The aim of this study is to evaluate the direct diagnostic costs for disease groups and other variables (such as gender, age, seasons) that are related to the direct diagnostic costs based on a 3-year data. The population of the study consisted of 31,401 patients who applied to family medicine outpatient clinic in Turkey between January 1st, 2016 and December 31st, 2018. With this study, we determined in which disease groups of the family medicine outpatient clinic were most frequently admitted. Then, total and average diagnostic costs for these disease groups were calculated. Three-year data gave us the opportunity to examine the trend in diagnostic costs. Based on this, we demonstrated which diseases' total and average diagnostic costs increased or decreased during 3 years. Moreover, we examined how diagnostic costs showed a trend in both Turkish liras and USA dollars' rate for 3 years. Finally, we analysed whether the diagnostic costs differed according to variables such as age, gender and season. There has been relatively little analysis on the diagnostic costs in the previous literature. Therefore, we expect to contribute to both theorists and healthcare managers for diagnostic costs with this study.


This study prefers to the municipal corporation of Moradabad. A detailed study of the selected wards of Moradabad city has been conducted. This problem has been selected for study because of its significance in the life of urban people. The city has been selected as the study area because earlier work on various aspect of housing has been conducted in large metropolitan cities and little attention has been made given to smaller cities. The spatial pattern of urban Housing in Moradabad has been derived. Variable containing information with regard to the urban housing condition is used in this analysis. The variable selected to describe the urban housing were related to residential pattern, housing standard building structure, accessibility, safe drinking water, electricity facility etc. In order to compare the wards, the absolute values of variable were not deemed appropriate and therefore, were transformed into


. According to traditional animators, the art of building believable characters resides in the ability to successfully portray a char-acter's behaviour as the result of its internal emotions, intentions and thoughts. Following this direction, we want our agents to be able to explicitly talk about their internal thoughts and report their personal past experiences. In order to achieve it, we look at a specific type of episodic long term memory. This paper describes the integration of Au-tobiographic Memory into FAtiMA, an emotional agent architecture that generates emotions from a subjective appraisal of events.


In the last few years, the dust storms which head from Iraq to Iran have become a bio-environmental problem for the residents in West and South West Iran. Apparently, the temperature changes in the study area trigger these dust storms, and in the meantime, the decrease in the water level of Euphrates river and its adjacent lakes are the main culprits that intensify the storms. This assumption was investigated using remote sensing. In order to study land surface temperature and water level changes in the Euphrates and the lakes in the region, the thermal band-band 6 and staking of bands 5, 4 and 3 of Landsat 5 were utilized, respectively. According to the Landsat covering the study area, it was divided into three parts that include Syria (Area 1), Boundary (Iraq and Syria, Area 2) and East of Bagdad deserts (Area 3). The results showed that the temperature changes in various periods in Areas 1, 2 and 3 increased from 43.5 to 50, 40.5 to 49 and 28 to 46, respectively. Comparing the satellite, images recorded from 2003 to 2009 showed a high decrease in water level in the Euphrates and the lakes in its vicinity. This study, moreover, showed that the influence of land surfaces temperature and moisture changes might create dust storms indicating that remote sensing is a useful tool in large scale and international level studies.

 Key words: Variation of heat and moisture, dust storm, remote sensing, Euphrates, Iran.


OBJECTIVES: Feedback is a powerful learning tool, but a lack of appropriate feedback is a very common complaint from learners to teachers. To improve opportunities for feedback on objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), a modified examiner role, termed the "shadow" examiner, was tested. This study aims to present and analyze comparisons between the "shadow" examiner and the original OSCE examiner format. METHODS: In 2011, experiments were carried out with modifications to the examiner's role to define the "shadow" examiner format. From February 2012 to May 2014, research was conducted with 415 6th-year medical students. Of these students, 316 were randomly assigned to assessments by both "shadow" and "fixed" examiners. Pearson correlation analysis with linear regression, Student's t-tests and Bland-Altman plots were the statistical methods used to compare the assessment modes. To strengthen the analysis, checklist items were classified by domain. RESULTS: High correlations between the "shadow" and "fixed" examiners' global scores were observed. The results of the analysis of specific domains demonstrated higher correlations for cognitive scores and lower correlations for affective scores. No statistically significant differences between the mean examiner global scores were found. The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the "shadow" examiners' affective scores were significantly higher than those of the "fixed" examiners, but the magnitude of this difference was small. CONCLUSION: The modified examiner role did not lead to any important bias in the students' scores compared with the original OSCE examiner format. This new strategy may provide important insights for formative assessments of clinical performance.


We present a numerical calculation for the Stokes drag of a particle in a nematic solvent. Due to the radial anchoring of the molecules at the particle surface and a uniform director field at infinity, the particle is accompanied by a hyperbolic point defect which gives rise to the so-called dipole configuration. We write the Ericksen-Leslie equation in a reduced form emphasizing the importance of the Ericksen number Er. Due to the coupling between director and velocity field, we find a highly non-linear Stokes drag. We discuss it in terms of an effective viscosity and as a function of Er. Director field and stream line patterns add to the understanding of our results. Finally, we suggest that the non-linear Stokes drag should be observable in a falling-ball experiment.


Aim: The aim of the research work was formulation and systemically characterization of in vitro and in vivo activity of mucoadhesive microspheres of amoxicillin and famotidine for the effective use in the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers, which are associated with Helicobacter pylori. Such that the dual therapy gives better H. pylori eradication than single-drug therapy. The presence of two drugs in the same system will lead to improved efficacy of the system and increased patient compliance. Materials and Methods: Drugs containing mucoadhesive microspheres were prepared by an emulsion-solvent evaporation method using carbopol-934P as mucoadhesive polymer and ethyl cellulose as carrier polymer. The preliminary studies included the formulation of 27 batches of each drug using 33 factorial design. Optimization: A 33 factorial design was used to study the effect of independent variables, drug-to-polymer ratio (amoxicillin/famotidine-ethyl cellulose-carbopol-934P) (X1), concentration of emulsifying agent (X2), and stirring speed (X3) on dependent variables, drug entrapment efficiency (Y1), and particle size (Y2). Further, the in vitro mucoadhesion test was carried out for the mucoadhesion percentage and finally the in vivo studies (Bacterial clearance study, in vivo mucoadhesion and in vivo ulcer index studies) were carried out. Results and Discussion: Among the formulated batches, the batch A27 exhibited the best percent of mucoadhesion 66% after 10 h and F24 showed 74% of mucoadhesion after 10 h. Both batches were evaluated for in vivo performance. In the bacterial clearance studies, the mean bacterial count (log colony forming units) after oral administration of drug-loaded microspheres was found to be 3.72 ± 0.58. The drug-loaded microspheres formulation exhibited better clearance from infection than plain drugs solution at the same doses. Drug microspheres formulation was found to be effective in the treatment of H. pylori infections effectively, and in in vivo mucoadhesion studies, the developed system was well taken up and processed by the cells of gastric mucosa of the stomach.


Summary Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) were grown on extracellular matrices produced by vascular smooth muscle cells or fetal bovine endothelial cells. The glycoprotein components of these complex substrates were degraded through activation of the serum zymogen plasminogen to plasmin, as well as by a plasmino- gen independent protease(s). The plasminogen independent enzyme might be a protease with elastolytic activity since the BAEC digested elastin present in smooth muscle cell derived matrices. The cells also displayed collagenolytic activity on both types of matrices. The addition of the tumor promoter 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (10−7 M) to the culture medium enhanced considerably the plasminogen activator and collagenolytic activities elaborated by BAEC resulting in an increased degradation rate of matrix glycoprotein and collagen components, whereas the elastolytic activity remained unaffected. Dex- amethasone (10−7 M), although suppressing plasminogen activator (PA) production by BAEC, did not alter their elastolytic activity allowing the cells to degrade the glycoprotein components of the matrices at an unchanged rate. The collagenolytic activity of the BAEC remained unaffected by dexamethasone. These studies demonstrate that BAEC elaborate different proteolytic enzyme activities allowing them to degrade various components of extracellular matrices. These enzymatic activities may be modulated by certain agents thus changing the degradative capabilities of the BAEC.


The normal filtered load of albumin at the rat glomerulus was estimated to be 18 mg/24 h X g kidney weight by means of micropuncture studies. Total nephron fractional reabsorption was 91%. The proximal convoluted tubule accounted for 72% of total reabsorption followed by an additional 12% in the loop of Henle. Only minimal protein uptake occurred in more distal parts of the nephron. Na maleate, given at a dosage of 2 mM/kg body weight 2 h prior to micropuncture, inhibited tubular albumin uptake in the proximal convoluted tubule. As in controls there was no measurable protein uptake beyond the loop of Henle. These results indicated that tubular reabsorption of albumin was virtually completed by the early distal convoluted tubule. Maleate was found to be a potent inhibitor of protein transport in the proximal convoluted tubule resulting in a fractional excretion of albumin of 50%.


Many consumer and industrial products, including fuels, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, paints, and household cleaning disinfectants, contain hazardous substances. Improper disposal of these materials can lead to unexpected releases of toxins that are hazardous to humans and harmful to the environment. This report summarizes all known events involving improper disposal of hazardous substances reported to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) during January 2001-March 2005, describes four illustrative case reports, and provides recommendations for preventing injury resulting from improper disposal.


In the new communication era two mobile communication technologies WIMAX and LTE evolved rapid growth in last few years due to increasing demands in Internet Accessing Services. Both the technologies are considered as a candidate of 4 th generation of mobile network. The IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) and 3 GPP LTE are aim to provide better mobile voice, video and data. This paper introduceand compare two advanced technologies WiMAX and LTE in physical layers and also give the performance analysis of different modulationschemes like BPSK, QPSK. 16-QAM based on SNR and BER results are presented with different digital modulation schemes in AWGN channel.


