Natural phenomena such as smoke, waterfall, and stream show both texture and motion changes over time. The underlying physical properties bring complicated 3D variations which have attracted our interest. Velocity is one of important physical properties, which affects fluidity in small or large scale. Thus, this paper presents a 3D photodynamic tool (PDT) using a single fluid-like 2D image with 3D velocity primitives and physical models. Our tool offers only a few manipulations to generate a long term animation from a single image in a minute. Experimental results show that our 3D PDT can animate a realistic texture change from a single 2D photo even with occlusion in a scene.


n the process of China's development, various resources need to be used effectively. Among them, coal resources are one of the important basic guarantees in people's life and production. The continuous use of coal resources in development has made mining more and more difficult, and put forward higher challenges to the mining process and the geological survey process. During the construction of coal mining projects, it is necessary to carry out effective measurement data, accurately improve the underground construction situation of the entire coal mine, make detailed data sorting of underground mines, and make correct judgments. Based on the actual situation, the thesis improves the accuracy in the process of coal mine geological survey, analyzes the related reasons, and adopts scientific measures to improve the maximization of coal mining.


Don Hellison presented his ideas to teachers and coaches who sought strategies for enhancing responsibility behaviors in youth of underserved communities. He also conveyed his concepts to teacher educators charged with preparing professionals in sport and physical activity all over the world. Using a variety of formal and informal ways of sharing teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR), Don, his colleagues, and those responsible for educating teachers and coaches have shared TPSR as a way to help youth learn social and emotional life skills through sport and physical activity. This article is designed to review what is known about how teachers and other physical activity professionals learn to do TPSR by exploring the literature and research as well as summarizing lessons learned about the process. Common barriers to successful implementation of TPSR and future directions for research and practice on professional development in TPSR are discussed.


Abstract Objective: To acquire data on pediatric nosocomial infections (NIs), which are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality and for which data are scarce. Design: Prevalence survey and evaluation of a new comorbidity index. Setting: Seven Swiss pediatric hospitals. Patients: Those hospitalized for at least 24 hours in a medical, surgical, intensive care, or intermediate care ward. Results: Thirty-five NIs were observed among 520 patients (6.7%; range per hospital, 1.4% to 11.8%). Bacteremia was most frequent (2.5 per 100 patients), followed by urinary tract infection (1.3 per 100 patients) and surgical-site infection (1.1 per 100 patients; 3.2 per 100 patients undergoing surgery). The median duration until the onset of infection was 19 days. Independent risk factors for NI were age between 1 and 12 months, a comorbidity score of 2 or greater, and a urinary catheter. Among surgical patients, an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of 2 or greater was associated with any type of NI (P = .03). Enterobacteriaceae were the most frequent cause of NI, followed by coagulase-negative staphylococci; viruses were rarely the cause. Conclusions: This national prevalence survey yielded valuable information about the rate and risk factors of pediatric NI. A new comorbidity score showed promising performance. ASA score may be a predictor of NI. The season in which a prevalence survey is conducted must be considered, as this determines whether seasonal viral infections are observed. Periodic prevalence surveys are a simple and cost-effective method for assessing NI and comparing rates among pediatric hospitals.


The present experimental studies in monkeys were undertaken to study the initiation and progression of dentoalveolar ankylosis of replanted teeth and associated root resorption. Maxillary and mandibular lateral incisors were extracted and replanted after an extraoral period of 15 min or 1 h. Teeth with an extraoral period of 1 h were endodontically treated. Half the number of monkeys were given antibiotics at the time of replantation. The observation periods varied from 2 days to 40 weeks. Irrespective of the length of the extraoral period, initial root resorption and minor areas of ankylosis were found 1 week after replantation. The initial ankylosis was not preceded by root resorption. In teeth replanted after an extraoral period of 15 min the ankylotic area did not increase with increasing time after replantation. Instead the periodontal membrane was re-established, separating the root surface from the alveolar bone. In teeth replanted after an extraoral period of 1 h, the initial ankylotic area increased with increasing time after replantation. Eight weeks and more after replantation, most of the periodontal membrane was replaced by bone covered by osteoblasts and occasional osteoblasts that were in continuity with the endosteal cells outlining the marrow spaces of the alveolar bone. The cementum and dentin were then gradually resorbed with increasing time after replantation. Antibiotics given at the time of replantation reduced the initial inflammation in the periodontal membrane and the inflammatory root resorption after all observation periods and it also seemed to some extent to prevent bacteria from entering the necrotic pulp tissue. Based on the present results it is suggested that root resorption associated with dentoalveolar ankylosis is initiated by endosteal osteoblasts and is thus a hormonally regulated process. This is in contrast to inflammatory root resorption, which seems to be triggered by inflammatory cells.


The ability to assay cancer biologic features is key to advances in the both the basic biomedical science and clinical patient care. Advances in our ability to assay molecular processes including gene expression, protein expression, and molecular and cellular biochemistry have fueled recent advances in our understanding of many diseases and our ability to treat them. Most assays require sampling of cells or tissue to perform the measurements. Thus the cell culture system, animal model, or patient must be perturbed in order to perform the assay. This requirement makes serial assays over time more difficult and leaves open the possibility that the assay itself may change the state of the system being measured. The ability to measure biologic processes without perturbing them would be highly desirable and would offer complementary information to that obtained by most traditional assay methods. The ability to image regional biochemistry and molecular biology, termed molecular imaging [1,2] offers great promise in using molecular imaging as a cancer biomarker. Quantitative capability is an important feature of molecular imaging, for example, the ability to measure regional tumor receptor expression. The quantitative and non-invasive nature of molecular imaging makes it a potentially very powerful tool for cancer drug development and testing and for translational science [3]. This talk will review the use of molecular imaging as a biomarker, particular positron emission tomography (PET). Examples will be shown using PET imaging to (1) provide prognostic information based upon in vivo measures of cancer differentiation and aggressiveness, (2) measure the regional expression of possible therapeutic targets, (3) provide early assessment of response to therapy. Current clinical trials involving PET as a cancer biomarker will be reviewed, including those using PET radiopharmaceuticals beyond 18F-fluoridexoyglucose (FDG) [3, 4]. The spectrum of current trials will be discussed, with an emphasis on current NCI and ACRIN clinical trials of novel imaging probes, and an eye towards matching future trials of targeted cancer therapy with companion molecular imaging trials.


The characteristics of free spray with ultra injection pressure was analyzed to clear the limit pressure of diesel engine. To obtain final goal, ultra high pressure injection equipment was developed, spray patterns were visualized under various ultra injection pressures. Spray penetration and spray width, volume and entrained air mass were increased with the increase of injection pressure. Sauter mean diameter and injection durstion wert decreased. But over 3,000bar of ultra injection pressure region the rates of increase show almost similar and finally the reversed tendencies at 4,140bar.


Introduction: the diagnostic performance of [64Cu]-DOTAGA-PSMA PET–CT imaging was compared retrospectively to [18F]-PSMA PET–CT in prostate cancer patients with recurrent disease and in the primary staging of selected patients with advanced local and possible metastatic disease. Methods: We retrospectively selected a total of 100 patients, who were consecutively examined in our department, with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy or who had progressive local and possible metastatic disease in the last 3 months prior to this investigation. All patients were examined with a dedicated PET–CT scanner (Biograph; Siemens Healthineers). A total of 250 MBq (3.5 MBq per kg bodyweight, range 230–290 MBq) of [64Cu]-DOTAGA-PSMA or [18-F]-PSMA was applied intravenously. PET images were performed 1 h post-injection (skull base to mid-thigh). The maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of PSMA-positive lesions and the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) of the right liver lobe were measured. Results: All but 9/50 of the patients (18%; PSA range: 0.01–0.7 µg/L) studied with [64Cu]-DOTAGA-PSMA and 6/50 of the ones (12%; PSA range: 0.01–4.2) studied with [18F]-PSMA had at least one positive PSMA lesion shown by PET–CT. The total number of lesions was higher with [64Cu]-DOTAGA-PSMA (209 vs. 191); however, the median number of lesions was one for [64Cu]-DOTAGA-PSMA and two for [18F]-PSMA. Interestingly, the median SUVmean of the right liver lobe was slightly higher for [18F]-PSMA (11.8 vs. 8.9). Conclusions: [64Cu]-DOTAGA-PSMA and [18F]-PSMA have comparable detection rates for the assessment of residual disease in patients with recurrent or primary progressive prostate cancer. The uptake in the liver is moderately different, and therefore at least the SUVs of the lesions in both studies would not be comparable.


The utilization of carbon dioxide poses major challenges owing to its high thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness. To circumvent these problems, a simple reaction system is reported comprising ammonium carbamates as carbon dioxide surrogates, propargylic alcohols, and a silver(I) catalyst, for the effective conversion of a wide range of alcohols and secondary amines into the corresponding β-oxopropylcarbamates. A key feature of this strategy includes quantitative use of a carbon resource with high product yields under gas-free and mild reaction conditions. Notably, this catalytic protocol also works well for the carboxylative cyclization of propargylic amines and carbon dioxide surrogates to afford 2-oxazolidinones.


AbstractVila Nova de Gaia is the most populated county in the Greater Porto Metropolitan Area, and the third most populated in Portugal. Despite these numbers, it did not have an urban agriculture policy until 2012, when the Municipal Network of Urban Allotment Gardens was launched. This programme, apart from providing for allotments, perceives urban agriculture as an opportunity to implement new and inventive municipal policies. Vila Nova de Gaia owns a large area of municipal lands, many acquired through land ceding in urbanization processes. The installation of allotments gardens in these lands was seen as an opportunity to meet the demand for such spaces within the urban area, and to solve the maintenance problem of these gardens, while improving the environmental, aesthetic, and social quality of the landscape. This paper presents and discusses the Municipal Network of Urban Allotment Gardens, highlighting its capability to promote urban agriculture, despite the current economic crisis, and to change...


