The present paper essentially looks at the school visit function of the school inspectors. It attempts to examine to what extent this function plays an enabling role in facilitating the task of quality improvement in primary education. On the basis of content analysis of the data from the official records of four Block Education Offices located in Karnataka State, the paper argues that the school inspectors are engaged in controlling and maintaining functions of the school system, perpetuating the status quoist tendencies.


data treated in Persahabatan hospital From September 2017 to February 2018. Data were collected from electronic MDR TB data base. Patient who were eligible with WHO criteria for STR will be treated with this new regimen but in our setting we exclude patient with extensive lesion as unfavourable outcome group. Results: There were 230 patient treated in MDR TB centre with mean age 40.74 13.571, 58% were male, 16.1% were primary MDR TB cases. Subjects who were eligible with STR were 69 (30%) and among them , 27.53% were new cases, this was significantly higher than patient treated with standard regiment (11.18%, P < 0.05. There were 30 preXDR cases detected by culture in this study, 5 of them were treated with STR at the beginning which actually excluded by WHO criteria for STR. Conclusion: Number of MDR TB patient eligible for STR remains low compared with patient treated with standard and individual regimen.


Introduction: The New Political Trial Gays Blacks Jews Women The Quest for a Fair Trial Victims at the Center Justice by the People Ten Solutions Timeline.


Salep is produced from tubers of orchids that grow naturally in various regions of Turkey. It constitutes the raw material of a traditional Turkish beverage and is used for giving hardness and elasticity to Kahramanmaras-type of ice cream. Salep also is used as a raw material for some drugs. Botanists have reported that continuous and uncontrolled harvesting causes some orchid species to decrease to a critical level. For this reason, exportation of salep was prohibited by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.


Rational clinical dentistry, like other therapeutic arts, depends upon the application of scientific principles ; dental practice cannot be divorced from scientific knowledge and must benefit from scientific progress. This is particularly true when the prevention of dental caries by fluoride is considered. Therefore, to a dentist, it is encouraging to learn of the interest shown by The Nutrition Society, which, by organizing this Symposium, is providing a platform for the exchange of views between nutritionist and clinician. I t is my task to attempt to facilitate discussion amongst students of different scientific disciplines by reviewing briefly the role of fluoride in the prevention of dental caries. In this review it is hoped to set the stage for the more detailed papers of later contributors. Clinical dentistry is concerned with the preservation of the dental health of both the individual and the community. I t is to be regretted that dental health is being maintained by the treatment of existing disease in the few, rather than by preventing dental disease in the many. Dental health depends upon the possession of a normal complement of caries-free teeth, adequately supported by healthy soft tissue and bone. Dental health is undermined by two diseases, dental caries and periodontal disease, which together are responsible for about 99% of total loss of teeth. The relative importance of these diseases depends upon age. Periodontal disease, largely a disease of adults, is not influenced by fluoride and need not concern us further. Dental caries is seen at its worst in childhood and adolescence, and it is one aspect of the prevention of dental caries that we are to discuss now. Rational prevention depends upon a thorough knowledge of aetiology, but at the outset it must be stressed that our knowledge of the cause of dental caries is far from complete. An excellent modern review of the aetiology of caries has been published elsewhere (Sognnaes, 1962), but it would seem appropriate to outline some of the essential factors that play a part in the complex process which leads to the formation of the initial carious lesion. Dental caries almost invariably commences at a site of food stagnation, that is in the natural pits and fissures of teeth and at the areas of contact between adjacent teeth. At these sites a glutinous and tenaciously adherent material collects to form the dental plaque. The plaque consists of bacteria, food material (notably carbohydrate), cell debris, and salivary mucin and it is the site of metabolic changes which


The following 7 new species of the family Tenuipalpidae are described and illustrated: Brevipalpus andrewsi Evans New Species, Brevipalpus cromroyi, Evans New Species, Brevipalpus hondurani Evans New Species, Brevipalpus ochoai Evans New Species, Tenuipalpus bakerdeleonorum New Species, Tenuipalpus hondurensis New Species New Species, and Tenuipalpus molinai Evans New Species. Forty new host records and 20 new distribution records are reported for Honduran tenuipalpid species. Keys to the 4 genera and 32 Honduran species of tenuipalpids are provided. The following species: Tenuipalpus rhysus Baker & Pritchard, Brevipalpus phoenicoides Gonzalez and Brevipalpus tlaxensis Baker and Tuttle were found to be junior synonyms of Tenuipalpus bakeei McGregor, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) and Brevipalpus pini Baker, respectively. Notes on the biology, distribution and host symptomatology of the various species are included.


The study investigates the antioxidant potential of commonly used vegetable oils viz., coconut (CNO), sunflower (SFO), rice bran (RBO), groundnut (GNO), sesame (SESO) and mustard oil (MO), where the oils were extracted with methanol; and these methanolic extracts were used for the antioxidant studies. Fatty acid composition by gas chromatography, physicochemical parameters such as specific gravity, refractive index, acid value, iodine value and peroxide value were also analysed. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities of the oils (DPPH, ABTS, superoxide and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays) were evaluated. Phenolic compounds were identified by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Percentage TPC was highest in groundnut oil with 3.09 mg/100 g oil followed by coconut oil, rice bran oil, mustard oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil with 1.8, 0.89, 0.56, 0.49 and 0.33 mg/100 g oil, respectively. The methanolic extracts of oils showed potential antioxidant activity in terms of super oxide and nitric oxide radical scavenging activity.

Practical Applications
The present study indicated that vegetable oils can contribute to the dietary intake of antioxidants, depending on the processing condition. This is the first study of its kind to investigate and compare the phenolic content by HPLC and also the radical scavenging activity (DPPH, ABTS, superoxide and nitric oxide) of different oils. It was observed that the unrefined oils posses better antioxidant activity than the refined oils, which imply the importance of optimizing and/or modifying the existing steps in the vegetable oil processing to retain the polyphenolic content in vegetable oil without compromising other physicochemical parameters. The study has brought out the importance of polyphenolic compounds in vegetable oil as radical scavenging agents that could be beneficial in the management of many degenerative diseases. This may provide vegetable oils a new dimension in health management other than its traditional uses.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the main cause of viral hepatitis in the UK and leads to chronic liver disease in many infected individuals. There is a substantial burden on diagnostic laboratories to provide rapid, cost-effective tests for monitoring HCV infection. Commercial assays are expensive and so the development of validated in-house methods is beneficial. This thesis describes the development and implementation of rapid and inexpensive real-time PCR assays for HCV quantitation and genotyping to support clinical practice. Additionally, the development of methods for defining HCV isolates at the subtype level, important in epidemiological and transmission studies, is described. These assays were utilised in a study on spontaneous HCV clearance, the results of which suggest that HCV type 1 infection and younger age at infection are factors which are associated with spontaneous viral clearance.

Chronic HCV infection is linked to oxidative stress with numerous deleterious cellular effects. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is more susceptible to oxidative damage than nuclear DNA making it an ideal marker to assess the overall level of cellular DNA damage - including deletions and mutations. This thesis illustrates the development of real-time PCR assays to detect and quantify two major mtDNA deletions. The D-loop region of mtDNA is particularly prone to damage - with two well recognised 'hotspots of mutation'. The creation of an RSCA (heteroduplex-based) method using capillary electrophoresis, to detect and quantify damage in this region, is described.

To evaluate the clinical utility of these assays, a study of mtDNA damage in patients with liver disease was undertaken. The aim of this study was to identify whether chronic HCV infection results in increased levels of mtDNA damage compared to other liver pathologies. Low levels of mtDNA deletions were detected in the majority of liver biopsy specimens and there was no correlation between liver aetiology and quantity of deletions. The RSCA method identified numerous D-loop mtDNA species within the liver tissue of several individuals. There was no correlation between liver aetiology and the presence of multiple D-loop species.


References 1. Dattani R, Patel VR. Arthroscopic assisted removal of screws from proximal humeral locking plates. Int J Shoulder Surg 2013; 7: 125–126. 2. Maqdes A, Levy B, Klouche S, Hardy P. The feasibility and results of an arthroscopic removal of humeral locking plates and glenohumeral arthrolysis after proximal humeral fractures. Knee Surg Sports Tramatol Arthrosc 2014; 22: 456–461. 3. Veselko M, Senekovic V, Tonin M. Simple and safe arthroscopic placement and removal of cannulated screw and washer for fixation of tibial avulsion fracture of the anterior cruciate ligament. Arthroscopy 1996; 12: 259–262. 4. Zhang Q, Huang XL, Zhang S, Cao XC. Removal of the cannulated screw used for fixation of fractures of the tibial eminence under arthroscopy. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2014; 96: 548–549. 5. Parikh SN. Arthroscopic removal of a cannulated screw and washer from the knee joint. Orthopedics 2010; 33: 675.


Various methyl substituted coumarin carboxaldehydes have been condensed with aromatic amines to give Schiff bases. These Schiff bases have then been reacted with thioglycolic acid to give five membered cyclized products, 4-thiazolidinone substituted at 4-position of coumarins. 4-alkyl coumarin acetates have been reacted with semicarbazide or thiosemicarbazide in polyphosphoric acid to undergo condensation followed by in situ cyclization to form oxadiazoles and thiadiazoles. All the 4 - substituted coumarin heterocycles have been found to possess antibacterial activity.


Abstract Liogenys Guérin-Méneville, 1831 is the major genus of Neotropical Diplotaxini, with 78 species distributed from Panama to southern Argentina and Chile, except for Ecuador. Due to the large numbers of both described and undescribed species, as well as its agricultural importance, mainly of those in Brazil, Liogenys was redefined and redescribed. Nine new species are described: L. cavifrons Cherman, sp. n., L. femella Cherman, sp. n., L. piauiensis Cherman, sp. n., L. rotundicollis Cherman, sp. n., L. pseudosanctaecrucis Cherman, sp. n., L. grossii Cherman, sp. n., L. pseudospiniventris Cherman, sp. n., L. sulcoventris Cherman, sp. n., and L. freyi Cherman, sp. n. All the new species are Brazilian, except for the last one, which is Argentinian. Twenty-three Brazilian species are redescribed and illustrated. Five new synonyms are proposed, and 19 lectotypes are designated. New geographical distribution records for 19 species are presented, as well as a key to New World Diplotaxini and Brazilian species of Liogenys.


