It has been previously described that transcription factor early growth response gene product 1 (EGR-1) functions as a tumor suppressor gene. This study was conducted to demonstrate that EGR-1 induction by phytochemical apigenin and its derivative isovitexin can mediate the growth suppression of the intestinal epithelial tumor cells. Apigenin and isovitexin induced EGR-1 gene expression both in the dose and time-dependent manners. Moreover the induction was relatively late around 9-12 hr after treatment of HCT-116 cells, while several anti-inflammatory agent such as NSAIDS and catechins elicit the EGR-1 gene expression at much earlier time about 1-3 hr after treatment. In terms of signal transduction, ERK1/2 was critical for apigenin-induced EGR-1 gene expression and its promoter activation. When EGR-1 gene expression was blocked with EGR-1 small interference RNA, the cytotoxicity of apigenin in the human epithelial cells was attenuated, suggesting the involvement of EGR-1 in the anti-tumoric activity of apigenin. To link the EGR-1 induction to EGR-1-regulated gene products in colon cancer, NSAID-Activated Gene 1 (NAG-1) was demonstrated to be elevated by apigenin and isovitexin at 24-48 hr after treatment. Taken together, apigenin-activated ERK1/2 mediated EGR-1 gene induction, which was associated with suppression of the cellular viability by apigenin compound.


Notwithstanding the region's relative stability, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is predisposed to numerous threats and accused of being a toothless bulldog. These threats have a potential effect on regional stability and security that will negatively affect the development of democracy which is still at its infancy. The threats are located in high levels of exclusion, inequality and political participation which is fairly weak. Manipulated electoral processes also compound peace and security threats by creating tense political environments. This is coupled with the notion that it is inconceivable to have socioeconomic development in the absence of peace and stability. Informed by the constructivist research paradigm, this study is directed at interrogating the nuts and bolts of managing peace and security mechanisms in the region and provide a strategic focus to help SADC states realise their full potential. The study is informed by the hermeneutic phenomenology together with the strategy theory in security and international relations studies using secondary data. The paper argues that, to address these concerns, it is the development of national and regional capacity for joint action and integration that will yield sustainable measures for mitigating instability and political insecurity. That regional security collaboration involves the requisite infrastructures which should be guaranteed by political obligations. Yet, the SADC Secretariat appears to be feeble to foster effective policy implementation. It is recommended that a common effective security framework be developed which improves collaborative international partnerships and a common foreign policy framework which enhances a collective engagement. With the proviso that, national sovereignty does not prevail over the interests of the region. Otherwise, the success of SADC's conflict management and resolution mechanisms will be forever in limbo.


Time-reversible velocity predictors (TRVPs) with increasing orders of the time-reversibility error are developed to be used with the Verlet integrator for equations of motion with the right-hand side depending on velocities. The method performs outside a possible SHAKE algorithm to constrain bond lengths and does not require repeated SHAKE iterations nor RATTLE. We have tested the TRVPs with the Nosé-Hoover thermostat on four model systems (coupled harmonic and anharmonic oscillators, liquid argon, SPC/E water, and a small peptide), comparing them to the Gear integrator with the Lagrangian formulation of constraint dynamics, the Martyna, Tuckerman, Tobias, and Klein (MTTK) method, and the velocity iteration method. The TRVP method performs similarly to the iteration method. In addition, we discuss three methodology improvements: (i) We tested several formulas for the kinetic energy compatible with the Verlet/SHAKE algorithm and found that the leapfrog velocities are usually the best; (ii) we proposed two modifications of the MTTK method; and (iii) we suggest that thermostats directly controlling the translational kinetic temperature may give more accurate values of some thermodynamic quantities.


Objective The staging and management of patients with newly diagnosed nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the setting of recently diagnosed other (metachronous or synchronous) primary cancer are challenging. This retrospective cohort study was carried out to test our hypothesis that baseline 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT parameters, including whole-body metabolic tumor volume (MTVWB), total lesion glycolysis (TLGWB), and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmaxWB), are associated with the overall survival (OS) of such patients. Patients and methods A total of 110 NSCLC patients (52 men and 58 women, aged 68.6±7.8 years) with other primary malignant cancers who had baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were retrospectively reviewed. MTVWB, TLGWB, and SUVmaxWB were measured. Kaplan–Meier analysis with the log-rank test and Cox regression models were used to assess the association of OS with 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters and clinical risk factors. Results Kaplan–Meier analysis and univariate Cox regression models showed significant associations of OS with ln(MTVWB), ln(TLGWB), ln(SUVmaxWB), TNM stage, and treatment type (surgery vs. no treatment). Multivariable Cox regression models showed a significant relationship of OS with ln(MTVWB) [hazard ratio (HR)=1.368, P=0.001], ln(TLGWB) (HR=1.313, P<0.001), and ln(SUVmaxWB) (HR=1.739, P=0.006), adjusted for age, treatment type, tumor histology, and TNM stage. The TNM stage was not associated significantly with OS when MTVWB, TLGWB, or SUVmaxWB were included in the multivariable models. Conclusion MTVWB, TLGWB, and SUVmaxWB from baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT are associated individually with OS of patients with both NSCLC and other primary malignant tumors independent of age, treatment type, tumor histology, and TNM stage.


