Fracture characteristics for plate and dome shapes of glass filled ceramics using shock tube were carried out. Glass filled ceramics have been considered as a promising candidate material for the dome port cover of air breathing engine. This part of the air breathing engine has an important role as separated membrane between combustion and external air, and needs the frangible characteristics that the particles of fractured glass filled ceramics should not affect the internal components of combustion. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the fracture pressures for various thicknesses and diameters of shock impact area. Also fracture phenomena of separated membrane using a shock tube compare with analytical method. The experimental apparatus consists of a driver, a driven section and a dump tank. The used material is glass filled ceramic made from Corning company. Specimens have the thickness of 3, 4.5 and 6mm. It is expected that the results obtained from this study can be used in the basic data for the dome port cover design of an air breathing engine.


Levels of allantoin and allantoic acid in shoots, roots, nodules and leaves of pigeonpea plant, in general, followed the pattern of acetylene reduction in nodules, increasing progressively from 15 days after sowing (DAS) and attaining peaks at 75 DAS and 60 DAS, respectively, except in shoots where their contents evinced maximum values at pod-setting (90 DAS). Activity of GS in nodules and shoots reached a maximum at 60 DAS and 75 DAS, respectively. However, in leaves and roots, the enzyme showed a biphasic behaviour with peaks at days 60 and 105 in leaves and at days 75 and 105 in roots. GDH activity in nodules peaked at 60 DAS, whereas, in leaves and roots, the maximum activity was observed at flowering (75 DAS). Uricase was present only in nodules with peak activity at flowering. Allantoinase activity again peaked at flowering, where nodules had maximum activity followed by leaves, roots and shoots. Urease could be detected in all the organs with maximum activity at 60 DAS in leaves followed by roots and nodules. Except uricase, all the enzymes reported above were also present in reproductive structures. Compared to GS, GDH was more active both in flower buds and developing pods. Seeds, compared to podwalls, contained higher activities of GDH, allantoinase and urease at day 105. Only allantoin could be detected in seeds and podwalls at day 105.


We report on a class of dark solitons and vortices existing in the exciton-polariton condensates and having discontinuity in their excitonic component. These solutions exist due to an intrinsic bistability of the exciton density in the given optical field and for nonzero detuning between the cavity and excitonic resonances. We specify a well defined energy boundary where they transform into previously known polaritonic dark solitons and vortices.


Battered women's reasons for staying with or leaving their male partners are varied and complex. Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call. Findings regarding the first three factors are consistent with previous findings. However, a negative police response did not deter a woman from leaving, which is a different finding from previous studies.


Background: Chronic nonhealing ulcers of the lower extremity are a cause of morbidity and mortality. The various treatment options available are limited and unsatisfactory. Promoting wound healing with an autologous platelet membrane could be a safe, easy, and inexpensive modality. Purpose: To assess an autologous platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membrane as a wound dressing in the treatment of chronic nonhealing leg ulcers. Methods: A prospective study enrolled 30 patients with chronic nonhealing leg ulcers. Autologous PRF was applied weekly for 6 weeks. At each visit, the ulcer healing was assessed with wound measurements and photographs. The treatment outcome was defined as a percentage in a change of area and volume of the ulcer at the end of the study period. Results: Thirty patients with chronic nonhealing leg ulcers were treated for 6 weeks. 100% improvement in area of the ulcer was seen in 43% ulcers. The mean percentage of improvement in area of the ulcer was 72%. The mean percentage of improvement in volume of the ulcer was 77%. The mean duration of healing was 5 weeks. Conclusion: This study was limited by the lack of a control group. Autologous PRF may be useful for the treatment of chronic nonhealing leg ulcers which can be done on an outpatient basis with minimum adverse effects.


Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are reportedly at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome because of the high concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha in their sera. Sarcopenia is a component of metabolic syndrome; therefore, sarcopenia in patients with RA is thought to be related to RA disease activity. Objectives We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the relationship among skeletal muscle volume, disease activity, and insulin resistance, using the data in 2013 from TOMORROW study. Methods In this study, we performed a sub-analysis of 2013 data in the TOMORROW study (UMIN: 000003876). This prospective cohort study examined several risk factors for osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome in patients with RA. The participants in the study comprised 202 patients with RA (109 patients receiving biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs [bDMARDs]) and 202 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (collected through mass media as controls). All participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on their general health status to provide baseline data. Laboratory data and anthropometric parameters were also collected. Body composition was determined by whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry. A cross-sectional analysis of the data obtained from the cohort study in 2013 was performed in the present study. The relationship among sarcopenia, lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance was analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as an appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) of <5.46 kg/m2 in females and <6.87 kg/m2 in males. The ASMI was calculated as the patient's appendicular lean body mass divided by the square of the patient's height. Results Sarcopenia was more apparent in patients with RA (6.14 kg/m2) than in controls (6.55 kg/m2) (p<0.001), especially in patients with RA treated with bDMARDs (tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, p=0.004; tocilizumab or abatacept, p<0.001) (Fig). Insulin resistance as expressed by the homeostasis model assessment ratio (HOMA-R) was significantly higher in patients with RA treated with tocilizumab or abatacept (1.38) than in controls (0.93) (p=0.019). Regression correlation analysis among patients with RA revealed a strong and significant correlation between the ASMI and body mass index (R =0.553; p<0.0001) and between the HOMA-R and body mass index (R =0.304, p<0.0001). There was a significant but weak relationship between the ASMI and Disease Activity Score 28 (R = –0.196, p=0.0064) and between the ASMI and HOMA-R (R =0.145, p=0.0447). Conclusions In this study, we showed that patients with greater RA disease activity who were receiving bDMARDs had lower muscle volume. Additionally, insulin resistance was significantly lower in patients with RA treated with bDMARDs other than tumor necrosis factor inhibitor. According to these results, patients with RA are more likely to have sarcopenia caused by metabolic syndrome. Because of the resultant frailty of these patients, sarcopenia should be taken into account at the time of starting prohibiting falling, subsequently expected fractures. Disclosure of Interest K. Inui: None declared, T. Koike Grant/research support from: Takeda Pharmaceutical, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Eisai, Abbott Japan, Teijin Pharma, Banyu Pharmaceutical and Ono Pharmaceutical, M. Tada: None declared, Y. Sugioka: None declared, K. Mamoto: None declared, T. Okano: None declared, H. Nakamura Grant/research support from: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Nippon Zoki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Eisai Co.,Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co.,Inc., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Osteopharma Inc., Teijin Pharma Ltd., Asahi Kasei Pharma Co.


Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important subject in the railway sector. Literature has revealed that transportation companies target multiple sustainability-related improvement areas and follow different strategies to improve in these. For railway operators, train modernization provides key opportunities for technical, financial, and environmental improvements halfway through the lifecycle. Using design science research, a framework was developed that is aimed at integrating sustainable design principles and sustainability-focused requirements in train modernization. The framework was tested and demonstrated by means of application to the train modernization project of an intercity train at the Nederlandse Spoorwegen in the Netherlands. The results reveal three key design mechanisms for sustainable modernization frameworks. Firstly, sustainability should be considered as early as possible in the design process. Secondly, such frameworks require efforts to simplify the way sustainability principles and impacts are considered, being careful not to oversimplify. Thirdly, the use of sustainability-focused requirements and budgets facilitate the process of prioritizing design decisions in relation to the effects they have on various environmental impacts. The design process of the framework not only provides a better understanding of the challenge of integrating sustainability, it also presents a generalizable approach that can be adapted by other organizations in the transportation sector.


Abstract : This paper aims to identify and evaluate data mining algorithms which are commonly implemented in supervised classification task. Decision tree, Neural networks, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Naive Bayes, and K-Nearest Neighbor classifiers are evaluated by conducting a simulation study and then assigned to three different datasets to classify and predict the class membership of binary (2-class) and multi-class categorical dependent variables present in these datasets, these datasets were different among each other regarding their size (relatively large and small), and type of predictors (ordinal, numeric, and categorical), as well as number of classes associated with the categorical dependent variable presents in each datasets. Classification performance of these models obtained from a hold-out and 10-fold cross-validation, and empirically evaluated regarding to their overall classification accuracy. We concluded that, there are some differences between the classifiers accuracies, validated by using Hold out and 10-fold cross validation methods assigned to classify a binary categorical dependent variable presents in relatively large dataset, a (3-class) categorical dependent variable presents in relatively small dataset, and a (7-class) categorical dependent variable presents in relatively small dataset, SVM classifier gave the highest averaged rate of classification accuracy in the both methods of validation assigned to these different datasets. Therefore, we can conclude that the SVM, Neural networks, and k-Nearest Neighbor gave the highest averaged rate of classification, and 10-fold cross validation increased the classifiers accuracies. And this result is approximately matching the conducted simulation results. Key words: Data mining classification - Decision tree - Neural networks - Support Vector Machine (SVM) - Naive Bayes – k Nearest Neighbor - Hold- out validation - 10-Fold cross-validation – Bootstrapping - Confusion Matrix


We derived the first sparse recovery guarantees for weighted $\ell_1$ minimization with sparse random matrices and the class of weighted sparse signals, using a weighted versions of the null space property to derive these guarantees. These sparse matrices from expender graphs can be applied very fast and have other better computational complexities than their dense counterparts. In addition we show that, using such sparse matrices, weighted sparse recovery with weighted $\ell_1$ minimization leads to sample complexities that are linear in the weighted sparsity of the signal and these sampling rates can be smaller than those of standard sparse recovery. Moreover, these results reduce to known results in standard sparse recovery and sparse recovery with prior information and the results are supported by numerical experiments.