Education has played important role in the expansion of civilization in the world today. Similarly, in the context of education, Gurukul education is known as the oldest system of education. It is mostly true that education in the world got its root in the Gurukul education system. Our ancient Vedas, Purans, and Upanishads were written through the skills obtained from the Gurukul education system which are sources of vast knowledge. So, Gurukul education has played a major role in the transformation of modern education systems. So, the purpose of this research study is to present the impact of Gurukul education in building modern education in this form. This research study is a qualitative study and data are collected through interview-based on fieldwork and document analysis. The interview is taken faceto-face with teachers and students of Gurukul schools located in Chitwan, Nepal.The finding of this study  show that Gurukul education is the root of all knowledge created by our ancient saints (Munis) and it has certainly got an impact on the present modern education. In modern education systems, there are traces of the education systems to bring transformation as we find today. This study has got practical implications for the development of modern education showing the relation between Gurukul and modern education.


The purpose of this report is to investigate the assumption that the Financial Collateral Haircuts Model (FHM) remains reactive to the situation of a depeg for a currency of the underlying collateral. The analysis reported in this document serves to show how the FHM reacts to a scenario where a depeg occurs and if the model adequately captures the risks associated with a depeg (FX jumps). Although the FHM is not explicitly developed to model jumps in the currency exchange ratios (FX jumps), it is assumed that the model already incorporates such jumps through its design. Thus, the analysis tests whether the FHM is sensitive to an FX jump associated with a depeg scenario. Additionally, the report determines whether a methodological overlay or an estimate override is required in the case of pegged currencies. With the diminished sensitivity, the FHM is at risk of not reacting fast enough and adequately to a depeg scenario.


In this paper,we model a two-period electricity market with interdependent demand, where oligopolistic generators make investments in peak-and base-load capacities. Different prices are obtained in the two periods, and residential consumers can react to prices across demand periods. We characterize the Cournot equilibrium obtained as a function of price and cross-price effects and present a numerical illustration based on the Ontario (Canada) electricity market.


To better understand the evaporation of a non-spherical droplet, a two-dimensional simulation was conducted to investigate the evaporation on the asymmetric cross-section of non-spherical sessile droplets, which are characterized by two curvatures with two different contact angles on both sides. The temperature distribution, internal flow, and evaporation flux distribution at a quasi-steady state were revealed to be different from the spherical droplets. When heated from the substrate, the lowest surface temperature moves to the side of higher curvature or larger contact angle, forming a single vortex in the droplet. This single-vortex formation continues to be enhanced by enlarging the contact angle discrepancy. Unlike spherical droplets, the smaller curvature side of a non-spherical sessile droplet will release more evaporation flux. In addition, it is found that the non-spherical sessile droplets could surpass the spherical sessile droplets in evaporation flux.


This study examined how the brain system adapts and reconfigures its information processing capabilities to maintain cognitive performance after a key cortical center [left posterior superior temporal gyrus (LSTGp)] is temporarily impaired during the performance of a language comprehension task. By applying repetitive transcra-nial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to LSTGp and concurrently assessing the brain response with functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that adaptation consisted of 1) increased synchronization between compensating regions coupled with a decrease in synchronization within the primary language network and 2) a decrease in activation at the rTMS site as well as in distal regions, followed by their recovery. The compensatory synchronization included 3 centers: The contralateral homolog (RSTGp) of the area receiving rTMS, areas adjacent to the rTMS site, and a region involved in discourse monitoring (medial frontal gyrus). This approach reveals some principles of network-level adaptation to trauma with potential application to traumatic brain injury, stroke, and seizure.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Lessons for cross-border standard development learned in the consultation to create the Australian National Framework for the Development of Decision-Making Tools for Nursing and Midwifery (National DMF).

BACKGROUND
Although existing tools are broadly consistent, no cross-border or internationally accepted version exists of scope of practice decision-making guides. Development of a national framework in Australia's federated political system required commitment to wide consultation and consensus. Concurrent moves towards national registration stimulated timely completion of the work. Contextual factors such as differentiation of the profession of midwifery from nursing and varying understanding of scope of practice concepts in eight Australian jurisdictions were challenges.

DESIGN
A consultative policy development framework was used.

METHODS
Thematic analysis of written responses to a draft document and of focus group feedback informed the production of the National DMF.

RESULTS
A widely accepted National DMF allowing nurses and midwives in Australia to engage in planned changes to professional practice, grounded in the professional judgement of the individual nurse or midwife, and collaboration with the consumer.

CONCLUSIONS
The project's grounding in consensus influenced the process and outcomes of consultation. A nationally consistent framework, incorporating useful decision-making tools for two professions and principles to guide implementation and evaluation, was a distinct achievement. The article adds to accumulated knowledge by: * identifying the professional and political factors influencing consultation and outcomes in cross-border standard development and * exploring key considerations for future projects to produce national or international professional standards that are relevant across borders and across professions.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Decision-making tools that assist nurses and midwives in determining their scopes of practice and guide them in delegating aspects of consumer care to other health care workers are an essential component of any suite of professional practice standards.


Large-scale distributed systems, like MapReduce, are increasingly being used, but debugging such systems is still very difficult. In this paper, we propose D3, a new debugging system that answers diverse debugging queries by processing logs formally and efficiently. D3 specifies queries concisely in a declarative language and executes the queries in a distributed fashion, thereby lowering debugging overhead and bandwidth consumed. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our D3 design on a local cluster with Hadoop, an open-source MapReduce frame-


The roads within America's national park system reveal a wide range of technological, aesthetic, and philosophical concerns. Their design and construction epitomize the central challenge of national park management: how to balance environmental protection with public access. The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), a division of the National Park Service, has spent more than a dozen years documenting the history of this vital aspect of the national park experience. America's National Park Roads and Parkways brings together 331 measured and interpretive drawings commissioned by HAER to illustrate the physical characteristics, design strategies, construction practices, and visitor experiences of roads in national parks from Acadia to Zion and parkways from the Blue Ridge to the Natchez Trace. Also included are non-Park Service projects that utilized similar design strategies, including the Bronx River Parkway and the Columbia River Highway. The book documents thirty-one projects, explaining how roads shape visitor perceptions, highlighting key characteristics of individual park road systems, and connecting their design and construction to the broader history of American engineering and landscape architecture. More than a documentary record of historic design and construction practices, this book has practical applications for engineers, landscape architects, and cultural resource specialists in guiding design decisions, interpreting historic sites, and informing contemporary debates on preservation and environmental protection. National Park Roads: Acadia National Park; Crater Lake National Park; Glacier National Park (Going-to-the-Sun Road); Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park; Mount Rainier National Park; Rocky Mountain National Park; Scotts Bluff National Monument; Sequoia National Park (Generals Highway); Shenandoah National Park (Skyline Drive); Yellowstone National Park; Yosemite National Park; Zion National Park National Military Parks: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park; Gettysburg National Military Park; Shiloh National Military Park; Vicksburg National Military Park Parkways: Baltimore-Washington Parkway; Blue Ridge Parkway; Colonial Parkway; George Washington Memorial Parkway; Natchez Trace Parkway; Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Park Road Precedents: Bronx River Parkway; Columbia River Highway


The objectives of this study were clone oligopeptide transport carrier PepT2 and compare its abundance in kidney tissues of yak and cattle in response to different dietary nitrogen levels. Four adult female yaks were enrolled as donor animals for profiling the molecular characteristics and expression specificity of yak PepT2 (yPepT2), and twenty-four castrated males of each of two genotypes, yak (Bos grunniens) and indigenous cattle (Bos taurus) were used to explore PepT2 mRNA expression in kidney tissue in different nitrogen (N) levels (10.3, 19.5, 28.5 or 37.6 g N/kg dry matter; DM). Our results showed that the yPepT2 coding sequence region contains 2190 bp, and encodes a putative protein of 729 amino acids (AA) residues. The yPepT2 AA sequence identified eight putative extracellular N-glycosylation sites (Asn7, Asn80, Asn373, Asn435, Asn472, Asn508, Asn528, Asn587) and eight intracellular putative protein kinase C sites (Ser34, Ser264, Ser274, Ser376, Ser442, Ser586, Ser640, Ser724). The yPepT2 AA sequence was 98 and 94% identical to PepT2 from zebu cattle (Bos indicus) and sheep (Ovis aries), respectively. The relative PepT2 expression in kidney tissue for yak was greater than of indigenous cattle in the10.3 and 28.5 N/kg DM diet, but it was lower for yaks in 37.6 N/kg DM diet. These implied that relative PepT2 mRNA expression was higher in yak kidney than that in indigenous cattle at lower dietary N supplies, but more research on PepT2 will be required to determine the renal regulatory mechanisms.


Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as key regulators of cardiovascular development and disease, being involved in cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, remodeling and heart failure. Aortic stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease, and thus, we undertook a detailed analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs in this disease.
Methods and Findings: We set up a model of aortic stenosis by performing transverse aorta constriction (TAC) in adult mice resulting in a rapid increase in left ventricle pressure load, pronounced hypertrophy, initiated fibrosis, impaired ejection performance and dysfunctional diastole. Using miRNA microarray we then identified more than 300 differentially regulated miRNAs in the hearts of mice affected by aortic stenosis. Five of these were validated using qRT-PCR in which miR-21 and miR-208b were striking because of their substantial 2-4 fold increase at day 21 post TAC when compared with the control group. Furthermore, we identified three novel miRNAs (miR-24, miR-301a and miR-335) that were highly induced in transverse aorta constricted mice compared to SHAM operated mice. Interestingly, the increased expression of miR-24, miR-301a and miR-335 in TAC affected hearts were not found in an animal model of myocardial infarction.
Conclusion: These data suggests that the novel miRNAs are regulated in the heart specific to aortic stenosis, and may serve as biomarker candidates for future diagnosis, prognosis or treatment.


