Problems of social protection have become one of the most discussed in the world. Specialists of various specialties work in the social sphere: psychologists, lawyers, doctors, sociologists, etc. However, the leading role belongs to social specialists. There is a lack of social specialists, and if there are any, they do not understand exactly what they should do. The article deals with singling out the socio-pedagogical circumstances of the future social specialistseducation for an effective professional career. The focus is on analyzing of the modern directions of vocational education of future social workers. It is singled out and substantiate the socio-pedagogical circumstances for of future social professionalseducation for an effective professional career, such as: actualization and development of students' motivation to build a successful professional career; taking into account the peculiarities of the practical activities of social specialists and their transformational influences on various subjects of communication activities; gaining practical experience based on self-development. The socio-pedagogical circumstances of future social spesialists education is defined in the work as set of external and internal cconditions,  which implemant in the process of vocational education of future social workers will ensure effective formation of hard and soft skills,  fundamental qualities for an effective professional career. It is found out possible ways to implement the selected socio-pedagogical conditions in the vocationaleducation of the future social professionals for an effective professional career. The using of the different methods allowed to obtain objective information about the socio-pedagogical conditions of vocationaleducation of future social specialists to a successful professional career. The statistical data of the research are represented  using diagrams, tables and figures.


Hot deformation behavior of 30Mn-0.5C-3.7Al-4Si TWIP steel was investigated in this study. Cylindrical specimens were used for hot compression tests at temperatures ranging from 750 to 1 000°C and the strain rate range of 0.001–0.5 s. The effect of temperature and strain rate on the flow curves was addressed. Then, processing maps of hot deformation of the steel at the selected strains of 0.5 and 0.6 were developed. In addition, standard metallography procedures were conducted on the specimens after the hot compression tests. The generated processing maps indicated that there were only one unstable region and two stable regions in which dynamic recrystallization occurred. In addition, power dissipation was generally decreased with increasing the strain, while stability flow zone was gradually expanded. In the stable region, the dynamic recrystallization zone with a maximum efficiency 0.35 at a temperature of about 1 000°C and the strain rate 0.1 s was enlarged with increasing the strain up to 0.6. Finally, an optimum hot working condition for the TWIP steel was predicted from the processing maps.


The TiCl4/Zn-mediated intermolecular pinacol coupling of the planar chiral carbonyl compounds [2.2]paracyclophane-4-carbaldehyde, 4-acetyl[2.2]paracyclophane (ketone) and the four regioisomeric 5-, 7-, 12- and 13-methoxy[2.2]paracyclophane-4-carbaldehydes as well as the pTosOH-Zn/Cu-promoted coupling of their N-substituted imines is described. Coupling of the enantiomerically pure substrates (most of carbonyl compounds and all imines) occurs stereoselectively giving rise to diastereomerically pure 1,2-diols and 1,2-diamines. Racemic aldehydes and ketone react with different degrees of stereoselectivity (depending on the substituents in certain positions) and produce one to three diastereomers. 7-methoxy[2.2]paracyclophane-4-carbaldehyde undergoes a tandem pinacol coupling-pinacol rearrangement to yield bis-(7-methoxy[2.2]paracyclophane-4-yl)acetaldehyde. Coupling of the racemic imines produces a mixture of single racemic D,L-diamine and single meso-diamine in each case. The stereoselective formation of the asymmetric centres is governed by the planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophanyl moiety. The techniques elaborated are extended to the intramolecular coupling of [2.2]paracyclophane-4,13-dicarbaldehyde and its bis-N-phenylimine, resulting in stereoselective formation of the chiral triply-bridged diol and exclusive formation of the meso-diamine. X-Ray investigations of several diols and diamines have been carried out and the structural features of these derivatives are discussed.


Freshwater lakes provide a number of important ecosystem services such as supply of drinking water, support of biotic diversity, transportation of commercial goods, and opportunity for recreation. Wireless sensor networks allow continuous, fine-grained, in situ measurements of key variables such as water temperature, dissolved gases, pH, conductivity, and chlorophyll. Instrumenting lakes with sensors capable of sampling environmental variables is becoming a standard practice. Furthermore, many limnologists around the world are interested in getting access to and performing research on data collected from lakes around the globe to provide local, regional and even global understanding of lake ecosystems. To that end, a number of limnologists, information technology experts, and engineers have joined forces to create a new, grassroots, international network, the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network. One of our goals is to build a global scalable, persistent network of lake ecology observatories. However, implementing and designing technology that meets requirements of a large-scale distributed observing systems such as GLEON has, thus far, been challenging and instructive. In this paper, we describe several key conceptual challenges in building GLEON network. We also describe several practical issues and lessons learned during operation of a typical GLEON site.


This paper presents the machine description language LISA for the generation of bit- and cycle-accurate models of DSP processors. Based on a behavioral operation description, the architectural details and pipeline operations of modern DSP processors can be covered. Beyond the behavioral model, LISA descriptions include other architecture-related information like the instruction set. The information provided by LISA models enables automatic generation of simulators and assemblers which are essential elements of DSP software development environments. In order to proof the applicability of our approach, a realized model of the Texas Instruments TMS320C6201 DSP is presented and derived LISA code examples are given.


Neuroinflammation is a protective mechanism against insults from exogenous pathogens and endogenous cellular debris and is essential for reestablishing homeostasis in the brain. However, excessive prolonged neuroinflammation inevitably leads to lesions and disease. The use of natural compounds targeting pathways involved in neuroinflammation remains a promising strategy for treating different neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Astaxanthin, a natural xanthophyll carotenoid, is a well known antioxidant. Mounting evidence has revealed that astaxanthin is neuroprotective and has therapeutic potential by inhibiting neuroinflammation, however, its functional roles and underlying mechanisms in modulating neuroinflammation have not been systematically summarized. Hence, this review summarizes recent progress in this field and provides an update on the medical value of astaxanthin. Astaxanthin modulates neuroinflammation by alleviating oxidative stress, reducing the production of neuroinflammatory factors, inhibiting peripheral inflammation and maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Mechanistically, astaxanthin scavenges radicals, triggers the Nrf2-induced activation of the antioxidant system, and suppresses the activation of the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. With its good biosafety and high bioavailability, astaxanthin has strong potential for modulating neuroinflammation, although some outstanding issues still require further investigation.


A 66-year-old man, who had undergone osteoplastic laminectomy for posttraumatic cervical myelopathy, underwent a second operation in which the replaced laminae were removed because of postoperative deep wound infection. Follow-up dynamic magnetic resonance imaging with flexion and extension views of the neck 1 year postsurgery demonstrated that the cervical cord was markedly compressed from behind in the extended position, although a wide subarachnoid space was observed in this region when the neck was in the flexed position. The cause of cord compression was the pillow that was placed underneath the patient's neck for maintaining the extended position, not the neck extension itself. This finding indicates that care must be taken during neuroradiological examination not to place a pillow under the neck of a patient who has undergone laminectomy. Nuchal compression could lead to cervical cord injury after laminectomy. Laminoplasty benefits the patient by protecting the cervical cord from secondary injury.


1 Cardiac sodium channels are composed of a pore‐forming α‐subunit, SCN5a, and one or more auxiliary β‐subunits. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the recently discovered member of the β‐subunit family, SCN3b, in the heart. 2 Northern blot and Western blot studies show that SCN3b is highly expressed in the ventricles and Purkinje fibres but not in atrial tissue. This is in contrast to the uniform expression of SCN1b throughout the heart. 3 Co‐expression of SCN3b with the cardiac‐specific α‐subunit SCN5a in Xenopus oocytes resulted in a threefold increase in the level of functional sodium channel expression, similar to that observed when SCN1b was co‐expressed with SCN5a. These results suggest that both SCN1b and SCN3b improve the efficiency with which the mature channel is targeted to the plasma membrane. 4 When measured in cell‐attached oocyte macropatches, SCN3b caused a significant depolarising shift in the half‐voltage of steady‐state inactivation compared to SCN5a alone or SCN5a + SCN1b. The half‐voltage of steady‐state activation was not significantly different between SCN5a alone and SCN5a + SCN3b or SCN5a + SCN1b. 5 The rates of inactivation for SCN5a co‐expressed with either subunit were not significantly different from that for SCN5a alone. However, recovery from inactivation at −90 mV was significantly faster for SCN5a + SCN1b compared to SCN5a + SCN3b, and both were significantly faster than SCN5a alone. 6 Thus, SCN1b and SCN3b have distinctive effects on the kinetics of activation and inactivation, which, in combination with the different patterns of expression of SCN3b and SCN1b, could have important consequences for the integrated electrical activity of the intact heart.


In a series of three replicated experiments, dwarf hens were inseminated with semen of one phenotype (normal or dwarf) and then reinseminated 4 hr later with semen of the other phenotype. All eggs were pedigree-hatched for two weeks following the inseminations. Subsequent phenotypic determinations of the progeny demonstrated a preponderance of offspring from the latter insemination. The results suggested that spermatozoa sequentially filled the uterovaginal sperm-host glands which produced a permanent stratification of sperm cells, and mixing did not occur within a gland. Emptying of the host-glands appeared to follow a pattern of slow superficial leakage where spermatozoa from the second insemination were the first spermatozoa released, giving rise to the large number of progeny phenotypes from the second insemination. In addition, progeny phenotypes from the second insemination were predominant throughout the fertility period suggesting that the storage capacity of the uterovaginal sperm-host glands can exceed the functional life span of stored spermatozoa following a normal insemination.


Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is a rare, benign lesion, mainly found in the oral mucosa. Histologically and ultrastructurally, the lesion is characteristic and well defined. However, the etiology of the lesion remains unclear. The purpose of the present study was to elaborate upon the pathogenesis of VX by evaluation of an additional series of oral examples for human papillomaviruses (HPV), using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, and to further characterize the cellular components of VX immunohistochemically. Twelve specimens diagnosed as VX were retrospectively collected. One of the twelve specimens was positive for HPV types 6/11 by in situ hybridization. None of the twelve specimens demonstrated the presence of HPV antigen by immunohistochemistry. By immunohistochemical studies, the predominant cells in the inflammatory infiltrate were T cells. The foam cells were of monocyte/macrophage lineage. S-100-positive (Langerhans) cells were occasionally found in the suprabasal layer of the epithelium. HLA-DR-positive keratinocytes were noted at the intense inflammatory sites. Taken together, these findings suggest that an immune response may play a role, at least in part, in VX pathogenesis.


INTRODUCTION
The causes of leukemia are largely unclear. The question whether leukemia rates are increased near nuclear power plants is controversial. The German Childhood Cancer Registry has published an epidemiological case-control study on childhood cancer and nuclear power plants.

METHOD
The study was based on the distance of children's residences from nuclear power plants and addressed the question whether children under age 5 with cancer live closer, on average, to nuclear power plants than randomly selected controls. Odds Ratios (OR) for distance categories and standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated.

RESULTS
An association was found between the nearness of residence to nuclear power plants and the risk of leukemia (593 cases, 1766 controls). Within the 5-km zone, the OR for the development of leukemia in children under 5 years of age was 2.19 compared to the rest of the region, and this elevation of the OR was statistically significant. The incidence of leukemia in the overall study region was the same as that in Germany as a whole (SIR=0.99; 95% confidence interval 0.92-1.07).

DISCUSSION
Based on the available information about radiation emissions from German nuclear power plants, a direct relation to radiation seems implausible. Many factors may conceivably cause leukemia, possibly operating in combination, and these factors may be present to a greater extent in the vicinity of German nuclear power plants.


While flowing Liquid Metal (LM) Plasma-Facing Components (PFCs) represent a potentially transformative technology to enable long-pulse operation with high-power exhaust for fusion reactors, Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drag in the conducting LM will reduce the flow speed. Experiments have been completed in the linear open-channel LMX-U device [Hvasta et al 2018 Nucl. Fusion 58 01602] for validation of MHD drag calculations with either insulating or conducting walls, with codes similar to those used to design flowing LM PFCs for a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility [Kessel et al 2019 Fusion Sci. Technol. 75 886]. We observe that the average channel flow speed decreased with the use of conducting walls and the strength of the applied transverse magnetic field. The MHD drag from the retarding Lorentz force resulted in an increase of the LM depth in the channel that 'piled up' near the inlet, but not the outlet. As reproduced by OpenFOAM and ANSYS CFX calculations, the magnitude and characteristics of the pileup in the flow direction increased with the applied traverse magnetic field by up to 120%, as compared to the case without an applied magnetic field, corresponding to an average velocity reduction of ∼45%. Particle tracking measurements confirmed a predicted shear in the flow speed, with the surface velocity increasing by 300%, despite the 45% drop in the average bulk speed. The MHD effect makes the bulk flow laminarized but keeps surface waves aligned along the magnetic field lines due to the anisotropy of MHD drag. The 3D fringe field and high surface velocity generate ripples around the outlet region. It was also confirmed that the MHD drag strongly depends on the conductivity of the channel walls, magnetic field, and volumetric flow rate, in agreement with the simulations and a developed analytical model. These validated models are now available to begin to determine the conditions under which the ideal LM channel design of a constant flow speed and fluid depth could be attained.


The current study aim was to examine mental health characteristics in a sample of returning OEF/OIF/OND veterans initially enrolling in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care (N = 1,307), with a particular focus on a subgroup considered at risk for suicide (N = 445). Methods included examination of mental health screening measures and clinical interview data from a VA postdeployment clinic. Half of the sample met criteria for a mental health disorder, whereas 10% reported current suicidal or death ideation (e.g., thoughts of being better off dead or hurting oneself in some way) and 6% reported a history of suicide attempt. Sixty-eight percent of the at-risk subgroup accepted a referral for mental health treatment and a promising majority (78%) of those individuals attended their initial specialty mental health visit. At-risk veterans who accepted mental health referral were more likely to report current suicidal/death ideation; they were also more likely to have a diagnosis of a depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. Factors associated with mental health appointment attendance included older age, being enrolled in college, and more years of military service. Results highlight the importance of early screening and referral to appropriate mental health follow-up. Implications for clinical practice and increasing engagement in VA mental health services among veterans at risk for suicide are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).


We describe a family with pure X-linked hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and report linkage to X-chromosome DNA probes. A 6-generation pedigree (K313) with 12 affected males is presented. Eight affected males and 7 mandatory female carriers were personally examined. The disorder is characterized by delayed motor milestones and development of the typical spastic gait in adolescence. Deterioration is gradual for 20-30 years and then nonprogressive. Adults generally require crutches by age 30 and a wheelchair by age 50-60. Intelligence, upper extremity function, and vision were normal. Carrier females had a normal gait and neurologic exam. Eight X-chromosome linked DNA markers were used to genotype K313 and linkage was observed with pYNH3 (δ = 0, lod = 4.6) and DXS17 (δ = 0, lod = 4.0). These markers map to the Xq21-22 region, distinct from the Xq28 locus for complicated X-linked HSP reported by Kenwrick. These findings strongly support the clinical delineation of two distinct disease entities: pure and complicated X-linked HSP. This has important implications for genetic counseling when using DNA linked markers.


We perform optical emission spectroscopy of ultrafast laser filament-produced air plasmas in the multiple filament regime at driving wavelengths of 400 nm and 800 nm. The spatiotemporal structure of the emission from the plasmas are observed and the emission spectra are used to estimate plasma temperature and density for a range of laser parameters. Plasma temperatures are determined from the molecular nitrogen fluorescence, while the electron densities are estimated from Stark broadening of the oxygen-I 777.19-nm line. Electron temperatures are determined to be in the range of 5000-5200 K and they do not vary significantly along the length of the filament, nor are they sensitive to incident laser energy or wavelength. Electron densities are on order of 1016 cm-3 and show a greater variation with axial position, laser energy, and laser wavelength. We discuss mechanisms responsible for spatial localization of emitting species within the filament. Optical emission spectroscopy offers a simple, non-perturbing method to measure filament properties, that allows the information on the associated molecular transitions and excitation/ionization mechanisms to be extracted.


In the past thirty years a vast body of information has been compiled relating to carbohydrate metabolism. Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly evident that the elucidation of the metabolic disturbance in diabetes mellitus requires an even more complete knowledge than is presently available of the complex chemical routes followed by glucose in its conversions and interactions with other cell components. In this area of carbohydrate metabolism most gratifying progress has been made with the demonstration of previously unsuspected pathways of glucose utilization. Until rather recently, it was generally believed that the primary, if not the sole, route of glucose breakdown by mammalian tissue was via the Embden-Meyerhof or anaerobic-glycolytic pathway involving the conversion of glucose to pyruvate and lactate and its subsequent oxidation to co2 by the citric acid cycle. Evidence has now accumulated to indicate the existence of at least one new pathway of glucose metabolism, referred to as the pentose phosphate pathway, or the hexose monophosphate oxidative shunt, which may often supplement significantly the anaerobic-glycolytic scheme. Before turning to some of the details and possible significance of this alternate pathway, a brief review of the reactions of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle is desirable.


ABSTRACT The present study examined pedestrian movements in five pedestrian crossings in Adana, Mersin, and Isparta provinces in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey. The effects of factors that contribute significantly to pedestrian crossing time were considered. Linear (multiple linear regression [MLR]), nonlinear (artificial neural network [ANN], adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system [ANFIS]), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and crossing time models reported in the literature were used to estimate crossing times and compare the estimations to the collected data. The nonlinear ANN and ANFIS models achieved better predictions than the linear MLR. The models from the literature achieved worse results compared to the other models due to the limited number of included parameters, The model coefficients were calibrated with PSO to improve regional specificity and the accuracy of the predictions improved. Calibrating the models according to the characteristics of the study region improves the accuracy of the findings. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Purpose: Globally, transgender women (TGW) experience wide-ranging barriers to health and care, with disproportionately high risks of infectious and chronic diseases. Yet, research on transgender populations' access to care in low- and middle-income countries remains limited, focused on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and assesses TGW as a homogenous group. We analyzed morbidity and health service uptake patterns among TGW in Lima, Perú, to understand health outreach and service needs to inform targeting and design of community-level interventions. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed a convenience sample of 301 TGW in metropolitan Lima during September-October 2020. We report descriptive statistics and bivariable and multivariable regression model results as adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs). Results: Health coverage and access to care were suboptimal. Less education and older age were positively associated with illness and negatively associated with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) testing. In the first study to quantitatively examine health utilization by gender identity subgroup (i.e., woman, trans or transgender, transsexual, "transformista," "travesti," and other) in Perú, TGW who identified as women were more likely to ever test for HIV (aPR = 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.91) and use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (aPR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.15-4.80). Both awareness and interest regarding PrEP were low, as was usage among those who were interested in taking PrEP. Conclusion: Public health efforts should be tailored to meet TGW's diverse needs, expand TB testing, bridge the gap between PrEP interest and use, and increase insurance coverage and access to trans-friendly services for improved health.