Many aspects of the performance of different implant designs remain as open questions in total hip arthroplasty. Despite the increased survivorship of each hip replacement, the amount of bone removed during surgery remains an important factor because of the potential need for revision surgery. Given that a smaller implant will have less surface area over which to transfer load, constructs that preserve more bone stock may be susceptible to mechanical complications related to the fixation of the implant in the femur. To assess mechanical fixation, this study compared the fiber metal taper and Mayo conservative hip stems in subsidence, frontal plane rotation and failure load. After dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans, pairs of cadaveric femurs received implants of each type and were loaded for 10,000 cycles. The subsidence and rotation were measured. Finally, specimens were loaded to failure. The subsidence and rotation after cyclic loading were −0.73 mm and 0.1°, respectively, for the Mayo implants and −0.87 and 0.52°, respectively, for the fiber metal taper implants, but no significant differences between implant types were found. There was also no significant relationship to bone mineral density. A power analysis revealed that 914 specimens would have been required to achieve a power of 0.8.


The purpose of this article is to present recent studies on the antimicrobial properties of linalool, the mechanism of action on cells and detoxification processes. The current trend of employing compounds present in essential oils to support antibiotic therapy is becoming increasingly popular. Naturally occurring monoterpene constituents of essential oils are undergoing detailed studies to understand their detailed effects on the human body, both independently and in doses correlated with currently used pharmaceuticals. One such compound is linalool, which is commonly found in many herbs and is used to flavor black tea. This compound is an excellent fragrance additive for cosmetics, enhancing the preservative effect of the formulations used in them or acting as an anti-inflammatory on mild skin lesions. Previous studies have shown that it is extremely important due to its broad spectrum of biological activities, i.e., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective and antimicrobial. Among opportunistic hospital strains, it is most active against Gram-negative bacteria. The mechanism of action of linalool against microorganisms is still under intensive investigation. One of the key aspects of linalool research is biotransformation, through which its susceptibility to detoxification processes is determined.


The younger generations of students called Digital Natives learn via technology. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 has taken the initiatives to implement Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in learning in bid to cater to their learning styles. However, the implementation has not been smooth-sailing as most teachers have not been integrating ICT in their lessons seamlessly. Goldberg's (1981) Big Five Model of Personality can explain various usage of ICT based on their respective trait but TESL (Teaching English as Second Language) undergraduates in the Malaysian context had not been studied before. The researcher purposively selected 72 TESL undergraduates from the Faculty of Educational Studies in a public university in Malaysia for the study using a questionnaire and semi-structured interview. The findings reported high levels of ICT integration and motivation in integrating it. Next, they scored the highest in Openness to experience towards ICT integration in L2 teaching while low in Neuroticism. There was also a statistically significant, moderate, positive relationship between their level of motivation, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Openness traits and their ICT integration in L2 teaching. These findings present vital implications for TESL program and course coordinators to facilitate their pre-service teachers to leverage ICT in their teaching practice.


The objective of this study was to prepare poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA) microspheres containing guanosine as a model drug for intraocular administration. Microspheres were prepared by solvent evaporation technique using o/w emulsion system. The influence of composition and molecular weight of PLGA, drug loading efficiency, microsphere size, and in vitro and in vivo release rates were determined. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FTIR studies were conducted to examine the guanosine–polymer interaction. In vitro release studies indicated that the permeant release from microspheres exhibits an initial burst followed by slow first-order kinetics. Ascending molecular weights of the polymers generated progressively slower release rates. Three different sizes of microspheres were prepared. The release continued for 7 days with a maximum of 70% of the content released within that time period. DSC and FTIR studies showed no polymer–guanosine interaction. A novel microdialysis technique was used to examine the initial release kinetics from microspheres in isolated vitreous humor. This technique was also employed to observe in vivo intravitreal release in albino rabbits. A good correlation exists between in vitro and in vivo release rates from both 75 and 140 kDa PLGA microspheres. Guanosine-loaded microspheres could be prepared for once-a-week intravitreal injection with minimum required concentration maintained throughout the dosing interval. Because the structural and solubility characteristics of guanosine are similar to those of acyclovir and ganciclovir (two acycloguanosine analogues effective against herpes simplex virus [HSV-1] and cytomegalovirus [CMV], respectively), similar biodegradable polymer-based microsphere technology can be employed for the long-term intraocular delivery of these two drugs.


In Korea, there has been a rapid increase in the number and proportion of elderly people, especially in rural areas, due to improvements in the standard of living and medical technology. One of the main health problems for the elderly people is dental health, which can cause nutritional and health problems. Thus, in this study, the dental health status and health status in relation to nutritional intake were analyzed. A total of 155 rural-dwelling elderly people (68 males, 87 females) over the ages of 65 participated in this study. The subjects were classified into three groups; the no denture no teeth group, denture user group, and natural teeth group. The dietary intake, biochemical health status, and anthropometry were evaluated. Can-pro 3.0 was used to assess dietary intakes and the SPSS 12.0 program was used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the natural teeth group had better nutritional and dietary intake status than the no denture no teeth group. The dietary assessment showed that there were differences in food intakes among the groups, which depended on their dental health status. In conclusion, dietary management is required for the elderly since each group has a different ability to chew food depending on their dental health status. In addition, the elderly will need different therapeutic diets because of the high prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases.


Crank-rocker engine (CRE) is an internal combustion (IC) engine with a curved piston and cylinder, developed at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Malaysia. Heat is generated during combustion in an IC engine, some portion of which is converted into the mechanical energy. Almost 30 % of the generated heat needs to be dissipated through engine walls. Fins are used to provide additional surface area to engine block for dissipation of excess heat. Transient thermal analysis of existing 3-fins model of CRE is performed at different engine speeds, using 'ANSYS Transient Thermal' module. With the understanding of thermal behavior of the existing 3-fins model, new straight and curved conformal fin models, with increased surface area and better fin effectiveness, are proposed. Thermal performance of both, straight and curved fin models, is compared with existing 3-fins model of crank-rocker engine.


Abstract The aim of this article is to provide insights into how dance teachers experience observing their own dance lessons and how this experience is articulated in order to create awareness of the development of dance teachers' own teaching. The interests of this study lie in what the dance teachers are reacting to, what actions they perform as well as how these reactions and actions are manifested in the body. Two dance teachers at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm were observed and filmed giving dance lessons to student teachers of Physical Education and Health. Different situations from the lessons were discussed during a re-experiencing conversation. Using a phenomenological methodology for analysis and empirical-data generation, the results are discussed using the kinaesthetic communicative concepts of interaffectivity and interbodily resonance (Fuchs 2016). The results indicate that observing one's own teaching is a valuable tool for dance teachers, as it allows them to reflect upon aspects of their teaching pedagogies and possibilities for their professional development. As well as this, the results show that teachers' teaching goals and objectives are important parameters for what they react to in teaching situations.


Physico-chemical properties do not vary rapidly for short distance in arid and semiarid regions in absence of plantation or some manual intervention. In case of barren land, it is difficult to enhance soil health and its productivity until and unless a large quantity of fertilizer and irrigation facilities are employed. Application of high dose of fertilisers and insecticides result in short-term increase in production, but it deteriorates the quality of soil and eventually reduces its productivity. There are hundreds of instances where trees improved the soil productivity. Microbial communities in soil have large impact on overall soil health due to production of secondary metabolites, nutrient recycling and decomposition. Various researches have demonstrated that Azadirachta indicaextract also acts as an antimicrobial agent and affects the structure and function soil microbial community. Therefore, it was critical to examine how its extract from different types of plantations becomes necessary to fully appreciate ramifications of its use on the environment for improving soil fertility. For the study, soil samples were collected from 53 different sites, in and around Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, where A. indica was growing in different types of plantations. The data was analyzed for different properties of soil for separate types of plantations.

 Key words: Azadirachta indica, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matters (OM), Kruskal Wallis test, sigmoidal growth modal.


Objectives Recent studies have shown that YKL-40 is a new biomarker in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). YKL-40 is a chitinase-like glycoprotein encoded by the chitinase 3-like 1 gene, CHI3L1, that is localised at a highly conserved area on chromosome 1q32.1. The polymorphisms in the promoter of CHI3L1, −131 C>G (rs4950928), was reported to be associated with the inflammatory-mediated disease asthma and a decreased serum level of YKL-40.We recently showed that plasma YKL-40 levels are significantly increased in patients with CAD. In this study, we intended to investigate whether the SNP −131 C>G (rs4950928), which affect the serum level of YKL-40, is associated with CAD. Methods Results Significant clinical correlates of YKL-40 plasma levels were sex, age, cigarette smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes. Compared with a control group, plasma YKL-40 and hsCRP levels were significantly higher in CAD group (36.46±27.42 ng/ml vs 71.79±104.85 ng/ml, p<0.01, and 3.72±20.06 mg/ml vs 20.20±37.70 mg/ml, p<0.01, respectively). The CHI3L1-131G allele was significantly associated with reduced plasmaYKL-40 levels in a recessive genetic model (OR, 0.484; 95% CI 0.264 to 0.889; p=0.02), but not with CAD in Southern Han Chinese in a linear logistic regression model after adjustment for the conventional risk factors for CAD (OR, 0.865; 95% CI 0.285 to 2.62; p=0.799). Different LD of CHI3L1 promoter between European and Chinese: the results confirmed perfect LD in the European population with R2=1, but the LD was disturbed in Chinese. Conclusions Plasma YKL-40 levels were significantly increased in patients with CAD. A promoter polymorphism (−131C>G) in CHI3L1 gene is associated with circulating levels of YKL-40, but not with coronary artery disease in Southern Han Chinese. Future research is needed to confirm the present findings, by replicating this association in independent populations of various ethnic origins, especially in large-scale prospective cohort studies.