The Great East Japan Earthquake in Japan paralyzed functions of Japanese ports operated by the local governments in 2011. If an anticipated Nankai Trough Earthquake occurs, port functions may be paralyzed just as in 2011 under the current port operation system conducted by the local governments. Today, horizontal/vertical division of work has been expanded in the global economy, and thus, paralysis of Japanese port functions may result in severe damage on the global economy. Using the sacrifice model, the variation in container logistics caused by earthquakes was analyzed for the Nankai Trough Earthquake.
 Through the case of Japan, it was demonstrated that the powerful leadership of the national government could establish port operations resistant to large-scale natural disasters.
 This paper has developed the author's research [1]–[13].


Abstract. The in vivo efficacy of 25.3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against human LFA1 molecule was assessed in ten patients with steroid‐resistant grade III‐IV acute graft‐versus‐host disease (AGVHD). These patients received non‐T‐cell‐depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for aplastic anemia in two cases and hematologic malignancies in eight cases. Five grafts were fully matched, three were one antigen‐mismatched, and two were two antigen‐mismatched. Despite GVHD prophylaxis with cyclosporin A and short‐term methotrexate, AGVHD occurred after a median of 24 days and clearly progressed under prednisone (median 2 mg/kg), given for a median of 12 days. 25.3 mAb was given at a dosage of 0.1 mg/kg in a 4‐h perfusion for five daily doses without any clinical or biological side effects. Thirty percent of the patients experienced a reduction in the overall grading with two complete responses. Partial response in at least one involved organ (mostly skin) occurred in 80% of the patients. However, seven out of the eight responding patients experienced a new episode of AGVHD. This observation, which confirms that inhibiting a functional molecule is as efficient as a cytolytic therapy, offers an alternative strategy to antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cytotoxic mAb in controlling steroid‐resistant GVHD.


This article is an account of the major effects wrought by the Mexican civil war (1913-1916) on the currency and on banking activity, particularly in 1913, when the economic problems resulting from the coup d'état that brought Victoriano Huerta to power first began. These problems include the disequilibrium in the balance of payments that turned into a banking crisis, which concluded with the abandonment of the gold standard and the establishment of bank notes as legal tender. The civil war and the deterioration of the economy continued progressively during the following years and at the end of the 1920s resulted in the bankruptcy of the majority of the banks comprising the Porfirian banking system.


Microsomal monoxygenase enzymes of the cytochrome-P450 family are found in all biological kingdoms, and play a central role in the breakdown of metabolic as well as xenobiotic, toxic and 70% of the drugs in clinical use. Full-length cytochrome-b5 has been shown to be important for the catalytic activity of cytochrome-P450. Despite the significance in understanding the interactions between these two membrane-associated proteins, only limited high-resolution structural information on the full-length cytochrome-P450 and the cytochromes-b5-P450 complex is available. Here, we report a structural study on a functional ,72-kDa cytochromes-b5-P450 complex embedded in magnetically-aligned bicelles without having to freeze the sample. Functional and solid-state NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) data reveal interactions between the proteins in fluid lamellar phase bilayers. In addition, our data infer that the backbone structure and geometry of the transmembrane domain of cytochrome-b5 is not significantly altered due to its interaction with cytochrome-P450, whereas the mobility of cytochrome-b5 is considerably reduced.


Renewable solar energy is the key target to reduce fossil fuel consumption, minimize global warming issues, and indirectly minimizes erratic weather patterns. Herein, the authors synthesized an ultrathin reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheet with ~47 nm via an improved Hummer's method. The TiO2 was deposited by RF sputtering onto an rGO nanosheet with a variation of temperature to enhance the photogenerated electron or charge carrier mobility transport for the photoanode component. The morphology, topologies, element composition, crystallinity as well as dye-sensitized solar cells' (DSSCs) performance were determined accordingly. Based on the results, FTIR spectra revealed presence of Ti-O-C bonds in every rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite samples at 800 cm–1. Besides, XRD revealed that a broad peak of anatase TiO2 was detected at ~25.4° after incorporation with the rGO. Furthermore, it was discovered that sputtering temperature of 120 °C created a desired power conversion energy (PCE) of 7.27% based on the J-V plot. Further increase of the sputtering temperature to 160 °C and 200 °C led to excessive TiO2 growth on the rGO nanosheet, thus resulting in undesirable charge recombination formed at the photoanode in the DSSC device.


The Cleanroom software development approach is intended to produce highly reliable software by integrating formal methods for specification and design, nonexecution-based program development, and statistically based independent testing. In an empirical study, 15 three-person teams developed versions of the same software system (800-2300 source lines); ten teams applied Cleanroom, while five applied a more traditional approach. This analysis characterizes the effect of Cleanroom on the delivered product, the software development process, and the developers.


Tetracyclic skeletons combining an imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine moiety with a quinoline framework such as pyrido[2',1':2,3]imidazo[4,5-b]quinoline are stimulating increasing interests since they are close isosteres of a series of powerful antiproliferative compounds. In this paper, we report a novel methodology for the synthesis of pyrido[2',1':2,3]imidazo[4,5-c]quinolines through one-pot sequential reactions of commercially available or readily obtainable 2-aminopyridines, 2-bromophenacyl bromides, aqueous ammonia, and aldehydes. Moreover, dihydropyrido[2',1':2,3]imidazo[4,5-c]quinolines could also be obtained in a similar manner by using various ketones as the substrates in place of aldehydes. Notably, the whole procedure combines condensation/amination/cyclization reactions in one pot to give complex compounds in a simple and practical manner. Compared with literature methods, the synthetic strategy reported herein has the advantages of readily available starting materials, structural diversity of products, good functional group tolerance, and obviation of step-by-step operations.


Metabolic reprogramming is a common phenomenon in cancers. Thus, glycolytic enzymes could be exploited to selectively target cancer cells in cancer therapy. Hexokinase 2 (HK2) converts glucose to glucose-6-phosphate, the first committed step in glucose metabolism. Here, we demonstrated that HK2 was overexpressed in ovarian cancer and displayed significantly higher expression in ascites and metastatic foci. HK2 expression was significantly associated with advanced stage and high-grade cancers, and was an independent prognostic factor. Functionally, knockdown of HK2 in ovarian cancer cell lines and ascites-derived tumor cells hindered lactate production, cell migration and invasion, and cell stemness properties, along with reduced FAK/ERK1/2 activation and metastasis- and stemness-related genes. 2-DG, a glycolysis inhibitor, retarded cell migration and invasion and reduced stemness properties. Inversely, overexpression of HK2 promoted cell migration and invasion through the FAK/ERK1/2/MMP9 pathway, and enhanced stemness properties via the FAK/ERK1/2/NANOG/SOX9 cascade. HK2 abrogation impeded in vivo tumor growth and dissemination. Notably, ovarian cancer-associated fibroblast-derived IL-6 contributed to its up-regulation. In conclusion, HK2, which is regulated by the tumor microenvironment, controls lactate production and contributes to ovarian cancer metastasis and stemness regulation via FAK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway-mediated MMP9/NANOG/SOX9 expression. HK2 could be a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.


We propose a framework that uses learned human visual attention model to guide the learning process of an imitation learning or reinforcement learning agent. We have collected high-quality human action and eye-tracking data while playing Atari games in a carefully controlled experimental setting. We have shown that incorporating a learned human gaze model into deep imitation learning yields promising results.


An insurance allocation may help a hospital or health system achieve the following goals for its professional liability and workers' compensation self-insurance or large-deductible programs: Loss-control incentive. Stability. Equity. Comprehension. Ease of administration.


This study investigates Iraqi EFL students' pragmatic performance at all their educational levels in an attempt to identify the potential pragmatic failure they commit when using English. The study hypothesizes that (1) the students under study commit pragmatic failure whether pragmalinguistically or sociopragmatically at all levels, and (2) their teachers allow for such a kind of pragmatic failure as long as students produce well-formed sentences. To achieve the aim of the study and test its hypotheses, the sample of the study is subjected to a questionnaire which consists of twenty situations, each of which includes four well-formed utterances but only one of them is pragmatically appropriate to the situations in which they occur. The sample of the study consists of various levels of students and teachers to check the results on various levels. The subjects are first-year and fourth-year university EFL students and university EFL teachers of various academic titles, degrees and specializations all from the Department of English, College of Education for Human Sciences.The study verifies the hypotheses of the study and concludes that Iraqi EFL learners' pragmatic performance is generally poor since the average pragmatic success they recorded amounts to only 55.75%. Years of study do not seem to satisfactorily develop the pragmatic performance of the Learners since the difference in this regard between the first-year students and their PhD teacher is only 17.21%.The study falls in six main sections: Section One presents the problem, aim and hypotheses. Section Two elaborates on the notion of "pragmatic failure" along with its types. Section Three explains the reasons of pragmatic failures and Section Four discusses some ways of overcoming such failures. Section Five reviews the methods of data collection and analysis. Section Six puts forward the main conclusions of the study.


Summary The plutonic rocks of the Semail ophiolite in the southeastern Oman Mountains formed in a spreading-ridge magma chamber that was repeatedly replenished by primitive magma. An average composition of the parent magma is calculated by mass balance of the igneous stratigraphy. The average parent magma was in equilibrium with most early-formed cumulus minerals from the ophiolite and is very similar to primitive mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB). Comparison with experimentally determined liquidus relations for primitive MORB also suggests that most of the cumulus minerals could have been produced by fractionation of the average parent magma. The magma is basaltic—in contrast to the picritic melts proposed as parents for some ophiolites. Although the average parent magma composition is basaltic, individual batches of magma that fed the magma chamber varied in composition because of mantle processes. The primary mantle melts were probably picritic, but due to reaction during ascent through the upper mantle and mixing or density entrapment within the crustal-level magma chamber, these picritic melts were probably not erupted on the sea floor. A model with primary mantle melting at 40–60 km depth followed by reaction during ascent and possibly second-stage melting at ≤25 km depth is favoured for the ophiolite.