SUMMARY Palaeomagnetic and geochronological measurements have been carried out on the late Pleistocene basaltic‐andesitic unit of Monte Chirica‐Costa Rasa, on the island of Lipari (Aeolian Archipelago). The lava flow sequence is about 10 m thick and has been sampled in detail. Magnetic properties are rather uniform; Curie temperatures of 540° to 580°C, and the saturation IRM reached at applied values of 0.1 T point to titanomagnetite as the main magnetization carrier. Thermal and AF demagnetization have shown the presence of secondary magnetization components. These were removed mostly at 450°‐500°C or 20‐30 mT, indicating a highly stable ChRM with directions from transitional to reverse. Where a ChRM could not be isolated by application of the demagnetization techniques, the converging remagnetization circles method gave a mean ChRM value fully comparable with that obtained from other methods. 40Ar/39Ar determinations were performed on two lava flows, in the lower and upper parts of the sequence. The former shows a transitional ChRM direction and a whole-rock age of 157±12 ka, the latter a reverse direction, a whole-rock age of 143±17 ka and a ground-mass age of 128±23 ka. The radiometric data and the reconstructed stratigraphy, which indicate ages of 150±10 ka and 104±3.5 ka, respectively, for the volcanic units at the bottom and top of the Monte Chirica‐Costa Rasa unit, suggest that the reverse directions recorded in Lipari are related to the Blake event.


Objective: Current insulin infusion sets are approved for 2-3 days of wear; however, glucose sensors are approved for 7-14 days of wear. A commonly reported reason for discontinuing use of CGM within 1 year is not wanting to wear devices on two sites of the body. Any attempt to create a combined glucose sensor and infusion set for closed-loop control requires a set with greater longevity. The coated ConvaTec Infusion Set with Lantern Technology is a new infusion set with multiple slits and coating intended to reduce foreign body response and occlusion from bending or kinking. Methods: A pilot safety and extended wear tolerability study is being performed at Stanford University. To date, 15 adult subjects on tethered insulin pump therapy using insulin aspart or lispro have completed the study. Each participant places the set and wears it for 10 days or until set failure to establish a maximum length of infusion set wear when 80% of sets are still functional (excluding accidental "pull-outs"). Infusion set failures are based on: (1) Presence of serum ketones with hyperglycemia; (2) Unexplained hyperglycemia, unresolved with correction dose; (3) Signs of infection at the infusion site; (4) Pump occlusion alarm; and (5) Adhesive failure. Results: Two subjects did not meet failure criteria and were excluded. Of the remaining, 6 (46%) wore the novel infusion set the full 10 days and all sets lasted 7 days or more (mean 8.8 days). 3 premature set failures were associated with persistent hyperglycemia unresponsive to correction boluses on days 7-8, 3 with adhesive failure on days 7-9, and 1 with infection on day 9. Conclusions: In our previous studies assessing 353 infusion set insertions for 7 days, average length of wear was 5.1 ± 1.7 days. Thus far, the novel set has demonstrated increased longevity. The duration of wear established in this pilot study will be used to perform a masked, randomized controlled crossover study comparing the coated ConvaTec Infusion Set with Lantern Technology against standard infusion sets. Disclosure R. Lal: Consultant; Self; Abbott. P.K. Schondorff: Employee; Self; ConvaTec Inc. L. Hsu: None. M. Heschel: Employee; Self; Unomedical a/s. B.A. Buckingham: Advisory Panel; Self; ConvaTec Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., Profusa, Inc. Consultant; Self; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc. Research Support; Self; Beta Bionics, ConvaTec Inc., Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Medtronic MiniMed, Inc., Tandem Diabetes Care. Other Relationship; Self; Insulet Corporation, Tandem Diabetes Care.


The membrane protein profiles of marine budding bacteria belonging to the genus Hyphomonas were determined and analyzed. Hyphomonas spp. synthesized an unusually large number (four or more) of high-apparent-molecular-weight proteins (apparent molecular weight, ≥64,000). Species were compared by using a membrane protein profile index developed for this study. Our results supported the division of extant members of this genus into five species. The membrane protein profile index for Hyphomonas hirschiana and Hyphomonas neptunium was higher than suggested by other phenetic characteristics.


This article elaborates electromagnetic compatibility of medical electrical equipment and the regulatory tests based on related standards. And elaborating the diversity and the necessity of rectification by specific cases and deeply discussing and summing up for improving the compatibility of medical electrical equipment.


This paper addresses the problems in the functioning of Maltese and Slovak companies resulting from the
accession of the two Republics to the Eurozone and the intensification of the global financial crisis. The subject
of inquiry have become the factors that inhibit the possibility of achieving the objectives of the company, the
reasons for the realization of the difficult situation in which they found themselves, and ways to reduce the
company that situation. In discussing the issue, based on the results of surveys conducted among its companies
operating in Malta and Slovakia.


Based on the motion differential equations of vibration and acoustic coupling system for a thin elastic spherical double-shell with several elastic plates attached to the shells, in which Dirac-δ functions are employed to introduce the forces and moments applied by the attachments, and by means of expanding field quantities as the Legendre series, a semi-analytic solution is derived for the solution to the vibration and acoustic radiation from a submerged spherical double-shell. This solution has a satisfying computational effectiveness and precision for arbitrary frequency range excitation. It is concluded that the internal plates attached to shells can change significantly the mechanical and acoustical characteristics of shells, and make the coupling system have a very rich resonance frequency spectrum. Moreover, the present method can be used to study the acoustic radiation mechanism of the type of structure.


