Excavations on the site of the tower-house at Cathcart, demolished in 1980, produced evidence for the construction of the tower and associated barmkin, dated to the mid 15th century. No earlier structural remains were found but residual pottery suggests that the site was occupied prior to the construction of the tower. The interior of the tower was remodeled in circa 1630–40 in brickwork, an early dated example of the use of this material in Scotland, and decorated with elaborate plasterwork. The barmkin was dismantled and a new range of buildings added, also in the 17th century. Significant finds included an important clearance assemblage of local and imported ceramics, ironwork and glass from the partial demolition of the castle in the mid 18th century, deposited with assemblages of 17th-century plasterwork.


Gender-related responses to opening conversational gambits were examined in two field and one laboratory experiment. In Experiment 1, a male approached female singles bar patrons, using one of six opening lines, classified as direct, innocuous, or cute-flippant. The cute-flippant lines were found to elicit significantly more negative responses than did the direct and innocuous lines. In Experiment 2, male and female experimenters delivered direct, innocuous, and cute-flippant lines to opposite-sex bar patrons. The experimenters also touched half of the subjects while delivering the opening lines. Female subjects again responded more negatively to the cute-flippant approaches compared to the direct and innocuous gambits. Male subjects displayed significantly more positive responses than did female subjects, regardless of the opening gambit. Interpersonal touch had no significant effect on heterosexual responses. A third, laboratory experiment examined whether gender differences in personality inference processes or in mindlessness could account for female discernment and male responsiveness. Males responded more positively than did the females to the two cute-flippant, the two direct, and one of the innocuous lines and made more positive personality attributions about the individuals who delivered them, suggesting that the genders differ in their attributions in this domain. Although both males and females were influenced by the perceived sociability of the target, judgments of sexiness were closely related to males' interest in the female target but not to females' interest in the male. Females, in contrast were more influenced by the male targets' perceived brightness than by their sexiness.


The airway epithelium, which is exposed to antigens and microbes throughout respiration, provides an enormous and delicate interface with the external environment. In major conducting airways the epithelium is covered by surface liquid, which includes an overlying mucous layer onto which inhaled particles are trapped. The physical defence mechanisms of the airway epithelium include the mucociliary escalator and complex structures known as tight junctions which control paracellular transport of inhaled material. In response to immunological challenge, epithelial cell surfaces produce antimicrobial chemicals (such as surfactants and defensins), cytokines (particularly type I and type III interferons) and chemokines following activation of their pattern recognition receptors, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs). This leads to recruitment of immune cells including dendritic cells, T cells and B cells.

Given the speed, complexity and specificity of these responses, it is likely that, in an environment full of antigens such as the lung, epithelial surfaces will have developed mechanisms to inhibit inflammation, as has already been demonstrated for the microbe-rich milieu of the gut.1 Although it has been recognised for some time that the airway epithelium plays an important role in generating danger signals upon immunological challenge, we need to update these concepts to recognise the importance of this interface in protecting the host from unwanted responses to innocuous environmental agents. Data are now emerging which suggest that, in health, airway epithelial cells (AECs) play a critical role in regulating local immunological homeostasis. The study by Wang et al published in this issue of Thorax provides an important contribution to this body of evidence ( see page 283 ).2

The diverse array …


Context awareness is major component of Ambient Intelligence. In fact, Ambient Intelligent environments are designed to combine ubiquity, awareness, intelligence and natural interaction. Awareness is defined as the ability by the system to locate and recognize people and objects, and their intentions. Then, intelligence is the ability of the system to analyze the detected context and to adapt its behavior to people and situations, and to learn over time, in order to provide users with personalized services. These concepts date back to late'90, but nowadays the widespread and ubiquitous availability of mobile devices, equipped with several different sensors, allows to put them into practice in a number of unexpected ways. This work presents a preliminary investigation on the possibility to use some of the smartphone sensors, namely the accelerometer and the gyroscope, to identify the bodily context when the user lifts the device to answer a call. The arm gesture, i.e., the way it is performed, is classified into 4 different states: while standing, sitting, walking or running. This information can be used to trigger context-sensitive system actions.


This is one of the first studies that quantitatively examine the usage of English acronyms (e.g. WTO) in Chinese texts. Using newspaper corpora, I try to answer 1) for all instances of a concept that has an English acronym (e.g. World Trade Organization), what percentage is expressed in the English acronym (WTO), and what percentage in its Chinese translation (shijie maoyi zuzhi), and 2) what factors are at play in language users' choice between the English and Chinese forms? Results show that different concepts have different percentage for English acronyms (PercentOfEn), ranging from 2% to 98%. Linear models show that PercentOfEn for individual concepts can be predicted by language economy (how long the Chinese translation is), concept frequency, and whether the first appearance of the concept in Chinese newspapers is the English acronym or its Chinese translation (all p < .05).


Abstract The monogeneric family Brachypsectridae is redescribed based on adults and larvae, and distribution, biology, and ideas on the phylogenetic relationships are summarized. Presently available data from both adults and larvae support previous conclusions that the family is a basal member of the Elateroidea. The four described species of Brachypsectra LeConte are reviewed. Brachypsectra moronei Branham sp. n. is described from the Dominican amber; larvae of Brachypsectra fulva LeConte, Brachypsectra lampyroides Blair, and an unnamed species from Australia are described; and keys are given to males of all described species and to known larvae. In addition, a lectotype and paratypes are designated for the six recognized syntypes of Brachypsectra lampyroides Blair, 1930.


A method for measuring rotation frequency of cylindrical object is considered, taking into account features of retroreflecting surface based on micro glass beads. Method involves single-beam object probing, detection of scattered radiation and spectral analysis of the recorded photocurrent. A mathematical model of the proposed method is described. Results of physical simulation are presented in form of plots, showing dependencies of received signal power on the frequency. Analysis of changes in registered photocurrent spectrum was done, taking into account both changes due to the vary of angular velocity of cylinder and those caused by rotation axis displacement in regard of falling light beam.


This paper is about the collaborative training of a far infrared and a visible spectrum human detector; the idea is to use the strengths of one detector to fill the weaknesses of the other detector and vice versa. At first infrared and visible human detectors are pre-trained using initial training datasets. Then, the detectors are used to collect as many detections as possible. The validity of each detection is tested using a low-level criteria based on an objectness measure. New training data are generated in a coupled way based on these detections and thus reinforce both the infrared and the visible human detectors in the same time. In this paper, we showed that this semi-supervised approach can significantly improve the performance of the detectors. This approach is a good solution to generate infrared training data, this kind of data being rarely available in the community.


A compact subnanosecond accelerator producing an annular electron beam of duration up to 300 - 400 ps, energy - 250 keV, and current up to 1 kA has been developed to study experimentally the transient processes in high-pulsed-power, high-current microwave devices. The dynamics of the beam current pulse and the variation of the electron energy during the transportation of the beam in a longitudinal magnetic field have been investigated. The experimental data obtained are compared with the results of a numerical simulation.


In this study, preliminary experiments are conducted on an hydroxide ion-conducting electrolyte, which may have potential for application to the electrolysis of steam at intermediate temperatures. In this work the DC conductivity of wet Li/sub 5/A10/sub 4/ samples was measured as a function of temperatures and applied voltage. It is proposed that, under the conditions employed in this work, D-C charge conduction is due to the transport of hydroxide ions derived from the LiOH contained in the structure, rather than by electronic species.


The presence of the valley degree of freedom in graphene leads to the valleytronics, in which information is encoded by the valley quantum number of the electron. We propose a valley controlled spin-transfer torque (STT) in graphene-based normal/normal/ferromagnetic junctions with the normal lead irradiated by the off-resonant circularly polarized light. The interplay of the spin–orbit interaction and the staggered potential in the central normal part results in the coupling between the valley and spin degrees of freedom, so a valley dependent spin polarized current can be demonstrated, which can exert a valley controlled STT on the ferromagnetic lead. The amplitude of the STT can be manipulated by the intensity of the light, the Fermi energy and the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic lead. This valley controlled STT may find potential application in future valleytronics and spintronics.


Summary Hypocalcemic effect in rats of eel calcitonin was more per sistent than that 01' porcine calcitonin and it was as perSIS tent as that of salmon calcitonin I. Eel calcitonin was more stable than porcine or salmon calcitonin I when incubated in vitro with rat or human serum. Incubation in vitro with rat kidney or liver extract for I ho ur at 37 oe caused an al most complete inactivation of porcine calcitonin. On the other hand, both eel and salmon calcitonin I were inactivated less markedly and in the similar manner. The relationship between the hypocalcemic effect 01' calcitonins and the inactivation is discussed.


The purpose of this study was to explore how prospective special educators (PSEs) used and experienced different types of consultation skills in consultation sessions they held with general educators. The participants were 17 PSEs in Finland attending a course in which problem-solving stages and communication skills were trained. The PSEs' selfreflections on the audio-recorded consultation sessions were analyzed using an interpretative hermeneutical approach with qualitative content analysis. The strategies they used can be described as creating frames and clarity, applying reflective listening, offering keys and lifelines, and supporting the change. The results concerning facilitators indicated that the PSEs found both problem-solving stages and communication skills useful. Several pitfalls indicated that although the PSEs were aware of the consultation skills, they were still unable to apply them flexibly. The results indicated that selfreflection can be used as a tool in PSEs' consultation training, but as a complement, there is also a need for more supervised consultation training. FACILITATORS AND PITFALLS OF CONSULTATION STRATEGIES


The proper distribution of reactant species and removal of excess heat and reaction products are fundamental to the success of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack technology. Experimental advances are limited due to the time and expense of varying the parameters over a range of designs and operating conditions. Modelling of SOFCs at the stack scale, as opposed to at the cell scale, has generally been confined to studies of the fluid distribution, neglecting any coupled effects associated with electrochemistry and/or species transport. The present work considers results from an original computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model and compares them with experimentally gathered data obtained for the Julich Mark F stack design. The model couples the equations of momentum, heat and species transport with electrochemical reactions for large SOFC stacks with internal and external manifolds, with calculations being performed in reasonably short computation times. To validate the model, comparisons with voltage and temperature data from an 18-cell stack operating in a test furnace are made. Good agreement is obtained between the model and experiment results, confirming the validity of the methodology for stack design.