This paper is an attempt to investigate female power as it asserts itself in the world today. This investigation compares and contrasts female to male power, the latter interpreted in terms of the forces that have sustained patriarchy throughout the centuries. My premise is that the assertion of female power subtly relates to the dynamic and non-hierarchical worldview emerging, on the one hand from contemporary physics and quantum theory, and on the other from French deconstructive practice. This practice propounds a revolutionary manner of naming and hence of shaping the perceived. Thus, I rely on the works of David Bohm, a theoretical physicist, and those of Jacques Derrida, the dean of deconstructive theory. llltiinately, this paper argues that in the forging of the new worldview women as well as men will play active and ever-creative roles.


The objective of this study was to investigate the incorporation of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) into eggs and its effect on the fatty acid metabolism when layers are fed diets with different fat sources and fat levels. Layers were fed either a low fat diet (LF) or one of three high fat diets based on soybean oil (SB), animal fat (AF) or flaxseed oil (FSO). CLA was added at a concentration of 1 g/100 g feed from two different CLA premixes with a different CLA profile. For the trial, 144 laying hens were allocated to 12 treatments (4 basal fat sources x 3 CLA treatments) with 3 replicates of 4 hens each. No significant differences were observed in feed intake, egg weight, feed conversion or laying rate between chickens fed control and CLA-supplemented diets. Differences in yolk fat, cholesterol or yolk color were not clearly related to the dietary CLA. However, the supplementation of CLA to the diets had clear effects on the fatty acid composition, i.e., a decrease in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and an increase in saturated fatty acids (SFA) was observed, whereas the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content were essentially unaffected. The results suggest that CLA may influence the activity of the desaturases to a different extent in the synthesis of (n-6) and (n-3) long-chain fatty acids. These effects of CLA depend on the level of (n-6) and (n-3) fatty acids available in the feed. The apparent deposition rate (%) is clearly higher for the c9, t11 isomer than for the t10, c12 isomer. Adding CLA to layers diets rich in (n-3) fatty acids produces eggs that could promote the health of the consumer in terms of a higher intake of (n-3) fatty acids and CLA.


1. A quantitative theory has been developed for the reactions between antigens and antibodies, applicable in particular to the precipitin reaction. The theory is equally applicable to unspecific precipitations, for instance the reaction between proteins and protein precipitating agents such as nucleic acids, etc. 2. The theory is based on the concept that the antigen-antibody interaction is governed by the same principles as the dissociation of a polybasic acid, HNT, where the antibody corresponds to the hydrogen ion H, and the antigen to the anion T. In their mutual reactions the antigen G is supposed to be polyvalent and the antibody A monovalent: hence the result of the interaction is a mixture of compounds ANG, AN-1G, …, AG. 3. A mathematical deduction is performed starting from the law of mass action, which leads to expressions for the amounts of total precipitate and its constituents in terms of the quantities of antigen and antibody which were mixed and the known equilibria constants. 4. A numerical example is given for a tetravalent antigen. Three cases are represented in graphical forms: the 'X case' without inhibition zones, the 'Y case' with one and the 'Z case' with two inhibition zones. Certain characteristics are described and the significance of the 'equivalence point' is analysed. 5. A discussion deals with the irreversibility in relation to the Danysz phenomenon and the dilution effect, and finally the parameters of the theory are more closely considered.


: A number of experiments are involved into the use of gas in physical chemistry laboratory, and then design and installation of pipeline and vacuum systems are significant for many technicians. Here, taking the use of some typical gases in laboratory as examples we introduce our improvement on the pipeline and vacuum systems. This improvement brought the operability of these pipeline and vacuum systems, reduced the risk of gas leakage, and then enhanced the safety during experiments.


We explored the potential of fusion of hepatic locus control region 1 (HCR-1) with HCR-2 to express B-domain-deleted human factor VIII (FVIII) in four cell lines. B-domain-deleted human FVIII expression was controlled by HCR-1/HCR-2, followed by liver specific and ubiquitous promoters. Chimera enhancer HCR-1/HCR-2, followed by cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter, gave 2-fold more FVIII expression in all cell lines (105.6 +/- 2.8 for Hek-293, 68.8 +/- 3.8 for HepG2, 34.8 +/- 1.3 for CHO, and 27.2 +/- 1.6 ng x mL(-1) x 10(6) cells(-1) for L.N.) when compared to the vector with CMV alone (54.8 +/- 3.3 for Hek-293, 32.4 +/- 1.2 for HepG2, 18.6 +/- 1.1 for CHO, and 10.1 +/- 1.7 ng x mL(-1) x 10(6) cells(-1) for L.N.). Elongation factor 1-alpha gene and human CMV promoters were more efficient than the promoters from the human alpha-1-antitrypsin gene, and fviii was less efficient in hepatic cell lines. HCR-1/HCR-2, followed by strong promoters, increases FVIII expression in vitro. Our results underscore the importance of cis sequences for enhancing in vitro FVIII expression; this may be helpful for designing new strategies to improve heterologous expression systems.


Abstract Objective. To investigate the reason for and the course of the double-layer appearance in the postoperative computed tomographies (CTs) of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDHs). Methods. We reviewed CSDH cases that were operated on during the last 3 years, between January 2008 and December 2010. We checked the preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative CTs of these patients. We investigated the relationship between the formation of a double-layer appearance and the prognoses and demographic characteristics of the patients. Results. Our database included 119 cases. A double-layer appearance was found in the postoperative CTs of 34 cases. The mean age of double-layer cases was older (72.5 ± 12.1) than that of the remaining 85 cases (63.1 ± 17.8). We did not find any relationship between the double-layer appearance and the reoperation/recurrence/death rates. Conclusions. The double-layer appearance after evacuation of a CSDH might be caused by enlargement of the subarachnoid space and is not related to the presence of any residual hematoma. This appearance is not considered as a reason for reoperation.


Non-invasive range measurement of particle beams is important to prevent deviation of the irradiated area in particle therapy. In this study, we made an experiment of imaging carbon-ion beams by setting the projection ranges into an acrylic target from 4.29 cm to 7.65 cm by a pitch of 0.21 cm. Secondary electron bremsstrahlung (SEB) generated on the beam trajectories were detected for the imaging by use of a pinhole camera system consisting of a pinhole collimator and a position-sensitive cadmium-telluride semiconductor detector (CdTe imager). Beam images were acquired, and their profiles along the longitudinal axis were numerically analyzed, to obtain a suitable parameter that was strongly correlated with the set range. Then we could propose a scheme to measure the particle beam range in the target during irradiation by use of the CdTe imager. As a result, the range shift can be measured in the case of the acrylic target with an accuracy of 0.1 cm.


The goal of the present study is to explore whether the affective states (happy or neutral) of a pedagogical agent (PA) in an online multimedia lesson yields different learning processes and outcomes, and whether the effects of affective PAs depend on the learners' emotion regulation strategies and their prior knowledge. In three experiments, undergraduates were asked to view a narrated animation about synaptic transmission that included either a happy PA (smiling expression and enthusiastic voice) or a neutral PA (neutral expression and calm voice) and subsequently took emotions, motivation, cognitive outcomes tests. Across three experiments, the happy PA group reported more positive emotions (ds = 0.70, 0.46, and 0.60) and higher level of motivation (ds = 0.76, 0.49, and 0.51) than the neutral PA group. Moreover, the happy PA prompted higher germane load (d = 0.41) than a neutral PA in Experiment 3. However, adding a happy PA to the screen did not improve learning performance. In addition, in Experiment 2, learners' usage of emotion regulation strategies moderated the effectiveness of affective PA on positive emotions in learners. Specifically, happy PAs increased the positive emotions of students who used expressive suppression strategy (d = 0.99) but not those who used cognitive reappraisal strategy (d = 0.13). In Experiment 3, the effectiveness of affective PAs was not moderated by learners' prior knowledge. Results support the cognitive affective theory of learning with media (CATLM) that students are happier and more motivated when they learn from happy PAs than from neutral PAs.


Abstract This article investigates how the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front's (EPRDF) attempt to build a developmental state influenced and shaped its relationships with the Ethiopian private sector. Through a case study of the chambers of commerce system in Ethiopia, the research reveals that the EPRDF's relationship to the private sector was characterised by the twin objectives of (1) curbing the private sector's power to prevent challenges to the EPRDF rule and (2) mobilising the private sector as part of the ruling coalition's developmental state programme. However, these twin objectives, were, in several cases, perceived as mutually exclusive by the EPRDF which, at times, led to a focus on control at the expense of developmental objectives. The ensuing lack of embeddedness posed problems for the operationalisation of the developmental state policies, reducing the EPRDF's ability to institutionalise collaborative relationships with the private sector.


With two methods which in cats simultaneously recorded changes of blood flow through the mucosa of a nasal cavity and changes of the nasal patency in the same cavity, it was found that alpha-adrenoceptor agonists and the peptide, angiotensin constricted both the resistance and the capacitance vessels. Beta-adrenoceptor agonists and the peptide VIP dilated the vessels. Further, a filter paper method in dogs demonstrated that a large increase in nasal secretion was obtained with alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation in combination with methacholine, more than that with methacholine alone. Beta-adrenoceptor agonists seem to elicit a very scanty secretion. The peptide, substance P was also found to evoke a nasal secretion.