Study Design. The previous Scoliosis Research Society brace study (JBJS-A, 1995) included patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with moderate curve sizes (25°–35°). The Swedish patients in this study were examined in a long-term follow-up. Objective. The aim was to analyze and compare quality of life in adulthood between AIS patients who were only observed or treated with a brace during adolescence. Summary of Background Data. Quality of life as measured by the SRS-22 has not previously been presented for adult untreated AIS patients. Methods. Forty patients who were only observed (due to a curve increase of less than 6° until maturity), and 37 brace-treated patients attended the complete follow-up, including clinical and radiologic examination, and answered 2 quality of life questionnaires (SRS-22 and Short Form-36 [SF-36]). Results. No differences were found between the groups in terms of age at follow-up (mean: 32 years), follow-up time after maturity (mean: 16.0 years), and curve size at inclusion (mean: 30°) or at follow-up (mean: 35°). The SRS-22/total score was a mean of 4.2 for braced patients and 4.1 for only observed patients. Neither total scores/subscales of the SRS-22 or SF-36 differed significantly between the groups. For the SF-36, no differences in relation to the Swedish age-matched norm scales were found for either group. Conclusion. Patients with moderate AIS report good quality of life in their 30s, as measured by both the SRS-22 and SF-36, regardless of whether they received no active treatment or were brace treated during adolescence. Neither of the groups displayed any difference compared with the age-matched norm groups for the SF-36.


Most goods and services in Mexico are subject to a 16 percent value added tax (VAT). However, within 20 kilometers of the border with the United States, the VAT rate is 11 percent. This preferential rate was implemented by the Mexican Department of Revenue to reduce cross-border shopping in the United States. However, the tax differential also creates an unusual distortion within Mexico, encouraging Mexicans to travel to the preferential tax zone for shopping. This paper performs an empirical test of tax avoidance using the Mexican Economic Census, comparing towns on either side of the 20 kilometer threshold using a regression discontinuity design. The analysis provides evidence of a modest but statistically significant distortion in economic activity toward the preferential tax zone.


Introduction: When endodontic treatment has failed, non surgical retreatment is often the first choice. This procedure includes removal of previous obturating material followed by chemomechanical preparation, disinfection and refilling of the root canals. However, residual sealer during retreatment remains a concern when such bioceramic sealers are utilised for obturation and this can affect the prognosis. Aim: To evaluate and compare the amount of residual filling material after retreatment in straight and oval root canals filled with iRoot SP and AH Plus sealer using V-Blue file system using Micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT). Materials and Methods: This in-vitro study was conducted at Bharati Vidyapeeth (deemed to be) Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, between November 2020 to December 2021. Sixty freshly extracted human mandibular premolar with straight and oval canals standardised with Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) were prepared with ProTaper next files and were assigned to two groups for obturation with gutta-percha using AH Plus and iRoot SP sealer respectively. Quality of obturation was confirmed with CBCT. After one month, retreatment was carried with V-Blue files and percentage of remaining obturating material was were evaluated before and after retreatment through micro-CT imaging. Two sample means and Kolmogorov Smirnov test were used to analyse data. Results: Data of all the samples from the micro-CT evaluation indicated that the mean volume of the initial filling material did not differ significantly among AH Plus sealer and iRoot SP sealer group (p>0.05). Percentage of residual volume of AH Plus sealer (0.02%) was lower than that of iRoot SP sealer group (0.06%) and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Considerable amount of iRoot SP sealer remained after retreatment using V-Blue file as compared with AH Plus sealer.


Rarely does a book appear that shakes the prevailing assumptions of wisdom to their very foundations. The Myth of Neuropsychiatry is such a bold and riveting work. This provocative book rigorously challenges the myths currently pervading the field of mental health. Dr. Mender, the founding Director of the Neuropsychiatric Evaluation Service at the Payne Whitney Clinic, takes us on an intellectual journey in search of the mind and brain. In Dr. Mender's quest for a fuller understanding of the brain, he introduces us to the theories of the great philosophers who have shaped our basic views of the mind through the ages. In exploring the progression from Descartes to Spinoza to Husserl, he helps us to appreciate and assess more thoughtfully the impact their insights have had on modern neuropsychiatry. He convincingly shows how steadfast belief in only one school of thought - the materialist and mechanistic viewpoint that forms the basis of neuropsychiatry - has obscured a fuller vision of the mind. By reducing the mind to the purely biological features of the brain - the prevailing trend in psychiatry today - the profundity and vast richness of the many-faceted human mind is being denied altogether. As neuropsychiatry ascends to dominance in the mental health field, Dr. Mender skillfully brings his critical eye to its strengths and limitations. CAT scans and MRIs, with their colorful and vivid images, have unquestionably propelled medicine into the modern age. But perceiving them as a full depiction of the mental landscape can confer a false sense of capturing every nuance of the mind. Destined to become a classic, this work propounds a brilliant new theory of mental processes. Dr. Mendersynergistically draws on the most stunning breakthroughs in physics, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, and medicine to create an original, workable theory that can be applied to those seriously in need of psychological help. By seizing on the advances made in neuropsychiatry as


This review presents an outline of our current understanding of ruminal nitrogen metabolism from three perspectives: proteolytic microorganisms and their enzymes, intraruminal recycling of microbial protein, and enzymes of ammonia assimilation. Some of the pending advances and future research opportunities in these areas are also discussed. The 'smugglin' concept appears to offer the potential to inhibit peptide-utilizing bacteria selectively in the rumen, as demonstrated by initial studies with Prevotella ruminicola. The relative contributions of protozoa-, bacteriophage-, and self-mediated lysis of bacteria to intraruminal recycling of microbial protein are not yet quantified, and further efforts to understand the biology and dynamics of ruminal bacteriophage and protozoa populations are warranted. In Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Prevotella ruminicola, glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) appears to be the predominant route of ammonia assimilation irrespective of ammonia concentration, and peptides modulate GDH activity in P. ruminicola. The physiological basis behind the difference between optimal ammonia concentrations for ruminal fibre digestion and microbial protein synthesis remains unclear. Molecular biology techniques extend beyond their application in pursuit of the 'superbug' concept, by offering new and exciting opportunities to understand better microbial physiology, diversity, and ecology. Fundamental research in these areas must be continued if further advances in feed utilization and nutrient retention are to be realized.


Photocatalytic activity of semiconductors is affected by the nature of metal dopant. To study the effect of non-transition and transition metal on the physical and optical properties of TiO2 based photocatalysts; Al and Ni-doped TiO2 thin films respectively were prepared via a sol-gel dip-coating method. The effect of the photocatalysis process on the properties of TiO2 based thin films was investigated. The photocatalytic activity was calculated from methylene blue dye degradation under sunlight irradiation. XRD results show that un-doped TiO2 films were grown with anatase phase, whereas, the Ni and Ni/Al-doped TiO2 films show Ti4O7 single phase. The presence of Al preferred the rutile phase. No phases related to NiO or Al2O3 were detected. Ni-TiO2 photocatalyst shows high photocatalytic activity (~ 93%) thanks to the high content of O and Ti, wide bandgap (3.35 eV), low crystal size (6.87 nm), high film thickness (288 nm), and high surface roughness (44.5 nm). After photocatalysis, all the films show a decrease in O content and thickness, whereas the indirect bandgap values were increased which suggesting the reuse with low photocatalytic activity.


The first cases in the USA of infection with the mosquito vector-borne West Nile virus (WNV) – an enveloped, single-stranded RNA – occurred in 1999 in New York. Since then, it has moved westward and now affects people in nearly every state, with most annual cases appearing in late summer. Suspected infection can be confirmed by ELISA and reverse transcriptase PCR. The incubation period of WNV prior to the onset of symptoms can be as long as 2 weeks. Three clinical categories of infection have been defined: asymptomatic, West Nile fever (WNF) and West Nile meningoencephalitis. The most common symptoms of WNF are flu-like and include fever, headache, myalgia, malaise, diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue. In less than 1% of cases, individuals develop severe, potentially fatal neurologic disease that has been variously classified as West Nile meningitis, West Nile encephalitis and West Nile poliomyelitis (acute flaccid paralysis). The most commonly reported ocular features of WNV infection are multifocal, bilateral chorioretinal lesions characteristically found in either a scattered or linear pattern. Other features include anterior uveitis, retinal vasculitis, optic neuritis and vitritis; less commonly, nystagmus, abducens nerve palsy, optic disc edema and absence of corneal reflex have been reported. Patients were also reported to present with blurred vision, floaters, redness, visual field defects and diplopia. Ocular symptoms of WNV are generally self limited; however, in some notable cases, reduced visual acuity and field loss may persist. Many of the ocular symptoms of WNV infection are associated with numerous viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases, highlighting the importance of differential diagnosis in confirming WNV infection. The fact that ophthalmic manifestations associated with WNV have only been recognized relatively recently makes the long-term prognosis in patients difficult to predict. However, most patients presenting with chorioretinitis show improvement over time, with visual acuity returning to baseline after a few months. There are currently no approved treatments for WNV, although recombinant vaccines are under development.