Background: Metformin is the first-line therapy for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) . However, the use of metformin may lead to neuropathy by affecting the absorption of vitamin B12. Our objective was to explore the association between the application of metformin and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) .
 Methods: The multicenter randomized cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 hospitals in Beijing from October 2015 to April 2016. T2DM Patients were divided into confirmed DPN group, suspected DPN group and non-DPN group by the five physical examinations (Ankle reflex, acupuncture pain, temperature, vibration, and pressure) . Non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was used for the comparison between non-normally distributed variables between two groups. Chi-square test was used for the comparison of categorical variables. The risk factors of DPN in T2DM Patients were assessed using logistic regression.
 Results: Compared with patients without metformin, patients taking metformin were more likely to suffer from DPN and suspected DPN (P < 0.0for both) . Similar results were obtained after stratifying the data based on age, BMI, and HbA1c. It was shown that the application of metformin was a risk factor for DPN (OR = 5.06, 95%Cl: 3.90-6.56; P < 0.001) and suspected DPN (OR = 3.58, 95%Cl: 2.78-4.62; P < 0.001) in T2DM patients after the adjustment for age, BMI and HbA1c. In addition, prolonged application of metformin, increased cumulative and single doses would also be associated with the risk of DPN (P < 0.0for all) .
 Conclusion: The application of metformin was observed relate to DPN in T2DM patients. The vitamin B12 concentration and peripheral nerve function of T2DM patients with the application of metformin should be monitored.

 Q.Pan: None. J.Luo: None. L.Guo: None.

 National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFC2009006)


Slavery is a primitive concept. History is the witness of it since time immemorial. History deals with 'his story' not 'her story.' It describes the name and fame of kings seldom queens. Thus history is blind, biased and partial as well. Woman due to natural partiality is weaker than man. Further, a woman becomes pregnant but never a man who merely enjoys just to get physiological relief. But labor pain is experienced by a woman only .Thus nature is not impartial. There are two types of people- one likes to torture and the other likes to be tortured. A woman belongs to the second category. A woman bears silently the torture of man for the sake of the family. A man takes the advantage of this noble sentiment of woman. A slave has no right except imposed duty and obligation. Widow, in a patriarchal society, is considered merely as a slave only. A married woman has husband. Similarly, a slave has its master. Husband cares while the master squeezes. With the loss of husband a woman also loses security. A rich and educated widow can somehow tackle the situation. But, if the widow be old, inactive and poor then she dies unfed, unwept, unsung and unknown as well. Again, if the poor widow be young and illiterate then she is compelled to satisfy the sexual urge of the society as a whole. She becomes everybody's wife but nobody's wife. For nobody takes her liability. She has no dignity at all. Thus wife means 'wonderful enjoyment for enjoyment.' The users i.e., so-called gentlemen are escapist. To them wife stands for 'worries invited for ever.' This is the real picture of widow in an undeveloped country. A widow experiences 'use and throw' crown just like a slave faces hiring and firing. They are squeezed till death. But a nation can never prosper if her women are neglected. In an undeveloped country, especially in the third world, where human rights have no existence at all in practice, the widow faces different unprecedented problems, injustice and countless tortures as were faced by the slaves of the dark continent of Africa. The condition of a poor widow is beggar's description. They are legal slave like marriage being legal prostitution according to George Bernard Shaw. A widow having no issue is simply murdered by the widow-hunter to get her property unclaimed. To illuminate the dark assertions of widow-life, widows, as per various life-styles they are compelled to lead, can broadly be classified into ten different categories viz., (1). True widow, (2). Illegal widow, (3). Married widow, (4). Imaginary widow, (5). Half widow, (6). Unofficial widow, (7). Unrecognized widow, (8). Happy widow, (9).Mutual widow, (10). Would-be widow. Lastly, a widow of the third world country is dependent both economically and mentally. She cannot ignore the whips of the patriarchal society. So-called social and religious gurus, just to serve and satisfy their own interests, have openly chained the women mainly the widows by the bindings of society in the name of religion thus converting them simply into slaves i.e., the second-class citizen only.


Summary form only given as follows. The integration of an energy storage system, such as battery energy storage (BESS), into a FACTS device can provide dynamic decentralized active power capabilities and much needed flexibility for mitigating transmission level power flow problems. This paper introduces an integrated StatCom/BESS for the improvement of dynamic and transient stability and transmission capability; compare the performance of the different FACTS/BESS combinations, and provide experimental verification of the proposed controls on a scaled StatCom/BESS system.


The rapid development and implementation of digitalization in manufacturing has enormous impact on the environment. It is still unclear whether digitalization has positive or negative environmental impact from applications in manufacturing. Therefore, this study aims to discuss the overall implications of digitalization on environmental sustainability through a literature study, within the scope of manufacturing (product design, production, transportation, and customer service). The analysis and categorization of selected articles resulted in two main findings: (1) Digitalization in manufacturing contributes positively to environmental sustainability by increasing resource and information efficiency as a result of applying Industry 4.0 technologies throughout the product lifecycle; (2) the negative environmental burden of digitalization is primarily due to increased resource and energy use, as well as waste and emissions from manufacturing, use, and disposal of the hardware (the technology lifecycle). Based on these findings, a lifecycle perspective is proposed, considering the environmental impacts from both the product and technology lifecycles. This study identified key implications of digitalization on environmental sustainability in manufacturing to increase awareness of both the positive and negative impacts of digitalization and thereby support decision making to invest in new digital technologies.


Consumption of soyprotein has recently been shown to improve the blood lipid levels in non-diabetic subjects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if a dietary soyprotein isoflavones affects lipid and blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic subjects. Twenty six type 2 diabetic patients who had refferd to Ahvaz Jundishapour University Diabetes Center, due to uncontrolled diabetes, participated in this study. They completed a trial of dietary supplementation with 25gr/day of a processed defeated meal containing 12 gr soyprotein and about 50mg isoflavones, for 3 months. FBS, HbA1C, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL-C and patients, weight and blood pressure were checked before soyprotein consumption and monthly thereafter. There were significant differences in mean FBS (153±50 versus 178±60, P< 0.015), HbA1C (8.8 ± 1.4 versus 9.6 ± 1.7 percent, P<0.001), triglycerides concentration (229 ± 113 versus 267 ± 149 P<0.008) and total cholesterol (196 ± 41 versus 207 ± 42, P<0.002) before and after three months consumption of soyprotein isoflavones.There were no significant changes in HDL and LDL-C cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight.


Glass is an ideal material for package substrates due to the excellent electrical properties, tailorable coefficient of thermal expansion, high mechanical rigidity, availability in large and thin panel form, and smooth surface for fine line fabrication. Glass does have challenges, arising mainly from the brittle nature of glass, and glass substrates with copper and polymer re-distribution layers can suffer brittle fracture after dicing processes. This paper demonstrates three methods to prevent cracking induced by redistribution layer (RDL) stress and dicing defect in glass substrates for RDL build-up up to 90 μm polymer and 40 μm copper. These methods are edge coating, two-step dicing, and laser ablation dicing. Edge coating is a protective layer of polymer located on the diced edge of the glass substrate. After dicing, edge coating puts the glass in compression and prevents moisture from reaching the glass and, in turn, prevents the glass cracking from RDL stresses and dicing defects. In two-step dicing, the first step is used to ablate the RDL using a laser and the second step is used for blade dicing within the ablated region to singulate the glass. The resulting structure from such a dicing process reduces stress at the free glass edge, ensuring that the glass does not crack during dicing. Two-step dicing also allows for thicker RDL build-ups while ensuring no glass cracking occurs from dicing defects. Laser ablation dicing uses a CO2 laser to singulate the glass panel into individual substrates instead of blade dicing, which reduces the dicing defect size and creates a heat affected zone. Use of laser ablation dicing allows for thicker RDL build-ups with minimal process change when compared to blade dicing.


The genus Liolaemus comprises more than 260 species and can be divided in two subgenera: Eulaemus and Liolaemus sensu stricto. In this paper, we present a phylogenetic analysis, divergence times, and ancestral distribution ranges of the Liolaemus alticolor-bibronii group (Liolaemus sensu stricto subgenus). We inferred a total evidence phylogeny combining molecular (Cytb and 12S genes) and morphological characters using Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference. Divergence times were calculated using Bayesian MCMC with an uncorrelated lognormal distributed relaxed clock, calibrated with a fossil record. Ancestral ranges were estimated using the Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogenesis (DEC-Lagrange). Effects of some a priori parameters of DEC were also tested. Distribution ranged from central Perú to southern Argentina, including areas at sea level up to the high Andes. The L. alticolor-bibronii group was recovered as monophyletic, formed by two clades: L. walkeri and L. gracilis, the latter can be split in two groups. Additionally, many species candidates were recognized. We estimate that the L. alticolor-bibronii group diversified 14.5 Myr ago, during the Middle Miocene. Our results suggest that the ancestor of the Liolaemus alticolor-bibronii group was distributed in a wide area including Patagonia and Puna highlands. The speciation pattern follows the South-North Diversification Hypothesis, following the Andean uplift.


