This research study deals with health status of older persons living in countries of the SAARC region (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) such as India, Pakistan, Srilanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives. The emerging changes in the age and sex structure of India's population, particularly at old and older ages will have a profound impact on the demographic landscape and are expected to pose multifaceted developmental challenges. While the knowledge base with regard to the elderly in terms of their demographic, social and economic conditions, health needs and their living arrangements are fairly extensive in SAARC countries, it is woefully inadequate in India. This research study mainly focuses on socio-economic status, work participation and benefits, income and asset holding, living arrangement patterns and familial relations, health status, utilisation and financing of health care, and reach and awareness of social security schemes among the elderly in SAARC countries. The rate of population increase of the elderly in SAARC Countries is more than the overall population growth rate. The resulting ever increasing size of older people are likely to raise demands for several specific social services including medical facilities, financial support, family care and improved public infrastructure.


The invention relates to aminoalcohol-substituted aryldihydroisoquinolinones and their derivatives, and their physiologically tolerated salts and physiologically functional derivatives, their preparation, medicaments comprising at least one aminoalcohol-substituted aryldihydroisoquinolinone of the invention or its derivative, and the use of the aminoalcohol-substituted aryldihydroisoquinolinones of the invention and their derivatives as MCH antagonists.


The present investigation assesses a variety of parameters available in the literature to model gold-water interfaces using molecular dynamics simulations. The study elucidates the challenges of characterizing the solid-liquid affinity of highly hydrophilic gold-water interfaces via wettability. As an alternative, the local pairwise interaction energy was used to describe the solid-liquid affinity of flat and curved surfaces, where for the latter, the calculation of a contact angle becomes virtually impossible. Regarding the heat transfer properties of different interface models (flat and curved), partly conclusive trends were observed between the total pairwise interaction energy and the thermal boundary conductance. It was observed that the solid surface structure, interfacial force field type, and force field parameters created a characteristic bias in the interfacial water molecules (liquid structuring). Consequently, a study of the liquid depletion layer provided better insight into the interfacial heat transfer among different interfaces. By computing the density depletion length, which describes the deficit or surplus of energy carries (water molecules) near the interface, a proper characterization of the thermal boundary conductance was obtained for the different gold-water interfaces. It was observed that the interfacial heat transfer is favored when the water molecules organize in cluster-like structures near the interface, by a surplus of water molecules at the interface, i.e., lower density depletion length, and by the closeness of water to the solid atoms.


Gastric cancer (GC) is a heterogeneous disease and current tumor markers are limited in its application. Therefore finding molecular markers that are able to predict the potential of tumor progression is important for appropriate individualized therapy. With the Cancer Metastasis Research Center (CMRC) microarray database (17K cDNA microarray), we identified differentially expressed genes between 96 cancer and 98 normal gastric tissues using Significant Analysis of Microarray (SAM). Among them, more than 2‐fold overexpressed genes in tumor tissues which encode secreted proteins were selected. The selected gene was validated with ELISA assay using sera of 96 GC patients and 48 healthy donors. We first selected 6510 genes which were differentially expressed between 96 cancer and 98 normal gastric tissues with minimal false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.005%. Then, out of 6510 genes, we picked 386 genes which encode secreted proteins based on SOURCE database. Among 386 genes, we focused on the 55 genes overexpressed more that 2‐fold in GC compared to normal. With Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we found 34 genes related to cancer. Especially, CXCL1, chemokine growth‐regulated oncogene 1, has been known for its relation with cancer progression in various cancer type, but GC. CXCL1 levels in serum samples of GC patients were significantly elevated compared with healthy donors (p Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B39.


An increasing amount of evidence indicates the significance of attachment in the etiology of poly-drug use disorder (PUD). The aim of this study was to investigate associations between PUD and adult attachment in particular, with a focus on white matter (WM) fiber tract integrity. For this purpose, we selected several regions-of-interest based on previous findings which were examined for their role in PUD and estimated whole-brain associations between adult attachment and WM integrity. A total sample of 144 right-handed males were investigated (Age: M = 27; SD = 4.66). This included a group of patients diagnosed with PUD (n = 70) and a group of healthy controls (HC; n = 74). The Adult Attachment Scales (AAS) was applied to assess attachment attitudes in participants. Diffusion Tensor Imaging was used to investigate differences in WM integrity. The findings suggest substantially less attachment security in PUD patients compared to HC. Furthermore, PUD patients exhibited reduced integrity in WM fiber tracts, most pronounced in the bilateral corticospinal tract, the fronto-occipital fasciculus, and the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus. However, these results were not controlled for comorbid depressiveness. With regard to associations between adult attachment and WM integrity, the results for PUD patients indicate a negative relationship between "Comfort with Closeness" and the structural integrity of a cluster comprising parts of the right anterior thalamic radiation, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the uncinate fasciculus. Despite being limited by the cross-sectional design of this study, the results emphasize the significance of attachment in PUD etiology, both at a behavioral and a neurological level. Largely in line with previous research, the findings revealed tentative links between adult attachment and WM fiber tracts related to cognitive and affective functions in PUD patients.


The covariance matrix is identified as the uncertainty matrix as per international recommendation. The method of least squares, which has been applied so far to the neutron cross section measurement uncertainty, depends upon the existence of a finite second moment. However, in the case of systematic uncertainties, the existence of a second moment cannot be guaranteed except in rare cases. Since it is the correlation in measurement that determines whether a parameter is subject to statistical or systematic uncertainties, we resorted to a Bayesian measurement formalism by assuming a constant probability density function for both the uncertainties and estimated upper and lower bounds for these uncertainties by the technique of determinantal inequalities. We also applied the above technique to fission cross section ratio measurement and estimated the bounds.


The object of this study was to compare the effects of oral conjugated estrogen (CEE) alone, CEE plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and tibolone on lipid profiles, and investigate whether these effects change in time. Plasma lipid levels were studied for CEE (n = 49), CEE plus; MPA (n = 50) and tibolone (n = 51). Mean per cent changes at certain intervals were compared with their previous intervals for each therapy. Paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. CEE alone had raised high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride levels and lowered total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels at the end of the 2-year study period. Addition of MPA to the CEE regimen weakened the effect on HDL and triglyceride, augmented the decrease in total cholesterol and did not affect LDL. The tibolone group revealed similar but more prominent effects in total cholesterol and LDL levels. HDL and triglyceride levels were significantly below baseline in the first 6 months, but HDL changes vanished and triglyceride levels remained decreased at the end of 2 years. These data did not support a correlation between lipid levels and the biphasic incidence of cardiac events that were observed in the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), but revealed period-dependent changes in the tibolone group.


Colorectal resection was traditionally associated with significant morbidity and prolonged stay in hospital. Laparoscopic colorectal resection was first described in 1991 as a minimally invasive form of colorectal surgery. It was later on assessed by multiple randomized controlled trials and meta-analysis and was found to be associated with a faster recovery, lower complication rates and a shorter stay in hospital compared with open resection. To assess the effect of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program on postoperative length of stay after elective colorectal resections, a literature review was conducted, supplemented by the results of 111 ERAS colorectal resections at regional NWS Hospital using a protocol based on the Fast Track approach described by Kehlet in 1999. ERAS has been shown to improve postoperative recovery, reduce length of stay and enhance early return to normal function when compared with traditional colorectal surgical protocols. The role of laparoscopic surgery in colorectal resections within a fast-track (ERAS) program is controversial. The current evidence suggests that within such a program, there is no difference between laparoscopic and open colorectal surgery in terms of postoperative recovery rates or length of hospital stay.


As part of safety evaluation and drug development, 1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis[[2-[(2-hydroxyethyl) amino]-ethyl]amino]-9,10-anthracenedione dihydrochloride (mitoxantrone, NSC 301739, CL 232,315, Novantrone) was tested in the mammalian test systems to determine its mutagenic potential. Mitoxantrone produced significant clastogenic effect in bone marrow of rats treated for 5 days at greater than or equal to 0.5 mg/kg i.p. It produced apparent increases in DNA repair in the rat hepatocyte UDS (unscheduled DNA synthesis) test and increased SCEs (sister chromatid exchanges) in CHO cells and mutant frequencies in mouse lymphoma assay. In the cell transformation test using C3H/10T 1/2 cl 8 cells, mitoxantrone did not produce significant increases in type II or type III transformed foci. In the dominant lethal test in rats, mitoxantrone administered 2 mg/kg/d i.p. affected matings of treated males, however, total implantations as well as early deaths resulting from matings with surviving males were unaffected. These results show the potential of mitoxantrone to produce genetic activity in vitro and in the somatic cells in vivo but inability of the drug to cause morphological transformation in vitro or genotoxic effect in the germinal cells in vivo. The biological significance of findings such as above is uncertain. Examination of genetic end-points such as chromosomal assays in rodents on life time studies which are currently being completed will delineate the significance, if any, of these findings.


A single iv dose of pyridoxine (V) (300 mg) caused a significant decrease in the concentration of serum thyrotropin (TSH) in 6 patients with primary hypothyroidism. There was no consistent change in serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations suring the experiment. The serum prolactin (PRL) levels were also suppressed by pyridoxine administration. These findings suggest that pyridoxine inhibits TSH secretion as well PRL by a direct action on the hypothalamus or pituitary gland.


A distinct vasomotor and cardioregulatory response first identified experimentally was elicited intraoperatively in a 6-year-old girl by local mechanical stimulation in the vicinity of the fastigial nucleus of the cerebellum. These findings are discussed in the light of current experimental knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the fastigial pressor response.