In this paper, a new analytical formula has been derived for the two-center Coulomb integrals over Slater type orbitals using the Poisson equation. The obtained results from constructed computer program for the presented formula have been compared with the available literature and it is seen that the efficiency of the presented algorithm for a wide range of quantum numbers, orbital exponents and internuclear distances is satisfactory.


The uptake of renewable energy (RE) has been identified by a number of governments as a primary means for mitigating CO2 emissions from the electricity sector, and for making the transition to a low-carbon economy. The electric power output of some RE technologies, however, including those based on intermittent wind and solar energy, can vary considerably over short periods of time and thereby introduce instability into the electricity system. The risk of instability increases with higher shares of intermittent power sources connected to the electrical grid. Different means have been used to deal with this intermittency problem. Cross-border trade in electricity appears to be one of them since it enables countries to gain access to a more diversified portfolio of plants, producing over a wider geographic area. Preliminary results from an examination of the European electricity market confirm the importance of cross-border electricity trade in increasing the effective capacity factor of intermittent plants in the context of a growing share of intermittent renewables in the power sector. There are a number of policy issues that must first be addressed though, with some financial and administrative incentives provided to variable RE technologies discouraging RE producers from fully participating in electricity market operations and exerting downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices. The positive contribution that cross-border trade in electricity can make to address the variability problem not only depends on addressing challenges that renewable-energy technologies pose to electricity markets, but also necessitates the existence of an efficient cross-border electricity trading regime. Addressing those regulatory and administrative measures that are inhibiting growth in cross-border trade and the smooth operation of regional electricity markets would therefore help increase the potential for trade in electricity to facilitate growth in renewable energy.


This paper makes a Fregean analysis of certain expressions which, according to the way they are constructed, can refer, firstly, to events ( A traducao da Biblia por Joao demorou dois anos) and, secondly, to the results of these events ( A traducao da Biblia de Joao esta sob a mesa). This paper intends to show that –if we take into account the above mentioned expressions and use Fregean notions such as meaning, reference, function, argument and concept–  it is possible to consider events as objects. To do this we need to articulate developments made both from a linguistic perspective and a philosophical one. In this particular case, we take into account the Fregean ontology; we try to analyze ontologically the linguistic phenomena called nominalization and arrive to interesting conclusions about the ontological and semantic behavior of the expressions that contain event and result nominalizations.


Study Design. Anterior and posterior vertebral body heights were measured from sequential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients and healthy controls. Objective. To measure changes in vertebral body height over time during scoliosis progression to assess how vertebral body height discrepancies change during growth. Summary of Background Data. Relative anterior overgrowth has been proposed as a potential driver for AIS initiation and progression. This theory proposes that the anterior column grows faster, and the posterior column slower, in AIS patients when compared with healthy controls. There is a disagreement in the literature as to whether the anterior vertebral body heights are proportionally greater than posterior vertebral body heights in AIS patients when compared with healthy controls. To some extent, these discrepancies may be attributed to methodological differences. Methods. MRI scans of the major curve of 21 AIS patients (mean age 12.5 ± 1.4 years, mean Cobb 32.2 ± 12.8 degrees) and between T4 and T12 of 21 healthy adolescents (mean age 12.1 ± 0.5 years) were captured for this study. Of the 21 AIS patients, 14 had a second scan on average 10.8 ± 4.7 months after the first. Anterior and posterior vertebral body heights were measured from the true sagittal plane of each vertebra such that anterior overgrowth could be quantified. Results. The difference between anterior and posterior vertebral body height in healthy, nonscoliotic children was significantly greater than in AIS patients with mild to moderate scoliosis. There was; however, no significant relationship between the overall anterior-posterior vertebral body height difference in AIS and either severity of the curve or its progression over time. Conclusion. Whilst AIS patients have a proportionally longer anterior column than nonscoliotic controls, the degree of anterior overgrowth was not related to the rate of progression or the severity of the scoliotic curve. Level of Evidence: 3


The intermetallic bronze YbPd3S4 is shown to be a heterogeneous mixed-valence system, by means of 170Yb Mossbauer spectroscopy and x-ray LIII-edge absorption and magnetic measurements. Two valence states coexist in this compound: Yb3+ and close-to-divalent Yb. The trivalent fraction (about 50%) undergoes a transition to magnetic ordering at about 2 K, with the Γ7 doublet as the ground crystal field state. The possibility of charge (or valence) ordering is discussed.


PTH-related protein (PTHrP) is responsible for most cases of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM). It mimics the actions of PTH as a result of its structural homology with PTH and its ability to bind to and signal via the PTH/PTHrP receptor in bone and kidney. PTHrP-(1-36) appears to be one of several secretory forms of PTHrP. This peptide has been administered iv to normal volunteers previously and has been shown to produce effects that are qualitatively and quantitatively the same as those produced by PTH-(1-34). To determine whether PTHrP-(1-36) could be used sc in humans as a diagnostic reagent for elucidating the differences between HHM and hyperparathyroidism, we performed a 12-h dose-finding study examining whether sc PTHrP-(1-36) could elicit effects on mineral homeostasis. PTHrP-(1-36) administered sc in three doses (0.82, 1.64, and 3.28 micrograms/kg) to 21 normal women produced increases in circulating PTHrP-(1-36), reductions in serum phosphorus and the renal phosphorus threshold, increments in fractional calcium excretion and nephrogenous cAMP excretion, and increases in plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. These changes were highly significant in statistical terms and were observed at doses that had no effect on serum calcium or endogenous PTH. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of using PTHrP-(1-36) as a diagnostic probe for future studies aimed at elucidating the differing pathophysiologies of HHM and hyperparathyroidism.


-- IBM IBM) Security today announced the results of a global study which found that data breaches now cost surveyed companies $4.24 million per incident on average – the highest cost in the 17-year history of the report. Based on in-depth analysis of real-world data breaches experienced by over 500 organizations, the study suggests that security incidents became more costly and harder to contain due to drastic operational shifts during the pandemic, with costs rising 10% compared to the prior year.


In the rare event of cancer-to-cancer metastasis, one malignant neoplasm spreads to a second carcinoma. To date, 42 such cases have been published in the English- and German-language literature. We report two additional patients, each with metastatic bronchial cancer present in a renal carcinoma. In addition to immunohistochemical examinations, we performed in situ DNA image cytometry of histologic preparations as a novel analytical technique to differentiate metastatic tissue from the host tumor. In both cases DNA histograms of metastatic tumor resembled those of the primary malignancy but were clearly dissimilar to the host tumor. In 70% of previously reported cases renal carcinoma was the host tumor while in 50%, cancer of the lung was the most frequent donor tumor.


The study was purposed to investigate the expression of CD73 on bone marrow nucleated cells (BMMNC) in various leukemia subtypes and its relationship with cell differentiation of leukemia. Immunocytochemistry staining and Wright-Giemsa staining of BMMNC from 75 cases of leukemia, 11 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 13 cases of non-leukemic patients and 9 healthy adults were performed, and the CD73(+) ratio in BMMNC and its relationship with differentiation of leukemia cells were analyzed. The results showed that the ratios of CD73(+) in BMMNC of com-B ALL, pre-B ALL and PLL were significantly higher than those in B-CLL (p < 0.05). CD73(+) ratios in AML subtypes of M(1), M(2a), t (8; 21), t (15; 17), M(4) and M(5) were markedly higher than those in MDS respectively, but in M(6) and MDS were lower and had no statistical difference between them. CD73(+) ratios in T-ALL, B-CLL, M(6), MDS, non-leukemia patients and healthy adults were close to each other and all of them were lower than those in B-ALL and other AML subtypes. It is concluded that the expression of CD73 is associated with leukemia subtype, differentiation and development. The higher differentiation of leukemia cells, the lower of CD73 expression in myeloid and B lymphoid leukemia, but T-ALL does not meet this pattern.


We present Edina, the University of Edinburgh's social bot for the Amazon Alexa Prize competition. Edina is a conversational agent whose responses utilize data harvested from Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) through an innovative new technique we call self-dialogues. These are conversations in which a single AMT Worker plays both participants in a dialogue. Such dialogues are surprisingly natural, efficient to collect and reflective of relevant and/or trending topics. These self-dialogues provide training data for a generative neural network as well as a basis for soft rules used by a matching score component. Each match of a soft rule against a user utterance is associated with a confidence score which we show is strongly indicative of reply quality, allowing this component to self-censor and be effectively integrated with other components. Edina's full architecture features a rule-based system backing off to a matching score, backing off to a generative neural network. Our hybrid data-driven methodology thus addresses both coverage limitations of a strictly rule-based approach and the lack of guarantees of a strictly machine-learning approach.


Introduction: Spiritual Pathology is the study of disturbing factors in the relationship between man and God, the process of disruption in secure attachment to God, which causes spiritual distress in relation to self, people, and the world of creation.Areas covered: Balbi defines attachment as deep emotional bond with special people in life, whose interaction brings security, joy and happiness, and their presence brings peace in times of stress. Kirkpatrick generalized the style of attachment to parents to attachment to God. Expert opinion: In the Sound Heart Model, worship is natural need. The basis of religion is secure attachment to God. Secure attachment to God is belief in the presence and sufficiency of God, as a responsive safe haven. The basis of attachment to God is positive image of God and "recognizing the truth of religion" by the Prophet. The Prophet, as interpreter of Qur'an and spiritual role-model, has healthy spiritual personality. Acceptance of religion, at the time of intellectual maturity, should be done without imitation and coercion, based on knowing the truth of religion, with a free and informed choice. Spiritual pathology is the study of socio-cultural factors that cause misunderstanding of religion, negative image of God and insecure attachment to God.