C3H5N3O, orthorhombic, Pnma (no. 62), a = 6.0020(9) Å, b = 6.357(1) Å, c = 12.288(2) Å, V = 468.8 Å, Z = 8, Rgt(F) = 0.054, wRref(F) = 0.193, T = 191 K. Source of material The title compoundwas synthesized in accordance to a published procedure [1]. Re-crystallization from ethanol gave colorless crystals suitable for X-ray structure analysis. Experimental details The H atoms bonded to the N atom were refined freely due to its importance in the hydrogen bonding. Discussion Recently, the crystal structure of a few oxadiazoles has been determined [2,3]. Themolecular structure of the 2-amino-5-methyl1,3,4-oxadiazole is planar. The molecules form intermolecular H bonds whereas the amino groups act as hydrogen-bond donors and the N1 and N2 atoms act as hydrogen-bond acceptors. The amino H atoms form intermolecular hydrogen bonds to the corresponding N1 atom of one molecule with Namino—N1 distance of 2.923 Å and to the N2 atom of a second molecule with a Namino—N2 distance of 2.941Å. These strong intermolecular hydrogen bridges form bands. The three-dimensional molecular packing is characterized by the presence of stacks of these bands along [100]. Z. Kristallogr. NCS 222 (2007) 151-152 / DOI 10.1524/ncrs.2007.0061 151 © by Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, München Crystal: colorless prism, size 0.24 × 0.29 × 0.42 mm Wavelength: Mo K radiation (0.71069 Å) : 1.10 cm−1 Diffractometer, scan mode: Stoe IPDS 2, 2 max: 51.2° N(hkl)measured, N(hkl)unique: 5707, 487 Criterion for Iobs, N(hkl)gt: Iobs > 2 (Iobs), 447 N(param)refined: 50 Programs: SIR97 [4], SHELXL-97 [5] Table 1. Data collection and handling. H(3A) 4c 0.2783 1⁄4 0.7053 0.073 H(3B) 8d 0.4965 0.3759 0.6684 0.073 H(1N) 4c −0.127(7) 1⁄4 0.295(4) 0.05(1) H(2N) 4c −0.220(9) 1⁄4 0.401(4) 0.06(2) Table 2. Atomic coordinates and displacement parameters (in Å). Atom Site x y z Uiso _____________ * Correspondence author (e-mail: email@example.com) Acknowledgment.We thank the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie for financial support. References 1. Stollé, R.; Fehrenbach, K.: Über Amino-Abkömmlinge von Thiound Furodiazolen-1,3,4. J. Prakt. Chem. 122 (1929) 289-318. 2. Gonzáles, O. F.: Structural and Spectroscopical Study ofCrystals of 1,3,4Oxadiazole Derivatives at High Pressure. PhD Thesis and references therein. University of Potsdam 2002. 3. Peters, K.; Peters, E.-M.; Hetzheim, A.; Köckritz, P.: Crystal structure of 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole, C2HN2O(NH2). Z. Kristallogr. NCS 215 (2000) 380. 152 (CH3)C2N2O(NH2) C(1) 4c 0.0883(5) 1⁄4 0.4126(3) 0.028(2) 0.047(2) 0.031(2) 0 0.003(1) 0 C(2) 4c 0.3255(6) 1⁄4 0.5421(3) 0.025(2) 0.053(2) 0.038(2) 0 −0.002(1) 0 C(3) 4c 0.4059(6) 1⁄4 0.6556(3) 0.037(2) 0.068(3) 0.040(2) 0 −0.008(2) 0 N(1) 4c 0.4363(5) 1⁄4 0.4542(3) 0.024(2) 0.067(2) 0.043(2) 0 −0.002(1) 0 N(2) 4c 0.2825(5) 1⁄4 0.3672(2) 0.026(2) 0.064(2) 0.033(2) 0 0.001(1) 0 N(3) 4c −0.1110(5) 1⁄4 0.3664(3) 0.025(2) 0.089(3) 0.036(2) 0 0.001(1) 0 O(1) 4c 0.0995(4) 1⁄4 0.5229(2) 0.024(1) 0.063(2) 0.034(2) 0 0.0013(9) 0 Table 3. Atomic coordinates and displacement parameters (in Å). Atom Site x y z U11 U22 U33 U12 U13 U23 4. Altomare, A.; Burla, M. C.; Camalli, M.; Cascarano, G. L.; Giacovazzo, C.; Guagliardi, A.; Moliterni, A. G. G.; Polidori, G.; Spagna, R.: SIR97: a new tool for crystal structure determination and refinement J. Appl. Crystallogr. 32 (1999) 115-119. 5. Sheldrick, G. M.: SHELXL-97. Program for the Refinement of Crystal Structures. University of Göttingen, Germany 1997.


Sustainable engineering solutions facilitate and/or force the use of energy more efficiently and, thus, reducing the carbon emission to the atmosphere. This study is related to improving resistance properties of ships, especially in the high speed range, in which they consume large amount of fuels. In this investigation, the model of the Kriso Container Ship (KCS) was taken as the basis to be studied and she was hydrodynamically analysed through the commercial software STAR-CCM+. After the successful validation of the results obtained in these computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses by those of the experiments of this model published in [1], the simulations carried out on the models equipped with stern flaps and a combination of stern flaps and interceptors for reducing resistance of the models, were performed in the same manner using the same software. Then the results obtained in all analyses were discussed by comparing those with the test ones.


The authors made an analysis of postoperative hernias in 32 patients. General and local causes are considered. The proposed technical methods used for exclusion of local causes allowed the frequency of postoperative hernias to be reduced from 1.9% to 0.5%.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the possible causes of arrhythmia in patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA).

METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was conducted. All patients underwent RCA-CRRT treatment from January 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020 in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Tianjin Third Central Hospital were enrolled. The patients were divided into arrhythmia group and non-arrhythmia group according to whether arrhythmia occurred. The gender, age, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, catheterization site, underlying diseases, electrocardiogram (ECG), electrolytes [total calcium, serum free calcium (iCa2+), phosphorus, magnesium, potassium] and blood gas analysis (pH value, HCO3-) of patients in the two groups were recorded. The changes of ECG were observed, the differences in electrolyte and blood gas analysis indexes between the two groups of patients at different time points (before CRRT, 24, 48, 72 hours after CRRT, and when arrhythmia occurred) were compared.

RESULTS
A total of 86 RCA-CRRT patients were enrolled, of which 12 cases (13.95%) had arrhythmia, and the remaining 74 cases (86.05%) had no arrhythmia. The average time for the occurrence of arrhythmia in the 12 patients was (44.00±16.82) hours. There was no significant ST-segment change in the ECG when the arrhythmia occurred compared with that before CRRT, the total calcium level was significantly higher than that before CRRT (mmol/L: 2.48±0.40 vs. 2.13±0.35, P < 0.05), the blood magnesium level was significantly lower than that before CRRT (mmol/L: 0.73±0.20 vs. 0.95±0.25, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in iCa2+, blood phosphorus, blood potassium, pH value and HCO3- between before CRRT and when arrhythmia occurred. Over time, the total calcium levels in the two groups increased, and there was a statistical difference between the 48 hours after CRRT and before CRRT (mmol/L: 2.48±0.33 vs. 2.13±0.35 in the arrhythmia group, and 2.30±0.22 vs. 2.15±0.48 in non-arrhythmia group, both P < 0.05). The linear change trend of iCa2+, pH value and HCO3- was not obvious in the two groups. The blood phosphorus and blood magnesium levels in the two groups decreased. The blood potassium in the arrhythmia group decreased, however, the blood potassium level in non-arrhythmia group did not change significantly. The total calcium level in the arrhythmia group was significantly higher than that in the non-arrhythmia group at 72 hours after CRRT (mmol/L: 2.69±0.35 vs. 2.45±0.23, P < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference in serum iCa2+, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, pH value and HCO3- between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients receiving RCA-CRRT were less likely to develop arrhythmia, the causes may be related to the accumulation of citric acid and electrolyte disturbances such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.


C HRONIC MYELOGENOUS leukemia (CML) is a unique myeloproliferative disorder usually associated with a distinctive cytogenetic abnormality—the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)—that leads to leukemogenesis.[1][1] Ph is a shortened chromosome 22 resulting from a reciprocal translocation of the long


This paper seeks to examine the obfuscating yet definitive and detrimental presence of patriarchal control and gendered realities in family dynamics through an analysis of Krishna Sobti's Ai Ladki (Listen Girl!) and Geetanjali Shree's Ret Samadhi (Tomb of Sand). These two fictional texts can help to understand the intricate relationship between gender, identity, and other cultural constructs within the context of Indian literature in Translation through a close examination of the power dynamics and social norms underlying the family system as portrayed in these narratives. The objective is to investigate these complex interplays so as to locate the position and subjectivity of Indian women in specific contexts and relationships. Both texts map the space of the historically victimized female subject and further explore the possibility of alternative subjectivities within the framework of Indian feminism. The paper is divided into three sections, each of which foregrounds the importance of equal representation of all genders as well as individuals from the periphery, making inclusivity the central theme. The first section explores the distinct fields of literary and cultural translation and their contribution to the making of "Women's Writings" within the expansive framework of "Indian Literature," highlighting the often-overlooked status of women writers and translators and their invaluable contributions to shaping and amplifying the voices of Indian women relegated to obscurity due to the burden of being both women and Indian. The second section sheds light on the strong and intense presence of women writers in indigenous languages and their considerable impact on the wider literary landscape. The third section probes the chosen literary works as specimens of "ecriture feminine" (to use the term coined by Helene Cixous).


We present an energy/illumination-adaptive CMOS image sensor for distributed wireless sensor applications. The adaptive feature enables always-on imaging operation with extremely low power consumption for extended lifetime of wireless image sensor nodes and provides optimum images in a wide range of illuminations. For adaptive operation, the sensor employs reconfigurable modes of operation. Most of time, the sensor is in a monitoring mode, which keeps imaging at extremely low power consumption. The sensor turns into a high-sensitivity imaging mode or a wide dynamic range imaging mode when illumination varies and sufficient power supply is available from energy harvesting. The sensor changes its operation back to the monitoring mode in order to save energy in the battery. The sensor operates at 1.36 μW/frame in the monitoring mode from harvested energy and provides high-sensitive (24 V/lx·sec) and wide dynamic range images (99.2 dB) at 867 μW in battery operation. The chip achieved power FOM of 15.4 pW/pixel·frame in 0.18 μm technology.


l-Asparaginase (l-ASNase is the abbreviation, l-asparagine aminohydrolase, E.C.188.8.131.52) is an enzyme that is clinically employed as an antitumor agent for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Although l-ASNase is known to deplete l-asparagine (l-Asn), causing cytotoxicity in leukemia cells, the specific molecular signaling pathways are not well defined. Because of the deficiencies in the production and administration of current formulations, the l-ASNase agent in clinical use is still associated with serious side effects, so controlling its dose and activity monitoring during therapy is crucial for improving the treatment success rate. Accordingly, it is urgent to summarize and develop effective analytical methods to detect l-ASNase activity in treatment. However, current reports on these detection methods are fragmented and also have not been systematically summarized and classified, thereby not only delaying the investigations of specific molecular mechanisms, but also hindering the development of novel detection methods. Herein, in this review, we provided a detailed summary of the l-ASNase structures, antitumor mechanism and side effects, and current detection approaches, such as fluorescence assays, colorimetric assays, spectroscopic assays and some other assays. All of them possess unique advantages and disadvantages, so it has been difficult to establish clear criteria for clinical application. We hope that this review will be of some value in promoting the development of l-ASNase activity detection methods.


