for optimal issuing policies in a variety of examples. OPTIMAL ISSUING POLICY; RELIABILITY; HAZARD RATE


Damage, destruction, and fatalities related to landslide and mass movement are common phenomena in the Himalayan countries like Nepal, especially during the monsoon period. In Nepal, landslides represent a major constraint on livelihood and development, causing high levels of economic loss and substantial casualties each year. This fact was tragically illustrated on 3 August 2010, when Nang-Nung of Taprang, situated at the 22 km away from the Pokhara valley, upper Madi watershed, experienced a catastrophe landslide powered by the Madi river. The landslide and the debris flow caused widespread damage to life and property and destroyed valuable infrastructure in the area and the adjoining villages. 72 houses were swept away, 59 houses were partially damaged, 58.4 ha of land was washed away, 6 people were wounded, 5 people were killed, and many social infrastructures were damaged. The disaster was a result of a landslide triggered by heavy precipitation and stream undercutting the existing landslide.


An architecture of a group oriented intelligent tutoring system for rocket engineers and researchers is proposed, which combines the technologies of multi-agent and virtual reality with HLA. At the same time, a group oriented joint intention is introduced into the description of multi-agent cooperation in order to teach or guide trainers/beginners to learn right operation procedures or resolve faults. Then, an intelligent tutoring system for measuring and controlling rocket launch is implemented to verify the proposed method, which operates well at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC).


In dental traumatology, the loss of teeth and the supporting alveolar bone in children compromise the proper development of maxillofacial structures and also limit the solutions that can be offered. In this case report, multidisciplinary management is described of a child with a significant loss of alveolar bone and associated teeth due to a traffic accident at 8 years of age. The management involved staged teeth autotransplantation into surgically prepared sites with bone expanders, orthodontic treatment and dental implants. The 3D regeneration of the alveolar process was successfully stimulated by teeth autotransplantation. At the 4-year follow-up visit, evaluation of the autotransplanted teeth and the implants indicated a successful outcome for the patient.


Measurement of several urinary metabolites of hydroxylysine indicates that considerable collagen degradation occurred in four individuals immediately after they had inhaled concentrated ammonia vapors. Since clinical and/or radiological evidence of intense upper respiratory and pulmonary inflammation were evident, it is likely that collagen degradation occurred at the level of the respiratory system.


Epigenetic processes enable environmental inputs like diet, exercise, and health behaviors to reversibly tag DNA with chemical "marks" that increase or decrease the expression of an individual's genetic template. Over time, epigenetic adaptations enable the effects of healthy or unhealthy stresses to become stably expressed in the tissue of an organism, with important consequences for health and disease. New research indicates that seemingly non-biological factors like social stress, poverty, and childhood hardship initiate epigenetic adaptations in gene pathways that govern inflammation and immunity, two of the greatest contributors to chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity. Epigenetic processes therefore provide a biological bridge between the genome - an individual's genetic inheritance - and the Social Determinants of Health - the conditions in which they are born, grow, live, work, and age. This perspective paper argues that physical therapy clinicians, researchers, and educators can use the theoretical framework provided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF model) to harmonize new discoveries from both public health research and medically focused genomic research. The ICF model likewise captures the essential role played by physical activity and exercise, which initiate powerful and widespread epigenetic adaptations that promote health and functioning. In this proposed framework, epigenetic processes transduce the effects of the social determinants of health and behaviors like exercise into stable biological adaptations that affect an individual's daily activities and their participation in social roles. By harmonizing "nature" and "nurture", physical therapists can approach patient care with a more integrated perspective, capitalizing on novel discoveries in precision medicine, rehabilitation science, and in population-level research. As the experts in physical activity and exercise, physical therapists are ideally positioned to drive progress in the new era of patient-centered population health care.


The proteomic analysis of body fluids presents a major challenge in studies of human diseases. Traditional techniques for protein separation require large volumes and large amounts of protein, which may be difficult to obtain for certain fluids, such as the aqueous humor (AH). Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC-MS/MS), adapted for peptides separation from complex protein mixtures, provides an alternative approach in proteomic analysis with a potential utility in biomarker research. We investigated several different 2D-LC-MS/MS methods for use with the AH of patients with cataract, traditionally used as a control group in studies of ocular diseases. We compared analyses of individual samples with analyses of pools of proteins or peptides, and found that the investigation strategy used strongly influenced protein identification. We identified 71 proteins related to extracellular proteins highly abundant in serum (e.g., albumin or transferrin) and involved in various functions, such as transport and metabolism, together with intracellular (myeloblastin) or organelle-specific proteins (cytochrome c). An evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of each method suggested that individual analyses and the use of peptide mixtures should be favored as complementary techniques in the search for biomarkers in ocular diseases.


Abstract Purchase and sale transactions of products and services include trade. Electronic commerce (E-commerce) is expressed as the realization of this process in electronic area. Today, e-commerce has been considered as one of the new trends of international trade. E-commerce offers individuals and businesses more product options with lower prices, allows them saving time, making payments faster and delivering products to long distances in a short time. In this study, the effect of per capita GDP in Turkey and EU countries on e-commerce has been investigated by using panel data analysis through the annual data of period between 2007 and 2019. Moreover the rate of internet usage and employment rate by education level have been added the study as the other independent variables that affect e-commerce. Empirical results demonstrate that a 1% increase in GDP per capita causes a rise of 7.29% on e-commerce. Also there is a significant and positive relationship between employment and e-commerce according to per capita GDP, internet usage rate and education level.


This article examines the behavior of Greek political parties before, as well as during, the recent austerity period. Drawing on coalition oversight and blame avoidance literature, it argues that the unpopularity of austerity governments leads to extreme levels of dissent within the coalition. I operationalize this 'intra-coalition opposition' behavior using parliamentary questions, a legislative institution that has not been studied in the context of coalition politics. The analysis demonstrates that junior members in unpopular austerity governments increase their use of parliamentary questions to a degree that matches or even exceeds the formal opposition. However, intra-coalition dissent is conditional on the type of unpopular government policies, and on the ideology of coalition members. Specifically, using a new method of text analysis, I show that while the socialist Panhellenic Socialist Movement uses its parliamentary questions to avoid or minimize the blame associated with austerity policies, the conservative New Democracy does not, because left-leaning parties are electorally vulnerable to austerity measures. The results have implications for studying dissent in coalition politics in general, and the politics of austerity in particular.