In this article, we tested whether a four‐dimensional individual‐difference structure of negative emotions (Sadness, Fear, Anger, Shame) as described e.g. by Diener, Smith and Fujita can be found in self‐report data when the emotions are explicitly linked to three different specific contexts. In addition, we check the comprehensiveness of the structure by adding terms people spontaneously use to directly express negative affect. A situational questionnaire was constructed, based on the emotion terms from Diener et al., and it was administered to 161 participants. The structure we obtained was five dimensional instead of four dimensional: the Shame scale turned out to be two dimensional, with guilt and regret defining one factor, and shame and embarrassment defining another factor. Between these two, there is a moderate positive correlation. The structure is shown to be nearly identical for all three situations. The minor differences we found do contextualize the meaning of the emotional responses. The newly added terms could be captured quite well by the factor Anger. No separate factor was needed, meaning that the obtained five‐dimensional structure may be considered comprehensive enough for the field of negative emotions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Poststroke hemichorea usually resolves within a certain period of time, but it does persist in some patients. However, there is no report of recurrence of poststroke hemichorea after a complete recovery. A 64-year-old man was admitted because of involuntary movements in his left arm and leg, which developed 7 days before admission. Neurological examination revealed hemichorea restricted to his left arm and leg. He had poorly controlled diabetes and no previous history of movement disorders. Initial laboratory tests showed elevated levels of serum glucose (334 mg/dL), with normal blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine levels. Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and diffusion-weighted brain MR images revealed a small acute infarction in the right subthalamic nucleus (STN) area (Fig. 1A,B). No striatal hyperintensity was seen on T1-weighted images. No significant intracranial vascular abnormality was observed on MR angiography. Because his hemichorea was not severe and began to improve, he was discharged after 3 days without medication for hemichorea. On the follow-up examination performed 45 days after discharge, he had no hemichorea, and neurological examination revealed slight weakness on his left side, which might have been obscured by the hemichorea at the initial evaluation. Two months after discharge, he suddenly developed choreic movements on the left side of his face and intermittent arrhythmic head turning to the left. At the same time, diplopia and left ptosis with left periorbital pain developed. For the next 5 days, the choreic movements progressed to his left arm and leg. He was readmitted to our hospital, and a neurological examination revealed a pupil-sparing left 3rd nerve palsy and left hemichorea. MRI showed resolution of the previous STN infarction, and there was no additional change in comparison with the previous images (Fig. 1C). His serum glucose level was 236 mg/dL, with normal BUN and serum creatinine levels. Further laboratory tests were performed to identify potential causes of the recurrent hemichorea. Rheumatoid factor, antistreptolysin-O titers, serum antiphospholipid antibody, anticardiolipin antibody, and anti-double strand-DNA antibody were all negative. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) was positive at a titer of 1:160. Because his hemichorea was more violent than the previous one, he was treated with haloperidol 3 mg/day. After discharge, his ophthalmoplegia and periorbital pain improved slowly, and they had completely resolved by the 2-month follow-up. His hemichorea improved gradually, and the haloperidol was stopped at the 2-month follow-up. At the 4-month follow-up, only subtle choreic movements on the left hand could be observed. We believe that the second hemichorea in our patient was a recurrence of the first hemichorea, rather than the development of a new one, because the MR images obtained after the second admission showed no new lesion and because the hemichorea recurred on the same side. However, the face and neck were involved only in the second hemichorea and we cannot explain this difference in the topographic distribution of hemichorea. Our patient's painful left 3rd nerve palsy did not appear to be in direct causal relation to the hemichorea. It was likely an ischemic 3rd nerve palsy, which can be a complication of diabetes. Recurrent hemichorea usually occurs in association with nonketotic hyperglycemia, uremic encephalopathy, or autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or Sydenham's chorea. Recurrent regional hypoperfusion in the contralateral basal ganglia owing to intracranial vascular abnormality has also been reported as a cause of recurrent hemichorea. One may argue that one of these conditions could have been related to the recurrent hemichorea in our patient, especially when considering the high levels of glucose and positive ANA titer. However, T1-weighted MRI showed no putaminal hyperintensity, which is known to accompany hyperglycemic chorea, and he had no signs or symptoms suggestive of an autoimmune disease, with negative antiphospholipid antibodies. In our patient, damage to the STN by infarction might have resulted in a decrease of subthalamic activity and subsequent hemichorea. Improvement of hemichorea might result from the recovery of the damaged STN itself or by the development of a compensatory neuronal circuit. Then, it could be speculated that stressful conditions caused by painful ophthalmoplegia triggered the decompensation of a previously compensated STN function, which leaded to the recurrence of hemichorea. Our case suggests that a single STN infarction can cause recurrent hemichorea.


A new pezizalean genus named Cupulina is presented. A description and illustrations of both macroscopic and microscopic characters of Cupulina montana sp. nov. are provided. Differences from the morphologically close Leucoscypha patavina and L. semiimmersa are being discussed. Several recent collections of Cupulina montana from mountainous regions of France, Switzerland and Austria are reported


Threatened by the rise in paper, printing and postage costs, online custom magazines rejoice an increased interest. They are seen as a more efficient, but equivalent alternative to offline custom magazines. Most digital custom magazines, however, contain an electronic replica of the print version. Our study explores the question of whether online page-turn custom magazines are an equivalent alternative to offline custom magazines. Based on our survey results we conclude that custom magazines have a bright future online. Replicas of the print version, however, are not the future of the industry since the facsimile copy of the print edition in a digital page-turn format does not stand up to print. Paper still 'feels' good and holds a much stronger position, compared to online magazines, in terms of reach and average reading time. Another benefit of offline custom magazines is that customers in general, and women in particular, prefer offline, since it offers them something tangible and physical they can hold and engage with. In sum, there is still place for print content in the digital age and before we move to jettison the magazine, let us fully understand what it is we are possibly throwing away.


Neuroscience techniques have made major contributions to the understanding of appetitive behavior. Highlights in six areas are summarized to illustrate progress during the 25 years of the Columbia Appetitive Behavior Seminar: (1) discovery of angiotensin and aldosterone in the control of thirst and salt appetite; (2) electrophysiological decoding of chemoreceptive information in the brain; (3) a new foundation in the hypothalamus built on peptides, such as neuropeptide Y and galanin, interacting with monoamines and steroids in the control of appetite for macronutrients; (4) discovery of numerous peptides that mediate and integrate satiety, such as cholecystokinin, insulin, leptin and enterostatin, and other systems that suppress eating during illness; (5) better understanding of appetite suppressant drugs, and (6) exploration of a circuit that translates hypothalamic signals into behavioral action through connections to brainstem reflex arcs and forebrain instrumental response systems.


Pakistan's education ministry correctly identified management problems in its latest policy but paid no attention to helping students improve their psychological mindset. It is necessary to develop programs to help children raise their psychological outlook to bear the rigors of 21st-century education. This study examined grit that has the potential to be part of any developmental program. In particular, we focused on examining the factor structure of the short grit scale among university students using optimal strategies. Additionally, we provided cultural interpretations of the results. Our EFA result on polychoric data (n=268) in the R program revealed a two-factor solution: consistency of interest (4 items) and perseverance (3 items). The mean interitem correlation reliability was within the range (.29 to .34), and ordinal alpha was significant (.65) in both dimensions. Further, the CFA on polychoric data (n=269) displayed good fit indices for a two-factor solution with high reliabilities for both dimensions (Coefficient H > .80). Our first MGCFA exhibited metric-level measurement invariance across gender. Similarly, the second MGCFA between groups (n=41) separated by 4.5 months displayed metric-level measurement invariance. The cultural interpretations of the results surmise that a two-factor solution exists among the sample students. However, these facets might act independently, and a high score on both dimensions might imply a gritty person. Though additional dimensions to define grit in collectivist societies have emerged, they require further validation.


A graph-based framework for model management system design is proposed in this paper. The framework applies graph theory to the development of a knowledge-based model management system, which has the capability of integrating existing models in the model base to support ad hoc decision making. In other words, models in the model base are not only stand-alone models but also building blocks for creating integrated models. This guarantees effective utilization of developed models and promises future development of an automated modeling system. In the framework, nodes and edges are used to represent sets of data attributes and sets of functions for converting a set of data from one format to another respectively. A basic model is defined as a combination of two nodes, one input node and one output nod2, and an edge connecting the two nodes. A model graph, which is composed of basic models, is a graph representing all possible alternatives for producing the requested information. Each path in a model graph is a model for producing the information. If the path includes more than one basic model, it represents an integrated model. Based on the graphical representation. an inference mechanism for model integration and strategies for model selection are presented. INTRODUCTION This article discusses the application of graph theory to model management system design. A graph-based framework and mechanisms for inGraphs are powerful tools for constructing tegrating models are developed. Because models models and solving problems having to do with are knowledge intensive and composed of many discrete arrangement of objects. Because of functions for converting data, the development their elegance and simplicity, graphs have been of model management systems has traditionally applied in many areas, including economics, been considered as a difficult research problem. operations research, physics, cybernetics, comSuccessful implementation of the framework puter science, and other areas in engineering has not only significantly contributed to our (Busacker and Saaty, 1965). Based on simple knowledge of model management but also idea of nodes interconnected by edges, graph promised more effective use of computerized theory combines these basic ingredients into a models. rich diversity of forms with flexible properties and has contributed to the analysis of a wide variety of systems, such as network flow probThe remainder of this paper is organized as follems, markov chains, and PERT and related lows: first, background of model management techniques in operations research. systems will be briefly described. Then, the