The test is an application of the method originally described by Boyden (1951) and adapted by Stavitsky and Arquilla (1958). Sera which contain anti-Panton-Valentine leucocidin agglutinate the prepared red cells, often to a very high dilution, and this has provided a useful serological test for the diagnosis of staphylococcal disease in orthopaedic lesions. The test is quicker as a routine investigation than the bioscopic method previously described by Towers and Gladstone (1958).


The data collection problem is one of the most important issues in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Constructing a tree from all sensor nodes to the sink node is the simplest way, but this raises the problem of energy unbalance since the sensors closer to the sink node would have much higher workloads from relaying data. To cope with the energy unbalance problem, a number of mobile-sink mechanisms have been proposed in recent years. This paper proposes an Energy-Balanced Data Collection mechanism, called EBDC, which determines the trajectory of a mobile data collector (or mobile sink) such that the data-relaying workloads of all sensors can be totally balanced. Theoretical analysis and performance evaluation reveal that the proposed EBDC mechanism outperforms the existing approaches in terms of network lifetime and the degree of energy balancing.


Visiting health center for getting ANC service, at least four times during pregnancy consisting of the first visit (K1) during the first trimester, the second visit (K2) during the second trimester, and K3 and K4 visit during the third trimester must be done by pregnant women in Indonesia. The objective of this research is to analyze therapeutic and interactive communication by midwives during ANC service. This observational research used cross sectional design. The sample size is 30 women with babies under six months old from 3 PHCs working areas in Lombok Tengah District. Among all therapeutic and interactive communication indicators performed by the midwives, only responsive indicator in therapeutic communication showed insignificant influence on K4 of pregnant women. The other indicators showed significant impact. More than 50% of respondents said that midwives providing ANC had poor attending skill, respect, responsiveness, empathy, informing, persuading, and reminding. The conclusion is that the worse the pregnant women perception of midwives communication behavior is, the higher the chance for the pregnant women to drop-out during K4 is.


Part load operation of pumps generates flow and machine instabilities, which are not desirable and should be avoided as they result in premature wear and mechanical problems. Two-phase flow introduces additional challenges, both at the design and operational stages, due to the different phase behavior and mutual interaction. The phenomena involved present an intermittent character and are strongly dependent on the specific geometry and operating conditions. Despite the recent promising development of numerical simulations capabilities, an accurate characterization of the flow mechanisms still relies on real tests, which are needed to validate the numerical models too. An advanced laboratory test facility built at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology provides the required optical access to the pump channels, and high-speed recordings, along with local measurements of the pressure pulsations, allow to describe the flow structures in terms of location, length and time scales, and relate them to overall machine measurements, such as flow, pressure and torque. This provides a wide collection of test data of great value for a further understanding of the surging phenomenon, the development of a surging onset prediction model and a control strategy.Tests are performed covering the whole range of flow rates; a characteristic surging condition is identified and described in the article.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


ABSTRACT Given the interpersonal nature of recruiting and the validity of personality assessments for predicting performance in a broad range of civilian and military jobs, personality traits are likely to predict the performance of recruiters in the Army as well. However, much of the research on the characteristics of successful recruiters has been conducted in civilian samples and has not examined the effects of recruiters' personality on their job-related attitudes and behaviors. Although some research has examined the prediction of recruiter performance in a military context, more research is needed to identify profiles of personality traits that will help recruiters to be successful on the job. We explored this relationship in a sample of experienced recruiters with at least six months of service in a recruiting duty assignment. Results indicated that composites of personality traits were substantial predictors of recruiter performance and attitudes. The implications of these results for the selection and assessment of recruiters in the U.S. Army will be discussed.


Introduction: Secondary infections are emerging as a serious threat among hospitalised patients of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). Overuse of antibiotics and inadequate infection control practices due to COVID-19 patients' workload leads to a sudden upsurge of Multidrug Resistance (MDR) pathogens in healthcare settings attributing to higher mortality rates among the same. Aim: To detect the secondary infection rate among COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital ward and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and report the impact on antimicrobial resistance and patient outcome. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted for a period of three months of the second COVID-19 wave from 15th April 2021 to 14th july 2021 in the Department of Microbiology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Swami Rama Himalayan University (SRHU), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. All clinical samples of Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) positive cases of COVID-19 received in the laboratory were cultured and identified using the Vitek-2 automated system and conventional fungal culture. Relevant demographic, characteristics, and clinical outcome data were obtained from records of the patient and recorded in reporting forms and were analysed for the study. Results were analysed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and Microsoft Excel 2019. Results: Overall secondary infection rate of 135 (13.6%) was found among COVID-19 admitted patients. The most commonly isolated bacterial pathogens were Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (18.52%) and Enterococcus species (8.89%). Whereas the most common fungal isolates were Candida species (20.75%) and Rhizopus (8.15%). In the present study, 60.5% of bacterial pathogens isolated were Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDRO). Mortality among COVID-19 patients with secondary infection was reported as 53% which was higher than the overall mortality rate of 36% in the same. Conclusion: A high secondary infection rate, MDRO isolation rate, and high mortality among COVID-19 with secondary infection were reported. This shows the urgent need for reinforcement of infection control practices and strict antimicrobial stewardship policies.


Piper aduncum found naturally in the Amazon and southeastern Brazil, is known for its secondary metabolites that have activity on insects. Anticarsia gemmatalis and Spodoptera frugiperda are among the major insect pests associated with agricultural production. This research evaluated the biological activity of hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol extracts of P. aduncum leaves on mortality and duration of larval and pupal periods, as well as weight, width, and length of A. gemmatalis and S. frugiperda pupae. The mortality of A. gemmatalis larvae in trials with P. aduncum extracts were 93.3% (hexane) and 90% (ethyl acetate), estimating LC50 of 6.35 and 5.79 mg/mL, respectively. Mortality in S. frugiperda submitted to the hexane extract ranged from 3.33% to 96.66% (LC50 of 8.22 mg/mL). The ethanol extract induced low mortality (3.33% to 23.33%). The P. aduncum extracts did not affect the development of S. frugiperda pupae. In A. gemmatalis differences in weight and length occurred. The chemical characterization was by GC-MS, which revealed that the major constituent in the hexane extract of P. aduncum was apiol (90.7%). P. aduncum extracts are important and promising components to manage A. gemmatalis and S. frugiperda, which cause extensive production losses.


This study uses data from the California Linked Homicide File as a basis for evaluating the validity and reliability of homicide data. Case-by-case comparisons of variables reported by both agencies indicate that agreement between law enforcement and vital statistics data is highest with classifying homicides and victim gender and race and lowest with classifying victim age, manslaughters, and police justifiable homicides. The findings from a multilevel analysis examining what types of cases are unable to be linked over the two data-collection systems reveal that homicides involving Hispanic victims, weapons other than handguns, and family members other than intimate partners and homicides involving felonies, other nonfelonies, and negligent manslaughters have a greater likelihood of not being matched across the agencies. Death investigation systems that use medical examiners also decrease matching. The need for qualitative research examining how classification decisions are made by police and medical examiners or coroners is discussed.


BACKGROUND
The fragile X premutation is characterized by a large CGG repeat track (55-199 repeats) in the 5' UTR of the FMR1 gene. This X-linked mutation leads to an increased risk for premature ovarian failure; interestingly, the association of repeat size with risk is non-linear. We hypothesize that the premutation-associated ovarian insufficiency is due to a diminished oocyte pool and examined reproductive aging milestones by repeat size group to determine if the same non-linear association is observed.

METHODS
We analyzed cross-sectional reproductive history questionnaire data from 948 women with a wide range of repeat sizes.

RESULTS
We have confirmed the non-linear relationship among premutation carriers for ovarian insufficiency. The mid-range repeat size group (80-100 repeats), not the highest group, had an increased risk for: altered cycle traits (shortened cycle length, irregular cycles and skipped cycles), subfertility and dizygotic twinning. Smoking, a modifiable risk, decreased the reproductive lifespan of women with the premutation by about 1 year, similar to its effect on non-carriers. As expected, premutation carriers were found to be at an increased risk for osteoporosis.

CONCLUSIONS
Possible molecular mechanisms to explain the non-linear repeat size risk for ovarian insufficiency are discussed.


Complex ecosystems generally consist of a large number of different species utilizing a large number of different resources. Several of their features cannot be captured by models comprising just a few species and resources. Recently, Tikhonov and Monasson have shown that a high-dimensional version of MacArthur's resource competition model exhibits a phase transition from a "vulnerable" to a "shielded" phase in which the species collectively protect themselves against an inhomogeneous resource influx from the outside. Here we point out that this transition is more general and may be traced back to the existence of non-negative solutions to large systems of random linear equations. Employing Farkas' Lemma we map this problem to the properties of a fractional volume in high dimensions which we determine using methods from the statistical mechanics of disordered systems.


ABsTP, ACT.--Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) have become conspicuous members of the bird assemblage at Tatoosh Island, Washington, since 1983. We have sufficient before and after observations and data to conclude that two species of storm-petrel (Oceanodroma spp.) show no significant population trends (as based on catch per hour in standardized mist nets from 1978-1988) and that numbers of both Cassin's (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) and Rhinoceros (Cerorhinca monocerata) auklets, the primary falcon prey, are probably declining. An important effect of falcons is their consumption of Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus) or simply restriction of crow activities. The numbers of Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) that inhabit Tatoosh have increased markedly, probably due to significantly decreased crow-related egg predation. The fledging rate of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) approximately doubled in 1987, when one falcon routinely ate crows. These relationships appear to be independent of the locally abundant Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens). We conclude that the indirect, positive effects are at least as important to seabird abundance patterns as are direct, negative effects. We suggest that more attention be paid to corvid activities near seabird colonies and, especially, that the impact on populations of small alcids or other prey be considered when planning conservation efforts to augment the population of an effective avian predator. Received 9 January 1989, accepted 13 September 1989.


