The orphan nuclear receptor liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) has been reported to play a role in bile acid biosynthesis and reverse cholesterol transport. In this study, we examined the role of LRH-1 in the regulation of the apolipoprotein AI (APOAI) gene. Using RNA interference and adenovirus-mediated overexpression, we show that LRH-1 directly regulates APOAI gene transcription. Transient transfection experiments and EMSAs revealed that LRH-1 directly regulates APOAI transcription by binding to an LRH-1 response element located in the proximal APOAI promoter region. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that LRH-1 binds to the human APO AI promoter in vivo. Finally, we show that the transcriptional repressor SHP (small heterodimer partner) suppressed APOAI gene expression by inhibiting LRH-1 transcriptional activity. Taken together, our results demonstrate that LRH-1 is a novel regulator of APOAI transcription and underscore the role of this receptor in cholesterol homeostasis.


Analyzing Spitzer and Herschel archival measurements we identified a debris disk around the young K7/M0 star CP−72 2713. The system belongs to the 24 Myr old β Pic moving group. Our new 1.33 mm continuum observation, obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 7 m array, revealed an extended dust disk with a peak radius of 140 au, probably tracing the location of the planetesimal belt in the system. The disk is outstandingly large compared to known spatially resolved debris disks and protoplanetary disks around stars of comparable masses. The dynamical excitation of the belt at this radius is found to be reconcilable with planetary stirring, while self-stirring by large planetesimals embedded in the belt can work only if these bodies form very rapidly, e.g., via pebble concentration. By analyzing the spectral energy distribution, we derived a characteristic dust temperature of 43 K and a fractional luminosity of 1.1 × 10−3. The latter value is prominently high; we know of only four other similarly dust-rich Kuiper Belt analogs within 40 pc of the Sun.


The quest towards low-energy buildings renews interest in Concrete Core Activation (CCA), because its low heating and high cooling temperatures harmonise with lowexergy production systems. However, CCA is characterized by a large thermal capacity and thus large time constant, which hampers adequate control. Model based control strategies can overcome this challenge if accurate CCA thermal models are available. But, computation time reduction in applied optimization routines compel simplified models. A sound trade-off between computation speed and accuracy needs thus to be found. In this paper a 1D controller model for an inhomogeneous CCA floor slab with air cavities is constructed. Initial model architecture is based on an available 1D-model for a homogeneous CCA slab and the physical properties of the inhomogeneous CCA slab determine the initial parameters. Firstly, experimental temperature and heat flow data from a full-scale test setup in a controlled environment are used to validate a detailed 3D finite element (FE) model of the CCA floor slab. Secondly, this 3D-FE-model generates multiple response data sets, that are used as training and validation data sets for the parameter identification of the modified 1D controller model. Compared to the 3D-FE-model, the 1D-model predicts steady state heat fluxes with an error smaller than 7.5%, while the time constants of surface heat flux, induced by a step in water supply temperature, are predicted with a maximal error of 6%. The adopted grey-box approach ensures that physics is adequately incorporated in the 1D-model creating model robustness against small dimensional variations.


This study investigated performance variability when graduate students critically appraised original studies from a systematic review. Fourteen doctoral students from different academic programs, with no systematic review experience, received training on the Methodological Quality Questionnaire (MQQ) rating scale. Participants were mostly male (71%) and non-native English speakers (79%). Each rater was randomly assigned one original study to independently assess using the MQQ. Their scores were compared to an expert rater. Statistical analysis comprised the following: percentage of agreement (POA), Kappa coefficient, and Kendall's tau-b correlation. On the completed MQQ rating scale, 43% of the novice raters had a POA of 78% or higher with the expert rater. From this case study, a guide for improving training on methodological quality assessment was developed. Benefits include the following: (a) developing and supporting critical reasoning as well as problem-solving skills and (b) increasing research skills and competencies in the systematic review process.


The National Council of Research (CNR), the largest public research body in Italy, has, from 1995 to 1998, tried a technological transfer (TT) virtual network with the aim of stimulating and coordinating initiatives for matching the supply of public scientific research and the innovation demand of Italian firms. We have investigated which mechanisms in the socio-economic environment could affect the functioning of this network organisation within the Italian national system of innovation. The main results show some limits concerning the internal organisations of the network and some socio-economic barriers that slow down TT activities. These results can be used as the basis for planning and efficiently managing other technology transfer networks.


This paper describes the state of primary medical care in Bulgaria and related issues. This component of the state health system is based on the so-called principle of the 'district physician'. It is built on the idea of establishing long-lasting contact between the physician and the patients. Primary care is provided by a district therapist (for populations of up to 3000 inhabitants), a paediatrician (for 800-1200 children aged up to 14 years) and an obstetrician-gynaecologist (for 16,000-18,000 female inhabitants), as well as by numerous freely accessible narrow-profile specialists. The main disadvantages of the existing system of primary medical care are the lack of opportunity for personal choice of physician, division of responsibilities among numerous physicians and other medical staff, expensive medical care owing to abundant polyclinical specialists, reduced physician's motivation and hampered users' influence on the quality of medical care. Questions about the future status of polyclinics and both children's and female health centres, as well as about the optimal ratio between family physicians and specialists, remain unresolved.


Future implosion experiments at the national ignition facility (NIF) will endeavor to simultaneously measure electron and ion temperatures with temporal and spatial resolution in order to explore non-equilibrium temperature distributions and their relaxation toward equilibrium. In anticipation of these experiments, and with understanding of the constraints of the NIF facility environment, we have explored the use of Doppler broadening of mid-Z dopant emission lines, such as krypton He-α at 13 keV, as a diagnostic of time- and potentially space-resolved ion temperature. We have investigated a number of options analytically and with numerical raytracing, and we have identified several promising candidate spectrometer designs that meet the expected requirements of spectral and temporal resolution and data signal-to-noise ratio for gas-filled exploding pusher implosions, while providing maximum flexibility for use on a variety of experiments that potentially include burning plasma.


Background: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has high efficacy for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is expected as an accepted alternative to radiofrequency ablation (RFA). However, SBRT for HCC may cause subacute liver injury leading to negative clinical outcomes. In this study, we compared changes of liver function and prognosis after SBRT or RFA in patients with single, small HCC by using a propensity-score matching analysis.Methods: We reviewed medical records of 140 patients with single ≤3 cm HCC treated with SBRT or RFA at Kurashiki Central Hospital between January 2014 and February 2019. Changes of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, local recurrence, and overall survival were compared between the propensity-score matched groups (31 patients treated with SBRT and 62 treated with RFA).Results: The ALBI score increased modestly but significantly after SBRT, while it was unchanged in the RFA group; the intergroup difference was statistically significant (p = 0.004). No local recurrence of tumor was identified in the SBRT group, whereas the cumulative recurrence incidence was 9.7% in the RFA group (p = 0.023). Overall survival was not significantly different between the two groups (hazard ratio 1.32, 95% confidence interval 0.60–2.89, p = 0.401).Conclusions: SBRT had modestly negative impact on liver function but better local control of HCC than did RFA. Although long-term follow-up of liver function is necessary with SBRT treatment especially in patients with impaired liver function, SBRT is a satisfactory alternative to RFA for treatment of single, small HCC.


Previous studies in HIV patients have reported autoantibodies to several human proteins, including erythropoietin (EPO), interferon-α (IFN-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and HLA-DR, as potential mediators of anemia or immunosuppression. The etiology of these autoantibodies has been attributed to molecular mimicry between HIV epitopes and self-proteins. Here, the Luciferase Immunoprecipitation System (LIPS) was used to investigate the presence of such autoantibodies in HIV-infected adults. High levels of antibodies to HIV proteins such as capsid (p24), matrix (p17), envelope (gp41), and reverse transcriptase (RT) were detected using LIPS in both untreated and anti-retroviral-treated HIV-infected individuals but not in uninfected controls. LIPS readily detected anti-EPO autoantibodies in serum samples from subjects with presumptive pure red cell aplasia but not in any of the samples from HIV-infected or uninfected individuals. Similarly, subjects with HIV lacked autoantibodies to IFN-α, IL-2, HLA-DR and the immunoglobulin lambda light chain; all purported targets of molecular mimicry. While molecular mimicry between pathogen proteins and self-proteins is a commonly proposed mechanism for autoantibody production, the findings presented here indicate such a process is not common in HIV disease.


The processes of transformation and replacement of many traditional concepts are clearly observed in the frame of modern philosophical science. Social groups are the mediums of cultural memory, since the processes of communication among the members of the groups act as the constant indicators of the relevance of the information circulating in the society. Fixing of this information in written texts helps to form an identifying core. This core doesnt incur changes and poses as a source of interpretations for different subcultures belonging to one society and trying to emphasize their identity.