Specific Performance is one of the equitable remedies available to the victim of breach of contract awarded by a judicial decision in cases where damages are not adequate. This paper aims to highlight the legal principles and provisions of specific performance; Nepalese laws in that arena; and most specifically the judicial response to the doctrine whereby several case laws where the order of specific performance was granted or refused by the Supreme Court of Nepal have been examined. This doctrinal study has adopted exploratory descriptive and analytical method. The analysis is based on primary data drawn from the statute and major judicial decisions, and some secondary data drawn from articles, books and treatises on the issue. The nascent Muluki Civil Code, 2074 has also provided various remedies available to the victim party of breach of contract like its predecessor legislation, i.e. the erstwhile Contract Act, 2056. This paper thrives to explore the principle of specific performance of contract and to discuss the judicial responses to the doctrine of specific performance of contract in Nepal.


Litter decomposition mobilizes nutrients that sustain ecosystem productivity, but decomposition by‐products may also hamper root proliferation by phytotoxicity. The aim of this study was to assess the litter substrate preferences of tropical tree seedlings in relation to litter chemical traits. We characterized 44 litter types (11 species at four decomposition ages; 0, 30, 90 and 180 days) for nutrients (N, P, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Fe and Zn) and proximate chemical parameters (cellulose, extractive, lignin and C) and tested the effect of such litter materials on seedling root growth of Albizia procera, Dalbergia sissoo and Terminalia arjuna. Albizia procera root growth was inhibited by all litter types and ages, including conspecific materials, while different heterospecific litters had inhibitory or stimulatory effect on D. sissoo and T. arjuna root growth, compared to the control. Interestingly, inhibitory and stimulatory effects of heterospecific litters significantly changed with litter age, although with no clear‐cut pattern among target species and litter species and age, while conspecific litters consistently inhibited root growth when aged, but not when fresh. Litter nutrient, extractive, C, cellulose and lignin showed no consistent association with root growth of tested plants. Albizia procera root growth was positively associated with Na content and N:P ratio. Dalbergia sissoo root growth was positively associated to C:N and lignin:N ratios, and negatively to K, Na and Zn content. Finally, T. arjuna root was positively associated to cellulose and N:P ratio, but negatively to extractive. We conclude that studied nutrient, cellulose and lignin do not consistently explain the species‐specific response of root of tree seedlings to decomposing litter.


Robotic grasping of a deformable object is difficult not simply due to the high computational cost of deformable modeling. More fundamentally, the difficulty lies in a wrench space that changes under deformation, with growing contact areas, and subject to varying slip/stick modes in these areas. This paper presents a grasping strategy by squeezing the object with two fingers. An analysis based on the finite element method (FEM) proves equilibrium and uniqueness of deformation during the action, and leads to a (improved) quadratic time deformation update from the displacements of as few as two contact nodes. An event-driven algorithm is then presented to track the contact regions during a squeeze, and determine the stick/slip mode of every node in contact. The contacts supply the constraints needed for deformation update using FEM. Several experiments with a Barrett Hand have been conducted for validation.


Mixed cryoglobulins (CG) are serum proteins that precipitate at low temperature and are commonly classified into two types according to the presence (type II) or not (type III) of monoclonal immunoglobulins. Mixed CG are observed in a wide variety of diseases. Some mixed cryoglobulinaemia occurs without evidence of an underlying disease and is considered as essential mixed cryoglobulinaemia (EMC). Many studies have underlined the possible involvement of liver diseases in the pathogenesis of cryoglobulinaemia and particularly viral hepatitis. Recently, it has been shown that 50 to 80% of patients with EMC are in fact infected with HCV. It has also been shown that CG may be found in about 50% of patients infected with HCV. HCV-RNA genomic sequences are specifically concentrated in CG as well as IgG reactive with HCV-related proteins, and monoclonal IgM with rheumatoid factor (RF) activity. The monoclonal IgM RF detected in HCV infected patients is highly restricted to the same cross-idiotype OWAO. In addition to hepatocytes, HCV-RNA has been found in both peripheral blood and BM mononuclear cells. These cells could represent a reservoir of virus and may play a major role in viral persistence; they also could act as effectors of tissue injury in various organs. HCV shows high genomic variability. It is not clear whether these genetic variations have a significant clinical impact (i.e. severity of the disease) but there is evidence that they may influence both the efficacy of the host immune response and the interferon treatment response. The role of viral factors has been studied but a clear relationship between the presence of cryoglobulinaemia, the viral load or the HCV genotype have not been demonstrated. The frequency of clinical symptoms related to mixed cryoglobulinaemia reported in the literature is extremely variable according to the series. The striking association between HCV infection and mixed type II CG (usually considered as a benign lymphoproliferative disorder) and the occurrence of HCV infection in patients with NHL suggest that HCV could be involved in the pathogenesis of some malignant lymphoproliferative disease. The progression to malignancy probably involves the accumulation of multiple mutations facilitated by chronic antigenic stimulation. The efficacy of anti-viral treatment on both CG levels and related symptoms argue strongly that HCV is involved in the production of CG.


Thoracic sympathectomy is a very effective treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. The described endoscopic technique has given good primary results in 99% of patients. After another session with this type of "minimal invasive surgery" 100% of the hands were satisfactorily dry. The hospital stay is just one post-operative day and the sick-leave is about a week. The drawbacks are minimal. Pain is tolerable and only eight patients needed a post-operative Bülau-drainage because of pneumothorax or bleeding. About 50% of patients experience a compensatory increased sweating of the trunk, but this is related to a warm environment and regulation of body temperature and seems to decrease with time. This technique makes it possible to treat all those suffering from palmar hyperhidrosis which can be a substantial, but underestimated handicap. To meet this kind of patient after a successful operation is extremely satisfying even for the surgeon. The post-operative wet and cold hand has immediately post-operatively become warm and dry.


To control the main part of radon exposure, the Main Commission of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommends an integrated approach focused as far as possible on the management of the building or location in which radon exposure occurs whatever the purpose of the building and the types of its occupants. This approach is based on the optimisation principle and a graded approach according to the degree of responsibilities at stake, notably in workplace, as well as the level of ambition of the national authorities. The report which is being developed by the Committee 4 is considering the recently consolidated ICRP general recommendations, the new scientific knowledge about the radon risk and the experience gained by many organisations and countries in the control of radon exposure.


Online and stochastic learning has emerged as powerful tool in large scale optimization. In this work, we generalize the Douglas-Rachford splitting (DRs) method for minimizing composite functions to online and stochastic settings (to our best knowledge this is the first time DRs been generalized to sequential version). We first establish an $O(1/\sqrt{T})$ regret bound for batch DRs method. Then we proved that the online DRs splitting method enjoy an $O(1)$ regret bound and stochastic DRs splitting has a convergence rate of $O(1/\sqrt{T})$. The proof is simple and intuitive, and the results and technique can be served as a initiate for the research on the large scale machine learning employ the DRs method. Numerical experiments of the proposed method demonstrate the effectiveness of the online and stochastic update rule, and further confirm our regret and convergence analysis.


Experimental stress research has identified few, if any, consistent cognitive responses to stress. The present study was based on the hypothesis that intrusive and repetitive thoughts would increase with stress, a hypothesis based on psychoanalytic observations of symptoms after trauma and validated in previous experiments. The present study used the same paradigm as previous experiments: A stress film was used as a replicable stress event and introspective data from 20 female subjects was quantified by self-report and content analysis methods. In this study, however, a different stress film, subject sample, and context for obtaining introspective reports was used. Again, significantly more intrusive and stimulus-repetitive thoughts occurred after the stress film; this effect was reduced, but not eliminated, by a brief discussion received at random by half of the subjects after the stress film. Skin resistance measurement did not relate well to cognitive changes.


The antibody response to further-attenuated live virus measles vaccine was assessed in 67 Coloured children between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Children less than 9 months of age were found to have suboptimal seroconversion rates and it is recommended that the routine administration of measles vaccine should be restricted to children over the age of 8 months. High-risk groups and problems of vaccine administration and storage are discussed.


Multifunctional polymer-based biomaterials, which combine degradability and shape-memory capability, are promising candidate materials for the realization of active self-anchoring implants. In this work we explored the shape-memory capability as well as the hydrolytic and enzymatic in vitro degradation behavior of electrospun scaffolds prepared from a multiblock copolymer, containing hydrolytically degradable poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) and poly(∊-caprolactone) (PCL) segments, which we have named PDC. Electro-spun PDC scaffolds with an average deposit thickness of 80 ± 20 μm and a porosity in the range from 70% to 80% were prepared, where the single fiber diameter was around 3 μm. Excellent shape-memory properties were achieved with high recovery rate (Rr) values in the range of Rr = 92% to 98% and a recovery stress of σmax = 4.6 MPa to 5.0 MPa. The switching temperature (Tsw) and the characteristic temperature obtained under constant strain recovery conditions (Tσ, max) were found in the range from 32°C to 35°C, which was close to the melting temperature (Tm,PCL) associated to the poly(∊-caprolactone) domains. A linear mass loss was observed in both hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation experiments. The mass loss was substantially accelerated, in enzymatic degradation when Pseudomonas cepacia lipase was added, which was reported to accelerate the degradation of PCL. During hydrolytic degradation a continuous decrease in elongation at break (∊B) from ∊B = 800% to 15% was observed in a time period of 92 days, while in enzymatic degradation experiments a complete mechanical failure was obtained after 4 days.


