California's female dentists have experienced many professional
and societal challenges. Their earliest achievements and successes are examined,
including their history in the early California schools of dentistry and dental
societies, their service and professional practice. A diverse selection of female
dentists from California with different professional career paths is profiled.


Ce2%:6LiCaAlF6 (6LiCAF) single crystal (nominal composition) with 2 mm in diameter and 50 mm in length was grown by the micro-pulling-down method. Emission from the perturbed Ce3+ centers was observed in an ¿-ray excited radioluminescence. The neutron response was compared with Li-glass (GS20, Saint-Gobain) using 252Cf. The scintillation decay time of Ce2%: 6LiCAF is 38 nsec, which is twice as short as that of GS20. Using Hamamatsu photomultiplier H7416 the photoelectron yield about a half of that of GS20 has been measured for the Ce: 6LiCAF single crystal . Considering the light yield of GS20 (6000 phot/neutron) and the spectral correction due to the different emission peak position in both materials, the light yield of Ce: 6LiCAF single crystal is estimated about 4200 phot/neutron.


This paper describes a hidden Markov model (HMM) based visual synthesizer designed to assist persons with impaired hearing. This synthesizer builds on results in the area of audio-visual speech recognition. We describe how a correlation HMM can be used to integrate independent acoustic and visual HMMs for speech-to-visual synthesis. Our results show that an HMM correlating model can significantly improve synchronization errors versus techniques which compensate for rate differences through scaling.


Liberalization's Children explores how youth and gender have become crucial sites for a contested cultural politics of globalization in India. Popular discourses draw a contrast between "midnight's children," who were rooted in post-independence Nehruvian developmentalism, and "liberalization's children," who are global in outlook and unapologetically consumerist. Moral panics about beauty pageants and the celebration of St. Valentine's Day reflect ambivalence about the impact of an expanding commodity culture, especially on young women. By simply highlighting the triumph of consumerism, such discourses obscure more than they reveal. Through a careful analysis of "consumer citizenship," Ritty A. Lukose argues that the breakdown of the Nehruvian vision connects with ongoing struggles over the meanings of public life and the cultural politics of belonging. Those struggles play out in the ascendancy of Hindu nationalism; reconfigurations of youthful, middle-class femininity; attempts by the middle class to alter understandings of citizenship; and assertions of new forms of masculinity by members of lower castes.

Moving beyond elite figurations of globalizing Indian youth, Lukose draws on ethnographic research to examine how non-elite college students in the southern state of Kerala mediate region, nation, and globe. Kerala sits at the crossroads of development and globalization. Held up as a model of left-inspired development, it has also been transformed through an extensive and largely non-elite transnational circulation of labor, money, and commodities to the Persian Gulf and elsewhere. Focusing on fashion, romance, student politics, and education, Lukose carefully tracks how gender, caste, and class, as well as colonial and postcolonial legacies of culture and power, affect how students navigate their roles as citizens and consumers. She explores how mass-mediation and an expanding commodity culture have differentially incorporated young people into the structures and aspirational logics of globalization.


Two-dimensional materials (2DMs) have been vastly studied for various electrochemical sensors. Among these, the sensors that are directly related to human life and health are extremely important. Owing to their exclusive properties, 2DMs are vastly studied for electrochemical sensing. Here we have provided a selective overview of 2DMs-based electrochemical sensors that directly affect human life and health. We have explored graphene and its derivatives, transition metal dichalcogenide and MXenes-based electrochemical sensors for applications such as glucose detection in human blood, detection of nitrates and nitrites, and sensing of pesticides. We believe that the areas discussed here are extremely important and we have summarized the prominent reports on these significant areas together. We believe that our work will be able to provide guidelines for the evolution of electrochemical sensors in the future.


A state prediction scheme is proposed for discrete time nonlinear dynamic systems with non-Gaussian disturbance and observation noises. This scheme is based upon quantization, multiple hypothesis testing, and dynamic programming. Dynamic models of the proposed scheme are as general as dynamic models of particle predictors, whereas the nonlinear models of the extended Kalman (EK) predictor are linear with respect to the disturbance and observation noises. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared with both the EK predictor and sampling importance resampling (SIR) particle predictor. Monte Carlo simulations have shown that the performances of the proposed scheme, EK predictor, and SIR particle predictor are all model-dependent, that is, one performs better than the others for a given example. Some examples, for which the proposed scheme performs better than the others do, are also given in the paper.


BACKGROUND
Myocardial infarction (MI) is induced by acquired and inherited risk factors, including the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) -844G/A and -675G/A (4G/5G) gene variants.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PAI-1-844G/A and 4G/5G polymorphisms and changes in PAI-1 and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) levels in MI in a Tunisian population.

METHODS
This was a case-control study involving 305 patients with MI and 328 unrelated healthy controls. PAI-1 genotyping was done by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) (-844G/A) or by polymerase chain reaction-allele specific amplification. PAI-1 and tPA levels were assayed by serological assays.

RESULTS
In contrast to tPA levels, mean plasma PAI-1 antigen levels were higher in cases than in control subjects. The elevation in PAI-1 levels was more pronounced in -844A and 4G allele carriers. Significantly higher frequencies of (mutant) 4G and -844A alleles and 4G/4G and -844A/-844A genotypes, and corresponding lower frequencies of (wild-type) 5G and -844G alleles and 5G/5G and -844G/-844G genotypes were seen in patients than in controls. Increased prevalence of 4G/-844A and decreased prevalence of 5G/-844G haplotypes were seen in patients than in controls, thereby conferring a susceptibility and protective nature to these haplotypes, respectively. Regression analysis confirmed the independent association of 4G/4G and -844A/A with MI, after controlling for a number of covariates.

CONCLUSION
This study indicated that the risk of MI was notably high in 4G and -844A carriers with elevated plasma PAI-1 and were associated with reduced tPA levels.


Objectives Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is closely associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the mechanism involved in this association remains unclear. Impulsivity is one of the core traits of ADHD, and an elevated level of impulsivity increases the risk of onset of AUD. Our study focused on impulsivity as the common trait factor of these disorders. We examined the effects of ADHD symptoms and impulsivity on the abstinence period of patients with AUD. Methods Male participants with AUD completed the contents of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. We investigated participant alcohol abstinence period to evaluate severity and frequency of relapse. Results Both ADHD symptom presence and abstinence period were significantly correlated with impulsivity. Motor impulsivity showed the highest correlations with ADHD and abstinence. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that impulsivity is a predictor of abstinence period, while ADHD had a moderating effect on the relationships between impulsivity and abstinence period. Moreover, we undertook hierarchical regression analysis of motor, cognitive, and non-planning impulsivity ; only motor impulsivity and ADHD symptom showed a statistically significant interaction with abstinence period. Conclusion The results indicate a possible causal relationship between the treatment of ADHD symptoms and the extension of AUD abstinence period. In other words, treatment of ADHD symptoms may prevent AUD relapse. Impulsivity, especially motor impulsivity has an important role in the base mechanisms of these two disorders.


Necroptotic cell death is promoted by the dimerization-dependent activation of the kinase RIPK3. RIPK3 dimers drive death Inflammatory necroptotic cell death is initiated by activation of the kinase RIPK3. Raju et al. identified structural similarity between the kinase domains of RIPK3 and BRAF dimers. Mutation of residues in the kinase domain prevented RIPK3 dimerization and necroptosis. The mutation D161N abrogated the kinase activity of RIPK3, but when the mutant kinase was heterodimerized with wild-type RIPK3, the kinase activity of wild-type RIPK3 was increased through an allosteric mechanism mediated by the mutant form. These studies suggest that dimerization critically regulates RIPK3 function. Necroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death, is initiated by the activation of receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), which depends on its interaction with RIPK1. Although catalytically inactive, the RIPK3 mutant D161N still stimulates RIPK1-dependent apoptosis and embryonic lethality in RIPK3 D161N homozygous mice. Whereas the absence of RIPK1 rescues RIPK3 D161N homozygous mice, we report that the absence of RIPK1 leads to embryonic lethality in RIPK3 D161N heterozygous mice. This suggested that the kinase domain of RIPK3 had a noncatalytic function that was enhanced by a conformation induced by the D161N mutation. We found that the RIPK3 kinase domain homodimerized through a surface that is structurally similar to that of the RAF family members. Mutation of residues at the dimer interface impaired dimerization and necroptosis. Kinase domain dimerization stimulated the activation of RIPK3 through cis-autophosphorylation. This noncatalytic, allosteric activity was enhanced by certain kinase-deficient mutants of RIPK3, including D161N. Furthermore, apoptosis induced by certain RIPK3 inhibitors was also dependent on the kinase dimerization interface. Our studies reveal that the RIPK3 kinase domain exhibits catalytically independent function that is important for both RIPK3-dependent necroptosis and apoptosis.


Consumer behaviour in purchasing organic food products in Muslim countries has rarely been studied. This paper explores consumers understanding, perceptions and purchasing behaviour of organic foods in three regions of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It was found that consumers had limited knowledge of organic food. In comparison with conventionally produced food, consumers held positive attitudes towards organic food. Statistical analysis revealed that age, income and level of education influenced consumers perceptions. However, perceptions were not affected by gender. The major obstacles preventing people from purchasing organic foods was the high price, nonavailability, the lack of credentials and poor appearance. The implications of these findings for supply chain management are discussed.


The objective of this paper is to describe, in the context of multicore architectures, different scheduler implementations for the two-sided linear algebra transformations, in particular the Hessenberg and Bidiagonal reductions which are the first steps for the standard eigenvalue problems and the singular value decompositions respectively. State-of-the-art dense linear algebra softwares, such as the LAPACK and ScaLAPACK libraries, suffer performance losses on multicore processors due to their inability to fully exploit thread-level parallelism. At the same time the coarse-grain dataflow model gains popularity as a paradigm for programming multicore architectures. By using the concepts of algorithms-by-tiles [Buttari et al., 2007] along with efficient mechanisms for data-driven execution, these two-sided reductions achieve high performance computing. The main drawback of the algorithms-bytiles approach for two-sided transformations is that the full reduction can not be obtained in one stage. Other methods have to be considered to further reduce the band matrices to the required forms.