Although Thucydides does not shed light on the reasons and the historical
 facts relating to his departure from Athens, he is certainly far clearer on the
 effects that this event had on his work. He explicitly recognizes that the
 condition of exile offered him the rather unique possibility to observe the
 conflict from the Peloponnesian side as well and to follow the course of events
 without being distracted by troubles or other activities (καθ' ἡσυχίαν). In this
 study I emit the hypothesis that in 5.26 Thucydides makes an indirect allusion
 to the fact that a life of quietude, which liberates the eminent thinker from
 engagement in political life, is the path leading to intellectual production. This
 reading can help us recognize the intellectual affinities between Thucydides and
 the Athenian thinkers of the end of the fifth century BC and more particularly
 with Socrates's circle.


How do you define organizational politics? The underground system of communication, the grapevine, what's really going on in the organization, rumors, knowing who really has the power? However you define it, all sources agree you'd better not ignore it. According to one physician executive: "Organizational politics is how things really get done, who really has the power, how decisions get made. Things are not always what they appear to be on the organizational chart." Presented here are some thoughts about organizational politics from physician executives and their stories of when it helped or hurt their careers or prevented them from accomplishing something in their organizations.


Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA

Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) are an integral component of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. We demonstrated that hypoxia selectively induced miR-210 via HIF-1α in splenic MDSCs from tumor-bearing mice. Overexpression of miR-210 enhanced MDSC-mediated T cell suppression under normoxia, while targeting of hypoxic miR-210 decreased MDSC function. Our data show that miR-210 modulated MDSCs function by increasing arginase activity and NO production, although it had no effect on ROS or cytokine (IL-6 and IL-10) production and PD-L1 expression. A comprehensive approach using microRNA target predictions tool, transcriptome analysis, and luciferase reporter assay strongly pointed to the regulation of Arg1, Cxcl12 and Il16 at both mRNA and protein levels by miR-210 in splenic MDSCs. In mediating the immunosuppressive effects of miR-210, targeting of Arg1, and blockade of IL-16 and CXCL12, in splenic MDSCs from tumor-bearing mice under normoxia dramatically decreased MDSC-mediated T cell proliferative response and IFN-gamma production. Interestingly, miR-210 overexpressing MDSCs enhanced in vivo their immune suppressive activity resulting in an increase in 4T1 tumor growth. Therefore, the potential therapeutic use of miR-210 inhibitor oligonucleotide alone, or along with HIF-1α inhibitors as adjuvant tool combined to immunotherapeutic approaches, may be beneficial for boosting the immune system in cancer patients.

Citation Format: Muhammad Zaeem Noman, Salem Chouaib. Hypoxia-induced miR-210 potentiates MDSC function through regulation of Arg1, Il-16 and Cxcl12, and promotes tumor growth. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 464. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-464


The objective of this investigation is to analyze the globalization process in order to verify its effects on the organizational management environment. Globalization is a process endowed with technological, social, economic and cultural transformations, which involve increased communication and interdependence between countries that bring together world markets, societies and cultures. The article questions about the way in which the transformations were reflected in the organizational management environment. The methodology used a bibliographic survey and an analysis that associated the dynamics of the globalization process and great representatives of administrative thought. The study inferred that the changes resulting from the globalization process were absolved by management models according to organizational demands and in certain circumstances.


1Department of Neurology, Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation; 2Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and therapy, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Russian Clinical and Research Center of Gerontology, Moscow, Russia; 3Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Internal Medicine and Propaedeutics I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia; 4Medical Information Department, OOO NPF Materia Medica Holding, Moscow, Russian Federation; 5Research and Analytical Division of Scientific Research and Development Department, Moscow, Russian Federation; 6Laboratory of Physiologicaly Active Substances, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathophysiology, Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russian Federation Abstract: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and vascular dementia are the most


The decreased sensitivity of glycolysis to insulin seen in isolated soleus muscles from genetically obese Zucker rats was abolished by addition of the adenosine-receptor antagonist 8-phenyltheophylline to the incubation medium; 8-phenyltheophylline had no effect on the sensitivity of glycogen synthesis to insulin. These findings suggest that changes in the sensitivity of glucose utilization by muscles of genetically obese rats may be explained, in part, by a modification in either the concentration of adenosine or the affinity of adenosine receptors in skeletal muscle.


Abstract Study Objectives To explore the relationship among night-time smartphone use, sleep duration, sleep quality, and menstrual disturbances in young adult women. Methods Women aged 18–40 years were included in the SmartSleep Study in which they objectively tracked their smartphone use via the SmartSleep app between self-reported sleep onset and offset times (n = 764) and responded to a survey (n = 1068), which included background characteristics, sleep duration, sleep quality (Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire), and menstrual characteristics (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics' definitions). Results The median tracking time was four nights (interquartile range: 2–8). Higher frequency (p = .05) and longer duration (p = .02) of night-time smartphone use were associated with long sleep duration (≥9 h), but not with poor sleep quality or short sleep duration (<7 h). Short sleep duration was associated with menstrual disturbances (OR = 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09 to 3.04) and irregular menstruation (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.08 to 4.10), and poor sleep quality was associated with menstrual disturbances (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.19 to 1.71), irregular menstruation (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.72), prolonged bleedings (OR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.44 to 4.43) and short-cycle duration (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.84). Neither duration nor frequency of night-time smartphone use was associated with menstrual disturbances. Conclusions Night-time smartphone use was associated with longer sleep duration, but not with menstrual disturbances in adult women. Short sleep duration and sleep quality were associated with menstrual disturbances. Further investigation of the effects of night-time smartphone use on sleep and female reproductive function in large prospective studies is needed.


We describe a patient who presented dramatically with life-threatening hypokalemic flaccid paralysis. Following resuscitation, extensive investigation showed that the patient had lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjogren's syndrome (SS) of which she was unaware. A search for the cause of the profound hypokalemia led to the finding of obligatory renal potassium wasting due to distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA), secretory type. The acid base status of the patient showed hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis compatible with distal renal tubular acidosis. Our case is a further proof that patients with "overlap syndrome" (SLE-SS) may have RTA, which may lead to life-threatening hypokalemia. Others have shown that the SLE-SS complex may occasionally be complicated by hyperkalemia. Thus, an autoimmune disease that is relatively common may present with devastating electrolyte abnormalities.


We experimentally confirmed a basic operation of the n-channel junction field-effect transistor (JFET) embedded in the i layer (n- substrate) of a pin diode for X-ray detectors, which was proposed in Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 37 (1998) L115. To electrically isolate the n-channel from the n- substrate, a p+ ring is formed around the JFET and is reverse-biased, instead of a deep p layer under the n-channel (i. e. , the conventional structure). In the proposed structure, only one type of donor is ion-implanted in the n-channel, while in the conventional structure, both donor and acceptor are ion-implanted there. For the first time, the role of the p+ ring in the electrical characteristics of the n-channel JFET is experimentally elucidated.


Objectives Digital tools for decision-support and health records can address the protracted process of guideline adoption at local levels and accelerate countries' implementation of new health policies and programmes. World Health Organization (WHO) launched the SMART Guidelines approach to support the uptake of clinical, public health, and data recommendations within digital systems. SMART guidelines are a package of tools that include Digital Adaptation Kits (DAKs), which distill WHO guidelines into a format that facilitates translation into digital systems. SMART Guidelines also include reference software applications known as digital modules. Methods This paper details the structured process to inform the adaptation of the WHO antenatal care (ANC) digital module to align with country-specific ANC packages for Zambia and Rwanda using the DAK. Digital landscape assessments were conducted to determine potential integrations between the ANC digital module and existing systems. A multi-stakeholder team consisting of Ministry of Health technical officers representing maternal health, HIV, digital health, and monitoring and evaluation at district and national levels was assembled to review existing guidelines to adapt the DAK. Results The landscape analysis resulted in considerations for integrating the ANC module into the broader digital ecosystems of both countries. Adaptations to the DAK included adding national services not reflected in the generic DAK and modification of decision support logic and indicators. Over 80% of the generic DAK content was consistent with processes for both countries. The adapted DAK will inform the customization of country-specific ANC digital modules. Conclusion Both countries found that coordination between maternal and digital health leads was critical to ensuring requirements were accurately reflected within the ANC digital module. Additionally, DAKs provided a structured process for gathering requirements, reviewing and addressing gaps within existing systems, and aligning clinical content.


A 1.8V, 0.18µm pure logic CMOS based low power non-volatile random access memory for RFID application is developed in this paper. Low power consumption is achieved based on a novel two-dimension architecture and a series of power optimization methods. Simulation result shows that the power consumption for read and write operations is less than 160µW and 560µW respectively. The merits make it suitable for low power RFID application1.


This paper examines regional disparities in GDP per capita in the enlarged European Union during the period 1995-2006. To achieve this aim, a non-parametric approach is com- bined with the information provided by various measures used in the literature on personal income distribution. The results show that spatial disparities have decreased over the period considered, mainly as a result of the evolution registered by the regions in Central and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the findings in the paper reveal that this process has been compatible with the simultaneous presence of between-country convergence and within-country divergence.