Global occupational health nurses can choose from several options to address specific noncompliance challenges that prevent accurate tuberculosis testing and interpretation.


Objective. This study aimed to compare the completeness and ease of use of narrative reports (NR) submitted by residents compared to electronic synoptic reports (SR) by gynecologic oncology fellows for patients who underwent ovarian, fallopian, and peritoneal cancer surgery.
Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology of the Philippine General Hospital from August to November 2019. We assessed the NRs and electronic SRs for completeness of data using quality indicators.
Results. The average percentage of completeness of quality indicators is 77.1% (35.7/65). Eight indicators were absent in all NRs. Reporting of residual lesions was low (29.1%). The mean time to accomplish SRs (10.4 minutes) was significantly shorter than the mean time to accomplish NRs (21.9 minutes) (p value = 0.0001). SRs were assessed to be superior to NRs in several areas of surgery for quality, completeness and timeliness.
Conclusion. This study showed that the NRs should be improved and periodic audit must be done to maintain quality assurance. The use of SR appears to be favorable and superior in terms of time required to accomplish.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of providing a supplement containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants (PROSPERM) on the biochemical characteristics of boar semen. Two sexually mature boars were fed a standard diet with PROSPERM (250 g daily) for a 24-week period. Ejaculates collected prior to supplementation were used as the control. Semen quality and biochemical parameters were analyzed. The dietary supplementation enhanced sperm characteristics, including the percentage of spermatozoa with intact plasma membrane and osmotic resistance of the acrosomal membrane. Higher production of malondialdehyde was concurrent with increased activity of superoxide dismutase in the seminal plasma and spermatozoa after 8 weeks of supplementation. These changes were accompanied by a high content of total protein and low-molecular antioxidants of the seminal plasma. It was observed that PROSPERM supplementation enhanced the survivability of boar spermatozoa during storage in a standard semen extender supplemented with lipoprotein fractions, isolated from hen egg yolk or ostrich egg yolk, at 5 degrees C and 16 degrees C. These results indicate that PROSPERM supplementation of boars had a beneficial effect on the biological characteristics of the spermatozoa, which could be useful for semen preservation at different temperatures.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the nutritional and psychological factors associated with the occurrence of the practice of pica in pregnant women attending a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

METHODS
The study was based on a descriptive design with exploratory features, and conducted on 13 adult and adolescent pregnant women aged 16 to 40 years with a diagnosis of pica in the current pregnancy. Pica was diagnosed by a nutritionist in a standardized interview situation, when questions about the occurrence and frequency of pica, and types of substance ingestion were investigated. After signing the Informed Consent Form (ICF), all participants were evaluated by a nutritionist and seven of them were submitted to psychological assessment with standardized instruments to evaluate stress and anxiety, and to assess coping strategies.

RESULTS
The type of pica most frequently reported was pagophagia (30.8%) and the consumption of fruit with salt (30.8%). The most prevalent coping strategies were "religious practice-focused" and "seeking social support", both presented by 42% of the pregnant women. We observed the occurrence of some degree of stress and anxiety in all pregnant women, as well as comorbidities (69.2%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (84.6%).

CONCLUSION
Considering that pica may be associated with increased perinatal risk, it is very important to investigate this disorder during prenatal care, and to dopt obstetric, psychological and nutritional preventive practices to reduce the complications for mother and fetus.


Abstract : Since the construction of the original control structure, the channel has degraded 11 ft and flows exceeding 10,000 cfs have occurred regularly. Flows exceeding the berm height scoured the side slopes causing the riprap to fail, and convergence of the concentrated flows from the right and left bank berm sections caused the development of a severe scour hole downstream of the stilling basin. High flows during the spring of 1983 caused the structure to fail so another model investigation was necessary to develop a design for the replacement structure and to determine methods to stabilize the area downstream of the structure and the channel side slopes. Tests on a 1:25-scale hydraulic model of the replacements structure were conducted to develop the design. The model reproduced about 650 ft of topography upstream from the structure, the control structure, and 1,150 ft of topography downstream from the structure. Modifications to the original design were made to produce a structure that provided an acceptable headwater rating curve, and one with adequate energy dissipation in the stilling basin. A notched weir was developed that provided an acceptable headwater rating curve, and one with adequate energy dissipation in the stilling basin. A notched weir was developed that provided a desired range of headwater elevations for the expected discharges. The weir also produced velocities upstream and downstream from the low-flow notch for discharges less than 1,000 cfs that were considered appropriate for upstream fish migration. Stable riprap designs were determined for the channel bottom downstream from the stilling basin and the channel side slopes.


THIS IS our second report of investigations dealing with the H-R-R Polychromatic Plates. It is based on a study of 150 subjects known to have defective red-green vision and presents a comparison of the qualitative and quantitative diagnoses yielded by this test with the performance of these subjects on other tests of color vision in present usage. The H-R-R Plates were designed to detect and analyze anomalies of both redgreen and blue-yellow vision. The principles underlying the construction of the individual plates and the method of utilizing the entire series of plates for the diagnosis of color vision were described in some detail in our first report. 1 In that report was also presented an evaluation of the test as a device ( a ) for screening persons with defective red-green vision from those with normal color vision, ( b ) for classifying the type of defect, and ( c ) for estimating its extent. Further,


This contribution investigates the opportunities of migration for developing countries. The benefits of migration for sending countries are often undervalued. But migrants may foster trade, remittances, innovations, investments back home, and even return home at some time with better human capital. Functioning diasporas can lead to stable factors of development. Policies in receiving developed countries towards migrants can enhance the positive impact of migration for development. Among those are measures to support the early integration of migrants into the educational systems and in the labor markets, including jobs for asylees. Dual citizenships and circular migration contracts are possible instruments. Migration policy can be an effective development policy.


In recent years, human-convenient smart wearable devices have attracted considerable attention as emerging applications in smart healthcare systems, soft robotics, and human-machine interfaces. In particular, resistive film heaters with mechanical flexibility and excellent mechanical and electrothermal performance have recently been widely explored for wearable thermotherapy applications. Here, we present a simple and efficient way of fabricating highly flexible and stretchable resistive film heaters based on a patterned silver nanowire (AgNW)/polymer composite structure. The AgNW/polymer composite electrodes were successfully prepared using a photolithographically patterned polymer mold based selective transfer of a AgNW percolation network. The photolithographic mold patterning process allows the heater fabrication to be precise and reproducible. The mesh-patterned AgNW/polymer composite heater exhibited the excellent electrothermal performance of ~46.7 ℃at 3 V. This low-voltage operation is highly desirable in practical wearable device applications. Moreover, the AgNW/polymer heater can be stretched up to 20% without significant degradation in electrothermal performance thanks to its open-cell architecture, suggesting that the device can stably transfer heat to the skin after being attached to various body parts with curvilinear surfaces. The experimental results suggest that the mesh-structured AgNW/polymer composite heaters are highly feasible for use as a wearable thermotherapy tool in many emerging applications.
(Received April 7, 2021; Accepted May 13, 2021)


OBJECTIVE
To subclone and express the gene encoding Schistosoma japonicum ferritin (SjFer) and study its immune protection against challenge infection in mice vaccinated intranasally.

METHODS
The SjFer gene was amplified by PCR, and subcloned into the N-terminal of intein 2 of the pTWIN1 vector. The positive recombinant was screened by PCR, restriction enzyme digestion and sequence analysis. The positive recombinant was transformed into E. coli ER2566. The soluble recombinant fusion protein (rSjFer-intein 2) was expressed in E. coli by induction of low IPTG concentration under low temperature, and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Mice were immunized intranasally with rSjFer, using chitosan as adjuvant. Two weeks after the third vaccination, challenge infection with S. japonicum cercariae was carried out. Worms and eggs collected from the livers of mice were counted at 42 days after the challenge. Levels of specific antibodies were detected by ELISA before infection.

RESULTS
SjFer was successfully subcloned into pTWIN1 vector and expressed in E. coli. In mice vaccinated intranasally with rSjFer and adjuvant chitosan, the worm reduction rate was 35.51% and the reduction rate of eggs per gram liver tissue (LEPG) was 52.17%. As compared with the control groups, levels of IgG, IgA in sera and SIgA in saliva increased significantly.

CONCLUSION
The expressed rSjFer can induce partial protective immunity against S. japonicum infection in mice when they were vaccinated intranasally, with chitosan as adjuvant.


Risk management focus main on technical and rational analysis about operational risks and by those imposed by occupational environment. In this work one looks to contribute to perception study of work safety professionals about a series of activities and environment agents. In this way it was used theory sustained by psychometric paradigm and multivariate analysis tools, mainly multidimensional scaling, generalized Procrustes analysis and facet theory, in order to construct the perceptual map of occupational risks. The results obtained showed that the essential characteristics of risks, which were initially split in 4 facets were detected and maintained in perceptual map. The construction of perceptual map also permitted to verify the formation of a new facet, not considered in the beginning. The facet theory which by hypothesis was used in this work showed adequate, providing the regional interpretation of the map. The inferential analysis realized showed fine results for the final configuration validation, indicating which risks and/or activities belongs to the same facet.


An electrically tunable polymer microring resonator of large tunability and low applied voltage is demonstrated using active liquid crystal (LC) cladding. A large tuning range of 0.73 nm is achieved due to more homogenous LC molecular alignment and enhanced interaction of the light with the LC cladding in the simplified polymer waveguide structure. The operating voltage decreases to 10 V with a threshold of only 3 V by the utilization of interdigital electrodes.