_Regular.grain_oriented (RGO) electrical steel sheet used for'power tr.ansformer cores is produced by a two stage cold rolling process with intermediate annealing and a subsequent decarburizing primary recrystallization. Its beneficial magnetic properties originate from a sharp Goss-texture developed by the following secondary recrystallization. By controlled thinning of the material the sharpness of this Goss-texture will be shown to strongly depend on texture and structure of the subsurface layers of the sheet. A less intense secondary recrystallization with deteriorated Goss-texture sharpness and magnetic properties was found if a critical surface layer was removed from both sides of the sheet at any processing step, but no such effect occurred after single-sided surface removal. This result led to a new interpretation of the model of "texture inheritance".


Twenty-five years after the conclusion of the peace treaty, Israel and Jordan are bound by security partnership and limited economic cooperation. People-to-people relations remain problematic. State-to-nation imbalance occurring on both sides of the relationship has undermined the achievements of the cooperation so far, and the uncertainty regarding the American politics in the region intensifies tensions which grow due to the deadlock in the Israeli-Palestinian relations. The role of the United States as a hegemon guaranteeing the state of 'cold' peace is decreasing and this, in turn, activates the diplomacy of states comprising the region as well as other world powers. Finding a satisfactory solution to the Palestinian question conditions the implementation of regional cooperation projects, which are a necessary answer to the new trans-border challenges, such as those related to climate change, that influence the internal stability of the states and the state of peace in the region.


This article offers a critical discussion of the role of the business plan in current enterprise educational practice. In addition to reviewing recent work that considers the 'for' and 'against' arguments about the use of business plans in higher education, the authors suggest that the context of student learning is largely omitted from these discussions. As such, they contextualize the debate so that the purpose of the business plan can be better appreciated. They build on recent work that offers alternatives to the business plan – approaches directly focused on customer discovery and explicit testing of assumptions. In doing so, recent concerns about the value of business plans and, conversely, the views of those who argue in favour of the role of business plans in enterprise education, are noted. The article provides insights into emerging alternative practices in the field of enterprise education, practices based on students' use of such education as a vehicle for skills and knowledge development and/or wealth creation. It is acknowledged that various biases are present in the current debate, including those of the present authors: whilst it is accepted that these biases are unlikely to disappear, the article contextualizes their origins.


The emerging field of regenerative medicine holds immense promise for addressing complex tissue and organ regeneration challenges. Central to its advancement is the evolution of additive manufacturing techniques, which have transcended static constructs to embrace dynamic, biomimetic solutions. This manuscript explores the pivotal role of smart materials in this transformative journey, where materials are endowed with dynamic responsiveness to biological cues and environmental changes. By delving into the innovative integration of smart materials, such as shape memory polymers and stimulus-responsive hydrogels, into additive manufacturing processes, this research illuminates the potential to engineer tissue constructs with unparalleled biomimicry. From dynamically adapting scaffolds that mimic the mechanical behavior of native tissues to drug delivery systems that respond to physiological cues, the convergence of smart materials and additive manufacturing heralds a new era in regenerative medicine. This manuscript presents an insightful overview of recent advancements, challenges, and future prospects, underscoring the pivotal role of smart materials as pioneers in shaping the dynamic landscape of regenerative medicine and heralding a future where tissue engineering is propelled beyond static constructs towards biomimetic, responsive, and regenerative solutions.


Unlike nuclear localization signals, there is no obvious consensus sequence for the targeting of proteins to the nucleolus. The nucleolus is a dynamic subnuclear structure which is crucial to the normal operation of the eukaryotic cell. Studying nucleolar trafficking signals is problematic as many nucleolar retention signals (NoRSs) are part of classical nuclear localization signals (NLSs). In addition, there is no known consensus signal with which to inform a study. The avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein, localizes to the cytoplasm and the nucleolus. Mutagenesis was used to delineate a novel eight amino acid motif that was necessary and sufficient for nucleolar retention of N protein and colocalize with nucleolin and fibrillarin. Additionally, a classical nuclear export signal (NES) functioned to direct N protein to the cytoplasm. Comparison of the coronavirus NoRSs with known cellular and other viral NoRSs revealed that these motifs have conserved arginine residues. Molecular modelling, using the solution structure of severe acute respiratory (SARS) coronavirus N‐protein, revealed that this motif is available for interaction with cellular factors which may mediate nucleolar localization. We hypothesise that the N‐protein uses these signals to traffic to and from the nucleolus and the cytoplasm.


Since increasing evidence indicates that combination modality of cancer treatment is preferable, and a series of 5-halo-6- phenylpyrimidinones has been found to induce interferon production and to stimulate a variety of immune responses, several were tested alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide (CY) against B 16 melanoma and P388 leukemia. Thus far, 2-amino-5-bromo-6-(3-fluorophenyl)-4(3H)pyrimidinone ( ABMFPP ) and its sister compound 2-amino-5-bromo-6-(2-fluorophenyl)-4(3H)pyrimidinone ( ABOFPP ) were found to be superior to other pyrimidinones including 2-amino-5-bromo-6-(6-phenyl)-4-pyrimidinone which is currently under clinical investigation. Neither ABMFPP nor ABOFPP alone had any significant activity against P388 leukemia. However, a marked synergistic effect was observed when a single i.p. injection of CY at 24 hr after tumor inoculation (10(6) cells/mouse) was followed by multiple i.p. injections of either ABMFPP or ABOFPP . For instance, the increase of life span was about 180% when animals received both CY (150 mg/kg) and ABMFPP (125 mg/kg/injection) as compared to 100% increased life span when animals received CY alone, and 0% increased life span when animals received ABMFPP alone. Also, 80% of the animals were long-term survivors (greater than 30 days) when animals received the combination therapy as compared to 20% survivors when animals received CY alone. The synergistic effect exhibited by ABMFPP or ABOFPP correlated positively to the initial reduction of tumor burden by CY. The optimal gap between CY and pyrimidinone administration was one day. The best therapeutic response was observed when pyrimidinone was given every 4 days for a total of 7 injections; however, other schedules and dosing frequencies also gave significant responses. The synergistic effect was also observed with B 16 melanoma when animals received the combination therapy. The significance of these findings, in terms of theoretical consideration as well as drug development, is discussed.


A valuable quantity for analyzing the lateral dynamics of road vehicles is the
 side-slip angle, that is, the angle between the vehicle's longitudinal axis and
 its speed direction. A reliable real-time side-slip angle value enables several
 features, such as stability controls, identification of understeer and oversteer
 conditions, estimation of lateral forces during cornering, or tire grip and wear
 estimation. Since the direct measurement of this variable can only be done with
 complex and expensive devices, it is worth trying to estimate it through virtual
 sensors based on mathematical models. This article illustrates a methodology for
 real-time on-board estimation of the side-slip angle through a machine learning
 model (SSE—side-slip estimator). It exploits a recurrent neural network trained
 and tested via on-road experimental data acquisition. In particular, the machine
 learning model only uses input signals from a standard road car sensor
 configuration. The model adaptability to different road conditions and tire wear
 levels has been verified through a sensitivity analysis and model testing on
 real-world data proves the robustness and accuracy of the proposed solution
 achieving a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.18 deg and a maximum absolute
 error of 1.52 deg on the test dataset. The proposed model can be considered as a
 reliable and cheap potential solution for the real-time on-board side-slip angle
 estimation in serial cars.


Abstract Mechanisms for extratropical influences on the initiation of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) are investigated using numerical simulations and a global reanalysis product. Previous simulations by a tropical channel model captured the timing and gross features of the initiations of two MJO events and suggested that the initiations were due to influences from the extratropics. In this study, latitudinal transport of momentum from the extratropics is found to be crucial in generating the lower tropospheric westerlies in the tropics associated with the MJO initiation. The diagnoses of the zonal momentum budget for the MJO initiation region revealed that the advection by meridional winds could be important prior to the initiation of the MJO. The time evolution of the wave activity identifies its source over the southern Indian Ocean where it grows by extracting kinetic energy from the mean flow. The time scale of the lateral boundary conditions that is responsible for the MJO initiation is also inv...


We propose a method of cooling nuclear spin systems of solid-state nanostructures by applying a time-dependent magnetic field synchronized with spin fluctuations. Optical spin noise spectroscopy is considered a method of fluctuation control. Depending on the mutual orientation of the oscillating magnetic field and the probe light beam, cooling might be either provided by dynamic spin polarization in an external static field or result from population transfer between spin levels without build-up of a net magnetic moment ("true cooling").