Inorganic aerogels have been attracting great interest owing to their distinctive structures and properties. However, the practical applications of inorganic aerogels are greatly restricted by their high brittleness and high fabrication cost. Herein, inspired by the cancellous bone, we have developed a novel kind of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanowire-based inorganic aerogel with excellent elasticity, which is highly porous (porosity ≈ 99.7%), ultralight (density 8.54 mg/cm3, which is about 0.854% of water density), and highly adiabatic (thermal conductivity 0.0387 W/m·K). Significantly, the as-prepared HAP nanowire aerogel can be used as the highly efficient air filter with high PM2.5 filtration efficiency. In addition, the HAP nanowire aerogel is also an ideal candidate for continuous oil-water separation, which can be used as a smart switch to separate oil from water continuously. Compared with organic aerogels, the as-prepared HAP nanowire aerogel is biocompatible, environmentally friendly, and low-cost. Moreover, the synthetic method reported in this work can be scaled up for large-scale production of HAP nanowires, free from the use of organic solvents. Therefore, the as-prepared new kind of HAP nanowire aerogel is promising for the applications in various fields.


Although molecular mechanisms underpinning specific behaviors have been described, whether there are mechanisms that orchestrate a behavioral repertoire is unknown. To test if the postsynaptic proteome of excitatory synapses could impart such a mechanism we conducted the largest genetic study of mammalian synapses yet undertaken. A repertoire of sixteen innate and learned behaviors was assessed from 290,850 measures in 55 lines of mutant mice carrying targeted mutations in the principal classes of postsynaptic proteins. Each innate and learned behavior used a different combination of proteins. These combinations were comprised of proteins that amplified or attenuated the magnitude of each behavioral response. All behaviors required proteins found in PSD95 supercomplexes. We show the vertebrate increase in proteome complexity drove an expansion in behavioral repertoires and generated susceptibility to a wide range of diseases. Our results reveal a molecular mechanism that generates a versatile and complex behavioral repertoire that is central to human behavioral disorders.


The endangered dusky gopher frog (Rana sevosa) inhabits underground refuges created by fire and burrowing animals in longleaf pine forests. Prescribed fire can result in a mosaic of habitat patches having different characteristics. Fire suppression may lead to fewer underground refuges due to decreased disturbance and a reduction in vegetation required by burrow-making animals. I examined terrestrial refuge and prey availability as well as habitat choice of dusky gopher frogs (Rana sevosa) in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest (Harrison County, MS) managed with winter and early spring fires. In the first study I hypothesized that gopher frogs selected terrestrial home sites characteristic of well burned habitat. I tracked 13 adult and 4 juvenile gopher frogs from a breeding/metamorphosing site to terrestrial burrows using radio telemetry. I then characterized habitat at home sites and at randomly-chosen sites.
In the second study I hypothesized that newly- metamorphosed gopher frogs would not be able to find appropriate underground refuges as quickly in fire-suppressed habitat as in well-burned habitat. I tested this by releasing captive-reared newly-metamorphosed gopher frogs into 15 x 15m terrestrial field enclosures in fire-suppressed or well-burned longleaf pine habitat. I used fluorescent powder to track the distance traveled by individual frogs before passing within 1 cm of an appropriate underground refuge, defined as any ground depression at least 2 cm deep and 1 cm wide. In the third study I hypothesized that fewer prey are available to gopher frogs in fire-suppressed habitats. I tested this by allowing newly- metamorphosed gopher frogs to forage in small cages in fire-suppressed and well-burned habitats, and then collecting their feces. I then sampled arthropods using fly paper at the same locations. Vegetation characteristics and soil moisture levels were measured at each release site.
In the first study, average distance traveled, measured from the center of the pond, was 158.22m (std. dev. = 52.02, min = 94.3m, max = 239.6m). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling of habitat variables revealed that the gopher frog home sites grouped together when plotted. Compared to random sites, gopher frog home sites had a higher percent cover of grass and bare ground and a lower percent cover of shrubs and leaf litter, more underground refuges (mostly stump holes and small mammal burrows), and a more open canopy .
In the second study, mean distance to a refuge was significantly lower in well-burned habitat (well-burned mean = 4.34 m ± 0.18 SE, fire-suppressed mean = 7.6 m ± 1.08 SE). The proportion of frogs tracked at least 6.05 m that found a refuge was significantly higher in well-burned habitat (well-burned = 0.88 ± 0.065 SE, fire-suppressed = 0.32 ± 0.091 SE). Foraging success as measured by mean feces weight did not vary significantly between habitat types in the third study (Exp. 1: p = 0.53, Exp. 2: p = 0.83). The mean number of arthropods captured was significantly higher in well-burned habitat than fire-suppressed habitat for experiment 1 (p < 0.0001), but not for experiment 2 (p = 0.39). Total vegetation cover, herbaceous cover and soil moisture were significantly higher in well-burned habitat. Shrub cover was significantly higher in fire-suppressed habitat.
I conclude that animals that have a small home range may select patches with particular characteristics within a fire-maintained area because the animals require a specific microhabitat The habitat characteristics found at gopher frog home sites are associated with the effects of fire. Reduced availability of refuges in fire-suppressed habitat may decrease the survival of newly-metamorphosed gopher frogs emigrating from ponds. I found little evidence of differences in prey availability between well-burned and fire-suppressed sites that would influence habitat selection, but sampling was limited. The selection of characteristics by and benefits to gopher frogs influenced by fire suggests that more frequent or intense fires, or applying fire during the growing season, may increase the availability of preferred microhabitats.


Regardless of moral personality development, moral personality and virtue research can be categorized by two dimensions. The first dimension is structure–process, which respectively represent the "what" and the "how" of personality, or personality's "having" and "doing". The second dimension is actor–observer, which respectively represent the nature of personality and the folk belief about personality. There are four paradigms according to the interaction of these two dimensions. The first paradigm is moral prototype approach, which seeks to identify the structure of moral personality based on folk belief. The second paradigm is moral exemplar approach, which aim to explore the dynamics of moral personality from moral figures. The third paradigm is moral information processing approach, which seeks to explore the cognitive processes underlying real moral or unmoral people. The fourth paradigm is folk virtue concept approach, which seeks to identify the thinking processes underlying virtuous person based on folk beliefs. Four paradigms aims to explore different aspects of moral personality.


The evolution of Generative AI and the capabilities of the newly released Large Language Models (LLMs) open new opportunities in software engineering. However, they also lead to new challenges in cybersecurity. Recently, researchers have shown the possibilities of using LLMs such as ChatGPT to generate malicious content that can directly be exploited or guide inexperienced hackers to weaponize tools and code. These studies covered scenarios that still require the attacker to be in the middle of the loop. In this study, we leverage openly available plugins and use an LLM as proxy between the attacker and the victim. We deliver a proof-of-concept where ChatGPT is used for the dissemination of malicious software while evading detection, alongside establishing the communication to a command and control (C2) server to receive commands to interact with a victim's system. Finally, we present the general approach as well as essential elements in order to stay undetected and make the attack a success. This proof-of-concept highlights significant cybersecurity issues with openly available plugins and LLMs, which require the development of security guidelines, controls, and mitigation strategies.


Based on the Wigner-function method, we investigate the parity detection and phase sensitivity in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with two-mode squeezed thermal state (TMSTS). Using the classical transformation relation of the MZI, we derive the input–output Wigner functions and then obtain the explicit expressions of parity and phase sensitivity. The results from the numerical calculation show that supersensitivity can be reached only if the input TMSTS have a large number photons.


Abstract This Article has a twofold purpose. On the one hand, it offers comparative materials for an informed discussion of COVID-determined emergency law in China and Italy by assessing its normative implications and political genealogy. On the other hand, it explores the essential contiguity between the 'state of exception' triggered by the pandemic and the possible geopolitical shifts in global legal hegemony in the actual phase of surveillance capitalism which is witnessing a decline of law as a form of social organization and its replacement by the predictive models elaborated by technology. In this respect, the traditional Western iconography has long described the Chinese legal tradition as a "law without law", a despotic regime with intrusive population surveillance whose distance from the Western paradigm is deemed almost unbridgeable. And yet the legal response to coronavirus both in Europe and in the U.S. somewhat replicates the allegedly distant Chinese model in terms of restrictions and surveillance mechanisms which are being deployed to counter the crisis in the face of a formal commitment to the rule of law. This Article concludes that the emerging pre-eminence of the "rule of technology" over the "rule of law" in a critical event of historic proportions like a pandemic should and will set the future agenda of comparative studies in a double direction. On the one hand it calls for a truly critical reconsideration of role of law in society which in turn impels to rethink the hold of the liberal constitutional model and the obsolescence of traditional legal taxonomies. On the other hand, it might point to the emergence of an unexpected Chinese legal leadership, determined by the progressive undoing of the Western legal and political narratives whose backbone has been relentlessly eroded by decades of neoliberalism and populism.