When testing genotype-phenotype associations using linear regression, departure of the trait distribution from normality can impact both Type I error rate control and statistical power, with worse consequences for rarer variants. While it has been shown that applying a rank-normalization transformation to trait values before testing may improve these statistical properties, the factor driving them is not the trait distribution itself, but its residual distribution after regression on both covariates and genotype. Because genotype is expected to have a small effect (if any) investigators now routinely use a two-stage method, in which they first regress the trait on covariates, obtain residuals, rank-normalize them, and then secondly use the rank-normalized residuals in association analysis with the genotypes. Potential confounding signals are assumed to be removed at the first stage, so in practice no further adjustment is done in the second stage. Here, we show that this widely-used approach can lead to tests with undesirable statistical properties, due to both a combination of a mis-specified mean-variance relationship, and remaining covariate associations between the rank-normalized residuals and genotypes. We demonstrate these properties theoretically, and also in applications to genome-wide and whole-genome sequencing association studies. We further propose and evaluate an alternative fully-adjusted two-stage approach that adjusts for covariates both when residuals are obtained, and in the subsequent association test. This method can reduce excess Type I errors and improve statistical power.


Abstract Objective Determine compression generated by lag and neutral screws over 12 h using two bone analogs. Study design Experimental study. Sample population Bone analogs were made of composite synthetic bone (CSB) or three‐dimensional printed polylactic acid (PLA). Analogs had a 2 mm exterior shell with a 10 mm thick internal layer of open‐cell material. Methods Bone analogs were opposed, making a 4‐sided box with open ends. A central channel contained the sensor and the screws passed through it to engage both paired analogs. Four screw/analog conditions were tested: neutral and lag screw with bicortical engagement, neutral and lag screw with unicortical engagement. All screws were tightened to 2 Nm torque and compression values recorded at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 6, and 12 h (six trials per condition). Medians were compared across groups for statistical significance. Results There was no difference in median compression between lag and neutral bicortical screws. For PLA, greater median compression was generated by neutral (median 437 N) and lag (median 379 N) bicortical screws compared to neutral unicortical screws (median 208 N, p < .001); lag bicortical screws generated greater median compression than lag unicortical screws (median 265 N, p = .012). For CSB, lag bicortical screws (median 293 N) generated greater median compression than neutral unicortical screws (median 228 N, p = .008). Conclusion Lag and neutral screws generated similar compression. Bicortical screws had higher median compression than unicortical screws in bone analogs. Clinical significance Neutral screws generate compression in cancellous bone analogs that can be increased with bicortical bone engagement.


Transfer RNAs were isolated from rat and calf brains and their nucleosides were analysed by tritium derivative technique. Qualitative changes in the minor nucleoside components were compared on the fluorograms which showed differences in the intensities of spots. Cerebellar and cortical tRNAs were also compared, but revealed no significant quantitative differences in their methylated constituants despite 60% higher methyltransferase activity observed in cerebellum compared to cerebral cortex. An overall similarity was noticed between the relative proportions of the major and minor nucleosides of tRNAs derived from rat or calf brain, expressed as mol%. Brain tRNA was also analysed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis which showed qualitative and quantitative changes during postnatal development.


Real-world deep learning models developed for Time Series Forecasting are used in several critical applications ranging from medical devices to the security domain. Many previous works have shown how deep learning models are prone to adversarial attacks and studied their vulnerabilities. However, the vulnerabilities of time series models for forecasting due to adversarial inputs are not extensively explored. While the attack on a forecasting model might aim to deteriorate the performance of the model, it is more effective, if the attack is focused on a specific impact on the model's output. In this paper, we propose a novel formulation of Directional, Amplitudinal, and Temporal targeted adversarial attacks on time series forecasting models. These targeted attacks create a specific impact on the amplitude and direction of the output prediction. We use the existing adversarial attack techniques from the computer vision domain and adapt them for time series. Additionally, we propose a modified version of the Auto Projected Gradient Descent attack for targeted attacks. We examine the impact of the proposed targeted attacks versus untargeted attacks. We use KS-Tests to statistically demonstrate the impact of the attack. Our experimental results show how targeted attacks on time series models are viable and are more powerful in terms of statistical similarity. It is, hence difficult to detect through statistical methods. We believe that this work opens a new paradigm in the time series forecasting domain and represents an important consideration for developing better defenses.


Background Obstructive fibrinous pseudomembrane tracheitis (OFPT) is a rare complication of endotracheal intubation. Case We describe the case of a 73-year-old woman who underwent short-term intubation for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and developed an acute life-threatening stridor two days after extubation. The patient required an emergency tracheostomy to maintain airway patency and a microscopic direct laryngoscopy procedure was performed thereafter with removal of the obstructive pseudomembrane. Subsequently, the patient also suffered a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The patient successfully recovered, and the tracheostomy was subsequently decannulated two months later. Histological examination revealed mucosal ulcerations and inflammatory changes. Conclusions OFPT is an uncommon cause of life-threatening airway obstruction after extubation that is not often recognized immediately but can usually be treated with early bronchoscopic intervention or microscopic direct laryngoscopy.


Food legumes constitute an integral part of systematic global agricultural research due to their significance as the concentrated source of proteins, mineral elements and their role in improving soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Besides conventional methods of genetic improvement of food legumes, modern biotechnological tools involving in vitro technology have played an important role for creation of additional genetic variability. Despite recalcitrancy and high genotype dependency of food legumes, significant progress has been achieved in somatic embryogenesis, embryo rescue and genetic transformation. Numerous researches have been undertaken on various factors such as role of donor plant genotype, their growth conditions, pre-treatments, anther/microspore stage, culture media and environment, effect of hormones, diploidization procedures, etc. which influence somatic embryogenesis, androgenesis and regeneration. The establishment of stable and reproducible regeneration protocols has resulted in grand commercial success of transgenic soybean globally and made it a leading biotech crop of the world. Similarly, successful embryo rescue protocols have made wide crosses a ground reality in food legumes. Nonetheless, protoplast regeneration and in vitro mutagenesis have witnessed only a little progress, and doubled haploidy breeding still remains a mystery to be solved. This review discusses the progress made, constraints encountered and future prospects of in vitro technology towards genetic enhancement of food Food legumes.