This thesis discusses large scale quantum mechanical NMR simulations and fitting works, and deals with biomolecular spin systems. Chapter one introduces the theoretical background that underpins the simulation work. It describes spin and it properties, the interactions of spin with the magnetic field, the environment and it self and the Hamiltonians that describe those interactions. It also covers the Bloch equations that is normally used to predict the longitudinal and transverse relaxations. It further briefly describes the common relaxation mechanisms that are available for a spin system. It also included NMR experiments that are often used in the study of protein and nucleic acid systems. Chapter 2 summarizes the building of J-coupling predictor function. It provides the detail on how the estimator function was built. The function is required for NMR simulations and incorporates the functionality of J-coupling estimation, which provides J-coupling values for proteins and nucleic acids. After building the estimator function NOESY spectra simulation of ubiquitin and RNA stem loops spin systems was performed. Chapter 3 then discusses our simulation method, treating the system quantum mechanically along with an advanced and detailed description of NOE using Redfield relaxation theory. Chapter 4 reports on large–scale simulations and fitting of an exchanging 1H-15N HSQC spectra of calmodulin (PDB: 1CLL) upon stepwise addition of a ligand, that was analysed using a iii formalism that operates in the direct product of spin state space and chemical state space. It also presents the least squares technique for the fitting procedure and the Nelder-Mead simplex minimization technique used in the process. The chapter also highlights the data collated from the fitting work. Finally, chapter 5 concludes the thesis with the simulation of NOESY stem loops RNA spin system and fitting with respect to correlation time and frequency offset. It also explains how we fitted the data from theory to those from the experiment and why the diagonal peaks were eliminated from the fitting .


The problems of lack of stability and difficult sealing of gas drainage boreholes in soft-coal seams directly affect the efficient extraction of gas in these soft-coal seams. After the holes are drilled, the collapsed holes lead to the failure to seal in time, which brings hidden dangers to mine production and causes time and economic waste. In this paper, the viscoelastic mechanics model is used to solve the force of the coal body in the fractured area of the orifice, combined with the theory of the external conditions affecting the collapse of the orifice of the soft-coal seam. The reason for the easy collapse of the borehole of the soft-coal seam is studied, and a reasonable solution is proposed. "Concentric ring" reinforced sealing technology, elaborated from the physical model, technical principles, and processes, was finally carried out in an on-site application test at the N2106 working face of a mining area in Shanxi. The results show that the fracture zone of the soft-coal seam easily enters a stage of rapid deformation under the effect of time. Its strong adsorption behavior, easy expansion, and other characteristics, combined with the violent disturbance of the drill pipe when the drilling is offset, eventually cause the hole to retreat, making it easy to deform and collapse afterward. The test boreholes reinforced and sealed with "concentric rings" have no problem of collapsed holes after retreating. The gas concentration remained above 30% in the first 30 days. The maximum gas purity of the borehole on the 30th day of extraction flow rate reached 0.053 m3/min. It is found that the sealing effect of the "concentric ring" reinforced seal drilling technology is better than that of the traditional sealing technology.


The roots of social work education in South Africa originate from its colonial and apartheid history. However, despite the changes taking place, the legacy of apartheid in South Africa still manifests itself through the education systems, especially in higher education institutions in the rural areas. The aim of this paper is to examine the challenges faced by students in a rural-based university with a focus on social work students doing fieldwork practice. The paper draws on a historical analysis of social work education in South Africa. The qualitative research was conducted in the five districts of Limpopo Province in South Africa. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The findings indicate that students face some challenges, including, limited income, accessibility, lack of clear guidance, motivation and support in carrying out their fieldwork practice.


Introduction: Misregulation of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species by the body's antioxidant system results in oxidative stress, which is known to be associated with aging, and involved in various pathologies including cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. A large variety of low-molecular-weight (LMW) antioxidant compounds and antioxidant enzymes have been proposed to alleviate oxidative stress, but their therapeutic efficacy is limited by their solubility, stability or bioavailability. In this respect, nanoscience-based systems are expected to provide more efficient mitigation of oxidative stress. Areas covered: The main nanoscience-based three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular assemblies, decorated with, or entrapping antioxidant compounds, or which possess intrinsic antioxidant activity are discussed and illustrated with recent examples. Assemblies with different architectures and sizes in the nanometer range serve: i) to deliver LMW antioxidant compounds or enzymes; ii) as antioxidant systems due to their intrinsic activity; and recently iii) to provide a confined space where catalytic antioxidant reactions take place in situ (nanoreactors and artificial organelles). A few insights into the role of antioxidants in mitigating oxidative stress caused by therapeutic compounds or drug carriers are also discussed. Expert opinion: Several challenges must still be overcome in the development of 3D supramolecular assemblies to efficiently fight oxidative stress. First, an improvement of the assemblies' properties and stability in biological conditions has to be addressed. Second, new systems based on the combination of biomolecules or mimics in supramolecular assemblies should provide multifunctionality, stimuli-responsiveness and targeting properties for a more efficient therapeutic effect. Third, comparative studies are necessary to evaluate these systems in a standardized manner both in vitro and in vivo.