The article is devoted to consideration of the psychological qualities of innovative potential of personality. Is approved, the prerequisites and the makings of innovative potential is given by nature and are expressed in certain psychological characteristics of the individual. Implemented innovative potential of a person is determined by the level of «natural» psychic phenomena. Actually, it is dynamic, changing as formed socially determined the structure of personality in the context of the people's understanding of themselves and the world, about yourself in this world. In the structure of innovation potential of a person, you must include both the idea of acting as a factor of motivation and regulation manifestations of man in the subjective and the objective world and the psychological mechanisms of generation of ideas of the controllers. We should distinguish between the levels of generalization of the fundamental ideas, which, undoubtedly, depends on intelligence and abilities.


Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is an age-related medical condition affecting mostly muscular arteries of the limb. It is the 3rd leading cause of atherosclerotic morbidity. The mechanical environment of endothelial cells (ECs) in PAD is characterized by disturbed blood flow (d-flow) and stiff extracellular matrices. In PAD, the stiffness of arteries is due to decreased elastin function and increased collagen content. These flow and stiffness parameters are largely missing from current models of PAD. It has been previously proven that ECs exposed to d-flow or stiff substrates lead to proatherogenic pathways, but the effect of both, d-flow and stiffness, on EC phenotype has not been fully investigated. In this study, we sought to explore the effect of sex on proatherogenic pathways that could result from exposing endothelial cells to a d-flow and stiff environment. We utilized the scRNA-seq tool to analyze the gene expression of ECs exposed to the different mechanical conditions both in vitro and in vivo. We found that male ECs exposed to different mechanical stimuli presented higher expression of genes related to fibrosis and d-flow in vitro. We validated our findings in vivo by exposing murine carotid arteries to d-flow via partial carotid artery ligation. Since women have delayed onset of arterial stiffening and subsequent PAD, this work may provide a framework for some of the pathways in which biological sex interacts with sex-based differences in PAD.


After-treatment apparatus ceramic DPF (diesel particulate filter) have been applied to reduce harmful particulate matters(PM) among emissions from diesel engines so far, but they are easy to be fragile and weak in thermal shock. This research aims to investigate a metal type filter which is superior in mechanical strength and heat conduction rate and is beneficial economically in manufacturing. Basic performance of metal DPF such asloading test, temperature gradient test, thermal shock test, heat resistant test and back pressure was carried out. And then their experimental data provided key informations in designing and manufacturing such as detailed structures of metal mesh filter. Also diesel engine and vehicle of 2957cc displacement was tested under lug-down 3 mode and CVS-75 mode. PM reduction efficiency was 54.5% using metal DPF without loss of performance and fuel consumption.


Nineteen class 2 Herculite restorations were evaluated two years after placement. Nine of these were retrieved and examined by clinical inspection out of the mouth. Six of the restorations were then removed and the cavities examined for extent and location of discoloration and secondary caries. Radiolucent defects at the gingival margins were seen in 36% of the teeth. Gaps were evident in 58% of the gingival margins of the retrieved teeth. Secondary caries was diagnosed in four cases, all of them at the cervical margin. Examination of the cavities after removal of the composite resin demonstrated the penetration of the carious process into the dentin.


During the last decades, both the public and private sectors have started adopting ICT not only for back office service management, but also for end-user service access. ICT-supported digitally-enhanced services can provide benefits both for service providers in the form of more efficient service delivery and management and for the customers in the form of better service access and availability. The research presented in this paper explores issues related to bringing digital service access points into the everyday lives of elderly users and examines the effects of digitally-enhanced services. The paper analyses two case studies exploring digitally-enhanced services that aim to help elderly people in their everyday lives. The results indicate that the analysed services can improve the efficiency of the service processes. However, service efficiency does not directly translate into a better service experience for the user. For achieving significant improvements in the lives of the elderly, other value measures and better understanding of service value potential from the viewpoint of elderly users are needed.


By Amelia Solomon, Chemistry
 Advisor: Thomas Beck
 Presentation ID: AM_D37
 Abstract: A partial charge of a molecule is used to determine the electrostatic potential of the force field surrounding a molecule. Partial charges also help determine the reactivity of a molecule and can provide a general understanding of the structure of the molecule. There are several properties that help determine partial charges: Electron density, dipole moments, or relationships between the physical properties. Molecular dynamic simulations are a convenient method for viewing the physical movements of these properties. Even with these methods, there is always a high level of uncertainty. And the same method will provide varying levels of accuracy for different molecules. Machine learning is a unique way to determine partial charges by letting the machine determine the best partial charge distribution for a molecule. The machine itself will provide a less biased method of charge development by deriving distribution directly from trends in quantum calculations. The goal is to use unsupervised machine learning to determine a learning set, a set of parameters, for the supervised machine learning program. Ideally, once this program is written, it will be able to analyze any size of molecule and determine a highly accurate partial charge distribution.


If one mentions online contract formation students and academics intuitively turn to the legal rules. This interpretive community seems less than convinced that the distinctive features of the virtual environment have new insights to offer. Whether that is likely to be the case cannot be ascertained if we continue to map our understanding of online contract formation in accordance with the textbook tradition of contract law. An illustration of this pattern of analysis can be seen by the way that discussion and analysis of online contract formation frequently focuses on two issues: first, the applicability of contract principles and, second, the shortcomings of the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002. A consideration of the value of consent and of its role in contract formation and operative factors, with regard to the way in which obligations are characterized, suggests that the overemphasis on the process/method distinction is misleading. The paper demonstrates the following: (a) that, to the extent that the rules of contract formation are relevant, they provide a preliminary and not a final point of understanding; (b) that the dominant role of computers in structuring and processing communications makes it critical to identify the values embedded in the technological infrastructure; and (c) that the narrative of values in the technological infrastructure provides a better route to understanding online contract formation. Illustrations are provided to support the hypothesis. The layer principle, it is suggested, provides an appropriate basis for reconciling contract doctrine with the central role of the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002. The paper concludes that attempts to understand the governance challenges for online contract formation through legal rules are misplaced. To understand the contemporary role of contract we need to integrate the communications systems of hardware and software into our understanding of what it is that gives commitments their binding character.


In Turkey, the types and quantities of waste that produced by people is increasing rapidly as a result of increasing population, urbanization, rising living standards and technological developments. The methods that are used to solve the problem of household solid waste elimination are: irregular storage, landfill, composting, reuse, recycling, retrieval and incineration. In our country, domestic waste disposal methods are irregular and regular storage. While sanitary landfill method implementations are on the processing in our country, the EU countries have already been abolishing this method and its applications areas gradually. In this study, instead of landfill, installation of a modern solid waste retrieval, disposal and energy production facility installation has been analyzed in technical and economic point of view. To make a technical and economic analysis of such an integrated recycling, disposal and energy generation facility, the average composition and the amount of waste, household waste, recyclable (paper, plastic, glass, metal) and organic matter contents that belong to a municipality have been determined. Based on this information; investment cost of the facility, annual revenue, annual expenditure and repayment period have been calculated. © 2013 JESTECH. All rights reserved. Article history: Received 12 December 2012 Accepted 20 March 2013


This paper reports on an empirical examination of the effect of instructors' formal training, professional experience, culturo-linguistic background, and exposure to the local context on the evaluation of EFL composition. A total of 106 English-native and Arabic-native instructors, with varying academic training, teaching experience, and exposure to the local context of EFL instruction, evaluated the language, the contents, and the rhetorical structures of two EFL compositions - written by Arabic-native speakers - using 10-point scales. Findings show that instructor's culturo-linguistic background was evidently the most influential factor on the evaluation of EFL composition. Instructor's exposure to the local Arabic context of EFL instruction testified to confirm this effect. With respect to the effect of instructor's teaching experience on the evaluation of EFL composition, the findings reveal that experienced instructors appear to be more rigid in their evaluation of EFL composition than their less experienced counterparts. The effect of instructor's formal training on the evaluation of EFL composition is generally inconsistent


Background: Since 2010, variant porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has emerged in several provinces of China. The variant strain causes high mortality of newborn piglets, which has resulted in severe economic losses to the pork breeding industry.Results: A variant PEDV strain, SC-YB73, was isolated and identified in China. Pathological observation showed atrophy of villi and edema in the lamina propria. Sequence analysis indicated that six nucleotides were inserted in the E gene, which was first detected in PEDV strains. Furthermore, fifty nucleotide sites were unique in SC-YB73, when compared with another 28 PEDV strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome showed that SC-YB73 was clustered in the variant subgroup GII-a, which is widely prevalent in the pig population in China. Recombination analysis suggested that SC-YB73 originated from the recombination of GDS47, TW/Yunlin550/2018, and COL/Cundinamarca/2014.Conclusion: The present study involved the isolation and genetic characterization of a variant PEDV strain. It will provide essential information for the control of PED outbreaks in China.


Properties of simple strategies for swinging up an inverted pendulum are discussed. It is shown that the behavior critically depends on the ratio of the maximum acceleration of the pivot to the acceleration of gravity. A comparison of energy-based strategies with minimum time strategy gives interesting insights into the robustness of minimum time solutions. ! 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


The concept of sparsity has been extensively applied for regularization in image reconstruction. Typically, sparsifying transforms are either pre-trained on ground-truth images or adaptively trained during the reconstruction. Thereby, learning algorithms are designed to minimize some target function which encodes the desired properties of the transform. However, this procedure ignores the subsequently employed reconstruction algorithm as well as the physical model which is responsible for the image formation process. Iterative neural networks - which contain the physical model - can overcome these issues. In this work, we demonstrate how convolutional sparsifying filters can be efficiently learned by end-to-end training of iterative neural networks. We evaluated our approach on a non-Cartesian 2D cardiac cine MRI example and show that the obtained filters are better suitable for the corresponding reconstruction algorithm than the ones obtained by decoupled pre-training.