Purpose: Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the ideal properties of both antibodies and cytotoxic drugs by targeting potent drugs to the antigen-expressing tumor cells, thereby enhancing their antitumor activity. Successful ADC development for a given target antigen depends on optimization of antibody selection, linker stability, cytotoxic drug potency, and mode of linker-drug conjugation to the antibody. Here, we systematically examined the in vitro potency as well as in vivo preclinical efficacy and safety profiles of a heterogeneous preparation of conventional trastuzumab-mcc-DM1 (TMAb-mcc-DM1) ADC with that of a homogeneous engineered thio-trastuzumab-mpeo-DM1 (thioTMAb-mpeo-DM1) conjugate. Experimental Design and Results: To generate thioTMAb-mpeo-DM1, one drug maytansinoid 1 (DM1) molecule was conjugated to an engineered cysteine residue at Ala114 (Kabat numbering) on each trastuzumab-heavy chain, resulting in two DM1 molecules per antibody. ThioTMAb-mpeo-DM1 retained similar in vitro anti–cell proliferation activity and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) binding properties to that of the conventional ADC. Furthermore, it showed improved efficacy over the conventional ADC at DM1-equivalent doses (μg/m2) and retained efficacy at equivalent antibody doses (mg/kg). An improved safety profile of >2-fold was observed in a short-term target-independent rat safety study. In cynomolgus monkey safety studies, thioTMAb-mpeo-DM1 was tolerated at higher antibody doses (up to 48 mg/kg or 6,000 μg DM1/m2) compared with the conventional ADC that had dose-limiting toxicity at 30 mg/kg (6,000 μg DM1/m2). Conclusions: The engineered thioTMAb-mpeo-DM1 with broadened therapeutic index represents a promising antibody drug conjugate for future clinical development of HER2-positive targeted breast cancer therapies. Clin Cancer Res; 16(19); 4769–78. ©2010 AACR.


Healthcare-associated infections are a serious problem worldwide, as they increase morbidity, mortality and lengthen hospital stays. About 10-20% of patients on mechanical ventilation risk developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which varies by geographical region but still is the second most common nosocomial infection in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). VAP mortality is up to 20% in paediatrics.


The solar minimum period between solar cycles 23 and 24 was the longest since the beginning of space‐based measurements, and many manifestations of solar activity were unusually low. Thermospheric neutral density was about 30% lower than during the previous solar minimum, but changes in the ionosphere between the two solar minima are more controversial. Solar radiation, geomagnetic activity, and anthropogenic increases in greenhouse gases can all play a role in these changes. In this paper, we address the latter of these potential contributions the degree to which secular change driven by greenhouse gases, primarily CO2, could be responsible for the observed changes. New 3‐D model simulations find a global mean density decrease at 400 km of 5.8% between the two recent solar minima, which is larger than earlier 1‐D model results and in better agreement with observations. From these model simulations and from other observational work, we estimate that the contribution of secular change to global mean neutral density decrease between the two recent solar minima is less than ~6%. The contribution of secular change to the global average decrease of F region ionosphere peak density (NmF2) and altitude (hmF2), near midday, is estimated to be 1.5% and 1.5 km, respectively. However, secular changes in the ionosphere exhibit large variations with local time, geographic location, and season. The midday change of NmF2 seen in the model simulations ranged between +6% and −9% and the change of hmF2 ranged between +11 km and −11 km, depending on geographic location.


Background Population-wide policy actions to promote a healthy diet offer potentially large benefits in terms of reducing the non-communicable disease burden. However, there are wide ranges of potential options, with varying effectiveness. In order to make sense of this diversity, we conducted a rapid scoping review and tested a simple conceptual framework for categorising policies based on the marketing "4Ps" approach (Price, Product, Place and Promotion). Methods We searched six electronic databases for quantitative assessments of the effectiveness of policies to improve people's healthy eating; to change awareness, knowledge or attitudes towards healthy eating; or to improve self-efficacy, skill or competency concerning these behaviours. Reference lists were screened, and key informants identified additional evidence. Items were systematically assessed for inclusion. We initially sought systematic reviews, followed by primary studies and modelling studies. Extracted data were categorised using the marketing 4Ps framework. Combinations of interventions were categorised as "multi-component". Included studies were synthesised as a narrative review (being too heterogeneous to combine quantitatively). Results Price interventions are potentially powerful, with greater effects likely in vulnerable (low income) groups who are generally more price sensitive (1 systematic review; 3 econometric modelling studies). Product interventions mostly aim to reformulate products to reduce salt, fat or sugar content. There is some evidence for their effectiveness, however, formal evaluations are few (2 primary evaluations; 2 modelling studies). Promotion interventions suggest modest benefits for national media campaigns (such as "5 a day"), but more limited benefits for health education, food labelling, marketing or dietary advice (4 systematic reviews; 4 primary evaluations; 1 modelling study). Place interventions targeting food product availability have shown some success in schools and workplace settings (5 systematic reviews; 10 primary evaluations). However, more research is needed into community and neighbourhood interventions. Overall, the evidence is most convincing for comprehensive and multi-component interventions, notably those targeted at decreasing salt and trans fats consumption or increasing fruit and vegetable consumption (5 systematic reviews; 7 primary studies). Empirical and modelling evidence, across the 4Ps, supports the logical assumption that interventions are more effective when reinforced by mandatory rather than voluntary regulation. Conclusion The marketing 4Ps framework offers a potentially useful approach for categorising the effectiveness evidence spanning a very wide range of healthy food policies. It helps identify promising interventions (such as taxes/subsidies and multi-component school/workplace interventions) as well as areas where further evidence is required (for example, on how to modify food availability in the community).


Recent advances have shown that channel codes can be mapped onto networks to realize efficient Network Coding (NC); this has led to the emergence of Code-on-Network-Graphs (CNG). Traditional CNG approaches (e.g Decentralized Erasure Codes) focus on a generating a sequence of encoded symbols from a given input source (of size K), such that the original symbols can be recovered from any subset of the encoded symbols of size equal to or slightly larger than K. However in all cases the number of source symbols recovered falls rapidly if the number of encoded symbols received falls below K. In this paper we determine the CNG code-ensembles (under statistical toplogy constraint) which result in maximal recovery of WSN source data (for different erasure-rates), thereby minimizing the deterioration in data recovery. We also perform fixed point stability analysis on the underlying LDPC code ensemble. We then propose a distributed algorithm for generating a sequence of encoded symbols adhering to the designed code ensemble. Optimal solutions for a sensor network with 1000 nodes is determined using the Differential Evolution algorithm, and the solution sensitivity to variance in number of sensor nodes and node-interconnectivity is evaluated.


We assess the constraints on the evolutionary models of young low-mass objects that are provided by the measurements of the companion AB Dor C by Close and coworkers and by a new comparison of model-derived IMFs of star-forming regions to the well-calibrated IMF of the solar neighborhood. After performing an independent analysis of all of the imaging and spectroscopic data for AB Dor C that were obtained by Close, we find that AB Dor C (which has no methane) is not detected at a significant level (S/N ~ 1.2) in the SDI data when one narrowband image is subtracted from another but that it does appear in the individual SDI frames, as well as the images at J, H, and Ks. Although our broadband photometry for AB Dor C is consistent with that of Close, the uncertainties that we measure are larger. Using the age of τ = 75-150 Myr recently estimated for AB Dor by Luhman and coworkers, the luminosity predicted by the models of Chabrier and Baraffe is consistent with the value that we estimate from the photometry for AB Dor C. We measure a spectral type of M6 ± 1 from the K-band spectrum of AB Dor C, which is earlier than the value of M8 ± 1 reported by Close and is consistent with the model predictions when a dwarf temperature scale is adopted. In a test of these evolutionary models at much younger ages, we show that the low-mass IMFs that they produce for star-forming regions are similar to the IMF of the solar neighborhood. If the masses of the low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in these IMFs of star-forming regions were underestimated by a factor of 2 as suggested by Close, then the IMF characterizing the current generation of Galactic star formation would have to be radically different from the IMF of the solar neighborhood.


Galaxies, the building blocks of the Universe, are gravitationally linked systems made up of baryonic (stars, gas, and dust) and dark matter. How they form and evolve is one of the most studied, yet not understood, topics in modern astrophysics. To unveil their formation and evolution, the analysis of the stars populating these systems has been proven a powerful tool as the different stages in the evolution of a galaxy are imprinted in its stellar content. In particular, this analysis up to the outer parts of the galaxies is essential. As in these faint regions gravity is lower and the dynamical time-scales longer, fossil records from the time of galaxy assembly and formation are retained.
In this thesis we use high-quality, spectroscopic (CALIFA) and photometric (SDSS) data along with cosmological simulations (RaDES) to characterise the stellar content in spiral galaxies, paying special attention to their outer regions. We define a sample of 88 disc galaxies from the CALIFA survey, for which we study their light distribution and obtain their stellar age and metallicity radial profiles.
The classification of their Surface Brightness (SB) profiles in types I, II, and III is made on a two-dimensional basis applying the GASP2D code to the SDSS science frames. We obtain that different decomposition methods arise different SB classifications but we stick to this more realistic 2D approach. The stellar content of the analysed galaxies is obtained by applying a set of full-spectrum fitting codes (pPXF, GANDALF, and STECKMAP) to the CALIFA data. This method successfully replicates the stellar content recovered from more reliable, resolved stellar populations analysis in a case example, i.e. a region in the Large Magellanic Cloud bar.
The outer parts of the CALIFA galaxies reveal ``U-shape'' light-weighted age profiles for type I and II galaxies, suggesting that age and SB profiles are not directly coupled and thus, different mechanisms shape both properties. This age upturn disappears when we compute mass-weighted quantities, pointing to an important role in creating such age profile of the most recent star formation. This outer ageing is not found in all the analysed galaxies. Although this can be interpreted as a lack of universality, it can be a consequence of the limited radial coverage of the CALIFA data. Stellar radial migration has been regarded as a mechanism affecting the SB and other stellar population parameter profiles. The study of the inner stellar content discloses no differences between galaxies displaying the diverse outer SB profiles, setting limits on the importance of radial migration. Based on these results we cannot conclude whether migration is the main factor shaping the SB profiles or not. However, we can claim that the fraction of the migrated stellar mass is not significant enough as to affect the inner galaxy stellar content.
In this thesis we also assess the effect of the cosmological assembly history on the chemical and dynamical properties of the discs of the RaDES spiral galaxies up to their outskirts. We find that assembly histories can be divided into three phases according to the number of satellites surrounding the host discs. A merger dominated phase is followed by a quieter one before a ``secular'' epoch settles the discs. The stars born during the third phase and found in the most external regions of the simulated discs display inverted Age-Metallicity Relation as a consequence of the joint effect of radial motions and star formation in satellites temporarily located in these outer parts. In addition, ``U-shape'' age profiles are found in all the cases even if radial motions are not taken into account, suggesting that the outer age upturn could be a universal feature.
 The study carried out throughout this thesis suggests that the outer parts of spiral galaxies seem to display an age upturn as a frequent feature (supported by observations and simulations). This upturn is neither linked to a particular SB profile nor the result of an unique mechanism such as radial migration. This shape seems to be a consequence of inside-out growth of the disc, radial motions of disc stars (inwards and outwards), accretion of old stars from satellites, and the presence of an early in situ star formation along the entire disc of the galaxy. The fact that this outer ageing disappears in the mass-weighted age profiles suggests the importance of recent star formation in shaping these features. Although we cannot rule out radial migration as the main driver shaping the SB profiles, according to our findings it does not seem to redistribute a large amount of disc stellar mass as the inner gradients of stellar properties for different galaxies do not seem to differ.