This study reveals the strength non-governmental organizations as a place for recalling cultural memory and cultural rituals. In this study, the theories about the tightness of cultural memory to its cultural environment, and the non-governmental organizations through the cross-border travel and the possibility of blending with the existing cultural symbols are described. The Turkish Cypriot French Cultural Association, which has been active in Northern Cyprus for 34 years, has been presented with a historical view, but the symbolic cultural rituals of the living legacies of French culture have been addressed through civil society organizations. While the subjects of cultural memory and collective memory are often referred to politics, non-governmental organizations with contributions to culture are often ignored. In the light of these conceptual debates a wide range of cultural memory and symbolic cultural rituals have been discussed. As a concrete assessment of all these information and discussions, the Turkish Cypriot French Cultural Association's French symbolic cultural rituals are the main objective of the study. In this context, the analysis of French cultural symbolic rituals in Northern Cyprus has been demonstrated by using visual text analysis technique and content-analysis technique. As the information and documents are obtained, the Turkish Cypriot French Cultural Association as a well-established non-governmental organization in Northern Cyprus has demonstrated its importance as a cultural memory venue.


Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly prevalent chronic metabolic disease characterized by prolonged hyperglycemia that leads to long-term health consequences. It is estimated that impaired healing of diabetic wounds affects approximately 25% of all patients with diabetes mellitus, often resulting in lower limb amputation, with subsequent high economic and psychosocial costs. The hyperglycemic environment promotes the formation of biofilms and makes diabetic wounds difficult to treat. In this review, we present updates regarding recent advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetic wounds focusing on impaired angiogenesis, neuropathy, sub-optimal chronic inflammatory response, barrier disruption, and subsequent polymicrobial infection, followed by current and future treatment strategies designed to tackle the various pathologies associated with diabetic wounds. Given the alarming increase in the prevalence of diabetes, and subsequently diabetic wounds, it is imperative that future treatment strategies target multiple causes of impaired healing in diabetic wounds.


The aim of this study was to describe the clinical treatment of young patients, affected by ectodermal dysplasia (ED), and to possibly establish clinical guidelines. The study design was case series. ED syndromes (EDs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited diseases characterised by abnormal development of tissues of ectodermal origin. The most common form of EDs is X linked hypohidrotic ED (HED). Characteristic triad of HED is oligo-anodontia, hypotricosis, hypo-anhydrosis. Oligo-anodontia is one of the most severe impairment, since it affects chewing, swallowing, speech, esthetics and social relation. Early prosthetic rehabilitation (at 2–3 years of age), with partial or complete dentures, is essential to improve oral function and reduce the social impairment.


The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been catastrophic to both human health and social development. Therefore, developing highly reliable and sensitive point-of-care testing (POCT) for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a priority. Among all available POCTs, the lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA, also known as immunochromatography) has proved to be effective due to its accuracy, portability, convenience, and speed. In areas with a scarcity of laboratory resources and medical personnel, the LFIA provides an affordable option for the diagnosis of COVID-19. This review offers a comprehensive overview of methods for improving the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 detection using immunochromatography based on nanotechnology, sorted according to the different detection targets (antigens, antibodies, and nucleic acids). It also looks into the performance and properties of the various sensitivity enhancement strategies, before delving into the remaining challenges in COVID-19 diagnosis through LFIA. Ultimately, it seeks to provide helpful guidance in selecting an appropriate strategy for SARS-CoV-2 immunochromatographic detection based on nanotechnology.


The demand of synthetic implants for good quality of life is high and increasing continuously due to limitations of autogenous bone grafting. Development of various synthetic bio materials and their manufacturing methods in the fields of orthopedics and dentistry has been done and still under way. Close physical properties with human bone make sintered hydroxyapatite (HAP) a suitable bioceramic material for hard tissue replacement. Newly developed fully dense nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nHAP) bioceramic has better mechanical properties than porous hydroxyapatite and has potential to be used alone, without metallic support in certain applications. When being used as implant devices in the human body, the nHAP bioceramic needs to be machined to the closest possible configuration with minimal surface roughness. This study investigates the machinability of nHAP bioceramic in milling operations. Efforts are focused on the effects of various machining conditions on surface integrity. Surface roughness is measured using a surface profilometer and the machined surface is observed using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Chip morphology and tool wear are examined using an optical microscope. Machined surface analysis showed that the surface integrity was good and the required surface roughness value (Ra) of 1 1.5 μm was achieved in many experiments. It was found that material removal is caused by brittle fracture without plastic flow. A first order surface roughness model for the end milling of nHAP under dry condition has been described. The mathematical model for surface roughness has been developed based on the cutting parameters: cutting speed, feed and depth of cut. The effects of these parameters on surface roughness have been studied using factorial designs and response surface method. Model analysis showed that all three cutting parameters have significant effect on surface roughness. However the current model has limited statistical power for prediction purposes and it demands a higher order model for accurate prediction of surface roughness value.


The first result is that any differentiably simple algebra of the form A = FI + R, for R a proper ideal, 1 the identity element, and F the base field, must be a subalgebra of a (commutative associative) power series algebra over F, and is truncated if the characteristic is not zero. Moreover the algebra A contains the polynomial subalgebra generated by the indeterminates and identity of the power series algebra. This is used to prove that if A is any simple flexible algebra of the form A = F1 + R, R an ideal of A *, then A * is a subalgebra of a power series algebra and multiplication in A is determined by certain elements c¡¡ in A as in where c"= — cif and " • " is the multiplication in A*. This applies in particular to simple nodal noncommutative Jordan algebras (of characteristic not 2). These results suggest a method of constructing noncommutative Jordan algebras of the given form. We have done this with the restriction that the c¡, lie in FI. The last result is that if A is a finitely generated simple noncommutative algebra of characteristic 0 of this form, then Der (A) is an infinite simple Lie algebra of a known type.


textabstractIntroduction. In spite of having a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus the prevalence of ischemic heart disease is low in Spain. Methods. A narrative review of the bibliography was performed to search for potential particularities in the epidemiology, pathogenecity, and care of diabetes mellitus in Spain. Results. The age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes in Spain is close to 10% (90% type 2) ranging from 6.1% to 13.3% (higher in Canary Islands), with an increased North-to-South gradient. Men have a 27%-42% higher prevalence than women. The incidence ranges from 5 to 8 cases per 1000 inhabitants-year. Spanish patients with diabetes have similar incidences and prevalences of cardiovascular complications and related mortality compared with those reported in other countries. Several studies have shown a consistent underuse of preventive therapies both in patients with and without cardiovascular diseases, and low rates of achievement of therapeutic goals. Despite their much worse prognosis, and contrary to current recommendations, diabetic patients with acute vascular events are not treated differently compared with non-diabetics. Conclusions. The age-adjusted prevalence and incidence estimates of diabetes mellitus in Spain appear to be similar to those in high-incidence countries. Diabetic patients show a high cardiovascular risk profile but the control of risk factors is poor, particularly in women and in patients with established cardiovascular disease. Initial and later care of diabetic patients with acute vascular events in Spain is far away from optimal. There is a huge opportunity for improving cardiovascular prevention and care in diabetic patients with and without cardiovascular disease in Spain.


Here we introduce the concept of electrically tuning surface plasmon polaritons using current-driven heat dissipation, allowing controlling plasmonic properties via a straightforward-to-access quantity. The key idea is based on an electrical current flowing through the plasmonic layer, changing plasmon dispersion and phase-matching condition via a temperature-imposed modification of the refractive index of one of the dielectric media involved. This scheme was experimentally demonstrated on the example of an electrically connected plasmonic fiber taper that has sensitivities >50000 nm/RIU. By applying a current, dissipative heat generated inside metal film heats the surrounding liquid, reducing its refractive index correspondingly and thus modifying the phase-matching condition to the fundamental taper mode. We observed spectral shifts of the plasmonic resonance up to 300 nm towards shorter wavelength by an electrical power of ≤ 80 mW, clearly showing that our concept is important for applications that demand precise real-time and external control on plasmonic dispersion and resonance wavelengths.Here we introduce the concept of electrically tuning surface plasmon polaritons using current-driven heat dissipation, allowing controlling plasmonic properties via a straightforward-to-access quantity. The key idea is based on an electrical current flowing through the plasmonic layer, changing plasmon dispersion and phase-matching condition via a temperature-imposed modification of the refractive index of one of the dielectric media involved. This scheme was experimentally demonstrated on the example of an electrically connected plasmonic fiber taper that has sensitivities >50000 nm/RIU. By applying a current, dissipative heat generated inside metal film heats the surrounding liquid, reducing its refractive index correspondingly and thus modifying the phase-matching condition to the fundamental taper mode. We observed spectral shifts of the plasmonic resonance up to 300 nm towards shorter wavelength by an electrical power of ≤ 80 mW, clearly showing that our concept is important for applications that dem...


The nonlinear distribution and market share curve as well as the push and pull model developed by Farris et al (1989) have been investigated in the Dutch detergent market. The total detergent market as well as some of its market segments were studied: the data supported the push and pull model. The data also revealed that the detergent market is characterized by a specific market share configuration: extensions of the top brands quickly gain maximum distribution which might explain their higher market share. Implications for marketing management and marketing theory are discussed.


Here, rational engineering of doxorubicin prodrug loaded peptide-targeted liposomal nanoparticles to selectively target metastatic breast cancer cells in vivo is described. Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), a heat shock protein typically localized in the endoplasmic reticulum in healthy cells, has been identified to home to the cell surface in certain cancers, and thus has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. Recent reports indicated GRP78 to be expressed on the cell surface of an aggressive subpopulation of stem-like breast cancer cells that exhibit metastatic potential. In this study, a targeted nanoparticle formulation with a GRP78-binding peptide (Kd of 7.4 ± 1.0 μM) was optimized to selectively target this subpopulation. In vitro studies with breast cancer cell lines showed the targeted nanoparticle formulation (TNPGRP78pep) achieved enhanced cellular uptake, while maintaining selectivity over the control groups. In vivo, TNPGRP78pep loaded with doxorubicin prodrug was evaluated using a lung metastatic mouse model and demonstrated inhibition of breast cancer cell seeding to lungs down at the level of negative control groups. Combined, this study established that specific-targeting of surface GRP78 expressing a subpopulation of aggressive breast cancer cells was able to inhibit breast cancer metastasis to lungs, and underpinned the significance of GRP78 in breast cancer metastasis.


