In terms of the known surface wave stability characteristics of the simpler single-interface problem, we have explained the known stability behavior of antisymmetric and symmetric solutions of a linear core sandwiched between two nonlinear media. Our method considers the lateral shift of the nonlinear surface wave on one interface caused by the wave on the second interface. The appearance of complex growth rates in the case of the antisymmetric solution is explained by using this method. We show that the antisymmetric wave is stable at high values of the propagation constant, in contrast to the symmetric wave. We give simple physical explanations for the difference in stability results for the symmetric and the antisymmetric states in terms of a general physical principle, according to which a particle combination with less energy than the sum of the energies of its constituent states is stable.


Low levels of vitamin D, measured as 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25-OHD), in patients with non-CF bronchiectasis (NCFB) have previously been correlated with more rapid deterioration in lung function, higher bacterial colonisation rates, and increased frequency of infective exacerbations (Chalmers, J.D. et al . Thorax 2013; 68:39-47). Electronic records of 120 patients (68% female; median age 67 years) attending a bronchiectasis clinic in 2013 were reviewed retrospectively to ascertain the incidence of low levels of vitamin D and its relationship with bacterial colonisation and exacerbations. Levels of 25-OHD were measured in only 44 (37%) of patients. Levels were deficient or insufficient (low) in 15 (34%) of these. Of these 44, those with low 25-OHD levels had fewer sputum isolations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (40% vs. 45% and 7% vs. 10% respectively), but more frequent isolation of Haemophilus influenzae (40% vs. 31%). There were fewer exacerbations requiring intravenous antibiotics in those with low 25-OHD (7% vs. 28%). None of these differences reached statistical significance. Those with low 25-OHD were more likely to have had it measured in winter or spring. There was no difference in prescription of either calcium or combined calcium and vitamin D supplements between groups. In this small study we have not shown any link between vitamin D levels and exacerbations or sputum colonisation in our NCFB patients. However, sample size was small and the majority of patients had not had vitamin D measured. Finally, vitamin D levels are known to fluctuate seasonally. If they are to be included in the assessment of NCFB patients it would make sense to standardise the time of level measurement.


Abstract Background Early detection of AF is critical for stroke prevention. Several commercially available smartwatches are FDA cleared for AF detection. However, little is known about how patient-physician relationships affect patients' anxiety, activation, and health-related quality of life when prescribed smartwatch for AF detection. Methods Data were used from the Pulsewatch study (NCT03761394), which randomized adults (>50 years) with no contraindication to anticoagulation and a CHA2DS2-VASc risk score ≥2 to receive a smartwatch-smartphone app dyad for AF monitoring vs. conventional monitoring with an ECG patch (Cardea SoloTM) and monitored participants for up to 45 days. The Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions survey was used to assess patient confidence in physician interaction at baseline with scores ≥45 indicating high perceived efficacy in patient-provider interactions. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, Consumer Health Activation Index, and Short-Form Health Survey were utilized to examine anxiety, patient activation, and physical and mental health status, at baseline, 14, and 44 days, respectively. We used mixed-effects repeated measures linear regression models to assess changes in psychosocial outcomes among smartwatch users in relation to self-reported efficacy in physician interaction over the study period. Results A total of 93 participants (average age 64.1 ± 8.9 years; 43.0% female; 88.2% non-Hispanic white) were included in this analysis. At baseline, fifty-six (60%) participants reported high perceived efficacy in patient-physician interaction. In the fully adjusted models, high perceived efficacy (vs. low) at baseline was associated with greater patient activation and perceived mental health (β 12.0, p-value <0.001; β 3.39, p-value <0.05, respectively). High perceived self-efficacy was not associated with anxiety or physical health status (β − 0.61, p-value 0.46; β 0.64, p-value 0.77) among study participants. Conclusions Higher self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction was associated with higher patient activation and mental health status among stroke survivors using smartwatches. Furthermore, we found no association between anxiety and smartwatch prescription for AF in participants with high self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction. Efforts to improve self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction may improve patient activation and self-rated health and subsequently may lead to better clinical outcomes. KEY MESSAGES Higher self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction was associated with higher patient activation and mental health status among stroke survivors using smartwatches. No association between anxiety and smartwatch prescription for AF in participants with high self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction. Efforts to improve self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction may improve patient activation and self-rated health and subsequently may lead to better clinical outcomes.


Helicoverpa armigera is an important pest of cotton and other agricultural crops in the Old World. Its wide host range, high mobility and fecundity, and the ability to adapt and develop resistance against all common groups of insecticides used for its management have exacerbated its pest status. An understanding of the population genetic structure in H. armigera under Indian agricultural conditions will help ascertain gene flow patterns across different agricultural zones. This study inferred the population genetic structure of Indian H. armigera using five Exon-Primed Intron-Crossing (EPIC)-PCR markers. Nested alternative EPIC markers detected moderate null allele frequencies (4.3% to 9.4%) in loci used to infer population genetic structure but the apparently genome-wide heterozygote deficit suggests in-breeding or a Wahlund effect rather than a null allele effect. Population genetic analysis of the 26 populations suggested significant genetic differentiation within India but especially in cotton-feeding populations in the 2006–07 cropping season. In contrast, overall pair-wise F ST estimates from populations feeding on food crops indicated no significant population substructure irrespective of cropping seasons. A Baysian cluster analysis was used to assign the genetic make-up of individuals to likely membership of population clusters. Some evidence was found for four major clusters with individuals in two populations from cotton in one year (from two populations in northern India) showing especially high homogeneity. Taken as a whole, this study found evidence of population substructure at host crop, temporal and spatial levels in Indian H. armigera, without, however, a clear biological rationale for these structures being evident.


In years when the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) is not conducted and when funds are available, the National Statistics Office administer the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey. The APIS has been conducted in the years 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2008. It presents the socio-economic profile of Filipino families and other information relating to their living conditions. This document makes it possible for users to understand better the APIS, its scope, how it differs from the FIES, and the objectives of the survey among others.


BACKGROUND
Our purpose was to assess the direct and indirect contribution of childhood socio-economic conditions to educational differences in leisure-time physical activity among women and men.

METHODS
Population-based data were derived from a representative sample of Finns aged >or=30 years (N = 7112) as part of Health 2000 Survey. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied. Leisure-time physical activity was divided into inactivity, moderate and high activity.

RESULTS
Childhood socio-economic conditions had both a direct and indirect effect through adulthood socio-economic conditions on educational differences in leisure-time physical activity. The direct effect of childhood socio-economic conditions on educational differences in inactivity was stronger than its indirect effects through adulthood socio-economic conditions and other health behaviours and related factors. Adulthood socio-economic conditions had a considerable indirect effect on educational differences in leisure-time physical activity through other adulthood health behaviours and related factors among men.

CONCLUSIONS
In order to narrow educational differences in leisure-time physical activity, we should secure a childhood environment that enables a physically active lifestyle, support leisure-time physical activity in diverse occupational groups, guarantee equal physical activity possibilities across different educational careers and support those with insufficient material resources.


Cell transplantation using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has emerged as a promising approach to repairing and regenerating injured or impaired organs. However, the survival and retention of MSCs following transplantation remain a challenge. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of co-transplantation of MSCs and decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) hydrogels, which have high cytocompatibility and biocompatibility. The dECM solution was prepared by enzymatic digestion of an acellular porcine liver scaffold. It could be gelled and formed into porous fibrillar microstructures at physiological temperatures. MSCs expanded three-dimensionally in the hydrogel without cell death. Compared to the 2-dimensional cell culture, MSCs cultured in the hydrogel showed increased secretion of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and tumor necrosis factor-inducible gene 6 protein (TSG-6), both of which are major anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic paracrine factors of MSCs, under TNFα stimulation. In vivo experiments showed that the co-transplantation of MSCs with dECM hydrogel improved the survival rate of engrafted cells compared to those administered without the hydrogel. MSCs also demonstrated therapeutic effects in improving inflammation and fibrosis of pancreatic tissue in a dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC)-induced rat pancreatitis model. Combinational use of dECM hydrogel with MSCs is a new strategy to overcome the challenges of cell therapy using MSCs and can be used for treating chronic inflammatory diseases in clinical settings.


58 1 of 9 ABSTRACT The predictability of Type A behaviour was measured in a sample of 375 professionals with a shortened version of the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Two structural equation models were constructed with the Type A behaviour achievement sub-scale and global (total) Type A as the predictor variables. The indices showed a reasonable-to-promising fi t with the data. Type A achievement was reasonably predicted by service-career orientation, internal locus of control, power self-concept and economic innovation. Type A global was also predicted by internal locus of control, power self-concept and the entrepreneurial attitude of achievement and personal control.


The present study examined patterns of cerebral activation during a working memory (WM) rehearsal task in individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and in healthy adults. BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)was performed using a 1.5TGE scanner to assess activation during aWMtask adapted fromthe Sternberg paradigm (Sternberg, 1969). Participants included 8 individuals diagnosed with MS, and 5 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age and education. Task difficulty was manipulated by increasing the length of time that strings of letters were to be rehearsed. Findings revealed increased right prefrontal cortex activation and increased right temporal lobe activation in individuals diagnosed with MS compared to HCs. The potential explanations for increased right hemisphere activation in persons with MS are discussed.


The susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) epidemic process on complex networks can show metastability, resembling an endemic equilibrium. In a general setting, the metastable state may involve a large portion of the network, or it can be localized on small subgraphs of the contact network. Localized infections are not interesting because a true outbreak concerns network-wide invasion of the contact graph rather than localized infection of certain sites within the contact network. Existing approaches to localization phenomenon suffer from a major drawback: they fully rely on the steady-state solution of mean-field approximate models in the neighborhood of their phase transition point, where their approximation accuracy is worst; as statistical physics tells us. We propose a dispersion entropy measure that quantifies the localization of infections in a generic contact graph. Formulating a maximum entropy problem, we find an upper bound for the dispersion entropy of the possible metastable state in the exact SIS process. As a result, we find sufficient conditions such that any initial infection over the network either dies out or reaches a localized metastable state. Unlike existing studies relying on the solution of mean-field approximate models, our investigation of epidemic localization is based on characteristics of exact SIS equations. Our proposed method offers a new paradigm in studying spreading processes over complex networks.


Several cMET inhibitors have been developed as novel therapeutic candidates and are under investigation in clinical trials. New preclinical models to study mechanisms underlying resistance to these targeted agents are essential, as resistance acquired during treatment may lead to relapse. The squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line EBC-1 harbors a cMET gene amplification and is sensitive to the cMET inhibitor crizotinib. Here, through multiple step selection with gradually increasing concentrations of crizotinib we established a resistant clone of these cells, termed EBC-CR. A tyrosine kinase activity assay did not show increased signaling of a bypassing pathway or renewed activity of cMET after crizotinib treatment. However, the pHsensitive pHRodo Green AM probe showed increased acidification of the cytoplasm and lysosomes of EBC-CR cells. Live cell fluorescence imaging also showed an increase in lysosomal number after crizotinib treatment, and the intracellular concentration of crizotinib was significantly lower in crizotinib-resistant EBC-CR cells as compared to the drug sensitive parental EBC-1 cells. These findings suggest that the impaired accumulation of crizotinib in EBC-CR cells, together with the increased acidification of the lysosomes, contributes to crizotinib resistance in cMET-amplified NSCLC cells. In conclusion, the present research identified a novel mechanism used by cancer cells to confer resistance to cMET inhibition. These results prompt future studies for the establishment of innovative therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance to cMET kinase inhibitors by modulation of lysosomal


In recent years, the interplay between traditional geometric topology and theoretical physics, in particular quantum field theory, has played a significant role in the work of many researchers. The idea of this workshop was to bring these people together so that the fields will be able to grow together in the future. Most of the talks in the workshop were related to Elliptic Cohomology, Differential K-Theory, or Topological Quantum Field Theory. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): AMS-CLASSIFICATION. Introduction by the Organisers The workshop Geometric Topology and Connections with Quantum Field Theory, organised by Stephan Stolz (Notre Dame) and Peter Teichner (La Jolla) was held June 12th–June 18th, 2005. As mentioned above, this workshop was intendend to bring together people working in the fields of traditional geometric topology and theoretical physics. For that purpose, the organizers asked several well known expositors like Dror Bar-Natan, Dan Freed and Graeme Segal to give survey lectures in some of the most exciting connections between topology and QFT. In what follows we give a brief survey of the three most central topics. Elliptic Cohomology: The elliptic cohomology of a space X is the home of the 'Witten genus of a family of 'string manifolds parametrized by X , similarly to the role of the K-theory of X as the home of the family version of the A-roof genus of a family of spin manifolds parametrized by X (i.e., a fiber bundle over X with spin manifold fibers). There is now a homotopy theoretic construction of elliptic 2 Oberwolfach Report 27/2005 cohomology (the 'topological modular form theory TMF of Hopkins and Miller) and one of the highlights of the workshop was Jacob Lurie's lecture about his new interpretation (and construction) of TMF via 'derived algebraic geometry'. This approach makes many aspects of TMF more transparent and allows for things like an equivariant version to be defined. There is also a family version of the Witten genus with values in TMF due to Ando, Hopkins, Reszk and Strickland, however, a geometric/analytic construction of elliptic cohomology and the Witten genus (say analogous to the description of K(X) as families of Fredholm operators parametrized by X) is still missing. This is despite a two decade old proposal of Graeme Segal to interpret elements of the elliptic cohomology of X essentially as families of conformal field theories parametrized by X. Segal gave the opening lecture in the workshop, surveying some of the progress along the lines of his proposal. During the last two years various more precise candidates for a geometric definition of elliptic cohomology were developed. These were represented by the talks of Rognes and Hu-Kriz and an informal evening session by Stolz-Teichner. Antony Wasserman presented an approach to construct outer representations of Lie groups which may well be the starting point of an equivariant version of one of these geometric theories. Differential K-Theory: The differential K-Theory of a manifold is a crossover between differential forms and K-theory. For example, Freed and Hopkins have recently announced a version of the Atiyah-Singer Index Theorem which is expressed as an equality of an 'analytical and a 'topological index, both of which live in a 'differential K-theory group. This version of the Index Theorem represents a common generalization of the K-theory version of the Index Theorem and the Local Index Theorem. This way, differential K-theory groups can be seen as the common place where geometric aspects of the manifold, encoded as index densities of associated geometric operators meet topological aspects encoded in the K-theory class represented by the principal symbol of these operators. Moreover, what physicists call 'abelian Gauge fields' also fits naturally into this context, where, depending on the phycisal setting, K-theory may have to be replaced by another generalized cohomology theory. Talks by Ulrich Bunke, Dan Freed, Mike Hopkins and Greg Moore represented this aspect of the workshop. Closely related is the geometry of 'gerbes; isomorphism classes of gerbes over a space X are classified by elements of H(X) (like complex line bundle are classified by H(X). As connections on complex line bundles show up in physics (as 'electromagnetic potential) so do geometric structures on gerbes ('B-fields) which in particular give 3-forms representing the deRham cohomology class of the gerbe. There are also nonabelian version of such gerbes, explained in lectures of AschieriJurco and related to Andre Henriques' talk. Topological quantum field theory: Recently, there has been much advance in this area of low-dimensional topology. Khovanov homology is a categorification of the Jones polynomial of knots in 3-space and it was used to distinguish the smooth and topological 4-genus of certain Alexander polynomial one knots. This is the first combinatorial, non Gauge theoretic, argument that smooth and topological Geometric Topology and Connections with Quantum Field Theory 3 4-manifold are very distinct. Dror Bar-Natan gave a survey of this theory and then Sergej Gukov explained an approach that could possibly lead to a categorification of the two variable Homfly-polynomial. Another very exciting conjecture in this area is the volume conjecture, relating a certain asymptotic behavior of the Jones polynomial at special values to the hyperbolic volume of a knot. Stavros Garoufalidis gave the closing lecture of the workshop on some progress that he and Thang Le made in this area. The format of the workshop was 4 lectures per day, except for Wednesday afternoon when we arranged a hike as well as a soccer game. We were very happy with the large amount of interaction that was going on inside and across the various groups of researchers. In addition, the relatively large number of young participants contributed a lot of activity through their curiosity and insistence. Finally, we are particularly thankful to the physicists Aschieri, Jurco, Gukov and Moore, as well as to the semi-physicists Freed and Segal for their participation. They were certainly among the most looked after discussion partners. Geometric Topology and Connections with Quantum Field Theory 5 Workshop: Geometric Topology and Connections with Quantum Field Theory


Finite crystallite size and strain in polycrystalline material led to broadening of the diffraction lines. By analyzing this broadening, it is possible to extract information on the microstructure of crystalline material. In this research, we obtained the microstructure of nanocrystalline CeO2 sample using synchrotron diffraction data, applying the whole powder pattern fitting and Williamson-Hall techniques. The volume weighted average crystallite size and the root-mean-square strain both averaged over all reflections found to be 225Å and 6×10 respectively. In another attempt a model of lognormal size distribution of spherical crystallite has been used and the average volume weighted crystallite sizes of 234 Å and average area weighted size of 168Å have been determined, respectively.


– The hybrid aeroacoustic approach is an ef fi cient way to address the issue of the disparity of scales in Computational AeroAcoustics (CAA) at low Mach numbers. In the present paper, three wave equations governing propagation of fl ow-induced sound of low Mach number fl ows, namely the Perturbed Convective Wave Equation (PCWE), Ribner ' s Dilatation (RIB) equation, and Lighthill ' s wave equation, are applied using the Finite Element Method (FEM). An air fl ow through a circular pipe with a half-moon-shaped ori fi ce at three operating fl ow speeds is considered, where validation data from measurements on a dedicated test rig is available. An extensive analysis of the fl ow fi eld is provided based on the results of the incompressible fl ow simulation. The resulting acoustic source terms are investigated, and the relevant source term contributions are determined. The results of the acoustic propagation simulations revealed that the PCWE and RIB are best suited for the present task. The overall deviation of the predicted pressure spectra from the measured mean values amounted to 2.26 and 2.13 times the standard deviation of the measurement compared to 3.55 for Lighthill ' s wave equation. Besides reliably predicting the fl ow-induced sound, the numerical procedure of source term computation is straightforward for PCWE and RIB, where the source term contributions, shown to be relevant, solely consist of time derivatives of the incompressible pressure. In contrast, the Lighthill source term involves spatial derivatives and, thus, is strongly dependent on the spatial resolution and the numerical method actually used for approximating these terms.