Purpose. The purpose of this study was to understand how the term independence is used in rehabilitation. In particular, we asked occupational therapists in Canada and Japan to interpret the term independence in terms of people with disabilities. In rehabilitation, independence has long been a key concept. A review of the literature shows that the term's meaning has shifted throughout the past century. However, despite its significance, the word's meaning has never been deeply analysed, and it is left to the interpretation of the individual practitioner; consequently, there is a conceptual confusion surrounding the term. Furthermore, no studies have been conducted from an inter-cultural viewpoint that included non-Western societies. Method. A qualitative interpretive study was conducted, based on semi-structured interviews with 18 occupational therapists. Nine Canadian and nine Japanese therapists were interviewed in depth and their perspectives analysed for themes and categories corresponding to their working definition of independence. Results. Therapists' interpretation of the term independence consisted of three perspectives: "Independence as competence,""Independence as autonomy," and "Independence as psychological qualities". These perspectives were typically combined into two patterns of dealing with independence in practice. Differences between Canadian and Japanese perspectives were explored. Conclusions. The study's findings confirm some ideas about independence that have been pointed out in the professional literature, but they also add several important ideas – the idea of psychological characteristics as key to independence, and the notion of a cultural overlay on the definition and application of the concept independence. This study's findings should contribute to the ongoing discussion in the professional literature about the virtues and limitations of pursuing independence as the ultimate goal in rehabilitation.


Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. Current guidelines state that thromboprophylaxis is not required for patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy but may be considered in certain high risk patients. The reported incidence of VTE during adjuvant treatment for breast cancer varies from 2.1 to 13.6%. In addition to traditional risk factors for VTE a pre-chemotherapy platelet count greater than 350 × 10/l has been suggested to be an independent risk factor for VTE in cancer patients. This study was performed to determine the incidence of VTE of patients in our centre and attempt to identify patients that may benefit from prophylaxis. Method Patients receiving chemotherapy for locally advanced and early breast cancer were identified within a 12 month period between January and December 2012. Case notes and electronic records were analysed and data was collected retrospectively on patient demographics, chemotherapy regimen prescribed, diagnosis of venous thromboembolic event and pre-treatment platelet count. Results A total of 271 patients were included in the study period, 269 were female, median age was 54 year (range 27 to 78). Adjuvant therapy was the indication in 219 and neo-adjuvant in 52 patients. 5-Fluorouracil, Epirubin, Cyclophosphamide (FEC) was administered in 127 patients and 144 patients received FEC-T (Taxotere). All patients were symptomatic and diagnosed according to local practice. Six patients were diagnosed with pulmonary emboli. Four of these patients had massive pulmonary emboli as defined by; extensive thromboembolic load and right heart strain and chemotherapy was ceased in three of these. Nine patients had upper limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and four patients had lower limb DVT. Two patients had risk factors for VTE and one was a consequence of a central venous catheter. Incidence of VTE in the 12 month study period for all patients was found to be 7%, the incidence in the neo-adjuvant group was 7.7% (4/52) and in the adjuvant group 6.8% (15/219). Mean baseline platelet count was 306 in the non-VTE group, 366 in the VTE group. Mean difference in platelet count was 60, (95% CI 9.9 – 111.4). p = 0.02 using independent t test. Discussion Our study indicates that, when evaluated, the incidence of VTE is relevant from a clinical point of view. The association between cancer and VTE has been well described. Most of the published studies analysed a heterogeneous population, with majority of patients having metastatic disease. In this study we determined the incidence of symptomatic VTE during adjuvant treatment therefore demonstrating the contribution of chemotherapy alone towards thrombogenicity. We would support the evidence that baseline platelet count is a significant risk factor, and this may inform our selection of patients for thromboprophylaxis. More research is required to investigate the factors involved in VTE in patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-12-08.


Bidara upas (Merremia mammosa (Lour.) Hall.f.) is a medicinal plant, , that traditionaly use by Indonesian and Malaysian people. Regarding Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan released by The National Development Planning Agency, it is included in the extinct medicinal plant list (2003). As the center for plant conservation, Bogor botanical garden conducted vegetative propagation study on this plant by air layering, cutting, and tuber cutting. The aim to this study is to find effective for bidara upas which method is vegetative propagation. Air layering and cutting propagation modified by Rootone-F did not give any result, whereas tuber cutting propagation with GA3 gave positive result. Principally, propagation by tuber cutting modified by 50 ppm of GA3 dose gave the most rapid and highest uniformity on shoot emergence, the best on growing variables, namely average height of shoot growing, the number of secondary roots, the number and length of the primary roots. It cannot be concluded yet that propagation by tuber cutting modified by GA3 was the most effective. Hence, it is necessary to conduct another propagation studies of air layering and cuttings with more variants of treatments, especially Rootone-F dose.


New numerical models of line-driven stellar winds of late O stars are presented. Statistical equilibrium (NLTE) equa- tions of the most abundant elements are solved. Properly obtained occupation numbers are used to calculate consistent radiative force and radiative heating terms. Wind density, velocity and temperature are calculated as a solution of model hydrodynamical equations. Contrary to other published models we account for a multicomponent wind nature and do not simplify the calcula- tion of the radiative force (e.g. using force multipliers). We discuss the convergence behaviour of our models. The ability of our models to predict correct values of mass-loss rates and terminal velocities of selected late O stars (mainly giants and super- giants) is demonstrated. The systematic difference between predicted and observed terminal velocities reported in the literature has been removed. Moreover, we found good agreement between the theoretical wind momentum-luminosity relationship and the observed one for Cyg OB2 supergiants.


Due to the increasing use of social networking sites in the last couple of years, these virtual communities have often been blamed for distracting students and taking more of their concentration and time. However, many studies have revealed that students use this social media platform not only for communication and entertainment reasons but for educational purposes as well. Our objective in this work is, therefore, to investigate the potential role that Facebook plays in enhancing students' learning experience. In this respect, based on the survey we conducted amongst Moroccan higher education students, it was demonstrated that 87.4% of the respondents have recourse to this social network for educational purposes. In fact, most of the surveyed students reported that they use Facebook to gain access to valuable learning materials, check for homework assignments and class-related information and activities, discuss various topics with peers as well as get help on academic-related materials. Nonetheless, despite the major role that Facebook plays in improving the students' learning experience, it was found out that communication between students and instructors on this social network was minimal.


Food sovereignty is a critical concern across the globe as the concentration of power in the hands of a few agro-industrial corporations structures the agricultural economy. The process of definition, enforcement and subsequent resistance to intellectual property rights for seed certification in Colombia presents an iconic case among global controversies. Neoliberal politics to attract capital and guarantee markets for corporations dominate negotiations over trade and generate legislation. From 2006, Law 1032, art. 306 protects breeders' rights over plant varieties, forbidding farmers to replant certified seeds. From 2010, Resolution 970 of the Colombian Agricultural Institution (ICA) regulates the production, commercialisation and use of all improved seeds, both conventional and transgenic, with the justification of ensuring seed quality and crop health. Application of this resolution, resulting in the destruction of over 4 million tons of seeds, created so much confusion, controversy and resistance that by August 2013, nationwide agrarian strike, campesino mobilisation and road blocks brought Colombia to a halt. Governmental negotiations suspended Resolution 970 and counteractions surged from the newly formed national collectives, revived seed trading networks, rural strongholds of cultural knowledge and urban home-garden and educational projects. This research empirically documents dynamics of the exercise of political authority governing access to seeds as property, associated protocols for use of inputs, agrochemicals and cultivation practices on the one hand and social processes of resistance through the movement for 'seed freedom' on the other. Tension for the commercialisation and legitimisation of seeds as property has inspired a 'shift to the left' and strengthened resolve to guard and share agro-biodiversity and eco-agricultural knowledge, traditions and practices. Fundamental power hierarchies framing food sovereignty manifest within the concept of seeds, evoking a potent symbolism of struggles for freedom from control over life itself.