Introduction Competence in neonatal resuscitation is often assumed on the basis NLS provider status or previous experience. For trainees commencing a neonatal post this assumption may be unreliable. Methods Junior (ST1-3) and senior (ST4+) trainees with the Leicester Neonatal Service either (re)certified as NLS providers or received a standardised resuscitation assessment. Assessments used: ▶ ST1-3 assessment focusing on basic life support skills and airway positioning. ▶ ST4+ assessment: meconium aspiration, focusing on advanced life support, including intubation of a mannequin. These were performed on delivery suite using standard equipment by two experienced NLS instructors and prospectively recorded on a standardised criterion-referenced proforma. Failure at the first assessment resulted in repeat assessment. Resuscitation records from 2003 to 2010 were independently reviewed by two assessors. Reasons for failure were classified as algorithm, technical or both. Results 262 assessments were performed. 98/160 (61%) of junior trainees and 57/102 (56%) of senior trainees passed their first assessment. The pass rate remained constant over the period studied. 43/62 (69%) juniors and 40/45 (89%) seniors were reassessed with a 79% and 85% pass rate respectively. Junior first fails were 23% algorithm, 34% technical, 43% both while senior were 20%, 27% and 53%. Conclusions A significant portion of trainees previously trained in neonatal resuscitation failed a standardised assessment. Assessment itself is a powerful extrinsic motivating factor as demonstrated by a high reassessment pass rate. Units should consider re-evaluating trainees' competency at the start of a neonatal post.


Modern seismological methods applied to studies of oceanic crustal structures are revealing detailed two-dimensional, sometimes three-dimensional, models. These new models are being constructed in areas where their geology and tectonics are much better defined than before. We are in an era in which researchers are vigourously testing new ideas on how oceanic crusts form, evolve and eventually recycle into mantle or accrete onto land. This requires synthesis of seismological, petrological and geological evidences, including ophiolites. This paper aims to show how seismological models of oceanic crusts are constructed, how seismological parameters are dependent on other parameters, and what is the present view of an oceanic crust.


This study investigated the distribution and diversity of sea urchins along the intertidal zone of Punta Dumalag, Matina Aplaya, Davao City. A total of 100 quadrats (1m x 1 m) spaced 5 m apart, in 3 transects laid perpendicular to the shoreline, recorded a total of 347 individuals, resolved into 5 species, namely, Echinometra mathaei (rock- boring or common sea urchin), Echinothrix calamaris (Hatpin urchin), Diadema setosum (long-spine or "tuyom"), Prionocidaris verticillata (rough spine urchin), and Diadema savignyi. Among the 347 individuals recorded, Echinometra mathaei was the most abundant in the site with a total of 286 individuals. Shannon-Weiner Diversity Analysis (0.602) suggests low species diversity. Physicochemical measurements such as water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and salinity revealed that the study site is suitable for the culture of sea urchins.
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The ability to identify odors predicts morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. It varies by age, gender, and race and is used in the vast majority of survey and clinical literature. However, odor identification relies heavily on cognition. Other facets of olfaction, such as odor sensitivity, have a smaller cognitive component. Whether odor sensitivity also varies by these factors has not been definitively answered. We analyzed data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally representative study of older US adults (n = 2081). Odor identification was measured using 5 validated odors presented with Sniffin' Stick pens as was odor sensitivity in a 6-dilution n-butanol constant stimuli detection test. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression modeled relationships between olfaction and age, gender, race, cognition, education, socioeconomic status, social network characteristics, and physical and mental health. Odor sensitivity was worse in older adults (P < 0.01), without gender (P = 0.56) or race (P = 0.79) differences. Odor identification was also worse in older adults, particularly men (both P ≤ 0.01), without differences by race. Decreased cognitive function was associated with worse odor identification (P ≤ 0.01) but this relationship was weaker for odor sensitivity (P = 0.02) in analyses that adjusted for other covariates. Odor sensitivity was less strongly correlated with cognitive ability than odor identification, confirming that it may be a more specific measure of peripheral olfactory processing. Investigators interested in associations between olfaction and health should consider both odor sensitivity and identification when attempting to understand underlying neurosensory mechanisms.


The present work compared electrocoagulation (EC)/pecan shell (PS) coupling process with a simple electrocoagulation (EC) process for the removal of tetracyclines (TCs). The results indicated that the addition of appropriate PS could lead to the enhancement of the removal efficiency and decrease of operating time via synergistic influence, including conventional EC process, biomass materials adsorption, charge neutralization and coordination adsorption. The ideal condition for the coupling process was 2.5 mA/cm2 for current density and 3 cm for plate spacing. Based on the optimum condition, when the dosage of PS was 5 g/L, the initial concentration of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) and chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTC) was 250 mg/L, the removal rate of PS was 55.90%, 45.10% and 14.98% higher than those of EC process after 40 min treatment. In addition, compared to conventional EC process, the unit energy demand (UED) decreased by 49.62%, 53.2 4% and 26.35% and the unit electrode material demand (UEMD) decreased by 49.80%, 85.65% and 44.37%, respectively, which means more energy conservation and environmental protection.