ABSTRACT: In plant tissue culture system, the excessive supply of plant growth hormones may inhibit further growth and development of the regenerants and sometimes it may induce somaclonal variation. In this study, the optimum concentration of plant growth hormones for in vitro regeneration of Oryza sativa L. cv. MRQ 74 was identified and subsequently the occurrence of somaclonal variation of regenerated plantlets was determined through cytological analysis of in vivo and in vitro grown plantlets. MS media supplemented with 0.1 mg L-1 BAP in combination with 0.1 mg L-1 NAA was found to be the optimum concentration for shoots and roots induction of Oryza sativa L. cv. MRQ 74. Plantlets derived from MS media supplemented with 0.5 mg L-1 2,4-D showed higher survival rate than that of MS media supplemented with 0.1 mg L-1 BAP in combination with 0.1 mg L-1 NAA. The plant height, number of leaf, leaf length and number of seeds per stalk of acclimatized plants were significantly lower (p<0.05) as compared with plants grown in vivo. Cytological analysis of in vivo and in vitro grown Oryza sativa L. cv. MRQ 74 revealed that the presence of 2,4-D in the culture media had significantly decreased the mitotic index (MI) and increased the ploidy level of the cell nuclei. The findings of the present study would be useful for plant breeders and biotechnologist since somaclonal variation provides a useful source of genetic variation for crop productivity and quality improvement.


Background: Macrophages have been implicated in the pathogenesis of COPD. M1 and M2 macrophages constitute subpopulations displaying proand anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that smoking cessation affects macrophage heterogeneity in the lung of patients with COPD. Our aim was to study macrophage heterogeneity using the M2-marker CD163 and selected proand anti-inflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and induced sputum from current smokers and ex-smokers with COPD. Methods: 114 COPD patients (72 current smokers; 42 ex-smokers, median smoking cessation 3.5 years) were studied cross-sectionally and underwent sputum induction (M/F 99/15, age 62 ± 8 [mean ± SD] years, 42 (31-55) [median (range)] packyears, post-bronchodilator FEV1 63 ± 9% predicted, no steroids past 6 months). BAL was collected from 71 patients. CD163 macrophages were quantified in BAL and sputum cytospins. Proand antiinflammatory mediators were measured in BAL and sputum supernatants. Results: Ex-smokers with COPD had a higher percentage, but lower number of CD163 macrophages in BAL than current smokers (83.5% and 68.0%, p = 0.04; 5.6 and 20.1 ×10/ml, p = 0.001 respectively). The percentage CD163 M2 macrophages was higher in BAL compared to sputum (74.0% and 30.3%, p < 0.001). BAL M-CSF levels were higher in smokers than ex-smokers (571 pg/ml and 150 pg/ml, p = 0.001) and correlated with the number of CD163 BAL macrophages (Rs = 0.38, p = 0.003). No significant differences were found between smokers and exsmokers in the levels of pro-inflammatory (IL-6 and IL-8), and anti-inflammatory (elafin, and Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor [SLPI]) mediators in BAL and sputum. Conclusions: Our data suggest that smoking cessation partially changes the macrophage polarization in vivo in the periphery of the lung towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype, which is not accompanied by a decrease in inflammatory parameters.


Objective To analyse the methylation status of the Long Interspersed Nuclear Element-1 (LINE-1) and Short Interspersed Nuclear Element Alu (Alu) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with migraine compared with healthy control subjects. Methods This case–control study recruited patients with migraine without aura and age-matched healthy control subjects. PBMCs were purified from peripheral blood samples. Methylation levels and patterns of LINE-1 and Alu sequences were evaluated using combined bisulfite restriction analysis-interspersed repetitive sequences polymerase chain reaction. Results A total of 84 patients with migraine and 82 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. High levels of unmethylated cytosines in both the LINE-1 and Alu repetitive elements were observed in the migraine group compared with the control subjects. In addition, a significant difference was detected in the methylation level of LINE-1 between TT and CC genotype groups of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene. Conclusions These results suggest that analysis of epigenetic biomarkers in PBMCs may help to identify patients at a higher risk of migraine development.


National surveys of registered nurses, physicians, and hospital executives document considerable concern about the U.S. nurse shortage. Substantial proportions of respondents perceived negative impacts on care processes, hospital capacity, nursing practice, and the Institute of Medicine's six aims for improving health care systems. There were also many areas of divergent opinion within and among these groups, including the impact of the shortage on safety and early detection of patient complications. These divergences in perceptions could be important barriers to resolving the current nurse shortage and improving the quality and safety of patient care.


Multiple underground gas storage horizontal wells were drilled in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in Italy in several different fields. The wells were steered to maximize sand exposure in the target formations using a bed boundary mapping tool and borehole images. The wells were first landed based on offset pilot holes and a bit resistivity measurement. After the casing was run the production section was steered to total depth. Horizontal well drilling in Italy is challenging even for short horizontal wells because formations include steep dips, faulting and stratigraphic changes. Steering information was used in real-time by the geosteering team to overcome these issues and optimally place the wells and maximize the exposed permeability. This paper will more closely examine wells from two different fields to show how the real-time data were applied by the steering team to drill successful wells. The real-time data allowed a more optimized landing, maintenance in zone of interest, exit prevention and accurate detection of dip and the presence of shoulder beds. Steering results were verified after drilling using wireline magnetic resonance on drillpipe. Procedures were changed iteratively for each well to improve performance. By using the bed boundary mapping measurements and borehole images the geosteering team avoided sidetracks and steered these wells successfully to total depth. Without this information realtime decision making would have been more difficult and postwell interpretation less clear.


The quantitative analysis of vitamin C content from variations beverage packaging containing red guava (Psidium Guajava Linn) fruit juice had been done. In this study, 4 samples were obtained from the shopping center in Garut and Bandung City. Samples were tested quantitatively by 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol titration method. The results showed different concentration of 4 samples consist of tetra pack packaging, tin, glass, and plastic bottles, such as; 17.99 mg/100 gr, 31.46 mg/100 gr, 13.00 mg/100 gr, and 12.01 mg/100 gr, respectively. These result indicated that the packaging variations affected to the level of vitamin C content which was characterized by decreased levels of vitamin C. It means the levels of vitamin C from this research were not in accordance to nutritional value information on the packaging. Tetra pack packaging was the most stable compared to other packaging even though it had a shorter expired date than with other.


The structural and morphological properties of mesoporous silica nanoparticles( MSNs) have dramatical influence on their in vivo biological behaviors,and thereby synthesis of MSNs with well-defined shape and size has recently attracted much more attention in the biomedical field. The synthesis of MSNs with controllable size and shape was presented by controlling the reaction temperature and the concentration of templating agent(cetyltrimethylammonium bromide,CTAB). The results indicated that MSNs were larger in particle size and more round in shape with increasing of the reaction temperature,but their particle size and dispersivity became smaller and poorer as CTAB concentration increased. Therefore,the particle size and shape of MSNs can be tuned by using the optimal synthesis conditions for specific biomedical applications.


Global telecommunications companies sell new technologies and services that aim to increase communication possibilities. This case study of one Swedish telecommunications company ('the Company'), examines how employee notions of video-mediated communication are embedded social meanings. These social meanings are purposefully linked to notions of efficiency in the workplace, the environment, corporate social responsibility and economic gain. Through advertisements, slogans, in-house incentive programs and company policies, the Company has achieved what could be described as a shift in employee attitudes towards working using video-mediated communication (VMC) – so-called video meetings. The shift is however, far from comprehensive and this consciously constructed understanding of video-mediated communication co-exists and conflicts with multiple other meanings – explicit, implicit and purposefully ignored. Often moral dilemmas arise as personal wellbeing in the short-term conflicts with corporate sales targets, budget restrictions and environmental goals to 'save the planet'. By detailing these different understandings and their inter-relations, the complex and purposed nature of video-mediated communication phantasms in a global telecommunications company emerges.


This paper presents studies on the design of water hydraulic system and components to replace oil with tap-water as the pressure transmission medium in hydraulic systems. In order to improve the performance of water hydraulic system, the thermal and hydraulic properties of tap-water are first investigated. Based on these characteristics, the design parameters, such as the clearances of the moving parts, the cross-sectional area of pipes and relative roughness, are proposed so that the performance of water hydraulic system is the same as that of oil. In addition, the operating ranges, which show the possibility of using water hydraulic system, are examined.