The limited laxity of the scalp and hair-bearing nature makes it difficult to optimally repair. Primary closure is limited to small defects, while healing by secondary intention requires underlying periosteum. Furthermore, the use of free flaps and skin grafting can lead to unfavorable cosmetic outcomes. This report describes a patient with a large parietal scalp dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Multiple resections resulted in a large scalp defect with exposed calvarium. Integra was placed over the exposed calvarium after each debridement and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) was applied. After granulation tissue formed, 2 DermaClose continuous external tissue expansion systems were installed. Following the application and tightening of the external tissue expanders, the wound was reduced in size, facilitating primary closure of the opposing edges. This process allowed for a large area to be covered with hair-bearing scalp with good cosmetic results.


The incidence of compound fractures increases with the age of children. The importance of emergency care at the site of the accident, with sterile coverage of wounds and preliminary fixation, and of fast and careful transportation to hospital, is gaining recognition. Final management should comprise meticulous mechanical cleansing under sterile conditions, treatment of any additional injury, and stabilization. Compound fractures call for more generous application of internal fixation. Tetanus prophylaxis and routine monitoring of wounds are essential when there is any danger of gas gangrene.


The sentimental analysis may be a dominant role in opinion mining is in addition stated as sentiment analysis due to clear sort, review sites, blogs, and tweets square measure on the market in digital sort. Sentiment analysis is that the sphere of study that analyses consumer opinion, feedback, sentiment analysis, attitudes and feeling from communication. At intervals fraction second, we've got an inclination to classify the text in many manner in several seconds. It's one all told the active analysis areas in communication method. There are a unit vary of techniques we would like to classify the opinion reviews. the most problematic within the sentiment analysis is to grasp the usage of negation and also the taxonomy of positive and negative sentiments recorded by the users in the group. the most aim of this paper boon a survey relating to the presently accessible technique, application and drawback that seem within the field of opinion mining.


Using rosetting tests with untreated mouse erythrocytes (M) and pronase-treated M (pro M), four human B cell subsets can be identified. Three of these, possessing the phenotypes BM+ pro M+, BM- pro M+ or BM- pro M-, constitute 17%, 61% and 22% of normal blood B cells respectively. The fourth subset, BM+ pro M-, does not occur in normal tissues but was found in the pre-B-cell line of Raji cells, indicating that this phenotype may be a marker for early B cells. Some differences in the proportion of each subset were found in cord blood, lymph nodes and tonsils. Surface-immunoglobulin-positive (SIg+) and -negative (SIg-) non-T cells were present in each subset. M and pro-M rosetting tests were applied to cells from blood of 27 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and to cells from involved nodes, spleen or marrow in five cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In 15 cases of CLL, there was considerable increase in the BM+ pro M+ subset (BM+ pro M+ type CLL); in seven cases, there was a predominance of BM- pro M+ cells and in another four cases, BM- pro M- cells predominated. All five cases of NHL were greatly enriched in BM- pro M- cells. There was no obvious correlation between rosetting and other surface markers but BM- pro M- clones in CLL or NHL always stained brightly with FITC-anti-Ig. This was not found in BM+ pro M+ or BM- pro M+ clones. Rosette formation of neuraminidase-treated B cells with M identifies the same subset as B-pro-M rosetting in normals and CLL. Evidence is presented that two types of receptors are involved in M and pro-M rosetting, designated R1 and R2, binding to corresponding M ligands L1 and L2. M rosetting is due to R1-L1 binding while R2-L2 binding mediates B-pro-M rosetting. Shifts between subsets within the same clone in some cases of CLL suggest that the subsets are distinct maturational stage of B-cell development rather than families of B cells of different lineage. The following B-cell maturation sequence is proposed: R1+ R2- lead to R1+ R2+ leads to R1- R2+ leads to R1- R2-.


Congenital Malformation of Heart: Specimen.-T. SKENE KEITH, M.B. (Shown for Dr. RONALD CARTER.) The heart i3 that of a full-term child, who lived for eight hours. The aorta arises from the right ventricle, the vena cava opens into the right auricle. The pulmonary artery arises from the left ventricle and the pulmonary veins open into the left auricle. No septal defect; foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus normal. The left ventricle and the pulmonary artery are partly obstructed by clot.


An in vitro evaluation was conducted of the adhesion capabilities of rabbit corneal endothelial cells on intraocular lenses (IOLs) made of heparin-coated polymethylmethacrylate (HSM-PMMA). The concave endothelial surfaces of albino rabbit corneas were placed in contact in vitro with the convex surfaces of the optical side of HSM-PMMA IOLs in 4-day cultures. PMMA IOLs served as controls. After an incubation period, the preparations were examined via phase-contrast microscopy and via inverted microscopy after staining with vital dye (neutral red), both with and without the cornea in place. After fixation and staining with Giemsa, the cells adherent on the lens were counted on five different microscopic fields. It was observed that the corneal endothelial cells adhered equally to heparin-coated and untreated PMMA IOLs.


This paper presents a comprehensive approach to accurate and efficient modeling of microwave active devices such as metal semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) using artificial neural networks (ANNs). A radial basis function (RBF)-ANN model is developed for S-parameters and equivalent circuit parameters (ECPs) of MESFETs. The training and testing data for these models are obtained from the measured two-port scattering parameters and extracted ECPs of a 0.25 times 200 mum (4 times 50 mum) gallium arsenide MESFET. A four- input eight-output ANN is used to model the S-parameters of a microwave MESFET versus bias, temperature, and frequency, and a three-input eight-output ANN is used to model the ECPs of a microwave MESFET versus bias and temperature. Comparisons of measured and modeled data are presented, and the results show very good agreement. The average relative errors using the RBF-ANN models for the S-parameters and ECPs were 0.81% and 0.77%, respectively, which both represent about 60% reduction in error when compared to backpropagation ANN models of similar parameters of the same device.