Chickpea stunt is the most important virus disease of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L). This disease is characterized by leaf chlorosis or leaf reddening (depending on the chickpea cultivar), plant stunting, internode shortening, reduction in size of tip leaves, and phloem discoloration. Infected plants decline and premature death mostly follows. Till recently, the disease was ascribed in India to bean leafroll luteovirus (BLRV) only. Also in other countries, luteoviruses were reported to be associated with similar stunt symptoms. In India, however, indications emerged that more viruses were involved in the disease. Therefore, the viruses associated with chickpea stunt, and their role in the etiology of the disease were now studied. Surveys were undertaken in India, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon. No saptransmissible viruses could be isolated from plants with chickpea stunt. In India and Pakistan, 1804 samples from plants with stunt-like symptoms were collected and tested with poly- and monoclonal antibodies (Chapter 3). In plants with chickpea stunt from farmers' fields, a geminivirus (newly described in this thesis as chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus; CCDV), isolates reacting with an antiserurn to a luteovirus isolate from chickpea (tentatively named chickpea luteovirus; CpLV), and BLRV-Iike isolates were detected. CCDV and CpLV- like isolates occurred widely, whereas the BLRV-Iike isolates were found at very low incidences in two regions in India only. In Syria, Turkey and Lebanon, the recently characterized, unclassified faba bean necrotic yellows virus (FBNYV) was predominantly associated with chickpea stunt (Chapter 4). More than 50% of the 313 plant samples collected reacted with FBNYV antiserum. Luteoviruses (beet western yellows virus-like, CpLV-like and BLRV-Iike) were also detected in ELISA using poly- and monoclonal antibodies, but their incidences were lower than those of FBNYV. The geminivirus was not detected in these countries. The reaction patterns with the Mabs of the luteovirus isolates from these five countries differed from those of a number of known luteoviruses (Chapters 3 and 4). New luteoviruses may well have been traced here. The surveys showed that the etiology of chickpea stunt is much more complex than originally thought. More viruses seem to be involved, but their role in the etiology is not yet clear. To further identify the luteoviruses obtained from chickpea, three isolates from a single field-infected chickpea plant with stunt symptoms in India were studied (Chapter 5). One of them was characterized by host range, ELISA and Western blot analysis, and was identified as a distinct strain of beet western yellows luteovirus (BWYV). When chickpea plants were inoculated with this isolate, infection was obtained very rarely, and in case of infection no symptoms were observed. The second isolate was serologically similar to potato leafroll luteovirus (PLRV), and the third to BWYV. Only the latter was associated with stunt symptoms in greenhouse-grown chickpea plants inoculated with Myzuspersicae. These orientational experiments suggest that luteoviruses occur in mixtures in chickpea. Not all components may be able to cause chickpea stunt on their own, and the behaviour of luteoviruses, and their involvement in the etiology of chickpea stunt appears to be complex. The Indian geminivirus from chickpea was first detected by electron microscopy after partial purification from extracts of chickpea plants from the field (Chapter 6). This virus was not sap transmissible and could not be transferred with aphids or whiteflies. The leafhopper Orosius orientalis was identified as a vector of the virus. The virus particles were geminate, and contained a coat protein of 32 kD and a circular, ssDNA of 2900 nucleotides. The virus was shown to be serologically distinct from the known leafhopper-transmitted geminiviruses, and was considered to be a new, hitherto undescribed, geminivirus. It was named chickpea chlorotic dwarf geminivirus (CCDV) and was shown to cause symptoms in chickpea similar, if not identical, to those described for chickpea stunt. Plants that became infected with CCDV in the field during or before flowering, suffered from yield losses of 75 - 100% (Chapter 8). Plant densities in fanners' fields are likely to be too low to allow uninfected plants around infected ones to compensate the yield losses of infected plants. Therefore, crop loss is likely to equal percentage of disease incidence. To better understand the ecology of CCDV, its relationships with the leafhopper O. orientalis were studied (Chapter 7). The leafhopper can acquire and introduce the virus in very short feeding periods. The minimum latency period was also very short (2 h). This indicates that the vector can easily transfer the virus. Single leafhoppers could transfer the virus for 10 - 15 consecutive days when they were transferred daily to healthy plants. Application of ELISA to single leafhoppers showed that the amount of virus in the vector decreased when the insects were kept on a non-host of the virus. Thus, the virus is transmitted by O.orientalis in a persistent, non-propagative manner. When a number of chickpea genotypes, identified as disease resistant in field experiments, were inoculated in the greenhouse with CCDV, these genotypes showed slower symptom development than the vulnerable control 'WR 315' (Chapter 9). In two disease- resistant genotypes the virus concentration was initially lower than in the vulnerable control, but it reached the same level three weeks after inoculation. This disease resistance thus seems to be a matter of true virus resistance. Four wild Cicer spp. were also leafhopper- inoculated with CCDV in the greenhouse. They all expressed symptoms later than WR 315', and their symptoms were weaker than those in 'WR 315'. No immunity was found in the Cicer spp. tested. Greenhouse screening and ELISA testing of field samples, both described in this thesis, are a good way to specify the type and degree of resistance found in field screening, and the virus to which resistance is involved. Several viruses appear to be associated with chickpea stunt, viz., a number of luteoviruses, CCDV and FBNYV. None of the luteovirus isolates obtained from chickpea in this study was shown to cause the disease. However, the luteoviruses BWYV and BLRV (Dutch isolates from lettuce and alfalfa, respectively) were demonstrated to cause all symptoms characteristic of chickpea stunt. Thus, luteoviruses can cause the disease, but it remains unclear which components of luteovirus mixtures from chickpea actually play a role in the etiology of the disease. CCDV was shown to cause the symptoms characteristic of chickpea stunt, and FBNYV most likely causes the same symptoms. The viruses found to be etiologically associated with chickpea stunt are all phloem limited, and probably cause the external symptoms of chickpea stunt indirectly by primarily blocking the phloem. It is now proposed to retain the name 'chickpea stunt' for the disease irrespective of the causal virus, since these viruses cause similar, if not identical, symptoms, and they cannot be distinguished by the symptoms they cause in chickpea. An important aspect of future research is the further characterization of the luteoviruses occurring in chickpea, and their possible role in the etiology of chickpea stunt. Full characterization of the luteoviruses detected during this study remains difficult awaiting further improvement of the luteovirus taxonomy. This difficulty also explains the problems dealt with in identifying luteoviruses during the surveys.


Almost impurity- and defect-free barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles with various sizes from 20 to 430 nm were prepared using 2-step thermal decomposition method. The powder dielectric measurement method indicated that the dielectric permittivity of BaTiO3 particles with a particle size of 140 nm exhibited a dielectric maximum of 5,000. Nano-structures of BaTiO3 nanoparticles were analyzed using a composite structure model. It was found that BaTiO3 nanoparticles had a composite structure consisting of (i) inner tetragonal core, (ii) gradient lattice strain layer (GLSL) and (iii) surface cubic layer. The crystal structure of each region didn't depend on particle size while the volume fraction of the GLSL and the surface cubic layer increased with decreasing the particle size. These results suggested that the size effect of BaTiO3 nanoparticles originated from the composite structure.


Preliminary reference Vickers hardness blocks were developed in order to ensure measurement traceability for the hardness values of approximately 2000 HV, as well as to enlarge the spectrum of materials and processes of manufacture. Reference Vickers hardness blocks were consolidated by sinter-HIP process in one cycle. Newly developed tungsten carbide nanopowder with an average grain size of dBET=150 nm and a specific surface area (BET) of 2.5 m2/g was used as starting material for the production of nanostructured hardmetal. The achieved superior properties reduce hardness non-uniformity of the block surface, measurement uncertainty of reference Vickers hardness block calibration and consequently the measurement of hardness in general.


UNLABELLED
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-negative foodborne pathogen that causes several diseases, such as enteritis, septicemia, and reactive arthritis. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay targeting the 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was developed to detect Y. pseudotuberculosis in milk powder. The DNA amplification could be completed in 1 h, and detected by produced white precipitate visible to naked eyes. The detection limit of LAMP assay was 10(0) fg/reaction for genomic DNA, and 10(0) CFU/100 g milk powder coupled with 12 h enrichment. LAMP assay is 100 times more sensitive than conventional polymerase chain reaction method for detecting Y. pseudotuberculosis, and correctly identified 18 cases of Y. pseudotuberculosis contaminations from 236 commercial milk powder products. In conclusion, the developed LAMP assay may facilitate rapid detection of Y. pseudotuberculosis contaminations in agricultural and food products.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Rapid and accurate detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in milk products.


In recent decades, the attention becomes scarce not only in politics and economics, but also in the social sphere. Problematization may be considered as the way of attracting attention to the negative circumstances and situations. Th e list of current social problems is not determined by their scale and impact, but by their attractiveness to diff erent public groups. In this regard, the theory of social problems focusing on the rhetoric of statements (claims-making activity) is of particular relevance. Based on social constructionism (J. Kitsuse, P. Ibarra), we consider social problems as a specifi c discourse. In addition to the actualization of the situation and resource mobilization discourse of social problems produces and reproduces a system of inequality in accordance with the criterion of «belonging/not belonging» to a social problem. As a result, such groups as «victims of the problem» and the «source of the problem» are symbolically and discursively produced. Th ese groups includes many forms of symbolic domination and control. Th e discourse of social problems acts as an «umbrella» for other types of discourses like medical and legal; it has its own system of notation, diff erentiation of individuals and groups, delegation of authority and attribution of responsibility. Experts and groups of power reproduce the proper concepts of equality (or normality), and evaluate various social groups as unequal. Groups of experts act with legitimizing arguments and claiming the exit with their solutions in the space of non-discursive practices (the implementation of measures of care, control, elimination).


An X‐ray velocimetry technique is described which provides three components of velocity measurement in three‐dimensional space. Current X‐ray velocimetry techniques, which use particle images taken at a single projection angle, are limited to two components of velocity measurement, and are unable to measure in three dimensions without a priori knowledge of the flow field. The proposed method uses multiple projection angles to overcome these limitations. The technique uses a least‐squares iterative scheme to tomographically reconstruct the three‐dimensional velocity field directly from two‐dimensional image pair cross‐correlations, without the need to reconstruct three‐dimensional particle images. Synchrotron experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique for blood flow measurement in opaque vessels, with applications for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.


On December 15, 2011, Phoebe Putney Health System acquired the only other hospital in Albany, Georgia — Palmyra Medical Center — despite the Federal Trade Commission's challenge of the merger as anticompetitive. The acquisition was consummated after the district and appellate courts ruled that Phoebe Putney had antitrust immunity due to its regulation by the local Hospital Authority of Albany-Dougherty County. In February 2013, the Supreme Court reversed these rulings and remanded the case back to the lower courts, after Palmyra Medical Center had become part of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, making a divestiture infeasible. Thus, the acquisition of Palmyra Medical Center by Phoebe Putney provides a natural experiment to study the effects of an otherwise anticompetitive hospital merger subject to local regulation. We found that, after a large price spike in the first post-merger year, the commercial price of inpatient hospital services in Albany, Georgia moderated toward the control group price in subsequent post-merger years. Regarding quality, we found a significant post-merger reduction in inpatient hospital quality relative to controls across many quality metrics. We discuss the implications of these findings for recent initiatives that grant hospitals antitrust immunity in exchange for local regulation.


Angiotensin‐induced hypertension chemotherapy (IHC) was investigated in six children with the following advanced malignancies: hepatocellular carcinoma, extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma, sacrococcygeal malignant teratoma, small round cell tumor of the chest wall, hepatoblastoma and osteogenic sarcoma. Partial response was achieved in three of these patients, two showed no change, and in one IHC was used as adjuvant chemotherapy. The side effects of IHC were minimal and tolerable. Angiotensin‐IHC may provide a new approach to pediatric cancer chemotherapy.


Twenty-six patients with deletions of 18q were analyzed at the clinical and molecular levels in an attempt to delineate regions of chromosome 18 important to the 18q- syndrome phenotype. Molecular cytogenetic analysis was carried out using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and deletions ranging from 18q21.1-qter to 18q22.3-qter were detected. The parental origin of the deletions was determined by the analysis of inheritance of microsatellite markers. No correlation between size, parental origin, or severity of the resulting phenotype was found. The results suggest that a critical region for 18q- syndrome lies in the most distal portion of 18q and that it confers susceptibility for the various clinical manifestations of the 18q- syndrome when present in one copy.