Explicitly time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) has often been suggested as the method of choice for controlling the correlated dynamics of many electron systems. However, it is not yet clear which control tasks can be achieved reliably and how this depends on the functionals used. In this article, we show that the control task of creating a simple wave packet, having a population of 50% in the excited state, can indeed be achieved if a certain condition is fulfilled. This result is in contrast to the observation that a full population inversion is extremely difficult to achieve. In addition, we identify a rule to predict when TDDFT produces the correct wave packet. To illustrate our findings, we study the molecules Li(2)C(2), Li(7)OH, and B(2)N(2)CO using two different functionals as well as time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF). To assess the performance of TDDFT and TDHF, we compare with time-dependent configuration interaction calculations.


LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2, well known as the ternary material, is currently considered as one of the promising cathode materials for lithium-ion battery (LIB). In application, accurate estimation for state of charge (SOC) is crucial for the performance and safety use of LIB. However, it is a hard work as the SOC cannot be directly measured and is affected by many factors, such as ambient temperature, current rate and cycle number. Moreover, the influence of electromagnetic interference on measurement results (current, voltage and temperature etc.) makes the situation more terrible. In this paper, an approach of SOC estimation for LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 battery, which is based on the Unscented Kalman Filtering (UKF) is presented. An improved model for online SOC estimation under abominable operating conditions is presented, in which the battery rated capacity variation with ambient temperature and discharge current rate are taken into consideration. A modified two-order RC equivalent circuit model is employed to simulate the battery characteristics, based on which the state-space equation of battery is established. Experimental results show that the presented model can capture the battery characteristics very well and the UKF-based SOC estimator can ensure the estimation accuracy even if the measurement is incorrect.


Desjardins, P.R., Mangano, M.G., Buatois, L.A. & Pratt, B.R. 2010: Skolithos pipe rock and associated ichnofabrics from the southern Rocky Mountains, Canada: colonization trends and environmental controls in an early Cambrian sand-sheet complex. Lethaia, 10.1111/j.1502-3931.2009.00214.x

The Lower Cambrian Gog Group of the southern Rocky Mountains of western Canada offers an opportunity to explore animal–sediment relationships in a high-energy setting, during the early phase of Phanerozoic diversification. Its strata record a sand-sheet complex on the broad pericontinental shelf of West Laurentia. Six ichnofabrics are recognized: Skolithos IF-1 characterized by Skolithos linearis in planar cross-stratified sandstone; Skolithos IF-2 with Skolithos linearis and accessory Diplocraterion parallelum in ripple cross-laminated, and planar and trough cross-stratified sandstone; Skolithos IF-3 with S. linearis and Planolites montanus in wavy- and flaser-bedded sandstone, interfingering with bioturbated mudstone exhibiting P. montanus and Teichichnus rectus; Skolithos IF-4, characterized by abundant Skolithos linearis in planar and trough cross-stratified sandstone; Rosselia IF-1 consisting of Rosselia isp. in planar cross-stratified sandstone; and Rosselia IF-2 consisting of scattered small Rosselia isp. in hummocky, cross-stratified sandstone. The presence of contrasting ichnofabrics within a single early Cambrian sand-sheet complex illuminates how the colonization trends of suspension and detritus feeders were controlled by factors specific to the various sub-environments. □Gog Group, Ichnofabric, Lower Cambrian, Pipe Rock, Rosselia, Skolithos.


The synthesis and structure of tris(1-butyl)tin(IV) and bis(1-butyl)tin(IV) 1-naphthoates, 2-naphthoates, 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoates, 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoates, 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoates as well as the groups of the corresponding tetrakis(1-butyl)dinaphthoato- and tetrakis(1-butyl)bis(hydroxynaphthoato)distannoxanes have been studied in solutions of both coordinating and noncoordinating solvents by means of infrared and multinuclear (1H, 13C and 119Sn) NMR spectroscopies. In the solutions of noncoordinating solvents, all the tris(1-butyl)tin(IV) compounds are present as isolated monomeric molecules with pseudotetrahedral environment of the central tin atom, or as strongly deformed cis-trigonally bipyramidal chelate complexes with anisobidentate carboxylic group. The bis(1-butyl)tin(IV) compounds form molecular pseudooctahedral complexes with chelate anisobidentate carboxylic groups of naphthoate or hydroxynaphthoate ligands. The (1-butyl)chlorotin(IV) compounds are molecular complexes containing a chelate-bound carboxylic group, their tin atom having a pentacoordinated environment of the bond partners. The tetrakis(1-butyl)dinaphthoato- and tetrakis(1-butyl)bis(hydroxynaphthoato)distannoxanes form dimeric molecular complexes with two pentacoordinated tin atoms and two hexacoordinated ones. In solutions of a coordinating solvent (hexadeuteriodimethyl sulfoxide), the tris(1-butyl)tin(IV) compounds form trans-trigonally bipyramidal complexes with one molecule of the solvent, whereas the bis(1-butyl)tin(IV) and bis(1-butyl)chlorotin(IV) compounds form trapezoidally bipyramidal complexes with two molecules of the solvent. The dimeric tetrakis(1-butyl)bis(hydroxynaphthoato)distannoxanes are monomerized by coordinating solvent, each monomeric unit adding two solvent molecules per one tin atom. The environment of the tin atom is then pseudooctahedral. The hydroxyl groups of naphthoate systems do not take part in any bonds to the tin atom in any of the compounds studied.


Campylobacter spp. are an important cause of diarrhea in Kuwait. Because susceptibility data for ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, the two recommended drugs for treatment, are not available for this part of the world, 64 Campylobacter spp. isolates obtained from human diarrheal stools in Kuwait during 2000--2003 were studied for susceptibility to these antimicrobials by E-test. The utility of a simple mismatch amplification mutation assay (MAMA) PCR to detect base substitution in the gyrA gene mediating resistance to ciprofloxacin was also explored. Approximately, 53% (34/64) of the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (MIC, 4-64 microg/ml) and 5% (3/64) to erythromycin (MIC>256 microg/ml). MAMA PCR showed a Thr-86-to-Ile mutation in gyrA gene of 23/26 ciprofloxacin-resistant C. jejuni, and in all resistant C. coli. Sequencing of PCR product showed that two resistant strains of C. coli studied had Thr-86-to-Ile (ACT--> ATT) gyrA mutation and three resistant strains of C. jejuni studied had Thr-86-to-Ile (ACA--> ATA) gyrA mutation. In addition, all the three C. jejuni strains had silent mutations. Thus, ciprofloxacin is of limited use for treatment in Kuwait and MAMA PCR is a useful assay to study gyrA mutation. Because Kuwait has a large expatriate population of workers, it can be a focus of spread of antimicrobial resistance.


In an earlier paper Shaw and myself 1 described some pituitary glands from epileptics, our conclusions being that in epileptics the gland was below the average normal weight and that in it were islands of connective tissue, possibly connected with the blood-supply, but apparently not elsewhere described. We gave no description of the bony fossa in which the gland lies, other than to point out that the fossa was often decidedly larger than the contained gland. Since the publication of our paper, Johnson 2 has described changes in the bony structures composing the sella turcica in epileptics, these changes consisting of a roofing of the fossa, contraction of the fossa itself, and a thickening or increased density of the bone bounding the sella. L. Pierce Clark 3 has noted this roofing in a few cases, but unaccompanied by corresponding changes in the physical make-up or variations in the type of the epilepsy. On


Study the serum level of HGF, Cys C and TGF-beta1 in type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN), the infect of Pingshen decoction on those index. Selected 69 cases of 2 type DN and randomly divided into therapy group (36 cases) and control group (33 cases). The therapy group were treated with Pingshen decoction 1 dose/d, bid po. The control group were treated with NephritisShu tablet, 6 tablet, tid po. 8 weeks was a course. Before and after treatment, we examine the serum level of HGF, Cys C and TGF-beta1 by ELISA and immunonephelometry, and compare with 30 cases of healthy control group. The study demonstrates that before treatment, the serum level of HGF in both groups were significantly lower than healthy control group (P < 0.01), but Cys C, TGF-beta1 were significantly higher (P < 0.01). After treatment, the serum level of HGF of both groups were increased. The serum level of HGF of therapy group were significantly higher than of control group (P < 0.01), but the serum level of Cys C and TGF-beta1 were significantly lower than control group (P < 0.01). The serum level of HGF was correlated negatively with Cys C,TGF-beta1. In control group, the UAER, urine beta2-MG and quantity of 24-hour urine protein were significantly decreased after treatment (P < 0.01). The index of urine of therapy group were significantly lower than control group (P < 0.01). Results indicate that test of serum level of HGF and Cys C,TGF-beta1 of diabetic nephropathy have important clinical significance. Pingshen decoction can effectively intervene in the serum level of HGF and Cys C, TGF-beta1 and index of urine.


Indium has gained significant attention in the semiconductor industries due to its unique thermal and optical properties. The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of the biofield energy treatment on the atomic, physical and thermal properties of the indium. The study was performed in two groups (control and treated). The control group remained as untreated, and treated group received Mr. Trivedi's biofield energy treatment. Subsequently, the control and treated indium samples were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The XRD diffractogram showed the shifting of peaks toward higher Bragg's angles in the treated indium sample as compared to the control. The crystallite size of treated indium sample were substantially changed from -80% to 150.2% after biofield energy treatment, as compared to control. In addition, the biofield energy treatment has altered the lattice parameter (-0.56%), unit cell volume (-0.23%), density (0.23%), atomic weight (-0.23), and nuclear charge per unit volume (1.69%) of the treated indium sample with respect to the control. The DSC showed an increase in the latent heat of fusion up to 3.23% in the treated indium sample with respect to control. Overall, results suggest that biofield energy treatment has substantially altered the atomic, physical, and thermal properties of treated indium powder. Therefore, the treated indium could be utilized in thermal interface material in semiconductor industries.