Growth chamber and greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of temperature and irradiance on foliar glycoalkaloids of three potato genotypes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) that differ in glycoalkaloid content. Two genotypes (ND4382-17 and ND4382-19) produced the acetylated glycoalkaloids, leptine I and II, that contribute resistance to the Colorado potato beetle (CPB, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say). The glycoalkaloids were separated and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. Exposure of plants to high temperature (32/27 °C, 14-hour day/10-hour night) for 3 weeks under a 14-hour photoperiod with an irradiance of 475 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 significantly increased the levels of leptines I and II, solanine, and chaconine compared to that at low temperature (22/17 °C). Increases in foliar leptines and total glycoalkaloids at high temperature were 90% and 169%, respectively. Growing potato plants at low irradiance (75% reduction) for 2 or 4 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in the levels of leptine I and II (46%), solanine (43%), and chaconine (38%) compared to nonshaded plants. Transferring plants from high to low irradiance or from low to high irradiance for 2 weeks caused a decrease and an increase in glycoalkaloid concentration, respectively. Therefore, both temperature and irradiance influenced foliar levels of glycoalkaloids in potato plants without changing the leptines and solanine to chaconine ratios. Thus, irradiance and temperature influenced glycoalkaloid compounds that can effect resistance to CPB, especially leptine I and II.


The dye‐sensitized photodegradation of uracil (UR), the parent compound of several profusely employed herbicides, has been studied as a model of their environmental fate. In order to mimic conditions frequently found in nature, aqueous solutions of UR have been irradiated with visible light in the presence of the natural sensitizer riboflavin (Rf). The results indicate that UR is photostable in acid media, but is quickly degraded in pH 7 or pH 9 solutions, where singlet molecular oxygen [O2(1Δg)] and, to a lesser extent, superoxide radical anion (O2•−)—both species photogenerated from triplet excited Rf, 3Rf*—participate in the photodegradation. At pH 7, UR is slowly degraded through an O2•−‐mediated mechanism, whereas Rf disappears through its reaction with O2(1Δg) and, in the form of 3Rf*, with UR. On the contrary, at pH 9 Rf is photoprotected through two processes: its regeneration from the formed Rf radical species—a back electron transfer that also produces O2•−—and the elimination from the medium of O2(1Δg) by its reaction with UR. The overall result of the preservation of ground state Rf is the continuity of the photosensitized process and, hence, of the UR degradation. Media with higher pH values could not be employed due to the fast photodegradation of Rf. With rose bengal (RB) as photosensitizer, the rate constants found for the overall interaction between UR and the photogenerated O2(1Δg) were in the range 5 × 105 M−1 s−1 (at pH 7) to 1.3 × 108 M−1 s−1 (in 1 M NaOH aqueous solution, mainly physical quenching). The maximum O2(1Δg)‐mediated photooxidation efficiencies with RB were reached at pH 11, where only the O2(1Δg)‐reactive quenching with UR was observed.


The problem with mathematical theoretical physics is anthropocentrism. The mental activities of observation, recording, calculation, and manipulation are not relevant in the microcosm. An alternative method of natural philosophy is to neglect the human experience and describe the phenomena of nature from the point of view of the center of a fundamental particle. The smallest, simplest particle and form of motion, called an oscillon, is assumed here to be the sole constituent of space, matter, light, and neutrinos. The oscillon is visualized as a self-generating, self-measuring, and oscillating physical system of a point of tangency moving relative to a constant center point. The interactions of pairs of oscillons vary from complex to simple, according to the dimensionality of their relativity. When the spatial relations of interacting oscillons are three-dimensional, they form matter. When their relativity is two-dimensional, they form light. When they interact in one dimension, they form neutrinos.


In this paper we discuss a framework by which one might approach questions of consistency in UML. The framework derives from work undertaken in the Open Distributing Processing (ODP) standardisation initiative which looked at consistency checking across the ODP viewpoints. This work has resonance with some of the problems facing those using the many different aspects of UML, and the purpose of this paper is to discuss how the existing work could be applied in a UML context.


Recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) has been used successfully in neonates for resolution of thrombotic processes, both arterial and venous. We report on 2 neonates with vena cava inferior thrombosis and with biochemical evidence of liver dysfunction in whom rt-PA treatment had to be interrupted because of significant bleeding tendency, without complete resolution of the thrombus. Therapy failure may be due to the age of the thrombus and the systemic way of administration, bypassing the site of the thrombus by collateral circulation. Impaired liver function may result in decreased degradation of rt-PA with prolonged effect and higher risk for bleeding complications. We suggest that lower doses should be administered in these patients.


By a symplectic manifold (or a symplectic n-fold) we mean a compact Kaehler manifold of even dimension n with a non-degenerate holomorphic 2form ω, i.e. ω is a nowhere-vanishing n-form. This notion is generalized to a variety with singularities. We call X a projective symplectic variety if X is a normal projective variety with rational Gorenstein singularities and if the regular locus U of X admits a non-degenerate holomorphic 2-form ω. A symplectic variety will play an important role together with a singular Calabi-Yau variety in the generalized Bogomolov decomposition conjecture. Now that essentially a few examples of symplectic manifolds are discovered, it seems an important task to seek new symplectic manifolds by deforming symplectic varieties. In this paper we shall study a projective symplectic variety from a view point of deformation theory. If X has a resolution π : X̃ → X such that (X̃, πω) is a symplectic manifold, we say that X has a symplectic resolution. Our first results are concerned with a birational contraction map of a symplectic manifold.


Purpose: Rates of exercise participation among African Americans is low. Identifying and overcoming perceived benefits/barriers unique to African American women (AAW) may increase their exercise participation. The purpose of this study was to describe perceived benefits/barriers to exercise in AAW before and after participation in a walking program. Method: Thirty‐five postmenopausal AAW participated in a 7‐week structured walking program with 2 walking goals. Perceived benefits and barriers to exercise were assessed using the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale at the beginning and end of the program. Participants engaged in a postintervention interview to further assess benefits/barriers to exercise participation. Results: Perceived benefits/barriers to exercise did not change significantly with participation in a walking program. Lack of time due to work and family responsibilities affected achievement of the brisk walking goal. Conclusions: Postmenopausal AAW in this study strongly believed in the benefits of exercising and had increased levels of participation in a walking program when lack of time was not a barrier. Overcoming this barrier is the true challenge to health care professionals.


Morris dancing includes several distinct forms of vigorous traditional dance with about 5000 amateur participants in the UK and Ireland. Questionnaires were sent to over 500 registered morris sides. The response rate was 29 per cent with 129 acute injuries and 47 chronic injuries including one fatality. The commonest acute injuries were to ankle (33 per cent) and calf (22 per cent). The back was the commonest site of chronic injury, with a high contribution from occupational and other sources. Morris dancing is a relatively low-risk activity, but injuries could be prevented by improving the fitness of dancers and selecting safer surfaces to dance on. The severity of injuries could probably be reduced by seeking more and better treatment.


According to the 1999 World Health Organization report Removing Obstacles to Healthy Development, infectious diseases cause one-third of all human deaths worldwide. These diseases also cost the livestock industry billions of dollars yearly, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Center for Animal Health Surveillance. Infectious diseases are currently fought largely with vaccines (which generate so-called adaptive immunity) and antibiotics. But adaptive immunity can take months to acquire, and overuse of antibiotics may promote resistance in bacteria. If researchers with a Canadian project called Functional Pathogenomics of Mucosal Immunity (FPMI) can unlock the genetic mechanisms behind another branch of immunity—innate immunity—they may have the key to faster-acting, more effective medicines by harnessing the body's rapid-response agents. Indeed, project scientists recently identified a highly promising peptide candidate for future immunotherapies.