Small islands are quite adequate places where microgrid system with renewable sources can replace diesel engines as operation costs of diesel engine in most small islands are very high. To get the large amount of renewable energy, the microgrid system has very large capacity of renewable sources. The system with large capacity of renewable sources can meet the case when supplied energy is greater than the load and the fluctuation of source output is very large. The battery energy storage system can be a solution to stabilize the system with large capacity of renewable sources. In this case, BESS can be utilized as a master source for the synchronous operation of all sources including diesel engine, wind turbine and PV. The diesel generators can be used as a backup in case the BESS SOC goes below a certain level. In this paper, we suggest a novel unit commitment of diesel generators and operation schedule of pump for water supply service with the information of wind forecast, PV forecast, and load forecast. The proposed methods has been implemented and tested at the test bed in Gasa-Island.


In this paper the single-phase and polyphase definitions of reactive power are considered. The single-phase definition is unsatisfactory when the current and voltage wave forms are complex. The polyphase definition is the better but requires the independent recognition of the effects of distortion and, in the case of four or more wires, mesh distribution. The geometric difference between the apparent power and the power may be called the fictitious power to distinguish it from the reactive power which is only part of the fictitious power.


Securing thousands of connected, resource-constrained computing devices is a major challenge nowadays. Adding to the challenge, third party service providers need regular access to the system. To ensure the integrity of the system and authenticity of the software vendor, secure boot is supported by several commercial processors. However, the existing solutions are either complex, or have been compromised by determined attackers. In this scenario, open-source secure computing architectures are poised to play an important role for designers and white hat attackers. In this manuscript, we propose a lightweight hardware-based secure boot architecture. The architecture uses efficient implementation of Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), Secure Hash Algorithm 3 (SHA3) hashing algorithm and Direct Memory Access (DMA). In addition, the architecture includes Key Management Unit, which incorporates an optimized Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) for providing keys to the security blocks of the System on Chip (SoC), among which, secure boot and remote attestation. We demonstrated the framework on RISC-V based SoC. Detailed analysis of performance and security for the platform is presented.


The Boeing Company (Renton Division) had a requirement for a 30,000 RPM spindle to provide improved surface finish when milling 2034 ice box rivets in hydraulic wing riveters. Electroimpact supplied an electrical spindle which fit into the same cylinder block as the hydraulic spindle. This was reported in SAE Paper #2000-01-3017. Boeing Renton has also now put Electroimpact 20,000 RPM electric drilling spindles into five wing riveting machines so now both spindles in the machine are Electroimpact electric spindles. The electric drill spindle features an HSK 40C holder. Both spindles are powered by the same spindle drive which is alternately connected to the drill and then the shave spindle.


Abstract It is nowadays rarely denied that the poor are active agents in the development process. Participation, once radical and controversial, is now mainstream management theory; harnessing self-help potentials is the order of the day. Properly 'empowered' or at least 'enabled', the poor are assumed to be able to overcome deficits of infrastructure and services and exhaust their tremendous entrepreneurial potential. Without altogether denying the validity of the self-help approach, the paper scrutinizes both its practical assumptions and ideological underpinnings. Does it work for all urban poor communities, and critically, for all people in such communities? And is it its efficiency, or rather the implicit justification of cutting subsidies and transfers, which make it so popular with governments and international financial institutions? We conclude that self-help approaches can and should be supported by the state, but should considered as complements, not as alternatives, to resource transfers and accessible public services. The idea that poor communities can develop under their own steam is not only unrealistic but politically harmful. It obscures gross injustice in the distribution of wealth and power in society, but also within the poor communities.


[1] The effect of the geostrophic stirring on phytoplankton variability during the northeast Atlantic spring bloom is studied by analyzing satellite derived surface chlorophyll, sea surface temperature, and sea surface height. The calculation of unstable manifolds is used as a diagnostic of the transport properties of the geostrophic velocity field (calculated from the sea surface height). We identify two mechanisms by which the geostrophic velocity field acts on chlorophyll patterns. The first mechanism is a direct effect of the horizontal transport on already formed chlorophyll. By acting as "sticking" transport barriers, the unstable manifolds are shown to (1) modulate the fronts of already formed phytoplankton in lobular structures, (2) create spiralling chlorophyll anomalies within eddies, and (3) produce chlorophyll filaments. The second mechanism is an indirect effect on in situ chlorophyll production mediated by nutrient upwelling. Supported by a recent study on the vertical velocities of the northeast Atlantic (Legal et al., 2006), we argue that the horizontal unstable manifolds also shape the filamentary, vertical velocity cells, and hence the patterns of in situ produced chlorophyll through submesoscale vertical nutrient injection.


This paper presents a dual-equalization-path (DEP) near field inductive coupling link for contactless vertical interconnect in high-performance 3D IC. The DEP receiver is demonstrated for the first time in near field inductive coupling vertical links to improve energy per bit and area efficiency. A feedback mechanism in the main path helps in signal recovery for improving the voltage margin. While a linear auxiliary path using passive pulse-reuse feedforward equalization helps in signal recovery for improving the timing margin. We also demonstrate how the receiver equalization architecture helps in enabling an energy-efficient and compact near field inductive coupling-based 3D IC. In experimental demonstration, the transceiver achieves 207 fJ/bit in 65nm CMOS process. The developed equalization architecture demonstrates a 34% improved FoM-3D performance compared to state-of-the-art contactless 3D links.


The so-called 'Theory of Himalayan Environmental Degradation' predicted an environmental collapse by the end of last millennium, threatening the life of millions of people. Fortunately, the all-encompassing crisis did not materialize. The article shows that the 'Theory' failed to take into account the vast ecological variation in Himalaya and thus generalized its contentions to the whole mountain range on the basis of deficient data. But, on the other hand, what would have happened if the prediction had not been made? A doomsday scenario like the Theory of Himalayan Degradation can, from the perspective of positivist hypothesis testing, be viewed a posteriori as a failed prediction; but from another perspective it can be seen as an alarm clock that triggered a series of policy initiatives and new knowledge. The Geographical Journal of Nepal Vol. 10: 1-14, 2017


Oxidative stress has a crucial role in the progression of diabetes and its complications. Soluble fibre-rich fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) are understood to have a beneficial effect in the management of diabetes. Previously, we have shown that the amelioration of diabetic hyperglycemia and related metabolic abnormalities was potentiated by onion (Allium cepa L.) in experimental rats. The present study evaluated the additive beneficial effect of dietary fenugreek seeds (10%) and onion (3%) on oxidative stress in diabetic rats. These dietary interventions lowered oxidative stress, the combination producing a higher beneficial effect (p < 0.05), although not additive. Dietary fenugreek, onion, or fenugreek+onion countered hypercholesterolemia (p < 0.05), especially from low-density lipoprotein-associated fraction by 43%, 35%, and 54%, respectively. Elevated concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver and heart under diabetic conditions were significantly counteracted by these dietary interventions, with the additive combination resulting in greater effect. These findings were also corroborated by restoration of histopathological abnormalities of heart and liver tissues along with lowered heart and liver weights. It is inferred that an alleviation of oxidative stress contributes further to the antidiabetic influence and this nutraceutical potential of fenugreek seeds and onion was higher when consumed together.


The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to compare the effect of the modified lying position (MLP) and side-lying position (SLP) on surgical wound pain and latch-on for Caesarean section patients.  The study occurred at the OB/GYN ward of Songklanagarind Hospital in southern Thailand. Thirty-two women who didn't have complications in the twenty-four hours after a Caesarean section and had normal nipples and healthy neonates were enrolled in the study. Data was obtained using:  1)A demographical questionnaire 2) A pain assessment chart with a numerical rating scale (NRS) and 3) A breastfeeding charting system (LATCH). The content validity of these questionnaires were examined and approved by three experts. The reliability by Cronbach's alpha Coefficient of a pain assessment chart with a numerical rating scale (NRS), and a breastfeeding charting system (LATCH) was 0.91and 0.72. This data was analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Wilcoxon-Sign Rank test, and t-test. The results revealed that the MLP had a lower pain level than the SLP (P <.001). Pain was assessed during four steps: 2) positioning for breastfeeding 3) during feeding 4) returning to a normal position after feeding (P<.001)  ; and step1)resting before feeding (P-value=.180), an insignificant difference. The overall LATCH scores of both interventions didn't differ significantly (MLP: X =7.94, S.D.=0.72; SLP: X =8.11, S.D.=0.83). This finding suggest that to reduce the pain level of the surgical wound and allow effective breastfeeding, nurses should teach the modified lying position.


A quantitative theory is presented which describes the kinetics of coagulation of colloidal systems containing more than one dispersed species. A general expression has been derived to describe the potential energy of interaction between dissimilar spherical colloidal particles, using the linear (Debye-Huckel) approximation for low surface potentials. An overall stability ratio has been defined which takes into account the possibility of interactions between like, as well as unlike, particles in the system. The errors introduced by the use of the linear approximation have been assessed in terms of their effects on the stability ratio, and found to be quite small. The theory has been used to describe the behaviour of a hypothetical system under various conditions.