Fungi in the basidiomycete order Corticiales are remarkably diverse nutritionally, including a variety of saprotrophs, plant and fungal pathogens, and lichen-forming fungi. Tracing the origin of this diversity depends on a clearer understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of fungi in the order. One of its core members is the genus Marchandiomyces, originally established for lichen pathogens that form orange or coral bulbils. We describe here a new species in the genus, M. marsonii sp. nov., which is unusual in its appearance, habit, and geographic provenance. It is foliicolous on leaves of Pandanus (screw pines, Pandanaceae) and produces flattened, coral bulbils resembling apothecia of the ascomycete genus Orbilia. It is also the first member of the genus to be collected from Australia. An isolate of the new fungus and several additional cultures of related plant pathogenic fungi were obtained and investigated phylogenetically using parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian analyses of nuclear small and large subunit ribosomal sequences. Our phylogeny makes clear that Marchandiomyces species and their close relatives contribute significantly to the ecological diversity of the Corticiales and that this diversity is derived mainly from lignicolous ancestors.


The ''audience cost'' literature argues that highly-resolved leaders can use public threats to credibly signal their resolve in incomplete-information crisis bargaining, thereby overcoming informational asymmetries that lead to war. If democracies are better able to generate audience costs, then audience costs help explain the democratic peace. We use a game-theoretic model to show how public commitments can be used coercively as a source of bargaining leverage, even in a complete-information setting in which they have no signaling role. When both sides use public commitments for bargaining leverage, war becomes an equilibrium outcome. The results provide a rationale for secret negotiations as well as hypotheses about when leaders will claim that the disputed good is indivisible, recognized as a rationalist explanation for war. Claims of indivisibility may just be bargaining tactics to get the other side to make big concessions, and compromise is still possible in equilibrium.


© 2012 Repetto et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Lipid Peroxidation: Chemical Mechanism, Biological Implications and Analytical Determination


Oncological diseases were and still are important problem of public health in all around the world. Every year about 9 million people become sick from oncological diseases. There are annually registered up to 14 thousand new cases of cancer in Lithuania. Although about 50 percent of patients are curable, the disease still frightens world's population. Doctors are concerned about the increasing incidence of cancer. According to morbidity and mortality the cancer ranks third among all oncological diseases. However, the diagnosis of malignant growth is heavy; the disease is often found too late. The problem is that 25 percent of neglected cancer is detected for the first visit patients. Therefore, most of them need palliative care. In Lithuania incidence of cardiovascular diseases remains high. In 2009 there were 23822 patients with heart deficiency. According to the data of Statistics Department of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, heart diseases are at the first place of mortality. Cardiovascular diseases comprise one third of disability reasons. The aim of investigation - to identify physical health problems of palliative patients with oncological ill and chronic heart deficiency of IV stage. The investigation was carried out on April 1st 2010 - April 30th 2011 in 5 hospitals of maintenance treatment and care. The results revealed that palliative oncological patients suffered anguish, it disturbed common activity, mood, sleep and ability to walk. Oncological patients stated that a hospital personnel effectively deals with the pain. They told that they feel physical weakness, suffer from general body exhaustion, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. The patients with chronic heart deficiency stated that they constantly feel choke, suffer from insomnia, swelling of the feet and pain in chest area. Article in Lithuanian doi:10.5200/sm-hs.2012.118


This article underscores the very important role that parental acceptance and support plays in furthering the psychological well-being of gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), an organization dedicated to this goal, has as its mission the support for family members, education of the public, and advocacy for equal rights for lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. By "coming out" themselves, straight parents and relatives-including those in the mental health field-not only can extend the support they offer to their gay/lesbian/bisexual children and relatives but also play a significant role in reducing the stigma of being gay, lesbian, or bisexual and in mainstreaming gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues.


Abstract The effects of resistant starch on glycaemic control are controversial. In this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis of results from nineteen randomised controlled trials (RCT) was performed to illustrate the effects of resistant starch on glycaemic control. A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane electronic databases for related publications from inception to 6 April 2020. Key inclusion criteria were: RCT; resistant starch as intervention substances and reporting glucose- and insulin-related endpoints. Exclusion criteria were: using type I resistant starch or a mixture of resistant starch and other functional food ingredients as intervention; using substances other than digestible starch as controls. The effect of resistant starch on fasting plasma glucose was significant (effect size (ES) –0·09 (95 % CI –0·13, −0·04) mmol/l, P = 0·001) compared with digestible starch. Subgroup analyses revealed that the ES was larger when the dosage of resistant starch was more than 28 g/d (ES –0·16 (95 % CI –0·24, –0·08) mmol/l, P < 0·001) or the intervention period was more than 8 weeks (ES –0·12 (95 % CI –0·18, –0·06) mmol/l, P < 0·001). The effect on homoeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-insulin resistance (IR) was significant (ES –0·33 (95 % CI –0·51, –0·14), P = 0·001). However, the effects on other insulin-related endpoints were not significant, including fasting plasma insulin, four endpoints from the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (insulin sensitivity index, acute insulin response, disposition index and glucose effectiveness) and HOMA-β. The current study indicated moderate effects of resistant starch on improving glycaemic control.


A method of concealing characters is proposed for degrading legibility of privacy sensitive textual information in natural scene, such as car license plate numbers and name tags. An important property of the proposed method is that it realizes selective concealing of characters, that is, the proposed method degrades legibility of character regions without degrading the quality of non-character regions. This selective concealment is realized because characters have special concealment characteristics. Specifically, character legibility can be degraded by damaging stroke structure by using exemplar-based image in painting, which does not affect non-character regions. Experimental results of qualitative and quantitative evaluations have proven that the selective concealment is practically possible. Furthermore, the quantitative evaluation through a subjective experiment revealed appropriate setups of image in painting for maximizing selective concealment performance.


In this research the researcher attempt to take result of comparison among industries based on working capital management. Working capital to the company is like the blood to human body. If it is carried out effectively, efficiently and consistently, that will assure the health of an organization. The purpose of this research is to contribute towards a very important aspect of financial management known as working capital management with reference to Sri Lanka. Here the relationship between working capital management Practices and its effects on profitability of selected industries listed on Colombo stock Exchange for a period of five years from 2003-2007. Five sectors have been selected out of 20 business sectors. This research study concluded that working capital has significant impact on profitability of the sector. Therefore significant indicates that closed relationship between working capital and profitability. It may be positive or negative.


The paper introduced the MS analysis method and discusses the design and application of the expert system for MS analysis based on the opening and expansion structure of MATLAB language.


PREMISE OF THE STUDY
The development of biased sex ratios in dioecious plant species has been ascribed to either (1) factors influencing differential adult mortality of male and female plants or (2) factors acting at an early life stage that determine seed sex ratio or seedling survival.

METHODS
To discriminate between these two competing hypotheses, we surveyed sex and age of 379 individuals from five species of the genus Salix across 11 alpine valleys in the southwest Yukon.

KEY RESULTS
We observed uniformly female-biased sex ratios of approximately 2:1 across all adult age cohorts and patch sizes of the five willow species. No spatial variation in sex ratio occurred that could be associated with site-specific characteristics such as elevation or aspect.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that the female-biased sex ratios in the alpine willow species investigated in this study are not a consequence of ecological processes acting on established adult plants. The sex ratio is instead determined at an early life stage by a mechanism that remains unknown.


A transjugular portacaval intrahepatic stented shunt was created in 16 pigs without induced portal hypertension. A fine needle (OD 0.7 mm) was used for the transjugular puncture of the portal vein. The puncture was done directly from the inferior vena cava in 5 cases and from the right liver vein in 11 cases. The puncture tract was dilated and subsequently supported by a Strecker stent. The stented shunt was patent in all cases immediately after the stent placement, but was obstructed by fibrous tissue in 7 of 8 cases reexamined by angiography and autopsy after 4 weeks. Complications seem to be related to the choice of the puncture site, with fewer complications when the puncture was done via the right hepatic vein.


A 53-year-old male was anesthetized for left upper lobectomy under one-lung ventilation using a double-lumen endobronchial tube in the lateral position. When the upper left pulmonary vein was ligated, Pao2/FIo2 ratio (PF ratio) was elevated despite the one-lung ventilation. After the operation, the patient was repositioned onto spine position and massive bleeding occurred from the anomalous lower left pulmonary vein, which was ligated during the operation. The lower left pulmonary vein was restored and the bleeding stopped. Because the pulmonary shunt flow from the lower left pulmonary vein had stopped, the PF ratio was unusually elevated. We urge anesthesiologists to pay attention to the arterial blood gas data even when it is better than expected.


Understanding the attitudes of a particular society on a "good death" is important when it comes to end-of-life decision-making and palliative care. In the Republic of Croatia no systematic research has been done on the attitudes of the general population about the concept of a "good death". This cross sectional survey was conducted on a three-stage random sample, stratified by regions, counties and locations within those counties (N = 1203) during November and December, 2019. ANOVA, to determine differences, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were used. The most important characteristics of a good death outlined by the respondents were: the absence of pain, the presence and unencumberedness of family and loved ones, the importance of a sense of fulfilment and meaning in life in this regard, reconciliation with God, the presence of awareness and sobriety, and the possibility of treatment.


Quality assessment is investigated under a probabilistic framework for a prescribed model set. The results on unfalsified probability estimation are extended from additive modeling errors to normalized coprime factor perturbations. An analytic formula has been derived for the sample unfalsified probability. It is shown that with increasing the data length, the sample unfalsified probability converges in probability to a number which is independent of experimental data. Numerical simulations show that the proposed sample unfalsified probability is appropriate in the evaluation of the quality of a model set.