We present a sample of 45 Damped Lyα system (DLA; ) counterparts (33 detections, 12 upper limits) which host gamma-ray bursts (GRB-DLAs) in order to investigate star formation and metallicity within galaxies hosting DLAs. Our sample spans and is nearly three times larger than any previously detected DLA counterparts survey based on quasar line-of-sight searches (QSO-DLAs). We report star formation rates (SFRs) from rest-frame UV photometry and spectral energy distribution modeling. We find that DLA counterpart SFRs are not correlated with either redshift or H i column density. Thanks to the combination of Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observations, we also investigate DLA host star formation efficiency. Our GRB-DLA counterpart sample spans both higher efficiency and low efficiency star formation regions compared to the local Kennicutt–Schmidt relation, local star formation laws, and cosmological simulations. We also compare the depletion times of our DLA hosts sample to other objects in the local universe; our sample appears to deviate from the star formation efficiencies measured in local spiral and dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we find similar efficiencies as local inner disks, SMC, and Lyman-break galaxy outskirts. Finally, our enrichment time measurements show a spread of systems with under- and over-abundance of metals, which may suggest that these systems had episodic star formation and a metal enrichment/depletion as a result of strong stellar feedback and/or metal inflow/outflow.


Keyphrase extraction has been extensively re-searched within the single-document setting, with an abundance of methods, datasets and applications. In contrast, multi-document keyphrase extraction has been infrequently studied, despite its utility for describing sets of documents, and its use in summarization. Moreover, no prior dataset exists for multi-document keyphrase extraction, hindering the progress of the task. Recent advances in multi-text processing make the task an even more ap-pealing challenge to pursue. To stimulate this pursuit, we present here the first dataset for the task, MK-DUC-01 , which can serve as a new benchmark, and test multiple keyphrase extraction baselines on our data. In addition, we provide a brief, yet comprehensive, literature review of the task.


Modern navigation algorithms based on deep reinforcement learning (RL) show promising efficiency and robustness. However, most deep RL algorithms operate in a risk-neutral manner, making no special attempt to shield users from relatively rare but serious outcomes, even if such shielding might cause little loss of performance. Furthermore, such algorithms typically make no provisions to ensure safety in the presence of inaccuracies in the models on which they were trained, beyond adding a cost-of-collision and some domain randomization while training, in spite of the formidable complexity of the environments in which they operate. In this paper, we present a novel distributional RL algorithm that not only learns an uncertainty-aware policy, but can also change its risk measure without expensive fine-tuning or retraining. Our method shows superior performance and safety over baselines in partially- observed navigation tasks. We also demonstrate that agents trained using our method can adapt their policies to a wide range of risk measures at run-time.


The variation of flow birefringence with temperature in the range 10–50°C has been determined for the aromatic liquids benzene, p-xylene, n-butyl benzene, diphenyl ether, dibenzyl ether and disphenylmethane. The derived relationship between stress optical coefficient â–½ and reciprocal absolute temperature is anomalous for each liquid in the context of existing orientation theories, which predict linear â–½, 1/T dependence with positive slope. Experimentally, a definite curvature is obtained with in most cases a maximum in â–½. Benzene exhibits a negative slope throughout the temperature range studied. Non-Arrhenius viscosity of those liquids other than benzene and p-xylene form a basis for postulating molecular clusters. The Raman-Krishnan theory is modified accordingly and for diphenyl ether predicts a maximum for â–½ whose position is in reasonable agreement with that observed.


The central argument in this paper is that "public trust" is critical for developing and maintaining the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and societies. I argue that public health practitioners and policy makers need to take "public trust" seriously if they intend to improve both the public's health and the engagement between members of the public and public health systems. Public health practitioners implement a range of services and interventions aimed at improving health but implicit a requirement for individuals to trust the practitioners and the services/interventions, before they engage with them. I then go on to provide an overview of the theory of trust within sociology and show why it is important to understand this theory in order to promote trust in public health services. I then draw on literature in three classic areas of public health—hospitals, cancer screening, and childhood immunization—to show why trust is vital in terms of understanding and potentially improving uptake of services. The case studies in this paper reveal that public health practitioners need to understand the centrality of building and maintaining trusting relationships with patients/clients because people who distrust public health services are less likely to use them, less likely to follow advice or recommendations, and more likely to have poorer health outcomes.


Summary.  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in both development and progression of several epithelial tumours, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. Assessment of liver and blood levels of VEGF may provide further insights on angiogenesis in HCC. Tissue mRNA of VEGF‐165, VEGF‐189 and their receptor KDR was assessed by a semi‐quantitative retro‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and expressed as target transcript/beta‐actin ratio, in 29 patients with HCC, 26 with cirrhosis and 15 with chronic hepatitis. VEGF‐165 was also measured by ELISA in plasma samples obtained from both hepatic and femoral veins in additional 58 patients, including 15 with HCC. The liver expression of mRNA of VEGF‐165, VEGF‐189 and KDR was higher in HCC than in chronic liver diseases (1.54 ± 0.89 vs 0.62 ± 0.47, P < 0.0001; 1.09 ± 0.65 vs 0.64 ± 0.54, P = 0.003; 1.30 ± 1.09 vs 0.69 ± 0.72, P = 0.014). VEGF‐165 was higher in HCC tissue than in extra‐tumoural tissues (1.44 ± 0.31 vs 1.03 ± 0.21, P = 0.0009) and in the cirrhotic tissue of HCC patients than in HCC‐free cirrhosis (1.03 ± 0.23 vs 0.45 ± 0.45, P = 0.0002). Tissue VEGF‐189 mRNA inversely correlated with tumour size and degree of tumour cell proliferation. The hepatic and femoral vein levels of VEGF‐165 protein were significantly higher in HCC patients than in cirrhotic patients (66.7 ± 57.1 vs 24.2 ± 16.4 pg/mL, P = 0.0001 and 37.1 ± 42.2 vs 13.5 ± 9.6 pg/mL, P = 0.001). There was a gradient of VEGF‐165 between hepatic and femoral veins in both HCC and cirrhosis. In conclusion, VEGF appears to be involved in the development of HCC and it could be a predictor of HCC development in patients with cirrhosis.


We described a video-rate surveillance algorithm to detect and track people from a stationary camera, and to determine if they are carrying objects or moving unencumbered. The contribution of the paper is the shape analysis algorithm that both determines if a person is carrying an object and segments the object from the person so that it can be tracked, e.g., during an exchange of objects between two people. As the object is segmented an appearance model of the object is constructed. The method combines periodic motion estimation with static symmetry analysis of the silhouettes of a person in each frame of the sequence. Experimental results demonstrate robustness and real-time performance of the proposed algorithm.


Background Femoral vessel cannulation in neonates is more difficult and done when other forms of access are not available. Aim The aim of this study was to analyse the usage pattern of Percutaneous femoral arterial and venous catheterisation in neonates in Level-3 NICU. Methods A questionaire was send electronically to all the level-3 NICU in United Kingdom. Results Forty level-3 NICU units responded to the survey. They were completed by 32 consultant neonatologist and 8 Neonatal grid trainees. 16 units are inserting the femoral lines. In 10 units they are inserted by neonatal consultants with specific training or experience in the procedure, in 8 units by the paediatric anaesthetist, in 5 units by the PICU consultants and in 1 unit by the paediatric surgeon. 8 units insert the line under ultrasound guidance. 2 units stated that they have weight and gestation restriction. One of the unit inserts the line above 1200 grams and other unit uses 1000 grams cut off limit. When looking into the reason for not using the lines, 20 units stated that they have no expertise in performing this procedure, 18 units stated about concerns of ischaemic injury to the leg and 12 units has concerns about risk of infection. Conclusions Only 16/40 (40%) of level 3 NICUs use femoral vessel catheterisation. Concerns about risk of ischaemic injury to the legs and the absence of expertise in performing the procedure in neonates are the main factors that limit the more widespread use of this technique.


Kinnersley and Langston used a computer search to characterize the class of graphs with path-width at most two. The excluded minor list consists of 110 graphs. This set is fairly large, and the list gives little insight to structural properties of the targeted graph class. We take a different route here. We concentrate on the building blocks of the graphs with path-width at most two and how they are glued together. In this way, we get a short and compact characterization of 2-connected and 2-edge-connected graphs with path-width at most two.


Abstract We estimated genetic diversity in cave (hypogean) and surface (epigean) populations of the Mexican Tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, using RAPDs and microsatellites. By either measure, genetic diversity was significantly lower in hypogean than in epigean populations, although there was considerable variability in both classes. We examined three factors potentially influencing genetic diversity among hypogean populations: relative population size, cave isolation, and the presence of eyed fish in the cave. Of the three, only the presence of epigean forms within the caves correlated with increased genetic diversity in cave populations. This suggests that increased genetic diversity of A. mexicanus cave populations reflects introgression of alleles from surface populations. Estimation of migration rates among populations using microsatellites supported this conclusion and also suggested that alleles can move among cave and surface populations more easily than from cave to cave.


Background: Popular initial treatment for congenital clubfoot includes the use of serial manipulations and casting as described by Ponseti et al. Plaster of Paris and semirigid fiberglass are 2 materials commonly used for casting. To our knowledge, no study to date has compared the clinical results of these 2 materials. The objective of this randomized prospective study was to compare the effectiveness of these materials in the initial management of clubfoot. Methods: All clubfeet presenting to the 2 senior authors' outpatient clinics over a 15-month period were offered enrollment. Patients were randomly assigned for treatment with either plaster or semirigid fiberglass casts. The severity of the clubfoot deformity was documented using the scoring system devised by Diméglio et al. Serial casts were applied according to the technique described by Ponseti et al. At the completion of nonsurgical treatment, the final clubfoot severity was documented. Results: A total of 42 clubfeet in 34 patients were enrolled in the study. After exclusion of 3 patients, 13 patients (16 feet) received fiberglass, and 18 patients (23 feet) received plaster casts. The mean baseline severity scores of the 2 groups were not significantly different. The mean final severity score was significantly higher in the feet treated with fiberglass than those treated with plaster (6.4 vs 4.1; P = 0.037). There was a trend toward higher scores for cast tolerance, durability, and parent satisfaction in the fiberglass group, but this did not reach significance. Conclusions: This study supports the use of plaster casting with the Ponseti technique. The use of plaster casts resulted in a statistically lower Diméglio-Bensahel score at the completion of serial casting. There was a trend toward higher patient satisfaction in the fiberglass-treated group. Whether this difference has an effect on long-term outcomes and recurrence remains to be studied. Level of Evidence: Level II. Nonblinded randomized controlled prospective study.