FPMI is funded by Genome Canada, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to advancing genomics and proteomics to improve human and animal health. The three-year project involves groups at the University of Saskatchewan, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the Vancouver firm Inimex Pharmaceuticals.

"The unique strength of FMPI is the application of animal and human models of infection to study evolutionarily conserved host responses," says microbiologist Vivek Kapur, co-director of the Biomedical Genomics Center at the University of Minnesota. Because the mechanisms of the innate immune system are not well understood, this comparative genomics approach to study host–pathogen interactions may lead to new immunotherapeutics to prevent infections, he adds.

Innate immunity appears highly conserved in evolution, suggesting that similar events occur in different species. Innate immunity is relatively nonspecific and acts rapidly to block pathogens at the point that they enter the body: the mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive tracts. Agents produced by the innate immune system—such as cytokines, chemokines, and natural host defense peptides—act immediately in response to infection.

The researchers use microarrays to watch gene activity in humans and animals following exposure to six bacteria and three viruses associated with hospital-acquired infections, food poisoning, and livestock illnesses. "If we can show that the same genetic processes happen in cows, chickens, and humans, that gives us a great deal of confidence that we're on the right path [to understanding the mechanism involved]," says project co-leader Lorne Babiuk, director of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan.

The data generated by the thousands of microarray experiments are processed by bioinformaticists headed by Fiona Brinkman, an assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. The team's sophisticated software system, called ArrayPipe, "allows researchers from distant geographic regions to work together and view each others' analyses," says Brinkman. The software is available in an "open source" format that makes it very flexible and easy to customize. ArrayPipe can be downloaded for free at http://www.pathogenomics.ca/arraypipe/.

The genes related to innate immunity encode disease-fighting substances, which not only kill pathogens, but also produce inflammation. Although some inflammation is necessary to kill pathogens, it can escalate to undesirable conditions such as septic shock. One goal of the FPMI researchers is to find ways to induce desirable disease-fighting responses, yet quell undesirable ones related to inflammation.

A major breakthrough came when researchers in the laboratory of FPMI co-leader Bob Hancock, who is director of the Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research at the University of British Columbia, showed that the natural host defense peptide LL-37 cures infections as it suppresses inflammation. In a report published 15 March 2004 in The Journal of Immunology, Hancock and colleagues write that LL-37 up-regulates genes linked with the inflammation that kills microbes, but down-regulates those linked with the inflammation that promotes septic shock, suggesting that LL-37 serves as a watchdog to control inflammatory processes. "This . . . indicates that you can get the good aspects of innate immunity without the bad," says Hancock.

Scientists at Inimex are designing new drug compounds based on LL-37. The new strategy will encourage the body's innate immune system to attack foreign invaders, rather than bombard bacteria with antibiotics—an approach that increasingly leads to antibiotic-resistant strains. "It's a new perspective that's desperately needed to counteract antibiotic-resistant bacteria," says Hancock.


In the process of industrialization, relocation of manufacturing industries from urban to rural areas may have important implications for the rural environment and agricultural production. As a demonstration, the aim of this paper is to estimate the impact of wastewater from industrial firms on agricultural yields in rice farming of Jiangsu province, China. Using 2011-2015 panel data from both the China Rural Fixed Point Survey and the China Environmental Statistics Database between 2011 and 2015, we find that industrial wastewater significantly reduces rice yields. The econometric strategy implemented allows us to assume that this result reflects a causal and detrimental biological effect of wastewater on the growing process of the rice. These results highlight the need to better understand the conflicts between industry and agriculture at the local level in a context of rapid industrialization.


Solid Bonding based welding processes allow to obtain defect free joints with low residual stress and low distortion. However, the engineering and optimization of solid bonding processes is difficult and requires a large number of time and cost consuming test trials. In this way, proper numerical models are essential tools permitting effective process design. The aim of this research was the comparison of the material process conditions during two different manufacturing processes taking advantage of the same metallurgical phenomenon, namely solid bonding. Linear Friction Welding, used to weld non-axisymmetric components and Accumulative Roll Bonding, used to increase the mechanical properties of sheet metals, were considered. Numerical models were set up, validated and used to design the process by studying the complex material behavior during the solid bonding of different aluminum alloys. An implicit approach was used for the Linear Friction Welding and Accumulative Roll Bonding processes, leading to the understanding of the main process variables influence on the field variables distribution and the occurrence of actual bonding.


The authors studied the effects of gamma radiation and submaximal physical exercise on 2,3-DFG content in healthy men erythrocytes. Twelve men aged 20-22 were examined. They were loaded by physical exercise (at doses of 2 M/kg body weight) for 15 minutes. Erythrocytes were exposed to gamma radiation (500 Gy doses) from a 60Co source. The concentration of 2,3-DFG in erythrocytes was estimated by Bartlett's method. Gamma radiation at 500 Gy dose was found to decrease 2,3-DFG content in erythrocytes both at rest and after submaximal exercise. Furthermore, submaximal physical exercise was found to decrease 2,3-DFG content in non-irradiated erythrocytes.


The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELFMF) on the production of liver fluke larvae in a parasite-host system: Fasciola hepatica--Galba truncatula. Both F. hepatica eggs and F. hepatica-infected snails were exposed to an ELFMF (50 Hz, 2.0 mT) for 14 days and 36 days, respectively. F. hepatica-infected snails were divided into 4 groups, 10 specimens each. The snails of groups I and II were infected with F. hepatica larvae--miracidia obtained from control cultures, while the snails of groups III and IV were infected with miracidia reared from eggs that had been incubated in an ELFMF. After infection, the snails of groups II and IV were placed in an ELFMF, while those of groups I (control) and III were housed outside the ELFMF. At 36 days post-infection (dpi) there were no statistically significant differences between the number of F. hepatica larvae--cercariae and metacercariae, obtained from G. truncatula snails in the control group (group I) and the snail groups exposed to ELFMF (groups II, III and IV). However, a statistically significant difference between the average number of F. hepatica larvae in snail groups III and IV may indicate that the duration of exposure to ELFMF, i.e. embryogenesis period vs. the entire larval development, played a role in the production of F. hepatica larvae, and resulted in a reduction of their number.