Humility is a defining attitude of Reinhold Niebuhr's Christian realism. His formal writing asserts humility as a divine grace that transforms the Christian's personal life and as a political virtue essential to meeting Christian social responsibilities. If the formal work develops the theological framework of humility his prolific incidental work illumines its operation within the exigencies of political life. Over his lifetime Niebuhr penned thousands of essays, articles and editorials on the issues of the day. For many American Christians and public intellectuals this body of his work provided insights of faith through which they read the signs of the times. This dissertation examines the incidental writing from 1941-1952 to discern the relevance of humility in guiding American power during the 20th Century's most tumultuous era. From the incidental writing of this period four case studies are drawn in which we examine the operation of humility and its attitudes upon Niebuhr's insights into American power and international responsibility. In the first study humility is examined for its insights into Christian responsibility and the conduct of war. In the second we examine insights of humility that informed Niebuhr's understanding of the relationship between US power and the United Nations. The third case study examines the operation of humility in his account of the development and implementation of the Marshall Plan. And in the fourth the lens of humility is applied to the relationship between democratic self-criticism and the just use of power. The purpose of the case studies is not to claim that humility provides Christian realism a theological formula or policy blueprint for political action. Rather the cases demonstrate the operation of humility and its attitudes in Niebuhr's understanding of the facts, circumstances and foreseeable consequences necessary to discern a just use ofAmerican power in particular contexts. The discernments of humility reflected in the case studies are then applied to issues of contemporary America power. Here humility and its attitudes provide a lens through which we examine elements of the 2002 National Security Strategy, a document that embodies the Bush Administration's vision for the international role of American power today. Elements examined include the document's assertion of a distinctly American internationalism and its embrace of a preventative war doctrine. The conflict in Iraq provides the immediate context in which the lens of humility is applied to the National Security Strategy. The dissertation concludes that Niebuhr's insights regarding the operation of Christian humility upon Christian responsibility inform a relevant Christian realism and enable it to speak truths of faith to American power today.


Combining multicarrier (OFDM) and CDMA technologies is attractive for future wireless broadband communications and software radio realization. Based on the unified framework known as OFCDMA, we develop a programmable structure for OFDM-CDMA transceivers in spite of three different scenarios to combine OFDM and CDMA. By adjusting system parameters without changing the fundamental hardware and software architecture, various system scenarios can be implemented, which might serve as the foundation to design software radio.


OBJECTIVE To describe and analyse the baseline characteristics of workers attending the pneumoconiosis clinic for assessment of silicosis. DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING Outpatient clinic. PATIENTS One thousand and fifty-six patients with silica dust exposure attending the pneumoconiosis clinic for compensation assessment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Baseline demographic characteristics, lung function parameters, and radiographic findings. RESULTS Six hundred and forty-eight patients were diagnosed with silicosis, of which 10 were female. Excluding the data on female patients, the mean duration of dust exposure was 24.2 years. The majority of patients were involved in caisson work and stone splitting. Most newly diagnosed patients had simple silicosis. Less than a quarter (24.8%) had progressive massive fibrosis. Lung function parameters at diagnosis were within the normal range. Pulmonary tuberculosis remained an important co-existing disease. CONCLUSION The major cause of silicosis in Hong Kong is chronic silica dust exposure in the construction industry. Simple silicosis predominated at diagnosis, with normal lung function parameters seen in the majority of patients.


The propagation and redistribution of radiation in surface-atmosphere medium can be fully described by vector radiative transfer equation, which is the basis of quantitative remote sensing. How to deal with the questions of multiple-scattering effect, the polarization effect of the scattered radiation and the surface reflectance model is essential to an accurate simulation of vector radiative transfer equation, which affects the precision of quantitative remote sensing. This paper solves the vector equation of radiative transfer by using the successive orders of scattering approach; it includes the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model and bidirectional polarized reflectance distribution function (BPDF) model of surface reflectance. The index of relative errors was used to quantitatively study the effect induced by the difference of surface reflectance models and the polarization effect. Based on the studies, the basic theory of quantitative remote sensing using vector radiative transfer equation is proposed.


The decomposition by electron impact of saturated acyclic and cyclic (mono-, bi-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexa-cyclic) hydrocarbons having condensed, bridged, and single-bonded structures is examined and the reaction mechanisms, the characteristics of the decomposition due to structural and stereochemical factors, and the possibilities for the identification of the hydrocarbons by analysing their mass spectra are discussed. The bibliography includes 204 references.


The constraint complexity of a graphical realization of a linear code is the maximum dimension of the local constraint codes in the realization. The treewidth of a linear code is the least constraint complexity of any of its cycle-free graphical realizations. This notion provides a useful parameterization of the maximum-likelihood decoding complexity for linear codes. In this paper, we show the surprising fact that for maximum distance separable codes and Reed-Muller codes, treewidth equals trelliswidth, which, for a code, is defined to be the least constraint complexity (or branch complexity) of any of its trellis realizations. From this, we obtain exact expressions for the treewidth of these codes, which constitute the only known explicit expressions for the treewidth of algebraic codes.


We show that resonant tunneling of electromagnetic(EM) fields can occur through a six-layer structure consisting of two pairs of bilayer slabs: one being an epsilon-negative layer and the other being a mu-negative layer with a double-positive(DPS) medium and air. This type of tunneling is accompanied by high-magnetic field. The Poynting vector distributions and the material dissipation are studied. Our results demonstrate that the EM field in the structure is controlled flexibly by single-negative media and DPS slab. Therefore,this structure has potential applications in wireless energy transfer.


In this study, to develop a growth prediction method of rust on weathering steel, the rust progress characteristics under constant temperature and humidity have been conducted. In order to achieve a long life of weathering steel bridges, determination of several problems are required. Especially, rust evaluation technology, rust prediction method and repair technology of corroded weathering steel are significant. Different concentration (0.3%, 1.0%, 3.0%) of salt water sprayed on steel test pieces and,- were placed in a constant temperature and humidity test vessel, to observe the progress of rust in in-plane direction. Four patterns of exposure environment were tested. Exposure environment were combination of temperature (40°C, 20°C) and relative humidity (50%, 95%). To calculate the increase of rust area, specimen surface was confirmed. Higher salt water concentration (3%) brought rapid rust development. Furthermore, the increase of rust area was highly dependent on temperature than humidity. From time observations, it becomes clear that increase of rust area can be approximated to a logarithmic curve.


A detailed mechanism and corresponding mathematical model is suggested for bulk PVC production. The model is more detailed and general than earlier models and is consistent with reported experimental data as well as new experimental evidence presented here. Equations are presented and computations performed showing the evolution of the particle size distribution of the polymer beads. The predicted particle size distributions are in reasonable agreement with the limited experimental data available.


Highly conductive carbon nanosheets (CNSs) are fabricated using a polymeric carbon source and subsequently applied as the counter electrodes (CNS-CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The CNSs have a similar structure to multilayered graphene, and their high electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic activity enable them to have a dual-function as both CEs and charge supporting electrodes. CNSs form a unique CE material that functions successfully while being metal- and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)-free and allowing DSSCs to achieve ∼5% power conversion efficiency. The chemical structure, electrical properties, electrocatalytic activity, and work function of the CNS-CEs prepared under various conditions of carbonization are investigated, and their effects on the performance of the corresponding DSSCs are discussed. Carbonization temperature is shown to have influenced the size of graphitic domains and the presence of heteroatoms and functional groups in CNS-CEs. The change in the graphitic domain size has a marginal influence on the work function of the CNS-CEs and the overpotential for the reduction of the redox couples (I(-)/I3(-)). However, the electrical conductivity of CNS-CEs and the charge transfer resistance at CE/electrolyte interfaces in the DSSCs are considerably influenced by the carbonization condition. Our study shows that CNSs serve as efficient, FTO-free CE materials for DSSCs, and they are appropriate materials with which the effects of the chemical/physical properties of graphene-based materials on the electrode performance of various electrochemical devices may be studied.


Phytochemical-rich diets are protective against chronic diseases and mediate their protective effect by regulation of oxidative stress (OS). However, it is proposed that under some circumstances, phytochemicals can promote production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro, which might drive OS-mediated signalling. Here, we investigated the effects of administering single doses of extracts of red cabbage and grape skin to pigs. Blood samples taken at baseline and 30 min intervals for 4 hours following intake were analyzed by measures of antioxidant status in plasma, including Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. In addition, dose-dependent production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by the same extracts was measured in untreated commercial pig plasma in vitro. Plasma from treated pigs showed extract dose-dependent increases in non-enzymatic (plasma TEAC) and enzymatic (GPx) antioxidant capacities. Similarly, extract dose-dependent increases in H2O2 were observed in commercial pig plasma in vitro. The antioxidant responses to extracts by treated pigs were highly correlated with their respective yields of H2O2 production in vitro. These results support that dietary phytochemicals regulate OS via direct and indirect antioxidant mechanisms. The latter may be attributed to the ability to produce H2O2 and to thereby stimulate cellular antioxidant defence systems.


After setting-up and target filling, OPERA is about to start its full-scale data taking. Good performance in previous short runs is reported, showing a rich physics output, event by event, based on high-resolution tracking, prompt/non prompt lepton identification and kinematical analysis. Observation of ντ interactions, tagged by τ decay, as a direct signal of ν oscillation in appearance mode, could be within reach already this year, as the long-baseline CERN facility, CNGS, is scheduled to send soon again neutrinos towards the Gran Sasso Lab.


Vitiligo is a acquired cutaneous disease, idiopathic, that affects approximately 1% of the world population. Nevus achromicus is a congenital anomaly observed in 0,2 to 0,3% of neonates and have a tendency to maintain itself stable in a long term. Although the diagnosis of vitiligo and nevus achromicus is based on clinical grounds, Wood´s light is a useful tool on the diagnosis of these discromic diseases. We report a case of a 26-year-old female patient that presented with spots compatible with nevus achromicus and vitiligo on the same body region.