An autostereoscopic display for telepresence and tele- operation applications has been developed at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. The research is a collaborative effort between the Imaging Group and the Transparent Telepresence Research Group, both based at Strathclyde. A key component of the display is the directional screen; a 1.2-m diameter Stretchable Membrane Mirror is currently used. This patented technology enables large diameter, small f No., mirrors to be produced at a fraction of the cost of conventional optics. Another key element of the present system is an anthropomorphic and anthropometric stereo camera sensor platform. Thus, in addition to mirror development, research areas include sensor platform design focused on sight, hearing, research areas include sensor platform design focused on sight, hearing, and smell, telecommunications, display systems for all visual, aural and other senses, tele-operation, and augmented reality. The sensor platform is located at the remote site and transmits live video to the home location. Applications for this technology are as diverse as they are numerous, ranging from bomb disposal and other hazardous environment applications to tele-conferencing, sales, education and entertainment.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Pakistani bank front-line employees' intentions to behave ethically by using the extended theory of planned behaviour (ETPB) into which religiosity (i.e. religious activity, devotion to rituals and belief in doctrine) is integrated as a moderating variable.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected 234 self-administered questionnaires and analysed them using SmartPLS 2.0, a second generation structural equation modelling technique.

Findings

This paper demonstrates that the ETPB can explain intentions to behave ethically. Moral norms (i.e. the rules of morality that people believe they ought to follow) and perceived behavioural control (i.e. people's perceptions of their ability to perform a given behaviour) are the best predictors of ethical behavioural intentions. The effects of injunctive norms (i.e. perceptions of which behaviours are typically approved or disapproved in an organisation) and of perceived behavioural control on behavioural intent are moderated by religiosity.

Practical implications

Leading by example, providing ethics training, empowering employees and encouraging the expression of religiosity are proposed as ways to foster an ethical culture in the workplace.

Originality/value

Even though numerous empirical studies have utilised variants of the theory of planned behaviour to explain consumer behaviour, its applicability to ethical behaviour in the workplace has scarcely been explored. Moreover, its tests in non-western contexts are scant. This study demonstrates the applicability of the ETPB in a broader circumstantial and cultural context and enriches it with religiosity, a pertinent characteristic of billions of people around the world. Finally, this is one of the very few ethics studies focusing on banking, an industry fraught with allegations of moral breaches.


Detailed heat/mass transfer coefficients and film-cooling effectiveness were measured on the tip and inner rim surfaces of a rotor blade with a squealer rim. The blade was a two-dimensional version of a modern first-stage gas turbine rotor blade with a squealer rim. The experimental apparatus was equipped with a linear cascade of three blades, the axial chord length (Cx ) of which was 237 mm with a turning angle of 126°. The mainstream Reynolds number based on the axial chord was 1.5×105 . The turbulence intensity level at the cascade inlet was approximately 12%. Measurements were made at three different rim heights (H) of about 3%, 6%, and 9% of the axial chord length. The tip clearance (C) ranges were 1–3% of the axial chord length. Also, three different types of blade tip surfaces were equipped with a single row of film-cooling holes along the camber line, near the pressure and the suction side rim. In particular, a coolant was injected at an incline of 45° from near the suction side film cooling holes. The film cooling experiments were done with a fixed tip clearance and rim height at 1% and 6% of the axial chord length. The blowing rate was fixed at 1.5. High heat transfer rates were observed near the leading edge on the tip surface in some cases, due to the reattachment of tip leakage flow. The peak values moved toward the suction-side edge, and the magnitude and area of high heat transfer increased near the leading edge as the tip clearance increased. The heat transfer decreased on the tip surface with increases in the rim height. In the film-cooling cases, the high heat transfer and film-cooling effectiveness region appeared near the film-cooling holes.© 2010 ASME


The main propulsion engine of a vessel has to operate under harsh environmental conditions that includes very rough weather, concurrent failure of one or more units of the engine and failure of one or more subsystems of the main engine. Such failures at high seas could lead to disastrous consequences, which could include damage to ship's machinery, injury and fatality of shipboard personnel and pollution of the sea. Reliability and Safety of the main propulsion engine needs to be looked at holistically when the main engine operates under harsh environmental condition. Mathematical modelling for computing reliability of the main propulsion engine, combined with a relevant safety check list for the engine room, based on expert elicitation could be a good solution for an unremarkable voyage of the vessel under a harsh scenario. This paper intends to look at the harsh scenario for a bulk carrier propelled by a large main propulsion engine and arrive at a plan for a safe and reliable voyage of the vessel.


Public transportation is one part of the transportation sector that is widely used by the Balinese people. An important component in the operation of public transportation that must be considered is the determination of tariffs. The purpose of the study was to analyze the mechanism for controlling public transport fares by the Bali Provincial Transportation Service and to examine the obstacles during the implementation of controlling public transport fares in the Province of Bali. The research method in this paper uses empirical research using a sociological approach and a conceptual approach. The results show that the Government has limited authority in setting tariffs. The authority for public transportation rates for people in Bali Province includes online transportation, conventional taxis, and AKDP transportation. As a result of the pandemic, most entrepreneurs in the transportation sector have lost, this is a factor in the existence of fraud in the imposition of tariffs. In addition, the lack of PPNS personnel and the unavailability of special tools to read barcodes are also obstacles. The Department of Transportation is advised to review comprehensive tariff rules, as well as add PPNS members, and immediately budget for the availability of sophisticated equipment in order to overcome the obstacles that occur.


Citric acid production by A.niger, isolated from the microflora of Iran, has been investigated in liquid and semi-solid states using growth media with different compositions. In 2% media made of Rocheh grape pomace or sabouraud dextrose, the yield of citric acid production was 0.7 g per Kg of the pomace; and the yield decreased by 50% in 2% saghal solian grape pomace medium. However, in 40% (W/W) saghal solian semi-solid medium containing 3% methanol, the yield of citric acid production has improved to 80 g per Kg of pomace in stationary mode of production and to 120 g per Kg of pomace in the rolling mode of fermentation.


In this study, we focused on effects of finding of emergent phenomena in rule discovery. In the experiment, we used Conway's Game of Life, which generates high-order phenomena from fundamental rules. Our research question is to realize the effects of attention to emergent phenomena on finding the fundamental rules. The two experimental conditions (chaotic and static) differed only in initial states. In the chaotic condition, the initial state consisted some Methuselahs, which take long period until they become stable. On the other hand, in the static condition, the initial condition consisted many emergent patterns: still lifes and oscillators, which repeat same pattern in short period. We classified the hypotheses reported by the participants to either mentioning about emergent phenomena or not. This result revealed that people might see emergent phenomena not only in the static condition but also in the chaotic condition, which do not include the emergent patters.


The continued diversification of HIV poses potentially significant challenges to HIV diagnostics and therapeutics. The dynamic evolution of emerging variants is highlighted in countries such as Cameroon in West Central Africa, where all known subtypes and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) have been shown to be prevalent. We obtained several hundred HIV-positive plasma and viruses from this region for characterization and identification of highly divergent HIV strains. A total of 163 viral strains were cultured to high titers and high volumes using donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Initially, 101 viruses representing 59 strains were well characterized and categorized. Results showed that the viral load (VL) range was 0.36–398.9 × 107 copies/mL, p24 values was 0.2–1134 ng/mL. Phylogenetic analysis of thirty-six near full-length HIV-1 genomic sequences demonstrated that most recombinants were highly diverse CRF02 containing unique recombinant forms (URFs). There were seven viral isolates identified as pure subtype/sub-subtypes (F2, A1, G, and D), six as CRFs (CRF06, CRF18, and CRF22), and ten as URFs. These extensively characterized reagents reflect the current dynamic and complex HIV epidemic in Cameroon and provide valuable insights into the potential phylogenetic evolutionary trend of global HIV molecular epidemiology in the future. These materials may be useful for development of HIV validation and reference panels to evaluate the performance of serologic antigen and nucleic acid assays for their ability to detect and quantitate highly divergent HIV strains.


This article evaluates evolutionary properties of the transition from RNA primary sequence to RNA secondary structure. It focuses on the restrictions that the conservation of a protein code in an RNA sequence puts on its potential to evolve towards a specific secondary structure. Restricting the mutations to those that do not affect the coding for a protein restricts both the accessibility and the connectivity of the sequence space. The accessibility is restricted because only certain point mutations are allowed. The connectivity is restricted because no insertions and deletions are allowed. Simulating an evolutionary search process for a specific secondary structure shows that (i) the reduction of allowable point mutations allows for adaptation to some large-scale topology, but strongly reduces the possibility of small-scale adaptations, (ii) the abolition of insertions and deletions has very little effect on the results of the search process. During the evolutionary search process for a secondary structure with a specific topology and a high frequency of base-pairing the quasispecies moves into a subspace in which the similarity between secondary structures of neighboring sequences is relatively high. Increased similarity between second structures of neighboring sequences is also found in the Rev responsive element (RRE) in the lentiviruses Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus and Visna virus. In these viruses a biased nucleotide frequency in the RRE region suggests that selection for the RRE RNA secondary structure affects the amino acid sequence of the env gene. Our results show a variation in the ruggedness of fitness landscapes which are based on a high degree of epistatic interactions. Fitness landscapes play an essential role, not only in biotic evolution, but also in all kinds of optimization processes (Hill Climbing, Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, etc). Variation in their ruggedness should therefore be taken into account in the analysis of these processes.