Investigations of the quasifree reaction A( γ , KY)B are presented in the distorted wave impulse approximation (DWIA). For this purpose, we present a revised tree-level model of elementary kaon photoproduction that incorporates hadronic form factors consistent with gauge invariance, uses SU ( 3 ) values for the Born couplings and uses resonances consistent with multichannel analyses. The potential of exclusive quasifree kaon photoproduction on nuclei to reveal details of the hyperon– nucleus interaction is examined. Detailed predictions for the coincidence cross section, the photon asymmetry, and the hyperon polarization and their sensitivities to the ingredients of the model are obtained for all six production channels. Under selected kinematics these observables are found to be sensitive to the hyperon–nucleus final-state interaction. Some polarization observables are found to be insensitive to distortion effects, making them ideal tools to search for possible medium modifications of the elementary amplitude.  2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


Methods are presented for comparing grades obtained in a situation where students can choose between different subjects. It must be expected that the comparison between the grades is complicated by the interaction between the students' pattern and level of proficiency on one hand, and the choice of the subjects on the other hand. Three methods based on item response theory (IRT) for the estimation of proficiency measures that are comparable over students and subjects are discussed: a method based on a model with a unidimensional representation of proficiency, a method based on a model with a multidimensional representation of proficiency, and a method based on a multidimensional representation of proficiency where the stochastic nature of the choice of examination subjects is explicitly modeled. The methods are compared using the data from the Central Examinations in Secondary Education in the Netherlands. The results show that the unidimensional IRT model produces unrealistic results, which do not appear when using the two multidimensional IRT models. Further, it is shown that both the multidimensional models produce acceptable model fit. However, the model that explicitly takes the choice process into account produces the best model fit.


Cancer belongs to multifactorial diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and proliferation of abnormal cells. Breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and colorectal cancer are the most frequently diagnosed malignancies with a high mortality rate. These carcinomas typically contain multiple genetically distinct subpopulations of tumor cells leading to tumor heterogeneity, which promotes the aggressiveness of the disease. Early diagnosis is necessary to increase patient progression-free survival. Particularly, miRNAs present in exosomes derived from tumors represent potential biomarkers suitable for early cancer diagnosis. Identification of miRNAs by liquid biopsy enables a personalized approach with the subsequent better clinical management of patients. This review article highlights the potential of circulating exosomal miRNAs in early breast, non-small cell lung, and colorectal cancer diagnosis.


It was shown in [Li & Xiao, 2007] that in a predator–prey model of Leslie type with simplified Holling type IV functional response some complex bifurcations can occur simultaneously for some values of parameters, such as codimension 1 subcritical Hopf bifurcation and codimension 2 Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation. In this paper, we show that for the same model there exists a unique degenerate positive equilibrium which is a degenerate Bogdanov–Takens singularity (focus case) of codimension 3 for other values of parameters. We prove that the model exhibits degenerate focus type Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation of codimension 3 around the unique degenerate positive equilibrium. Numerical simulations, including the coexistence of three hyperbolic positive equilibria, two limit cycles, bistability states (one stable equilibrium and one stable limit cycle, or two stable equilibria), tristability states (two stable equilibria and one stable limit cycle), a stable limit cycle enclosing a homoclinic loop, a homoclinic loop...


A unique case of extraskeletal chondroma occurring in the right ring finger of a 51-year-old man is reported. The tumor, measuring 4.0 x 2.2 x 1.5 cm, consisted of chondroid, granuloma-like, and chondroblastic cell zones associated with fine calcification. Immunohistochemically, most of the tumor cells except for multinucleated giant cells were positive for vimentin. Cells positive for S-100 protein were scattered throughout the tumor, and cells positive for alpha-1 antichymotrypsin were observed in the chondroblastic cell zone and in the granuloma-like area. Ultrastructurally, the chondroblastic cells had a characteristic microvillous cell border.


The pricing problem of geometric average Asian option under fractional Brownian motion is studied in this paper. The partial differential equation satisfied by the option's value is presented on the basis of no-arbitrage principle and fractional formula. Then by solving the partial differential equation, the pricing formula and call-put parity of the geometric average Asian option with dividend payment and transaction costs are obtained. At last, the influences of Hurst index and maturity on option value are discussed by numerical examples.


We report nucleation and growth of dense MgB2 phase in two advanced methods for compacting MgB2 powder: hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and resistive sintering (RS). Both methods produce a compact with nearly theoretical mass density and high critical current density: up to 8·105 A/cm2 at 20 K. A liquid phase is responsible for the propagation of dense MgB2. The additions of Mg and Ni are beneficial for rapid formation of dense compact. The process of compacting is further improved by introducing single crystal-dense MgB2 seeds.


Microcredit has been developing rapidly these years and already become one of the ways of financial services as poverty reduction activities in developing countries. As an important supplement to rural finance, microcredit for the peasants has been gradually developed and improved in China as well as other developing countries. In Shaanxi Province, which is one of the first batches of pilot provinces, microcredit also achieved sufficient development. However, in recent years, microcredit companies are facing the challenge of developing sustainably. Based on this background, the paper is to explore the sustainable development model of microcredit companies, and a new model has been proposed to solve the existing problems of its sustainability and innovation.