A periodate-resistant antigen (PS L13) which contained ketohexose and glucose was isolated from the oral microorganism Eubacterium saburreum L13 by trypsin digestion and subsequent gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The ketohexose reacted as fructose would in colorimetric and chromatographic analyses, but not in gas-liquid chromatography. Rabbit antiserum to E. saburreum L13 agglutinated the bacteria and contained precipitins of the immunoglobulin G class specific for PS L13.


Abstract: In New Caledonia, rain forests with an upper canopy dominated by single species of Nothofagus occur next to mixed-canopy forests, without discernible environmental cause. A potential explanation is that they are different successional stages. To test this hypothesis and predict long-term change in canopy dominance, population size structures of 61 canopy species were analysed in six Nothofagus-dominated forests and three adjacent mixed rain forests. Weibull analysis suggests that these Nothofagus forests are secondary forests, with recruitment insufficient to maintain monodominance, except at a high-altitude site. At low- to mid-altitudes the Nothofagus canopy is predicted to develop into a mixed canopy, unless moderate to severe disturbance occurs within its reproductive lifespan. However, adjacent mixed rain forests are also secondary, with 85% of analysed species showing no evidence of continuous regeneration. Fifteen species from both forest types showed reverse-J curves suggesting continuous regeneration, but only Calophyllum caledonicum did so consistently. Since few canopy species showed evidence of high shade tolerance and persistence, a small number of shade-tolerant species is predicted to dominate both forests in the long term, in the hypothetical absence of disturbance. Hence, temporal factors associated with disturbances play a key role in determining dominance in these forests.


To what extent do thermodynamic resource theories capture physically relevant constraints? Inspired by quantum computation, we define a set of elementary thermodynamic gates that only act on 2 energy levels of a system at a time. We show that this theory is well reproduced by a Jaynes-Cummings interaction in rotating wave approximation and draw a connection to standard descriptions of thermalisation. We then prove that elementary thermal operations present tighter constraints on the allowed transformations than thermal operations. Mathematically, this illustrates the failure at finite temperature of fundamental theorems by Birkhoff and Muirhead-Hardy-Littlewood-Polya concerning stochastic maps. Physically, this implies that stronger constraints than those imposed by single-shot quantities can be given if we tailor a thermodynamic resource theory to the relevant experimental scenario. We provide new tools to do so, including necessary and sufficient conditions for a given change of the population to be possible. As an example, we describe the resource theory of the Jaynes-Cummings model. Finally, we initiate an investigation into how our resource theories can be applied to Heat Bath Algorithmic Cooling protocols.


Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent and versatile antigen-presenting cells (APC) in the immune system. DC have an exceptional ability to comprehend the immune context of a captured antigen based on molecular signals identified from its vicinity. The analyzed information is then conveyed to other immune effector cells. Such capability enables DC to play a pivotal role in mediating either an immunogenic response or immune tolerance towards an acquired antigen. This review summarizes current knowledge on DC in the context of human tumors. It covers the basics of human DC biology, elaborating on the different markers, morphology and function of the different subsets of human DC. Human blood-borne DC are comprised of at least three subsets consisting of one plasmacytoid DC (pDC) and two to three myeloid DC (mDC) subsets. Some tissues have unique DC. Each subset has a different phenotype and function and may induce pro-tumoral or anti-tumoral effects. The review also discusses two methods fundamental to the research of DC on the single-cell level: multicolor flow cytometry (FCM) and image-based cytometry (IC). These methods, along with new genomics and proteomics tools, can provide high-resolution information on specific DC subsets and on immune and tumor cells with which they interact. The different layers of collected biological data may then be integrated using Immune-Cytomics modeling approaches. Such novel integrated approaches may help unravel the complex network of cellular interactions that DC carry out within tumors, and may help harness this complex immunological information into the development of more effective treatments for cancer.


This paper presents a portable paper-based microfluidic platform for multiplexed electrochemical detection of antibody markers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in serum samples. To our best knowledge, this is the first paper-based electrochemical immunosensing platform, with multiplexing and telemedicine capabilities, for diagnosing HIV/HCV co-infection. The platform consists of an electrochemical microfluidic paper-based immunosensor array (E-μPIA) and a handheld multi-channel potentiostat, and is capable of performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays simultaneously on eight samples within 20 min (using a prepared E-μPIA). The multiplexing feature of the platform allows it to produce multiple measurement data for HIV and HCV markers from a single run, and its wireless communication module can transmit the results to a remote site for telemedicine. The unique integration of paper-based microfluidics and mobile instrumentation renders our platform portable, low-cost, user-friendly, and high-throughput.


Using piezoelectric impedance/admittance sensing for structural health monitoring is promising, owing to the simplicity in circuitry design as well as the high-frequency interrogation capability. The actual identification of fault location and severity using impedance/admittance measurements, nevertheless, remains to be an extremely challenging task. A first-principle based structural model using finite element discretization requires high dimensionality to characterize the high-frequency response. As such, direct inversion using the sensitivity matrix usually yields an under-determined problem. Alternatively, the identification problem may be cast into an optimization framework in which fault parameters are identified through repeated forward finite element analysis which however is oftentimes computationally prohibitive. This paper presents an efficient data-assisted optimization approach for fault identification without using finite element model iteratively. We formulate a many-objective optimization problem to identify fault parameters, where response surfaces of impedance measurements are constructed through Gaussian process-based calibration. To balance between solution diversity and convergence, an -dominance enabled many-objective simulated annealing algorithm is established. As multiple solutions are expected, a voting score calculation procedure is developed to further identify those solutions that yield better implications regarding structural health condition. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by systematic numerical and experimental case studies.


The Bernard Distinguished Lecturers are individuals who have a history of experience and expertise in teaching that impacts multiple levels of health science education. Dr. Joel Michael more than meets these criteria. Joel earned a BS in biology from CalTech and a PhD in physiology from MIT following which he vigorously pursued his fascination with the mammalian central nervous system under continuous National Institutes of Health funding for a 15-yr period. At the same time, he became increasingly involved in teaching physiology, with the computer being his bridge between laboratory science and classroom teaching. Soon after incorporating computers into his laboratory, he began developing computer-based learning resources for his students. Observing students using these resources to solve problems led to an interest in the learning process itself. This in turn led to a research and development program, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), that applied artificial intelligence to develop smart computer tutors. The impact of problem solving on student learning became the defining theme of National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported research in health science education that gradually moved all of Dr. Michael's academic efforts from neurophysiology to physiology education by the early 1980's. More recently, Joel has been instrumental in developing and maintaining the Physiology Education Research Consortium, a group of physiology teachers from around the nation who collaborate on diverse projects designed to enhance learning of the life sciences. In addition to research in education and learning science, Dr. Michael has devoted much of his time to helping physiology teachers adopt modern approaches to helping students learn. He has organized and presented faculty development workshops at many national and international venues. The topics for these workshops have included computer-based education, active learning, problem-based learning, and the use of general models in teaching physiology.


In this paper we analyze the utility of mobile middleware platform technology applied in a realistic military exercise scenario. The system was demonstrated to the Office of Naval Research in partial fulfillment of the US Marines Corps next generation ground logistics command and control (GLC2) platform. In particular, we will highlight four mission critical activities, namely a) alerting and notification of information to a wide variety of handheld devices, b) a publish and subscribe interface for mobile devices to an ontology driven knowledge dissemination (ODKD) system via the middleware platform, c) link/Status detection and seamless switchover from a secure wired to a secure wireless (802.11b) infrastructure and d) autonomic sensor data parsing and injection for use in a course of action tool simulator.


The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among the cognitive appraisal model of athletic injury predictors. Specifically, predictions concerning the role of the personality factors of hardiness and the situational factor of life stress in prediction cognitive appraisal of injury were examined. Intercollegiate athletes (n=187) complete a pre-season survey. The pre-season survey, which contained background information, injury history, the Cognitive Hardiness Inventory (Nowack, 1990), and Life Event Survey for Collegiate Athletes (Petrie, 1992), was administered 1 to 2 weeks prior to the season. The correlations showed some support for the hypothesis that hardier athletes would appraise rehabilitation as less difficult than less hardy athletes. Future researchers should consider the advantages of the cognitive appraisal model specifically taking individual difference into account when dealing with injured athletes


Eight patients with common variable panhypogammaglobulinemia were shown in the in vitro Ig biosynthesis assay to have defective B cell responses to pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Phospholipid synthesis was assessed in the B cell plus monocyte fraction (MB) and irradiated T cells (T*) of patients and paired normal controls. Cell populations were studied separately and in the four possible combinations (1:1), with and without PWM, to reveal the effect of cell interactions. At 16 to 20 hr the mean stimulation index (SI) +/- standard error for MB cells alone was 1.01 +/- 0.02 for eight patients and 0.99 +/- 0.02 for the paired normals; the T* cell SI was 1.25 +/- 0.04 for patients and 1.28 +/- 0.05 for normals. Combinations of normal MB cells with normal T* cells showed significantly higher SI when compared with the combinations of normal MB cells with patient T* cells (p less than 0.005). However, the combination of patient MB cells with patient T* cells and the combination of patient MB cells with normal T* cells were not significantly different in SI (0.05 less than p less than 0.1). Isolation of patient and normal B cells, T* cells, and monocytes after the choline pulse showed that patient B cells gave a higher SI with normal T* help than with patient T* help. Of greatest interest is the finding that patient B cells that were defective in PWM-stimulated Ig production nevertheless showed a phospholipid synthesis response to PWM in the normal range, suggesting that the maturation defect in these B cells occurs later than the phospholipid synthesis acceleration step, or on a different pathway.