A new member of the beta-chemokine family, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-related protein-2 (MRP-2) was isolated from a murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7. MRP-2 is composed of 122 amino acids of which the first 21 residues constitute a putative signal sequence. The putative mature protein is composed of 101 amino acids with a molecular weight of 11,600. MRP-2 is structurally similar to MIP-related protein-1 (MRP-1) (C10) and MIP-1 alpha. MRP-2 shows a 50.8% sequence identity at the protein level to MRP-1 and 46.3% identity to MIP-1 alpha. MRP-2 detects approximately 1.3 kilobase mRNA from monocyte and macrophage cell lines but does not detect the mRNA from T and B cells. The MRP-2 gene termed Scya9 was mapped to the central region of mouse chromosome 11 near the Scya1 and Scya2 genes, which are also members of the beta-chemokine superfamily. The Scya gene cluster was located between neurofibromatosis type 1 (Nf1) and myeloperoxidase (Mpo). rMRP-2 significantly suppressed colony formation by murine and human bone marrow granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-granulocyte-macrophage), erythroid (burst-forming unit-E), and multipotential (CFU-granulocyte-erythroid-macrophage-megakaryocyte) progenitor cells stimulated by combinations of growth factors.


Molar pregnancy is a complication of 1 in 200–2000 pregnancies whereby abnormal placental tissue proliferates in the absence of a fetus and may lead to metastases. The disease origin lies in dispermy or dual fertilisation of the egg. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of molar pregnancy upon the male partner.


BACKGROUND
Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast constitutes the early stage of breast cancer when cancer cells are confined by the intact myoepithelial cell layer. Transition from DCIS to invasive carcinoma is a process yet poorly understood.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
By liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS/MS) methods, we analyzed this early event using paired samples of micro-dissected cells overlaid with focally disrupted myoepithelial layers and their adjacent counterparts within the intact duct from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks.

RESULTS
AKR1B10, a member of Aldo-keto reductase family, was shown to be abundantly located in the filtering cells among a catalog of proteins. Moreover, strong correlation between AKR1B10 and HER2 positivity was found in an independent cohort of DCIS samples.

CONCLUSION
AKR1B10 could become a potential diagnosis and therapeutic marker for early breast cancers with HER2 overexpression and poor prognosis.


AIMS
To examine the distribution of bone mineral density (BMD) in different histological groups of renal osteodystrophy.

PATIENTS
We prospectively studied 62 patients, 41 men and 21 women, aged 57+/-11.5 years, who had been on hemodialysis for 60+/-55 months. The women had been amenorrheic for 13+/-4 years and 7 patients (11%) had a positive fracture history.

METHODS
A bone biopsy was taken after tetracycline labelling and BMD of the lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA); serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), bone Gla protein (BGP), phosphorus, calcium and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were also determined.

RESULTS
Histologically, 40 patients showed secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT), 6 mixed bone disease, 14 adynamic bone disease (A) and 2 osteomalacia. BMD of the lumbar spine was decreased in 43 patients (69%) and in 9 (14.5%) it was lower than -2 Z score units. BMD of the femoral neck was low in 55 patients (89%) and in 22 (35.5%) it was lower than -2 Z scores. BMD was lower in patients with sHPT than in those with adynamic bone disease (p<0.05) in which it was close to normal. BMD in both these sites correlated inversely with the biochemical markers (serum iPTH, BGP and ALP) and the histomorphometric indices of bone turnover.

CONCLUSIONS
Osteopenia is frequent in patients on hemodialysis, especially those with biochemical and histological findings of sHPT.


Abstract Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is an important risk factor in pediatric population for the early onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. New non-invasive tools are required to identify MS in at risk populations; the aim of this study was to determine an optimal cut-off point for the 13C-glucose breath test (13C-GBT) for the diagnosis of MS in adolescents. Methods: A total of 136 adolescents between 10 and 16 years old were recruited. MS was defined as: waist circumference >90th percentile and at least two of the following; high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) <50 mg/dL, triglycerides >110 mg/dL, diastolic and/or systolic blood pressure >90th percentile adjusted by age, gender and height, and/or fasting glucose >100 mg/dL. After the ingestion of a glucose load of 1.75 g/kg of body weight (up to 75 g) and an oral dose of 1.5 mg of universally labeled 13C-glucose/kg dissolved in water, breath samples were taken at baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min. Exhaled 13CO2 in breath samples was measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Results: 13C-GBT data, expressed as adjusted cumulative percentage of oxidized dose (A% OD) at 180 min, was significantly higher in the healthy subjects group (17.72%±4.9%) in comparison with subjects with ≥3, 2 or 1 components of the MS (9.95%±4.73%, 14.3%±4.47% and 14.62%±4.62%, respectively). The optimal cut-off point for the A% OD was 16.09, with a sensitivity of 81.5% and a specificity of 66.7%. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the 13C-glucose breath test could be a valid screening method to identify MS in adolescents.


PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the barriers and difficulties small hotels encounter in Cyprus and to identify possible solutions and remedies.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on both academic and trade literature to explore the challenges facing small hotel operations in Cyprus, both in the South and in the North of the Island and some possible remedies. Interviews with representatives from 12 small hotels across Cyprus were conducted online and in person.FindingsCyprus is a small island that is vulnerable to fluctuations in tourism numbers, has limited economic independence, unique characteristics of biological and cultural diversity, scarce resources and fragile and sensitive ecosystems. The Northern part of the island is more vulnerable and highly dependent on economic support from Turkey. Further, the North has less international support because of its status, while small hotels in the Republic of Cyprus benefit from being able to promote themselves internationally. In contrast, hotels in the North have more limited scope to promote their activity.Originality/valueThis paper raises awareness of the barriers to sustainable tourism and especially as it relates to small hotels in small island developing states. One of the main findings is that there are common barriers relating to sustainable tourism in both North and South Cyprus.


Aim: The aim of this study was to study the safety and efficacy of posterior capsulorhexis in vitrectomized eyes undergoing combined phacoemulsification or irrigation/aspiration and silicone oil removal. Methods: This prospective non-randomized interventional study involved 115 silicone-filled eyes of 115 previously vitrectomized patients. All patients underwent combined phacoemulsification or underwent irrigation/aspiration and silicone oil removal, followed by foldable intraocular lens implantation combined with primary posterior trans-scleral capsulorhexis. A 23-gauge trans-scleral vitrectomy probe was used to form the posterior capsulorhexis (vitrectorhexis). Patients were followed for 6 months. Results: Intraocular lenses maintained good centration in the capsular bag during and after trans-scleral posterior capsulorhexis. No complications were observed in the postoperative period regarding lens centration or size of the posterior capsulorhexis. No included eyes needed YAG laser posterior capsulotomy and no recurrent retinal detachment was reported during follow-up. Conclusion: Performing primary trans-scleral capsulorhexis in patients undergoing combined phacoemulsification, or irrigation/aspiration and silicone oil removal, enabled achievement of an early postoperative clear visual axis and prevented the onset of dense postoperative posterior capsular opacification in previously silicone-filled eyes. This technique is reproducible and may facilitate additional intra-operative procedures and uncomplicated postoperative follow-up of retinal detachment patients without requiring YAG laser capsulotomy.


We address computational issues relevant to the study of disordered quantum mechanical systems at very low temperatures. As an example we consider the disordered Bose- Hubbard model in three dimensions directly at the Boseglass to superfluid phase transition. The universal aspects of the critical behaviour are captured by a (3 + 1) dimensional link-current model for which an efficient 'worm' algorithm is known. We present a calculation of the distribution of the superfluid stiffness over the disorder realizations, outline a number of important considerations for performing such estimates, and suggest a modification of the linkcurrent Hamiltonian that improves the numerical efficiency of the averaging procedure without changing the universal properties of the model.


Motion detection and position tracking of animal behavior over a period of time produce massive amount of information, but analysis and interpretation of such huge datasets are challenging. Here we describe statistical methods to extract major movement structures of Drosophila locomotion in a circular arena, and examine the effects of pulsed light stimulation on these identified locomotor structures. Drosophila adults performed exploratory behavior when restrained individually in the circular arenas (1.27 cm diameter 0.3 cm depth). Measures of the distance to the center of the arena followed a gumbel distribution with mixed components. Representation learning of distance to center from 177,000 observations (from 63 controls and 55 flies with pulsed light stimulation) revealed three major movement components, indicating three locomotor structures characterized as: side-wall walk, angle walk and cross of the central region. Pulsed flies showed reduced cross of the central region compared with controls. We also showed that counter-clockwise walk and clockwise walk were the two major rotation behaviors with equal time proportion. There was a peak relative turning angle at 25.6° for counter-clockwise walk, and 334.4° for clockwise walk. Regression analysis of relative turning angle as a function of distance to center indicated that as distance to center increased, flies switched turning from directions for perimeter-returning to directions for major rotation. Pulsed flies reduced trajectories that had irregular circle-shape and increased trajectories with regular circle-shape during rotation. Taken together, we present a feasible approach to extract major locomotor structures of Drosophila locomotion in a circular arena, and demonstrate how pulsed light stimulation increased the regularity of locomotor trajectory.


Patch-based image denoising is a popular topic in recent years. In existing works, the distance between two patches was calculated as their Euclidian distance. When the noise level is high, this approach may not be desirable in image denoising. In this paper, we propose to extract noise-robust feature vectors from image patches and match the image patches by their Euclidian distance of the feature vectors for grey scale image denoising. Our modification takes advantage of the fact that the mean of the Gaussian white noise is zero. For every patch in the noisy image, we use lines to divide the patch into two regions with equal area and we take the mean of the right region for each line. Hence, a number of features can be extracted. We use these extracted features to match the patches in the noisy image. By introducing feature-based patch matching, our method performs favourably for highly noisy images.