Background: A century after its discovery, Chagas disease still represents a major neglected tropical threat. Accurate diagnostics tools as well as surrogate markers of parasitological response to treatment are research priorities in the field. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of PCR methods in detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA by an external quality evaluation. Methodology/Findings: An international collaborative study was launched by expert PCR laboratories from 16 countries. Currently used strategies were challenged against serial dilutions of purified DNA from stocks representing T. cruzi discrete typing units (DTU) I, IV and VI (set A), human blood spiked with parasite cells (set B) and Guanidine Hidrochloride-EDTA blood samples from 32 seropositive and 10 seronegative patients from Southern Cone countries (set C). Forty eight PCR tests were reported for set A and 44 for sets B and C; 28 targeted minicircle DNA (kDNA), 13 satellite DNA (Sat-DNA) and the remainder low copy number sequences. In set A, commercial master mixes and Sat-DNA Real Time PCR showed better specificity, but kDNA-PCR was more sensitive to detect DTU I DNA. In set B, commercial DNA extraction kits presented better specificity than solvent extraction protocols. Sat-DNA PCR tests had higher specificity, with sensitivities of 0.05–0.5 parasites/ mL whereas specific kDNA tests detected 5.10 par/mL. Sixteen specific and coherent methods had a Good Performance in both sets A and B (10 fg/ml of DNA from all stocks, 5 par/mL spiked blood). The median values of sensitivities, specificities and accuracies obtained in testing the Set C samples with the 16 tests determined to be good performing by analyzing Sets A and B samples varied considerably. Out of them, four methods depicted the best performing parameters in all three sets of samples, detecting at least 10 fg/ml for each DNA stock, 0.5 par/mL and a sensitivity between 83.3–94.4%, specificity of 85–95%, accuracy of 86.8–89.5% and kappa index of 0.7–0.8 compared to consensus PCR reports of the 16 good performing tests and 63–69%, 100%, 71.4–76.2% and 0.4–0.5, respectively compared to serodiagnosis. Method LbD2 used solvent extraction followed by Sybr-Green based Real time PCR targeted to Sat-DNA; method LbD3 used solvent DNA extraction followed by conventional PCR targeted to Sat-DNA. The third method (LbF1) used glass fiber column based DNA extraction followed by TaqMan Real Time PCR targeted to Sat-DNA (cruzi 1/cruzi 2 and cruzi 3 TaqMan probe) and the fourth method (LbQ) used solvent DNA extraction followed by conventional hot-start PCR targeted to kDNA (primer pairs 121/122). These four methods were further evaluated at the coordinating laboratory in a subset of human blood samples, confirming the performance obtained by the participating laboratories. Conclusion/Significance: This study represents a first crucial step towards international validation of PCR procedures for detection of T. cruzi in human blood samples. Citation: Schijman AG, Bisio M, Orellana L, Sued M, Duffy T, et al. (2011) International Study to Evaluate PCR Methods for Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in Blood Samples from Chagas Disease Patients. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5(1): e931. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000931 Editor: Ana Rodriguez, New York University School of Medicine, United States of America Received May 20, 2010; Accepted December 1, 2010; Published January 11, 2011 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Public Domain declaration which stipulates that, once placed in the public domain, this work may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. Funding: Funding was provided by World Health Organization-Tropical Diseases Research, Panamerican Health Organization (WHO-TDR-PAHO), Universidad de las Naciones Unidas/Biotecnologı́a para América Latina y el Caribe (UNU-BIOLAC), Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y Tecnologı́a (CONICET) PIP 112-200801-09215, National Agency of Science and Technology, PICT 33955, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: email@example.com


In 2012, Nebraska experienced one of the worst droughts since the 1930s, accompanied by abnormally high temperatures. We studied the impacts of the 2012 summer drought on female ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) body condition and baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations (CORT). We hypothesized that drought conditions would reduce pheasant body condition, increase chronic stress resulting in elevated baseline CORT levels, and down-regulate pheasant stress response to acute stressors, resulting in reduced stress-induced CORT concentrations. In southwestern Nebraska, we captured female pheasants in 2012 (pre-drought) and 2013 (post-drought). Pheasants had poorer body condition after the drought. Although female CORT measures were similar among years (baseline: F1,8 = 0.591, P = 0.465; stress-induced: F1,26 = 1.118, P = 0.300), females in poorer condition had elevated baseline CORT (F1,26 = 6.446, P = 0.018) and stress-induced CORT (F1,26 = 8.770, P = 0.006) with potential negative consequences for reproduction. Our results suggest that it is critical for managers to consider how to buffer the negative impacts of drought on pheasant physiology and population growth, as droughts are likely to occur more frequently in southwest Nebraska in the next century.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this article is to explain the evolution of a situation-specific theory developed to enhance understanding of health-related behaviors of Korean Americans (KAs) who have or are at risk for a chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

ORGANIZING CONSTRUCT
The situation-specific theory evolved from an integration of the Network Episode Model, studies of health-related behaviors of people with HBV infection, and our studies of and practice experiences with Asian American individuals with HBV infection.

FINDINGS
The major concepts of the theory are sociocultural context, social network, individual-level factors, illness experience, and health-related behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS
The major propositions of the theory are that sociocultural context, social network, and individual-level factors influence the illness experience, and that sociocultural context, social network, individual-level factors, and the illness experience influence health-related behaviors of KAs who have or are at risk for HBV infection.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
This situation-specific theory represents a translation of abstract concepts into clinical reality. The theory is an explanation of correlates of health-related HBV behaviors of KAs. The next step is to develop and test the effectiveness of a nursing intervention designed to promote behaviors that will enhance the health of KAs who have or are at risk for HBV infection, and that takes into account sociocultural context, social network, individual-level factors, and illness experience.