Stationary experiments were conducted on an engine representative internal cooling passage with a filleted rectangular cross-section with staggered 45o ribs on two opposing walls. The ribs had a rounded profile and span half the width of the passage. Pressure loss measurements and spatially resolved heat transfer coefficients have been collected over the full surface of the test section over a range of Reynolds numbers (18,000 - 105,000) for two aspect ratios, 1:2 and 1:3. The experimental results were compared to widely used empirical correlations for ribbed passages with full width ribs in sharp-cornered passages. The average Nusselt number and friction factor differed to correlations by a maximum of 45% and 10% respectively.


Recent studies have suggested that hepatic iron stores and the response to anaemia and inflammation are dependent on the mouse strains used and their Hfe status. Hepcidin and iron transporters such as DMT1 and Iregl are regulator molecules important in the pathology and physiology of Iron metabolism. The aim of these studies was to produce Hfe KO mice on a strain known to have higher basal hepatic iron levels and study iron homeostasis in relation to variable dietary iron and inflammation in these mice. The regulation of hepcidin was investigated in Huh7 cells exposed to various stimuli such as iron, inflammation and hypoxia. In addition, Huh7 cells were exposed to conditioned medium obtained from HH1 patient's macrophages. Results obtained from these studies are described and discussed in this thesis. In brief, it was found that the disruption of the Hfe gene causes a preferential accumulation of iron in the caudate lobe of the mouse liver. Contrary to previous findings, iron loaded diet does not have an effect on hepcidin expression in wt SWR mice while in Hfe KO SWR mice it significantly upregulates hepcidin expression. Furthermore, the upregulation of hepcidin by turpentine oil-induced inflammation in SWR mice is Hfe-dependent. Hepcidin expression is down regulated by hypoxia and anaemia and conditioned medium from patients with HH1 macrophages have no effect on hepcidin expression levels. In conclusion, the results show that SWR Hfe KO mice is not an accurate model for the study of HH1, the studies described here, however, contribute to the understanding of how hepatocytes respond to iron status, hypoxia and inflammation and the relevance of the Hfe gene in the regulation of hepcidin expression levels as well as hepatic DMT1 and Iregl expression levels.


A new freshwater eutardigrade, Dactylobiotus luci is described from a permanent marsh pool (Zaphania's Pool) at 4225 m elevation in the Alpine zone of the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. The new species is most similar to D. dervizi Biserov, 1998 in the shape of the egg processes, absence of papillae and absence of eyes, but differs from it mainly by a different appearance of macroplacoids, by having tips of the egg processes usually sharp, not divided and more slender, and by several morphometric characters of eggs and adults. The new species was found in fairly acidic (pH < 6) Sphagnum-Carex fens bordering/extending into the pool. So far, it has only been recorded in one other high-elevation water body in Rwenzori in a similar habitat.


As the technology and size of parallel computing systems advance, so does the detail at which we can solve very complex numerical problems, including optimization problems constrained by nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). This trend of increasing computational complexity demands both the design of scalable parallel numerical algorithms and the adoption of modern software engineering techniques for the development of numerical libraries.
This thesis presents the development of robust parallel numerical methods and object-oriented software for solving PDE-constrained optimization problems. We propose a new class of fully coupled full space sequential quadratic programming algorithms, which we refer to as Lagrange-Newton-Krylov-Schwarz (LNKSz). In LNKSz, a Lagrangian functional is formed and differentiated to obtain an optimality system of nonlinear equations called Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) system, which is then solved with Newton-Krylov-Schwarz (NKSz) algorithms. Although NKSz has been applied to the solution of many simulation PDEs, until this thesis little is known about its suitability to KKT systems.
In order to implement and test multi-level LNKSz methods, we have developed, over the Portable, Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computing library from Argonne National Laboratory, a parallel C++ software application called PDE Con strained Optimization Package (PCOP). Numerical experiments are performed on some boundary control problems of steady-state incompressible Navier-Stokes flows. For the case of relatively low computational complexity, i.e., small Reynolds number (Re), small mesh size and small number of processors, many good algorithms exist. LNKSz, however, remains robust as the computational complexity increases. We report the performance of LNKSz in terms of nonlinear and linear convergences, analyze its sensitivity with respect to the mesh size and Re, and analyze its scalability with respect to the number of processors. We also present the design of PCOP and discuss some interesting implementation issues.


Abstract This article presents the first findings of a qualitative empirical study of caregivers' attentiveness in hospital oncology care. It takes a care ethical perspective, in which attentiveness is considered an indispensable element of good care. The data are derived from participant observation at the oncology department of a general hospital in the Netherlands. The analysis shows a descriptive exploratory model of attentiveness, which comprises a coherent set of the clusters perception (A), object finding (B), and space for attentiveness (C). The methodological output of this article is an important one: the presented descriptive model of attentiveness promotes further research into the characteristics and functioning of attentiveness in care. It is a fundamental step towards a grounded theory, as it enables a comparison of different cases prior to thematic analyses. The substantive outcomes of the study offer caregivers a tool for understanding and analyzing care practices from the perspective of attentiveness. This article presents the first findings of a qualitative empirical study of caregivers' attentiveness in hospital oncology care. It takes a care ethical perspective, in which attentiveness is considered an indispensable element of good care. The data are derived from participant observation at the oncology department of a general hospital in the Netherlands. The analysis shows a descriptive exploratory model of attentiveness, which comprises a coherent set of the clusters perception (A), object finding (B), and space for attentiveness (C). The methodological output of this article is an important one: the presented descriptive model of attentiveness promotes further research into the characteristics and functioning of attentiveness in care. It is a fundamental step towards a grounded theory, as it enables a comparison of different cases prior to thematic analyses. The substantive outcomes of the study offer caregivers a tool for understanding and analyzing care practices from the perspective of attentiveness.


Herein, we fabricated a super-hydrophobic SERS substrate using Sn-doped indium oxide (Indium-tin-oxide: ITO) nano-branches as a template. ITO nano-branches with tens of nanometer diameter are first fabricated through the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth to provide roughness of the substrate. 10 nm thickness of Ag thin film was deposited and then treated with the post-annealing process to create numerous air-pockets in the Ag film, forming a hierarchical Ag nanostructures. The resulting substrate obtained Cassie's wetting property with a water contact angle of 151°. Compared to the normal hydrophobic Ag nanoparticle substrate, increase of about 4.25-fold higher SERS signal was obtained for 7 μL of rhodamine 6G aqueous solutions.


Wireless sensor networks are decentralised networks consisting of sensors that can detect events and transmit data to neighbouring sensors. Ideally, this data is eventually gathered in a central base station. Wireless sensor networks have many possible applications. For example, they can be used to detect gas leaks in houses or fires in a forest. In this report, we study data gathering in wireless sensor networks with the objective of minimising the time to send event data to the base station. We focus on sensors with a limited cache and take into account both node and transmission failures. We present two cache strategies and analyse the performance of these strategies for specific networks. For the case without node failures we give the expected arrival time of event data at the base station for both a line and a 2D grid network. For the case with node failures we study the expected arrival time on two-dimensional networks through simulation, as well as the influence of the broadcast range. Keywords: sensor networks, data gathering, stochastic optimisation, distributed algorithms, random walks, first-passage percolation.


Objectives: The present study explores how young urologists in Saudi Arabia are adopting social media as a learning tool and how this new development is shaping as far as learning is concerned. Methods: A 18-item online survey via survemonkey.com was conducted. The survey was distributed through email in Saudi Arabia. The survey targeted young urologists and urology residents. The survey design and distribution was performed according to CHERRIES guidelines. Due to the quantitative nature of study data, SPSS software was used to analyze collected data. Results: A total of 104 young Saudi urologists responded to our survey. Participants were mostly familiar with the use of Twitter (86%), followed closely by YouTube (82%) and then Snapchat and Instagram (73% and 63%, respectively), a large portion (72%) of participants believe that social media has a moderate-to-high influence on their urology knowledge, YouTube was by far the most used source to watch and understand surgical skills, followed by reference books and websites, respectively. Conclusion: Social media has contributed to the spread of medical information among urology community and outside the urology community as well, with easier spread of medical knowledge to all involved by using social media, an extensive impact is achieved to both physicians and patients as well. For future work, this study should be conducted again, to monitor and compare the progression of usage among urologists.


Europe's second Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE-B) satellite was launched on April 27, 2008, at 22:16 UTC and successfully began transmission on May 7. On the same day, we observed signals in the L1, E5a, and E5b bands, with the L1 spectrum showing multiplexed binary offset carrier (MBOC) modulation. We then identified the generators for the Pseudo Random Noise (PRN) codes in each band. We revealed these codes to be 13- or 14-stage Gold codes, different from the memory codes in the Galileo Interface Control Document (ICD). The GIOVE-B PRN codes have the same code structure as those of the first Galileo test satellite, GIOVE-A. The code generators are the same except for the initial states. However, the signal modulation type in one of the frequency bands is different. The new modulation applied by GIOVE-B ensures more robustness to multipath.