The French-American-British (FAB) classification of acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) has recently been modified to improve its reproducibility. We therefore thought it beneficial to test the utility of this modified classification in the prognosis of children with ALL. Eighty-eight patients of less than 18 years of age with ALL were subtyped according to the modified FAB classification by two independent observers. The initial concordance was 86%. Seventy per cent of the patients were subtyped as L1, 27% as L2 and 3% as L3. Patients with L3 subtype were not analysed further. No significant differences were observed between L1 and L2 subtypes when the distribution of other prognostic factors were examined. No differences were observed between L1 and L2 subtypes in the achievement of complete remission. Patients with L1 morphology demonstrated no significant increased duration of first remission or survival when compared to patients with L2 morphology. We conclude that the morphology of lymphoblasts may not be an independent prognostic variable in patients with ALL.


A new method for the synthesis of tricyclic biaryl ether-linked ring systems incorporating seven-, eight-, and nine-membered ring amines is presented. In the presence of catalytic quantities of copper(I), readily accessible acyclic precursors undergo an intramolecular carbon-oxygen bond-forming reaction facilitated by a "templating" chelating nitrogen atom. The methodology displays a broad substrate scope, is practical, and generates rare and biologically interesting tricyclic heteroaromatic products that are difficult to access by other means.


End-notched flexure (ENF) test is commonly accepted to determine the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of composite laminates. As the crack propagation in the ENF specimen is unstable under displacement-control, the critical energy release rate, GIIC, is determined at the onset of crack initiation but not during the crack propagation. In order to estimate the mode II fracture toughness from the initiation to the stable crack propagation, a new test method has been proposed in the present paper. A special COD gauge has been developed for the measurement of the crack opening displacement (COD) of ENF specimen and applied to the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness test. The crack initiation in the ENF specimen can be detected with higher accuracy from the load-COD diagram than the load-displacement dia-gram. Moreover, the crack propagates in the stable manner under the COD-control test, though it is unstable when the conventional displacement-control test is applied. Analytical compliance method has been successfully applied to the ENF test and the relation between fracture tough-ness, GIIC, and crack length, a, can be obtained automatically by using a computer aided test-ing system. Applicabilities of the COD-control test and the analytical compliance method to the ENF test are confirmed in the present paper.


..................................................................................................... i APPROVEMENT ............................................................................................. ii LEGALIZATION ............................................................................................ iii DECLARATION .............................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................ v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................ ix LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................... x CHAPTER


The complex approach, including the use of traditional bacteriological and serological methods, as well as the polymerase chain (PCR) reaction and the enzyme immunoassay (EIA), was used for evaluation of Brucella (the causative agents of brucellosis) persistence in the dynamics of the infectious process in patients with the acute and chronic forms of brucellosis as well as in experimentally infected laboratory animals. Sick humans and experimental animals were found to have positive PCR and EIA reactions at different periods of the disease. The use of these methods makes it possible to evaluate indirectly the persistence of Brucella.


Purpose: Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) is a multifunctional protein that is implicated in development of drug resistance and metastasis. Therefore, we examined therapeutic targeting of TG2 for inhibiting growth and metastasis of in vivo growing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in nude mice. Experimental Design: We implanted Panc-28 pancreatic cancer cells to induce orthotopic PDAC tumors in nude mice and determined the efficacy of liposomal TG2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) either alone or in combination with gemcitabine. Results: We show that down-regulation of endogenous TG2 by siRNA could effectively block the growth of PDAC. Moreover, down-regulation of TG2 significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of gemcitabine against PDAC and inhibited metastatic spread of the disease. The antitumor activity was related to inhibition of proliferation, angiogenesis, and Akt phosphorylation. Conclusion: siRNA-mediated down-regulation of TG2 represents a promising therapeutic approach for improved treatment of PDAC.


A digitally implemented active damping technique is proposed for high-power, medium-voltage (2300 V to 7200 V) PWM current-source rectifiers (PWM-CSR). The rectifier requires an LC filter connected at its input terminals. The damping of the LC filter is dependent on the power system characteristics, and the resonant frequency changes with the power system impedance. Moreover the lightly damped LC filter can cause oscillations during system transients if not adequately damped. These issues are traditionally addressed at the design stage by properly choosing the filter resonant frequency. This paper proposes a damping method accounting for the limitations of the power semiconductor switching frequency (typically around 500 Hz), and limits the dependency on the power system and the design of the LC filter. The proposed active damping scheme combined with the improved space vector PWM technique can effectively solve the above mentioned problems. The concept of the active damping control is introduced, and the principle of the PWM switching pattern is discussed. Experimental results based on a 10 kVA prototype are provided. It is demonstrated that the proposed rectifier can effectively reduce the line current distortion and improve the system stability. It has the potential to protect the switching devices from over-voltage stress caused by the LC resonance as well.


MODELLING OF RSG-GAS HEAT EXCHANGER FOR STEADY-STATE SIMULATION. The multipurposes reactor G.A Siwabessy (RSG-GAS) is a open pool, water cooled reactor with plate type fuel elements having thermal power of 30 MWt. Its design has been a subject for research in term of its safety against postulated design basis accident. For the purpose of safety analysis, its complete design have been modelled using various thermalhydraulic code, which has to be validated for the steady-state condition. The model generated so far did not include the model of the heat exchanger as it is designed and described in the RSG-GAS design specification. Therefore the purpose of this research is to obtain a heat exchanger model as realistic as possible using the RELAP5/ SCDAP/Mod3.4 code. From the generated model, the performace of the heat exchanger design will be evaluated to analyze its effect on the steady-state simulation during RSG-GAS full power. The simulation results show that the performance of the obtained heat exchanger model has been validated with the design specifications to remove the core heat during the full power simulation. On that condition, the inlet secondary temperature and loss coefficient plays important role in taking the inlet and outlet primary temperature to be close with the experimental data and other RSG-GAS model.Keywords: RSG-GAS, heat exchanger model, RELAP5, steady state simulation, performance


Our world is full of sounds, either verbal or non-verbal, pleasant or unpleasant, meaningful or simply irrelevant noise. Understanding, memorizing, and predicting the sounds, even non-verbal ones which our environment is full of, is a complex perceptuo-cognitive function that we constantly refine by everyday experience and learning. Musical sounds are a peculiar case due to their culture-dependent complexity and hierarchical organization requiring cognitive functions such as memory to be understood, and due to the presence of individuals (musicians) who dedicate their lifetime to master the specifics of those sounds and rules. Thus far, most of the neuroimaging research focused on verbal sounds and how they are processed and stored in the human brain. Only recently, researchers have tried to elucidate the neural mechanisms and structures allowing non-verbal, musical sounds to be modeled, predicted and remembered. However, those neuroimaging studies often provide only a mere snapshot of a complex dynamic process unfolding over time. To capture the complexity of musical memory and cognition, new methods are needed. A promising analysis method is dynamic functional connectivity, which assumes that functional connectivity changes in a short time. We conclude that moving from a locationist to a dynamic perspective on auditory memory might allow us to finally comprehend the neural mechanisms that regulate encoding and retrieval of sounds.


Two siblings, a boy and a girl, with congenital blindness died at 8 and 9 years of age from renal failure. Autopsy was performed in one case. The kidneys showed evidence of dysplasia and of pyelonephritis. Earlier suggestions that renal dysplasia might be the primary cause in cases of chronic pyelonephritis in children are supported. Examination of the eyes indicated a congential defect, retinal aplasia.


The Journal of Statistical Software was founded by Jan de Leeuw in'96, the year before the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) first made R and contributed R packages widely available on the Internet. Within a few years, R came increasingly to dominate contributions to JSS. We trace the continuing development of R and CRAN, and the representation of R and other statistical software in the pages of JSS.


Rapid growth in the size and militancy of trade union movements has been a common development in the newly independent states of Asia since the end of colonial rule less than two decades ago. In these states, and in the more recently independent African states as well, government employees frequently constitute one of the principal groups of organized workers. Public servants' right of association and right to strike or demonstrate have been among the insistent questions confronting the governments of the new states. In the areas of Asia formerly under British rule, public servants enjoy the right to form trade unions with some restrictions and, except in Pakistan, trade unionism in the public service has expanded considerably. In India, government employees other than industrial workers are allowed to organize subject to restrictions limiting membership or leadership in their trade unions to public servants and prohibiting political activity by the unions.