BACKGROUND
Scleroderma (SSc) gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms may affect nutritional status and patients' quality of life.

OBJECTIVE
To study prevalence of GI symptoms and its relationship to nutritional profile and quality of life of patients with SSc.

METHODS
Fifty two SSc patients and 51 controls were studied for BMI (body mass index), dietary recall, major GI symptoms and quality of life by SF-12 questionnaire.

RESULTS
BMI in scleroderma patients was lower than controls (p=0.02) despite an almost similar food intake. Scleroderma patients had higher prevalence of upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms than controls (heartburn, nausea and vomiting, dysphagia and epigastric pain) that were not associated with BMI (p= 0.36) but diminished quality of life (p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS
SSc patients have a lower BMI than controls and higher prevalence of GI symptoms that does not affect food intake but diminishes quality of life.


The Coulomb Blockade Thermometer (CBT) is a primary thermometer for cryogenic temperatures, with demonstrated operation from below 1 mK up to 60 K. Its performance as a primary thermometer has been verified at temperatures from 20 mK to 200 mK at uncertainty level below 1% ($k=2$). In a new project, our aim is to extend the metrologically verified temperature range of the primary CBT up to 25 K. We also demonstrate close-to-ideal operation of a CBT with only two tunnel junctions when the device is embedded in a low-impedance environment.


ABSTRACT Crosstalk interactions between dendritic cells (DCs) and invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are important in regulating antitumor responses elicited by glycolipid antigens. iNKT cells constitutively express the chemokine receptor CXCR6, while cytokine-activated DCs upregulate the transmembrane chemokine ligand, CXCL16. This study examined the co-stimulatory role of CXCR6/CXCL16 interactions in glycolipid-dependent iNKT cell activation and tumor control. Spleen and liver DCs in wild-type mice, but not iNKT cell deficient (Jα18−/−) mice, transiently upregulated surface CXCL16 following in vivo administration of the glycolipid antigen α-galactosylceramide. Recombinant CXCL16 did not directly induce iNKT cell activation in vitro but enhanced interferon (IFN)-γ production when mouse or human iNKT cells were stimulated with plate-bound anti-CD3. Compared with glycolipid-loaded CXCL16neg DCs, CXCL16hi DCs induced higher levels of IFNγ production in iNKT cell cultures and following adoptive transfer in vivo. The number of IFNγ+ iNKT cells and expansion of T-bet+ iNKT cells were reduced in vivo when CXCL16−/− DCs were used to activate iNKT cells. Enhanced IFNγ production in vivo was not dependent on CXCR6 expression on natural killer (NK) cells. Adoptive transfer of glycolipid-loaded CXCL16hi DCs provided superior protection against tumor metastasis compared to CXCL16neg DC transfers. Similarly, wild-type DCs provided superior protection against metastasis compared with CXCL16−/− DCs. These experiments implicate an important role for CXCR6/CXCL16 interactions in regulating iNKT cell IFNγ production and tumor control. The selective use of CXCL16hi DCs in adoptive transfer immunotherapies may prove useful for enhancing T helper (Th) type 1 responses and clinical outcomes in cancer patients.


Under the uncertainty of market conditions, top management and shareholders keep seeking evidence for whether a new product development project truly improves firm value. In an effort to find the evidence, this study examines the effect of firm's innovative outcome on stock market performance. Specifically, we conduct an event study to test whether stock market reacts to preregistration marketing campaign in online game. In the business practice, the pre-registration is often considered as an important event right before the commercialization of a new game launch. In our empirical analysis on the pre-registration events and daily stock returns of game companies in 2010-2014, we find that stock market responds to the pre-registration event of a new online game positively, with the abnormal returns up to 1.49%. In addition, the stock market rewards the pre-registration events of small firms more than that of large firms. Overall results suggest that stock investors take into account the pre-registration event as economically valuable information and perceive the uncertainty of the innovation process resolved.


The objective of this paper was to analyze, explicitly, the effect of tariffs and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) on the Brazilian exports and its contribution to the border effect. It was used a gravity model with a procedure to calculate the tariff equivalent of non-tariff barriers. In the simplest model, estimated border effect showed that Brazilian states trade on average 33 times more among themselves than with the rest of the world. Explicit introduction of tariffs in the model showed that exports suffered a greater reduction than the increase on tariffs. The isolation of the influence of tariffs on the border-effect indicated that Brazilian states would still trade 26 times more among themselves. The calculated tariff equivalent of non-tariff barriers showed that those NTBs correspond to a tariff ad valorem of approximately 29%.


In isolating skeletal muscle satellite cells, sometimes a problem is encountered in removing contaminating nonmyogenic cells. In the present study, we constructed a novel vector, pSKA-EGFP, which achieves the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) exclusively in myogenic cells under the control of skeletal alpha-actin promoter when transfected to primary cultured cells from skeletal muscle. Cells from rat skeletal muscle positive for EGFP after transfecting with pSKA-EGFP were all positive for desmin and none of the nonmyogenic cells expressed EGFP, indicating that the expression of EGFP is specific to myogenic cells. Among the cells positive for EGFP were proliferating cells, presumably satellite cells. In addition, EGFP positive cells derived from horse skeletal muscle after transfecting pSKA-EGFP in vitro formed multinuclear myotubes, indicating that myogenic expression of EGFP driven by skeletal alpha-actin was achieved also in the equine cells. These results indicated that pSKA-EGFP vector will be useful in identifying and following up the satellite cells in real time, and also permit us to isolate satellite cells in combination with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).


Interoception is the signaling, perception, and interpretation of internal physiological states. A causal link between serotonin and interoception was tested by a within-participant, crossover, placebo-controlled study. Forty-seven healthy human volunteers were tested on and off a 20mg oral dose of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram. For each randomly ordered session, participants made a series of judgements about the synchrony of their heartbeat to auditory tones and expressed confidence in each judgement. Citalopram enhanced insight into the likelihood that a correct interoceptive judgement occurred, driven primarily by increased confidence in correct judgements. This effect was independent of measured physiological and subjective effects of the drug and greater than a null effect on insight into exclusively exteroceptive performance on a visual task. This finding provides a foundation for considering effects of serotonin on cognition, emotion, and behavior in terms of higher order processing of interoceptive events.


Introduction. Microdefects and zones with stress concentration in welded joints cause fatigue macrocracks. Such damage is potentially dangerous, especially if the fatigue life of the structure is almost exhausted. In this case, the crack size is close to the critical value, and it is crucial to determine its length. The paper considers the development of an engineering analytical model for assessing the critical crack length and endurance limit of welded joints with the formed grain in the structure of ferrite-pearlitic steels after welding. Materials and Methods. The theory and methods of fracture mechanics at the mesoscale are used. A simple analytical dependence is obtained, which provides determining the critical dimensions of a macrocrack for ferrite-pearlite steels without using the Griffiths formula. . The calculation results of the critical crack lengths of various steels depending on their yield strength are presented. An analytical dependence of the endurance limit calculation for the most dangerous symmetric loading cycle, according to the standard set of mechanical characteristics and the average grain diameter of ferrite-pearlite steel, is presented. Results. Structural deformation analysis of the crack propagation process has been performed. On its basis, an engineering technique for assessing the endurance limit is developed. A mathematical model that enables to calculate the endurance limit and the critical crack length in the components of welded assemblies of large-sized facilities, considering periodic loads of a symmetrical cycle, is developed. Using this model, it is possible to estimate the degree of metal sensitivity to the original characteristics (yield stress, Poisson's ratio, grain diameter, relative constriction, Young's modulus, power-law hardening coefficient, etc.).Discussion and Conclusion. Under stresses corresponding to the steel endurance limit, the critical crack opening rates of the tip and edges approach each other. Energetically, this moment approximately corresponds to the transition of the crack to an unstable state. The accumulation of one-sided plastic deformations causes the limiting state of plasticity of the region adjacent to the crack tip and its avalanche-like or sharply accelerated motion. This critical area is interrelated with the grain diameter of the material, the characteristic of critical plasticity and the critical opening at the crack tip at the fatigue limit. The proposed analytical dependences can be used to assess the residual life and the fatigue limit of welded structures, the influence of various factors on the fatigue limit of welded joints of ferrite-pearlitic steels used in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, pipeline transport, etc


In recent years, researches of security threats reported that various types of social engineering attack were frequently observed. In this paper, we propose secure keypad scheme for mobile devices. In our scheme, every edge of keypad is linked each other, and it looks like a sphere. With this keypad, users input their password using pre-selected grid pointer. Because of circulation of the keypad layout, even though the attacker snatch the user password typing motion through the human eyes or motion capture devices, attacker do not estimate the original password. Moreover, without the information of grid pointer position, the attacker do not acquire original password. Therefore, our scheme is resistant to password guessing attack.