Background: Parotid gland is most commonly involved in tumors, comprising about 80% of the salivary gland neoplasms. Majority of parotid tumors are benign in nature, the most common being pleomorphic adenoma. Superficial Parotidectomy is the preferred treatment option, using either anterograde or retrograde approach. The objective of this study was to determine the post-operative facial nerve status and other complications following superficial parotidectomy by retrograde dissection for benign lesions of parotid gland. Material and Methods: This prospective clinical study included a total of 22 patients who had superficial Parotidectomy by retrograde technique involving marginal mandibular nerve dissection. These patients were studied post-operatively for facial nerve status, Frey's Syndrome, wound infection and salivary fistula. Results: Out of a total of 22 patients, 54.54% developed temporary facial palsy on ipsilateral angle of mouth and all of them recovered by the end of 3 months post-surgery. Two patients (9.09%) developed salivary gland fistula and both of them healed spontaneously within two weeks. Frey's Syndrome and wound infection were not seen in any of the patients included in the study. Histopathology of these lesions revealed pleomorphic adenoma (n=20) and Warthin's tumor (n=2), respectively. Conclusion: The use of marginal mandibular nerve as a landmark for retrograde dissection of facial nerve in superficial Parotidectomy is a reliable method to ensure lower percentage of facial nerve injury and associated complications.


H6 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) not only continue to circulate in both domestic poultry and wild waterfowl, but also have occasionally caused spillovers infections in pigs and humans, posing a potential threat to public health. However, the molecular mechanism of H6 AIV adaptation to mammals remains largely unknown. In this study, two mouse-adapted (MA) H6 AIV strains, named as MA E-Teal/417 and MA GWF-Goose/740, were generated through blind passages in BALB/c mice. The two MA H6 strains replicated more efficiently and showed higher virulence than the corresponding wild type (WT) H6 strains in mice. Genome sequencing revealed that MA E-Teal/417 and MA GWF-Goose/740 carried six amino acid mutations (PB2-T224A/E627K, HA-G124R, NA-F167L/Y356H and M1-M92R), and four amino acid mutations (PB1-K577E, PA-T97I/D514E and HA-T276K), respectively, when compared to the corresponding WT virus. Receptor binding assay showed MA E-Teal/417 had stronger binding activity to α-2,3 SA than WT E-Teal/417. Moreover, the polymerase activity analysis found the RNP polymerase activity of both MA H6 viruses was significantly higher than that of the corresponding WT virus in 293T cells. All these demonstrate that H6 AIV can acquire limit amino acid substitutions to adapt to mammals and increase virulence, highlighting the significance of monitoring such mutations of H6 AIV in the field for alarming the potential of its cross-transmission and pathogenesis in mammals.


Telomeres are repetitive sequences at the ends of chromosomes protected by DNA binding proteins of shelterin complex that form capping structures. One of these proteins, TRF1, plays a role in the regulation of telomere length through its interaction with other proteins in the shelterin complex. High levels of TRF1 expression have been shown to accelerate telomere shortening, whereas dominant-negative inhibition of TRF1 leads to telomere elongation. Recently, the newly identified Zinc finger and SCAN domain containing4 gene (ZSCAN4) plays a key role in genomic stability by regulating telomere elongation and was shown to co-localize with TRF1 foci in mouse embryonic stem cell. Here, we show that ZSCAN4 is a TRF1 association protein in breast cancer cells. We hypothesized that ZSCAN4 would affect levels of TRF1expression and correspondingly control the function of TRF1 through negative regulation and dominant-negative inhibition. Using Co-immunoprecipitation and TNT Pull-down assay, we demonstrate that ZSCAN4 binds with TRF1 in vitro. Localization and visualization of interacting protein-protein interactions in living cells are crucial to elucidate between TRF1 and ZSCAN4. Using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay, we show the directly visualize TRF1 and ZSCAN4 interactions in living cells. Using telomere length assays, we demonstrate that ZSCAN4 is an association protein of TRF1 to regulate telomere and affect in the telomere elongation of cancer. The ZSCAN4 mediated cooperative binding of TRF1 to telomeric DNA has important implications for understanding the mechanism of telomere extension. Citation Format: kyungwoo lee. The interaction of ZSCAN4 with TRF1: effects on regulation of telomere elongation in cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 579. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-579


In this paper we address the problem of aligning very long (often more than one hour) audio files to their corresponding textual transcripts in an effective manner. We present an efficient recursive technique to solve this problem that works well even on noisy speech signals. The key idea of this algorithm is to turn the forced alignment problem into a recursive speech recognition problem with a gradually restricting dictionary and language model. The algorithm is tolerant to acoustic noise and errors or gaps in the text transcript or audio tracks. We report experimental results on a 3 hour audio file containing TV and radio broadcasts. We will show accurate alignments on speech under a variety of real acoustic conditions such as speech over music and speech over telephone lines. We also report results when the same audio stream has been corrupted with white additive noise or compressed using a popular web encoding format such as RealAudio. This algorithm has been used in our internal multimedia indexing project. It has processed more than 200 hours of audio from varied sources, such as WGBH NOVA documentaries and NPR web audio files. The system aligns speech media content in about one to five times realtime, depending on the acoustic conditions of the audio signal.


During the production of gas in the Far North and the Arctic, the formation of hydrate and ice plugs in intrafield flowlines is a major concern. The existing methods for determining the onset of hydrate formation are mostly based on the analysis of pressure-and-temperature conditions and therefore they only allow to detect the occurrence of conditions for hydrate formation. They do not allow to localize the specific place where hydrates start to form. The recently developed methods based on echolocation technology have a number of limitations due to the physical nature of the radiation used in them. The proposed method for the monitoring of hydrate formation processes in intrafield flowlines is based on a combination of analysis of pressure-and-temperature conditions in the flowline and the results of flowlines echolocation obtained by means of periodic generation of scanning pressure waves at the end of the flowline (from the side of the switching valve building). The flowlines are divided into characteristic sections bound by characteristic points linked to the structure of the flowline. The propagation speed of the scanning pressure wave is determined in each measuring cycle within the reference section. This can be any section between the characteristic points to which the distance is precisely known and which produce well-defined waveforms and time-stable reflections of scanning pressure waves, for example, the first section located adjacent to the switching valve building. The obtained echograms are compared with the model echogram, which is obtained from a flowline, which is known to be unclogged. Any abnormal change in the signal amplitude is indicative of an onset of the formation of a new local resistance. The proposed recursion formula makes it possible to calculate the temperature in the proximity of this local resistance and, taking into account the pressure value using the diagram of three-phase equilibria for hydrate-forming gases, to diagnose the possibility of existence of crystalline hydrates at a given point. Since pressure-and-temperature conditions for the formation of ice and hydrates are different, the proposed method is selective and enables accurate prediction of the nature of potential buildups.


ABSTRACT Hundreds of virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) have been uncovered, but an in-depth functional understanding is lacking for most. A major challenge for the field is separating those miRNA targets that are biologically relevant from those that are not advantageous to the virus. Here, we show that miRNAs from related variants of the polyomavirus simian vacuolating virus 40 (SV40) have differing host target repertoires (targetomes) while their direct autoregulatory activity on virus-encoded early gene products is completely preserved. These results underscore the importance of miRNA-mediated viral gene autoregulation in some polyomavirus life cycles. More broadly, these findings imply that some host targets of virus-encoded miRNAs are likely to be of little selective advantage to the virus, and our approach provides a strategy for prioritizing relevant targets.