This paper presents a study of the transport and related properties of GaAs double heterostructure bipolar junction transistors with GaAlAs emitters and collectors utilizing both graded and abrupt junctions. By studying the temperature dependence of current-voltage characteristics, the recombination mechanisms in the transition regions associated with the base-emitter, the base-collector junction, and the quasi-neutral base region have been quantitatively separated. The junction corresponding to growth of GaAs on GaAlAs is found to have higher nonradiative recombination. For abrupt junctions, it also shows a lower barrier for electron injection than does the GaAlAs/GaAs junction. At mid-1018cm-3base doping, the junctions show ideal emission/ diffusion transport at high currents, recombination-dominated transport in a medium current range, and transport with a characteristic energy greater than twice the thermal energy at very low currents. Due to excess recombination current in the devices, the offset voltage is shown to be sensitive to the ratio of emitter and collector junction areas. At low temperatures, transport across the injecting interface of abrupt devices is dominated by tunneling and in the quasi-neutral base by diffusion. The devices exhibit gain at temperatures as low as 4.2 K. The current gain below 77 K appears to be limited by radiative recombination lifetime, and at higher temperatures by nonradiative recombination and injection efficiency. Transistors with current gains of 300 to 500 have been achieved at small emitter dimensions of 1.6 µm × 4.0 µm and at current densities exceeding 105A . cm-2. At current densities of 100 A . cm-2, some of the transistors exhibited gains approaching 100. These devices had an offset voltage of less than 100 mV. Self-aligned devices have also been fabricated and show current gains of 20 to 50 at similar dimensions. In the inverted configuration, gains of up to 50 were observed for non-self-aligned transistors. The dependence of device Characteristics upon the structure indicates that surface effects are minimal. The negative resistance exhibited by these devices at high currents is shown to be due to temperature effects resuiting from the 10-µs or lower thermal time constants.


This study aimed to see the effect of PAILKEM approach towards students' science learning interest at grade IV elementary schools of Cluster 1 Kecamatan Bontomarannu. This research was conducted at SDI Songkolo by using a quasi-experimental method of the non-equivalent control group type. The data were collected through a questionnaire of science learning interest. The results showed that PAILKEM had a positive effect on students' science learning interest. This was proved by the mean score of the posttest in the experimental class which was 4.13, compared to the score in the control class which was 3.89. This was also supported by the result of hypothesis test showing that t calculated > t table (14.91 > 2.007).


In this historical economic interdisciplinary research we investigate the impact of the 1930s economic crisis and their relationship to global warming. We investigate two consecutive hegemonic powers: the United Kingdom and the United States. Our assumption was that a reduction in demand would lead to a decrease in mean global temperatures during depressions. We find that in fact reduced carbon dioxide in the atmosphere resulting from lowered production does not result in cooling temperatures.


Deep Neural Networks have recently gained lots of success after enabling several breakthroughs in notoriously challenging problems. Training these networks is computationally expensive and requires vast amounts of training data. Selling such pre-trained models can, therefore, be a lucrative business model. Unfortunately, once the models are sold they can be easily copied and redistributed. To avoid this, a tracking mechanism to identify models as the intellectual property of a particular vendor is necessary. In this work, we present an approach for watermarking Deep Neural Networks in a black-box way. Our scheme works for general classification tasks and can easily be combined with current learning algorithms. We show experimentally that such a watermark has no noticeable impact on the primary task that the model is designed for. Moreover, we evaluate the robustness of our proposal against a multitude of practical attacks.


In this letter continuous operation is realized from two-dimensional slab photonic crystal lasers at room temperature. The laser structure is prepared by wafer fusion of an InGaAsP MQW active layer with an AlAs layer that is wet oxidized into an Al2O3 layer subsequently. The incident threshold pump power at 0.98 μm is 9.2 mW for a /spl sim/10-μm-diameter hexagonal cavity lasing at 1.6 μm.


In this paper we present an authoring tool called Narratoria 1 that allows non-technical experts in the field of digital entertainment to create interactive narratives with 3D graphics and multimedia. Narratoria allows experts in digital entertainment to participate in the generation of story-based military training applications. Users of the tools can create story-arcs, screenplays, pedagogical goals and AI models using a single software application. Using game engines, which provide direct visual output in a real-time feedbackloop, users can view the final product as they edit.


In this work, 3D localization is produced by utilizing ultrasonic and radio signals at wireless sensor network and for this purpose time difference of arrival is used for localization. Measurement system is designed by using four hardwares (nodes) which have the same properties. One of the nodes is moving, other three nodes perform as references. The frequency used between the nodes is 2.4GHz and ultrasonic signal propagates with 40KHz. All of the nodes benefit from TinyOS operating system. After achieving appropriate number of measurement, calculations are brought about considering necessary variance and standard deviation. As a result, localization is calculated with % 2.5 error. 1. Giris


This study deals with the neuro-fuzzy (NF) modelling of a real industrial winding process in which the acquired NF model can be exploited to improve control performance and achieve a robust fault-tolerant system. A new simulator model is proposed for a winding process using non-linear identification based on a recurrent local linear neuro-fuzzy (RLLNF) network trained by local linear model tree (LOLIMOT), which is an incremental tree-based learning algorithm. The proposed NF models are compared with other known intelligent identifiers, namely multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF). Comparison of our proposed non-linear models and associated models obtained through the least square error (LSE) technique (the optimal modelling method for linear systems) confirms that the winding process is a non-linear system. Experimental results show the effectiveness of our proposed NF modelling approach.


This article introduces current situation of the beef cattle industry in China via its sorted industry, changed inventory and beef production variation. To make the situation more understandable, its advantages and disadvantages are presented from its producer size, indigenous cattle breeds and shrinked inventory with resource shortage of calves for feedlot. Whats more, this paper boiled basically the developing trends into widening deficit between beef import and export, widening margin of output-to-consumption, rapidly increasing average beef consumption and sharp rise beef price. Consequently, we held that the per capita beef consumption in China is fastly increasing, which makes the margin between output and consumption widen gradually, while the low productivities and shrinked cattle inventory making the conditions worse. Under such a condition, the deficit between import and export is expanding. Finally, we suggest that China should supports and extends more applied research works to improve cattle productivities. Besides, China should pay extra attention to standardized production system building and calf-crop operations.


Two types of chloride conductances--gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-activated and Ca2+-voltage dependent--were studied in tissue-cultured central neurons. Cultured hippocampal neurons contain identified GABA-mediated perisomatic synaptic connections. Activation of these synapses evokes, in voltage-clamped neurons, an inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) that rises within 3 to 5 msec and decays exponentially with a time constant of 15 to 20 msec. The decay of the IPSC is voltage-dependent, and is altered by drugs known to act on GABA receptors. The kinetics of the IPSC appears to be determined by that of the GABA-activated Cl- ion channel. Ca2+ and voltage-dependent Cl- conductance is best seen in cells where K conductances are blocked. It usually follows a Ca spike and is blocked by Ca antagonists. Analysis of tail currents in voltage clamped hippocampal, hypothalamic and spinal cord neurons indicates that the current decays slowly (200 msec) and passively and reverses a function of [E]C1 (equilibrium potential for Cl-). Chloride conductance functions to suppress excitability of these neurons. The pharmacological and physiological properties of this conductance in vivo are not as yet known.


AIM
Alpha B-Crystallin (CRYAB) is purported to be a metastasis suppressor protein, and lack or lower CRYAB expression is a prognostic biomarker for several types of cancer, such as that of the prostate and head and neck. However, the association of genomic variation of CRYAB and breast cancer is not well studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of polymorphic genotypes of CRYAB with breast cancer within a Taiwanese population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
In this hospital-based study, 1232 patients with breast cancer and an equal number of healthy controls in central Taiwan were genotyped via polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and the association of CRYAB A-1215G (rs2228387), C-802G (rs14133) and intron 2 (rs2070894) polymorphisms with breast cancer risk in a central Taiwanese population was investigated.

RESULTS
Those individuals with CRYAB C-802G CG and GG genotypes had 1.50- and 2.22-fold risk for breast cancer than those with the CC genotype. As for the A-1215G and intron 2 polymorphisms, there was no significant association of the genotype with breast cancer risk. In allelic frequency analysis, the G allele CRYAB C-802G conferred a significantly (p=5.63×10(-10)) increased risk of breast cancer. Our results provide evidence that the G allele of CRYAB C-802G is correlated with breast cancer risk and this polymorphism may be a useful marker for early detection of breast cancer in clinical practice.


In applying object reconstruction techniques to the problem of 3D shape approximation, we develop two new and powerful improvements to increase the robustness and accuracy of 3D human body gesture recognition. The first, the moment-preserving principal, solves the problem of 3D shape approximation with multiple surfaces by minimizing the shape reconstruction error. The second, we represents a surface with an affine-invariant surface descriptor for representing a 3D shape with the bag-of-words (BoW) model. The approach also aims at generating a time-ordered pose codebook to speed up the key-poses detection and improve precision. Our experiments demonstrate that these contributions make the 3D human body gesture recognition not only tractable but also highly accurate for our example application.