Contemporary Formula 1 racing cars feature a high-performance hybrid-electric powertrain. It consists of a turbocharged internal combustion engine and two electric motor-generators coupled to the engine crankshaft and the turbocharger shaft. Besides the fuel tank, the battery is a second on-board energy storage. The energy management strategy in terms of battery energy deployment must be carefully optimized in order to cover a lap on a given race circuit as fast as possible. In particular, the finite size of the battery must be taken into account, since the electric boosting and recuperation capabilities of the powertrain are restricted when the battery is depleted or fully charged, respectively. So far, this problem has scarcely been investigated in a time-optimal racing context. In this paper, we include path constraints on the battery energy trajectory in a previously developed off-line convex optimization framework that is based on a model of the powertrain and the car's longitudinal dynamics. The resulting minimum lap time problem is formulated as a second-order cone program and is solved numerically with global optimality guarantees. With this tool, we conduct a case study for a sweep of initial conditions on the battery state-of-charge and different charge or discharge targets over the lap. Thereby, we study the optimal solution to the energy management problem when either the lower or the upper bound on the battery state-of-charge is attained. First, we show that the optimal operating strategy differs substantially for these two cases: Whilst it is optimal to hit the upper bound only in one particular time instant and then discharge the battery again, the battery state-of-charge can be kept at the lower bound for prolonged sections of the lap. We highlight that these differences are related to the particular topology of the Formula 1 power unit, and in particular to the interaction between the two motor-generator units. Second, based on Pontryagin's minimum principle, we analyze the trajectory of the costate variable associated with the battery state-of-charge. Indeed, the costate variables are crucial for the parameterization of optimal control policies that can be implemented on the car for on-line control. Our findings show that the impact of battery deployment on the achievable lap time, and therefore the structure of the optimal control policy, varies over the course of the lap. In fact, the changes in the battery costate variable are linked to the limits on electric boosting and recuperation imposed by the Formula 1 regulations. The results underline the importance of considering all the relevant cross-couplings in this complex hybridized powertrain.


Remote sensing (RS) is a convenient technology to estimate the regional cultivation areas of crops. However, the accurate estimation of maize areas using RS over a broad region is a significant challenge due to the large phenology differences and insufficient prior knowledge in space. To address this issue, a new method was developed in this work. In this method, the correlation (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and root mean standard error (RMSE) between the time-series moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer enhanced vegetation index (MODIS EVI) and the standard EVI curve of maize from a reference area are computed. Pixels with a high value of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and a low value of RMSE were identified as maize areas. The phenology information observed at agro-meteorological stations was also used to recognize maize pixels from the pixel-level phenology derived from time-series MODIS EVI. The proposed method provides an accurate characterization of the phenology differences over the study area by making use of the planting and maturity dates only. In addition, the few location-dependent parameters make the recognition of maize planting areas over large regions easier than previous studies. The proposed method was implemented over the Northeast China Plain (NECP) and North China Plain (NCP). The derived results were compared with official statistical results, and a close agreement was observed. At the city level, the satellite-derived estimates agreed well with the statistics with the R2(RMSE) of 0.86(110.97 k hm2) in the NECP and 0.76(68.74 k hm2) in the NCP. At the county level, the R2(RMSE) is 0.82(25.47 k hm2) in the NECP and 0.75(5.93 k hm2) in the NCP. At both temporal levels, the R2(RMSE) results obtained in this work are higher(lower) than those published in other studies. The obtained results indicate that the proposed method is effective in maize area estimation over broad regions.


Analyses were performed for flow blockage accidents postulated in a conceptual design of a 600 MWe demonstration sodium cooled fast reactor with 3 types of core designs, i.e., Uranium, *L-TRU (TRansUrium) and **M-TRU cores, using the MATRA-LMR-FB code. The analysis was addressed for the 6 sub-channel blockage which is a design basis event (DBE). The accidents for 24 and 54 sub-channel blockages were also analyzed to estimate the extent of the blockage size which could lead to sodium boiling or fuel melting. Three radial blockage positions were also taken into account in the analysis.In result, a higher maximum coolant temperature in the subassembly was obtained as the number of blocked subchannels increased. A recirculation region was usually developed right above the blockage for large blockage cases. The analysis results showed that a favorable safety margin was assured for the design basis event, i.e., the 6 sub-channel blockage accident. For the 24 and 54 sub-channel blockage cases, the peak cladding temperature limit was breached, and there was a case in which fuel melting could be threatened.* TRU extracted from LWR fuel** Mixture of L-TRU and TRU extracted from self-recycled SFR fuelCopyright © 2012 by ASME


In 1978 a French company (Pipeline) and the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) entered into a contract (governed by Iranian law) for the supply and erection of gas pipeline installations linking certain Iranian cities. Apparently not paid for its services, Pipeline brought an action in France against NIGC. NIGC's plea of immunity was denied by the Court of Appeal of Versailles, whose decision was reversed by the Court of Cassation.


1Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering, China, email@example.com Abstract Developing the noise-resistant and sound focusing accessory is important for improving leak testing sensitivity.This paper selected the 5A06 aluminium alloy and nylon as the accessory material. The circular cone trumpet structure was design, and the nylon expansion port, nylon shrinking port and aluminium alloy expansion port structures were researched by the contrasting experiments. The results indicate that the nylon expansion circular cone trumpet structure has better sound focusing performance and it can improve the testing sound pressure amplitude 10 times bigger than the detector without the accessory. And the aluminium alloy expansion circular cone trumpet structure has better noise-resistant ability than others.


Encapsulation is an emerging technique to improve the solubility, permeability and bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Cruciferin, a major canola protein, has the potential to protect chitosan-based delivery systems under the gastric conditions due to its resistance to gastric digestion. Positively charged spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 165 nm were prepared. Two water-soluble and -insoluble model compounds (brilliant blue and β-carotene) were encapsulated. The characteristic studies of the particles showed that the chitosan-based core was coated by a cruciferin layer mainly through hydrogen bonding based on FTIR, DSC, surface hydrophobicity, dissociating and intrinsic fluorescence studies. The particles did not show toxicity to Caco-2 cells and their cellular uptake was observed using confocal microscopy. Release studies showed that the particles were resistant to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids and released less than 20% of the encapsulated compounds. Our results suggested that the particles are promising carriers for encapsulation of heat, pH and protease-degradable hydrophilic and hydrophobic bioactive compounds.


A Bayesian network model can be used to study the structures of gene regulatory networks. It has the ability to integrate information from both prior knowledge and experimental data. In this study, we propose an approach to efficiently integrate global ordering information into model learning, where the ordering information specifies the indirect relationships among genes. We demonstrate that, compared with a traditional Bayesian network model that uses only local prior knowledge, utilising additional global ordering knowledge can significantly improve the model's performance. The magnitude of this improvement depends on abundance of global ordering information and data quality.


in all things World War I, an interest which has perhaps now passed its first flood, but I sincerely hope that this is not to be the last book of its type to reach publication. For once we have a book which, although not blind to the romantic appeal of the single-seater fighter pilot, is not misled by it, and presents us with an interesting, factual record of the life and times of one of the outstanding members of his craft—McCudden V.C. The author suggests that the "very modesty of this account (his autobiography) seems in some curious way to have blinded historians to McCudden's quite remarkable achievements". This is very possibly true. It certainly does not seem to have blinded the writers of fiction (or pseudo-fact), for I can remember reading about very similar adventures to McCudden's, in the days when Biggies flew Camels instead of Spitfires. Indeed, the remarkable rejuvenation of Biggies, with comparatively little change in his character, is another example of the fact that the basic rules in air fighting changed very little in application between World War 1 and the Battle of Britain. This is also emphasised by AVM "Johnnie" Johnson's foreword, as is the fact that these rules were formulated and practised by McCudden and the other outstanding air fighters of his time. Although the central character in this biography is James McCudden, attention is also paid to the rest of his family, particularly to his brothers, William and Anthony, both of whom died in the World War, and to Maurice, who served for some years at Farnborough. There are many interesting photographs, and the appendices list McCudden's victories, with date, place and type of aircraft, the types of aircraft flown, and some other interesting information. The book is pleasantly readable without any "purple passages" and is recommended to the many readers interested in World War I, although just a little highly priced at 50s.—E. J. MacADAM.


Fishing is common among the inhabitants in every coastal region. Oman's Al-Batinah coast accounts for 20% of the national catch. However, poor uptakes of improved fishing technologies and practices, weak management, inefficiency and ineffective marketing have resulted in Al-Batinah fishermen securing low earnings (Al-Zabri, 2008). This study assesses the situation of the fishermen on the Batinah coast of Oman. It uncovers the reasons behind their leading a subsistence life. This study also explores their difficulties and concerns, and devises some policy implications that offer them a better life. The study utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data collected from fishermen using questionnaires and interviews in an organized form of field survey. The majority of the fishing activity takes place in the traditional sector, where small fishermen run it as their family business. Expenditures surpass fishermen's income and restrict their savings and growth. The Omani Government has provided infrastructure; however, there is a need for officials to be more observant and concerned about the not so well off fishermen. Facilitators such as training institutes and banks need to provide concentrated measures to improve fishermen's skills and productivity. Altogether all the facilitators and the fishermen need to come together and share a common platform to advance fishing activity and its scope in the region. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-1598-4.ch037


We report on the first proton radiography of laser-irradiated hohlraums. This experiment, with vacuum gold (Au) hohlraums, resulted in observations of self-generated magnetic fields with peak values approximately 10;{6} G. Time-gated radiographs of monoenergetic protons with discrete energies (15.0 and 3.3 MeV) reveal dynamic pictures of field structures and plasma flow. Near the end of the 1-ns laser drive, a stagnating Au plasma (approximately 10 mg cm;{-3}) forms at the center of the hohlraum. This is a consequence of supersonic, radially directed Au jets (approximately 1000 microm ns;{-1}, approximately Mach 4) that arise from the interaction of laser-driven plasma bubbles expanding into one another.