Online dating sites have become popular platforms for peo- ple to look for potential romantic partners. It is important to understand users' dating preferences in order to make better recommendations on potential dates. The message sending and replying actions of a user are strong indicators for what he/she is looking for in a potential date and reflect the user's actual dating preferences. We study how users' on- line dating behaviors correlate with various user attributes using a large real-world dateset from a major online dating site in China. Many of our results on user messaging behavior align with notions in social and evolu- tionary psychology: males tend to look for younger females while females put more emphasis on the socioeconomic status (e.g., income, education level) of a potential date. In addition, we observe that the geographic dis- tance between two users and the photo count of users play an important role in their dating behaviors. Our results show that it is important to differentiate between users' true preferences and random selection. Some user behaviors in choosing attributes in a potential date may largely be a result of random selection. We also find that both males and females are more likely to reply to users whose attributes come closest to the stated preferences of the receivers, and there is significant discrepancy between a user's stated dating preference and his/her actual online dat- ing behavior. These results can provide valuable guidelines to the design of a recommendation engine for potential dates.


The development of efficient therapies for ocular diseases remains a significant challenge because of the static and dynamic barriers in the eye. A variety of pharmaceutical strategies have been explored to overcome these ocular physiological barriers and thereby improve therapeutic bioavailability in both anterior and posterior ocular tissues. This mini-review summarizes, analyzes, and discusses recent advances in the field of ophthalmic drug delivery systems (DDSs). Specifically, the focus is on design strategies using stimuli-responsive polymers and their applications for the treatment of prevalent ocular diseases such as dry eye, ocular infection, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. The stimuli-responsive polymers are categorized according to their responses in various ocular environmental conditions (such as temperature, pH, and ions). Additionally, general strategies and methodologies for the construction of effective ophthalmic stimuli-responsive DDSs are investigated by exploiting key parameters such as the stimuli-response type, ocular biocompatibility, ocular biodegradability, drug encapsulation and release, as well as the modifiable structure of the polymers. Also discussed in this review are the interrelationships among the designed structures, properties, and functions of the stimuli-responsive DDSs and their pharmacological treatment efficacies. In summary, we believe that the recent progress in the field of stimuli-responsive DDSs constitutes a significant advance for the development of effective pharmacological treatments for eye disorders.


Previous studies find that the feedback-related negativity in brain potentials is sensitive to the negative outcome of one's own performance. The feedback-related negativity is suggested to reflect the learning processes using feedback about the consequences of recent actions. Learning can also take place when one observes other people's actions and the associated outcomes. We recorded brain potentials while the participant received outcome feedback for their own or for another person's performance in a gambling task. The feedback-related negativity or the feedback-related negativity-like effects were obtained in both situations, suggesting that similar neural mechanisms are involved in evaluating the outcomes of one's own and the other's actions. Thus, the neural processes in learning-by-observation resemble those in learning-by-doing.


The effects of experimental cryptorchidism on seminiferous tubule secretions and interstitial cell testosterone production were studied in vitro. Spent media obtained from incubations of seminiferous tubules (SMST) from cryptorchid rats caused a significant increase in testosterone production when added to interstitial cells isolated from intact rats. The previously noticed inhibitory activity of the SMST from stages VIII-XI of the spermatogenic epithelial cycle gradually disappeared after the induction of experimental cryptorchidism. SMST obtained from both sham-operated or cryptorchid rats stimulated basal testosterone production when added to interstitial cells from cryptorchid rats. SMST from rats had been cryptorchid for 7, 14 and 28 days stimulated testosterone production when added to interstitial cells prepared from intact animals. Seminiferous tubules from cryptorchid rats therefore appear to be the source of a heat stable, trypsin-resistant factor with an apparent molecular weight of between 5000 and 10,000 daltons which stimulates testosterone production when added to interstitial cells in vitro. Its activity could not be blocked by an LRH antagonist. This factor enhances both basal and LH-stimulated secretion of testosterone in contrast to the inhibitory activity which involves only a partial blockade of LH-dependent steroidogenesis.


Objectives Patient outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) varies at multilevel (geographical regions, emergency medical service agencies and receiving hospitals) in the USA. However, it remains unclear whether there is a variation in patient outcomes after OHCA between relevant units of the healthcare system such as receiving hospitals in Japan. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the variation in patient outcomes after OHCA between receiving hospitals in Japan. Design Secondary analysis of the prospective multicentre OHCA registry. Setting The Japan Association for Acute Medicine OHCA Registry, a prospective multicentre OHCA registry, including 73 medical institutions in Japan. Participants 9303 adults (≥18 years old) with OHCA of medical origin, treated at 67 hospitals from June 2014 to December 2015. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome was 1-month survival after OHCA. The secondary outcome was favourable functional status at 1 month, defined as cerebral performance category scale 1 or 2. We constructed a series of multivariable hierarchical logistic regression models predicting outcomes, accounting for patient-level variables and clustering of patients within hospitals. We evaluated the adjusted 1-month survival and functional outcome for each hospital, ranked hospitals for each outcome and calculated median ORs (MORs) to quantify the between-hospital variation in outcomes. Results The prevalence of 1-month survival after OHCA was 7.1% (663/9303) and that of favourable functional outcome was 3.6% (331/9303). After adjustment for patient-level factors, we observed variations in 1-month survival (range, 1.6%–13.8%; adjusted MOR 1.34; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.67) and favourable functional outcome (range, 0.7%–7.3%; adjusted MOR 1.53; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.24) between hospitals. Conclusions We found substantial variations in patient outcomes after OHCA within a large group of hospitals in Japan, despite adjustment for patient factors that are known to be associated with different outcomes.


A consistent Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) signature of the tropical Atlantic meridional and equatorial interannual modes is extracted from in situ observations and a regional numerical simulation, by a statistical analysis on the 1980-2012 period. Oceanic and/or atmospheric processes responsible for the signature of each mode are identified through a mixed-layer salt budget in the validated model. The meridional mode is associated in spring with a meridional SSS dipole in the equatorial band, due to changes in fresh water flux related to a meridional shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). It is also associated with large SSS anomalies in the north and south west tropical Atlantic, due to advection of relatively fresh equatorial waters by strengthened western boundary currents, and off the Congo River where both meridional and vertical advection are involved. The equatorial mode is associated in summer with 3 zonal bands of alternating SSS anomalies between 5°S and 10°N. The southernmost band is due to vertical advection and diffusion at the mixed layer base, the two others to a shift of the ITCZ-related rainfall maximum, with additional contribution of meridional advection in the northernmost band. The equatorial mode also leads to large SSS anomalies in the North Brazil Current retroflection region, mainly due to horizontal advection of equatorial SSS anomalies. The SSS signatures of the meridional and equatorial modes are well captured by the SMOS satellite during particular events.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the influence of 3 different restorations on the fracture resistance of endodontically treated premolars with minor loss of dental defect in order to direct clinical design.