Inverted mesiodens is a disorder of Odontogenesis relatively characterized by an excess number of teeth in the premaxillary region, in between the central incisors and in an inverted direction. The etiology of inverted mesiodens is still unknown. The complications associated with inverted mesiodens include eruption disturbance of adjacent teeth, displacement & rotation of the central incisors, diastema, root resorption, abnormal occlusion, cyst formation or nasal eruption of the mesiodens. Early detection and timely surgical intervention of inverted mesiodens is crucial to prevent unwanted consequences. Dentigerous cysts are developmental cysts of odontogenic origin, which are found to surround the crown of unerupted/erupting teeth, odontomas or even supernumerary teeth. Dentigerous cysts' involving an inverted mesiodens is a rare occurrence with only few cases reported.This article reports a rare and unusual case of a dentigerous cyst of the anterior maxilla involving an inverted and fused mesiodens. How to cite this article: Patel K, Patel N, Venkataraghavan K. Management of a Dentigerous Cyst Associated with Inverted and Fused Mesiodens: A Rare Case Report. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(4):73-77.


ABSTRACT The chaebol's organisational culture was the target of much criticism when the Asian financial crisis hit the Korean economy in 1997. Despite much research on the topic over the past two decades, there continues to be a lack of consensus on the efficacy of reforms implemented since then. While some have focused on persisting patterns of paternalism, others have highlighted the structural changes implemented. This article revisits this debate by analysing the ways in which culture influences the implementation of structural reforms as a legitimating ideology. By analysing ethnographic data of a chaebol subsidiary in Beijing, the article demonstrates how cultural tropes of the company as a family and women as caretakers, popularised under the Park Chung Hee regime, have continued to shape perceptions of competence in the workplace. In particular, despite the crucial role that Korean Chinese employees have played in helping the chaebol penetrate Chinese markets, their bilingual and bicultural skills are devalued. Instead, the feminisation of their labour has justified their continuing marginalisation in the firm.


This study examined changes in family relationship focusing on the experience of husbands after the birth of their first child. The research questions were as follows: (1) what social and economic changes are experienced by Korean husbands (2) how to reform the dynamic from a dyad to a triad relationship (3) how the relationship changes with the experience of parenthoods. The participants in this research included six men and the data was gathered through half-structured interviews and analyzed using Van Manen`s analysis guideline. The results were as: First, there was a distinct financial change to stabilize the role of the couple. Second, the husbands` voluntary participation in house work was influenced by the couples` intimacy. Third, the enriching dialogue between couples was related to becoming parents. Lastly, after child birth, husbands felt less attraction toward their wives as women and the sexual relationship was almost completely controlled by their wives.


This paper compares achievements and inequalities in standards of living across countries. Achievement is measured by an index constructed to reflect greater achievement for an increase in the standard of living of a country already at a high level of development compared to an equal increase in a country starting from a lower base. The paper tests for the statistical relationship between indicators of standards of living and per capita income using data from 177 countries covering 2000–2007. It analyzes disparities between countries of achievement in standards of living and explains inequality in achievement in standards of living both within and between regions. Furthermore, the paper estimates the number of years it will take for different regions and selected Asian countries to catch up with the average standard of living of the industrialized countries.


A 26-year-old man presented with expressive aphasia, weakness of the right arm, and anemia but there was no family history of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Computerized tomography (CT) of the head demonstrated an enhancing left frontal mass, which was aspirated and on culture yielded multiple organisms. Pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae identified in both lungs by chest radiography, CT, and angiography were treated with coil embolization. Treatment of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae and prolonged surveillance are necessary to prevent future neurological complications.


Abstract 2676 Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) has improved the treatment results in DLBCL substantially. With more patients being cured from the lymphoma long term toxicity becomes an even more important issue. By replacing doxorubicin with non-pegylated liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin in the R-CHOP regimen (R-COMP) we tried to reduce the cardiotoxicity of R-CHOP in the 1st line treatment of DLBCL. We randomized 88 patients with untreated DLBCL to one of two treatment arms. R-CHOP consisted of rituximab 375 mg/sqm, cyclophosphamide 750 mg/sqm, doxorubicin 50 mg/sqm, vincristine 2 mg, each iv. day 1 and prednisolone daily po for 5 consecutive days. Six cycles of chemotherapy and 8 cycles of rituximab were planned. In the R-COMP arm doxorubicin was replaced with non-pegylated liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin 50 mg/sqm iv day 1. Forty and 39 patients were eligible in the R-COMP and R-CHOP arm, respectively. The two arms were well balanced with respect to age, smoking status, heart function, hypertension, and international prognostic index. The primary endpoint of the study was the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measured by the Simpson method at randomization, after each cycle and 8 weeks after the end of treatment. Mean and standard error were compared by the two-sample t test. Mean LVEF was significantly lower in the R-CHOP arm (62.29%) than in the R-COMP arm (63.56%) (P=.0333). Out of all LVEF measurements 10 (4.6%) vs. 31 (15.8%) were 450 pg/ml in the R-COMP arm and R-CHOP arm, respectively (P=.005). Side effects were lower in the R-COMP arm. We observed 26 and 40 severe adverse events in the R-COMP and R-CHOP arm, respectively (P=.029). Most of those were due to infection. The rate of grade 3 and 4 neutropenias was comparable in both arms giving evidence, that non-pegylated liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin was not under-dosed. Although the study was not powered to show differences in efficacy, we had no signal of lower efficacy. The remission rate was 97.5% (CR+CRu 75.0%) and 82.0% (CR+CRu 69.2%) with R-COMP and R-CHOP, respectively. The 3 cases progressing during treatment were in the R-CHOP arm. Clinical heart failure usually appears after several years of treatment. The difference in LVEF may translate in a lower rate of clinical heart failure with longer follow-up. Disclosures: Fridrik:Cephalon: Research Funding. Off Label Use: Non-pegylated liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin in the treatment of lymphoma. Willenbacher:Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Mundipharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Sandoz: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AESCA: Honoraria, Research Funding. Jaeger:Cephalon: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Greil:Cephalon: Research Funding.


Intravascular bullet embolism is a rare phenomenon encountered during autopsies of firearm fatalities. In cases where the victim has died due to firearm wounds, single entrance wounds without exits necessitate locating the bullet/projectile inside the body. This task gets tricky if the projectile enters a blood vessel and further embolises onwards with the flow of blood. We present a case of a firearm wound over the upper back with the projectile piercing the arch of aorta. Radiological investigations including CT-chest proved blank for locating any bullet inside the body. Emergency sternotomy was done but surgical exploration couldn't find the missing bullet and the patient later succumbed to internal blood loss. Pre-autopsy x-ray showed a hypo-dense metallic shadow in the lower middle abdomen slightly to the left. The missing bullet was located inside the lumen of the common iliac artery during autopsy after tracing the track from the wound in the arch of aorta downwards. A brief summation of diagnostic & treatment protocol and autopsy findings is presented.


Background Tile workers are exposed to a lot of dusts and are susceptible to various pulmonary complications. This study was designed to evaluate the respiratory symptoms and lung capacities of tile workers. Methods This was a retrospective, cross sectional study on 350 workers in different factory workshops. We assessed respiratory complaints and pulmonary function tests. Data were analysed by SPSS using T-Test and ANOVA. Results Among respiratory complaint, dyspnea was the most frequent (22.9%), and cough (13.1%) and sputum production (5.4%) were in the 2nd and 3rd orders. There was a significant relationship between dyspnea and reduction in spirometric indices (P < 0.05),and there was a significant relationship between respiratory complaint and job title, frequency of respiratory symptoms were higher among foundry workers. Conclusion It is clear that occupational exposures affect pulmonary function, performing pulmonary function tests may show lung term effect of these exposures.


Oil spills, in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, are very detrimental to people and the environment due to hydrocarbon compounds that are contained in oil which are not only be harmful for the balance of the ecosystem and the environment but also carcinogenic to humans and animals. Therefore remediation needs to be done. One of the methods is by using a combination of microorganisms and plants. The aim of this research is to analyze the influences between several different treatments that are applied for TPH and BTEX removal in the process of remediation. In this research, bioremediation was conducted by using four different treatments which are: by adding compost (C), plants and compost (P), microorganisms and compost (B), and compost, plants and microorganisms (BP), to soil with oil content of 5% and 10%. The following test results of TPH in soil contaminated with 5% oil content are: 2.10% (C); 1.31% (B); 1.66% (P); and 0.68% (BP). The TPH test results in soil contaminated with oil content of 10% are: 3.30% (C); 2.54 (B); 3.91% (P); and 3.31% (BP). The highest percentage of TPH degradation in contaminated soil of 5% oil content was found in BP treatment (87.1%), while in the contaminated soil of 10% oil content the largest TPH removal percentage is by the treatment of adding bacteria (B) which is 76.19%. BTEX removal percentage in 5% oil contaminated soil in BP treatment is 68.35% while in 10% oil contaminated soil with B treatment the removal percentage is 84.91%. Based on statistical tests, both on contaminated soil with 5% and 10% oil content, TPH degradation significantly affects the pH value as p 0.05.


Lawn area measurement is an application of image processing and deep learning. Researchers used hierarchical networks, segmented images, and other methods to measure the lawn area. Methods' effectiveness and accuracy varies. In this project, deep learning method, specifically Convolutional neural network, was applied to measure the lawn area. We used Keras and TensorFlow in Python to develop a model that was trained on the dataset of houses then tuned the parameters with GridSearchCV in ScikitLearn (a machine learning library in Python) to estimate the lawn area. Convolutional neural network or shortly CNN shows high accuracy (94 -97%). We may conclude that deep learning method, especially CNN, could be a good method with a high state-of-art accuracy.