Here, we characterize the Arabidopsis thaliana embryo-defective mutant increased size exclusion limit2 (ise2). In contrast with wild-type embryos, ise2 mutants continue to traffic 10-kD fluorescent dextran in the mid-torpedo stage of development. ise2 embryos contain branched as well as simple plasmodesmata (PD) compared with wild-type embryos, which only contain simple PD. Positional cloning reveals that the ISE2 gene encodes a putative DEVH box RNA helicase that shares sequence homology with RNA helicases involved in RNA degradation pathways in other organisms. ISE2 localizes to granule-like structures in the cytoplasm. These granules increase in number when plant cells are stressed. These features are characteristic of stress granules (SGs) in mammalian cells, suggesting that ISE2 granules represent plant-specific SGs. Genetic data demonstrate that the ISE2 helicase is involved in posttranscriptional gene silencing and the determination of cell fate. These data together suggest that ISE2 function affects PD structure and function through the regulation of RNA metabolism and consequent gene expression.


Superior labrum, anterior and posterior (SLAP) lesions are common and identified in up to 26% of shoulder arthroscopies, with the greatest risk factor appearing to be overhead sporting activities. Symptomatic patients are treated with physical therapy and activity modification. However, after the failure of non-operative measures or when activity modification is precluded by athletic demands, SLAP tears have been managed with debridement, repair, biceps tenodesis or biceps tenotomy. Recently, there have been noticeable trends in the operative management of SLAP lesions with older patients receiving biceps tenodesis and younger patients undergoing SLAP repair, largely with suture anchors. For overhead athletes, particularly baseball players, SLAP lesions remain a difficult pathology to manage secondary to concomitant pathologies and unpredictable rates of return to play. As a consequence, the most appropriate surgical option in elite throwers is controversial. The objective of this current concepts review is to discuss the anatomy, mechanism of injury, presentation, diagnosis and treatment options of SLAP lesions and to present current literature on outcomes affecting return to sport and work.


Blood transfusion is a procedure in which it is oncumbent on the attendant doctor to undertake appropriate enlightenment of the patient, obtain the patient's consent, define the precise indications and perform the task with technical proficiency. The doctor undertaking blood transfusion must be acquainted with the legal basis and be aware of the legal aspects which free him from these obligations in exceptional cases. Since the urgency of transfusion varies from case to case the following classification is posed: normal cases, special cases, urgent cases and emergency cases. In view of the lack of legal guiding principles, the basic requirements for the correct procedure in each of the four groups are clearly drawn up in tabular form. Moreover, advice is given in the event of fatal complications on the basis of a discussion of the causative factors and legal consequences involved in 20 cases which came to autopsy by order of the coroner.


The influence of the species, fat, curd incubation temperature (25, 30, and 35 degrees C), heat treatment of milk (70 degrees C for 5 or 30 min), and milk pH on the initial volume drained, syneresis rate, and the loss of proteins in drainage was studied. The volume drained as a function of the curd incubation time (up to 60 min) was adjusted to a first-order kinetic reaction. The k values (drained rate) and the initial volume obtained applying the equation were compared to establish the possible influence of the studied factors. In general, for all the factors studied, the syneresis rate of curd from caprine and ovine milk did not differ from those described previously in the literature for the curds from bovine milk. However, for each studied factor the pattern of syneresis rate was significantly different among the species in most of the experiments.


The aim of this work was a comprehensive study of the oxidative and sorptive properties of a hybrid polymer containing manganese oxide toward As(III) and As(V). A poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) copolymer containing oxidative functional groups (SO2NBrNa) was used as the supporting material for MnO2. The inorganic component was deposited as a result of the oxidation reaction of Mn(II) with oxidative groups of the host polymer. The surface of the polymer matrix was evenly covered with a thin layer of manganese oxide. The obtained product (R/S/Mn) exhibited high oxidative capacity over a wide pH range (2–12); however, under acidic and neutral conditions, the reaction ran significantly faster. The studied material shows some sorption properties but its sorption capacity is much lower than its oxidation capacity. The treatment, in a column regime, of the arsenic solution containing 1 mg As(III) dm−3 and coexisting ions in concentrations similar to those in natural waters, confirmed the excellent oxidation capacity of the obtained product. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39489.


Secondary metabolites derived from hydroquinone are quite rare in nature despite the original simplicity of its structure, especially when compared to other derivatives with which it shares biosynthetic pathways. However, its presence in a prenylated form is somewhat relevant, especially in the marine environment, where it is found in different algae and invertebrates. Sometimes, more complex molecules have also been identified, as in the case of polycyclic diterpenes, such as those possessing an abietane skeleton. In every case, the presence of the dihydroxy group in the para position gives them antioxidant capacity, through its transformation into para-quinones.This review focuses on natural hydroquinones with antioxidant properties referenced in the last fifteen years. This activity, which has been generally demonstrated in vitro, should lead to relevant pharmacological properties, through its interaction with enzymes, transcription factors and other proteins, which may be particularly relevant for the prevention of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, or also in cancer and metabolic or immune diseases. As a conclusion, this review has updated the pharmacological potential of hydroquinone derivatives, despite the fact that only a small number of molecules are known as active principles in established medicinal plants. The highlights of the present review are as follows: (a) sesquiterpenoid zonarol and analogs, whose activity is based on the stimulation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway, have a neuroprotective effect; (b) the research on pestalotioquinol and analogs (aromatic ene-ynes) in the pharmacology of atherosclerosis is of great value, due to their agonistic interaction with LXRα; and (c) prenylhydroquinones with a selective effect on tyrosine nitration or protein carbonylation may be of interest in the control of post-translational protein modifications, which usually appear in chronic inflammatory diseases.


Nonlinear dynamics of pulsating instability in radiating counterflow diffusion flames is numerically investigated by imposing Damkhler number perturbation. Stable limit-cycle solutions occur in small ranges of Damkhler numbers past bifurcation point of instability. Period doubling cascade and chaotic behaviors appear just before dynamic extinction occurs. Nonlinear dynamics is also studied when large disturbances are imposed to flames. For weak steady flames, the dynamic extinction range shrinks as the magnitudes of disturbances are increased. However, strong steady flames can overcome relatively large disturbances, thereby the dynamic extinction range extending. Stable limit-cycle behaviors reappears prior to dynamic extinction when the steady flames are strong enough.


Noniridescent structural colors are superior in photostability and energy efficiency as compared to pigments and bioluminescence counterparts. However, it is challenging to facilely and massively fabricate nanofilms with noniridescent structural colors spanning the full spectrum of visible light. Here, a one-pot synthesis strategy is demonstrated to prepare free-standing dual-layer nanofilms with different refractive indices in each layer via a combination of mussel-inspiration and silication at the air/water interface. XPS, 2D GISAXS, and ellipsometry were used to verify the dual-layer but interface-free structure with different refractive indices. Moreover, the full spectrum of noniridescent structural colors has been achieved by precisely tailoring the film thickness of each layer through regulating the kinetics of the two reactions. This strategy offers flexibility for further on-demand patterning because of the self-sealing property of the dual-layer nanofilms, which has great application potentials ...


In this study we extend a query-by-example diarizationbased speaker retrieval system to a full speaker retrieval system for broadcast television. The envisioned system is capable of finding all speakers in an archive using their names instead of example speech fragments. Information extracted from a television guide is used to label speaker clusters that most likely correspond to the found names. As part of the labeling process, all speaker clusters are first classified automatically based on their role in the programs they appear in. The role classification accuracy is 64% on our evaluation set. Speaker names can automatically be attributed to a fraction of the speaker clusters with an accuracy of 70%.


Cytokine therapy is a promising immunotherapeutic strategy that can produce robust antitumor immune responses in cancer patients. The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) has been evaluated as an anticancer agent in several preclinical and clinical studies. However, dose-limiting toxicities, including flu-like symptoms and hypotension, have dampened the enthusiasm for this therapeutic strategy. Polyanhydride nanoparticle (NP)-based delivery of IL-1α would represent an effective approach in this context since this may allow for a slow and controlled release of IL-1α systemically while reducing toxic side effects. Here an analysis of the antitumor activity of IL-1α-loaded polyanhydride NPs in a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) syngeneic mouse model is described. Murine oropharyngeal epithelial cells stably expressing HPV16 E6/E7 together with hRAS and luciferase (mEERL) cells were injected subcutaneously into the right flank of C57BL/6J mice. Once tumors reached 3-4 mm in any direction, a 1.5% IL-1a - loaded 20:80 1,8-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane:1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPTEG: CPH) nanoparticle (IL-1α-NP) formulation was administered to mice intraperitoneally. Tumor size and body weight were continuously measured until tumor size or weight loss reached euthanasia criteria. Blood samples were taken to evaluate antitumor immune responses by submandibular venipuncture, and inflammatory cytokines were measured through cytokine multiplex assays. Tumor and inguinal lymph nodes were resected and homogenized into a single-cell suspension to analyze various immune cells through multicolor flow cytometry. These standard methods will allow investigators to study the antitumor immune response and potential mechanism of immunostimulatory NPs and other immunotherapy agents for cancer treatment.