KLL Auger transition rates for helium are computed using simple atomic orbital wavefunctions which take into account the difference in average electron--electron repulsion of initial and final states. The results are consistent with transition rates computed by other authors using a variety of many-electron techniques. It is suggested that wavefunctions determined in the manner described provide a useful representation of the autoionizing state within the first Bohr radius. A method for extracting atomic pseudopotentials from photoelectron angular distributions is described and applied photoionization of the outermost p shells of Ar, Kr, and Xe and to the 4d shell of Xe. The pseudopotentials obtained reproduce the data, and also predict accurate cross sections and phase shifts for photoelectron energies up to 100 eV. It is suggested that the pseudopotentials aptly mimic the effects of intrashell electron--electron correlations in the photoionization process. The extended Hueckel theory is applied to the nitrogen trap in GaAs and GaP. Perfect crystal band structures are computed and are shown to be in reasonable agreement with those computed with empirical pseudopotentials. Nitrogen impurity levels in GaAs and GaP are computed using an extended Hueckel cluster model. In each case the model predicts two states within the bandmore » gap, in contrast to experiment which detects one impurity state in GaP and none in GaAs. It is suggested that the choice of cluster used unrealistically concentrates states near the conduction band edge on the central atom.« less


Objective Iron deficiency is a common complication in patients with IBD and oral iron therapy is suggested to exacerbate IBD symptoms. We performed an open-labelled clinical trial to compare the effects of per oral (PO) versus intravenous (IV) iron replacement therapy (IRT). Design The study population included patients with Crohn's disease (CD; N=31), UC (N=22) and control subjects with iron deficiency (non-inflamed, NI=19). After randomisation, participants received iron sulfate (PO) or iron sucrose (IV) over 3 months. Clinical parameters, faecal bacterial communities and metabolomes were assessed before and after intervention. Results Both PO and IV treatments ameliorated iron deficiency, but higher ferritin levels were observed with IV. Changes in disease activity were independent of iron treatment types. Faecal samples in IBD were characterised by marked interindividual differences, lower phylotype richness and proportions of Clostridiales. Metabolite analysis also showed separation of both UC and CD from control anaemic participants. Major shifts in bacterial diversity occurred in approximately half of all participants after IRT, but patients with CD were most susceptible. Despite individual-specific changes in phylotypes due to IRT, PO treatment was associated with decreased abundances of operational taxonomic units assigned to the species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ruminococcus bromii, Dorea sp. and Collinsella aerofaciens. Clear IV-specific and PO-specific fingerprints were evident at the level of metabolomes, with changes affecting cholesterol-derived host substrates. Conclusions Shifts in gut bacterial diversity and composition associated with iron treatment are pronounced in IBD participants. Despite similar clinical outcome, oral administration differentially affects bacterial phylotypes and faecal metabolites compared with IV therapy. Trial registration number clinicaltrial.gov (NCT01067547).


Modern software development extensively depends on existing libraries written by other developer teams from the same or a different organization. When a developer executes the software, the execution trace may go across the boundaries of multiple software products and create cross-project failures (CPFs). Existing studies show that a stand-alone executable failure report may enable the most effective communication, but creating such a report is often challenging due to the complicated files and dependencies interactions in the software ecosystems. In this paper, to solve the CPF report trilemma, we developed PExReport, which automatically creates stand-alone executable CPF reports. PExReport leverages build tools to prune source code and dependencies, and further analyzes the build process to create a pruned build environment for reproducing the CPF. We performed an evaluation on 74 software project issues with 198 CPFs, and the evaluation results show that PExReport can create executable CPF reports for 184 out of 198 test failures in our dataset, with an average reduction of 72.97% on source classes and the classes in internal JARs.


Microtubules are essential to neuron shape and function. Therefore, the stability of the microtubule cytoskeleton must be carefully regulated. Acetylation of tubulin has the potential to directly tune microtubule stability, and proteomic studies have identified several acetylation sites in α-tubulin. This includes the highly conserved residue lysine 394 (K394), which is located at the αβ-tubulin dimer interface. Using a fly model, we show that α-tubulin K394 is acetylated in the nervous system and is an essential residue. We found that an acetylation-blocking mutation in endogenous α-tubulin, K394R, perturbs the synaptic morphogenesis of motoneurons by reducing microtubule stability. Intriguingly, the K394R mutation has opposite effects on the growth of two functionally and morphologically distinct motoneurons, revealing neuron-type-specific responses when microtubule stability is altered. Eliminating the deacetylase HDAC6 increases K394 acetylation, and the over-expression of HDAC6 reduces microtubule stability similar to the K394 mutant. Thus, our findings implicate α-tubulin K394 and its acetylation in the regulation of microtubule stability and suggest that HDAC6 regulates K394 acetylation during synaptic morphogenesis.


Background Estimation of the clinical probability of malignancy in patients with pulmonary nodules will facilitate early diagnosis, determine optimum patient management strategies and reduce overall costs. Methods Data from the UK Lung Cancer Screening trial were analysed. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors and to develop a parsimonious model to estimate the probability of lung cancer in lung nodules detected at baseline and at 3-month and 12-month repeat screening. Results Of 1994 participants who underwent CT scan, 1013 participants had a total of 5063 lung nodules and 52 (2.6%) of the participants developed lung cancer during a median follow-up of 4 years. Covariates that predict lung cancer in our model included female gender, asthma, bronchitis, asbestos exposure, history of cancer, early and late onset of family history of lung cancer, smoking duration, FVC, nodule type (pure ground-glass and part-solid) and volume as measured by semiautomated volumetry. The final model incorporating all predictors had excellent discrimination: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC 0.885, 95% CI 0.880 to 0.889). Internal validation suggested that the model will discriminate well when applied to new data (optimism-corrected AUC 0.882, 95% CI 0.848 to 0.907). The risk model had a good calibration (goodness-of-fit χ[8] 8.13, p=0.42). Conclusions Our model may be used in estimating the probability of lung cancer in nodules detected at baseline and at 3 months and 12 months from baseline, allowing more efficient stratification of follow-up in population-based lung cancer screening programmes. Trial registration number 78513845.


J,,as Shown by direct evidence quoted by him and by ourselves, but this does not remove the jpossibility that in the other cases the 0effect Is produced via the parathyroids. His parade of facts such as the prompt fall in the serum calcium after surgery, the absence .of skeletal metastases, and the hypophosphataemia, all of which could equally well loccur with either mechanism, and his reference to Albrnght's suggestion in 1941' that tumours of non-parathyroid origin might pro-dece a substance with the activity of this hormone avail nothing. The latter prognostication merely indicates how far advanced in his thought this individual was, and in fact no ouch hormone was found in that case by the metds then used. Furthermore, in so far l-as it is not totally irrelevant owing to the different hormone system involved, Mr. Keynes's reference to the work of Liddle ,et a.,' who found corticotrophin, or a closely related polypeptide, in tumour tissue, supports -he possibility of an indirect hormonal effect. As we stated, direct evidence alone in each .case will be the final answer. We would be >genuinely grateful if Mr. Keynes, if he forgives us our sharpish reply, or anyone else, could assay the tumour in our case for hormonal activity, as we still have half of it in the deep-freeze. The patient remains entirely well three years after operation.We are, etc., W. E. MEDD. . inston Hospital Ktngson-upon-thames, Surrey. N. J. STRICKLAND. Gtuy's Hospital, London SE. 1. A. M. BOLD. St. Thomas's Hospital, London S.E.1.


Familial amyloidosis typically causes a nerve length-dependent small fiber polyneuropathy that starts in the feet with loss of temperature and pain sensations, associated with autonomic dysfunction, which can be extremely severe and life threatening. Neuropathic pain is commonly associated with amyloid neuropathy. There are no randomized controlled trials in peripheral neuropathies specifically related to familial amyloidosis. However metaanalyses have confirmed that the efficacy of drugs against neuropathic pain generally is not linked to the aetiology of pain and therefore the drugs found effective in other painful polyneuropathies may benefit to patients with amyloid neuropathies [1]. Recently the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group (NeuPSIG) of the International Association for the Study of Pain has updated evidence-based recommendations for pharmacotherapy of neuropathic pain [1] using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Pregabalin, gabapentin, serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressants particularly duloxetine, and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) received strong GRADE recommendations for use and are recommended as first-line for peripheral neuropathic pain, although with caution as regards TCAs. Capsaicin high concentration patches, lidocaine patches and tramadol received weak GRADE recommendation for use and are recommended as generally second line for peripheral neuropathic pain and local pain generator. Strong opioids and botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A received weak GRADE recommendations for use mainly because of efficacy in most trials but safety concerns (opioids) or lower quality of evidence (BTX-A). These drugs are recommended as third line by specialist use as regards BTX-A. There was a weak GRADE recommendation against the use of oromucosal cannabinoids (Sativex) and valproate and strong GRADE recommendations against the use of levetiracetam and mexiletine because of generally negative results and safety concerns (mexiletine). Other drug treatments (e.g. other antiepileptics, antidepressants and topical treatments, tapentadol and NMDA antagonists) or combination therapy received inconclusive GRADE recommendations because of generally discrepant findings, although some of these drugs might be effective in subgroups of patients. These drugs can be recommended in familial amyloid neuropathy, but topical agents have a major advantage in this context because of their low risk of systemic side effects. Reference 1. Finnerup NB, Attal N, Haroutounian S, McNicol E, Baron R, Dworkin RH, Gilron I, Haanpaa M, Hansson P, Jensen TS, Kamerman PR, Lund K, Moore A, Raja SR, Rice ASC, Rowbotham M, Sena E, Siddall P, Smith B, Wallace M: Pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain in adults: systematic review, metaanalysis and NeuPSIG recommendations. Lancet Neurol 2015, 14:162-73.


Summary
This Case Report describes a 5-year-old Standardbred gelding that was referred to the Equine Hospital of ONIRIS Veterinary School of Nantes, France for a surgical procedure under general anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained intravenously and the horse was placed in left lateral recumbency with a padded halter. On post operative Day 1, a post anaesthetic distal facial nerve branch paresis was diagnosed based on clinical signs. The horse was discharged on post operative Day 2 with medical treatment based on anti-inflammatory drug administration locally and systemically. The horse was re-examined 2 weeks after the surgery; the left partial facial paralysis was still present and associated with amyotrophy of the muscles supplied by the buccal branches of the facial nerve. In accordance with the owner, the horse was hospitalised to start an electrostimulation treatment. The horse was treated every day for the first 4 days, then every 2 or 3 days during the following 3 weeks, for a total of 11 sessions. At the end of the second week of treatment, the horse was able to normally prehend the food and atrophy seemed reduced. The horse was discharged from hospitalisation at the end of the third week of treatment with specific recommendations. One month after discharge from the hospital just a slight asymmetry could be noticed at rest. Six months later, the training season began and the horse was able to perform. Facial paralysis due to nerve compression is a well-known complication of anaesthesia. Gradual recovery of function over the weeks of treatment suggests that electroacupuncture may promote recovery and may hasten time of recovery.