METHODS
Seventy-two recently extracted intact and single-rooted human mandibular premolars for orthodontic reason were collected and randomly divided into 3 groups (group A, B, C, n=24). Each group was respectively prepared into 1/3 defect of occlusal surface (group A), 1/2 defect of occlusal surface (group B) and 1/3 defect of proximal-occlusal surface model (group C). Then each group was divided into 3 subgroups with one restored with a light-curing composite resin(group A1, B1, C1), one restored with cast metal full crowns following a light-curing composite resin (group A2, B2, C2), and one restored with fiber posts and resin cores and cast full crowns after teeth preparations (group A3, B3, C3, n=8). Static loading tests were performed on each specimen until cracked.Fracture strength was tested and fracture patterns were examined. The data was analyzed using SPSS17.0 software package.

RESULTS
The fracture resistance of subgroup A2 was different when compared with subgroup A1 and subgroup A3. In group B and C, the fracture resistance of teeth in subgroup B2, B3, C2 and C3 were significantly higher than that in subgroup B1 and C1. There was no significant difference in the fracture mode of 3 restorations in group A, B and C.

CONCLUSIONS
A composite resin combined with cast metal full crowns can be used as the first choice to restore endodontically treated premolars with proximal-occlusal 1/3 defects and occlusal defects that do not surpass 1/2 dimension of occlusion.


The purposes of this study were to uncover the relationships and correlations between mental health, resilience and happiness. The sample consisted of 184 intermarried Korean men. The data were analyzed by means of frequency, Pearson`s correlation, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS. The major findings were as follows; Mental health was negatively correlated with resilience and happiness, except for the component of negative emotion. Additionally, resilience was positively correlated with feelings of happiness and positive emotion. Second, social maladaptation and depression had a negative influence on resilience and a negative influence on happiness. Resilience had a mediating effect on mental health and feelings of happiness. Resilience had a mediating effect on mental health and positive emotion, while resilience had a mediating effect on mental health and negative emotion. In conclusion, in order to improve happiness it is important to mediate on intermarried Korean men`s resilience through special education programs and counseling.


Renal artery embolisation (RAE) is an interventional radiology procedure which is used to embolise small branches of renal artery. It is mainly used for urologic purposes, i.e., vascular malformations, angiomyolipomas and renal tumours not amenable to surgical resection. Bilateral RAE can be performed via using absolute ethanol, polyvinyl alcohol or microparticles. After RAE, patients may experience post-embolisation syndrome which is usually self-limited. Use of this procedure for refractory nephrotic syndrome has been rarely defined in the literature to date. Here, we describe a patient who had nephrotic syndrome due to secondary systemic amyloidosis. The patient presented with severe proteinuria (33 g per day), hypoalbuminaemia and anasarca oedema. We applied bilateral RAE with microparticles. We did not observe any complications associated with the procedure. Protein excretion, laboratory values and clinical signs returned to normal.


With the rapid development of Location-Based Services (LBS), a large number of LBS providers outsource spatial data to cloud servers to reduce their high computational and storage burdens, but meanwhile incur some security issues such as location privacy leakage. Thus, extensive privacy-preserving LBS schemes have been proposed. However, the existing solutions using Bloom filter do not take into account the redundant bits that do not map information in Bloom filter, resulting in high computational overheads, and reveal the inclusion relationship in Bloom filter. To solve these issues, we propose an efficient Privacy-preserving Spatial Range Query (PSRQ) scheme by skillfully combining Geohash algorithm with Circular Shift and Coalesce Bloom Filter (CSC-BF) framework and Symmetric-key Hidden Vector Encryption (SHVE), which not only greatly reduces the computational cost of generating token but also speeds up the query efficiency on large-scale datasets. In addition, we design a Confused Bloom Filter (CBF) to confuse the inclusion relationship by confusing the values of 0 and 1 in the Bloom filter. Base on this, we further propose a more secure and practical enhanced scheme PSRQ+ by using CBF and Geohash algorithm, which can support more query ranges and achieve adaptive security. Finally, formal security analysis proves that our schemes are secure against Indistinguishability under Chosen-Plaintext Attacks (IND-CPA) and PSRQ+ achieves adaptive IND-CPA, and extensive experimental tests demonstrate that our schemes using million-level dataset improve the query efficiency by $100\times $ compared with previous state-of-the-art solutions.


A new type of optical imaging X-ray detector with a capillary plate was constructed. The instrument consists of a CGPC (Capillary Gas Proportional Counter), a focusing mirror system, and an image intensified CCD camera. Both the charge signal and the light signal from the CGPC were proportional to energy up to hard X-rays of 60 keV. The light output of the CGPC was approximately 250 times larger than that of a NaI(Tl) scintillator. The light yield of the CGPC at gas gain of 300 was 1.2 photons per electron for a gas mixture of xenon +5% methane at 1 atm. Using the optical imaging detector, an image of a track due to an /spl alpha/-particle was detected. Also the first evidence was obtained that the light emission was due to gas multiplication occurring in a thin capillary. Our goal is to use this new type of optical imaging detector as an X-ray polarimeter.


For elderly persons, a fall can cause serious injuries such as a hip fracture or head injury. Here, an advanced first aid system is proposed for monitoring elderly patients with heart conditions that puts them at risk of falling and for providing first aid supplies using an unmanned aerial vehicle. A hybridized fall detection algorithm (FDB-HRT) is proposed based on a combination of acceleration and a heart rate threshold. Five volunteers were invited to evaluate the performance of the heartbeat sensor relative to a benchmark device, and the extracted data was validated using statistical analysis. In addition, the accuracy of fall detections and the recorded locations of fall incidents were validated. The proposed FDB-HRT algorithm was 99.16% and 99.2% accurate with regard to heart rate measurement and fall detection, respectively. In addition, the geolocation error of patient fall incidents based on a GPS module was evaluated by mean absolute error analysis for 17 different locations in three cities in Iraq. Mean absolute error was 1.08 × 10−5° and 2.01 × 10−5° for latitude and longitude data relative to data from the GPS Benchmark system. In addition, the results revealed that in urban areas, the UAV succeeded in all missions and arrived at the patient's locations before the ambulance, with an average time savings of 105 s. Moreover, a time saving of 31.81% was achieved when using the UAV to transport a first aid kit to the patient compared to an ambulance. As a result, we can conclude that when compared to delivering first aid via ambulance, our design greatly reduces delivery time. The proposed advanced first aid system outperformed previous systems presented in the literature in terms of accuracy of heart rate measurement, fall detection, and information messages and UAV arrival time.


Effect of polymer concentration and composition on the electro-optic properties of blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) composites is investigated. By increasing the polymer concentration, a more stable structure and faster response time are obtained, while keeping a low hysteresis (~ 3%). The major tradeoff is the increased operating voltage. Monomer ratio also plays an important role on the stability of the polymer-stabilized BPLC.