: The study of child camps has grown over the last years. Still, the common use of different terminology and the dispersion of the information in literature regarding camps management, makes it difficult to clarify research and hinder the improvement of managerial practices. This study aims to synthetise existent knowledge in child camps' management, identify inconsistencies and gaps in the literature, and set directions for future research and practice on child camps. A structured review of peer-reviewed articles published between 1950-2021 was conducted. Results indicate that half of the studies used the term "summer camp"; but other ten different terms were also used. Five different management areas were identified: safety, consumer behaviour, human resources, event planning and camp research. Gaps were also identified in the literature. These findings are important to set new research avenues and to improve practice.


Reconfigurable multifunctional terahertz (THz) devices are crucial for the development of practical applications such as high-speed communications, spectroscopy and imaging, etc. but their expansion is still requiring efficient agility functions operating in the THz domain. Chalcogenide phase change materials (PCMs) with their broadband response, non-volatile and


We study the dimensional aspect of the geometry of quantum spaces. Introducing a physically motivated notion of the scaling dimension, we study in detail the model based on a fuzzy torus. We show that for a natural choice of a deformed Laplace operator, this model demonstrates quite non-trivial behaviour: the scaling dimension flows from 2 in IR to 1 in UV. Unlike another model with the similar property, the so-called Horava-Lifshitz model, our construction does not have any preferred direction. The dimension flow is rather achieved by a rearrangement of the degrees of freedom. In this respect the number of dimensions is deceptive. Some physical consequences are discussed.


Introduction: Brugada Syndrome is a cardiac ion channel disorder that affects the sodium current. This syndrome is characterized by cove-shaped ST elevation in ECG leads V1 to V3 in the absence of structural heart disease. Case Presentation: A 36-year-old man diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome was reffered to our center with frequent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) discharges. ICD interrogation showed several appropriate ICD intervention for tachycardia detected in the ventricular fibrillation zone. Unfortunately, quinidine was not available in our country at the time of admission; therefore, we decided to ablate suspicious arrhythmogenic substrates. Programmed ventricular stimulation from right ventricle (RV) reproducibly induced a sustained ventricular tachycardia with left bundle branch block morphology and inferior axis. RV outflow tract (RVOT) endocardially mapped and earliest activation signal (90 milliseconds) achieved at posterior aspect of the RVOT septum. RF energy application at that site terminated the tachycardia and no inducible tachycardia was detected. During two-year follow-up, he had no episodes of ICD therapy and remained symptom-free with any antiarrhythmic drug. Discussion: This case clearly indicated that catheter ablation might be considered as a viable option in every patient with Brugada syndrome and frequent ICD discharge. During the electrophysiology study, intravenous procainamide may also be used to reveal future arrhythmogenic focus in this group of patients.


This hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry reveals the meaning in critical care nurses' lived experiences of making a difference in practice with a view to deepening our understanding of nursing in pursuing nursing excellence. It serves to show how critical care nurses make a difference and what difference they make to critically ill patients in a manner that more fully captures nursing practice as enacted in the critical care setting. The authors subjected transcripts of the conversations with 16 critical care nurse participants to a thematic analysis and reflective process from which the following themes emerged: making the inhumane humane, making the unbearable bearable, making the life threatening life sustaining, and making the unlivable livable. Guided by the lifeworld existentials, these themes became the threads around which an interpretive—descriptive text was written. The authors wove other relevant sources of lived-experience material into the evolving text to assist with the explication of meaning.


Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya improved their trade openness by 26 and 8 points, respectively, between 1995 and 1998 as a percentage of these countries' gross domestic product. percent from 1998 to 2008. East African Community employment is dominated by agriculture, which motivated this study. Generally, this study pursued an analysis of openness of trade and women employment in selected EAC countries. The study examined the impact of openness of trade on both agriculture and service sector employment of women. In particular, the purpose of this study was to investigate how trade opening affects the employment of women in the agricultural sector in some EAC counties. and explore how trade opening affects the employment of women in the service sector in some counties of the EAC. The results show that trade opening had a negative impact on women's employment in the agricultural sector, but had a positive impact on the service sector. This implies trade openness has shifted female employment pattern from agriculture to services sector. The study was conducted using a longitudinal panel design. The study concludes that efforts should be made to retain female workers in agriculture by retraining them, while promoting their employment through trade facilitation services and support with marketing. Concerning agricultural sector, the study recommends retraining of female workers in the agricultural sector to improve their skills set as well as providing credit to enable them move from lower cadre employment in agriculture.


The present paper addresses the process and the results of the interpretation of the integral text of "Le Petit Prince" (Little Prince), the famous novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, from French into UNL. The original text comprised 1,684 interpretation units (15,513 words), which were sorted according to their similarity, from the shortest to the longest ones, and which were then projected into a UNL graph structure, composed of semantic directed binary relations linking nodes associated to the synsets of the corresponding original lexical items. The whole UNL-ization process was carried-out manually and the results have been used as the main resource in a natural language generation project involving already 27 languages. .


Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most prevalent form of kidney cancer and is frequently associated with loss of von Hippel Lindau (VHL) gene function, resulting in the aberrant transcriptional activation of hypoxia response genes that contribute to tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Prior studies have shown that normoxic stabilization of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1-alpha alone, while capable of mimicking some aspects of VHL loss, are not sufficient to reproduce tumorigenesis, indicating that it is not the most critical oncogenic substrate of VHL protein. To isolate compounds that selectively modulate HIF2-alpha for use as research tools and drug development leads, a cell-based high throughput screen of the NCI Natural Products Repository was performed. Stably transformed clones of the human renal clear cell carcinoma cell line 786-0 expressing a luciferase reporter construct under the control of the human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promoter-enhancer were used to identify natural product samples with inhibitory activity and minimal cellular toxicity. Leads from initial high throughput screen were chromatographically separated into component structures yielding several pure compounds with micromolar or submicromolar IC50 values, >80% inhibition and 90% inhibition of VEGF secretion at micromolar doses under normoxic conditions. Studies to establish HIF selectivity and effects on RCC cell proliferation, survival, motility and anchorage independent growth are underway. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 773.


ARCHNES This page intentionally left blank. ABSTRACT Globalization is changing the way in which the world is organized. The world trade regime is increasingly the dominant mode of organizing international relations. Within this context of globalization and liberalization of trade, empirical examples of a race to the bottom co-exist with examples of a race to the top and examples of stable heterogeneity of international standards. The puzzle, then, is to determine the structural conditions, sources of power, and policy instruments that determine whether international standards will diverge or converge, upward or downward. This research seeks to reveal the potential for (and limitations of) a race to the top in international standards. System dynamics modeling and theories of globalization and regulatory competition are applied to three case studies to explore the causes of a race to the top: the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances, dolphin-safe tuna, and fair trade coffee. Many of the concerns of a race to the bottom pertain to process and production methods (PPMs) in global supply chains. One of the themes in this research is the distinction between standards based on the characteristics of a product and standards based on the process and production methods (PPMs) used to produce the product. Whereas product standards can be monitored and enforced at the point of market access, PPM standards must be monitored and enforced at the site of production, which can be problematic in global supply chains. This research seeks to elucidate the sources of power and policy levers available to promote higher PPM standards within the context of globalization and the liberalization of trade. A set of theories from international law and political economy is selected to create a theoretical framework for analyzing the effects of globalization on international standards. In particular, theories of corporate power, corporate social responsibility, norm change and consumer power elucidate the potential and limitations of voluntary standards. Theories of regulatory capture and competition inform the question of how voluntary standards translate into public policy. The goal is to understand how social and environmental objectives can be promoted within the context of liberalized trade.


It is shown that the performance of graphene diffusion barriers can be enhanced by stacking multiple layers of graphene and increasing grain size. The focus is on large‐area barriers of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in the context of passivating an underlying Cu substrate from oxidation in air at 200 °C and use imaging Raman spectroscopy as a tool to temporally and spatially map the barrier performance and to guide barrier design. At 200 °C in air, Cu oxidation proceeds in multiple regimes: first slowly via transport through atomic‐scale grain boundary defects inherent to CVD‐graphene and then more rapidly as the graphene itself degrades and new defects are formed. In the initial regime, the graphene passivates better than previously reported. Whereas oxidation through single sheets primarily occurs through grain boundaries, oxidation through multiple sheets is spatially confined to their intersection. Performance further increases with grain‐size. The degradation of the graphene itself at 200 °C ultimately limits high temperature but suggests superior low temperature barrier performance. This study is expected to improve the understanding of mass transport through CVD‐graphene materials and lead to improved large area graphene materials for barrier applications.


This study aimed to find empirical evidence about the organisational culture that fits best with a total quality management (TQM) system. Based on the classification developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999), we propose an alternative type of culture: the 'mixed culture' or 'culture for quality', which would be between adhocratic and clan cultures. It would have a double orientation – external and internal – and it would promote flexibility. The results of an empirical study of 451 companies were analysed using hierarchical linear regression methodology. The measurement of constructs used in this research was based on a review of the literature. Empirical evidence was found for the positive impact of adhocratic culture on TQM. Contrary to expectations, the clan culture has no significant effect on TQM. In addition, the mixed culture or 'culture for quality' is the most appropriate for a TQM system. The expected effect of control-oriented cultures was also found. In this case, both the market culture and the hierarchical culture have a negative effect on the quality management system. Finally, it was found that TQM has a significant positive effect on business performance. This effect is consistent with the literature reviewed. Consequently, managers must know the rules, values and customs that actually exist in their organisations as well as those that are more consistent with quality management. Companies with a quality orientation should promote the values and beliefs of the clan and adhocracy cultures.