This study aims to analyze the effect of balanced funds, investment, and labor force to economic growth in urban areas of East Kalimantan Province during the period 2004 to 2008 and to identify the variable fund balance, investments, and the labor force, which variables are the dominant influence on economic growth in urban areas of East Kalimantan Province during the period 2004 to 2008 on Fiscal Decentralization Era. The results of data processing using SPSS for Windows find value of Coefficient of Determination (R Square) in the above calculation is for 0.654 or equal to 65.4%. While Adjusted R square (which is adjusted KD) of 0.589 means that 58.9 percent of the variance of economic growth in urban areas of East Kalimantan Province can be explained by the variance of the three independent variables in the model. Results of regression coefficients values for each independent variable on the entire observation area (urban area Samarinda, Balikpapan, Bontang and Tarakan) obtained is Y = 0.072 to 0.022 X1 + 0.002 X2 + 0.055 X3. It is estimated that the economic growth of urban areas in the province of East Kalimantan will decreased by 0.022 percent, if the fund balance has increased one unit (in billions). Also estimated that economic growth in the urban area of East Kalimantan province will experience an increase of 0.002 percent, if investment increases one unit (in billions).


To ensure that witnesses testify in court, the National People's Congress (NPC) created large-scale modifications in witnesses testifying system when amending the Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) of the People's Republic of China (P.R.C) (1996 Revision) in 2012. Theoretical circles generally believe that a perfect witness testifying system can help witnesses to testify in court. China's witnesses testifying system has made remarkable progress from the legal text in 2012. However, judging from the judicial practice in recent years, the proportion of criminal witnesses appearing in court has not been significantly improved. The underlying cause of the unexpected situation is not the various defects of witness testifying system in China itself, but the operating environment of witness testifying system. Further speaking, whether high or low, the proportion of criminal witnesses appearing in court has no substantive impact on the criminal trial. Especially in cases where criminal trial become formalistic, many people's courts do not need witnesses to testify in court.


Abstract We consider a supply chain with one manufacturer who assembles an end-product using multiple outsourced parts. The end-product exhibits the "weakest-link" property, such that if any of its component parts fails, the end-product fails. The supplier of each component part can improve the (uncertain) quality of her parts by exerting costly effort that is unobservable to the manufacturer and is non-contractible. We analyze three possible contractual agreements between the manufacturer and suppliers: Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), Quality–Based Incentive Pricing (Q–Pricing) and Group Warranty. Under AQL, the manufacturer inspects all incoming parts, but establishes different quality thresholds and pays the suppliers different amounts for achieving the different thresholds. Under Q-Pricing, the manufacturer also inspects all incoming parts but pays each supplier a constant amount for each good part. Under Group Warranty there is no testing of the individual parts; instead all suppliers are responsible for any failed end-product. We compare the efficiency of these three contractual arrangements as a function of the exogenous variables. Abstract: We consider a supply chain with one manufacturer who assembles an end-product using multiple outsourced parts. The end-product exhibits the "weakest-link" property, such that if any of its component parts fails, the end-product fails. The supplier of each component part can improve the (uncertain) quality of her parts by exerting costly effort that is unobservable to the manufacturer and is non-contractible. We analyze three possible contractual agreements between the manufacturer and suppliers: Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), Quality – Based Incentive Pricing (Q – Pricing) and Group Warranty. Under AQL, the manufacturer inspects all incoming parts, but establishes different quality thresholds and pays the suppliers different amounts for achieving the different thresholds. Under Q Pricing, the manufacturer also inspects all incoming parts but pays each supplier a constant amount for each good part. Under Group Warranty there is no testing of the individual parts; instead all suppliers are responsible for any failed end-product. We compare the efficiency of these three contractual arrangements as a function of the exogenous variables.


Changes in the metabolism of nuclear inositides phosphorylated in the D3 position of the inositol ring, which may act as second messengers, mainly have been linked to cell differentiation. To clarify a possible role of this peculiar class of inositides also during cell proliferation and/or apoptosis, we have examined the issue of whether or not in the osteoblast-like clonal cell line MC3T3-E1 it may be observed an insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)- and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-dependent nuclear translocation of an active phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K). We found that both the growth factors increased rapidly and transiently both the amount and the activity of immunoprecipitable nuclear PI 3-K. Intranuclear PI 3-K exhibited a massive tyrosine phosphorylation on the p85 regulatory subunit. Moreover, by means of coimmunoprecipitation experiments, we showed the presence, in isolated nuclei, of the p110beta catalytic subunit of PI 3-K. Enzyme translocation was blocked by the specific PI 3-K inhibitor LY294002. In contrast, intranuclear translocation of PI 3-K did not occur in response to the proapoptotic cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). IGF-I was able to counteract the apoptotic stimulus of TNF-alpha and this was accompanied by the intranuclear translocation of PI 3-K. LY294002 inhibited both intranuclear translocation of PI 3-K and the rescuing effect of IGF-I. These findings strongly suggest that an important step in the signaling pathways that mediate both cell proliferation and survival is represented by the intranuclear translocation of PI 3-K.


ABSTRACT During their colonization of plants, human enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica, are known to benefit from interactions with phytopathogens. At least in part, benefits derived by Salmonella from the association with a soft rot caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum were shown to be dependent on Salmonella KdgR, a regulator of genes involved in the uptake and utilization of carbon sources derived from the degradation of plant polymers. A Salmonella kdgR mutant was more fit in soft rots but not in the lesions caused by Xanthomonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp. Bioinformatic, phenotypic, and gene expression analyses demonstrated that the KdgR regulon included genes involved in uptake and metabolism of molecules resulting from pectin degradation as well as those central to the utilization of a number of other carbon sources. Mutant analyses indicated that the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, in part controlled by KdgR, was critical for the persistence within soft rots and likely was responsible for the kdgR phenotype.


New evidence has suggested the Rho signaling pathway as a target for treatment in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). The Rho signaling pathway plays an important role in neuronal growth inhibition after a CNS injury. Block of Rho pathway is a new potential method to improve recovery after an SCI. Other studies by our group had further revealed the underlying mechanisms of this pathway (Firouzi et al., 2011).

BA-210 (Trademarked as Cethrin) is a newly designed Rho pathway antagonist. A "Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial of a Recombinant Rho Protein antagonist in Acute Spinal Cord Injury" by Fehlings et al. (2011) has been recently published to evaluate BA-210 specifically in course of SCI. Implications of the findings of this study can potentially change the management of this condition around the world. However, we would like to highlight some concerns.

The article referenced two guideline reviews on SCI and its spontaneous recovery (Fawcett et al., 2007; Steeves et al., 2007). They reported the results of recovery after the application of BA-210 as well. This may cause misinterpretation when comparing their results with the mentioned guidelines. Guidelines were reviews of investigations including those by Kirshblum et al. (2004), Waters et al. (1993), Geisler et al. (2001) and European Multicenter study in Spinal Cord Injury (EMSCI). The first observations to note are the differences between the study groups. Excluding gunshots, stab wounds, and transecting injuries in the current study, leaves the only those patients who are more likely to recover. The same occurs in excluding patients who are more likely to die in the following 6 months as well as conditions that make patients unable or unwilling to participate. Their criteria for excluding selected patients raise the concern that the study group was more likely to recover spontaneously. Neither of the above mentioned conditions was assigned in the compared studies.

The current study reported 31% (5/16) recovery from ASIA A to at least ASIA C at cervical level of injury along with 6.3% (2/32) recovery at thoracic level. They encountered an overall of recovery of around 14.6% (7/48). The authors considered this to be encouraging. However, we compared this to a meta-analysis by La Rosa et al. They analyzed the summation of at least 10 series of reports on patients with complete SCI. Early decompression was matched to the timing of surgery in current study. In all, 42% (50/119) of the patients were considered neurologically improved. Improvement was defined by at least one grade progress according to the Frankel's scale; including both cervical and thoracic levels of injury. Although 42% recovery in La Rosa et al.'s meta-analysis regards to advances from ASIA A to B, it is still far behind 14.6%. This can be a proper baseline and reference for comparison; beside the 10% predicted rate of conversion derived for untreated cervical SCI in the Fehlings et al.'s article (La Rosa et al., 2004). Other studies insist on the low rate of recovery after thoracic SCI. However, T12 injuries are similar in nature to L1 injuries rather than thoracic level injuries. Separations of injuries on T12 are still recommended to avoid over-reporting in recoveries of thoracic SCI (Rahimi-Movaghar, 2005; Rahimi-Movaghar et al., 2006).

Fehlings et al. (2011) did not adjust the results for dural tears. Dural tears were reported in 31% of the patients. This can be of importance in assessing Cethrin's tolerability and side effects. Moreover, it can potentially affect the neurological outcome after drug administration. Presence of dural tears leaves the possibility of confounding effects intact.

Finally, can we expect a single application of an agent in a proximate time to the injury to declare further trend of "linear recovery" in its following 12 months? Further investigations as well as phase II and III clinical trials can answer this question. Revealing the actual efficacy of BA-210, particularly by a more inclusive study group and an adjusted comparison is needed.


This study is concerned with aspects of the relationship between ticks and their hosts that have a bearing on biological control of tick populations. It proposes control methods based on a program that would combine development of an effective vaccine with genetic selection of hosts.


Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus belonging to the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex, recently related to neurological disease in immunosuppressed patients. In the same area of Northern Italy where USUV human cases occurred in 2009, a regional West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance program based on mosquito monitoring and wild birds screening has been implemented since 2008. Mosquito pools and wild birds were tested using three different polymerase chain reactions (Flavivirus, WNV, and USUV). During summer 2009, 56 pools (54 consisting of Culex pipiens and 2 of Aedes albopictus) and 27 pools (Cx. pipiens) out of 1789 mosquito pools were, respectively, USUV and WNV positive. Moreover, out of 1218 wild birds tested, 44 were WNV positive, whereas only 11 birds were USUV positive by polymerase chain reaction. Data collected during 2009 prove a cocirculation of USUV and WNV in Northern Italy, but these two viruses show different incidence values in both mosquitoes and birds, suggesting involvement of different animals (other bird species or mammals) in their natural cycles. The cocirculation of WNV and USUV poses a new potential threat to human health in this area. The extent of WNV surveillance to other Flaviviruses will require new diagnostic procedures able to process a large number of samples in a limited period of time and highlights the importance of developing more specific serological tests that could be used in field.


To improve reliability of service to Detroit Edison customers, the 40-kV subtransmission overhead lines are equipped with automatic pole top switches which isolate sections of faulted lines.


Renovation of residential buildings has gained more attention in recent years. There are several challenges connected to energy efficient renovation of existing buildings. European Commission acknowledges the challenges and emphasizes the need to replicate best practices and learn from lessons. Several research studies have been conducted on the topic of energy-efficient renovation of residential buildings, some of which have highlighted significant aspects that are to be considered in the renovation efforts / projects. One of the aspects is user perspective that encompasses, among other things, user involvement and user behaviour. Knowledge sharing and learning play a significant role in developing and ensuring the user behaviour that is suitable for harvesting the intended benefits of energy-efficient renovation efforts. There can be wonderful energy-efficient solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas emission and promote sustainability. But, if the solutions are not used appropriately by the user, then it will hinder achieving the expected positive effect. As a result, developing and implementing the solutions in the first place will lose its very purpose. This paper looks at the user perspective in energy-efficient renovation of residential buildings and describe the learning-points associated with it. Focusing on these learning-points and the user perspective itself has its implication on wider issues such as policy making and future energy consumption. In addition, this paper summarises basic knowledge on understanding users' behaviour regarding energy and consumption, as well as briefly describes tools and examples of research projects that incorporate the users' perspective in their design. This paper is based on narrative literature study. It touches upon aspects related to the Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (Climate action), at least to a certain extent. This paper is connected to an EU-project called "REZBUILD" (https://rezbuildproject.eu/), which focuses on developing decision and planning support for accomplishing near zero-emission in renovation of residential buildings.


Aims: Isopropyl unoprostone (IU), a maxi-K channel activator, is used topically to treat glaucoma, and has been reported to have neuroprotective effects on retinal neurons in vitro and in vivo. The purpose of this non-comparative pilot study was to determine whether topical IU will alter the sensitivity of the central retina in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Settings and Design: Non-comparative pilot study. Materials and Methods: IU was given topically twice a day for 6 months to both eyes of 30 patients with typical RP. The visual acuity was measured with a Japanese Snellen chart, and the mean retinal sensitivities were obtained by fundus-related microperimetry (MP-1). The mean deviation (MD) of the visual field was determined with a Humphrey field analyzer (HFA). All measurements were made before and 6 months after the treatment. Statistical Analysis Used: Wilcoxon and the Mann-Whitney U tests (SPSS, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results: After the treatment, the mean retinal sensitivity within the central 2° and 10° improved significantly from 12.3 ± 4.8 dB to 14.7 ± 5.5 dB (P = 0.001) and from 9.1 ± 5.4 dB to 11.0 ± 6.2 dB (P = 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: These short-term results suggest topical IU can improve the central retinal sensitivity in RP patients. It will be necessary to examine longer treatment periods in a controlled study to determine the effectiveness of topical IU in RP patients.


Recent advances in materials science and nanotechnology have lead to considerable interest in constructing ion‐channel‐mimetic nanofluidic systems for energy conversion and storage. The conventional viewpoint suggests that to gain high electrical energy, the longitudinal dimension of the nanochannels (L) should be reduced so as to bring down the resistance for ion transport and provide high ionic flux. Here, counterintuitive channel‐length dependence is described in nanofluidic osmotic power generation. For short nanochannels (with length L < 400 nm), the converted electric power persistently decreases with the decreasing channel length, showing an anomalous, non‐Ohmic response. The combined thermodynamic analysis and numerical simulation prove that the excessively short channel length impairs the charge selectivity of the nanofluidic channels and induces strong ion concentration polarization. These two factors eventually undermine the osmotic power generation and its energy conversion efficiency. Therefore, the optimal channel length should be between 400 and 1000 nm in order to maximize the electric power, while balancing the efficiency. These findings reveal the importance of a long‐overlooked element, the channel length, in nanofluidic energy conversion and provide guidance to the design of high‐performance nanofluidic energy devices.


In recent decades the Netherlands has seen an increase in the use of regional design-led practices in national indicative planning. Despite this, the interrelations between design and planning decision making are not well understood and attempts to involve the expertise and ambition of designers in planning have had unclear outcomes. This paper elaborates on the role and position of regional design in indicative planning. It is argued that design in this realm resembles discretionary action, implying that design both influences, and is influenced by, prevailing planning rationales. An analytical framework is developed on these grounds and applied to a set of regional design initiatives that evolved in the context of Dutch national plans between 1988 and 2012. Significantly, the analysis reveals forms of discretional control that shape the creative design practice, of particular importance being the flexibility of planning guidance and the resulting room for interpretation. In theoretical terms, the article contributes to the discussion of how design – as an explorative search for solutions to problems in a particular spatial context – and design theory can contribute to an understanding of the multiple planning experiments emerging in this post-regulative era.


This study examined the usefulness of fiber tractography (FT) for identifying patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI was performed on twelve patients with AD (four males and eight females, mean age: 78.1 ± 7.5 years) and an eleven patients with MCI (five males and six females, mean age: 69.3 ± 8.0 years) from January to December 2011 by using a 3.0T scanner. Two regions of interest were drawn on the pyramidal tract of Pons and the posterior limb of the internal capsule, which passed through both cortico spinal tracts on the color-cored fractional anisotropy (FA) map. The numbers of white matter fibers on the DTIs in the patients with AD and MCI were determined. The numbers of white matter fibers in the AD patients were 1055.67 ± 333.12 and 860.75 ± 355.50 on the left and the right, respectively. In the patients with MCI, the numbers of white matter fibers and were 1329.82 ± 238.99 and 1316.55 ± 215.25 on the left and the right, respectively. The difference between the right and the left sides in the AD patients was slightly higher than that in the MCI patients.


This paper discusses the development of distribution tariffs of small consumers in Finland. Changes in the electricity sector have created pressures for the Distribution System Operators (DSO) to develop their pricing practices in order to better reflect their cost structures. In this context, power-based distribution tariffs (PBDT) have been seen as a potential direction for development. This paper analyses the EU and Finnish legal framework for distribution tariffs with an aim to identify potential regulatory barriers and incentives for developing PBDTs in Finland. To support this analysis, the paper also provides results of a survey conducted in Finland in 2016 in the EL-TRAN project, reflecting the will of Finnish consumers to improve their ability to affect the distribution fees. The results indicate that the consumers are interested in having this opportunity.


Replicate-at-send multicasting has the best performance of the multicasting schemes for shared-memory ATM switches. Specifically replicate-at-send-distinct address queue multicasting is the most adopted implementation because of its low hardware requirements. We present an analytical model for shared-memory switches with replicate-at-send-distinct address queue multicasting. Under various input traffic conditions the analytical model is shown to be accurate when compared to simulation results. We demonstrate that the model is accurate for a range of loads, with different ratios of multicast traffic and for a range of fanout sizes.


The social injustices associated with mass incarceration and the carceral state have found ample critical theoretical and activist expression in recent years. Further, many critics have sought to expose the depths of these injustices through intersectional analysis inclusive of race, gender, and socioeconomic class and other dimensions of social identity and position (Crenshaw 2012 ; Richie 2012; Durazo, Bierria, and Kim 2011–12). My aim is to bring the concept of vulnerability to bear on these analyses. Vulnerability is a crucial concept given its normative salience: it points us to wrongs done but also to the basis for justice. Any adequate consideration of vulnerability, however, demands attentiveness to how complex social identities and positions mediate experiences of vulnerability.1 If we are concerned with the way state power produces and exacerbates harmful vulnerability in institutions such as prisons, jails, detention centers, courtrooms, and public spaces under police surveillance, then we must reckon with how the workings of the carceral state presumes (and produces) discrete identities. An intersectional framework allows both this consideration and an analysis of how the subject positions marked out by such institutions reinforce inequality and generate precarity. Yet, vulnerability makes possible an analysis in excess of identity categories: an experience of vulnerability cannot be reduced to a location in a grid of intersecting identity categories. To be located in a disadvantaged social position is perhaps a necessary but insufficient


Global geometry optimization of metal clusters is an important problem in nanophysics. The starting geometries of the clusters generated with empirical- or other model potentials, are generally optimized further by density functional theory (DFT)-based energy minimization. For this purpose, several algorithms such as simulated annealing, genetic algorithms, basin hopping etc. are used. Our building-up procedure generates putative lower energy structures of metal (M) clusters, Mn+1, Mn+2 etc. by anchoring one or more metal atoms in the vicinity of the minima of the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) of Mn. Here we report an application of this method to Agn clusters, for 5 ≤ n ≤ 20, followed up by DFT-based geometry optimization, generating several lower energy structures than those reported in the literature. New low-energy isomers are obtained by applying the same procedure to the test case of mixed metal clusters, NinAgm, for n+m = 4 and 5. In conclusion, our MESP-based building-up procedure offers a new general methodology for generating lower energy geometries of metal clusters.