The Volubilis Neogene basin (Morocco) was part of the South Rif Corridor that connected the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean. This basin recorded the tectonic - sedimentary interactions of a foreland basin subjected to the progressive advance of the Rif mountain range front. Since the Miocene, the
displacement of the Prerif to the WSW, caused the detachment of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic cover from the Variscan basement and the compartimentation of Saiss Basin. Simultaneously, the upper Neogene sedimentation continued, developing several types of syntectonic sedimentary structures and Volubilis
basin finally becomes a piggy-back basin.


Axin1 is a critical negative regulator of the canonical Wnt‐signaling pathway. It is a concentration‐limiting factor in the β‐catenin degradation complex. Axin1 null mutant mouse embryos died at embryonic day 9.5, precluding direct genetic analysis of the roles of Axin1 in many developmental and physiological processes using these mutant mice. In this study, we have generated mice carrying two directly repeated loxP sites flanking the exon 2 region of the Axin1 gene. We show that floxed‐allele‐carrying mice (Axin1 fx/fx) mice appear normal and fertile. Upon crossing the Axin1 fx/fx mice to the CMV‐Cre transgenic mice, the loxP‐flanked exon 2 region that encodes the N‐terminus and the conserved regulation of G‐protein signaling domain was efficiently deleted by Cre‐mediated excision in vivo. Moreover, we show that mouse embryos homozygous for the Cre/loxP‐mediated deletion of exon 2 of the Axin1 gene display embryonic lethality and developmental defects similar to those reported for Axin1−/− mice. Thus, this Axin1fx/fx mouse model will be valuable for systematic tissue‐specific dissection of the roles of Axin1 in embryonic and postnatal development and diseases. genesis 49:98–102, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The angular divergence of helium-neon laser radiation was found to depend on variation of the emission frequency within the limits of the gain profile of the active medium. The maximum relative change in the angular divergence was 4 ± 2%. This change appeared because of a nonlinear frequency dependence of the refractive index of the active medium in the region of the Doppler-broadened gain profile. The effect appeared particularly clear in the case of long optical paths.


To ensure the semantic equivalence of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS)-Spanish Version, multiple methods were used, including back-translation, the committee approach, pretest techniques, and alternate forms equivalence. The back-translation process involved eight translators who represented the four predominant Hispanic groups in the United States. In the committee approach the Hispanic translators convened together to discuss the results of the back-translations and to come to group consensus on problematic items. In pretesting the PDSS-Spanish Version was field-tested with five Hispanic mothers, and it was determined that it accurately captured the connotative meanings of the screening scale. Alternate forms equivalence of the two language versions of the PDSS was assessed with a sample of 30 bilingual Hispanic mothers. Alpha reliability estimates ranged from 0.94 to 0.99. Though lengthy, this systematic procedure was needed to guarantee the production of a fully equivalent linguistic version of the PDSS.


The relevance of chaotic itinerancy and other types of exotic dynamical behavior described by Tsuda (2001) certainly goes beyond the scope of his target article. These concepts of dynamics may offer a general framework for the understanding of complexity, which could help to restructure the analysis and conceptualization of mental states in novel ways, providing insights for the philosophy of mind. Most philosophical treatments of the classical concepts of cognition (such as volition, consciousness, intentionality, mental content, rationality) seem to be trapped in an unsafe argument that, by and large, goes like this: There are two opposing alternatives, naturalism and anti-naturalism, both with unwanted consequences. It is generally accepted that to be a naturalist is to be a physicalist and/or functionalist and to believe in the computational mind and/or physical (computational) brain. To be a antinaturalist is (as Dennett [1995] so aptly puts it in a somewhat different context) to play tennis with the net down. If one is a anti-naturalist, then one is free from the restrictions of science, and it is easy to justify any concept, from intrinsic intentionality to wonder tissue to qualia, without having to worry how these fit into a description of the universe as a whole. There are other points of view existing somewhere between these two extremes, such as double-aspect theories, where the physical and mental aspects of material are considered distinct, but the manner in which they are distinguished is not addressed. However, this again internalizes the naturalist/anti-naturalist dichotomy. So where do we stand? Currently, few people are completely comfortable with naturalism-cum-physicalism in a strict form; functionalism is on the defense; accepting the small wonders offered by anti-naturalism is not the approach of choice. Are there other options? Maybe there are. The above argument goes too fast. Several hidden assumptions underlie it, which together implicitly ensure a harmony of naturalism and reductionism (or eliminativism), or a unity of naturalism and computationalism. At least two of the assumptions are easy to identify. The first is that the mind is confined to a single level of phenomena (therefore, all mental events can be treated within a single explanatory scheme). The second is that mental states are homogeneous (therefore, they are all similar, constituting a natural kind). One kind of thing makes up the mind, and one functional theory explains how it works: cognitive science has traditionally held this. However, Ryle (1949), perhaps Haugeland (1995), and more recently van Gelder (1998) laid the groundwork for a fundamental challenge to the concept of a homogeneous mind. Their concern is with the difference between mind and cognition, but their idea that the mind is somehow not one thing is far more general. Van Gelder made a significant move when he combined this philosophical idea of ontological heterogeneity with low-level functional models to form what is known as the "dynamical hypothesis" in cognition (Port 2001). This allowed for a new kind of continuation through which the other pillar of the traditionally posited unity of the mind, that of a single functional scheme, might also be discredited. This is the point where dynamical systems of the kind studied by Tsuda enter. We can view the dynamical hypothesis as a step in a progression towards a greater flexibility of the mind: the progression begins with the rigid symbolic systems of "classical" (Fodor-style) cognitivism, and continues through connectionism to dynamical systems, and possibly beyond. Previous attempts to use dynamical systems as models of cognition have been unsuccessful. Ten or fifteen years ago the study of complex systems consisted of only chaos, bifurcation, and selforganization – phenomena that have a technical meaning in hydrodynamics, basic-level brain theory, and the like, but apparently are not appropriate in the description of higher cognition. They are hopelessly far from anything in which the philosopher or psychologist is interested. How can we elucidate mental content, for instance? Early-day cybernetics, based on simple dynamical systems, had nothing to offer in this regard, which is one reason that cybernetics has been ignored in cognitive science. Chaos, although representing a richer class of phenomena, is no different on this score. It appears to possess physiological relevance for the brain (see Freeman 1991, which is now a classic), but it is difficult BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (2004) 27, 000–000 Printed in the United States of America © 2004 Cambridge University Press 0140-525X/04 $12.50 1 Continuing Commentary Commentary on Ichiro Tsuda (2001). Toward an interpretation of dynamic neural activity in terms of chaotic dynamical systems. BBS 24(5):793–810. Abstract of the original article: Using the concepts of chaotic dynamical systems, we present an interpretation of dynamic neural activity found in cortical and subcortical areas. The discovery of chaotic itinerancy in high-dimensional dynamical systems with and without a noise term has motivated a new interpretation of this dynamic neural activity, cast in terms of the high-dimensional transitory dynamics among "exotic" attractors. This interpretation is quite different from the conventional one, cast in terms of simple behavior on low-dimensional attractors. Skarda and Freeman (1987) presented evidence in support of the conclusion that animals cannot memorize odor without chaotic activity of neuron populations. Following their work, we study the role of chaotic dynamics in biological information processing, perception, and memory. We propose a new coding scheme of information in chaos-driven contracting systems we refer to as Cantor coding. Since these systems are found in the hippocampal formation and also in the olfactory system, the proposed coding scheme should be of biological significance. Based on these intensive studies, a hypothesis regarding the formation of episodic memory is given.of the original article: Using the concepts of chaotic dynamical systems, we present an interpretation of dynamic neural activity found in cortical and subcortical areas. The discovery of chaotic itinerancy in high-dimensional dynamical systems with and without a noise term has motivated a new interpretation of this dynamic neural activity, cast in terms of the high-dimensional transitory dynamics among "exotic" attractors. This interpretation is quite different from the conventional one, cast in terms of simple behavior on low-dimensional attractors. Skarda and Freeman (1987) presented evidence in support of the conclusion that animals cannot memorize odor without chaotic activity of neuron populations. Following their work, we study the role of chaotic dynamics in biological information processing, perception, and memory. We propose a new coding scheme of information in chaos-driven contracting systems we refer to as Cantor coding. Since these systems are found in the hippocampal formation and also in the olfactory system, the proposed coding scheme should be of biological significance. Based on these intensive studies, a hypothesis regarding the formation of episodic memory is given. to see what could be gained by assuming that mental computations are chaotic, for computations are just computations. Also, chaos is, by itself, uninteresting: in a chaotic system, most things happen on the attractor, where long-term behavior always remains qualitatively the same. Chaotic itinerancy (CI), however, is fundamentally different, and I believe it may change our thinking about what can be achieved by dynamical systems and minds. CI is a chameleon. It can behave like one particular type of system for some time, then make a transition and behave like some other particular system, and so on, indefinitely. Although generated by a single set of equations, at a phenomenological level the process does not seem to follow any fixed rules. Yet it can be controlled, or at least this is a feasible expectation. For this reason CI may be an ideal tool for the understanding of mental processes that form and break their own rules. Part of this anticipated development is already visible in Tsuda's memory model. The problem of conceptualizing complexity is another matter. Complex dynamical systems of the type studied by Tsuda and some other authors, including Kaneko (1998; see also Kaneko & Tsuda 2001), realize a wide spectrum of behaviors. This has farranging philosophical implications. Putnam (1988) may be right, after all, in his claim that every natural system can behave like any other. With Tsuda's work we start to understand that for a complex system every model can be justified. What is more, perhaps every physical system is capable of exhibiting chaotic itinerancies and other similarly rich processes. If this is true, every physical system may literally be able to realize every computational behavior. Opponents of Putnam's idea (such as Chalmers 1996) tend to assume that a system is basically something perfectly well-defined and, therefore, that the construction of a single system capable of behaving like many different systems must be seen as a dirty trick. CIs can realize such a situation quite naturally. This is a further example where the benefits of an advanced analysis made possible by the new paradigm of complex systems becomes apparent. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author thanks the Fujitsu Company and Professor Susumu Kunifuji for support that made possible the preparation of this commentary.