On June 5 of last year, the Senate passed the National Science Foundation bill S. 526 by a vote of 79 to 8. A parallel bill (representing H. R. 1815, 1830 and 1834, introduced by Representatives Case, Mills and Priest, respectively) was passed by acclaim in the House a few days later. In both bills the authority of the Foundation was vested in a Board of twenty-four members, who were to be appointed by the President. The two bills differed, however, in that the Senate bill gave the President the power to appoint the Director (with the advice and consent of the Senate) after receiving nominations from the Board, whereas in the House bill it was specified that the Director was to be appointed by, and was to be responsible to, the Board. The compromise bill agreed on in joint conference followed the House bill, in that it stipulated that the


Measurements have been made of forced expiratory volume (f.e.v.) and forced vital capacity (f.v.c.) in two groups of rural Israeli Jews aged 20 to 30, born in the Yemen and in Kurdistan. The Jews from Kurdistan had a significantly higher f.e.v. and f.v.c. than the Jews from the Yemen, but there was no difference in the f.e.v. % ratio. These differences were not accounted for by differences between the groups in age, nor entirely by morphological differences. The pattern of correlations with anthropometric variables suggested that in the Jews from the Yemen the lung function values were related to linearity rather than to body bulk, while in the Jews from Kurdistan they were better correlated with overall size and mass of the body. f.e.v. and f.v.c. were elevated in smokers compared to non-smokers, possibly owing to an increased respiratory effort to cope with a reduction in the f.e.v. % ratio.


Abstract In order to explore the effect of accounting computer information processing technology on enterprise internal control, this paper puts forward the method of simultaneous equation of panel data. This paper constructs an accounting computer index to measure the accounting computer level of manufacturing enterprises in Shanghai stock market, and studies the relationship between enterprise accounting computer and internal control by using panel data simultaneous equations model. The empirical results show that: first, although the average accounting computer level of manufacturing industry increases year by year, the overall level is low, and there are great differences among sub industries, even within the same industry; Second, the level of accounting computer has a negative impact on the internal control of enterprises, and the internal control of enterprises has a positive impact on the level of accounting computer; Third, enterprise scale and operating years have a significant positive impact on the level of accounting computer. The experimental results show that: from the estimation results of accounting computer equation, firstly, ROA has a significant positive impact on the level of accounting computer; Secondly, the scale and operating age of enterprises positively affect the level of accounting computer, while the nature of ownership and listing age are not related to the level of accounting computer; Finally, document disclosure has a high level of accounting computer, which is consistent with the conclusion of the above descriptive statistics of EMI, which may be related to the mandatory provisions of national laws and regulations on the industry of document disclosure.


Background Exhaled aerosol patterns, also called aerosol fingerprints, provide clues to the health of the lung and can be used to detect disease-modified airway structures. The key is how to decode the exhaled aerosol fingerprints and retrieve the lung structural information for a non-invasive identification of respiratory diseases. Objective and Methods In this study, a CFD-fractal analysis method was developed to quantify exhaled aerosol fingerprints and applied it to one benign and three malign conditions: a tracheal carina tumor, a bronchial tumor, and asthma. Respirations of tracer aerosols of 1 µm at a flow rate of 30 L/min were simulated, with exhaled distributions recorded at the mouth. Large eddy simulations and a Lagrangian tracking approach were used to simulate respiratory airflows and aerosol dynamics. Aerosol morphometric measures such as concentration disparity, spatial distributions, and fractal analysis were applied to distinguish various exhaled aerosol patterns. Findings Utilizing physiology-based modeling, we demonstrated substantial differences in exhaled aerosol distributions among normal and pathological airways, which were suggestive of the disease location and extent. With fractal analysis, we also demonstrated that exhaled aerosol patterns exhibited fractal behavior in both the entire image and selected regions of interest. Each exhaled aerosol fingerprint exhibited distinct pattern parameters such as spatial probability, fractal dimension, lacunarity, and multifractal spectrum. Furthermore, a correlation of the diseased location and exhaled aerosol spatial distribution was established for asthma. Conclusion Aerosol-fingerprint-based breath tests disclose clues about the site and severity of lung diseases and appear to be sensitive enough to be a practical tool for diagnosis and prognosis of respiratory diseases with structural abnormalities.


In the long life extension operation of nuclear power plant, life cycle management technology can provide reliable support for the economic operation of nuclear power plant, and is an important support technology for the evaluation of nuclear power plant's continuous operation. In order to promote the development of life cycle management technology in nuclear power plants, information technology is used to transform specific problems into standardized databases, relying on the Operation License Renewal Project, the software platform of life cycle management database for important equipment in nuclear power plant is developed. In addition to the storage function of the equipment life cycle management information, the database has the functions of cost calculation and economic comparison of the long-term operation plan. It includes seven modules: Original Information, Program Management, Aging Mechanism, Out-of-date Evaluation, Failure Rate, Economic Analysis and External Feedback. The database built-in nuclear power plant life cycle management typical equipment such as steam turbines, generators, main transformers, and so on, while users can be independent in life-cycle equipment maintenance to add the need to expand the object. It is considered that the acquisition and reliability of cost data, equipment reliability data, and equipment life and failure rate data are the difficulties of life cycle management of nuclear power plants at present.


This research describes the humor strategy that is realized by the preachers in conveying the syiar of Islam to the congregation. The intelligence of the preachers in using lexical variations in the elements of their da'wah aims to enliven a warm atmosphere during the da'wah process to arouse their religiosity and open new views to the congregation that humor requires cognitive intelligence to be able to understand the situation and social life of the community. The function of humor is presented by preachers in their preaching as a means of conveying orders, advice, appeals, criticisms and prohibitions on religious issues and social diseases. This research uses semantic inquiry theory. In humor, there is an implicit language that needs to be explored with inquiry semantic theory. The research method used qualitative descriptive with matching and agih techniques. The results showed that presenting a humor requires intelligence in processing sentences and intellectual experience in developing the da'wah's hasanah in preaching. The results showed that the lexical humor conveyed by the preachers was a social criticism and a community phenomenon that varied according to the situation during preaching (momentum). Humor is a figuristic amplifier of preaching in strengthening the intent and purpose of his preaching.


The effective utilization of nanometric fillers relies on high levels of dispersion in order to prevent the formation of deleterious micrometric-sized clusters. In order to obtain the desired performance the manufacturing process must be optimized, with respect to the constituent components. In this study two mixing methods of graphene oxide into an epoxy resin are reported, namely, solvent and planetary mixing. In order to evaluate the achieved dispersion/distribution level, while varying the filler content, characterization of the morphology was undertaken, together with evaluation of a range of mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. It was found that the planetary mixing results in fine distribution and poor dispersion, while the opposite can be achieved by solvent mixing. It is also suggested that the mixing method is highly dependent on the filler content, underlying the importance of manufacturing optimization.


Background: This study aims to examine whether coping strategies employed by caregivers are related to distinct symptoms of patients with dementia and to investigate the associations between burden and coping among caregivers of patients with dementia. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 57 caregivers of patients with dementia were enrolled. Coping strategies were assessed using the Ways of Coping Checklist, and burden was assessed using the Chinese version of Caregiver Burden Inventory. Correlations between coping and patients' behavior or memory problems were examined. Severities of behavior and memory problems were adjusted to examine the correlations between caregiver burden and coping strategies. Results: The patients' disruptive behavior problems were associated with avoidance, and depression problems were associated with avoidance and wishful thinking. After adjusting for severity of behavior problems, coping strategies using avoidance were positively correlated with caregiver burden. Conclusions: Emotion-focused coping strategies are a marker of caregiver burden.


Government has changed the regulation regarding tick price and lot size on 6 January 2014 to boost stock liquidity. This research aims to analyze the effect of the changes toward  bid-ask spread, depth, trading volume, and  trading time as the variables of stock liquidity. This research used purposive judgment sampling method with several criteria to gather 212 stocks as the sample within 30 days window period. The data was analyzed using Paired Sample T Test for normally distributed data, or Wilcoxon Test for not normally distributed data. The results showed that there is a significant decrease on bid-ask spread, depth, and trading time, whereas the trading volume is insignificantly increased. Keywords: Bid-Ask Spread, Depth, Trading Volume, Trading Time, Stock Liquidity


The development of practices that maintain or increases soybean yield can increase the profitability of this crop. In this context, the use of microorganism-based products in crops has been extensively studied. Among the species, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has shown significant potential for agronomic use due to its ability to control phytoparasitic microorganisms and its effects in promoting plant growth. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of B. amyloliquefaciens application on soybean. Fields experiments were conducted at four sites. The experimental design used was randomized block design, with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of seed treatment with B. amyloliquefaciens strain MBI600 (Integral II SC)-based product at 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mL c.p. 100 kg-1 of seeds, plus a control without treatment. The variables evaluated were plant stand, phytotoxicity, plant height, root and shoot dry mass, number of nodules and crop yield. Increasing doses of the B. amyloliquefaciens-based product promote an increase in all variables related to crop development. All doses of the B. amyloliquefaciens-based product provided an increase in soybean yield compared to the control. The dose that produces the maximum agronomic efficiency was 15 mL c.p. 100 kg-1 of seeds.

 Key words: Biological control, Bacillus subtilis, Glycine max, growth promoters, seed treatment.