Introduction: Perception of pain and the need to treat it is highly variable, even amongst oncologists. Availability of pain specialists is an added advantage. This is an analysis of prescription patterns of pain medication and its outcome in cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The center has 8 oncologists and a pain and palliative care specialist. All the patients presenting to the outpatient department of our institute with a diagnosis of cancer were prospectively analyzed for usage of pain medication using a structured questionnaire. Data on diagnosis, stage, treatment given, and outcomes were analyzed. Pain intensity was recorded on visual analogue scale, types of pain medicines used, and their side effects were noted. The average cost of the pain medication purchased in our pharmacy was calculated. Use of alternative medicines was also noted. Results: A total of 1,098 cancer patients were evaluated. Pain was a prominent complaint in 64.6% of patients. Of these, only 89.5% received pain medication. Mild, moderate, and severe pain was seen in 52.1%, 26.7%, and 21.2% respectively. The 3 most common diagnoses were breast cancer in 19.7%, gastrointestinal cancer in 14%, and 12.1% with head and neck cancers. Weak opioids and NSAIDS were most commonly prescribed analgesics in 44.2% and 42.1%, respectively. Morphine was prescribed for 13.7% of patients. The average cost of pain medicines is Re 148 (US $2.25 a month). Side effects from medication were seen in 13.5% of patients, with constipation being the most common. Alternative forms of medicine were reportedly used by 148 patients: Ayurveda by 20.8%, and homeopathy by 12.9%, native medication by 6.1%, Unani by 1.8%. Good relief of pain was reported by 66%, fair relief by 27%, no relief by 6.1%, and worsening by <1%. Conclusion: Pain management is near ideal with the availability of services of pain and palliative care specialist in a cancer center.


In 1980, malignant neoplasms ranked 3rd as a cause of death in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a crude mortality rate of 89.8 per 100,000. Cancer mortality data for 1979-1981 are presented for the State, with the objective of analyzing regional differentials. For the purpose of comparing mortality from the most important cancers, the State was divided into three regions: Capital, Metropolitan Belt and Interior, on the basis of the geographical structure of the State--which gave rise to the present urbanization patterns. Average annual age and sex-specific mortality rates per 100,000 were calculated for the period 1979-1981 for each cancer site and for 5-year age groups up to 79 years and for 80 years and above. Age standardized rates (ASR) were calculated by direct standardization to the world population and standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were also calculated with the objective of comparing different geographical areas. It was found that the most important malignant neoplasms among males were those of the lung (ASR 27.9), stomach (ASR 24.0), prostate, oesophagus and liver. The breast was the most important site for females (ASR 16.0), followed by the stomach (ASR 10.8), lung, cervix uteri and uterus (unspecified). The highest ASR were in the Capital (164.4 in males, 106.2 in females) and the lowest in the Interior (126.5 in males, and 91.3 in females). The highest SMR were found for breast (1.28), colon (1.71) and lung (1.70) cancers, the mortality rates for which were almost two-times higher in the Capital than in the Interior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


It is crucial to assess how technology and innovation management (TIM) scholars use case‐based research. Our study provides a theoretical systematic review of qualitative case‐based articles published in 31 TIM journals from 2013 to 2018. Our analysis of 311 articles uncovers patterns regarding rigor (including case justification and selection), transparency (including data collection and analytical methods), and paradigmatic consistency and pluralism. Our findings show some evidence of emerging pluralism in how TIM researchers perform qualitative case studies, but also highlight some worrying trends: paradigmatic inconsistencies, lack of transparency, and over‐reliance on specific approaches, all of which affect the value of case study research. We provide methodological guidelines for improving the use of qualitative case research in TIM.


Abstract I explore here whether linear mechanisms can explain directional selectivity (DS) in simple cells of the cat's striate cortex, a question suggested by a recent upswing in popularity of linear DS models. I chose a simple cell with a space-time inseparable receptive field (RF), i.e. one that shows gradually shifting latency across space, as the RF type most likely to depend on linear mechanisms of DS. However, measured responses of the cell to a moving bar were less modulated, and extended over a larger spatial region than predicted by two different popular "linear" models. They also were more DS in exhibiting a higher ratio of total spikes for the preferred direction. Each of the two models used for comparison has a single "branch" with a single spatiotemporally inseparable linear filter followed by a threshold, hence, a "1-branch" model. Nonlinear interactions between pairs of bars in a 2-bar linear superposition test of the cell also disagreed in time-course with those of the 1-branch models. The only model whose 1-bar and 2-bar predictions matched the measured cell (including a complete "4-branch" motion energy model that matches complex cells) has two branches that differ in phase by about 90 deg, i.e. in quadrature. Each branch has its own threshold that helps define the preceding spatiotemporal unit as a subunit even after the outputs of the two branches are summed. As subunit phases differ by only 90 deg, flashing bar responses of the 2-subunit model are similar to those of the 1-subunit model. Therefore, the number of subunits is hidden from view when testing with a conventional stationary bar. In summary, movement responses and nonlinear interactions between pairs of bars in the measured cell matched those of the 2-subunit model, while they disagreed with the popular 1-subunit model. Thus, multiple nonlinear subunits appear to be necessary for DS, even in simple cortical cells.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Lexaptepid pegol (LP) is a PEGylated L-stereoisomer RNA aptamer that binds and neutralizes hepcidin. Hepcidin, a 25 amino acid peptide induced by inflammatory stimuli is a pivotal regulator of iron resorption and iron release from intracellular stores, which are severely impaired in anemia of chronic disease. Disturbances in iron metabolism resulting in functional iron deficiency are a key component of anemia of chronic disease which frequently complicates malignant disease. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety and efficacy of hepcidin blockade by LP as sole treatment of anemia of chronic disease in patients with multiple myeloma, low grade Non-, or Hodgkin lymphoma.

Twelve patients with functional iron deficiency anemia with the following baseline characteristics, presented as median (range), were enrolled: age 64 years (35-77), Hb 9.6 g/dL (8.0-10.7), serum ferritin 317 µg/L (193-2805), serum iron 29 µg/dL (18-97), TSAT 12% (6-46). LP was injected i.v. at a dose of 1.2 mg/mg, TIW for 4 weeks. Blood counts, serum biochemistry, and iron status were evaluated weekly until two weeks post treatment and at week four after the end of therapy. The primary endpoint was increase in Hb by ≥1 g/dL at any time between start of therapy until 1 week after end of treatment. The study has the clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT 01691040.

Five of the 12 patients reached the target Hb increase of ≥1 g/dL, 3 patients achieved this goal within 2 weeks. Four of the 5 responding patients had hypochromic anemia (MCH 22-26 pg) and moderately increased baseline ferritin levels (200-350 µg/L). Median serum ferritin decreased from 317 to 232 µg/L (p=0.014) in the entire cohort of patients, and from 253 to 203 µg/L in responders (p=n.s). Reticulocyte hemoglobin increased from 22.0 to 25.2 pg (p=0.019) in responding patients, while in non-responders no increase was noted (30.0 to 30.1 pg). Similarly, a trend to increased reticulocyte index was observed in the responding patients (median: 0.9 to 1.3, p=n.s.) only. Soluble transferrin receptor levels (sTFR) showed a trend to decrease in responders (10.6 to 10.3 mg/L, p=n.s.), but remained unchanged in non-responders. Treatment with LP was well tolerated without major adverse reactions.

In conclusion, LP induced a significant increase in Hb levels (≥1 g/dL) in 5 of 12 patients. Responding patients showed an increase in red cell and reticulocyte hemoglobin, and decrease in sTFR. These results support the concept of hepcidin inhibition for treatment of cancer associated anemia with functional iron deficiency. Patients with signs of iron deficiency as documented by hypochromic anemia, no excessive increase in ferritin and high sTFR levels showed a higher likelihood to respond to LP.

Citation Format: Pencho Georgiev, Mihaela Lazaroiu, Luminita Ocroteala, Janet Grudeva-Popova, Emanuil Gheorghita, Mariana Vasilica, Sanda M Popescu, Andrei Cucuianu, Luciana Summo, Frank Schwoebel, Kai Riecke, Heinz Ludwig. The anti-hepcidin Spiegelmer® Lexaptepid Pegol (NOX-H94) as treatment of anemia of chronic disease in patients with multiple myeloma, low grade lymphoma, and CLL: A phase II pilot study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3847. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3847


In the near future, vehicles will exchange safety-critical information messages wirelessly with other vehicles on the road and with infrastructure. It is vital to provide secure mechanisms to validate the authenticity and integrity of these messages. The IEEE Standard 1609.2–2006 defines the format of secure messages and identifies security algorithms and mechanism for use in Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment (WAVE). Due to the high mobility of vehicles, it is necessary to provide WAVE with low communication latencies and high speed data processing. Adding a security layer to WAVE will cause undesirable increases in the length of safety-critical message and in the time to process these messages. In this paper, we propose the use of implicit certificates in the IEEE Standard 1609.2 since the size of an implicit certificate is shorter than the size of an explicit certificate. We also propose two broadcast communication protocols that utilize implicit certificates for use in WAVE communication networks.


Patent foramen ovale has been suggested to be a risk factor for cryptogenic stroke by means of paradoxical embolism. The data, however, are complex, conflicting and largely unavailable. In this review, we attempt to summarize the existing data separately for the questions of whether patent foramen ovale is associated with cryptogenic stroke and whether it is a risk factor for a first ischemic stroke and for recurrent strokes. Treatment options will be discussed, and the different viewpoints from the two specialists mainly involved in the care of those complex patients (neurologists and cardiologists) will be provided.