The search for efficient plasmonic photothermal therapies using nonharmful pulse laser irradiation at the near-infrared (NIR) is fundamental for biomedical cancer research. Therefore, the development of novel assembled plasmonic gold nanostructures with the aim of reducing the applied laser power density to a minimum through hot-spot-mediated cell photothermolysis is an ongoing challenge. We demonstrate that gold nanorods (Au NRs) functionalized at their tips with a pH-sensitive ligand assemble into oligomers within cell lysosomes through hydrogen-bonding attractive interactions. The unique intracellular features of the plasmonic oligomers allow us to significantly reduce the femtosecond laser power density and Au NR dose while still achieving excellent cell killing rates. The formation of gold tip-to-tip oligomers with longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance bands at the NIR, obtained from low-aspect-ratio Au NRs close in resonance with 800 nm Ti:sapphire 90 fs laser pulses, was found to be the key parameter for realizing the enhanced plasmonic photothermal therapy.


The NASA Administrator Fellowship Program (NAFP) is a highly-successful program established to improve the capacity of minority institutions and to respond to NASA's research needs by providing a two-year professional development program for faculty from Minority Institutions (MI) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines as well as to NASA employees. The program does this by placing selected NASA employees in a minority institution and university faculty at a NASA facility. Established in 1997, this year the program celebrates its 10 year anniversary. To date there are a total of 82 Fellows who are either in or have completed the twoyear program. Each Fellow has made unique and substantial contributions to the partnering MI and NASA center. Many if not most of the alliances between NASA centers and MIs are maintained through continual partnering after the fellowship. A key factor contributing to the success of NAFP is the continued commitment of the Fellows to serve and develop the capacity of MIs after the fellowship ends. This paper describes the NASA Administrator's Fellowship Program as a valuable opportunity for faculty at minority institutions to gain valuable research experience at a NASA center and for NASA employees to enhance their professional experience through engaging minority institutions and the students they serve. Accomplishments over the first ten years illustrate the success of the program. The paper discusses how to prepare for the experience by providing a list of best practices. Practical issues include how to identify a host institution and a research/teaching topic. The best practices also address how to maximize the program benefits both individually and for the institutions and ideas of how to sustain the benefits. Through first person testimonials from the contributing authors, the paper presents personal experiences from Fellow and what was done by Fellows, what we would do again and what we would do differently. The paper concludes by describing how to get involved.


Every day we witness new forms of data in various formats. Some example include structured data from transactions we make, unstructured data as text communications of different kinds, varieties of multimedia files and video streams. To ensure efficient processing of this data, often called 'Big Data', the use of highly distributed and scalable systems and new data management architectures, e.g. distributed file systems and NoSQL database, has been widely considered. However, volume, variety and velocity of Big Data and data analytics demands indicate that these tools solve Big Data problems partially only. To make effective use of such data, novel concepts of management is required, in particular, being able to efficiently access data within a tolerable time not only from the users own domain, but also from other domains which the user is authorized to access. This paper elaborates on some issues related to the efficient management of Big Data, discusses current trends, identifies the challenges and suggests possible research directions.


The purpose of this project was to provide a study on the construction of 2D dilaton gravity theories for the Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstrom black holes while also constructing the previously unknown 2D dilaton gravity theory for the non-extremal Kerr black hole. This project was successful in reproducing known 2D dilaton gravity Einstein Hilbert actions and equations of motion for the Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstrom black holes and also successfully constructed a viable solution for a 2D dilaton gravity theory for the non-extremal Kerr black hole. By creating a generalized 2D Einstein Hilbert action with parameters α and γ, finding the nonextremal Kerr equations of motion from that action, and fixing the values of α and γ, the equations of motion were solved to find the components of the generalized 2D Einstein Hilbert action for the non-extremal Kerr black hole.


A cytoplasmic component from group A streptococci produced complete suppression of human lymphocyte transformation induced by phytohaemagglutinin or the mixed lymphocyte reaction in vitro. It also suppressed antibody-forming cells in mice against sheep erythrocytes. The active substance was eluted as second and third fractions form Sephadex G-200 chromatography of the 100,000 g supernatant of sonically ruptured group A streptococci. The antimitogenic activity was not susceptible to trypsin, pronase, RNase or DNase digestion, but the activity was completely lost when it was sequentially digested, first with RNase and DNase and then with pronase. The active substance was not antigenic nor heat-labile at 56 degrees. It may be a protein component of a nucleoprotein.


Acne vulgaris is a common chronic skin disease in young adults caused by infection of the pilosebaceous unit, resulting in pimples and possibly permanent scarring on the skin. Minocycline, a common antibiotic, has been widely utilized as a systemic antimicrobial treatment for acne via oral administration. Recently, a topical minocycline gel (BPX-01) was developed to directly deliver minocycline through the epidermis and into the pilosebaceous unit to achieve localized treatment with lower doses of drug. As the effectiveness of the drug is directly related to its successful delivery, there is a need to evaluate the pharmacokinetics at the cellular level within tissue. Advantageously, minocycline is naturally fluorescent and can be directly visualized using microscopy-based approaches. Due to high endogenous autofluorescence, however, imaging of weakly emitting fluorescent molecules such as minocycline in skin tissue can be challenging. Here, we demonstrate a method for the selective visualization of minocycline within human skin tissue by utilizing two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, ex vivo human facial skin samples treated with various concentrations of BPX-01 were investigated. From the TPEF analysis, we were able to visualize relatively high levels of drug uptake within facial skin. However, minocycline fluorescence could be overwhelmed by endogenous fluorescence that complicates TPEF quantitative analysis, making FLIM more advantageous for visualizing drug uptake. Importantly, we found a unique signature of minocycline uptake via FLIM analysis that enabled the successful differentiation of the drug and enabled the extraction of drug local distribution from the endogenous fluorescence using a non-Euclidean phasor analysis method. Based on these results, we believe that the drug local distribution visualization method using TPEF and FLIM with phasor analysis can play an important role in studying the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a topically applicable drug.


Despite the efforts devoted to open government, transparency is mainly considered an issue for public organizations. However, various tasks such as public services delivery and management are being increasingly privatized or outsourced to public-private partnerships (PPPs). Our study aims to contribute towards bridging this gap by answering two research questions: (1) What determines internal and external transparency in PPPs? and (2) To what extent does internal transparency contribute to external transparency? We answer these questions through a qualitative case study, consisting of 38 in-depth interviews, on the transparency in water provision and management in the city of Barcelona. We conclude that in the case of PPPs, even when the service provided is excellent, transparency goes beyond making data available; thus, politicians and managers must build a narrative around the data they provide that guides citizens and partners in their interpretation of the information. Furthermore, our results show that internal transparency influences external transparency.


The estimat ion of the area source pollutant strength is a relevant issue for atmospheric environ ment. Th is characterizes an inverse problem in the atmospheric pollution dispersion. In the inverse analysis, an area source domain is considered, where the strength of such area source term is assumed unknown. The inverse problem is formu lated as a non-linear optimization approach, whose objective function is given by the square difference between the measured pollutant concentration and the mathematical models, associated with a regularization operator. The forward problem is addressed by a source-receptor scheme, where a regressive Lagrangian model is applied to co mpute the transition matrix. A quasi-Newton method is emp loyed for minimizing the object ive function. The second order maximu m entropy regularizat ion is used, and the regularizat ion parameter is calculated by the L-curve technique. This inverse problem methodology is tested with synthetic observational data, producing good inverse solutions.


F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice were exposed to 0, 1, 3, or 6 ppm methyl isocyanate by inhalation for 6 hr on 4 consecutive days. Deaths of rats were observed following 3 ppm exposures, and mice died after exposures to 6 ppm. Deaths appeared to be related to severe respiratory distress. Survivors in high dose groups lost weight initially, then gained weight at rates equal to controls throughout a 91-day recovery period. Lung weights increased significantly in male and female rats exposed to 3 ppm, but no persistent changes in brain, kidney, thymus, spleen, liver, or testis weights were seen in either mice or rats. Blood and serum from male and female rats were taken for clinical pathology and hematology assessments on day 7 of postexposure, the day prior to the first observed deaths of these animals. No changes or only slight changes were seen in measures of serum alanine aminotransferase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, or in blood and brain cholinesterase activities. However, serum creatine kinase increased with dose in both males and females. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and methemoglobin were unchanged. No changes were seen in counts of red blood cells or platelets, or in red cell indices. Hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrits were slightly elevated. No changes were noted in absolute leukocyte counts, but counts of segmented neutrophils increased and lymphocytes decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


We study the problem of constructing secure multi-party computation (MPC) protocols that are completely fair — meaning that either all the parties learn the output of the function, or nobody does — even when a majority of the parties are corrupted. We first propose a framework for fair multi-party computation, within which we formulate a definition of secure and fair protocols. The definition follows the standard simulation paradigm, but is modified to allow the protocol to depend on the runing time of the adversary. In this way, we avoid a well-known impossibility result for fair MPC with corrupted majority; in particular, our definition admits constructions that tolerate up to (n − 1) corruptions, where n is the total number of parties. Next, we define a "commit-provefair-open" functionality and construct an efficient protocol that realizes it, using a new variant of a cryptographic primitive known as "time-lines." With this functionality, we show that some of the existing secure MPC protocols can be easily transformed into fair protocols while preserving their security. Putting these results together, we construct efficient, secure MPC protocols that are completely fair even in the presence of corrupted majorities. Furthermore, these protocols remain secure when arbitrarily composed with any protocols, which means, in particular, that they are concurrently-composable and non-malleable. Finally, as an example of our results, we show a very efficient protocol that fairly and securely solves the socialist millionaires' problem.