In this study, two clustering algorithms and their success in fault isolation have been investigated in order to use in our fault tolerant control (FTC) system. With so many applications used today, the mathematical model of the system cannot be completely established. Therefore, in this study, fault detection and isolation (FDI) is realized by using knowledge-based methods, without the need for any mathematical model. Sensor data, which are taken offline by FDI, are clustered to create knowledge base by means of k-means and farthest first traversal algorithm (FFTA), respectively. The results obtained by the two algorithms are compared and FFTA has found to be more successful in fault tolerance.


Despite robust research linking trauma events to the commission of sexual harm by youth, the majority of victims do not become victimizers, imploring us to study potential interceding influences. Some research indicates that intermediary factors like attachment characteristics, trauma symptomatology, and executive functioning may be critical in understanding sexual harm committed by youth. This study explored relationships between trauma events, trauma symptoms, and attachment characteristics, and their relationship to executive functioning in a sample of 196 youth who committed sexual harm. Results revealed bivariate associations between trauma events, symptomatology, and maternal attachment characteristics. Structural equation modeling revealed numerous direct and indirect effects on the path to deficits in executive functioning, and that sexual abuse, above and beyond other forms of traumatic events, contributed to executive functioning deficits via trauma symptoms. The results are contextualized and implications are discussed.


1—In a previous papers the present writer has discussed the instability of a long cylindrical column of an incompressible viscous liquid surrounded by another viscous fluid under the action of both surface tension and viscous forces. In this work the fluids were at rest except for the small disturbances which were assumed to develop slowly. It was shown that if the ratio of viscosities of the two fluids is neither zero nor infinity the maximum instability always occurs at a certain definite value of the wavelength of the assumed initial varicosity so that the formation of drops of definite size would be expected. A comparison of the theory with observation has also been made and satisfactorily good agreement between them was found. Now, in his experimental studies on the mode of formation of a cylindrical thread from a drop of a viscous liquid by the disruptive effect of the viscous drags of a surrounding liquid, professor G. I. Taylor observed that when a drop of black lubricating oil was surrounded by syrup, the thread formed by pulling out the drop did not at once break up into small drops but remained cylindrical for some time and finally broke up into small drops, the diameters of which were about 1/10th of the diameter of the original drop. On the other band, if as soon as the cylindrical thread was formed the apparatus was stopped the thread immediately began to break up in the manner described above. Thus, if the apparatus were kept going very much smaller drops were formed than if it were stopped as soon as the initial drop bad been pulled out into a cylindrical thread.


Based on low-strength evidence, patients may prefer televisits for routine antenatal care; evidence for the effect of prenatal televisits on pregnancy outcomes was limited. OBJECTIVE: To compare benefits and harms of televisits and in-person visits in people receiving routine antenatal care. DATA SOURCES: A search was conducted of PubMed, Cochrane databases, EMBASE, CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials.gov through February 12, 2022, for antenatal (prenatal) care, pregnancy, obstetrics, telemedicine, remote care, smartphones, telemonitoring, and related terms, as well as primary study designs. The search was restricted to high-income countries. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Double independent screening was done in Abstrackr for studies comparing televisits and in-person routine antenatal care visits for maternal, child, health care utilization, and harm outcomes. Data were extracted into SRDRplus with review by a second researcher. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Two randomized controlled trials, four nonrandomized comparative studies, and one survey compared visit types between 2004 and 2020, three of which were conducted during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Number, timing, and mode of televisits and who provided care varied across studies. Low-strength evidence from studies comparing hybrid (televisits and in-person visits) and all in-person visits did not indicate differences in rates of neonatal intensive care unit admission of the newborn (summary odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% CI 0.82–1.28) or preterm births (summary OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.84–1.03). However, the studies with stronger, although still statistically nonsignificant, associations between use of hybrid visits and preterm birth compared the COVID-19 pandemic and prepandemic eras, confounding the association. There is low-strength evidence that satisfaction with overall antenatal care was greater in people who were pregnant and receiving hybrid visits. Other outcomes were sparsely reported. CONCLUSION: People who are pregnant may prefer hybrid televisits and in-person visits. Although there is no evidence of differences in clinical outcomes between hybrid visits and in-person visits, the evidence is insufficient to evaluate most outcomes. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42021272287.


Previous property tax capitalization studies assume that families itemize, that they save in taxable assets, and that real interest income is taxed. However, many families do not itemize, many families invest in tax-deferred assets, and nominal interest income is taxed. As a consequence, prior studies likely misspecify the property tax capitalization equation for roughly ninety percent of their samples. Taking federal tax provisions into account increases the precision of our estimated capitalization rate. In addition, our results suggest that biases in prior studies likely contribute to the variety of capitalization estimates in the literature.


The objective of this study is to reduce the uncertainty involved in firm's future earnings performance by scrutinizing the impact of dividend and earnings announcement on stock returns by assembling data from the official website of Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) over the period 2010-2014. The study employed event study methodology to examine the effect of dividend and earnings announcement on the stock returns around the 41-days event window of both pre and post announcement. The research results revealed that after the dividend announcement, stock prices move upward which is statistically significant and support the dividend signalling theory but in case of earnings announcement the persistent downward drift of stock prices in the post announcement period is observed which is statistically insignificant and offer some support for behavioral finance theory. Overall, the result confirmed that dividend announcement provide more predicative information than the earnings announcement around the firm's future earnings performance. The study have implications for investors, policy makers and shareholders for their proper strategic decision making to uncovered the uncertainty about the firm's future earnings performance. Keywords : Dividend Announcement; Earnings Announcement; Stock Returns; Signalling Effects; Event Study. JEL Classification: G35; G17; G32 ;


Jurgen, a comedy of justice, by James Branch Cabell is one of the most classical pieces of American fantastic literature and has inspired many writers, especially Terry Pratchett, that follows the idea of parodying medieval-inspired countries with a touch of magic, displayed mostly for laughs. Jurgen tells the story of a pawnbroker/poet that one day makes the Devil a favour and the Devil, grateful, grants him for a period of one year the possibility of returning to his youthful self to enjoy life and have love adventures. In the fantasy-medieval land where he lives, the Arthurian legend is real, and he will encounter the great characters such as Guinevere or Anaitis, the Lady of the Lake and have love affairs with every single one of them. But, at the end of this period, he returns home with some material for his poetry and to the normal life of a miserable married man.


The invention relates to novel ionic liquids and to the production and use thereof. The novel ionic liquids are salts of sulphonated or carboxylated triesters of phosphorous acid as the anionic component and ammonium ions, which can be substituted with organic radicals, as the cationic component.


Audio-driven 3D facial animation has been widely explored, but achieving realistic, human-like performance is still unsolved. This is due to the lack of available 3D datasets, models, and standard evaluation metrics. To address this, we introduce a unique 4D face dataset with about 29 minutes of 4D scans captured at 60 fps and synchronized audio from 12 speakers. We then train a neural network on our dataset that factors identity from facial motion. The learned model, VOCA (Voice Operated Character Animation) takes any speech signal as input—even speech in languages other than English—and realistically animates a wide range of adult faces. Conditioning on subject labels during training allows the model to learn a variety of realistic speaking styles. VOCA also provides animator controls to alter speaking style, identity-dependent facial shape, and pose (i.e. head, jaw, and eyeball rotations) during animation. To our knowledge, VOCA is the only realistic 3D facial animation model that is readily applicable to unseen subjects without retargeting. This makes VOCA suitable for tasks like in-game video, virtual reality avatars, or any scenario in which the speaker, speech, or language is not known in advance. We make the dataset and model available for research purposes at http://voca.is.tue.mpg.de.


Scholars of literary collaboration have often focused on creative partnerships between writers of the same gender to the exclusion of those between men and women. They have also celebrated texts in which the writers' voices seem to blend harmoniously and indistinguishably together over those that highlight collaborative disagreement. These tendencies have obscured how many modernist writers viewed collaboration between men and women and the spirited conflict it frequently produced as important elements of their larger project to revitalize art. This essay traces the development of D. H. Lawrence's collaborative aesthetic as a case study, focusing on his working relationships with his one-time fiancée Louie Burrows on the short story "Goose Fair", his adolescent sweetheart Jessie Chambers on Sons and Lovers, and the Australian novelist Mollie Skinner on The Boy in the Bush. The vibrant interplay of male and female voices that animates many of the drafts, fragments, and published versions of these works reveals Lawrence's desire to preserve his disagreements with women by letting their contributions stand in unresolved dialogue with his own. I also examine some uses and limitations of the Cambridge Edition of the Works of D. H. Lawrence, which too often misrepresents Lawrence's literary-cultural contexts of production by codifying works he wrote with others as products of his genius alone, even though he repeatedly invited and often depended on women to help shape the texts "he would have wished to see printed".


UNLABELLED
The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) was successfully analyzed by both general and type-specific HPV PCR in 103 samples from 115 patients diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Greece during the years 1986-2007.

RESULTS
In total 13/103 (13%) tumours were HPV-positive and the majority of these were HPV-16-positive. Of the tonsillar cancer samples, 12/28 (43%) were HPV-positive and, notably, 1/6 (17%) collected between 1992-1998 and 11/22 (50%) collected between 2000-2007 were HPV-positive. Of the tongue cancer samples, 1/38 (3%) were HPV-positive, while none of the 41 oral cavity cancer samples was HPV-positive.

CONCLUSION
Almost half of all the Greek tonsillar cancer patients had HPV in their tumours, with HPV-16 as the dominant type, and a tendency towards an increase in the proportion of HPV tumours was observed when comparing the percentage of HPV-positive tumours collected between 1992-1998 with those collected between 2000-2007.