Objective The prevalence of schizophrenia is 1%, and it is a debilitating disorder that often results in a shortened lifespan. Peripheral blood samples are good candidates to investigate because they can be easily drawn, and they are widely studied in psychiatric disorders. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA transcripts. They regulate the expression of genes by binding to the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs and pointing them to degrade. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression of miR-9-5p, miR-29a-3p, miR-106-5p, miR-106b-5p, miR-107, miR-125a-3p, and miR-125b-3p in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Methods We collected blood samples from 16 patients with schizophrenia and 16 healthy controls. MicroRNAs were measured with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results Schizophrenia patients showed statistically significant upregulation of five microRNAs: miR9-5p (p=0.002), miR29a-3p (p<0.001), miR106b-5p (p=0.002), miR125a-3p (p<0.001), and miR125b-3p (p=0.018). Conclusion Our results increased the value of the miR106 and miR29 families as potentially and consistently dysregulated in psychiatric disorders. Our results should be considered preliminary, and they need confirmation in future studies with larger sample sizes.


Cathechins and flavonoids are responsible of numerous health benefits. Two of the most representatives' compounds for their antioxidant and therapeutic effects are Epigallocatechin 3‐Gallate (EGCG), from green tea extracts, and morelloflavone (MF), from Garcinia dulcis. Here we explore, by atomistic Molecular Dynamics simulations, how EGCG and MF interact with lipid bilayers and we show the salts' influence on their encapsulation degree in neutral liposomes. As a result, we found out that EGCGs naturally bind to the hydrophilic regions of phospholipids, positioning themselves mostly at the interface between water and lipid phases. The presence of a salt clearly influences the EGCG molecules' absorption and the total effect depends strongly on the salt nature and concentration. Beside, for MF, we observed a high stability of the intermolecular MFs aggregates in water that strongly penalizes the flavonoid's interaction with the lipid polar heads. However, salts can influence MF′s liposomal penetration, even if they are not able to promote completely its absorption inside the bilayer. For both compounds, the increase of penetration is more marked in presence of magnesium chloride, whilst calcium chloride showed the opposite effect.


Following decreasing vaccination rates over the last two decades, understanding the roots of vaccine hesitancy has become a public health priority. Vaccine hesitancy is linked to scientifically unfounded fears around the MMR vaccine and autism which are often fuelled by misinformation spread on social media. To counteract the effects of misinformation about vaccines and in particular the falling vaccination rates, much research has focused on identifying the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy. As antecedents of vaccine hesitancy are contextually dependent, a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be successful in non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic) populations, and even in certain (non-typical) WEIRD sub-populations. Successful interventions to reduce vaccine hesitancy must be based on understanding of the specific context. To identify potential contextual differences in the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy, we review research from three non-WEIRD populations in East Asia, and three WEIRD sub-populations. We find that regardless of the context, mistrust seems to be the key factor leading to vaccine hesitancy. However, the object of mistrust varies across WEIRD and non-WEIRD populations, and across WEIRD subgroups suggesting that effective science communication must be mindful of these differences.


Titanium is an ideal material for use in prosthodontics because of its biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and mechanical strength combined with its lightweight. Recently the use of titanium and titanium alloys for fixed restorations has increased substantially, mainly due to the improvement of techniques for the casting titanium and its alloys. This article reviewed the studies on titanium casting techniques in China. The rapid developments of the Chinese titanium industry make a good condition for doing researches on dental titanium castings. Now researches on dental titanium casting in China are very active and fast. In 1995 the first titanium casting machine was developed and worked well, by use of which titanium denture frameworks, titanium denture bases, titanium crowns and bridges and titanium-porcelain restorations could be made successfully. To expand the applications of titanium alloys as dental prosthodontic materials, TiZr alloy and TAMZ alloy for dental uses were also developed. Their physical and mechanical properties are better than pure titanium and their biocompatibilities are excellent. In order to solve problems of polishing and finishing of titanium castings, a series of surface treatment techniques and procedures were developed recently, including sandblasting, chemical dipping, mechanical polishing, chemical polishing, electrochemical polishing, and anodizing of titanium castings, which make the surface treatments of the titanium castings more easy and more efficient and have improved the surface qualities of the dental titanium castings.


Background Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men globally. This study aims at investigating the incidence rates and trends of prostate cancer in Lebanon, and to compare them to those of countries from different regions in the world. Methods Data on prostate cancer were obtained from the Lebanese national cancer registry for the years 2005 to 2016. The calculated age-standardized incidence and age-specific rates were expressed as per 100 000 population. Results In Lebanon, prostate cancer is ranked as the most common cancer in men. The age-standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer has increased from 29.1 per 100 000 in 2005 to 37.3 per 100 000 in 2016; the highest rate was in 2012, surpassing the global average incidence rate for that year. The age-specific incidence rate of prostate cancer has increased exponentially starting at the age of 50 years to reach its peak in men aged 75 years or more. Two trends were identified in the age-standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer; an average significant increase of 7.28% per year for the period 2005–2009 (P-value < .05), followed by a non-significant decrease of around .99% for the period between 2009 and 2016 (P-value > .05). The age-standardized incidence rate in Lebanon was higher than most countries in the Middle East and North Africa region and Asia, but lower than the rates reported in Australia, America, and different European countries. Conclusion Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among men in Lebanon. Screening practices, changes in population age structure, and prevalence of genetic and risky lifestyle factors may explain the increased incidence rates of prostate cancer. Given the controversy of screening recommendations and the slow growing nature of prostate cancer, increasing public awareness on ways of prevention, and implementing the latest screening recommendation of the United States Preventive Services Task Force are the suggested way forward.


Stock markets are responsible for the movement of huge amounts of financial resources around the world. This market generates a high volume of transaction data, which after being analyzed are very useful for many applications. In this paper we present BovDB, a data set that was built considering as source the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3) with information related to the years between 1995 and 2020. We have approached the events' impact on the stocks by applying a cumulative factor to correct prices. The results were compared with public data from InfoMoney and BR Investing, showing that our methods are valid and in accordance with the market standards. BovDB data set can be used as a benchmark for different applications and is publicly available for any researcher on GitHub.


The focus of this paper is on earthquake-resistant energy dissipation devices that do not support vertical loads, as well as the performance of a steel plate stiffened with wood. The authors describe an experimental study on a metallic yielding damper with wooden stiffeners, with intended application of such technologies to, for example, multi-story buildings.Energy dissipation devices stiffened with wood, excellent in design, and can improve seismic performance of buildings. The focus of this paper is on earthquake-resistant energy dissipation devices that do not support vertical loads, as well as the performance of a steel plate stiffened with wood. The authors describe an experimental study on a metallic yielding damper with wooden stiffeners, with intended application of such technologies to, for example, multi-story buildings. Energy dissipation devices stiffened with wood, excellent in design, and can improve seismic performance of buildings.


A novel reconstruction method from contours lines is provided. First, we use a simple method to get rid of redundant points on every contour, then we interpolate them by using cubic Bezier spline curve. For corresponding points of different contours, we interpolate them by the cubic Bezier spline curve too, so the whole surface can be reconstructed by the bi-cubic Bezier spline surface. The reconstructed surface is smooth because every Bezier surface is patched with G2 continuity, the reconstruction speed is fast because we can use the forward elimination and backward substitution method to solve the system of tridiagonal equations. We give some reconstruction examples at the end of this paper. Experiments showed that our method is applicable and effective.


Cancer growth is determined by cellintrinsic phenomena, such as activation of transcription programs responsible for cancer cell proliferation, and cell-extrinsic phenomena, such as an immune-mediated cancer surveillance. The identification of a number of leukemia-specific antigens and recent clinical advances in cancer immunotherapy underscore the potential for safer and more effective AML treatments. However, many immunotherapies such as cancer vaccines have often shown insufficient antitumor effects, likely due to "immune editing" by the strongly immunosuppressive AML microenvironment. One of the key transcription factors involved in tumorigenesis is STAT3, which is aberrantly activated (through tyrosine phosphorylation) in the majority of cancers. Constitutive STAT3 activity induces specific target genes that 1stimulate cell proliferation, prevent apoptosis, promote angiogenesis, and facilitate tumor immune evasion. STAT3 has also been shown to play a significant role in subversion of host immune responses and is responsible for the accumulation and the activation of immunosuppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells (Treg), Th17 cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and the absence of functional dendritic cells (DCs). Thus, targeting STAT3 both in cancer cells and immunosuppressive immune cells may result in restoration of immunocompetence, making it an attractive molecular target for the development of novel cancer therapeutics. A number of therapeutic strategies have explored selective inhibition of STAT3 signaling, including small molecule inhibitors and compounds, protein inhibitors, dominant-negative STAT3


OBJECTIVE
To develop an easy and safe method for catheterization and determine the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of enrofloxacin after intracoelomic administration in koi.

DESIGN
Prospective study.

ANIMALS
20 healthy koi.

PROCEDURE
6 koi were anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfonate, and a 23-gauge, three-fourths-inch butterfly catheter was inserted into the coelomic cavity and secured. Catheters were flushed daily for 6 days with 0.4 mL of sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution containing heparin (100 units of heparin in 250 mL of saline solution) without removing koi from the aquarium. At the end of the sixth day (144 hours), each of the 6 catheterized koi and 6 uncatheterized (control) koi was anesthetized individually. Enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg [4.5 mg/lb]) was administered to catheterized koi via the injection port and to control koi via a 23-gauge needle in the same site as the catheter placement. A pharmacokinetics study was performed on multiple plasma samples to validate the efficiency of the catheter. Reliability of the catheterization method was determined in 8 koi.

RESULTS
All 6 catheters remained patent and effective for the 6 days prior to the start of the pharmacokinetics study. Results for the 2 routes of administration were comparable, and all koi survived the study without any detectable clinical problems.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
An intracoelomic catheter was effective and safe when maintained in koi for at least 6 days. This would be highly beneficial for veterinarians, clients, and fish, especially when intracoelomic administration of a drug would require daily or more frequent dosing.