An array of four independently wired indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes was used for electrochemically stimulated DNA release and activation of DNA-based Identity, AND and XOR logic gates. Single-stranded DNA molecules were loaded on the mixed poly(N,N-di-methylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA)/poly-(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) brush covalently attached to the ITO electrodes. The DNA deposition was performed at pH 5.0 when the polymer brush is positively charged due to protonation of tertiary amino groups in PDMAE-MA, thus resulting in electrostatic attraction of the negatively charged DNA. By applying electrolysis at -1.0 V(vs. Ag/AgCl reference) electrochemical oxygen reduction resulted in the consumption of hydrogen ions and local pH increase near the electrode surface. The process resulted in recharging the polymer brush to the negative state due to dissociation of carboxylic groups of PMAA, thus repulsing the negatively charged DNA and releasing it from the electrode surface. The DNA release was performed in various combinations from different electrodes in the array assembly. The released DNA operated as input signals for activation of the Boolean logic gates. The developed system represents a step forward in DNA computing, combining for the first time DNA chemical processes with electronic input signals.


Background Physiological rhythms in mammals are essential for maintaining health, whereas disruptions may cause or exacerbate disease pathogenesis. As such, our objective was to characterize how cigarette smoke exposure affects physiological rhythms of otherwise healthy mice using telemetry and cosinor analysis. Methods Female BALB/c mice were implanted with telemetry devices to measure body temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and activity. Following baseline measurements, mice were exposed to cigarette smoke for approximately 50 min twice daily during weekdays over 24 weeks. Physiological parameters were recorded after 1, 4, 8, and 24 weeks of exposure or after 4 weeks cessation following 4 weeks of cigarette smoke exposure. Results Acute cigarette smoke exposure resulted in anapyrexia, and bradycardia, with divergent effects on SBP. Long term, cigarette smoke exposure disrupted physiological rhythms after just 1 week, which persisted across 24 weeks of exposure (as shown by mixed effects on mesor, amplitude, acrophase, and goodness-of-fit using cosinor analysis). Four weeks of cessation was insufficient to allow full recovery of rhythms. Conclusion Our characterization of the pathophysiology of cigarette smoke exposure on physiological rhythms of mice suggests that rhythm disruption may precede and contribute to disease pathogenesis. These findings provide a clear rationale and guide for the future use of chronotherapeutics.


Science centres and museums in Europe traditionally offer opportunities for public participation, such as dialogues, debates and workshops. In recent years, starting with the support of grants from the European Commission, the purpose of these initiatives is increasingly more connected with the policy making processes where science centres play a role as brokers between the public and other stakeholders. This article begins an investigation on how these two levels of participation – the participation of museums in policy, and the participation of visitors in museums – are related in seven European science centres and museums. The results suggest that science centres and museums are regarded by their visitors as potential platforms to facilitate public participation in policy, especially in countries where the general infrastructure for public participation in science is weak. Compone nt DOI: http://dx.doi .org/10.15180/150306/001


Preprocessing is an essential and primary step in generating taxonomy automatically for text documents because text data is unstructured; and more inconsistent and noisy than structured data. Different combinations of preprocessing techniques have been applied in generating taxonomy to amplify pertinent information for further analysis and processing. This research investigates the impact of various preprocessing techniques on the quality of the generated taxonomy. Various combinations of preprocessing techniques have been applied in taxonomy generation on two text data sets, selected from different domains. The experimental results revealed that selecting a suitable combination of preprocessing techniques can improve the quality of automated taxonomy. However applying all preprocessing techniques in the generation does not guarantee high quality.


Stochastic models for finite binary vectors are widely used in sociology, with examples ranging from social influence models on dichotomous behaviors or attitudes to models for random graphs. Exact sampling for such models is difficult in the presence of dependence, leading to the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) as an approximation technique. While often effective, MCMC methods have variable execution time, and the quality of the resulting draws can be difficult to assess. Here, we present a novel alternative method for approximate sampling from binary discrete exponential families having fixed execution time and well-defined quality guarantees. We demonstrate the use of this sampling procedure in the context of random graph generation, with an application to the simulation of a large-scale social network using both geographical covariates and dyadic dependence mechanisms.


The ability to control electrical properties and magnetism by varying the crystal structure using the effect of the A-site cation in oxygen-deficient perovskites has been studied in AA'Fe2O6-δ, where A = Sr, Ca and A' = Sr. The structure of Sr2Fe2O6-δ, synthesized at 1250 °C in air, contains dimeric units of FeO5 square pyramids separated by FeO6 octahedra. Here we show that this ordering scheme can be transformed by changing the A-site cations from Sr to Ca. This leads to a structure where layers of corner-sharing FeO6 octahedra are separated by chains of FeO4 tetrahedra. Through systematic variation of the A-site cations, we have determined the average ionic radius required for this conversion to be ∼1.41 Å. We have demonstrated that the magnetic structure is also transformed. The Sr2 compound has an incommensurate magnetic structure, where magnetic moments are in spin-density wave state, aligning perpendicular to the body diagonal of the unit cell. With the aid of neutron diffraction experiments at 10 and 300 K, we have shown that the magnetic structure is converted into a long-range G-type antiferromagnetic system when one Sr is replaced by Ca. In this G-type ordering scheme, the magnetic moments align in the 001 direction, antiparallel to their nearest neighbors. We have also performed variable-temperature electrical conductivity studies on these materials in the temperature range 298-1073 K. These studies have revealed the transformation of charge transport properties, where the metallic behavior of the Sr2 compound is converted into semiconductivity in the CaSr material. The trend of conductivity as a function of temperature is reversed upon changing the A-site cation. The conductivity of the Sr2 compound shows a downturn, while the conductivity of the CaSr material increases as a function of temperature. We have also shown that the CaSr compound exhibits temperature-dependent behavior typical of a mixed ionic-electronic conducting system.


Linear morphea of the limb primarily affects children, and extracutaneous manifestations are common. Orthopedic surgeons are often essential in the care of patients with linear morphea, yet there are few reports outlining specific orthopedic complications in this population. We sought to improve the understanding of orthopedic complications in linear morphea of the limb. Between 1999 and 2014, 51 children were evaluated for linear morphea of an extremity. Twenty‐six (51%) had documented orthopedic manifestations. Outcome measures included limb length discrepancy, angular malalignment, limb atrophy, and orthopedic surgical intervention. Joint contractures were most common, affecting 88% of patients, followed by limb atrophy, angular deformity, and limb length discrepancy; 14% required surgical intervention. Despite the use of systemic immunosuppressive therapy in many patients, approximately half of patients with linear morphea of an extremity have orthopedic disease. Early orthopedist involvement is crucial to improve limb alignment and preserve function.


Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an escalating grim menace to global public health. Our aim is to phenotype and genotype antibiotic-resistant commensal Escherichia coli (E. coli) from humans, animals, and water from the same community with a 'one-health' approach. The samples were collected from a village belonging to demographic surveillance site of Ruxmaniben Deepchand (R.D.) Gardi Medical College Ujjain, Central India. Commensal coliforms from stool samples from children aged 1–3 years and their environment (animals, drinking water from children's households, common source- and waste-water) were studied for antibiotic susceptibility and plasmid-encoded resistance genes. E. coli isolates from human (n = 127), animal (n = 21), waste- (n = 12), source- (n = 10), and household drinking water (n = 122) carried 70%, 29%, 41%, 30%, and 30% multi-drug resistance, respectively. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers were 57% in human and 23% in environmental isolates. Co-resistance was frequent in penicillin, cephalosporin, and quinolone. Antibiotic-resistance genes blaCTX-M-9 and qnrS were most frequent. Group D-type isolates with resistance genes were mainly from humans and wastewater. Colistin resistance, or the mcr-1 gene, was not detected. The frequency of resistance, co-resistance, and resistant genes are high and similar in coliforms from humans and their environment. This emphasizes the need to mitigate antibiotic resistance with a 'one-health' approach.


Problems on Learners' poor accomplishment in learning have existed for a long time. By analyzing and comparing the differences between the traditional teaching resources and learning resources in e-learning, it is concluded that there is a severe lack of intangible learning resources, which is the main reason for learners' poor accomplishment in e-learning. Besides, some suggestions on how to strengthen the construction of intangible learning resources are provided in this paper.


Question: Do warm season (i.e. mainly C 4 ) grass species exhibit a higher water status than winter-growing competitors, (mainly C3 plants) and is this part of their competition ability? Location: Flooding Pampa grassland at Balcarce, eastern Argentina. Methods: Predawn leaf water potential was measured in five species: (1) three cool-season species: Festuca arundinacea, Lolium multiflorum and Stipa neesiana, and (2) two warmseason species: Sporobolus indicus and Paspalum dilatatum, throughout a summer season. The sensitivity of leaf growth to low water status was investigated in a greenhouse experiment where plants were grown in pots at three levels of water deficit. Results: The field study revealed strong differences of water status between the five species likely indicating large contrasts in soil water availability, irrespective of their photosynthetic metabolism. By contrast, the response of leaf elongation rate to predawn water potential was similar in all species studied. Species to which water was less available did not compensate with a lesser sensitivity to water status. Conclusion: Competition for water may play an important and specific role within natural semi-grasslands of these regions, independently of the metabolic pathway of grasses.