An optical scheme for a kJ channel of a neodymium glass laser system with SBS-compressor for a 70 ns pulse has been described. The use of a pump pulse of long duration - 70 ns - makes it possible to operate a near-steady SBS mode in compressed gasses. An experimental study of the SBS oscillator-compressor stage with pump focusing and a two- pass pattern has been carried out and a 70 ns, 8 J pump pulse has been compressed down to 1 ns.


Fake news has been certainly the expression of the moment: from political round table discussions to newspapers to social and mainstream media. It is everywhere. With such an intense discussion and yet few effective ways to combat it, what can be done? Providing methods to fight back even the least harming hoax is a social responsibility. To look for authenticity in a wide sea of fake news, every detail is a lead. Image appearance and semantic content of text and images are some of the main properties, which can be analyzed to reveal even the slightest lie. In this vein, this work overviews some recent methods applicable to the verification of dubious content in text and images, and discusses how we can put them together as an option to curb away the proliferation of unverified and phony "facts". We briefly present the main idea behind each method, highlighting real situations where they can be applied and discussing expected results. Ultimately, we show how new research areas are working to seamlessly stitch together all these methods so as to provide a unified analysis and to establish the synchronization in space and time - the X-Coherence of heterogeneous sources of information documenting real-world events.


The topic of this paper is motivated by the Navier--Stokes equations in rotation form. Linearization and application of an implicit time stepping scheme results in a linear stationary problem of Oseen type. In well-known solution techniques for this problem such as the Uzawa (or Schur complement) method, a subproblem consisting of a coupled nonsymmetric system of linear equations of diffusion-reaction type must be solved to update the velocity vector field. In this paper we analyze a standard finite element method for the discretization of this coupled system, and we introduce and analyze a multigrid solver for the discrete problem. Both for the discretization method and the multigrid solver the question of robustness with respect to the amount of diffusion and variation in the convection field is addressed. We prove stability results and discretization error bounds for the Galerkin finite element method. We present a convergence analysis of the multigrid method which shows the robustness of the solver. Results of numerical experiments are presented which illustrate the stability of the discretization method and the robustness of the multigrid solver.


Starting from the case of the final voter list in the Indonesia parliamentary election 2009, which made many Indonesian voters could not give his choice, the government should know that the implementation of e- Government based on the Information Technology has not been managed well yet. The managing of e- Government has been far away from the goal. Developing of e-Government does not mean building the government web site, which provide information in a static webpage, but it depends on some aspects such as information system design that used to manage data, database design and the computer network infrastructure that has been used. The method of developing information system for e-Government in Indonesia has been done step by step and partially, where every department developed its own IT system.. The developing of IT system in each department was not base on the integrated IT blue print of the Indonesia Government. It has not been planned well. The results of this caused the integration of the database is being difficult. The blue print is very important for making a standard of data format, coding, type of DBMS, protocol, etc. When the Indonesia e-Government was built on a good information system design and based on an integrated database standard, hopefully the problem of the final voter list would not occur in this Indonesia parliamentary election 2009.


Background Earlier, we have identified PTOV1 as a novel interactome of PIN1 in PC-3 cells. This study aims to explore the functional similarity and the common role of both genes in breast cancer cell proliferation. Methods CTG, crystal violet assay, clonogenic assay, wound healing assay, cell cycle analysis, Hoechst staining and ROS measurement were performed to assess cell viability were performed after knocking down of PTOV1 and PIN1 by siRNAs in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. CO-IP, qPCR and western blot were performed for interaction, transcriptional and translational regulation of both genes. Results Knockdown of PTOV1 and PIN1 inhibited the cell proliferation, colony formation, migration cell cycle, and induces nuclear condensation as well as ROS production. Interaction of PTOV1 and PIN1 was validated by Co-IP in MDA-MB-231 cells. Genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis were regulated by PIN1 and PTOV1. PTOV1 knockdown inhibited Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and induces BAX, LC3 and Beclin-1. Overexpression of PIN1 increased the expression of PTOV1. Knockdown of both genes inhibited the expression of cyclin D1, c-Myc, and β-catenin. Conclusions PTOV1 and PIN1 interacts and exert oncogenic role in MDA-MB-231 cells by sharing the similar expression profile at transcriptional and translational level which can be a promising hub for therapeutic target.


I am part of the research group Te Koronga, a Māori Postgraduate Research Excellence rōpū at the University of Otago. Te Koronga conducts research with a vision of mauri ora and is underpinned by a Kaupapa Māori philosophy. For the past six years, under the supervision of Associate Professor Anne-Marie Jackson and Professor Chris Hepburn, I have worked alongside Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki of Kāi Tahu and Te Aitanga a Mate of Ngāti Porou primarily in the context of customary fisheries management. For me, as a non-Māori student and researcher, Te Koronga has been a safe space to engage in te ao Māori and Kaupapa Māori research. This paper describes my reflections and explains the lessons I have learned as a non-Māori researcher working in a Kaupapa Māori space


The idea that configuration space CH of 3-surfaces, "the world of classical worlds", could be realized in terms of number theoretic anatomies of single space-time point using the real units formed from infinite rationals, is very attractive. The correspondence of CH points with infinite primes and thus with infinite number of real units determined by them realizing Platonia at single space-time point, can be understood if one assume that the points of CH correspond to infinite rationals via their mapping to hyper-octonion real-analytic rational functions conjectured to define foliations of HO to hyper-quaternionic 4-surfaces inducing corresponding foliations of H. The correspondence of CH spinors with the real units identified as infinite rationals with varying number theoretical anatomies is not so obvious. It is good to approach the problem by making questions. a) How the points of CH and CH spinors at given point of CH correspond to various real units? Configuration space Hamiltonians and their super-counterparts characterize modes of configuration space spinor fields rather than only spinors. Does this mean that only ground states of super-conformal representations, which are expected to correspond elementary particles, correspond to configuration space spinors and are coded by infinite primes? b) How do CH spinor fields (as opposed to CH spinors) correspond to infinite rationals? Configuration space spinor fields are generated by elements of super-conformal algebra from ground states. Should one code the matrix elements of the operators between ground states and creating zero energy states in terms of time-like entanglement between ground states represented by real units and assigned to the preferred


This study is part of an international research project (across four countries) which is evaluating and comparing tax compliance costs affecting the small business sector. The primary objective of this empirical study was to measure the tax compliance costs of small businesses in South Africa and to establish a baseline against which future studies and enhancements to the tax system could be measured. The study also differentiated tax compliance activities from core accounting activities in order to identify the managerial benefits of tax compliance. It also investigated whether various South African small business tax concessions are perceived to be achieving their objective of relieving the tax compliance burden. The study, conducted by means of an electronic survey, provided plausible estimates proving that tax compliance costs as well as core accounting costs are regressive with respect to business size, with the compliance burden being heavier for smaller businesses. The perception that managerial benefits exist was also established for the first time in South Africa. Overall, small business tax concessions were perceived as being more complex than useful. A re-evaluation of these concessions or the introduction of a truly simplified tax system for small businesses is considered desirable.


Recent progress in spectral fingerprinting of fluorescent indicators using distributed instrumentation based on consumer electronic devices is reviewed. In particular, the evaluation of disposable assays using a computer screen photo-assisted technique (CSPT) is discussed. Sample identification and optimization strategies are analyzed as well as the underlying theoretical background for polychromatic spectral fingerprinting.


The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is increasing worldwide and so are its consequences. Its oral manifestations are infrequent, occurring in approximately 3% of all cases. Although the primary lesion occurs as a pulmonary infection, the extrapulmonary infections have also shown an increase over the past few years. These infections generally involve the head and neck through haematogenous or lymphatic routes. The clinical presentation may be as an ulcer, granuloma, orofacial TB, TB of the salivary glands or tuberculous lymphadenitis. Rarely, secondary oral manifestations associated with pulmonary infection are seen, which can appear as lesions on the gingiva, palate, lips, tongue, buccal mucosa, frenulum and in the jaw bones. Owing to the rarity of orofacial TB, it seldom arouses clinical suspicion, especially when a positive history of a systemic infection or therapy is denied. Tuberculous involvement of the mandibular condyle is even rarer, and only two such cases are reported so far, both in English-language literature. Further, the diagnosis of such a case is extremely difficult as there are no specific signs pathogonomic of infection. The only manifestation may be a localized painful swelling of the jaw. The presented case is of osteomyelitis of the mandibular condyle in a 20-year-old male patient in whom TB was later suspected. In this case report the role of diagnostic techniques is emphasized as the osteomyelitis of the condyle has the risk of being easily missed owing to its atypical signs and symptoms and atypical radiographic appearance.


Most GPs will have in their practice patients with heterozygous FH, whether recognised or not. Most adults with FH are diagnosed sporadically. FH in children remains largely undiagnosed and untreated. Coronary atherosclerosis in adult patients with FH can be controlled with effective LDL-C lowering, but this requires maximum doses of potent statins in combination with ezetimibe, and often resins and nicotinic acid as well. Referral of patients with FH to a lipid clinic with experience in this area is the preferred option for family screening, a key component of FH management. Ongoing management of patients with FH should be undertaken jointly by GPs and the lipid clinic. There is a need for improved health professional and community awareness of FH as a serious and relatively common genetic disorder for which effective treatments are available.