The Chernobyl nuclear accident happened in the former Soviet Union on 26 April 1986. The accident destroyed one of the RBMK-1000 type reactors and released significant radioactive contamination into the environment. At first the emissions were transported north-westwards over Poland, the Baltic States, Finland, Sweden and Norway. During 27 April 1986 emissions were spreading to eastern-central Europe, southern Germany, Italy and Yugoslavia. Radioactivity mapping over Finland between 29 April and 16 May 1986 showed that the ground deposition in Finland covered southern and central parts of the country but had an irregular distribution. The highest (over 100 μR h ―1 [1 μSv h ―1 ]) contamination disclosed by the mapping was around the city of Uusikaupunki in western Finland and the city of Kotka in southeastern Finland. The Uusikaupunki region was an area of heavy fallout associated with the air mass that was located in the Chernobyl area at the time of the accident. The fallout pattern of reftractory nuclides, e.g. plutonium isotopes, had their spatial maximum in this region. Medical consequences in Finland were luckily mild, the most important symptoms being psychological ones. No increase in thyroid cancer or birth defect occurrence has been observed. The Chernobyl accident boosted the radioecological research which had already been calming down after the last atmospheric nuclear test in China in October 1980. Important new results concerning e.g. hot particles have been achieved. The most important effects of the accident in Finland were, however, the increase of public awareness of environmental issues in general and especially of nuclear energy. In Finland, the nuclear energy programme was halted until 2002 when the Parliament of Finland granted a licence to build the fifth nuclear reactor in Finland.


Despite the impressive performance in many individual tasks, deep neural networks suffer from catastrophic forgetting when learning new tasks incrementally. Recently, various incremental learning methods have been proposed, and some approaches achieved acceptable performance relying on stored data or complex generative models. However, storing data from previous tasks is limited by memory or privacy issues, and generative models are usually unstable and inefficient in training. In this paper, we propose a simple non-exemplar based method named PASS, to address the catastrophic forgetting problem in incremental learning. On the one hand, we propose to memorize one class-representative prototype for each old class and adopt prototype augmentation (protoAug) in the deep feature space to maintain the decision boundary of previous tasks. On the other hand, we employ self-supervised learning (SSL) to learn more generalizable and transferable features for other tasks, which demonstrates the effectiveness of SSL in incremental learning. Experimental results on benchmark datasets show that our approach significantly outperforms non-exemplar based methods, and achieves comparable performance compared to exemplar based approaches.


Trees can control their shape and resist gravity thanks to their ability to produce wood under tensile stress. This stress is known to be produced during the maturation of wood fibres but the mechanism of its generation remains unclear. This study focuses on the formation of the secondary wall in tension wood produced in artificially tilted poplar saplings. Thickness of secondary wall layer (SL) and gelatinous layer (GL) were measured from cambium to mature wood in several trees sampled at different times after tilting. Measurements on wood fibres produced before tilting show the progressive increase of secondary wall thickness during the growing season. After the tilting date, SL thickness decreased markedly from normal wood to tension wood while the total thickness increased compared to normal wood, with the development of a thick GL. However, even after GL formation, SL thickness continues to increase during the growing season. GL thickening was observed to be faster than SL thickening. The development of the unlignified GL is proposed to be a low cost, efficient strategy for a fast generation of tensile stress in broadleaved trees.


This paper explores the effect of ultrasonic peening using various passes on an impact strength of AISI 1020 low carbon steel. Many ASTM E23 impact specimens were prepared from the chosen metal and exposed to multi-pass ultrasonic peening (1,2,3 pass). Microstructure, hardness, residual stresses, and impact tests on ultrasonic peened and not peened samples were performed. Ultrasonic peening contributed to increasing the impact strength, due to the increase in comparative residual stress and hardness. Three passes show improvement in strength by (29.7%), comparative with the base metal.


The investigation aimed to find monetary benefits of Laser Land Levelling (LLL) compared to conventional land leveling (CLL) in Karnal and Sirsa district of Haryana. These two districts were selected purposively because these have the highest area under paddy-wheat and cotton-wheat cropping patterns, respectively. The equation of Aryal et al. (2014) was explicitly used to estimate incremental benefits from laser land leveling. Also, input use pattern of machine labor, seed, plant protection chemicals, human labor, yield, and irrigation was considered. In the paddy-wheat cropping pattern of Karnal district, the annual net benefits of using laser land levelling were estimated to be ` 11450.81. In contrast, per LLL operation, net benefits were estimated to be ` 34352. Similarly, on the same lines in the cotton-wheat cropping pattern of Sirsa district, the annual net benefits of LLL were estimated to be ` 7212.61. In contrast,per LLL operation, net benefits were estimated to be ` 28850. As far as the input use pattern is concerned, the study showed that machine labour and yield increased under LLL while in both districts. In contrast, all other inputs i.e., seed, fertilizer, human labor, plant protection, chemicals, irrigation, were reduced, showing resource conservation potential of LLL. Hence, the study recommended adopting this resource conservation technology and tapping its potential benefits so that farmers may get benefitted from this ultimate technology


Vaccines based on dendritic cells--the immune system's key responders to foreign invaders--grabbed the spotlight of this decade. Scientists have devised a dozen different ways to make dendritic cell vaccines. They have linked dendritic cells with all kinds of antigens, including peptides derived from gene mutations, tumor/pathogen RNA, viral vectors, and with whole pathogen/tumor lysate. And they are adding cytokines such as granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor or interleukin 4 during dendritic cell growth or maturation or at the site of vaccination to try to boost response. We are still learning the best way to generate the dendritic cells, load them with the antigen and send them to the right place in the body, and use of the biological stage of development of dendritic cells that is best suited to stimulate a response. In the present review attempts have been made to present a comprehensive synopsis of the history, development and ramifications of evolving knowledge on dendritic cell biology and the prospects for being developed as a rational immunotherapeutic tool. Further clinical studies are warranted.


In our initial studies we found that naïve CCR6‐deficient (CCR6–/–) C57BL/6 mice possessed significantly lower number of both F4/80+ macrophages and dendritic cells (DC), but higher number of B cells in the peritoneal cavity, as compared to naïve wild type (WT) controls. Furthermore, peritoneal macrophages isolated from CCR6–/– mice expressed significantly lower levels of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)stimulation, as compared to WT macrophages. In a severe experimental peritonitis model induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), CCR6–/– mice were protected when compared with WT controls. At 24 h following the induction of peritonitis, CCR6–/– mice exhibited significantly lower levels of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in both the peritoneal cavity and blood. Interestingly, DC recruitment into the peritoneal cavity was impaired in CCR6–/– mice during the evolution of CLP‐induced peritonitis. Peritoneal macrophages isolated from surviving CCR6–/– mice 3 days after CLP‐induced peritonitis exhibited an enhanced LPS response compared with similarly treated WT peritoneal macrophages. These data illustrate that CCR6 deficiency alters the innate response via attenuating the hyperactive local and systemic inflammatory response during CLP‐induced peritonitis.


Heterogeneous environments pose a particular challenge for organisms because the same phenotype is unlikely to perform best regardless of the variety of encountered stressors. To understand how species meet this challenge, we investigated the extent to which contrasting environmental pressures induced ecological and phenotypic responses in a natural population of a wide-dispersing marine snail at a small spatial scale. We analyzed several traits of Heleobia australis (Rissooidea: Cochliopidae) collected from heterogeneous, but highly connected, habitats from the intertidal area of the Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina. We also conducted molecular analyses by amplifying the COI gene in individuals sampled from each habitat. We found that sympatric subpopulations of H. australis exhibited a strong phenotypic divergence in shell characters and body weight in response to thermal, saline, and dehydration stress, crab predation risk, and parasitic castrators. We proved that this differentiation occurred even early in life as most of the characters observed in juveniles mirrored those found in adults. We also found a divergence in penis size in snails collected from each habitat and raised in common garden laboratory conditions. The molecular analyses confirmed that the individuals studied constituted a single species despite the strong phenotypic differences among subpopulations. The small-scale phenotypic differentiation suggests that H. australis experienced a fine-grained environment where conditions imposed by different sources of stress favored the expression of beneficial traits. We discuss the role of plasticity in shaping adaptive phenotypic responses that increase the likelihood of persistence of subpopulations facing environmental stress conditions.


The purpose of the study was to investigate the synthesis of economic calcium phosphate powders from recycled oyster shells, using a ball milling method. The oyster shell powder and a calcium pyrophosphate powder were used as starting materials and ball milled, then heat treated at 1,050°C for 5 h to produce calcium phosphate powders through a solid-state reaction. Electrochemically synthesized mesoporous silicon microparticles were then added to the prepared phosphate powders by mechanical mixer. The final powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to analyze their chemical composition and determine the most suitable process conditions. The biocompatibility of the produced powders was also tested in vitro using murine cells and the results showed good biocompatibility.


In 6 patients with PKU, being on a low phenylalanine diet, the effect of reintroduction of phenylalanine on the E.E.G. was studied. The children, therefore, received daily loads of 100 or 150 mg phenylalanine/Kg bodyweight, equally divided over the meals. Computerized spectral analysis of the E.E.G's was performed during and after the loading tests. This made quantification possible of the following E.E.G. changes: 1) the increase of activities in the theta frequency band (4-8 Hz); 2) the frequency change of the alpha rhythm; 3) the change of the degree of synchrony between identical frequencies occurring in different derivations. A linear relation was found between these quantified E.E.G. parameters and the phenylalanine blood-level. After stopping the loading test E.E.G. abnormalities reversed suggesting that they could be considered as a measure for the degree of intoxication caused by the phenylalanine and/or its metabolites. It is suggested that the E.E.G. data may be useful parameters for alleviation or termination of the diet.


The ease with which workers can move between sectors has a strong impact on the effects on labor markets of shocks such as changes in world prices or migration flows. This paper introduces an approach to labor mobility with frictions under which worker capabilities (their efficiencies in different sectors) depend on their sector affiliation. If workers in sector a move to sector a', their efficiency shortfall due to a capability misfit compared to what is needed in a' (and possessed by workers already in a') is measured by a proximity parameter, 0 ≤ proxa,a' ≤ 1. If proxa,a' < 1, the efficient quantity reaching a' is below the physical quantity. In this setting, profit-maximizing producers are willing to pay the same wage per efficiency unit irrespective of worker origin and thus pay less efficient workers a lower wage per physical unit. This approach to labor mobility is tested in a static CGE model that is applied to an illustrative sub-Saharan African dataset with sector proximities defined using the approach of the product-space literature. Simulations of positive export price shocks show that, the higher the proximities, the stronger the labor reallocation and the welfare gains.