Beginning the article with reminding some basic definitions of geopolitics, correlation of spatial and temporal components herein as well as the systemic nature of geopolitics as a science and the basis for a long-term political strategy, the author proceeds to the topic of relationship between geopolitics and geoeconomics, particularly significant in recent decades. He puts forward the idea that geoeconomics today is an increasingly dynamic and actively driving element in this dyad due to growing technological innovations, increasing competition and subsequent rising complexity of economic strategies of states. Based on well-known examples of economic and political outcomes of applying the state capitalism models or liberal economy, in particular, in the countries that have undergone a radical breakdown of their former economic systems (Russia is also briefly mentioned in this context), the author concludes that it is necessary to form a strategic state, able to develop a sustainable mechanism (including economic intelligence) for development and implementation of national geoeconomics. To support the provisions put forward in the article, the author, as an independent expert, gives a broad outline of geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts in the world in the coming decades


Synthesis of quantitative parametric images in DSC-MRI is presented. Critical review of major limitations of the DSC-MRI method is discussed. It includes investigation of measurement procedures/conditions as well as parametric image synthesis methodology. Simulations, as well as phantom studies were used to verify theoretical limitations of the DSC-MRI. Especially, estimation of the contrast (Gd-DTPA) concentration by EPI measurements, the role of a phantom and its pipes orientation, influence of a bolus dispersion, bolus arrival time, and other signal parameters on an image quality. As a conclusion testing software package is proposed.


Background There are limited studies reporting follow-up outcome data comparing of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) with on-pump (ONCAB) technique. The aim of the study was to report the 5-year clinical outcomes of OPCAB and ONCAB in a post hoc analysis of the PROMOTE patency trial. Methods From March 2016 through March 2017, a total of 321 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were randomised to either the off-pump or the on-pump technique. Data on all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), repeat revascularisation and need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) were recorded. The composite and each of these individual outcomes are reported at 5-year interval. Results The mean follow-up period was 65.9 months (±3.39). A total of 275 (85.93%) patients followed up at the 5-year interval who underwent CABG by the off-pump (n  =  158) and the on-pump (n  =  162) technique. The all-cause mortality was 8.9% and 5.7% in ONCAB and OPCAB, respectively (hazard ratio [HR]  =  0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.25–1.57, p  =  0.31). The composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal MI, non-fatal CVA, RRT and need for repeat revascularisation was comparable in both groups (7.1% vs. 11.9%, HR  =  0.57; 95% CI 0.25–1.31, p  =  0.18 in OPCAB and ONCAB, respectively). The rates of 5-year non-fatal MI (p  =  0.2), non-fatal CVA (p  =  0.36) and need for repeat revascularisation (p  =  1) were similar in both groups. A sub-group analysis did not show any significant interaction or effect modification with either of the techniques. Conclusions The 5-year clinical outcomes of OPCAB are comparable to ONCAB in low-risk patients undergoing CABG. Off-pump coronary artery bypass had no additional benefit in any subgroup.


The study was undertaken using selected pharmacodynamic parameters to describe the effects of porcine galanin(1-29)-NH2; porcine galanin fragments; galantide; porcine galanin(1-14)-[alpha-aminobutyric acid8]scyliorhinin-I and the analogues of the latter peptides on rat isolated gastric fundus muscle. All tested peptides, apart from galanin(16-29)-NH2 evoked reproducible concentration-dependent contractions with significantly decreased activities in comparison to the potency of the native galanin(1-29)-NH2 molecule. The order of the contractile ability in the group of galanin(1-29)-NH2 short fragments was as follows: [lysine14]galanin(1-15)-NH2 > galanin(1-15)-OH > galanin(1-15)-NH2 > [glycine5] galanin(1-15)-NH2 > galanin(2-15)-NH2 > [glycine5,lysine14]galanin(1-15)-NH2. Aside from [lysine14]galanin(1-15)-NH2 which had a lower efficacy, none of the peptides showed significant changes in this respect in comparison to the intact galanin(1-29)-NH2 molecule. The concentration-response curves of the tested peptides were to the right and their slopes besides from: galanin(1-15)-OH; galanin(2-15)-NH2; [glycine5]galanin(1-15)-NH2 remained not significantly different from galanin(1-29)-NH2. Hill's coefficient for galanin(1-29)-NH2 is 1.03 indicating an interaction of one galanin(1-29)-NH2 molecule with one receptor, fulfilling criteria of classical receptor theory. For galanin fragments Hill's coefficients are < 1 implying that the rules of classical theory may not apply. Galantide and analogues exhibited a subsequent decrease in potency: [cycloleucine4] galantide > galantide > [homoserine6]galantide > [phenylalnine(4fluor)17] galantide. Galanin(1-14)-[alpha-aminobutyric acid8]-scyliorhinin-I and its analogues contracted the gastric fundus with a decline in strength: galanin(1-13)-[norleucine10]-scyliorhinin-I(3-10) > galanin(1-13)-[phenylalanine(4fluor)7]-scyliorhinin-I > galanin(1-14)-[alpha-aminobutyric acid8]-scyliorhinin-I > galanin(1-13)-[alpha-aminobutyric acid8, norleucine10]-scyliorhinin-I(3-10). They all displayed a greater efficacy than galanin(1-29)-NH2, and the concentration-response curves were slightly to the right, almost parallel to that of galanin(1-29)-NH2. Slopes of the curves were not significantly different from galanin(1-29)-NH2. Hill's coefficient for the galantide, [cycloleucine4]galantide; [homoserine6]galantide; [phenylalanine(4fluor)17]galantide and galanin(1-13)-[phenylalanine(4fluor)7]-scyliorhinin-I are < 1. Hill's coefficients for galanin(1-13)-[norleucine10]-scyliorhinin-I(3-10); galanin(1-14)-[alpha-aminobutyric acid8]-scyliorhinin-I; galanin(1-14)-[alpha-aminobutyric acid8, norleucine10]-scyliorhinin-I(3-10) are > 1. A Hill's coefficient markedly different from 1 might indicate that an activation of more than one type of receptors, negative or positive receptor cooperativity or multiple-step agonist-receptor reaction.


The credit system is a superior governing system for teaching and education. Its popularization furthers the deepening of the reforms of teaching and education and renovates people's concepts of education. It's conducive to exercising teaching students in accordance of their aptitude. It provides a favorable guarantee for the overall promotion of the teaching and education qualities. However, when subjective and objective conditions are not mature or adequate for the exertion of credit system, morality education in colleges must be faced with various pressure and challenges. The training of students' awareness and ability of self-discipline in morality is both the challenges that modern education faces and the practical training goals for modern education to accomplish. This paper gives some personal reflections on these aspects in terms of importance, approaches and means to train college students' awareness in self-discipline.


After earlier warnings that risperidone and olanzapine carry an increased risk of cerebrovascular events, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory warning in 2005 that atypical antipsychotics, including haloperidol, were associated with a 60-70 per cent increased risk of death in people with dementia.


Implementation of automated volume-to-volume registration applications for three separate registration steps desired in enhancing neurosurgical navigation is considered. Prototype implementations for MRI-to-MRI registration, MRI-to-US registration and US-to-US registration have been made using registration methods available in the Insight Toolkit, with variants of the Mutual Information similarity metric. The obtained results indicate that automatic volume-to-volume registration using Normalized Mutual Information should be feasible for the neuronavigational applications considered here, with sufficient accuracy.


We have observed primary tooth enamel defects in 4 children with hemifacial microsomia. The distribution of enamel defects was concordant with the laterality of craniofacial anomalies in these patients and was most pronounced on the maxillary incisors. Since the location of enamel defects serves as a chronicle for the events of tooth formation, we propose that enamel defects may serve as a developmental marker for the events leading to hemifacial microsomia.


Parasitic sea lice represent a major sanitary threat to marine salmonid aquaculture, an industry accounting for 7% of world fish production. Caligus rogercresseyi is the principal sea louse species infesting farmed salmon and trout in the southern hemisphere. Most effective control of Caligus has been obtained with macrocyclic lactones (MLs) ivermectin and emamectin. These drugs target glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCl) and act as irreversible non-competitive agonists causing neuronal inhibition, paralysis and death of the parasite. Here we report the cloning of a full-length CrGluClα receptor from Caligus rogercresseyi. Expression in Xenopus oocytes and electrophysiological assays show that CrGluClα is activated by glutamate and mediates chloride currents blocked by the ligand-gated anion channel inhibitor picrotoxin. Both ivermectin and emamectin activate CrGluClα in the absence of glutamate. The effects are irreversible and occur with an EC50 value of around 200 nM, being cooperative (nH = 2) for ivermectin but not for emamectin. Using the three-dimensional structure of a GluClα from Caenorabditis elegans, the only available for any eukaryotic ligand-gated anion channel, we have constructed a homology model for CrGluClα. Docking and molecular dynamics calculations reveal the way in which ivermectin and emamectin interact with CrGluClα. Both drugs intercalate between transmembrane domains M1 and M3 of neighbouring subunits of a pentameric structure. The structure displays three H-bonds involved in this interaction, but despite similarity in structure only of two these are conserved from the C. elegans crystal binding site. Our data strongly suggest that CrGluClα is an important target for avermectins used in the treatment of sea louse infestation in farmed salmonids and open the way for ascertaining a possible mechanism of increasing resistance to MLs in aquaculture industry. Molecular modeling could help in the design of new, more efficient drugs whilst functional expression of the receptor allows a first stage of testing of their efficacy.


Synaptic vesicle biogenesis involves the recycling of synaptic vesicle components by clathrin‐mediated endocytosis from the presynaptic membrane. stoned B, a protein encoded by the stoned locus in Drosophila melanogaster has been shown to regulate vesicle recycling by interacting with synaptotagmin. We report here the identification and characterization of a human homolog of stoned B (hStnB). Human stoned B is a brain‐specific protein which co‐enriches with other endocytic proteins such as AP‐2 in a crude synaptic vesicle fraction and at nerve terminals. A domain with homology to the medium chain of adaptor complexes binds directly to both AP‐2 and synaptotagmin and competes with AP‐2 for the same binding site within synaptotagmin. Finally we show that the μ2 homology domain of hStnB stimulates the uncoating of both clathrin and AP‐2 adaptors from clathrin‐coated vesicles. We hypothesize that hStnB regulates synaptic vesicle recycling by facilitating vesicle uncoating.