Maternal microbial dysbiosis has been implicated in adverse postnatal health conditions in offspring, such as obesity, cancer, and neurological disorders. We observed that the progeny of mice fed a Westernized diet (WD) with low fiber and extra fat exhibited higher frequencies of stereotypy, hyperactivity, cranial features and lower FMRP protein expression, similar to what is typically observed in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) in humans. We hypothesized that gut dysbiosis and inflammation during pregnancy influenced the prenatal uterine environment, leading to abnormal phenotypes in offspring. We found that oral in utero supplementation with a beneficial anti-inflammatory probiotic microbe, Lactobacillus reuteri, was sufficient to inhibit FXS-like phenotypes in offspring mice. Cytokine profiles in the pregnant WD females showed that their circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (Il)-17 were increased relative to matched gravid mice and to those given supplementary L. reuteri probiotic. To test our hypothesis of prenatal contributions to this neurodevelopmental phenotype, we performed Caesarian (C-section) births using dissimilar foster mothers to eliminate effects of maternal microbiota transferred during vaginal delivery or nursing after birth. We found that foster-reared offspring still displayed a high frequency of these FXS-like features, indicating significant in utero contributions. In contrast, matched foster-reared progeny of L. reuteri-treated mothers did not exhibit the FXS-like typical features, supporting a key role for microbiota during pregnancy. Our findings suggest that diet-induced dysbiosis in the prenatal uterine environment is strongly associated with the incidence of this neurological phenotype in progeny but can be alleviated by addressing gut dysbiosis through probiotic supplementation.


Estimating treatment effects plays a crucial role in causal inference, having many real-world applications like policy analysis and decision making. Nevertheless, estimating treatment effects in the longitudinal setting in the presence of hidden confounders remains an extremely challenging problem. Recently, there is a growing body of work attempting to obtain unbiased ITE estimates from time-dynamic observational data by ignoring the possible existence of hidden confounders. Additionally, many existing works handling hidden confounders are not applicable for continuous-time settings. In this paper, we extend the line of work focusing on deconfounding in the dynamic time setting in the presence of hidden confounders. We leverage recent advancements in neural differential equations to build a latent factor model using a stochastic controlled differential equation and Lipschitz constrained convolutional operation in order to continuously incorporate information about ongoing interventions and irregularly sampled observations. Experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets highlight the promise of continuous time methods for estimating treatment effects in the presence of hidden confounders.


The extreme weather events, projected to increase both in frequency and magnitude with climate change have significant impact on agro-ecosystem services and pose severe limitations to sustainable agricultural land management. The proposed activities start from the hypothesis that these meteorological risks act as drivers of environmental innovation in agro-ecosystem management. These activities deal with risks associated with extreme weather phenomena and with risks of biological origin (e.g. pests and diseases). In order to reach this objective, the following elements of the chain of risk should be considered: • Hazard (assessment of the likely frequency and magnitude of extreme meteorological events) • Impact (analysis of the potential bio-physical and socio-economic impact of extreme weather events on agro-ecosystems) • Vulnerability (identification of the most vulnerable agro-ecosystems) • Risk Management (uncovering innovative risk management and adaptation options) These activities will concentrate on promoting a robust and flexible framework by demonstrating its performance across Belgian agro-ecosystems, and by ensuring its relevance to policy makers and practitioners. Impacts developed from physically based models will not only provide information on the state of the damage at any given time, but also assist in understanding the links between different factors causing damage and determining bio-physical vulnerability. Socio-economic impacts will enlarge the basis for vulnerability mapping, risk management and adaptation options. A strong expert and end-user network will be established to help exploiting project results to meet user needs


The surgical treatment of bone tumors today results more and more in a radical resection therapy. The major vessels are often included in the tumor mass and therefore they have to be resected and reconstructed. Between 1981-1986 30 patients of the Orthopaedic University Clinic in Vienna were treated with tumor resection. The arterial and/or venous reconstruction was done in cooperation with the I. Department of Surgery of the University of Vienna. In 73% of the cases rotation plasty of the knee was performed, in 10% a local tumor resection and in 7% a tumor resection and reconstruction by a tumor endoprosthesis (KMFTR-system). Three patients underwent partial pelvic resection, hemipelvectomy and rotation plasty of the hip respectively.


The authors consider the following simple encoding scenario, which they term successive encoding: /spl phi//sub x/ performs lossless encoding of X, at rate H(X), and /spl phi//sub y/ is designed assuming that the decoder has recovered X. For coding with vanishing error probability, the results of Slepian and Wolf (1973) show that time-sharing of the two possible successive encoding scenarios (obtained by interchanging the roles of X and Y) is optimal, in that all achievable rate pairs can be achieved via this strategy. But time-sharing combined with successive encoding may not be an optimal strategy in the case of zero-error coding. The authors construct a simple example for this suboptimality phenomenon.


By watching for rare flickers caused by planets or brown dwarfs floating across our line of sight to a background star--a phenomenon called microlensing--astronomers hoped to glean clues to the nature of the dark matter, invisible to telescopes, whose gravity keeps our own Milky Way from flying apart as it spins. Instead, they have gained a richer knowledge of other beasts in our galactic menagerie, including possible discoveries of extrasolar planets and insights into curious variable stars. Observations of the rare lensing events have also forced astronomers to ponder a new structure for our galaxy: that rather than being a perfect pinwheel, it seems to have a bar-shaped clot of stars at its center.


We study the closed-loop behavior of the extended Kalman filter (EKF) for a class of deterministic nonlinear systems that are transformable to the special normal form with linear internal dynamics. We argue that the closed-loop system is asymptotically stable and the estimation error exponentially converges to zero. We compare the performance of the EKF to a high-gain observer through simulation


AIM
To determine whether single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs641153 is associated with the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), we performed a systematic meta-analysis of 15 eligible studies. SNP in the complement factor B (CFB) gene is considered to have significant association with AMD susceptibility, but there is great discrepancy in these results.

METHODS
The eligible studies were identified by searching the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association. All data were analyzed using Stata software.

RESULTS
The association between rs641153 and AMD risk was statistically significant under the homozygous model (AA vs GG:OR=0.26, 95%CI=0.15-0.45, P h=0.973, I (2)=0.0%, fixed effects), dominant model (AA+GA vs GG:OR=0.49, 95%CI=0.40-0.59, P h=0.004, I (2)=56.4%, random effects) and recessive model (AA vs GA+GG:OR=0.30, 95%CI=0.17-0.51, P h=0.983, I (2)=0.0%, fixed effects). The same results were also observed in the stratified analyses by ethnicity, source of control and sample size.

CONCLUSION
Our meta-analysis suggests that rs641153 in the CFB gene may play a protective role in AMD susceptibility, the late AMD in particular, both in Caucasians and in Asians.


BACKGROUND
Periodontitis has been reported to be associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Research is needed to determine if therapies that improve periodontal health also reduce systemic measures of inflammation associated with both diseases.

METHODS
The study registrar randomly assigned 128 eligible postmenopausal women with chronic periodontitis to a twice-daily regimen of subantimicrobial-dose-doxycycline (SDD) or placebo tablets for two years as an adjunct to periodontal maintenance therapy. Through a supplement to the main trial, in which they investigated alveolar bone and clinical attachment level changes, the authors assayed inflammatory mediators and lipid profiles in baseline, one-year and two-year serum samples. The authors analyzed the data by using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS
In the intent-to-treat analysis across two years, SDD treatment reduced median high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) by 18 percent (primary outcome; P = .02) and reduced serum matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 (92 kilodalton gelatinase; difference in mean scanning units, -28.44; P < .001), with no significant effect on serum lipids. However, in women more than five years postmenopausal, SDD elevated the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (difference in means [milligrams per deciliter], 5.99; P = .01).

CONCLUSION
A two-year SDD regimen in postmenopausal women significantly reduced the serum inflammatory biomarkers hs-CRP and MMP-9 and, among women more than five years postmenopausal, increased the HDL cholesterol level.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
SDD significantly reduced the systemic inflammatory biomarkers hs-CRP and MMP-9. More research is needed to determine whether SDD has a role in managing the care of patients at risk of developing CAD.


We identify minimal observing cadence requirements that enable photometric astronomical surveys to detect and recognize fast and explosive transients and fast transient features. Observations in two different filters within a short time window (e.g., g-and-i, or r-and-z, within <0.5 hr) and a repeat of one of those filters with a longer time window (e.g., >1.5 hr) are desirable for this purpose. Such an observing strategy delivers both the color and light curve evolution of transients on the same night. This allows the identification and initial characterization of fast transient—or fast features of longer timescale transients—such as rapidly declining supernovae, kilonovae, and the signatures of SN ejecta interacting with binary companion stars or circumstellar material. Some of these extragalactic transients are intrinsically rare and generally all hard to find, thus upcoming surveys like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) could dramatically improve our understanding of their origin and properties. We colloquially refer to such a strategy implementation for the LSST as the Presto-Color strategy (rapid-color). This cadence's minimal requirements allow for overall optimization of a survey for other science goals.