Background: The multidrug-resistant fungus Candida auris is emerging as a major cause of healthcare-associated infection globally. Understanding the epidemiology of these infections in vulnerable groups such as cancer patients is important for hospital infection control and their effective management. In this report we present diagnostic, clinical, antifungal resistance and outcome data of 11 cases of C. auris infection from an oncology center in India. Methods:C. auris strains were identified by Sanger-based DNA sequencing of the internal transcriber spacer (ITS) gene. Antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) was performed using the broth dilution method. Identification and AFST were checked by the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference & Research on Fungi of Medical Importance. Patients had both empirical as well as directed therapy with antifungal agents based on AFST results and clinical assessment. Results: Between November 2018 and March 2019, 11 cases of C. auris (8 from patients with solid-organ tumors and 3 from hematological malignancy) were detected. Two distinct genetic clusters were identified by ITS gene sequencing; one of these clusters showed 100% homology with a previously unknown C. auris isolate (GenBank accession no. MK881076) and the other cluster had a 100% identity score with isolates from Japan and South Korea (GenBank accession nos. MH071441, KY657027, and EU884189). All 11 strains were resistant to fluconazole. With voriconazole, 1 isolate was susceptible, 3 were resistant, and 7 showed dose-dependent susceptibility. Two isolates were resistant to amphotericin B. Resistance to caspofungin or anidulafungin was noted in 1 of 11 isolates (9%); most showed intermediate susceptibility (63% to caspofungin). Among all of the patients, 72% were from the intensive care unit (ICU) or the high-dependency unit. The 30-day all-cause mortality was 5 of 11 (45%) in the C. auris group and 4 of 11 (36%) the control group (ie, infections with other Candida spp during same period). Duration of ICU stay in the C. auris group was 12 days and in the control group it was 6 days. The median cost (in terms of hospital bill at the time of discharge or death) for management of Candida auris infection and the primary medical condition was US$10,121 for the C. auris groups and US$8,608 for the control group. Most cases (10 of 11) were detected in wards without isolation rooms, and 8 of the 11 C. auris cases (73%) were detected in patients in the intensive care unit. Conclusions: Morbidity, mortality, ICU stay, and healthcare costs are significant in C. auris infection. Funding: None Disclosures: None


The possibility of using ionic liquids (ILs) in bulk (non-supported) liquid membranes for the selective transport of organic molecules has been demonstrated. Recent publications have shown the potential usefulness of ILs in selective transport application and separation processes. In this work, a systematic selective transport study was performed using 1,4-dioxane, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, morpholine and methylmorpholine as a 7-component mixture of representative organic compounds, and 10 different ILs based on five cation structures such as 1-n-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cation (n-butyl and n-octyl), 1-n-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium cation, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium ([C2OHmim]+), 1-[2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)-ethyl]-3-methylimidazolium ([C5O2mim]+) and tetra-alkyl-dimethylguanidinium cation (alkyl = ethylbutyl and hexyl), combined with PF and Tf2N− anions. These studies allowed us to understand the effect of cation–anion IL structures as novel liquid membranes, and also to conclude that IL polarity seems to be crucial in order to achieve high affinities and selectivities for a specific organic substrate. In general, the use of ILs based on more polar cations containing ether or hydroxyl functional groups increases their affinity for all organic compounds but also reduces the selective transport observed, especially for secondary and tertiary amines. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This paper addresses the problem of multi-robots object transportation by using the concept of object closure. In contrast to form or force closure which is used in the research of grasping, object closure is a condition under which the object is trapped so that there is no feasible path for the object from the given position to any position that is beyond a specified threshold distance. Once object closure is achieved, the robots can cooperatively drag or flow the trapped object to the desired goal. In this paper, we address the concept CC-closure object, which is used for efficient testing of object closure. Testing algorithms using these properties is described. Also object closure margin is defined and the scaling and control problem of the caging formation is addressed. Finally, an example of object closure constructed from both bodies and hands of mobile-manipulators, which have different shape and size, is discussed and experiments are presented for illustrating the proposed concept.


To the Editor: —In Winkelstein and Marcus' recent article "The Excretion of Neutral Red into the Human Stomach" (The Journal, October 31, p. 1397) they reported that they failed to recover neutral red in the gastric contents of some cases of achylia gastrica other than pernicious anemia. According to the method they used, "the patients presented themselves with a fasting stomach; the Rehfuss tube was passed, and 2 c.c. of a 1 per cent, solution of neutral red (Ehrlich's neutral red was freshly dissolved in distilled water and boiled) was injected intramuscularly in the gluteal region. The gastric contents were aspirated every two minutes until the dye appeared as a definite pink discoloration." In our recent publication (The Journal, September 12, p. 794) we pointed out the fallacy of looking for pinkish coloration in cases with anacidity, unless the contents are brought to a hydrogen ion concentration sufficiently acid to


A kind of double-shell heat energy storage microcapsule was prepared used melamine formaldehyde (MF) resin as shell material, and the properties of the microcapsules were investigated. A phase change material, with melt point of 24°C and phase transition heat of 225.5J/g, was used as core. The microcapsules would be used in indoor walls to regulate the temperature and save energy. The surface morphological structure was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy. The strength of the shell was evaluated through observing the surface change after pressure by means of scanning electron microscopy. The average diameter of the microcapsules was 5 μm ∼ 10 μm. Diameter of 1 μm ∼ 5 μm could also be obtained by using different stirring speeds. The globular surface was smooth and compact. The thickness was 0.5 μm ∼ 1 μm. Also, the melting point of the microcapsules was 24.7°C, nearly equal to the pure phase change material. The DSC results make clear that the polymer shell of the microcapsules does not influence the properties of the phase change material. It was also found that the avoiding penetration property of the double-shell microcapsules was better than that of single shell, and the average diameter of 5 μm was better than 1 μm. With the increase of ratio of the core material, the compactability decreased, and the shell thickness decreased. The mass ratio of core and shell was 3 : 1 to ensure that the microcapsules had good heat storage function. The measuring test showed that the microcapsules did not rupture at a pressure of 1.96 × 105 Pa. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1755–1762, 2005


Enterobacter cloacae IFO 3320 exhibits chemotactic responses to inorganic phosphate (P i ) when starved of P i . One Tn 1737 KH-induced mutant failed to exhibit P i taxis even under conditions of P i limitation. The mutant showed normal chemotactic responses to amino acids and citrate, suggesting that it is specifically defective in P i taxis. Southern blot analysis revealed that the insertion Tn 1737 KH was located in the indigenous plasmid pEC01. The pEC01-cured strain of IFO 3320 did not show P i taxis even under conditions of P i limitation, indi-cating that pEC01 is required for P i taxis in E. cloacae IFO 3320. This plasmid is 5002 bp long, consisting of four mobilization genes, mbeCABD , and an origin of replication homologous to ColE1-type plasmids. pEC01 contains no open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein with a highly conserved motif of methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), suggesting that a gene encoding a MCP responsible for P i taxis is located on the chromosome. An ORF encoding a putative protein of 102 amino acids was responsible for the complementation of the pEC01-cured strain. The putative protein had a helix-turn-helix motif, suggesting that it is involved in the gene regulation of the P i taxis MCP gene.


Introduction:The heterogeneity of clinical and functional presentation of geriatric asthma, including the partial loss of reversibility and of the allergic component, contributes to her misconception.

Aim:The present study was designed to describe the clinical profile of acute exacerbation of asthma in elderly patients and the treatment prescribed in a pulmonary service, compared with the younger age group and to examine if the advanced age increases the frequency,and severity of asthma.

Methods:A total of 97 patients were recruited and divided in two groups; 41≥ 60 years (G1) and 56 <60 years (G2). We compared the differences between the 2 groups and the rest regarding comorbidity, severity of asthma, previous admissions, length of stay and treatment prescribed.

Results:The mean age in G1 was 67, 5 years, 60% of patients were female versus mean age in G2 40,31 years, 56% of patients were female.

The elderly patients had more comorbidity (P =0.02) with greater presence of cardiac antecedent. G2 had more history of severe acute asthma.Symptoms were dominated by attacks of breathlessness, wheezing and spasmodic dry cough in both groups, and length of stay were most important in G1 (P<0,005).

The mean exacerbation of asthma frequency was 2 in G1 versus 3 in G2. Mean duration of each exacerbation was 11 days in G1 versus 5,3 days G2. Pneumonia was the most frequent etiology of exacerbation in G1 while in G2 there was therapeutic malobservance.

Conclusion:The frequent coexistence of comorbid conditions in older patients compared to younger asthmatics, together with age-associated changes of the human lung, may render the management of asthma a complicated task.


Improved methods for the identification and grouping of bacteria by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of soluble proteins are described. Electrophoretic protein patterns were obtained in rigorously standardized comditions. The results were much more reproducible than any described previously. Some of the factors affecting reproducibility were; growth conditions, time and speed of centrifugation of extracts, and conditions of gel electrophoresis. Protein patterns were compared by computing correlation coefficients from normalized densitometric tracings and clustering the strains by the unweighted average pair group method. As model systems, both Agrobacterium and Zymomonas were used because of differences in the sharpness of the peaks. The methodwas applied to 42 Agrobacterium strains. The agreement with the results of clustering by either phenotypic tests or DNA:DNA hybridization was excellent. Computerized comparisons of electrophoretic protein patterns can be a fast, easy and powerful tool for classification and identification of bacteria.


Summary
• The relationship between floral morphology and electrostatic pollination was studied here. To test the effects of floral morphology on pollen deposition on the stigma and other floral parts by means of electrostatic forces, metal replicas of almond (Amygdalus communis) flowers were constructed and then dusted with electrostatically charged and uncharged almond pollen. The pollen was applied to the flowers with a specially designed electrostatic powder-coating device.
• Pollen deposition on the flower was found to be higher when the pollen was electrostatically charged than when it was not. Most of the charged pollen grains were deposited on the corolla extremities and on the stigma, whereas uncharged pollen grains were evenly distributed on the entire flower.
• Stigma exsertion was the most important morphological feature of the flower promoting pollen deposition on the stigma when electrostatic charge was used. Large flowers with corollas showed higher electrodeposition on the corolla than smaller, narrower ones.
• These results collectively imply that morphological features of a plant might be adaptations to take advantage of electrostatic forces. This provided us with a very important tool for future research on floral morphology and pollination biology.