So far the bottleneck of Chinese character recognition, especially handwritten character recognition, still lies in the effectiveness of featureextraction to cater for various distortions and position shifting. In ths paper, a novel method is proposed by applying a set of Gabor spatial filters with different directions and spatial frequencies to character images, in an effort to reach the optimum trade-off between feature stability and feature localization. While a classic self-organizing map is used for unsupervised clustering feature codes, a multi-staged LVQ with a fuzzy judgement unit is applied for the final recognition on the feature mapping result.


The role of the complement system in nasal polyps (CRSwNP) has so far scarcely been studied. Because nasal polyps are characterized by bacterial colonization, and the complement system is an effective defense mechanism, it might be involved in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. This study was designed to investigate the local and systemic activation of the complement system in CRSwNP versus control mucosa in relation to the local and systemic eosinophilic and neutrophilic inflammation and local plasma exudation.


Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogenous autoimmune disease. Treatment trajectories following high disease activity state (HDAS), as defined by SLEDAI score 10, have not been well described. Methods Longitudinal trajectories of patients from the Australian Lupus Registry were studied. HDAS periods were defined as the time from which HDAS begins, until the patient fulfils criteria for Low Lupus Disease Activity (LLDAS), or up to 365 days. Treatment escalation is defined as either an addition of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), prednisolone (PNL) and immunosuppressant (IS), or any change in IS drug. De-escalation is either dose reduction or cessation of HCQ or IS without meeting treatment escalation criteria. Treatment trajectories were examined as the rolling sum (over time) of escalations and de-escalations and were clustered using k-means clustering methods. Different clustering partitions were tested. The R package kml was used for cluster determination and quality criterion calculations. The differences in time to resolution of HDAS between clusters were tested using likelihood ratio test. The relationships between continuous covariates (cumulative PNL, number of escalations, number of de-escalations, time to first escalation, number of mild-to-moderate flares, number of severe flares and change in damage index) and cluster were examined using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukeys HSD. Results A total of 210 HDAS periods (104 patients) were identified. Of the HDAS periods, patients were classified as treatment naïve (10%), HCQ inadequate response (20%), IS inadequate response (68%), and combination IS inadequate response (2%). The most commonly used IS was mycophenolate (23% of all HDAS periods). The trajectories were categorized into 3 final clusters: Cluster A (42/210) had more escalations than Cluster B (132/210) and Cluster C (36/210), see figure 1. There was no difference between clusters in the duration of time spent in HDAS, but a trend for higher cumulative PNL in Cluster A and they had significantly more and earlier escalations than Cluster B and C. Damage accrual appeared to be highest in Cluster C (the de-escalators) although not statistically significant. There was no difference between the distribution of the baseline treatment groups in each cluster.Abstract 218 Figure 1 Conclusions Treatment trajectories can be described using clustering that examines treatment escalations and de-escalations. This pilot study showed that treatment trajectories appear to have an effect on clinical outcomes. Further studies are planned to explore the relationship of patient characteristics or physician treatment decisions have on these clusters. Funding Source(s): nil


PURPOSE
Radiologic lung density changes are observed durng radiotherapy for lung cancer. We studied the relationship between dose and computed tomography (CT) density changes during the treatment, a prediction for lung radiation pneumonitis.

METHODS
30 Stage â…¢ lung cancer patients with CRT were thirty fractions of 2.0 Gy, prescribed at the 90% isodose. Follow-up CT scans performed at less than 3 weeks (n=15) and between 3 and 6 weeks (n=15) after CRT radiotherapy were reviewed. New CT scans were coregistered with baseline scans using CT-CT normalized mutual information registration algorithm. Voxel-Hounsfield unit histograms were created for doses between 0.5 and 50 Gy. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess the effects of CRT dose on CT density, and the influence of possible confounders was tested.

RESULTS
Increased mean CT density was associated with higher dose, increasing planning target volume size, and increasing time after CRT (all p <0.05). Density increases were apparent in areas receiving 20 Gy, but seemed to plateau above 40 Gy. In regions receiving >30 Gy, the reduction in air-filled fraction of lung during treatment was up to 20%. No increase in CT density was observed in the contralateral lung receiving less than 5 Gy.

CONCLUSIONS
A dose-response relationship seems to exist for quantitative CT density changes during CRT radiotherapy. The density between old and new CT during the treatment could be a prediction for lung injury.


A serological survey for human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)/simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV) antibodies was performed in 102 wild-caught monkeys and apes from 15 (sub)species originating from Cameroon. Two animals (a Mandrillus sphinx and a Cercocebus agilis) exhibited a complete HTLV-1 seroreactivity pattern while two others lacked either the p24 (a Mandrillus sphinx) or the MTA-1/gp46 bands (a Pan troglodytes). Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analyses, using a 522 bp env gene fragment and the complete LTR, indicated that the two mandrill STLV strains belonged to the HTLV/STLV subtype D clade while the chimpanzee strain clustered in the HTLV/STLV subtype B clade. The Cercocebus agilis STLV strain, the first one found in this species, was closely related to the two HTLV/STLV subtype F strains. Such data indicate that the African biodiversity of STLV-1 in the wild is far from being known and reinforces the hypothesis of interspecies transmission of STLV-1 from monkeys and apes to humans leading to the present day distribution of HTLV-1 in African inhabitants.


Phyllodes tumour (PT) is a biphasic fibroepithelial tumour of the breast that accounts for 0.3-1% of all primary breast neoplasms. It is subdivided into benign, borderline, and malignant categories based on histologic features including stromal overgrowth, stromal hypercellularity, mitotic count, degree of atypia, and type of margins. Malignant PT (MPT) is characterised by infiltrative margins, marked stromal overgrowth, increased stromal hypercellularity, greater than 10 mitoses/10 high-power fields (HPFs), and moderate to severe atypia. It shows aggressive behaviour with a high risk of local recurrence and metastasis. Surgery with adequate margins is the recommended treatment. Heterologous differentiation is not an uncommon phenomenon in MPT. In addition to classic phyllodes histology, the tumour shows areas of benign/malignant mesenchymal differentiation. MPT containing multinucleated osteoclast-type giant cells (OGCs) is extremely rare. We herein report cases of MPT with OGCs in two young females who had a history of swelling in unilateral breast for two-three years. Histologic examination revealed classic phyllodes areas admixed with a sarcomatous stromal component with OGCs. Key Words: Malignant phyllodes tumour, Breast, Osteoclast-type giant cells.


The Rayleigh-Taylor instability develops when fluids are accelerated counter to their density gradients; intense interfacial fluid mixing ensues with time. The Rayleigh-Taylor mixing controls a broad range of processes in fluids, plasmas, materials, at astrophysical and at atomic scales. In this perspective paper we briefly review theoretical and experimental approaches, and apply theory and experiment to investigate order and disorder in Rayleigh-Taylor flows. The theory finds that properties of heterogeneous anisotropic accelerated Rayleigh-Taylor mixing depart from those of homogeneous isotropic inertial turbulence, including strong correlations, weak fluctuations, and sensitivity to deterministic conditions. The experiment unambiguously observes the heterogeneity and anisotropy of Rayleigh-Taylor mixing at very high Reynolds numbers, and the stabilizing effects of acceleration and accelerated shear on the interfacial dynamics. The theory and the experiment agree with one another and evince that Rayleigh- Taylor mixing may exhibit order and laminarize, similarly to other accelerated flows, thus opening new perspectives for research of complex processes in nature and technology.


Single flux quantum (SFQ) pulses used by the elements of RSFQ logic/memory family should be transformed into the usual DC-voltage form before leaving an RSFQ chip. To provide a high output voltage level (about the gap voltage Vg) the author suggests an SFQ/DC converter using unshunted hysteresis Josephson junctions. The converter employs a DC flip-flop of a HUFFLE type. It does not require AC power supply and can easily be integrated with the RSFQ elements.


The first circuit interrupters for a-c service were of the air-break type, followed very shortly by oil circuit breakers for general high-voltage service. Air ``Deion'' circuit breakers introduced in 1928 provided a new type of circuit interrupter for a-c service. Recent applications of these principles result in a line of De-ion air circuit breakers for 2,500-volt and 5,000- volt ratings suitable for use in a-c feeder circuits, motor starting, and general station auxiliary service.


Background and aims The aim was to analyse risk factors and neuromotor outcome in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders in our primary paediatric practice. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on 114 children (62 M and 52 F) with neurodevelopmental disorders. Descriptive statistical analysis was used. Results Twentythree of these children (20,17%) were born from high-risk pregnancies, 26 children (22,8%) were born by Caesarean section. Sixteen patients (14%) were preterms, 19 patients (16,6%) had perinatal infection, 33 (28,9%) had jaundice and 15 (13,1%) had anaemia. All patients were examined by a neuro paediatrician and a physiatrist, mean age of the referral was 4,7 months, and underwent habilitation programs. Abnormal EEG was found in 7 patients (6%), 8 patients (7%) had convulsions. All patients had ultrasonography (USG) brain done, intraventricular/periventricular Grade I haemorrhage was found in 15 patients (13,15%), Grade II in 11 patients (9,65%), 1 patient had Grade III and 1 patient had Grade IV haemorrhage. Hearing and visual disorder was found in 1 patient (deafness and strabismus). Delayed speech development at the age of 2 was found in 5 children (4.38%). Neurodevelopmental outcome at the age of 2 was normal in 100 children (82.72%), delayed in 13 (11.4%), and 1 child had neurological syndrome that predicts cerebral palsy, the same child had strabismus and epilepsy. Conclusion Our study showed that children with neurodevelopmental risk factors require early detection in primary paediatric care and monitoring. In the presence of neurodevelopmental disorder early habilitation programs are manadatory.