: Aim: To investigate dyslipidemia pattern in patients with type 2 diabetes and to determine the correlation of increasing age and duration of the disease with dyslipidemia, insulin level and insulin resistance in diabetic patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was held in the Medicine department of Mayo Hospital Lahore for six months duration from October 2019 to March 2020 among 112 selected patients Triglycerides, Serum total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins, and insulin levels in both cases and control. Insulin resistance was calculated using a homeostatic model to assess insulin resistance. The correlation between the increase in age and duration of disease was determined using biochemical parameters. SPSS 17 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the 112 participants in the study, 72 (64%) were patients and 40 (36%) were healthy controls. Of these cases, 44 (61%) patients had hypertriglyceridemia followed by low density hypertriglyceridemia 36 (50%). Among the controls, 20 (50%) patients had low density hypertriglyceridemia followed by 17 (42.5%) hypertriglyceridemia. The duration of the disease was not correlated with dyslipidemia or insulin resistance (p> 0.05). The duration of the disease had a strong negative correlation with serum insulin levels (p = 0.03). Regression analysis showed no significant correlation with age dyslipidemia, serum insulin levels, or insulin resistance (each p> 0.05). Conclusion: Hypertriglyceridemia is the most common dyslipidemia in type diabetes, whereas hypertriglyceridemia is a risk factor in healthy people. In addition, disease duration was in reverse correlated with serum insulin levels and positively correlated with dyslipidemia.


We present a computer simulation model that is a one-to-one copy of a quantum eraser experiment with photons (P. D. D. Schwindt {\sl et al.}, Phys. Rev. A 60, 4285 (1999)). The model is solely based on experimental facts, satisfies Einstein's criterion of local causality and does not require knowledge of the solution of a wave equation. Nevertheless, the simulation model reproduces the averages as obtained from the wave mechanical description of the quantum eraser experiment, proving that it is possible to give a particle-only description of quantum eraser experiments with photons. We demonstrate that although the visibility can be used as a measure for the interference, it cannot be used to quantify the wave character of a photon. The classical particle-like simulation model renders the concept of wave-particle duality, used to explain the outcome of the quantum eraser experiment with photons, superfluous.


Background Smartphone apps are gradually becoming a universal template for offering preventive behavior interventions among women who are at risk for breast cancer, although limited methodological procedures on mixing models, documentation, and qualitative studies for their developments are presented. Thus, this study aimed to design and develop a model-based, document-driven, and user-centered mobile app framework to facilitate breast cancer-preventive behaviors targeting at-risk women.Methods This study explains how intervention progress may be enriched with a theoretical foundation, literature review, and qualitative research. A semi-structural individual interview and focus group dissection (FGD) were accomplished to combine the user's participation in the development. Participants were employed using a purposing sampling method. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded. The thematic analysis method was employed for developing themes and subthemes.Results The ASSISTS model, self-regulation, and the self-control models were chosen to design the app framework. Data from the literature review presented the most influential document for the designing of the programs. Nineteen women were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview and FGDs. The following five main themes were revealed: content, interactive performance, template, extended action and output, and motivational nature. Mobile apps are a useful tool for learning self-care tips, suitable and healthy lifestyles, and stress management due to their user-friendly and easy features. The mobile app framework developed in the present study includes culture-appropriate, user-centered, and reliable content. The mobile app design should include beautiful, visualized features and interactive multimedia.Conclusions By applying a three-phase way of combining models, the literature review and qualitative study from the target group can be held as a pattern for the prospective app design.


IgE-mediated food allergy is manifested by an overactive T-helper 2 immune response to dietary antigens in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Interleukin (IL)-9 promote intestinal mastocytosis which allow the development of oral antigen-induced anaphylaxis. However, little is known about the primary cellular sources of IL-9 or the mechanisms that promote intestinal mastocytosis. Here, we report the identification of multifunctional IL-9-producing innate helper cells (IHC9) that secrete prodigious amounts of TH2 cytokines and mast cell protease-1 (MCPt-1) in response to IL-33 and antigen/IgE complex crosslinking, respectively. Repeated intragastric antigen challenge induces significant accumulations of both intestinal IHC9 and CD4+TH2 cells, which correlate positively with symptoms and susceptibility to oral antigen-induced anaphylaxis. IHC9 development requires T cells and IL-4R, not IL-9R, signaling. The failure of irradiated mice reconstituted with STAT6-deficient bone marrow to generate IHC9 was accompanied by reduced serum MCPt-1, intestinal TH2 inflammation, mastocytosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia and loss of allergic diarrhea. Furthermore, inhibition of food allergy symptoms in mice ablated of IHC9 by anti-FcϵRIα antibody treatment could be reversed by adoptive transfer of IHC9. Thus, IHC9 represent a new type of innate helper cell lineage and function in promoting intestinal TH2 inflammation and mastocytosis that drive IgE-mediated anaphylaxis.


Seventeen Vertical Electrical soundings (VES) using the Schlumberger configuration with current electrode spacing of AB/2 = 80m were carried out in Song and environs of Adamawa State of Nigeria to study the groundwater potential. Sixteen VES showed a three-layer earth model; while the remaining one has four-layer earth model. The average thickness of the first layer is 2m with a mean resistivity of 75.14Ωm; representing the top soil and clay material. The second layer has an average thickness of 12.09m with a mean resistivity of 50.0Ωm. This layer is unconsolidated and highly weathered/fractured basement. The average resistivity value of the third layer is 5150Ωm and represents the fresh basement. Water samples were collected from Seven Boreholes (BH) and four Hand-Dug wells (HDW). The overall assessment of the sampled water in the area indicates an average pH value of 5.8, mean temperature of 28.96°C, an average turbidity value of 0.453NTU, and with a mean conductivity value of 159.39μs/cm. The water is mostly acidic with a moderate temperature, and turbidity. Total hardness has an average value of 98.78mg/l indicating a moderately soft water quality. All the Hand-Dug wells in the study area have high concentration of Nitrate and total Coliform count of 50.93mg/l to 67.17mg/l and 12cfu/ml to 27cfu/ml respectively. The high value can be attributed to anthropogenic activities such as chemical fertilizer application and indiscriminate dumping of house hold solid waste in the area as well as animals and human faeces. The high concentration of total coliform count was also observed in BH4 because of the shallow depth. Apart from the HDW and BH4 that are of shallow depth, the groundwater is generally good for human as well as industrial and agricultural uses.


ABSTRACTThis paper presents a novel augmented reality (AR) integrated three-dimensional (3D) touchable computer-aided design (CAD) system, which utilizes stereoscopic display and 3D input devices to achieve intuitive and convenient 3D interaction between a user and the system. In the AR environment, physical objects can provide visual and physical feedback to the user. Analysis has been made on the proposed system in the aspects of visual feedback and user input. CAD operations to effectively capture user's intention are developed for shape acquiring and editing. The basic setup of a prototype system is described. Several test cases are presented to demonstrate the functionality of the developed system and its effectiveness.


Precision cancer medicine (PCM) is an emerging paradigm in oncology, which includes tumour comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to enable molecularly guided therapy. However, cost-effectiveness analyses of PCM are faced with several challenges and, thus, its cost-effectiveness remains unclear. Early trials using only molecularly guided therapy were faced with the challenge of providing adequate measures of outcome, which probably explains the modest treatment benefits demonstrated. Endpoints like the progression-free survival (PFS)2/PFS1 ratio may assist in overcoming this issue. Moreover, specific tumour subtypes appear to benefit more from PCM. Costs associated with next-generation sequencing (NGS) for CGP are decreasing, but targeted therapy itself represents a major cost driver. CGP not only enables prediction of response to treatment, but also resistance, and could thus prevent administration of unnecessary (and costly) therapies. In clinical practice, the presence of clinical frameworks, such as the Recommendations for the Use of NGS for Patients with Metastatic Cancers from the ESMO Precision Medicine Working Group, and the ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets, are essential in appropriately identifying situations where PCM is clinically meaningful, thereby improving its cost-effectiveness.


The apparent uptake of mineral nitrogen (Nmin) from topand subsoil layers during the growth of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied in Prague-Ruzyne on clay loam Chernozem soil in years 1996–2003. Two (N0, N1) and three treatments, unfertilized (N0), fertilized with 100 kg (N1) and 200 kg (N2) nitrogen per hectare were observed in years 1996–2000 and 2001–2003, respectively. The apparent uptake of nitrogen from soil layers was calculated from the changes of Nmin content between sampling terms. Most of available mineral N in the soil down to 90 cm was almost fully depleted between tillering and anthesis in treatment N0. The uptake from subsoil layers was delayed and it continued during the period of grain filling in fertilized treatments. Nitrogen fertilization reduced utilization of N from subsoil. The apparent uptake of N from the zone 50–120 cm ranged from 21 to 62 kg N/ha in N0 and from 15 to 60 kg N/ha in N1 in years 1996–2000. In years 2001–2003 the corresponding values (50–130 cm) were 24–104 kg, 43–130 kg and 29–94 kg N/ha in treatments N0, N1 and N2, respectively. The uptake from 120 (130)–150 cm was around zero in a half of experimental years, and it reached at maximum 12 kg/ha in N0 in 1997. There was a strong linear relation between the amount of Nmin in spring and the depletion of nitrogen from the zone 50–120 (130) cm, R2 = 0.94, 0.91 and 0.99 in N0, N1 and N2, respectively.