This case study is focused on the diagnostics of an abnormal event observed during each compressor train shutdown and led to a seal failure later through a detailed analysis of historical transient data collected using an online vibration online monitoring software during shutdown mode to identify the root cause of this abnormal behavior.
 The unit consists of a centrifugal gas compressor (12440 RPM) driven by an induction electrical motor (3100 KW and 1790 RPM) through an increasing single stage double helical gearbox.
 Machine train was running smoothly during steady state condition. Compressor bearings showed high vibration levels during each shutdown event close to alarm setpoints during last year, however no one took care as it was happening only during shutdown. The unit was compressing a hazardous gas, and any failure or leak could lead to a major safety incident.
 Steady state data review showed good compressor rotor dynamics with acceptable vibration levels well below alarm set points, however during shutdown showed high vibration levels reaching alarm setpoints during shutdown. Review of the vibration and speed data through the online condition monitoring software showed symptoms of reverse rotation event repeating each shutdown after reaching zero speed.
 After 3 month of operation and several shutdown events encountered, a gas leak took place from the compressor. During the internal inspection, severe rubbing marks found in the compressor seals and the rotor found damaged at these areas. Also, the compressor inboard bearing found totally damaged. Major overhaul took place changing the rotor and overhauling the compressor parts. The non-return valve installed on the discharge was dismantled and overhauled.
 Compressor started up later and during the next shutdown the compressor bearings showed normal vibration behavior, and no reverse rotation events observed.


REPORT OF A CASE A 54-year-old woman with a two-year history of hypertriglyceridemia was seen in the dermatology clinic of the New Jersey Medical School, Newark, with a pruritic rash of five to six weeks' duration. The patient first noticed the eruption on her right knee after receiving penicillin prophylaxis for dental surgery and was treated with antihistamines by her physician for an "allergic reaction." The eruption slowly spread to involve the elbows, trunk, and distal extremities. Pruritus increased in severity and was most marked along the lateral aspects of the breasts. She had no history of any skin eruptions. The patient's medical history was remarkable for rheumatic fever and hypertriglyceridemia of unknown cause. She had no history of pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus, or liver disease, and there was no family history of hyperlipidemia. Physical examination revealed a mildly obese woman with a generalized eruption of small yellow papules surrounded by


Guillain‐Barre syndrome following COVID‐19 vaccines (GBSfCV19v) is a reported adverse effect that remains unclear. We present a structured review based on two case reports of GBSfCV19v, a systematic review, and Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) analysis to estimate the risk and describe the clinical characteristics (CC) of these events. We've searched on MEDLINE and Embase, from the inception to May 20, 2021, using the keywords: "Guillain barre syndrome" and cross‐referenced with "covid‐19 vaccines." We estimated the risk of GBSfCV19v, comparing it with the risk of GBS following the influenza vaccine (GBSfIv), considering the VAERS sensitivity. The clinical characteristics included: age, sex, comorbidities, type of vaccine, administered dose, clinical onset, deaths, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and electromyography (EMG) pattern. We found 43 cases, considering the risk of GBSfCV19v lower than GBSfIv (160–320 cases). The patients had a mean age of 54 years and 23 (56%) were male. The types of vaccines used: Pfizer (22), Moderna (9), AstraZeneca (3), Janssen (3), and Johnson & Johnson (1). 24 cases of GBS occurred after the first dose, with clinical onset of 7 days. CSF albuminocytological dissociation was reported in 7 patients, and EMG revealed a predominant demyelinating pattern. GBSfCV19v risk appears to be lower than what was expected from other respiratory virus vaccines. Most cases of GBS were middle‐aged males within a week following the first dose of the COVID‐19 vaccine, showing a typical demyelinating neuropathy with albuminocytological dissociation.


An apparatus and method for loading software changes into a processor-based coin sorting machine. In one embodiment, a flash card having a memory remotely programmed with a second software code is adapted to be removably electrically coupled to the system controller of the coin sorting machine. Insertion of the flash card causes the initial code in the resident memory of the machine to become erased and replaced with the second software code. The flash card may thereafter be removed from the machine and used to load software changes into other machines. In an alternative embodiment, the flash card may remain electrically coupled to the coin sorting machine. In this embodiment, insertion of the flash card causes the machine to execute the second software code, but the initial code is not erased or replaced. Upon removal of the flash card, the machine does not retain the second software code but will revert to execution of the initial code. In either embodiment, remote programming of the flash card with the second software code may be achieved by electrically coupling the flash card to a first coin sorting machine having a resident memory containing the second software code, causing the second software code to be copied from the resident memory of the first coin sorting machine to the flash card memory.


Abstract. Topographic mapping, e.g. the generation of Digital Elevation Models (DEM), is of general interest to the remote sensing community and scientific research. Commonly, photogrammetric methods, e.g. stereo image analysis methods (SIAM) or bundle adjustment methods (BAM), are applied to derive 3D information based on multiple images of an area. These methods require the detection of control points, i.e. common points within multiple images, which relies on a similarity measure and usually yields a sparse map of 3D points. The full spatial DEM is then obtained by interpolation techniques or imposed restrictions, e.g. smoothness constraints. Since BAM utilizes all images of the area, it is assumed to provide a more accurate DEM than SIAM which utilizes only pairs of images. Intensity-based shape recovery, e.g. shape from shading (SfS), utilizes the reflectance behavior of the object surface and thus provides a dense map of relative height changes, which provide the possibility to refine the photogrammetric DEMs. Based on Rosetta NavCam images of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko we compare intensity-based DEM refinement methods which use DEMs obtained based on SIAM and BAM as a reference. We show that both the SIAM based DEM refinement and the BAM based DEM refinement are of similar quality. It is thus possible to derive DEMs of high lateral resolution by applying the intensity-based refinement to the less complex SIAM.


Participatory diagnostic farmer field fora (FFF) were conducted at two communities, Savelugu and Bukpomo, in northern Ghana to build the capacity of farmers on integrated pest management in cowpea production. The FFF involved a season-long comparative evaluation of farmers' practices (FP) and integrated pest management (IPM). Farmers' practices relied wholly on calendar insecticide sprays while IPM plots employed proven agronomic practices and treatment with neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) extract for insect pest control. Results showed that insect pest densities (Flower thrips, Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom and pod-sucking bugs' for example, Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stal.) and percent damaged pods as well as grain yield were similar in FP and IPM plots at both Savelugu and Bukpomo. Partial budget analysis showed positive returns to investment in IPM and a near loss in FP. Post training ballot box test showed that 80% of the farmer participants across locations showed improved knowledge and skills in IPM after the training compared with about 30% before the training. An ancillary study to the FFF was conducted to expose the farmers to different cowpea genotypes in a participatory variety selection trial. Results showed that some of the genotypes selected by farmers as their most preferred genotypes at the vegetative stage were also selected at the podding stage but there were no significant correlations between these farmer preferences and yield. These findings are discussed in the context of sustainable cowpea production through farmer empowerment and involvement in technology generation and dissemination.


Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive, degenerative disease of the central nervous system, and its symptoms may lead to a decline in quality of life (QOL) of patients, which may be positively influenced by aquatic physiotherapy (AP). The AP is a physiotherapy tool that uses the physical, physiological and kinesiological effects that come from immersing the body in a heated pool. The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39) is the most appropriate instrument for assessing QOL of PD patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of AP on QOL of patients with PD, in stages from mild to moderate, through the PDQ-39. 13 PD patients were included, aged between 45 and 74, who were between stages 1-3 of the disease (Hoehn-Yahr). The patients underwent 16 sessions of AP twice a week, lasting one hour, in a heated therapy pool. The perception of QOL was measured by the PDQ-39, before and after AP. After AP, there was a statistically significant reduction (p<0.0001) both in the total score of the PDQ-39 and in all areas (p=0.032). QOL was more affected at higher stages of the disease. Before FA, QOL was worse in the more advanced stage of the disease, and despite improvement of QOL scores after the FA, the most advanced stage continues to show worse perception of QOL. AP led to an improvement in the quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease in this study.


ABSTRACT Two redox proteins, azurin and cytochrome c551 elaborated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, demonstrate significant cytotoxic activity towards macrophages. Azurin can enter macrophages, localize in the cytosol and nuclear fractions, and induce apoptosis. Two redox-negative mutants of azurin have less cytotoxicity than does wild-type (wt) azurin. Azurin has been shown to form a complex with the tumor suppressor protein p53, a known inducer of apoptosis, thereby stabilizing it and enhancing its intracellular level. A higher level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated during treatment of macrophages with wt azurin, correlates with its cytotoxicity. Treatment with some ROS-removing antioxidants greatly reduces azurin-mediated cytotoxicity, thus demonstrating a novel virulence property of this bacterial redox protein.


There has been a clear trend towards an increasing number of Caesarean sections in the recent years. A certain percentage of these surgical births have no clear medical indications and are solely attributable to the prefer-ence of the patients to give birth this way. The aim of this investigation is to reveal the causes for choosing a method of giving birth of pregnant women in two maternity wards in Varna, through the eyes of 3 rd -year students from the Midwife program at the Medical University of Varna. MATERIALS AND METHODS : The research included 26 3 rd -year students from the Midwife program at the Medical University of Varna, who have done clinical practice in maternity wards in Varna during their ed-ucation. The applied methods were: documental, statistical, and sociological. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION : Data acquired from the quality and quantity analysis determined that the students observed an increase in the rate of pregnant women wishing to give birth naturally – per vias natura-les - 62%. Nevertheless, surgical delivery keeps high percentage 69%. According to students, the reason is that women who have decided to give birth naturally change their mind when the birth process begins, frightened from the pain and in a moment of uncertainty. CONCLUSION : The way a delivery is conducted, when there are no medical indications, is highly dependent of the staff at the ward. Informed choice and trust in doctors and midwifes are crucial for the type of the delivery.