Background Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease which is characterized by disease flares during maintenance treatment. Objectives To evaluate the incidence of flares, the possible association with clinical and serological factors and their therapeutic management in a monocentric SLE cohort. Methods Clinical and laboratory data of 143 patients with SLE, diagnosed between 1997 and 2012 according to the 1982 ACR/ARA and followed-up at the Centre of Rheumatology of the University Hospital of Cagliari, Italy, were retrospectively collected. For the purposes of the study a flare was defined and classified as severe or mild/moderate, according to a modified version of the SELENA-SLEDAI index. For each patient demographic, clinical (in agreement with the BILAG2004-index) and laboratory features as well as medication ongoing at enrolment and in the 6 months prior to the flares were recorded. Then, all these were used as covariates in the univariate statistical analysis. Results During the follow-up (5.43±4.2yr) at least one disease flare was recorded in 41 out of 143 patients (28,7%) for a total of 63 flares, with an incidence rate of 8.1 flares per 100 patient-years. 53.9% of the flare was classified as severe. Active clinical manifestations at the time of flare were: musculoskeletal (66.7%), mucocutaneous (41.3%), systemic (38.1%), hematologic (31.7%), vasculitic-vasculopathic (25.4%), kidney (22.2%), neurological (22.2%), cardio-respiratory (4.7%). At the univariate statistical analysis, the factors significantly associated with the development of flare were: level above cut off values of 7 IU/dl for Farr assay anti-dsDNA (OR: 2.66; p=0.0272) and low dose corticosteroidal monotherapy in the absence of combined treatment with immunosuppressive drugs (OR: 3.42; p=0.0080). From a sub-analysis performed on 29 flares, for which it was possible to review the anti-dsDNA changes in at least two measurements during the six months preceding flare, in 17 cases (59%) there was a rise in anti-dsDNA level greater than 20% before or concurrently of flares. As regards the therapeutic approach in 79.4% of cases the therapy with immunosuppressant or antimalarials has been modified: in the 47.6% of cases a new drug was added, in 17.5% was switched, in 15.0% the dosage was increased. Only the 30% of flares treated by modification of therapy with immunosuppressants, with or without increase of dosage of corticosteroids, was followed by another flare in the time interval of the study. Fifteen changes of therapy with immunosuppressant (with or without increase of dosage of corticosteroids) for the isolated increase in anti-DNA were recorded: only one of these cases was followed by a flare: a significant difference with the number of flares which followed the adjustement of therapy at clinical relapse (p=0,0482) was found. Conclusions In our series the increase of anti-dsDNAds antibodies (Farr assay) levels above 20% of the six-months previous values or the maintenance treatment with corticosteroidal monotherapy alone were predictors of the occurrence of flares. The study highlights the need for close follow up of anti-dsDNA antibodies levels and the importance of immunosuppressants and/or antimalarials for the maintenance therapy. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Background The global cost associated with substitute treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease has been calculated, but there is a lack of information about the characteristics and costs deriving from pre-hospital care with transport and admission to hospital emergency services. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of urgent telephone requests to Emergency Medical Services for patients with chronic kidney disease in Catalonia, Spain, and make a cost estimation of prehospital care and admission to the emergency department, grouped by comorbidities. Methods Retrospective longitudinal observational study. Patients who required urgent prehospital care based on telephone triage were enrolled. Sociodemographic, clinical, and financial variables were collected. The data were gathered by means of a review of the clinical records in the Emergency Medical Services database. To explore the possible relation among the qualitative variables the χ² test was used, for the relation between a quantitative variable and dichotomy qualitative variable the student t test was used with prior testing of the normal deviation of quantitative variables, and the Mann-Whitney U test was then employed if they did not fulfil normality criteria. For all calculations an alpha error of p <0.05 was assumed.Results A total of 252 phone calls were analyzed. Some 98.4% of patients (n=248) were prioritized through phone triage and classified as very severely ill: resuscitation or emergencies. The most prevalent initial diagnoses were intense dyspnoea, accidental fall, abdominal pain, and disease decompensation; there were 11 cases of cardio-respiratory arrest (4.36%), half of which were associated with hypertensive heart disease (HHDT). The average cost of prehospital care was €480.06/patient (SD=256.74), but in patients with comorbidities this rose to €550.77 for HHD and €508.73 for diabetes mellitus (DM). No statistically significant differences were found between total cost/patient and comorbidity (p=0.361), or between the costliest comorbidities, HHD and DM (p=0.330). Conclusions Patients telephoned for help when they were in serious condition, in line with the levels established by telephone triage. The cost of prehospital care was high, and this increased in the presence of comorbidities.


Objective The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the safety and efficacy of the combination of transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and cinobufotalin injection for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HC). Methods Clinical trials were searched from Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Chinese Medical Citation Index (CMCI), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang database. Outcome measures including therapeutic efficacy, quality of life, liver function, immune function, and adverse events were extracted and evaluated. Results After final assessment, 27 studies including 2,079 advanced HC patients were involved in this study. Compared with TACE alone, the combination of TACE with cinobufotalin injection adjuvant therapy significantly prolonged the patients' 1-, 1.5-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS) rate (1-year OS, OR=2.84, 95% CI=2.20–3.67, P<0.00001; 1.5-year OS, OR=3.57, 95% CI=1.92–6.66, P<0.0001; 2-year OS, OR=3.17, 95% CI=2.36–4.25, P<0.00001; 3-year OS, OR=2.88, 95% CI=1.82–4.57, P<0.00001). The combined therapy also improved patients' overall response rate (ORR; OR=1.86, 95% CI=1.54–2.24, P<0.00001), disease control rate (DCR; OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.59–2.64, P<0.00001), and quality of life improved rate (QIR; OR=3.45, 95% CI=2.52–4.72, P<0.00001). Moreover, the immune function and liver function of HC patients were all significantly enhanced after the combined therapy of TACE and cinobufotalin injection (CD3+, P=0.001; CD4+, P=0.0006; CD4+/CD8+, P=0.03; natural killer [NK] cell, P=0.01; total bilirubin [TBIL], P=0.003; alanine aminotransferase [ALT], P<0.00001; aspartate aminotransferase [AST], P<0.00001). No serious adverse events occurred during cinobufotalin injection-mediated therapy. Conclusion The combination of TACE and cinobufotalin injection adjuvant therapy is safe and more effective for end-stage HC treatment than TACE alone.


Introduction Until now, peristalsis has been the only known method of urine transport. The main objective of this paper was to study urinary tract function – especially the upper urinary tract, the ureter – from a new mechanical point of view. The physical (physical dual valves) and biological basis (biological dual valves) of a new functional model is presented based on previous observations and knowledge. Methods A review of the literature was performed, with special emphasis on ureter motility. Results After analyzing the anatomy and physiology of the urinary tract, complemented by basic physical observations, the authors have developed a new valve-mechanical model of urinary tract function. A comprehensive mechanical hypothesis is also presented, integrating the role of peristalsis. Conclusions The authors believe that the new theory enhances previous knowledge. From a structural point of view, the urinary tract may be considered to consist of dualvalves. The dual-valve mechanism combined with peristalsis allows better explanation of the function of the upper urinary tract in particular. The main conclusion is that the flow in the urinary tract must be studied integrally within the body. This new theory does not contradict well-known and acknowledged theories, and moreover, it may help solve certain medical problems.


In this article we propose a distance-based classifier for categorizing Arabic text. Each category is represented as a vector of words in an m-dimensional space, and documents are classified on the basis of their closeness to feature vectors of categories. The classifier, in its learning phase, scans the set of training documents to extract features of categories that capture inherent category-specific properties; in its testing phase the classifier uses previously determined category-specific features to categorize unclassified documents. Stemming was used to reduce the dimensionality of feature vectors of documents. The accuracy of the classifier was tested by carrying out several categorization tasks on an in-house collected Arabic corpus. The results show that the proposed classifier is very accurate and robust. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The aim of the present article is to explore the scribal punctuation practice in one of Richard Rolle's epistles, Ego dormio , in manuscript Paris Sainte Genevieve 3390. Analyses of samples seek to reveal regular patterns of use concerning punctuation symbols. Special uses of punctuation may indicate either rhetorical or grammatical functions of these symbols. The method of analysis considers contextual information in the description of each punctuation symbol to identify their functions. In addition, we have used earlier works on medieval punctuation in the identification and categorization of symbols along with their already attested functions (mainly Lucas, 1971, Parkes, 1992 and Zeeman, 1956). The results of the study will be compared with these functions in order to contextualize scribal use of punctuation symbols within the tradition in Middle English manuscripts.


Evaluation of mechanical properties and metallurgical changes, which occur in AISI 431 martensitic stainless steel as a result of the welding processes consisting of electron beam welding (fusion welding) and friction welding (solid state welding) is carried out. In addition, the influence of post weld heat treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties has also been investigated. Weld center in EB welding exhibited a cast dendritic structure with ferrite network in a matrix of un-tempered martensite. In friction welding, the weld center exhibited thermo-mechanical effected structure consists of fine intragranular acicular martensite in equiaxed prior austenite grains. In both the welding processes, post weld tempering treatment resulted in coarsening of the martensite which increases with increase in tempering temperature. In the as-weld condition, both EB and Friction welds exhibited high strength and hardness and poor impact toughness. Increase in impact toughness and decrease in strength and hardness is observed with an increase in tempering temperature. However, high strength and hardness observed in friction welds as compared to EB welds, which may be due to fine grain size of the welds due to thermo-mechanical work the weld undergoes during welding. Low impact toughness is observed in friction welds as compared to EB welds, due to presence of fine grained martensite.