The aim of the reported research is to contribute to investigation of new processes and methods interlinking nuclear and laser-plasma physics. With respect to requirements of nuclear experiments at medium-size high-power lasers, the selection of proper candidates for studying the excitation and decay of low-lying nuclear states is reviewed. An experimental approach to the identification of low-energy nuclear transitions is discussed, simple estimates of the 181Ta excitation yield in the laser-generated plasma provide a theoretical basis for planning future work. First tests and results of the experiments at the laser facility PALS are presented.


BACKGROUND
Embedding research into practice is challenging. Barriers include: a shortage of time, lack of understanding of the evidence and a poor support in the clinical setting. A community of practice (CoP) model has been used to address these issues. Three 'Evidence into Practice' groups use a CoP model to assist the rapid translation of evidence into practice in primary and secondary care settings. We describe how a CoP model supports the functions, operations and outputs of three 'Evidence into Practice Groups'.

METHOD
A CoP model is used to engage a broad range of clinicians, researchers, managers, patients and librarians in the complex process of acquiring research knowledge and then translating knowledge into practice. The CoP principles of Domain, Community and Practice are used to describe three 'Evidence into Practice Groups' who cater for different elements of the care and academic sector and engage a range of professional groups. This includes primary and secondary care engaging professionals such as general practitioners (GP), practice nurses, allied health professionals, researchers and librarians. All groups are clinically led, academically supported and follow similar processes to identify the best evidence and translate it into practice. As the groups reflect the context in which they work they have different operational arrangements for example frequency and time of meetings.

RESULTS
The CoP model enabled three 'Evidence into Practice Groups' over time to: engage over 180 clinical and academic staff; answer 130 clinical questions; improve clinical care, gain funding for two randomised controlled trials (enrolled over n = 7000 participants) and identify areas for further research, quality improvement audit and training.

CONCLUSION
The CoP model encourages the rapid translation of evidence into practice by engaging staff to identify areas of clinical concern in their own context, thereby stimulating their interest and involvement. This creates a meaningful link between research and practice. Clinical leadership and the CoP model ensure that practice change is quick and efficient. This model can be replicated at scale. Consideration needs to be given to the key ingredients to achieve impact.


A theoretical model of giant ELMs (type-I ELMs) is developed. The theory of the self-sustained turbulence of the current-diffusive ballooning mode (CDBM) is developed in the presence of a steep pressure gradient and a radial electric field shear. Multifold states for the L-mode, H-mode and the third state with magnetic braiding are obtained. Transition to the state with magnetic braiding is found to occur if the pressure gradient becomes high enough. At this critical point, nonlinear excitation of the magnetic perturbation takes place, the growth time of which is of the order of the poloidal Alfven time. This event can cause catastrophic enhancement of the transport coefficient by a factor of almost 10. The avalanche of the transport catastrophe is also analysed, showing a very rapid radial propagation velocity. The magnetic braiding terminates if the pressure gradient becomes small, leading to a back transition to the H- (L-) mode. Under a constant power supply these processes can repeat themselves, causing periodic bursts. The period becomes shorter as the average power flux increases.


Background
There are now a wide array of field and laboratory techniques available for gaining insight into the movement and behaviour of sharks. Although acoustic telemetry may lack the fine-scale resolution of some satellite technologies, the low cost and longer battery life make it a powerful tool for investigating elasmobranch behaviour. Here, we develop a novel approach to analysing acoustic telemetry data, using detection gaps to infer movement patterns to and from monitored reef habitats, to investigate spatial and temporal segregation between two sympatric shark species in a large remote MPA.

Methods
A total of 102 grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) and 76 silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) were fitted with long-term acoustic transmitters and tracked inside a large acoustic array of reef-based receivers in the British Indian Ocean Territory MPA, between 2014 and 2018. From the resulting dataset (768,081 detections), movements between receivers and recursive loops to the same receiver were identified. Using the durations of inter-receiver movements (i.e. detection gaps), individual behaviours were classified into 'restricted' or potential wider 'out of range' movements. Drivers of these movements were identified using network analysis, GLMMs and multi-model inference starting from an a priori set of explanatory variables.

Results
In general, silvertip sharks were more likely to undertake 'out of range' movements than grey reef sharks. 'Out of range' movements were more common at night compared to during the day, and during the wet season compared to the dry season. In addition, the difference in 'out of range' movements between the two species increased at night. These results suggest spatial and temporal segregation of movements between the two species.

Conclusions
We present a novel analysis of detection gaps from acoustic telemetry data to infer differential movement patterns and describe how species organise in space and time. Furthermore, this approach shows that acoustic telemetry gap analysis can be used for comparative studies, or combined, with other research techniques to better understand the functional role of sharks in reef ecosystems, moving towards more informed strategies for the conservation and management of the marine environment.


We measured net carbon flux (F(CO2)) and net H2O flux (F(H2O)) by the eddy-covariance method at three Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco)-western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) sites located in the Wind River Valley of southern Washington State, USA. Stands were approximately 20, 40 and 450 years old and measurements were made between June 15 and October 15 of 1998 in the 40- and 450-year-old stands, and of 1999 in the 20- and 450-year-old stands. Our objectives were to determine if there were differences among the stands in: (1) patterns of daytime F(CO2) during summer and early autumn; (2) empirically modeled relationships between local climatic factors (e.g., light, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), soil water content, temperature and net radiation) and daytime F(CO2); and (3) water-use efficiency (WUE). We used the Landsberg equation, a logarithmic power function and linear regression to model relationships between F(CO2) and physical variables. Overall, given the same irradiance, F(CO2) was 1.0-3.9 mol m-2 s-1 higher (P < 0.0001 for both seasons) at the two young stands than at the old-growth stand. During summer and early autumn, F(CO2) averaged 4.2 and 6.1 mol m-2 s-1 at the 20- and 40-year-old stand, respectively. In contrast, the 450-year-old forest averaged 2.2 and 3.2 mol m-2 s-1 in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Increases in VPD were associated with reduced F(CO2) at all three stands, with the greatest apparent constraints occurring at the old-growth stand. Correlations between F(CO2) and all other environmental variables differed among ecosystems, with soil temperature showing a negative correlation and net radiation showing a positive correlation. In the old-growth stand, WUE was significantly greater (P < 0.0001) in the drier summer of 1998 (2.7 mg g-1) than in 1999 (1.0 mg g-1). Although we did not use replicates in our study, the results indicate that there are large differences in F(CO2) among Douglas-fir stands of different ages growing in the same general area, and that variations in age structure and site conditions need to be considered when scaling flux measurements from individual points to the landscape level.


Path generation is an optimization problem mainly performed on grid maps that combines generation of paths with minimization of their cost. Several methods that belong to the class of exhaustive searches are available; however, these methods are only able to obtain a single path as a solution for each iteration of the search. Conversely, while genetic algorithms involving a type of multipoint search methods have been proposed as suitable candidates for this problem with the goal of simultaneously searching for multiple candidate paths, these methods are limited to particular applications, and there are limitations on the types of paths that can be represented. This paper therefore proposes a path generation method that is applicable to more general-purpose applications compared to previous methods based on a new design of the genotype used in the genetic algorithm.


ABSTRACT K1/K2 hvKP strains acquire carbapenem-resistance plasmids, known as CR-hvKp, and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) strains obtain virulence plasmids, recognized as hv-CRKP. The two different evolution patterns of hypervirulent combined carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae may lead to their different prevalence in hospitals. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of hv-CRKP and CR-hvKp strains and to analyze factors influencing their evolution and prevalence. We collected 890 K. pneumoniae genomes from GenBank and 530 clinical K. pneumoniae isolates from nine hospitals. Our study found that hv-CRKP strains were more prevalent than CR-hvKp strains and both were dominated by bla KPC-2 gene. The bla KPC-2-carrying plasmids could mobilize non-conjugative virulence plasmids from hvKp strains to CRKP strains. The conserved oriT of virulence plasmids and the widespread of conjugative helper plasmids were potential factors for the mobilization of non-conjugative virulence plasmids. HvKp strains with KPC plasmid could hardly simultaneously exhibit hypervirulence and carbapenem resistance as CRKP strains with virulence plasmid, and we found that rfaH mutation reduced capsular synthesis and increased carbapenem resistance of the CR-hvKp strain. In summary, this study revealed that hv-CRKP strains were more suitable for survival in hospital settings than CR-hvKp strains and the widespread conjugative KPC-producing plasmids contributed to the emergence and prevalence of hv-CRKP strains.