This study was commissioned by the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP) to review the current use of new technology in humanitarian cash and voucher programming and the broader implications for humanitarian practice. The research was undertaken to explore (i) preconditions for the use of technological mechanisms identified; (ii) user-friendliness of the technology for the recipient and for the agency; (iii) issues concerning accountability; and (iv) potential for wider impacts. The research discusses in detail three types of technology currently being used in aid programming: electronic payment systems, the use of mobile phones for text and voice communication, and digital data gathering tools. For each, the study outlines current use, examines benefits experienced and issues faced by the recipient and the agency and highlights key lessons learned. The study also looks briefly at new emerging uses of technology in aid programming including recipient management and crisis mapping. The report then looks at the potential benefits and risks of using new technologies in the cross-cutting areas of cost-effectiveness and accountability.


The purposes of this study were to determine the impact of physical activity on three different executive functions (shifting, inhibition, and updating) and to examine whether cardiovascular fitness was a good mediator of the positive link(s) between these variables. Sixty-three young adults (18-28 years), 30 young-old adults (60-70 years) and 30 old adults (71-81 years) were divided into physically active and sedentary groups according to physical activity level (assessed from an accelerometer and the Historical Leisure Activity Questionnaire). Cardiovascular fitness was assessed by VO2max from the Rockport 1 mile. Each executive function was assessed through three different experimental tasks. ANCOVAs revealed that the effect of physical activity level was specific to the old adults and significant for inhibition, but not for updating and shifting. Mediation analysis showed that this positive effect in the old adults group was mediated by cardiovascular fitness level. The present findings highlight the positive linkages among physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, and inhibition in aging.


According to data that would have been obtained precisely as a result of studying the changes caused by alcohol abuse in the female body which can help solve many abnormal conditions developing in the female reproductive system, such as oligodysmenorrhea and amenorrhea, the purpose of this study was to identify changes in the endometrium that occur in chronic alcoholism. The study included sectional material, selected from women who, according to history data (interviews with relatives) and autopsy data (presence of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver), had confirmed alcohol abuse. Microscopic examination of endometrium was carried out followed by morphometric examination with determining: the average diameter of the endometrial glands, the minimum diameter of the endometrial glands, the maximum diameter of the endometrial glands, gland wall thickness, the relative volume of the epithelium, and the thickness of the epithelium for the proliferative or secretory type of the endometrium. Based on the study, it can be assumed that alcohol abuse has a significantly significant effect on the female reproductive system as a whole, in particular, on the morpho-functional state of the endometrium, which is manifested by its statistically reliable thinning, hypoplasia of the glands, which was determined both in proliferative and in the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. Results of the morphometric study have to be interpreted as tendency to atrophy in endometrium with decreased by 13.7% the average diameter of the endometrial glands (from 51.71±2.90 x10-6 m to 44.65±2.48 x10-6 m), reduced diameter of the endometrial glands from 72.14±2.21 x10-6m to 64.13±3.90 x10-6m, abridged the relative volume of the epithelium. The study shows the importance of an individual approach in working with this cohort of patients, which may consist in proper history taking (to confirm alcohol abuse), detection of pathomorphological changes in the endometrium, which is important for the correct diagnosis and selection of the most effective treatment.


In recent years China has faced an increasing trilemma--how to pursue an independent domestic monetary policy and limit exchange rate flexibility, while at the same time facing large and growing international capital flows. This paper analyzes the impact of the trilemma on China's monetary policy as the country liberalizes its good and financial markets and integrates with the world economy. It shows how China has sought to insulate its reserve money from the effects of balance of payments inflows by sterilizing through the issuance of central bank liabilities. However, we report empirical results indicating that sterilization dropped precipitously in 2006 in the face of the ongoing massive buildup of international reserves, leading to a surge in reserve money growth. We also estimate a vector error correction model linking the surge in China's reserve money to broad money, real GDP, and the price level. We use this model to explore the inflationary implications of different policy scenarios. Under a scenario of continued rapid reserve money growth (consistent with limited sterilization of foreign exchange reserve accumulation) and strong economic growth, the model predicts a rapid increase in inflation. A model simulation using an extension of the framework that incorporates recent increases in bank reserve requirements also implies a rapid rise in inflation. By contrast, model simulations incorporating a sharp slowdown in economic growth such as that seen in late 2008 and 2009 lead to less inflation pressure even with a substantial buildup in international reserves.


Abstract The changing social position of people with disabilities can be studied through the changing importance of three discourses: (1) normality/deviance, (2) equality/inequality, and (3) us/them. The normality/deviance discourse represents questions about rehabilitation and integration. The equality/inequality discourse represents the struggle for economic welfare and equal rights. Finally, the us/them discourse represents a valuing of disability as a basis for identity formation and as a question of ethnicity. The situation for deaf people will serve as an empirical case for outlining the theory of the three discourses. The discussion points out that the us/the outsiders discourse is underdeveloped in disability theory, and possible strategies for development are outlined


Many school children have been subjected to traumatic experiences in school that have significantly effected their social adjustment in the classroom setting and their overall psychological and emotional status. Temple University, USA, have initiated a cross - national study to explore student victimization by educators and peers with emphasis on intra and inter-sample aspects of the types of traumatic stressors experienced by students. Students across several faculties at Griffith University will be presented with the opportunity to be participants in the research as part of an Australian cohort. The unique aspect of this research is the systematic exploration of the relation between bullying, the resulting stress symptoms of victims and resulting mental illness. The major instrument, the Students Alienation and Trauma Scale (SATS), will be used to develop bullying profiles and the extent of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms caused by bullying. The goal of this study is to extend our knowledge of school trauma beyond a basic understanding of specific situations and locations to a more comprehensive and global view of the types of traumas experienced by children at school. In the present study, the research design is outlined for the Griffith University component of the cross-national study will be presented.


Little work has been done to date in formally modeling concepts of lean construction, such as uncertainty, waste, flow, conversion, and push vs. pull techniques. This lack of formalization has been blamed in part on the inability of the project-management tools commonly used in industry to describe the construction process and its salient features at a level at which lean production can be studied. However, existing process-level construction models prove to be useful in this regard. Accordingly, this paper describes the use of computer software for discrete-event simulation to represent various construction process characteristics relevant to lean production. Two examples are provided. The first one illustrates the flow and conversion of pipe spools through their design and installation process. Spools exemplify unique materials, measured in discrete quantities. The second one illustrates the flow and conversion of concrete through its batching and placement process. Concrete exemplifies bulk materials, measured by volume. The examples show what types of system-level information can be generated using discrete-event simulation and how this information may be used to redesign construction processes in order to make them leaner.


The molecular defects responsible for tumorigenesis in adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a normal karyotype or an additional copy of one chromosome (i.e., trisomy) remain largely unknown. We recently discovered that approximately 90% of adult patients with de novo AML and trisomy 11 (+11) as a sole abnormality and 11% of adult patients with de novo AML and normal cytogenetics carry a molecular rearrangement of the ALL1 (MLL, HRX, or HTRX) gene. The rearranged ALL1 gene has been shown to result from the direct tandem duplication of a portion of ALL1 itself. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of leukemogenesis, we asked whether in cytogenetically normal cases one or both chromosomes carry the mutated allele and whether in trisomic cases the mutation is present in one, two, or three chromosomes. Herein we show that in cytogenetically normal cases of AML and in cases with +11 as a sole cytogenetic abnormality, only one chromosome contains the mutated ALL1 allele. Thus a single mutated ALL1 allele with the partial tandem duplication is sufficient for ALL1-associated leukemogenesis, irrespective of the number of normal genes present. The frequently occurring specific association of +11 and ALL1 gene mutation in the leukemic clone remains unexplained.


We now know that professionals can diagnose children with autism when they are as young as 2 years of age (Lord, 1995). Screening and the role of the pediatrician have become even more critical as we have recognized the stability of early diagnosis over time and the importance of early intervention. At this point, experts working with children with autism agree that early intervention is critical. There is professional consensus about certain crucial aspects of treatment (intensity, family involvement, focus on generalization) and empirical evidence for certain intervention strategies. However, there are many programs developed for children with autism that differ in philosophy and a lack of research comparing the various intervention programs. Most of the programs for children with autism that exist are designed for children of preschool age, and not all are widely known or available. While outcome data are published for some of these programs, empirical studies comparing intervention programs are lacking. In this review, existing intervention programs and empirical studies on these programs will be reviewed, with a particular emphasis on the birth to 3 age group.


The purpose of this dissertation in practice is to provide an in-depth self-examination of my service as a bishop (a lay clergy position) within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints (LDS). Through the use of autoethnography, I provide a narrative into some of the people and events that shaped my service as a leader. Doing this provides a lens to study the impact of leadership within direction, alignment, and commitment (DAC) (Drath et al., 2008) and the impact it can have on leadership-as-practice (L-A-P) (Raelin, 2016). Both DAC and L-A-P rely less on the process of leadership and more on the outcome of leadership, what people can accomplish together, and how leadership unfolds and emerges through shared experiences. The approach acknowledges leadership as a social phenomenon and incorporates relationships as part of the process of leadership emerging. When introducing DAC, Drath et al. (2006) acknowledged traditional methods of leadership focused on the tripod of leadership consisting of leaders, followers, and the common goals they share as an expression of their commitment, but also recognized a gap in leadership research and development. This led to a study of both the process and the outcome of leadership by looking at direction (the overall goals of the group and the mission that guides them), alignment (the coordination of actions of the group with a common goal), and commitment (the willingness of the group members to participate fully in achieving the collective interest of the group). These models are especially effective in studying the leadership of an organization like the LDS church because of the unique way leaders are chosen and leadership is carried out. Leaders are chosen from a congregation of members who are assigned that congregation based on where they live and not necessarily on previous leadership experience and training.


Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne javanica) interferes with the production of tomato. The indiscriminate use of chemical nematicides brings negative consequences to society. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of crambe extract on the control of M. javanica, with different modes and application times, in tomato. Studies were conducted during the 2014 cropping season at the climatized greenhouse located at the Biological Cotrol Complex and Protected Cultivation. Prof. Dr. Mário César Lopes, belongs to State University of West ParanáUNIOESTE, campus Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná, Brazil. The experiment was laid out in a factorial design. The roots of tomato seedlings were immersed in the extract, with different modes of application (roots + soil, roots + leaf, roots + soil + leaf), in four different times of application (before inoculation; during the inoculation; after inoculation; and weekly until 45 days after inoculation). Seven days after the transplant of tomato plants was performed, evaluations were made for the inoculation of 2.500 eggs of M. javanica (and 513 J2) per pot, and 45 days after inoculation. For egg mass, times after inoculation and weekly were efficient, with greater reduction by way of root + leaf and root + soil, respectively. The reduction of total root-knots was efficient for the weekly time by way of root + soil and root + soil + leaf, and lesser than 41 and 47.75% compared to the control. In the repetition of the experiment, for modes by root + soil + leaf in weekly applications, eggs mass and total root-knots were lesser than 60.95 and 27.95% compared to the control. Although, other methods and application times also present positive results in reducing J2 and eggs per gram of root and per 100 cm 3 of soil, the weekly time by way of root + soil + leaf confirmed their results in a repetition of the experiment with reduced population M. javanica.


This research was conducted to describe and analyze the ideology and the
structure of the text of advertising discourse in Tempo magazine which is in
tone with Van Dijk's theory in the form of three structures (1) macro analysis,
(2) superstructure, and (3) microanalysis. In this study, the analysis model used
was the Van Dijk model. There are three dimensions in the discourse described
by Van Dijk namely, text, social cognition, and social context. Critical
discourse analysis of Van Dijk's model is not merely analyzing the text but also
looking at the social structure existing in society. The ideology in the text of
the advertising discourse in Tempo magazine is as follows: first, the ideology
built-in messages delivery to the text of the Tempo magazine advertisement
discourse; secondly, the explanation in the text is more accurate and detailed
in the schematic section considered influential, third, the ideology of the text
of the advertising discourse in Tempo magazine is a part of element of syntax,
semantic, and rhetorical. Ideology in the text of the advertising discourse in
Tempo magazine is very dependent and influential in the social, political,
economic, and other contexts. In this study, there are study aspects that can be
relevant to the study of discourse analysis in higher education, namely a model
for analyzing texts based on the CDA approach. The results of this study can
be used as references to analyze written texts and in linguistic analysis.


The paper presents a communication layer, fitted to simulate incomplete information exchange among software agents inhabiting a simulation environment. The communication layer is designed to ensure simulation repeatability at the message exchange level. Message exchange impact on repeatability is found to have some addressable open issues within RoboCup-Rescue simulation environment's present stage. The RoboCup-Rescue simulation environment architectural model is considered. This model considers multiple heterogeneous software agents and several domain specific aspect simulators. In this model, a set of communicative acts sustains all inter-agent information exchange as well as agent-world acting and sensing capabilities. RoboCup-Rescue communicative acts are classified from the simulation repeatability perspective. It is assumed that agent's information exchange model, follows a connectionless simple request-reply communication pattern. A reliable UDP-based protocol, less resource demanding than TCP, is proposed. Incomplete information exchange is regarded as a nonfunctional facet. Knowledge of the environment communicative acts is introduced at the communication layer, so that application level independency is achieved on that nonfunctional facet. The paper describes the experiments and presents the results that validate the proposal of an UDP-based reliable protocol. The RoboCup-Rescue simulation environment is used to materialize and analyze the proposed classification of communicative acts.


BACKGROUND Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective evidence based treatment for depression. At present there is no reliable predictor of CBT in depression. Although the key to successful CBT in depression lies in altering maladaptive information processing, no previous imaging study has probed predictors of CBT response using pre-treatment neural encoding of information processing. METHODS: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging we scanned 37 unmedicated depressed subjects before and after completing computerised CBT (cCBT). We model the trial-by-trial appraisal of feedback information during a probabilistic learning task by means of a dynamic learning rate. To discriminate response to cCBT we capitalise on the pre-treatment blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activity encoding the dynamic learning rate as a function of feedback congruence and valence. Additionally, we probe between-group differences in the learning style encoded in the model's parameters. RESULTS We show BOLD activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) to be encoding the dynamic learning rate. Crucially, responders exhibit greater BOLD activity in the dmPFC during incongruent negative trials but lower BOLD activity during congruent negative trials than non-responders. Additionally, on between-group comparisons of model's parameter estimates we show responders take relatively greater account of previous feedback history and make comparatively smaller adjustments to the learning rate as a result of outcome surprisingness. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide novel and important insights into the cognitive mechanisms underpinning response to cCBT and lend support to the feasibility and validity of neurocomputational approaches to treatment prediction research in psychiatry.


The Norwegian welfare system has a direct effect on how families experience their parenting. While state intervention in families is mostly done with the goal of improving the lives of the citizens, there is no doubt that this can be experienced differently by different groups of people. Comprising four papers, this study has two distinct but interrelated aims. First, the study aims to gain an understanding of how parents perceive and experience their involvement with child welfare services (CWS). Under this first aim, the study explores parental experiences of CWS in different contexts internationally and then, specifically, those experiences for immigrant parents within Norwegian CWS. The second aim is to investigate the challenges of parenting among immigrant parents in a comprehensive welfare system, of which CWS are a part. Under this second aim, the study strives to gain an understanding of immigrant parents' experiences of parenting in a new context as well as how immigrant parents perceive the controlling role of the welfare system in their parenting.The data for this thesis consist of both secondary and primary data. Secondary data were collected in the form of previous research articles and inform the first aim of this study, which is how parents perceive and experience CWS. The secondary data consist of 15 articles on parental experiences of CWS. The primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with 18 immigrant parents representing 15 families in Norway. Ten of these families had contact with CWS and five did not. The data from the interviews inform the immigrant parents' experiences and perceptions of Norwegian CWS and the parenting challenges that immigrant parents experience in the Norwegian welfare state.The results of parents' experiences with CWS from both the secondary data and primary data revealed that parents experience their involvement with child welfare as emotionally stressful. This is attributed to how theyrelate with caseworkers, the procedures that characterise involvement with CWS, and parents' perceptions of help from CWS. Among immigrant parents, the results further show that certain past experiences and challenges associated with migration might further exacerbate vulnerability among immigrants when involved with CWS. In addition, the results show that parents perceive that their emotional expressions affect the progression of their cases, with some perceiving that resistance and anger are met with punishment, such as losing custody of one's children. This leads to several strategies in the form of emotional management among parents to appear cooperative in order to attract favourable outcomes.When exploring challenges that immigrant parents experience in parenting in a new context, the study revealed the differences between parenting related to expectations regarding the role of parents and concrete goals for parenting in daily tasks. The study concluded that immigrant parents experience the role of being parents as complex and more demanding in Norway than in their home countries. Three main themes were highlighted: an increased public/state intervention in family matters, a perceived emphasis on material provision as a measure of adequate/sufficient parenthood, and challenges related to socialising children into the traditional values and identity of their native country.When exploring immigrant parents' perceptions of the controlling role of the Norwegian welfare system in parenting, the results show that parents perceive that, in Norway, the responsibility of raising children lies with the state and not just the family. The results spread across four themes: feeling controlled, feeling stigmatised, feeling disempowered, and perceptions of damaging help from CWS. Parents' perceptions seem to draw from the broader welfare system and not just CWS. Perceptions of controlled parenting are perceived through suggestions/instructions on certain parental demands from different welfare institutions. The results also point to perceived public scrutiny on parenting embedded in institutions like schools, health services, and CWS. Parents perceived that their immigrant status led to being stigmatised as having neglectful and abusive parenting practices.In sum, these findings seem to imply that parents' perceptions of CWS are not only drawn from involvement with CWS but also their experiences as immigrants and that a perceived vulnerability in society perpetuates their challenges. Therefore, to understand immigrant parents' perceptions, there is need to adopt a broader approach that entails understanding immigrant parents' experiences of parenting in a comprehensive welfare state, where the role of the state in families is more explicit than it is in other countries. Having the broader welfare system as a point of departure provides more insights into how parents' perceptions can be understood, which is this study's main contribution.


Let us imagine a graceful bronze image of Dancing Śiva before us. It was perhaps created by a Cola artist in eleventh-century Tamilnad to be installed in a temple to receive offerings of worship, and to parade around the town in a ceremonial palanquin on festival days. From there, this image might have followed any of several paths to stand before us now in a North American museum. Perhaps it was buried under a banyan tree in the fourteenth century when invading Islamic armies, feared for their iconoclasm, marched through the Kaveri delta on their way to Madurai. It could have been disinterred in the nineteenth century, during British rule, by a Tamil workman on a road crew, who showed it to the civil engineer, who brought it to the attention of the District Collector, who passed it on to the Director of Archaeology. In the twentieth century, perhaps, when an international market developed for such objects, it might have ended up in an auction room, a cosmic dance sold to the highest bidder. Or a government expert on culture might have selected it, after its long hibernation in the basement storehouse of its temple, as an image worthy to travel abroad as an ambassador of independent India in the international diplomatics of traveling exhibitions.