Transduction of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells in vitro with a gene for human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) results in enhanced expression of key molecules needed for immune recognition. In this study, we investigated the ability of soluble IFN-gamma protein to enhance expression of these key molecules. RCC cells were incubated with and without IFN-gamma, then analyzed by flow cytometry for the percent positive and mean intensity fluorescence (MIF), a measurement of mean antigen density, of HLA-I, HLA-II, ICAM-1, and tumor antigens (URO-2, URO-3, and URO-4). Results were compared to those seen for RCC cells transduced by IFN-gamma. The ability of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to lyse RCC targets was measured using a standard [51Cr]lytic assay. Control cells were 99% (MIF 751) and 98% (MIF 315) positive for HLA-I and ICAM-1, respectively, with 2% (MIF 8) positive for HLA-II. Incubation with IFN-gamma protein resulted in 98% positive HLA-I (MIF 2288), 98% positive ICAM-1 (MIF 1132), and 95% positive HLA-II (MIF 287). The results for the cells incubated with IFN-gamma protein were similar to those for the transduced line. Importantly, the enhanced expression was maintained for several days after irradiation and cryopreservation. Expression of the URO tumor markers was not affected. Protein-treated RCC targets showed superior CTL lysis compared with untreated cells. Our results show that IFN-gamma protein incubation in vitro enhances expression of important immune recognition molecules to levels expressed by transduced cells. Increased expression may enhance tumor recognition by the host's immune system, as in the case of tumor cell vaccines. There may be no advantage to IFN-gamma transduction over in vitro incubation with IFN-gamma protein.


The inclusion of flexible behavior in population models can be viewed as part of the development of a mechanistic population/community framework based on individual-level concepts. Based on short-term experiments and analyses of the dynamics of nonstructured models, trait-mediated indirect effects resulting from flexible behavior have been suggested to have major effects on population and community dynamics. We use physiologically structured population models (PSPMs) to account for and assess the importance of flexible behavior in population models where individuals differ substantially in size. We investigate a consumer–resource system in which a size-structured consumer feeds on two resources that are present in two habitats differing in predation risk (pelagic open water vs. littoral vegetation). We compare two flexible rules that individuals might use to trade off foraging gains and size-dependent mortality risks in the two habitats. One rule maximizes the ratio of growth over mortality, and the other optimizes the expected instantaneous biomass increase.

As a result of strong population feedback, the dynamics and habitat use are qualitatively the same for both rules when open-water mortalities are low, and indeed differ little from a case in which individuals use the two habitats in a fixed proportion. At higher open-water mortalities, the consumers using the two flexible rules show high-amplitude population cycles, whereas consumers using a fixed rule cannot persist. Overall, our results suggest that the behavioral rule used by individuals may be of minor importance, whereas the population feedback is of major importance. In nonstructured models, increased persistence induced by flexible behavior co-occurs with destabilization, as we find here, but the mechanisms behind this pattern are different, driven by cohort cycles rather than by the paradox of enrichment. We argue that extrapolating from experimental data which describe short-term experiments may overemphasize or misrepresent the long-term, population-level effects of flexible behavior. The inclusion of behavior as a proper individual state in physiologically structured population models remains a fundamental issue to solve.

Corresponding Editor: F. R. Adler. For reprints of this Special Feature, see Footnote 1, p. 1081.


Background Next generation sequencing (NGS) generates a large amount of genetic data that can be used to better characterise disease-causing variants. Our aim was to examine allele frequencies of sequence variants reported to cause autosomal dominant inherited retinal diseases (AD-IRDs). Methods Genetic information was collected from various databases, including PubMed, the Human Genome Mutation Database, RETNET and gnomAD. Results We generated a database of 1223 variants reported in 58 genes, including their allele frequency in gnomAD that contains NGS data of over 138 000 individuals. While the majority of variants are not represented in gnomAD, 138 had an allele count of >1 and were examined carefully for various aspects including cosegregation and functional analyses. The analysis revealed 122 variants that were reported pathogenic but unlikely to cause AD-IRDs. Interestingly, in some cases, these unlikely pathogenic variants were the only ones reported to cause disease in AD inheritance pattern for a particular gene, therefore raising doubt regarding the involvement of 11 (19%) of the genes in AD-IRDs. Conclusion We predict that these data are not limited to a specific disease or inheritance pattern since non-pathogenic variants were mistakenly reported as pathogenic in various diseases. Our results should serve as a warning sign for geneticists, variant database curators and sequencing panels' developers not to automatically accept reported variants as pathogenic but cross-reference the information with large databases.


Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) have an increased risk of bacterial skin infections, which cause significant morbidity and, if untreated, may become systemic. Staphylococcus aureus colonizes the skin of most patients with AD and is the most common organism to cause infections. Overt bacterial infection is easily recognized by the appearance of weeping lesions, honey‐coloured crusts and pustules. However, the wide variability in clinical presentation of bacterial infection in AD and the inherent features of AD – cutaneous erythema and warmth, oozing associated with oedema, and regional lymphadenopathy – overlap with those of infection, making clinical diagnosis challenging. Furthermore, some features may be masked because of anatomical site‐ and skin‐type‐specific features, and the high frequency of S. aureus colonization in AD makes positive skin swab culture of suspected infection unreliable as a diagnostic tool. The host mechanisms and microbial virulence factors that underlie S. aureus colonization and infection in AD are incompletely understood. The aim of this article is to present the latest evidence from animal and human studies, including recent microbiome research, to define the clinical features of bacterial infections in AD, and to summarize our current understanding of the host and bacterial factors that influence microbial colonization and virulence.