Monoclonal antibodies were raised against platelet integrins purified by affinity chromatography. Two monoclonal antibodies (5C5 and 3H8) reacted with the purified alpha 2 subunit of VLA-2 in Western blotting. The monoclonal antibody 3H8 also reacted with fibrinogen in Western blots and in ELISA tests. CNBr fragmentation of the alpha chain of fibrinogen generated two peptides which were still recognized by this monoclonal antibody in Western blotting. N-terminus sequencing of these two fragments showed that they were non-overlapping fragments of the fibrinogen alpha-chain with as only common epitope an RGD(F)/RGD(S) sequence. Dot blots and ELISA tests showed that the antibody 3H8 also recognized, however with lower affinity, fibronectin and collagen IV, which are RGDS containing extracellular matrix proteins. The assumption that Mab 3H8 recognizes an RGD sequence, was further supported by the findings that the binding of Mab 3H8 to fibrinogen was partially inhibited by RGDF containing peptides and that the antibody was able to inhibit platelet aggregation.


Abstract Simple and efficient synthesis of a novel fused bicyclic heterocyclic compound 3 by the reaction of ethyl 2-cyano-3,3-bis(methylthio)acrylate and thiourea in the presence of potassium carbonate in dimethylformamide under reflux conditions is reported. The optimized molar ratio of the substrates is 2:1. The parent compound was used for further derivatization by using a synthetic strategy that is based on suitability of the substituted pyrimido[2,1-b][1,3]thiazine system to react as a bis-electrophilic species with various nucleophiles. Products 4a–e and 5a–e were obtained in good yields (65–76%).


Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) is a major public health problem worldwide. WHO estimates that 740 million people are currently affected by goitre. The consequences of iodine deficiency on health are the results of hypothyroidism and the main one is impaired development of foetal brain. IDD is the first cause of preventable brain damage in children. The recommended strategy to correct IDD rests upon salt iodisation. Over the last 20 years, the international community mobilised to eliminate IDD under the leadership of WHO, Unicef and ICCIDD. It resulted in remarkable progress in IDD control, especially in Africa and in South East Asia where the endemic is the most severe. It is estimated that 68% of the populations of affected countries have currently access to iodised salt. However, out of the 130 affected countries, about 30 have no programme. Besides, salt quality control and monitoring of population iodine status are still weak in many countries, thus exposing the population to an excessive iodine intake and subsequently to the risk of iodine-induced hyperthyroidism. In addition, IDD is re-emerging in some countries, especially in Eastern Europe after it had disappeared. In order to reach the goal of IDD elimination, it is important to insist on the sustainability of salt iodisation programmes, which implies an increased commitment of both health authorities and representatives of the salt industry.


Genetic variation between cancer patients with the same tumor and intratumor genetic heterogeneity have broadened the complexity of factors that contribute to clinical therapeutic resistance and poor response outcomes. This has made it imperative to identity atypical expressed outliers that influence the maintenance and progression of cancers. We have identified and investigated the spectraplakin protein, Microtubule Actin Cross-Linking Factor 1 (MACF1) which functions as an actin-microfilament and microtubule crosslinker for its role in lung cancers. Genomic data generated by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) indicate that the MACF1 gene is mutated and/or amplified in ∼15% of squamous lung cancers and 25% of lung cancers, respectively. Further examination with immunohistochemistry expression analysis revealed that MACF1 is highly expressed in several lung cancer subtypes, particularly adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, as compared to normal lung tissue. Additionally, functional studies showed that suppression of MACF1 with RNA interference significantly impaired the reproductive capacity of these solid tumors. Taken together, MACF1 represents a unique target with genetic alterations and diagnostic biomarker potential in lung cancers, the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Citation Format: Najlaa Afghani, Quincy A. Quick. Characterization of the cytoskeletal protein MACF1 in lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4750.


In Italian schools, we often attend meetings of artists with the teacher, especially because in kindergarten and primary schools, the tendency is to assign to a "specialist" the curricular and extra-curricular activities of visual expression, theatre, music, drama and choreography: those activities are considered to be too specific to be taught by a teacher considered a "generalist". This work offers a reflection on the role and identity of the artist-teacher in Italy today, to identify the critical urgencies, the relationship with institutions, limits and potential. Today, all these issues go beyond a single disciplinary field to address a broader concept of culture and, inevitably, of the human being. Mouving from a reflection on the need to develop more carefully the creative experiences in the formal contexts of our country, this contribution aims to offer a first approach to the roles and identities of the artist-teacher in Italy today, to identify the critical urgency, the relationship with institutions, limits and potential.


Learning-by-export effects exist due to the nature of the creation, accumulation, transfer of knowledge, as well as the companies' absorption capacity to accumulate and adapt the best experience, competences borrowed from abroadwithin the organization. The length and direction of exports have a significant impact on the innovation activities of organizations, while innovations do not always encourage the leaders to initiate export activities. In the course of empirical research, we have identified the following rules in relation to Russian IT-firms:1) New IT-exporters have no visible link between the introduction of new products, technologies and the start of exports. Investments in research and development, which may have been initiated after entering foreign markets or at the same time, have not yet yielded results. 2) Stable export activity encourages IT-companies to apply new technological, process and marketing innovations that were not previously part of the firm's plans, much more often than firms in the local market. 3) The impact of external knowledge effects on the productivity of IT-companies depends on the geographical direction of exports: a) the markets of the near abroad (CIS countries) and Russia itself;b) the markets of the far abroad. 4) Investments in R&D, marketing and production of new products are more typical for companies located in capitals (Moscow and Saint-Petersburg). On the contrary, the relationship between the presence of an international office and the introduction of innovations has not been proven. The size of companies has only affected the production of new technologies: if a company is a medium-sized enterprise or a larger one, the probability of innovation is increased by 22%. 5) The smaller the firm, the lower its desire to participate in extensive innovation networks, increase the number and diversity of external relations. The size of the company determines the level of influence of cooperation with other market participants on its internal innovation processThe article discusses the classification of knowledge spillover effects, the methodology of the study, the analysis of the economic impact of the process "flow" as a result of entering foreign markets. The paper's emphasis is on assessment of recipients' capabilities to accumulate new knowledge in the course of export activities, to extract advantages in terms of future development such as increasing innovation activity and, consequently, attractiveness, resulting in higher performance efficiency.


Micro-focus computed tomography (CT), which allows the hyperfine structure within objects to be reconstructed, is a powerful nondestructive testing tool in many fields. However, current x-ray sources for micro-focus CT are typically limited by their relatively low photon energy and low flux. An all-optical inverse Compton scattering source (AOCS) based on laser wakefield acceleration can generate intense quasi-monoenergetic x/gamma-ray pulses in the kilo- to megaelectronvolt range with micrometer-level source size, and its potential application for micro-focus CT has become very attractive in recent years because of the rapid progress made in laser wakefield acceleration. Reported here is a successful experimental demonstration of high-fidelity micro-focus CT using an AOCS (∼70 keV) by imaging and reconstructing a test object with complex inner structures. A region-of-interest CT method is adopted to utilize the relatively small field of view of the AOCS to ensure high spatial resolution. This demonstration of AOCS-based region-of-interest micro-focus CT is a key step toward its application in the field of hyperfine nondestructive testing.


Minimally invasive, image guided radiofrequency ablation RFA now provides an effective local treatment of isolated or localized neoplastic diseases, and is also being used as an adjunct to conventional surgery, systemic chemotherapy or radiation. It is now the front line treatment in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and its use in other neoplastic diseases continues to expand. This update introduces the technique to alleviate inoperable tumours and application of RFA in therapeutic imaging.


Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a fastidious, gram-negative coccobacillus that infects vertebrates, especially rabbits and rodents. In humans, tularemia is classified into six major syndromes: ulceroglandular (the most common form), glandular, typhoidal, oculoglandular, oropharyngeal, and pneumonic. The case-fatality rate among humans can reach 30%-60% in untreated typhoidal cases. Although bites from ticks and handling infected animals are considered the most common modes of tularemia transmission in the United States, the disease also is spread through ingestion of contaminated food or water, inhalation, and insect bites. During 2001-2003, Wyoming experienced an increase in reported human cases of tularemia. This report describes the subsequent investigation by the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), which indicated that 1) insect bites (particularly from deerflies and other horseflies) were the most commonly reported likely mode of transmission, and 2) the increase in cases was geographically and temporally associated with an outbreak of tularemia among rabbits in southwestern Wyoming. To obtain a timely diagnosis and provide information on appropriate preventive measures, health-care providers and public health officials should have knowledge of the local epidemiology of tularemia, particularly regarding modes of transmission and resultant clinical syndromes.


Silicon oxide layers have shown irreversible reductions in electrical conductivity when first exposed to the atmosphere. With films evaporated slowly (rate of evaporation equal to 10 Å s−1) the reduction is accompanied by polarization. It is found that significant conduction measurements following exposure to the atmosphere can only be made on films deposited more rapidly, i.e. at about 30 Å s−1.


Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)2, FGF4, FGF7 and FGF20 are representative paracrine FGFs binding to heparan-sulfate proteoglycan and fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs), whereas FGF19, FGF21 and FGF23 are endocrine FGFs binding to Klotho and FGFRs. FGFR1 is relatively frequently amplified and overexpressed in breast and lung cancer, and FGFR2 in gastric cancer. BCR-FGFR1, CNTRL-FGFR1, CUX1-FGFR1, FGFR1OP-FGFR1, MYO18A-FGFR1 and ZMYM2-FGFR1 fusions in myeloproliferative neoplasms are non-receptor-type FGFR kinases, whereas FGFR1-TACC1, FGFR2-AFF3, FGFR2-BICC1, FGFR2-PPHLN1, FGFR3-BAIAP2L1 and FGFR3-TACC3 fusions in solid tumors are transmembrane-type FGFRs with C-terminal alterations. AZD4547, BGJ398 (infigratinib), Debio-1347 and dovitinib are FGFR1/2/3 inhibitors; BLU9931 is a selective FGFR4 inhibitor; FIIN-2, JNJ-42756493, LY2874455 and ponatinib are pan-FGFR inhibitors. AZD4547, dovitinib and ponatinib are multi-kinase inhibitors targeting FGFRs, colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)R2, and others. The tumor microenvironment consists of cancer cells and stromal/immune cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), endothelial cells, M2-type tumor-associating macrophages (M2-TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells. FGFR inhibitors elicit antitumor effects directly on cancer cells, as well as indirectly through the blockade of paracrine signaling. The dual inhibition of FGF and CSF1 or VEGF signaling is expected to enhance the antitumor effects through the targeting of immune evasion and angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment. Combination therapy using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (FGFR or CSF1R inhibitors) and immune checkpoint blockers (anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies) may be a promising choice for cancer patients. The inhibition of FGF19-FGFR4 signaling is associated with a risk of liver toxicity, whereas the activation of FGF23-FGFR4 signaling is associated with a risk of heart toxicity. Endocrine FGF signaling affects the pathophysiology of cancer patients who are prescribed FGFR inhibitors. Whole-genome sequencing is necessary for the detection of promoter/enhancer alterations of FGFR genes and rare alterations of other genes causing FGFR overexpression. To sustain the health care system in an aging society, a benefit-cost analysis should be performed with a focus on disease-free survival and the total medical cost before implementing genome-based precision medicine for cancer patients.


Recent studies on neutrophils have revealed that these cells produce various cytokines, and may be involved in regulation of the immune response. We examined whether neutrophils are involved in delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to SRBC in rats by selective depletion of in vivo neutrophils using a mAb designated RP-3. When the rats had been treated with RP-3 at the time of priming with SRBC, DTH to these cells was inhibited. Furthermore, RP-3 treatment was effective in inhibiting the effector phase of the DTH response to SRBC. When spleen cells from rats that had been treated with RP-3 at the time of immunization were used for local transfer of DTH, footpad swelling was significantly less than that induced by spleen cells from the RP-3-untreated immune rats.


Abstract
The VA File Manager is a field-developed application programming tool, written in the standard MUMPS programming language, that was designed to assist an extensive field-conducted VA health care and medical administrative automation effort. The File Manager increases the speed at which computer specialists can develop computer programs in the already facile MUMPS language and enables nonprogrammers to develop substantive applications without even learning a programming language. These are primarily textual applications having substantial data bases. The File Manager has been actively used by computer professionals, clinicians and medical administrators at VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) for over two years. A significant number of File Manager-based applications that are actively used at one or more VAMCs nationwide have resulted from this use.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

In Argentina the renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the 9th cause of death for cancer in males and 13th in women. Clear cell RCC (ccRCC), the most common histological type of RCC, exhibits a wide spectrum of molecular characteristics that are closely associated with the deregulations of metabolic pathways involved in oxygen-, iron-, energy-, or nutrient-sensing. Primary ccRCC comprises a heterogeneous group of entities with variable clinical outcomes, so the understanding of their molecular features has critical importance to define individual metastatic risk. The aim of this study was to determine tumor tissue expression of specific molecules associated with angiogenic pathways triggered by hypoxic conditions (VEGFR1/Flk-1, VEGFR2/Flt-4 and PDGF-A receptor), with the glucose metabolism (Glut-1) or with survival pathways (p53). Antigen expressions were analyzed by immunohistochemistry on formalin fixed paraffin embedded ccRRC tumors [men: n=18, age: Md 55 years (range 46-72); women: n=12, age: 54.5 (49-82)], from patients who underwent a surgical resection as first treatment. The relationships between the expression of the different antigens and the known prognostic factors in ccRCC were analyzed by Chi-square. The Pearson test was used for correlation analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate disease-free survival (DFS). We observed that about 60-70% of ccRCC tumors expressed VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and Glut-1 at membrane level, but only 15% of them showed PDGF-A staining. In addition, 34% of samples expressed p53 at nuclear level. VEGFR1 expression correlated with the expression of the other membrane receptors studied (p<0.05 Pearson test). Interestingly VEGFR2 and PDGF-A immunopositivity on ccRCC tumors could be associated with the presence of metastasis at diagnosis (p<0.05, Chi square test). On the other hand, the expression of membrane VEGFR2 correlated with tumor size (p<0.01 Pearson). No association was observed between the expression of these biomarkers and histological grade, Fuhrman classification or clinical stage. Kaplan-Meier curves and Log rank test showed that no one of the tumor markers studied were associated with DFS; however we observed that those patients who never relapsed were negative for VEGFR2 and Glut1 antigens.In conclusion, we found that some of the studied biomarkers could be associated with some clinical parameters. In particular, VEGFR2 and PDGF-A membrane immunopositivity was associated with metastatic disease. However, the presence of these antigens in ccRCC samples obtained from surgery did not predict disease-free survival.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5570. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5570


This paper discusses two theoretically challenging phenomena concerning the phi-features on plural pronouns: (i) 'dependent plural pronouns', i.e. plural pronouns that denote atomic individuals, and (ii) partial binding, i.e. plural pronouns with more than one antecedent. I will offer a novel semantic account of these two phenomena where all occurrences of phi-features are both semantically and morphologically relevant. For such an analysis, dependent plural pronouns constitute the main problem. In order to explain the effects of phi-features on dependent plural pronouns, I will pursue the following idea: the phi-features on a dependent plural pronoun reflect the range of values the pronoun takes, rather than the particular value it denotes at a time. In order to implement this idea in a compositional semantics, I will make use of (Skolemized) choice functions. The proposed account is motivated by a novel observation regarding phi-features on dependent plural pronouns that do not have c-commanding antecedents. I will also demonstrate that it can be straightforwardly augmented with set indices to account for partial binding.


Yellow-orange lights, valuable in photodynamic therapies, spectroscopy, and optogenetics, are limited by the narrow bandwidth and bulky setup via the conventional Raman or optical parametric oscillation processes. Moreover, flatness in the broad-band spectrum is also important for the aforementioned applications with extended functions. In this paper, by carefully designing grating-periods of a step-chirped PPMgLN ridge waveguide for sum frequency generation (SFG), we report a compact broad-band yellow-orange light with bandwidth of 5.6 nm and an un-reported flatness (<1.5 dB). Correspondingly, the optical conversion efficiency is 232.08%/W, which is the best SFG efficiency for PPMgLN at the yellow-orange region, to the best of our knowledge. The results could also be adopted for other broad-band SFG process toward the vis-infrared region in an integrated structure.


Background: Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGFR) signaling promotes tumorigenic properties which makes targeting IGFR an attractive therapeutic target. IGF signaling has been linked to proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, metastasis and resistance to anticancer therapies, and contributes to pediatric malignancies including Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Recently, monoclonal antibodies targeting IGFR have shown promise in a limited number of sarcoma patients. A substantial proportion of patients demonstrate intrinsic resistance, and those that do respond will often lose clinical benefit (acquired resistance). Intrinsic and acquired resistance ultimately results in failure to respond to treatment and continued growth of the tumor. Understanding these resistance mechanisms will identify combinations of targeted therapy to optimize therapeutic efficiency of this targeted agent. Methods: To test intrinsic and acquired mechanisms of resistance, we utilized Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) Arrays to analyze the phosphorylation status of 49 RTKs. For intrinsic resistance, we used a panel of Ewing Sarcoma (EWS) cell lines that are unresponsive to TZ1, a monoclonal antibody that targets IGFR. For acquired resistance, we developed a TZ1 resistant rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cell line from TZ1 sensitive RH41 cells. The cell lines were treated with TZ1, an anti-IGFR monoclonal antibody. Signaling changes were assessed by comparing phosphorylation status of the RTKs in the untreated versus treated cells in the inherent resistance model and in the parental versus resistant cells in the acquired resistance model. Results: TZ-1 treatment of the EWS cell lines with intrinsic resistance decreased pIGFR, but these cells were characterized by expression of multiple phosphorylated RTKs. In the Rh41 acquired resistance model, increased activation of signaling pathways was detected in the resistance cells including: AXL, PDGFR, FGFR4 and ALK. Treatment of parental Rh41 cells with TZ1 also rapidly induced several activated RTKs. In TZ1-resistant Rh41 cells combined treatment of TZ1 with the PDGFR inhibitor, crenolanib, and the pan-FGFR inhibitor LY2874455 resulted in significant decrease in cellular proliferation. Conclusions: Intrinsic resistance to TZ1 in EWS cell lines appears to be due to redundancy through multiple alternative activated RTKs. Systematic knockdown to determine which activated RTKs confer resistance is being undertaken. In Rh41 RMS cells acquired resistance to TZ1 is characterized by induction of several alternative activated RTKs, some of which are induced rapidly after TZ1 exposure. Combined treatment with TZ1 and drugs targeting PDGFR and FGFR was effective at overcoming resistance. These results suggest that identification of signaling pathways that compensate for IGFR inhibition can lead to effective potent multi-target combination therapy. Supported by USPHS Grant CA165995. Citation Format: Terry J. Shackleford, Seethalakshmi Hariharan, Hemant K. Bid, Peter J. Houghton. Mechanisms of resistance to IGFR-targeted therapy in pediatric sarcomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2472.