Commemoration is rarely linked to invention in studies of funerary monuments; the value of artistic conservatism in expressing ideas of continuity and lineage is emphasized instead. While this may be the case for many medieval tombs, a unique monument in the collegiate church of St. Martin at Lowthorpe challenges this notion. The tomb depicts a tree growing from the recumbent effigies of a man and a woman, each of its thirteen branches sprouting a miniature, individualized human head. This article confronts the novelty and inventiveness of the memorial, considering what it might reveal about the mechanisms and purposes of artistic invention in fourteenth-century England. Examining ideas of influence, models, agency, and patronage, I argue that the innovative design at Lowthorpe should be understood as the product of collaboration among lay patrons, sculptors, and ecclesiastics in founding an ambitious ecclesiastical institution. Turning from the processes to the purposes of invention, I propose that the strangeness of the tomb enhanced its function as a focal point for remembrance, its polyvalent arboreal imagery representing and reinforcing the complex web of familial, institutional, and liturgical relationships within the college.


Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is an exfoliative skin disorder that may involve a large body surface area and mucosal surfaces. The microscopic changes that occur with this condition are similar to those that occur with superficial dermal burns, such as dermal detachment from the underlying dermis. Complications of TEN are related to the loss of the epithelial skin barrier and include pain, fluid and electrolyte loss, and an increased risk of sepsis. The treatment of a patient with TEN is best accomplished in a burn unit, where expert treatment of these complications can be provided. Medical treatment includes the administration of immunosuppressive therapy and the discontinuation of any previous corticosteroid treatment. Surgical management includes the debridement of necrotic areas. In this article, the surgical management of 8 consecutive patients with TEN who were admitted to the intensive care burn unit at the Hospital Universitario de Getafe in Madrid, Spain, from 1996 to 1998 is described. These patients were treated with extensive early debridement of necrotic skin areas followed by wound coverage with Biobrane (Dow B. Hickam, Inc, Sugarland, Tex), a temporary semisynthetic skin substitute. Skin coverage with this material decreases pain and fluid loss, and it possibly facilitates epithelization and decreases the risk of sepsis, without adverse side effects. This semisynthetic material meets some standards of an ideal skin substitute: it is easy to use, provides several beneficial physiologic effects, and improves patients' comfort. In the 8 cases of patients with TEN that were studied, the use of Biobrane skin substitute for the coverage of massive areas of detached skin was found to be an important aspect of treatment.


This document proposes a mechanism that allows the same SDP offer to
carry multiple IP addresses of different address families (e.g., IPv4
and IPv6). The proposed attribute, the "altc" attribute, solves the
backward-compatibility problem that plagued Alternative Network
Address Types (ANAT) due to their syntax. The proposed solution is
applicable to scenarios where connectivity checks are not required. If
connectivity checks are required, Interactive Connectivity
Establishment (ICE), as specified in RFC 5245, provides such a
solution.


Environmental change is omnipresent and occurs worldwide at a worrisome pace and extent. The current human impact on our planet is unprecedented and has resulted in lively debates about the Anthropocene. This proposed epoch in which humans significantly impact the earth's ecosystems challenge us to rethink the relationship between humans and 'nature' (Haraway et al. 2016, p. 535). Environmental change and increasing environmental degradation present one of the biggest future challenges for humanity. These manifest on a global scale and in specific local phenomena, embedded in complex relationships. As we show in this special focus, of crucial importance here is the fact that all these processes of environmental change are gendered.


Vascular anomalies, including local and peripheral thrombosis, are a hallmark of glioblastoma (GBM) and an aftermath of deregulation of the cancer cell genome and epigenome. Although the molecular effectors of these changes are poorly understood, the upregulation of podoplanin (PDPN) by cancer cells has recently been linked to an increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in GBM patients. Therefore, regulation of this platelet-activating protein by transforming events in cancer cells is of considerable interest. We used single-cell and bulk transcriptome data mining, as well as cellular and xenograft models in mice, to analyze the nature of cells expressing PDPN, as well as their impact on the activation of the coagulation system and platelets. We report that PDPN is expressed by distinct (mesenchymal) GBM cell subpopulations and downregulated by oncogenic mutations of EGFR and IDH1 genes, along with changes in chromatin modifications (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) and DNA methylation. Glioma cells exteriorize their PDPN and/or tissue factor (TF) as cargo of exosome-like extracellular vesicles (EVs) shed from cells in vitro and in vivo. Injection of glioma-derived podoplanin carrying extracelluar vesicles (PDPN-EVs) activates platelets, whereas tissue factor carrying extracellular vesicles (TF-EVs) activate the clotting cascade. Similarly, an increase in platelet activation (platelet factor 4) or coagulation (D-dimer) markers occurs in mice harboring the corresponding glioma xenografts expressing PDPN or TF, respectively. Coexpression of PDPN and TF by GBM cells cooperatively affects tumor microthrombosis. Thus, in GBM, distinct cellular subsets drive multiple facets of cancer-associated thrombosis and may represent targets for phenotype- and cell type-based diagnosis and antithrombotic intervention.


Dental care of HIV-positive individuals plays a vital role in improving their nutritional intake, medication tolerance and effectiveness, treatment success rate, and quality of life. It is therefore important to ensure optimal dental care of this group of people, especially since more of them, with or without knowledge of their serologic status, are now utilizing dental services. The objective of this study was to assess Nigerian dental students' willingness to treat HIV-positive individuals. A descriptive cross-sectional survey of all seventy-six final-year dental students of the University of Benin, Nigeria, was conducted in December 2007 using a self-administered questionnaire that elicited information on the students' demography, self-rated knowledge on HIV/AIDS, attitude towards homosexuals, infection control practices, occupational risk perception, and willingness to provide care for HIV-positive individuals. The response rate was 76.3 percent. Over 77 percent of the respondents were in the twenty-five to thirty years age group. The male-female ratio was approximately 1.6:1. HIV-related knowledge was reported as high by only 31 percent of the respondents. Eighty-one percent showed great interest in HIV-related information, while about half (53.4 percent) exhibited significant worry about occupational contagion. Forty-eight (82.7 percent) desired more knowledge about safety precautions during treatment of HIV patients. Fifty respondents (86.2 percent) reported good infection control practices. About three-fourths (74.2 percent) rated the risk of HIV contagion from patients high, while only one-fourth (25.8 percent) reported having an unsympathetic attitude towards homosexuals. Almost all respondents (98.3 percent) agreed that oral care for HIV-positive individuals improves their quality of life, but only 58.8 percent expressed a willingness to treat HIV-positive patients and only 46.5 percent said they will render volunteer dental services in HIV centers. HIV prevalence will determine the location of practice of 41.4 percent of the respondents. The result suggests the need to have a comprehensive educational/motivational program for the next generation of dentists in Nigeria in order to ensure adequate care of HIV-positive individuals. The perceived deficiency revealed in this study can also serve as a vital guide for curriculum change on HIV-related issues.


Water hydraulics is a growing technology area mainly due to environmental, safety and cleanness reasons. Water hydraulic systems have proved to be the best technology alternative in some industrial sectors such as food, processing, paper, steel and power industry. The main challenges for water hydraulics technology are proper design, good reliability and controllability at a reasonable price level. When these requirements are fulfilled, water hydraulic systems should be fully competitive to other systems. The objective of water hydraulics motion control research is to improve the controllability of the systems. This paper considers the current possibilities and challenges in water hydraulics motion control. Component technology is shortly discussed, including control valves and actuators. After the component technology, the present control methods in water hydraulics motion control are explained. The challenges in position, velocity and force control are exemplary described. Finally, two examples of new water hydraulic motion control systems are presented: Example 1. Positioning system with on/off valves, Example 2. Cavitation free proportional pressure relief valve for water systems.


Abstact Central banks typically control an overnight interest rate as their policy tool, and the transmission of monetary policy happens through the relationship of this overnight rate to the rest of the yield curve. The expectations hypothesis, that longer-term rates should equal expected future short-term rates plus a term premium, provides the typical framework for understanding this relationship. We explore the effect of volatility in the federal funds market on the expectations hypothesis in money markets. We present two major results. First, the expectations hypothesis is likely to be rejected in money markets if the realized federal funds rate is studied instead of an appropriate measure of the expected federal funds rate. Second, we find that lower volatility in the funds market, all else equal, leads to a lower term premium and thus longer-term rates for a given setting of the overnight rate. The results have implications for the design of operational frameworks for the implementation of monetary policy and for the interpretation of the changes in the Libor-OIS spread during the financial crisis. We also demonstrate that the expectations hypothesis is more likely to hold the more closely linked the shortand long-term interest rates are.


Twenty-one patients with high-grade gliomas were enrolled in a prospective trial of radiotherapy after hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO). Radiotherapy was administered in daily 2-Gy fractions up to a total dose of 60 Gy, and each fraction was delivered immediately after HBO. The current study indicated that radiotherapy immediately after HBO with chemotherapy was feasible for high-grade gliomas. q 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.


We observed a case of tardive dyskinesia after regular use of low dose chlorpromazine. An anticholinergic agent; trihexyphenidyl (THX) was used to treat the tardive dyskinesia. Treatment response was satisfactory, but brief hypomanic episodes occured. Because the patient was symptom free for long periods of time, we suspected that THX may have a negative effect on the course of the disease or it may have induced hypomania. These episodes were controled with short term use of olanzapine. When the dose of THX was further increased, we determined elevation of mood. History of bipolar disorder in his family and having the early onset type of bipolar disorder were features of our case making the tardive movement disorder more likely. Although THX may be an effective option in tardive dyskinesia, change in the course of the disease in bipolar patients may be a possibility.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Background: Breast cancer is heterogeneous disease according to ethnicity and molecular subtype. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to evaluate the association between susceptibility loci and breast cancer survival by the molecular subtypes which were classified into four subtypes based on estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in Korean women.