Previous research has hypothesized the existence of a long-term equilibrium relation between stock prices and certain macroeconomic variables. The vector error correction model (VECM) (Johansen (1991)) is utilized to determine the impact of selected macroeconomic variables on Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). The variables are the real economic activity, money supply, inflation, and interest rate. The empirical results show that the stock prices and macroeconomics variables have a long-term equilibrium relation.


STUDY DESIGN
In this prospective study, the results of treating unstable thoracolumbar and lumbar injuries with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation were investigated.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the pain and work status of the patients, to evaluate neurologic status, and to assess the efficacy of instrumentation in the short term.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
Short-segment pedicle screw construct is the method of choice for reduction and stabilization of unstable thoracolumbar spinal injuries. Many investigators have recently reported a high rate of instrument failure. In this study, the use of segmental transpedicular fixation two levels above the kyphosis decreased instrument failure and sagittal collapse.

METHODS
Thirty patients, who had unstable thoracolumbar and lumbar spinal injuries, underwent application from a posterior approach of Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation two levels above and one below at the thoracolumbar junction and short segment fixation in the lumbar area. Radiologic parameters were evaluated before and after surgery.

RESULTS
The mean follow up was 31 months (range, 25-49) months. There were statistically significant differences between the pre- and postoperative values in all radiologic parameters. Neurologic status improved in 70% of the patients, with a mean Frankel grade of 1.3 grades.

CONCLUSIONS
Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation provided spinal stability in unstable injuries, forming a rigid construct and restoring physiologic thoracolumbar and lumbar postural contours because of its highly corrective effect in the sagittal profile with no loss of correction.


Earlier, we described a stromal cell-free two-step clonal culture system in which murine primitive lymphohematopoietic progenitors produce myeloid and B-lymphoid lineage cells. In the same culture T-cell potential of the progenitors was maintained. We now report that, in addition to myeloid and B-lymphoid cells, putative T-cell progenitors are also produced in culture. Lineage-negative (Lin-) Ly-6A/E+ c-kit+ bone marrow cells from 5-fluorouracil-treated mice were cultured in methylcellulose in the presence of SF (Steel factor), interleukin (IL)-11, and IL-7, and the resulting primary colonies were picked and pooled. When injected into severe combined immune deficiency (scid) mice, the pooled cells reconstituted the T-cell compartment of the scid mice earlier than freshly prepared primitive marrow cells. This reconstitution activity of the pooled primary colony cells was enriched in the Ly-6A/E+ and FcgammaRII/III-/low cell fractions. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and DNA-PCR analyses showed that some of the primary colony cells are differentiated sufficiently to express messenger RNA (mRNA) of T-cell receptor (TCR) beta-chain and pre-TCR alpha (pTalpha) and, although not frequently, to perform Dbeta-Jbeta rearrangement of the TCR gene. Micromanipulation studies confirmed the clonal origin of myeloid lineage cells and the cells positive for the T-cell-specific transcripts and D-J rearrangement of TCR beta-chain. These results suggested that, in the presence of SF, IL-11, and IL-7, primitive lymphohematopoietic progenitors differentiate toward T-cell lineage in addition to myeloid and B-cell lineages.


Context. Cosmic rays (CRs), which constantly bombard planetary magnetic fields and atmospheres, are the primary driver of atmospheric spallation processes. The higher the energy of these particles, the deeper they penetrate the planetary atmosphere, and the more likely interactions become with the ambient atmospheric material and the evolution of secondary particle showers.
Aims. As recently discussed in the literature, CRs are the dominant driver of the Venusian atmospheric ionization and the induced radiation dose below ~100 km. In this study, we model the atmospherically absorbed dose and the dose equivalent to the effect of cosmic rays in the context of Venusian habitability.
Methods. The Atmospheric Radiation Interaction Simulator was used to model the altitude-dependent Venusian absorbed dose and the Venusian dose equivalent. For the first time, we modeled the dose rates for different shape-, size-, and composition-mimicking detectors (phantoms): a CO2-based phantom, a water-based microbial cell, and a phantom mimicking human tissue.
Results. Based on our new model approach, we give a reliable estimate of the altitude-dependent Venusian radiation dose in water-based microorganisms here for the first time. These microorganisms are representative of known terrestrial life. We also present a detailed analysis of the influence of the strongest ground-level enhancements measured at the Earth's surface, and of the impact of two historic extreme solar events on the Venusian radiation dose. Our study shows that because a phantom based on Venusian air was used, and because furthermore, the quality factors of different radiation types were not taken into account, previous model efforts have underestimated the radiation hazard for any putative Venusian cloud-based life by up to a factor of five. However, because we furthermore show that even the strongest events would not have had a hazardous effect on putative microorganisms within the potentially habitable zone (51–62 km), these differences may play only a minor role.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate an outbreak of S. enteritidis enterocolitis which occurred at a radiology symposium in Malmö, Sweden in March, 1990.

METHODS
Questionnaires were mailed to the 126 participants after 1 and 6 months inquiring about enterocolitis, joint and eye symptoms and antibiotic treatment. Fifty-one delivered blood samples for serological studies.

RESULTS
One hundred thirteen responded to the questionnaire. Enterocolitis was reported by 108 individuals (96%) and 17 (15%) developed reactive arthritis (ReA). Only 3 persons reported conjunctivitis. Antibody response did not differ between patients with uncomplicated enterocolitis or ReA. IgA antibodies had the highest sensitivity to detect infected individuals. Ten out of 65 patients treated with antibiotics (mean 9.1 days) for enterocolitis and 7 out of 48 nontreated reported joint symptoms. At 6 month followup 8 patients had persistent joint complaints.

CONCLUSION
Following an outbreak of S. enteritidis dysentery, joint symptoms may be more frequent than previously thought and could not be prevented by early antibiotic treatment. Nor did antibiotics affect the duration of ReA over a 6 month followup period.


Samples of 2,4-diamino-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)pyrimidine (Trimethoprim) were synthesized, enriched with 13C at the following positions: 2 and 5; 4 and 6; α and 4-methoxy. For the first two series (having 13C-enrichment at the pyrimidine), appropriately labelled cyanoacetic acid was converted into labelled methyl 2-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)cyanoacetate and thence to the labelled 6-hydroxy derivative of Trimethoprim. For the last series (having 13C-enrichment at the trimethoxybenzyl moiety), the key reaction was the nucleophilic attack of C–5 of 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine on labelled 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl bromide, again yielding the labelled 6-hydroxy derivative of Trimethoprim. The conversion of the 6-hydroxy derivatives into 13C-enriched Trimethoprim was via the 6-chloride. Also synthesized was [6-13C]-2,4-diaminopyrimidine by cyclization of guanidine and [3-13C]-3-anilinoacrylonitrile. The identity, and the site(s) of the 13C label(s) of each final product and intermediate, were established on the basis of 1H and 13C n.m.r. spectral evidence.


Background—The composition of atherosclerotic plaque affects the likelihood of an atherothrombotic event, but prospective studies relating risk factors to carotid wall and plaque characteristics measured by MRI are lacking. We hypothesized that traditional risk factors are predictors of carotid wall and plaque characteristics measured 2 decades later. Methods and Results—A high-resolution contrast-enhanced MRI examination of the carotid artery was performed in 1769 participants. Measures of carotid wall volume and maximum thickness; lipid core presence, volume and maximum area; and fibrous cap thickness were performed centrally. The sample was, on average, 70 years of age, 57% female, 81% white, and 19% black. Greater age, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, male sex, white race, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking as measured at baseline were all significant predictors of increased wall volume and maximum wall thickness 18 years later. An analysis of lipid core was restricted to the 1180 participants with maximum wall thickness ≥1.5 mm. Lipid core was observed in 569 individuals (weighted percentage, 42%). Baseline age and total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were predictors of presence of lipid core 18 years later; however, these relationships were attenuated after adjustment for wall thickness. Concurrently measured low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was associated with greater lipid core volume, independent of wall thickness. Concurrently measured glucose and body mass index were inversely associated fibrous cap thickness. Conclusions—Traditional atherosclerosis risk factors are related to increased wall volume and wall thickness 2 decades later, but they do not discriminate characteristics of plaque composition (core and cap) independent of wall size.


This report documents the programme and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 22382 "Machine Learning for Science: Bridging Data-Driven and Mechanistic Modelling". Today's scientific challenges are characterised by complexity. Interconnected natural, technological, and human systems are influenced by forces acting across time- and spatial-scales, resulting in complex interactions and emergent behaviours. Understanding these phenomena – and leveraging scientific advances to deliver innovative solutions to improve society's health, wealth, and well-being – requires new ways of analysing complex systems. The transformative potential of AI stems from its widespread applicability across disciplines, and will only be achieved through integration across research domains. AI for science is a rendezvous point. It brings together expertise from AI and application domains; combines modelling knowledge with engineering know-how; and relies on collaboration across disciplines and between humans and machines. Alongside technical advances, the next wave of progress in the field will come from building a community of machine learning researchers, domain experts, citizen scientists, and engineers working together to design and deploy effective AI tools. This report summarises the discussions from the seminar and provides a roadmap to suggest how different communities can collaborate to deliver a new wave of progress in AI and its application for scientific discovery.