The development and implementation of a lead-free solder based Multichip Module (MCM) tile assembly technology called AT&T micro-Surface Mount Technology or AT&T /spl mu/SMT is described. This novel technology exploits a unique Sn/Sb solder paste, batch processing and high speed automated flip-chip assembly to achieve high through-put and yield. As a result it is now possible to manufacture highly integrated MCM products in the numbers required to assure a competitive cost by permitting the distribution of capital expenses over a large production volume, and to do so without compromising their inherent advantages in performance and (small) size.<<ETX>>


One of the problems hardly clarified in COVID-19 pandemic crisis is the effective of the pandemic preparedness of countries to cope with COVID-19 and reduce negative effects in society. The study here confronts this problem by proponing the Index of resilience that detects which countries have had the best performance to reduce the negative impact of mortality related to COVID-19 pandemic and the Index of preparedness that assesses performance of countries to support COVID-19 vaccinations and prevent future waves of COVID-19. The application of these indexes on selected European countries suggests that, in average, best-performer countries to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis have a smaller size of population and high level of health expenditures. However, lessons learned from this study are that manifold countries have several biological security weaknesses and low pandemic preparedness. The policy implications are that governments should revise and reinforce, planning, institutions and overall organization devoted to face pandemic threats.


Surfactant molecules such as AOT have amphiphilic properties which result in the formation of molecular aggregates when mixed with polar and apolar solvent such as water and iso-octane respectively. These aggregates can adopt various structures depending on the relative concentrations of the constituents in the ternary mixture. For AOT/Iso-octane/Water molecular systems, X-ray scattering experiments show that the favored structures at rest range from simple isotropic reversed micelles at high iso-octane concentration to complex hexagonal and lamellar anisotropic lyotropic liquid crystal phases when the iso-octane content is decreased. Depending on the water content, the latter lamellar phase exhibits various degrees of topological defects. In the following piece of research we investigate the rheological properties of such microscopically heterogeneous materials. When sheared, these materials show an extremely rich rheological behaviour depending on the defects density. Indeed, whereas the defect free lamellar samples show newtonian flow properties, the emergence of topological defects leads to increasingly time and shear history dependent viscoelastic properties. A preliminary study of the rheological properties of the considered material using transient strain and stress controlled rheometry shows a complex and unusually long transient regime. Given that the level of strain experienced by the material is high enough, both used techniques show that a steady state is finally reached after a rheopectic transition (ie. an increase of the viscosity upon application of either a constant shear rate or shear stress). The structural properties of the material are then investigated at the microscopic and nanoscopic scales by means of flow-birefringence patterns analysis, wide angle x-ray scattering and freeze fracture electron microscopy. The results of the latter two experimental techniques show a transition at the nanoscopic scale from interconnected lamellar structures at rest to lamellar vesicles once the steady state is reached. This transition at the nanoscopic scale is shown to come along with a rearrangement of the topological defects at the microscopic scale by means of flow-birefringence patterns analysis. Moreover, both of these transitions occur after a given critical strain corresponding to the end of the rheopectic transition observed at the macroscopic level. At last, the viscoelastic properties of the shear-induced phase are investigated after a creep flow based procedure allowing to control the shear-history of the material. These measurements indicate that the material behaves as soft jammed systems with controlled yielding and aging properties.


By application of a power function model, fractional intestinal calcium absorption was investigated with a new technique involving whole-body counting after successive oral and intravenous administration of standard doses of 47Ca. The fractional calcium retention 7 days after the oral load of 47Ca was also measured. Fractional calcium retention averaged 30.3% in normal subjects and 11.5% in 11 patients with intestinal malabsorption. In the same groups fractional calcium absorption averaged 46.6% and 16.4%, respectively. Fractional calcium retention and intestinal calcium absorption were significantly correlated to body surface area, and there was a well-defined relation between fractional retention and absorption of calcium...


We consider MlMO schemes with N/sub t/ transmit and N/sub r/ receive antennas using BPSK modulation in quasi-static fading. We show that space-time (ST) bit-interleaving coded-modulation (BICM) approaches mapping binary codes to BPSK ST codes show a loss over coded-modulation (CM) MIMO capacity. This is despite the use of an optimal inner detector and is illustrated using capacity CDFs for the CM and ST-BICM cases. The CDFs are translated to plots of outage probabilities as functions of SNR. For capacity-achieving schemes, these indicate that SNR losses of ST-BICM over CM approaches decrease with N/sub r/ and increase with N/sub t/. Finally, we amend our method for where the outer binary code is only capacity-approaching - we find this provides accurate predictions of FERs for ST-BICM using an outer turbo code.


In recent years, porous materials have attracted significant attention in various research fields because of their structural merits. In particular, well-designed mesoporous structures with two- or three-dimensionally interconnected pores have been recognized as electrode materials of particular interest for achieving high-performance electrochemical capacitors (ECs). In this mini review, recent progress in the design of mesoporous electrode materials for ECs, from electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) and pseudocapacitors (PCs) to hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), and research challenges for the development of new mesoporous electrode materials has been discussed.


In Reply. —Medical news tabloids—or "throwaway journals" or specialty magazines—have existed in an uneasy parallel realm with peer-reviewed scientific journals for some time. Readership studies indicate that these controlled-circulation publications are received and read (or at least scanned) by large numbers of physicians. However, caution has been urged in evaluating original scientific information presented in the tabloids on the grounds that these publications frequently obscure the distinction between extemporaneous clinical observation and proved scientific fact. 1,2 The unreliability, incompleteness, and inaccuracy of reporting by the tabloids thus becomes a crucial issue in evaluating the contribution of these publications to the medical community, as indicated by Mr Croes' correspondence. The burgeoning number of these publications in the last five years, which has threatened the economic survival of many peer-reviewed journals by diverting finite advertising revenue in a shrinking marketplace, has intensified the debate surrounding the tabloids' claim to legitimacy. Tabloids and


The use of herbal medicine (phytopharmaca) has increased manifold because of the safety. Red fruit extract is one of the supplements that has many advantages for health. The efficacy of pre-clinical trial using the rats  induced by iodine deficient ration has proven that 1-2 ml of red fruit extract supplementation with/without KIO3 fortification for 30, 60 and 90 days has potency as anti-goitrogenic herbal medicine. For standarization, however, the extract red fruit has to be tested for the safety in the important organs like livers and kidneys. The research results have  proven that in the normal Sprague Dawley rats, supplementation of 2 ml/day/rat of red fruit extract for 135 consecutive days has.no toxic effect in the livers and kidneys. In hyperplastic goiter Sprague Dawley rats induced by goitrogenic ration, the red fruit extract supplementation has to be in a combination with KIO3 to overcome iodine deficiency disorders and has no-toxic effect to the livers. Therefore, it can be concluded that based on pre-clinical studies using Sprague Dawley rats, the red fruit extract can be categorized as standardized anti-goitrogenic herbal medicine.


ABSTRACT As film is a form of communication that has the potential to reach and affect large audiences internationally and most films have male directors, studying what female directors communicate in their films is important. This paper therefore conducts close readings of the films of Julie Lopes-Curval using Hélène Cixous' l'écriture feminine or French feminism. The films are Bord de mer, Toi et moi, Mères et filles, and le Beau monde. The readings consider characters, plot, dialogue, settings, and visuals to describe how the films communicate female perspectives and concerns, follow the écriture feminine plot, subvert conventional men's language, and communicate femininity and female sexuality. Some particularly innovative aspects of the films are the use of multiple female characters to communicate that all women are different, realistic cinematography to emphasise that events shown could be real, comparisons of abusive and supportive male communication, and a visual that breaks the male gaze.


While many studies have provided evidence of homodimerization and heterodimerization of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), few studies have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) combined with confocal microscopy to visualize receptor dimerization on the plasma membrane, and there have been no reports demonstrating the expression of serotonin receptor dimers/oligomers on the plasma membrane of living cells. In the study presented here, biochemical and biophysical techniques were used to determine if 5-HT(2C) receptors exist as homodimers on the plasma membrane of living cells. Immunoprecipitation followed by Western blotting revealed the presence of immunoreactive bands the predicted size of 5-HT(2C) receptor monomers and homodimers that were detergent and cross-linker sensitive. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) was assessed in HEK293 cells expressing 5-HT(2C) receptors labeled with Renilla luciferase and yellow fluorescent protein. BRET levels were not altered by pretreatment with serotonin. Confocal microscopy provided direct visualization of FRET on the plasma membrane of live cells expressing 5-HT(2C) receptors labeled with cyan (donor) and yellow (acceptor) fluorescent proteins. FRET, assessed by acceptor photobleaching, was dependent on the donor/acceptor ratio and independent of acceptor expression levels, indicating that FRET resulted from receptor clustering and not from overexpression of randomly distributed receptors, providing evidence for GPCR dimers/oligomers in a clustered distribution on the plasma membrane. The results of this study suggest that 5-HT(2C) receptors exist as constitutive homodimers on the plasma membrane of living cells. In addition, a confocal-based FRET method for monitoring receptor dimerization directly on the plasma membrane of living cells is described.