Methods: Analyses included 2,023 invasive breast cancer patients, comprised of ER/PR+ and HER2- (N=1,006), ER/PR+ and HER2+ (N=245), ER/PR- and HER2+ (N=226), ER/PR- and HER2- (N=279), and unknown subtype (N=267), from Seoul Breast Cancer Study (SeBCS). For analyses, 555,117 SNPs were genotyped using Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0 and 2,416,663 SNPs were imputated based on HapMap Phase II (release 22). Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, recruited centers, and TNM stage were used to test the association of these SNPs with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) by molecular subtype.

Results: With median follow-up periods of 3.8 years in DFS and 4.0 years in OS, there was significant difference in survival between molecular subtypes tested by log-rank (P<0.0001, Log-rank test). Compared to 'ER/PR+ and HER2-', 'ER/PR- and HER2+' and 'ER/PR- and HER2-' were associated with a poorer prognosis (HRER/PR- and HER2+ (95% CI)=2.00 (1.35-2.97), HRER/PR- and HER2-=2.37 (1.70-3.29) in DFS and HRER/PR- and HER2+=2.54 (1.50-4.30), HRER/PR- and HER2-=2.59 (1.65-4.08) in OS). By molecular subtypes, we identified 5 SNPs associated with DFS (HRrs161041(PPP2R2B)=2.35 (1.68-3.30) in ER/PR+ and HER2-, HRrs1896346(TBX3)=8.19 (3.52-19.08) in ER/PR+ and HER2+, HRrs1278329(ADAM12)=3.96 (2.23-7.02) in ER/PR- and HER2+, HRrs10894375(NTM)=3.10 (2.02-4.74), HRrs10825036(PCDH15)=2.87 (1.90-4.34) in ER/PR- and HER2-) and 3 SNPs associated with OS (HRrs7659008(LYPLA1P2)=0.20 (0.09-0.39) in ER/PR+ and HER2-, HRrs4750561(CDNF)=0.12 (0.05-0.29), and HRrs4807216(SF3A2)=11.51 (4.30-30.81) in ER/PR- and HER2+) in breast cancer with the level of P-value<1×10−5.

Conclusion: This study suggests that associations between SNPs and survival were heterogeneous according to the molecular subtype of breast cancer. Furthermore, Additional larger studies are needed to replicate these findings.

Citation Format: Nan Song, Ji-Yeob Choi, Hyuna Sung, Keun-Young Yoo, Wonshik Han, Dong-Young Noh, Sei-Hyun Ahn, Daehee Kang. A genome-wide association study of breast cancer survival according to molecular subtype in Korean women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2550. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2550


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Background: The majority of individuals diagnosed with melanoma lack important clinical risk factors, particularly an increased numbers of moles. Identifying high-risk individuals among those with low-risk mole phenotypes could potentially improve public health through targeted surveillance and early detection. We previously demonstrated significant associations between melanoma risk, melanocortin receptor (MC1R) polymorphisms, and indoor ultraviolet light (UV) exposure. Existing melanoma risk prediction models do not include these factors so we investigated their potential to improve the performance of a risk model, especially among individuals with low-risk mole phenotypes.

Methods: We determined MC1R genotypes and utilized self-reported phenotypic and UV (indoor and outdoor) exposure variables from 875 melanoma cases and 765 healthy controls from the population-based Minnesota Skin Health Study. We divided the subjects into discovery and validation cohorts balanced on case-control status, age, gender and mole phenotype. Mole phenotype was assessed using diagrams illustrating 4 categories of mole density ("none," "few," "some" or "many" moles). We used the discovery cohort (442 cases, 389 controls) to develop 2 risk models. Model A included conventional risk factors (i.e. age; gender; hair, skin, and eye color; mole phenotype; and freckling). Model B added outdoor UV, indoor UV, and MC1R genotype variables to those in Model A to determine the contribution of those variables to the model's predictive ability. Finally, we assessed the predictive ability of both models in the validation cohort (433 cases, 376 controls), including a subgroup analysis of subjects with a low-risk mole phenotype (i.e. "none" or "few" moles).

Results: In the validation cohort the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for Model A was 0.721 (95% CI 0.684 - 0.757). The AUC was substantially decreased to 0.693 (0.652 - 0.733) when the analysis was confined to subjects with low-risk mole phenotypes (315 cases, 340 controls). Incorporating outdoor UV, indoor UV, and MC1R genotype into the enhanced model (Model B) significantly increased the AUC for the whole cohort to 0.740 (0.706 - 0.774; p=0.047). An improvement, albeit non-significant, was also observed for the smaller, low-risk group, AUC = 0.715 (0.676-0.755; p=0.09).

Conclusions: We developed and validated 2 population-based melanoma risk prediction models. The enhanced model is the first in melanoma to demonstrate that a significant increase in predictive ability can be obtained by adding genotypic and UV exposure data to conventional phenotypic variables. These data raise the possibility that incorporating additional genetic risk markers into the model may further improve melanoma risk prediction, and highlight the need to better identify those who lack obvious high-risk clinical signs.

Citation Format: Lauren Smith, Meng Qian, Yongzhao Shao, Marianne Berwick, DeAnn Lazovich, David Polsky. Improving melanoma risk prediction among individuals with low-risk mole phenotypes. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2288. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2288


Crosscutting behaviors and features of architectural units have always been a tricky issue in software architecture design. If not well treated, they may lead to a number of architectural breakdowns, such as increased maintenance overhead, reduced reuse capability, and architectural erosion over the lifetime of a system. Unfortunately, traditional software modeling approaches lack abstraction to support the modular representation of crosscutting concerns. This paper employs a special kind of architectural component called Aspectual Component to encapsulate crosscutting behaviors and features to improve modularization, and extends the semantic of conventional connectors to represent the crosscutting effect of aspectual components. Moreover,we present a general-purpose aspect-oriented architecture description language AC-ADL for formal specification of the software architecture of systems. The whole designing process of the approach is illustrated systematically through a case study of HealthWatcher system.


Background: A single high loading dose of 25 mg/kg caffeine has been shown to be effective for the prevention of apnoea, but may result in considerable reductions in blood flow velocity (BFV) in cerebral and intestinal arteries. Objective: To assess the effects of two loading doses of 12.5 mg/kg caffeine given four hours apart on BFV in cerebral and intestinal arteries, left ventricular output (LVO), and plasma caffeine concentrations in preterm infants. Design: Sixteen preterm neonates of <34 weeks gestation were investigated one hour after the first oral dose and one, two, and 20 hours after the second dose by Doppler sonography. Results: The mean (SD) plasma caffeine concentrations were 31 (7) and 29 (7) mg/l at two and 20 hours respectively after the second dose. One hour after the first dose, none of the circulatory variables had changed significantly. One hour after the second caffeine dose, mean BFV in the internal carotid artery and anterior cerebral artery showed significant reductions of 17% and 19% (p  =  0.01 and p  =  0.003 respectively). BFV in the coeliac artery and superior mesenteric artery, LVO, Pco2, and respiratory rate had not changed significantly. Total vascular resistance, calculated as the ratio of mean blood pressure to LVO, had increased significantly one and two hours after the second dose (p  =  0.049 and p  =  0.023 respectively). Conclusion: A divided high loading dose of 25 mg/kg caffeine given four hours apart had decreased BFV in cerebral arteries after the second dose, whereas BFV in intestinal arteries and LVO were not affected.


Schisandrin (Sch) is a main bioactive component of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd.et Wils. It has been reported that Sch could regulate inflammatory disease. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects effect of Sch on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages activation and acute kidney injury mice. Male Kunming mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (15 mg/kg) after administration of Sch (12.5, 25, 50 mg/kg) seven days for developing acute kidney injury vivo model. RAW264.7 macrophages were pretreatment Sch (10, 20, 40 µM) and administrated LPS (1 µg/ml) to create an in vitro injury model. ELISA results found that Sch administration reduced the production of inflammatory factors induced by LPS in kidney tissues and RAW264.7 macrophages. It has been observed that Sch alleviated oxidative stress by reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species, myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde, and increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Hematoxylin-eosin staining data suggested that Sch administration significantly reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and the kidney tissue damage induced by LPS. The blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were also reduced by Sch treatment. In addition, Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis showed that Sch up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1, and decreased the expression of p-p38, p-JNK, p-ERK1/2, p-IκBα, p-NF-κBp65 and TLR4. The current research showed that Sch reduced LPS-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, and provided insights into potential ways to treat AKI.


Hollow nanostructures with higher surface area offer great advantages for electrocatalytic water splitting. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of amorphous hollow M(OH)x (M = Fe, Co, Ni) nanocubes through a template-assisted route inspired by Pearson's hard and soft acid–base (HSAB) principle with Cu2O nanocubes with different sizes (50 nm, 500 nm) as the sacrificial templates. A comparative study of the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of the hollow M(OH)x nanocubes with a similar size indicates that Ni(OH)2 has better OER catalytic activity. It has been revealed that the metal oxyhydroxides formed at the surface are actually the real active species for the OER electrocatalysis. In particular, Ni(OH)2 nanocubes obtained by the Cu2O (50 nm) template provide the best OER activity, with a low overpotential of 349 mV vs. RHE to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a low Tafel slope of 63 mV dec−1. The hollow metal hydroxide nanostructures through the Pearson's principle-inspired strategy can be highly efficient electrocatalysts for OER applications.