ABSTRACT This article discusses challenges found in translator working papers from the process of translating the novel Les soleils des indépendances (Ahmadou Kourouma) into Norwegian. It also draws on interview material connected to the same translation process as well as a scholarly article written by the translator herself, Ingse Skattum. Anchored in the theoretical framework of genetic Translation Studies and the archival turn in Modernist Studies, the present article explores the translator's decision-making by comparing cited passages from the published novel to the same textual issues in the working papers. Furthermore, it displays how the translator is faced with several difficulties that require creativity, a profound knowledge of cultural references, and a pedagogical orientation towards the reader. Thus, this article attempts to shed light upon the translator's constant hesitation between textual alternatives. Using Skattum's multifaceted translation project as a case, the article shows that the idea of the translator's agency should be problematised. The overall aim is to bring attention to the underlying textual process normally invisible to the public and to call for a stronger consciousness and recognition of the translator's complex work among laymen as well as among professionals.


Purpose: To investigate the antidepressant mechanism of action of Crassifoside H (CH) from the rhizomes of Curculigo glabrescens (Hypoxidaceae) in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced rats.Methods: CUMS-induced rat depressant model was established. Behavioral tests, viz, sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST) were applied to assess the antidepressant effect of CH. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess thelevels of corticosterone (CORT), TNF-α and IL-1β in serum. Protein expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β and NLRP3 in rat hippocampus were determined by Western blot.Results: Crassifoside H significantly ameliorated CUMS-induced depressant-like behavior as the serum CORT level of CUMS rats. CH remarkably decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels in serum and hippocampus of CUMS rats. Moreover, Crassifoside H significantly inhibited NLRP3 activation inhippocampus.Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that Crassifoside H has antidepressant effect on CUMS rats. The mechanism of action of CH may be at least partly due to the improvement of hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction by decreasing serum CORT. These findings suggest that Crassifoside H has a therapeutic potential for the management of depression.
Keywords: Crassifoside H, Antidepression, Curculigo glabrescens, Hypoxidaceae, Hypothalamicpituitary- adrenal axis, Inflammation, Corticosterone


This report deals with the incorporation of the Otto Bock powered wrist rotator with the Systemteknik child's size electric hand to gain an additional degree of freedom. Technical details are provided and a case study involving a 5-year old girl with bilateral shoulder disarticulation is presented.


Introduction Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening metabolic abnormality. The incidence of TLS depends on the underlying malignancy. In a recent analysis of hematological malignancy, the incidence of clinical TLS in children was 3.8%, laboratory TLS 46.2%, and hyperphosphatemia 32.7%. Sevelamer is effective for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia associated with renal failure; however, there is no clear data that it has the same effect in treating hyperphosphatemia with TLS. Methods This was a retrospective study among children aged ≤14 years with hematological malignancy who developed TLS and received sevelamer to treat hyperphosphatemia at Princess Norah Oncology Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Jeddah from January 2012 to December 2016. Results A total of 34 patients received sevelamer. The majority was male (64%), with a median age of six years. The median sevelamer dose per day was 1600 mg, while the median duration of use was two days. Phosphate level was significantly decreased at different times (24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours) during sevelamer usage, p-value <0.001. Conclusion In our study, the use of sevelamer resulted in a significant decrease in phosphate levels. This finding further consolidates the efficacy of sevelamer in treating hyperphosphatemia with TLS. However, further research into the drug's kinetics is recommended.


In a two-stage Cournot oligopoly cost minimization sometimes calls for ex ante identical firms to invest in diverse technologies. It is an implication of this result that it might be optimal to treat identical duopolistic polluters asymmetrically. We discuss the efficiency properties of a per-unit tax and a tradable permit when ex ante identical duopolists should ideally invest asymmetrically. It is argued that a tradable permit is efficient in promoting differential investments.


This paper discusses an imaging of eddy current testing (ECT) data for surface breaking evaluation. The ECT probe used in this paper consists of transmit-receive (TR) type sensors as array elements to obtain the information on flaw directions, as well as deep situation. Switching two-directional scan modes gives two-dimensional vector mapping as ECT images. The ECT signals of the TR type sensor also give the information on flaw directions from their variation displayed on the complex number plane. Operating a complex number component of the signals visualizes directions of surface breaking


Abstract Despite being a major domain of global food supply, rice–wheat (RW) cropping system is questioned for its contribution to biomass burning in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Enhancing the yield and soil quality properties in this system is therefore necessary to reduce environmental degradation and maintain agricultural productivity. A field experiment evaluated the effects of soil management practices such as rice residue (RS) incorporation, and nitrogen (N) application on crop yield and micronutrients transformations in a RW cropping system of north-western India. The results revealed that N application (120 kg N ha−1) and RS incorporation (7.5 t ha−1) significantly increased micronutrients cations and crop yield compared with no-residue (RS0). Irrespective of N application, crop grain yield under RS incorporation (Rs7.5 t ha−1) was significantly higher than RS0 incorporation. Significant increase in all the micronutrient transformations was recorded in N120/Rs7.5 t ha−1 compared with RS0. Among different fractions, crystalline Fe bound in Zn, Mn, and Cu and amorphous Fe oxide in Fe fractions were the dominant fractions under N application (N120) and RS incorporation (RS7.5) treatment. Our study showed that application of N120 followed by RS7.5 can be more sustainable practice under RW cropping system for improvement in micronutrients availability and crop yield. This practice also provides an opportunity to incorporation of crop residues as an alternative to burning, which causes severe air pollution in the RW cropping system in the IGP.


Abstract The global thrombosis test (GTT) is a point of care device that tests thrombotic and thrombolytic status. The device exposes whole blood flow to a combination of both high and low shear stress past and between ball bearings potentially causing thrombin and fibrin formation. The question arises as to whether thrombosis in the GTT is dominated by coagulation-triggered red clot or high shear-induced white clot. We investigated the nature of the thrombus formed in the GTT, the device efficacy, human factors use, and limitations. The GTT formed clots that were histologically fibrin-rich with trapped red blood cells. The occlusion time (OT) was more consistent with coagulation than high shear white clot and was strongly lengthened by heparin and citrate, two common anticoagulants. The clot was lysed by tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), also consistent with a fibrin-rich red clot. Changing the bead to a collagen-coated surface and eliminating the low shear zone between the beads induced a rapid OT consistent with a platelet-rich thrombus that was relatively resistant to heparin or tPA. The evidence points to the GTT as occluding primarily due to fibrin-rich red clot from coagulation rather than high shear platelet aggregation and occlusion associated with arterial thrombosis.


Background Achievement of minimal disease activity (MDA) may represent an objective target for treatment for patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).1 A patient is considered to have achieved MDA when 5 of the following 7 criteria are met: tender joint count (TJC) ≤1, swollen joint count (SJC) ≤1, affected body surface area (BSA) ≤3%, patient pain VAS ≤15, patient global activity VAS ≤20, HAQ score ≤0.5 and tender entheseal points ≤1.1 Objectives To retrospectively report the MDA and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) over time (baseline vs first follow-up [FU] visit vs second FU visit) that may contribute to achievement of MDA in responders versus non-responders to biologic treatment. Methods This analysis included all patients with PsA in the Corrona registry aged ≥18 years between March 2013 and March 2016 who received biologics (index biologics) at enrollment (baseline) and had ≥2 FU visits (at ≈ 6-month intervals, mean [SD] 2nd FU visit: 15.7 [3.7] months). Responders were defined as patients who achieved MDA at the second FU visit and remained on their index biologic. Demographics, clinical characteristics, PROs and treatment history were collected at enrollment and at both FU visits. Trend tests of MDA over time were performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum nonparametric test for responders and non-responders separately. Results Of 148 patients who met the inclusion criteria (mean [SD] age, 54.7 [11.0] years; mean [SD] disease duration, 11.8 [10.1] years), 34 patients (23%) were classified as responders and 114 patients (77%) were non-responders at the second FU visit. The core components of MDA in these patients are shown in Table 1. Among responders, there were significant improvements in clinical characteristics and PROs such as mean TJC (3.4 vs 2.1 vs 0.6; P=0.004), SJC (2.5 vs 0.8 vs 0.5; P<0.0001), percentage of affected BSA (5.6% vs 2.4% vs 1.4%; P=0.03), patient pain (34.7 vs 26.1 vs 21.9; P=0.007) and HAQ scores (0.6 vs 0.4 vs 0.3; P=0.04); however, there were no significant changes over time for patient global assessment or enthesitis counts (P>0.05). Non-responders failed to have a significant improvement from baseline to the first and second FU visits in TJC, SJC, enthesitis, pain, patient global assessment and percentage of affected BSA (all P>0.05). Conclusions Only 23% of patients achieved MDA on their index biologic at the second FU visit and were considered responders. Over time, responders showed significant improvements in TJC and SJC, percentage of affected BSA, patient pain and HAQ scores; these most likely contributed to achievement of MDA response. A treat-to-target approach may be considered given the low number of patients in MDA. References Coates, LC et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010;69(1):48–53. Acknowledgements Corrona, LLC, has been supported through contracted subscriptions in the last 2 years by AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Crescendo, Eli Lilly and Company, GSK, Horizon Pharma USA, Janssen, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche and UCB. Disclosure of Interest P. Mease Grant/research support from: Celgene, Novartis, AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Lilly, Pfizer, UCB, Consultant for: Celgene, Corrona, Novartis, AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Crescendo, Genentech, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, UCB, C. Karki Employee of: Corrona, LLC, M. Liu Employee of: Corrona, LLC, A. Kavanaugh Grant/research support from: Amgen, AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Novartis, C. Ritchlin Grant/research support from: Amgen, Janssen, UCB, Consultant for: AbbVie, Amgen, Janssen, Regeneron, UCB, D. Hunyh Speakers bureau: AbbVie, BMS, R. Pandurengan Employee of: Corrona, LLC, J. Palmer Employee of: Novartis, J. Greenberg Shareholder of: Corrona, LLC, Consultant for: Lilly, Genentech, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Employee of: Corrona, LLC