Free oxygen tension (pO2) and tissue blood flow (by the rate of elimination of hydrogen from the tissues after its single inhale) at rest and after functional stresses (oxygen inhalation, walking) were studied polarographically in healthy persons (10), patients with obliterating endarteritis (25) and obliterating atherosclerosis (22). It was shown that the rate of pO2 and capillary blood flow reduction in the tissues and peculiarities of their changes in response to functional stresses aid in establishing the precise differential diagnosis of obliterating endarteritis and atherosclerosis, a stage of the disease and also in evaluating the efficacy of treatment.


The «parte guerresca» («war component») in Verdi's La forza del destino is described by the same author as «tutt'affatto episodica» («quite episodic»), although it is a constant presence in his production; nonetheless it gets its own important space during the opera. In particular one among the characters is defined almost exclusively in connection with war: that's Preziosilla, whose only two appearances culminate into battle songs. In the second act she tunes a recruitment song – «Al suon del tamburo» («At the sound of drums») – with the meaningful refrain «e bella la guerra! evviva la guerra!» («how splendid is war! Hurrah for war!»), and in the third act a rataplan. The connection between a pretty gypsy girl and war neither is immediately comprehensible, nor is the relationship between her and the main plot of the drama: why Preziosilla, who all things considered is a secondary character, gets such an important space hinged on war? My purpose is to analyze this character, because of she reveals herself being very different from the topos of the operatic gypsy girl and has the fundamental task of introducing and integrating the conflict in the plot. In my paper I will examine the very persuasive way by which she introduces herself and that specific theme, focusing on her first entrance on stage: here she speaks strong words if we consider the particular political juncture in which the opera was composed, and raise people in order to persuade them to join the army of the Italian liberation war against Germans, «flagel d'Italia eterno e de' figliuoli suoi» («the eternal scourge of Italy and of her sons»).


Abstract The goal of the present study was to characterize how neighborhood structure in sign language influences lexical sign acquisition in order to extend our understanding of how the lexicon influences lexical acquisition in both sign and spoken languages. A referent-matching lexical sign learning paradigm was administered to a group of 29 hearing sign language learners in order to create a sign lexicon. The lexicon was constructed based on exposures to signs that resided in either sparse or dense handshape and location neighborhoods. The results of the current study indicated that during the creation of the lexicon signs that resided in sparse neighborhoods were learned better than signs that resided in dense neighborhoods. This pattern of results is similar to what is seen in child first language acquisition of spoken language. Therefore, despite differences in child first language and adult second language acquisition, these results contribute to a growing body of literature that implicates the phonological features that structure of the lexicon is influential in initial stages of lexical acquisition for both spoken and sign languages. This is the first study that uses an innovated lexicon-construction methodology to explore interactions between phonology and the lexicon in L2 acquisition of sign language.


Fat embolism syndrome (FES) has been recognized for more than 100 years, but controversy remains with regard to the mechanism of systemic fat embolism. We report a case of healthy 30-years-old men who developed respiratory failure and brain death within 48 h of bilateral tibial fractures. Autopsy showed fat embolism in the lung and brain, and a large patent oval foramen that may have contr ibuted to massive cerebral fat embolism.


Irrigated rice production is common in the coastal savannah zone of Ghana. Recent observations have shown the incidence of a new leaf spot disease in  some rice basins in the area. Research was carried out to determine the incidence and severity of the disease in the area, identify the causal agent using  its cultural and morphological features, complemented with phylogenetic studies of the internal transcribed spacer region. Also, the effect of some  selected fungicides and an antagonistic Trichoderma harzianum on the mycelial growth of the fungus was determined in vitro. The disease was found in  all the major rice growing districts in the coastal savannah zone with severities ranging from 22.6 to 50.9%. Curvularia lunata was identified as the causal  agent of the disease. Carbendazim, Nordox and Mancozeb, totally depressed the mycelial growth of the fungus whiles T. harzianum inhibited the growth  of the fungus. These fungicides and antagonistic organism have the potential for the control of the disease in the field.


Sequence variants at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus in chromosome 5p have been recently associated with disposition for various cancers. Here we show that this locus including the gene encoding the telomerase reverse-transcriptase TERT at 5p13.33 is rarely but recurrently targeted by somatic chromosomal translocations to IGH and non-IG loci in B-cell neoplasms, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma and splenic marginal zone lymphoma. In addition, cases with genomic amplification of TERT locus were identified. Tumors bearing chromosomal aberrations involving TERT showed higher TERT transcriptional expression and increased telomerase activity. These data suggest that deregulation of TERT gene by chromosomal abnormalities leading to increased telomerase activity might contribute to B-cell lymphomagenesis.


Two reports in this week9s issue of
 Science (pp.
 1377
 and
 1381) bolster the notion that immune cells never forget. The immune cells in question are T cells, which spring into action to kill infected cells or orchestrate other immune responses when other cells "present" them with an appropriate antigen, together with a so-called MHC protein. The new work shows that memory T cells don9t need to repeat this experience: They persist and maintain their ability to recognize their specific antigens, even when put into mice that have been genetically altered to eliminate the MHC proteins, which makes antigen presentation impossible.


Background/Aim: Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) plays an important role in metastasis behavior of cancer cells, and overexpression of MMP-7 has been associated with poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer. However, the contribution of various genotypes of MMP-7 has not yet been investigated in lung cancer in Taiwan. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of MMP-7 genotypes with lung cancer risk among the Taiwanese. Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based case-control study, genotypes and distributions at two promoter sites of MMP-7, A-181G and C-153T, were determined, and their association with lung cancer risk in Taiwan was evaluated among 358 lung cancer patients and 716 age- and gender-matched healthy control individuals. In addition, the interaction of MMP-7 genotypes and smoking status were also examined. Results: The percentages of variant AG and GG at MMP-7 A-181G in the lung cancer group were similar to the control group (12.8% and 2.3% vs. 11.3% and 1.5%, respectively; ptrend=0.5294). The allelic frequency distribution analysis showed that the variant G allele at MMP-7 A-181G conferred non-significant elevated lung cancer risk compared to the wild-type A allele [odds ratio (OR)=1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.85-1.66, p=0.2289]. As for the genotypes of MMP-7 C-153T, all the studied Taiwanese population was of CC genotype. Furthermore, there was no obvious joint effect of MMP-7 A-181G genotype and smoking status on the lung cancer risk. No statistically significant correlation was observed between MMP-7 A-181G genotype distributions and gender. Conclusion: There was no evidence that the genotypes of MMP-7 A-181G may act as a biomarker in determining personal susceptibility to lung cancer in Taiwan.


Background: Congenital long QT syndrome (cLQTS), characterized by prolonged QTc time, syncope or sudden death caused by torsade de pointes ventricular tachycardia, has an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and is caused by mutations in genes coding for the cardiac ion channels conducting the depolarizing sodium current, INa, and the repolarizing delayed rectifier potassium currents, IKr and IKs. Methods: We describe a family in which one family member died suddenly and unexpectedly from what was assumed to be cardiac death, and in which another person with symptoms indicating cLQTS had been controlled for more than 40 years with oral potassium chloride and ammonium chloride. She was screened for mutations in LQTS genes using polymerase chain amplification reaction of genomic DNA followed by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Results: A clinically well-described missense mutation, G306R in KCNQ1, coding for the ion channel conducting the IKs current was found. The mutation causes a moderately dominant reduction in the IKs current. Conclusion: The novel observation is that potassium in cLQTS caused by the KCNQ1 mutation protects against syncope in a life-long perspective. Thus, although the mechanism is not fully elucidated, maintaining a normal potassium homeostasis is of general importance. Hence, securing sufficient intake of potassium and careful control of potassium-losing conditions are important elements in the management of patients with cLQTS as a supplement to established therapeutic strategies.


This master's dissertation has been performed in cooperation with Tyrens and the Dept. of Construction Sciences, LTH. We have investigated if it is possible to increase the total stability for excavations with retaining structures and if each side of an excavation could be treated as a separate 2D-case with additional theories to approximate its 3D-effects.

End-surface theories from the Commission on slope stability (CSS) report 3:95 could possibly be used to consider 3D-effects although they are originally created for slopes without structural support. Neither is there any information regarding the interaction between these separated 2D-systems.

The intention of this master's dissertation is to validate that these theories mentioned can be used and that it is reasonable doing so.

It is done by evaluating three different kinds of systems namely

> Generalised sloped excavations where corners and thus interactions between sides are introduced into the model but without structure to examine endsurface- and additional 3D-effects where the applied theories are valid.
> Generalised excavation with retaining structure to determine corner-, endsurface- and structural effects.
> The theories evaluated are then applied to a real life case with material- and structural parameters evaluated from the Vastlanken project. Here the possibility of excavating a 70x70x15 m (length, width, depth) is investigated.

For all of the modelling steps; analytical and numerical calculations have been performed, where Slope/W has been used to aid the analytical calculations and Plaxis- 2D and 3D have been used for 2D and 3D modelling.

Evident in the results assembled in this work is that 2D-analytical calculations underestimates the total stability (FS) for an excavation when compared to numerical calculations. Applying the end surface theory from CSS report 3:95 generates results similar to the ones generated by 3D modelling, but on the safe side. This final comparison was made without considering the stabilising effect that can be accounted for due to the retaining structural connections in the corners.