A statistic released this year (2018) by the World Road Transport Organization shows that more than 80% of inland freight is moved by road. Frequent e-commerce activities and end-consumer demands on delivery performance have increased transport needs yet fill rates have decreased. Transport is less efficient and unsustainable while profit margins also shrink, motivating fiercer competition among service providers. Thus, the freight transport industry is fragmented; changes take place independently, with little effect on an aggregate level. The industry lacks a unified model; there are many actors with different relationships and decision-making managed in-house. This unstable and competitive environment has reached new heights through the internet and the benefits that come with access to information worldwide. Among other technologies, business models known as business-to-business (B2B) marketplaces, also called electronic marketplaces (e-marketplaces or EMs) emerged during the 90s. They provide inter-organization information connectivity, real time visibility, and flexible partnership configurations. Specifically, their main purpose is to bring shippers and carriers together to trade goods, services and information. Several researchers have pointed that this topic is relevant and little research has been done around it. This thesis addresses that research gap and presents an exploratory study on the use of EMs among transport providers in Sweden. Although EMs emerged a few years back, they continue to grow in importance and adoption among freight transport stakeholders. In like manner, they continue awakening interest from academia and industry due to their role as intermediaries among shippers and carriers. In this study, the perspective of the carrier (transport provider) is explored. Since the topic has not been previously explored through empirical studies, this research employs grounded theory (GT) as method to explore the topic. Further, the researcher employed interviews to access in-depth insight from the transport service providers (TSPs). Through a portfolio framework of analysis, the paper will explore the use e-marketplaces have among TSPs as well as identify the contextual factors that influence the use. The findings of this study contribute to academics and practitioners. This thesis brings to the attention of managers that the use of EMs among TSPs in Sweden is minimal, secondary and complementary to other options in a portfolio framework. Likewise, EMs are used to perform certain strategic tasks that no other supplier in the portfolio can provide: access to new markets, access to new geographic markets, access to lower-cost providers and capacity maximization among others. The study also contributes to academia, providing insight on e-marketplace use and conditions influencing it, shipper-TSP relationships, SC environmental dynamics and perspectives on portfolio creation of online tools. (Less)


OBJECTIVES To estimate the number and geographic location of web sites selling cigarettes in the USA, and to examine their sales and marketing practices. METHODS Comprehensive searches were conducted using four keyword terms and five popular internet search engines, supplemented by sites identified in a news article. Over 1800 sites were examined to identify 88 internet cigarette vendors. MEASURES Trained raters examined the content of each site using a standardised coding instrument to assess geographic location, presence of warnings, products sold, and promotional strategies. SETTING USA. RESULTS Internet cigarette vendors were located in 23 states. Nearly half (n = 43) were located in New York state, and many were in tobacco producing states with low cigarette excise taxes. Indian reservations housed 49 of the 88 sites. Only 28.4% of sites featured the US Surgeon General's health warnings and 81.8% featured minimum age of sale warnings. Nearly all sites (96.6%) sold premium or value brand cigarettes, 21.6% sold duty-free Marlboros, and 8.0% sold bidis. Approximately one third featured special promotional programmes. CONCLUSIONS Internet cigarette vendors present new regulatory and enforcement challenges for tobacco control advocates because of the difficulty in regulating internet content and because many vendors are on Indian reservations.


The effect of testosterone administration on muscle development and protein synthesis was studied with intact male rabbits. Rabbits were randomized into three experimental groups; day 0 control (G-1), day 15 control (G-2) and day 15 testosterone (G-3). Testosterone (delta4-Androsten-17beta-ol-3-one in silastic tubing) was surgically implanted into the G-3 rabbits. On day (G-1) and day 15 (G-2 and 3) of the experiment all rabbits were injected IP with 50 mu Ci-3H-leucine. Rabbits were sacrificed at intervals after the 3H-leucine injection. Right and left semitendinosus muscles, pituitary and adrenal glands, testicles and blood samples were obtained for analysis. Testosterone improved (P less than .01) gain and feed efficiency, depressed testicle weight (P less than .01), increased serum testosterone and insulin (P less than 0.01) but did not affect adrenal and pituitary weights. Muscle moisture, fat and total protein, myofibrillar, sarcoplasmic and stromal protein fractions and RNA and DNA content were not significantly affected by testosterone although G-3 semitendinosus muscle had the highest total and myofibrillar protein, RNA, and DNA content. The testosterone treated rabbits (G-3) had higher (P less than 0.05) 3H-leucine incorporation into myofibrillar protein and lower 3H-leucine incorporation into sarcoplasmic protein than the day 0 and day 15 controls.


The numerical and analytic solutions of the mixed
problem for multidimensional fractional hyperbolic partial
differential equations with the Neumann condition are presented. The
stable difference scheme for the numerical solution of the mixed
problem for the multidimensional fractional hyperbolic equation with
the Neumann condition is presented. Stability estimates for the
solution of this difference scheme and for the first- and second-order difference derivatives are obtained. A procedure of modified
Gauss elimination method is used for solving this difference scheme
in the case of one-dimensional fractional hyperbolic partial
differential equations. He's variational iteration method is
applied. The comparison of these methods is presented.


Arterial bleeding into a free space is known to cause local vibrations in tissue. To study the effectiveness of utilizing these tissue vibrations in localizing the site of arterial bleeding, we have developed an algorithm for ultrasonically imaging these tissue vibrations. Simulation results indicate that our algorithm can correctly detect vibrations in the presence of pulsatile wall motion, blood flow and noise with the sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 99%. Preliminary results from an animal study indicate that our algorithm can detect vibrations from bleeding arteries as well as from organs such as liver and spleen.


Author(s): Beecher, Consuelo | Advisor(s): Larive, Cynthia K | Abstract: Heparin is unbranched anionic polysaccharide that is part of the glycosaminoglycan family. Although its structural microheterogeneity allows heparin to mediate a variety of biological processes by binding to over 400 different proteins, it also makes structural characterization challenging. This dissertation focuses on the separation and isolation of unique heparin oligosaccharides and their structure elucidation using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry. The impact of sequence on secondary structure is evaluated through detection of specific intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Separation of the low-molecular-weight heparin enoxaparin was accomplished using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) followed by strong anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (SAX-HPLC). Typically, size-similar SEC fractions are combined prior to SAX-HPLC separation. However, screening individual SEC fractions using their sulfamate 1H and 15N chemical shifts allowed for SAX-HPLC resolution of the SEC fractions containing 3-O-sulfated oligosaccharides and led to the isolation and characterization of a unique 3-O-sulfated heparin tetrasaccharide. The effect of structure, particularly glucosamine 3-O-sulfation, on hydroxyl proton hydrogen bonding was explored. Experimental conditions were optimized for the NMR detection and identification of heparin hydroxyl protons. Solvent exchange rates were determined using exchange spectroscopy (EXSY). Structurally specific differences in the hydroxyl proton exchange rates of the hydroxyl protons were explored for Arixtra, a synthetic pentasaccharide that mimics the Antithrombin-III binding sequence, and for isolated oligosaccharides that do not contain a 3-O-sulfated glucosamine. Transverse relaxation rates (R2) measured for the Arixtra hydroxyl protons using the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill experiment are compared with EXSY solvent exchange rates. Because R2 values are sensitive to factors other than exchange, good correlations with the EXSY exchange rates were not uniformly obtained. Experimental conditions are reported allowing the 1H NMR observation of the amine protons of glucosamine. Exchange properties of amine protons in monosaccharides differing only by 3-O-sulfation are compared. Amine group acidity (pKa) was measured to probe participation of the amine group in a salt bridge. Although no evidence of a salt bridge between the amine and sulfate groups was found in the 3-O-sulfated glucosamine (GlcN3S) monosaccharide, these experiments demonstrate the feasibility of probing for structurally important salt bridges in longer oligosaccharides.


Abstract The commercially available non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) are an emerging therapeutic class, which includes dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban. Dose adjustment of the NOAC currently takes into account the presence of particular patient characteristics that may alter NOAC concentrations. These characteristics include the presence of renal impairment and concomitant drugs affecting proteins involved with the transport and metabolism of the NOAC. NOAC concentrations reflect anticoagulant activity; some studies have shown some correlation with the risks of adverse events, while others have not, and the association is debated by workers in the field. However, dose adjustment based on characteristics before dosing assumes that the patient has drug oral availability and clearance at the mean of patients with these characteristics. Direct quantification of NOAC concentrations, for example, through the use of calibrated coagulation assays, is likely to add further to individualization of dosing to the particular patient.


PURPOSE
To investigate changes in the production of IgM and IgG antibodies and the negative transformation of viral nucleic acids in COVID-19 patients after convalescent plasma therapy, and also to discuss the clinical therapeutic effect, so as to provide a basis for the treatment of COVID-19 using specific antibodies.

METHODS
The convalescent plasma of recovered patients from COVID-19 was used to treat other patients, and the levels of antibodies IgM and IgG and the nucleic acid genes ORF1ab and N in the patients were tested regularly for statistical comparison and analysis.

RESULTS
In general, the Ct value and concentration of IgM and IgG antibodies in the plasma infusion group were significantly higher (1-3 times higher) than those in the non-plasma infusion group, respectively, but these differences were not significant (P>0.05). However, the content of antibodies in severe patients in the plasma transfusion group was significantly higher than those in the non-plasma transfusion group at discharge, the results being statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
The application of convalescent plasma significantly increases the antibody content in severe and critical inpatients, effectively enhances immune function, accelerates the clearance of virus and the nucleic acid negative conversion rate, and significantly promotes early improvement in COVID-19 patients.