Mobile phones nowadays are equipped with multiradio interfaces which allow radio link connections to an array of wireless networks. The presence of these interfaces however, introduces serious concerns. These interfaces consume huge amounts of energy thus can quickly drain their batteries and reduce the length of usage of the mobile phones. In this paper, a new activation service is proposed to reduce the energy consumption in mobile phones. The basic idea behind this proposal is to introduce an auxiliary receiver that is able to receive a special signal from the access point and activate the wireless interfaces on the mobile phone. During idle times, the wireless interfaces are switched off to reduce its idle power — the energy a device consumes in 'standby' state. When call or data arrives, the auxiliary receiver will receive notification from an access point and activate the relevant wireless interface on the mobile phone to receive the data or call. Through this activation service, we believe that power consumption can be reduced thus increase the longevity of mobile phone usage.


The ESS-1 study is designed to evaluate the long-term effects of enalapril on cardiopulmonary system of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). During the one year study period 5 visits are scheduled at 3 months intervals. The effect of 3 months treatment with enalapril (10 mg per day) on lung function was studied in 18 patients with SSc (enalapril group) and compared with controls--23 patients with Ssc (placebo group), mean age, SSc duration, gender and % of patients with dcSSc did not differ significantly in both groups. We performed body plethysmography for total airways resistance (Rtot), and static lung volumes (TLC, ITGV and RV), spirometry for FEV1 and FVC and we measured flow parameters (PEF, FEF). We compared initial lung function (first examination) with results after 3 months treatment (second examination) in the enalapril and in the placebo group. Mean values of Rtot, ITGV and RV did not differ significantly in the enalapril group or in the placebo group before and after treatment but FVC, FEV1 and FEF50 were significantly lower in the enalapril group and did not change in the placebo group after three months. We conclude that 3 month treatment with enalapril worsens spirometry of SSc patients. We did not observe any changes in lung functions in the control group in the same three month period.


BACKGROUND
Recent studies suggest that B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is an important predictor of cardiac events in hypertensive patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS
The relationship between the plasma BNP level and various clinical parameters was examined in 154 untreated hypertensive patients without heart failure or atrial fibrillation (mean age: 58.0+/-10.7; mean blood pressure: 164.5+/-15.2/99.1+/-9.7 mmHg; mean BNP: 32.7+/-36.7 pg/ml). First, the patients were divided into 2 groups based on BNP: normal (<18.5 pg/ml, mean 9.7+/-5.7, n=69); or elevated (>18.5 pg/ml, mean 51.4+/-40.4, n=85). The elevated BNP group had a significantly greater electrocardiographic voltage index (SV1+RV5; 3.7+/-1.2 vs 3.2+/-0.8 mV, p=0.0029), cardiothoracic ratio/chest radiography (CTR; 49.1 vs 46.9%, p=0.0037), left ventricular mass index (LVMI; 122.2+/-31.7 vs 103.1+/-26.4 g/m2, p=0.0005) and deceleration time (DT; 241+/-39 vs 208+/-30 ms, p=0.0001), as well as a smaller E-wave to A-wave (E/A ratio) (0.80+/-0.22 vs 0.96+/-0.28, p=0.0003), compared with the normal BNP group. There were no significant differences in casual blood pressure, body mass index, serum creatinine and ejection fraction between the 2 groups. Next, the patients were divided into 3 groups based on BNP: normal (<18.5, n=69), moderate (18.5 to 40, mean 27.0+/-5.7, n=43) and high (40<, mean 76.3+/-45.3, n=42). In the high BNP group, most clinical parameters indicated the most severe organ damage compared with other groups, including SV1+RV5, DT and LVMI. In all patients, logarithmic BNP was positively correlated with the age, pulse pressure, SV1+RV5, CTR, ventricular wall thickness, DT, LVMI and negatively correlated with hemoglobin, renin and E/A ratio. Using multiple regression analysis, renin and DT were significantly associated with BNP. No gender differences in the relationship between BNP and clinical parameters were found.

CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that BNP is a useful indicator for the initial assessment of the severity of essential hypertension, detecting both cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction, and may also be valuable for risk stratification.


The role of autophagy in oncogenesis remains ambiguous and the mechanisms that induce autophagy and regulate its outcome in human cancer are poorly understood. ARHI (DIRAS3), a Ras-related tumor suppressor, is downregulated in >60% of ovarian cancers. Re-expression of ARHI in ovarian cancer cells induces autophagy in culture and in xenografts, by blocking Ras activation and inhibiting PI3 kinase activity. ARHI also participates directly in the formation of autophagosomes by upregulating Atg4 and co-localizing with processed LC-3 II. Here we show that inhibition of PI3 kinase/Akt signaling and Ras activation by ARHI is mediated, in part, by down regulation of EGFR expression and EGFR phosphorylation. Inhibition of these signaling pathways reduced phosphorylation of FoxO3a and enhanced nuclear accumulation of FoxO3a transcription factor, resulting in increased transcription of Atg4, MAP-LC-3, and PUMA. Knockdown of FoxO3a by siRNA reduced ARHI- and rapamycin-induced autophagy. Whereas ARHI inhibits Class I PI3K activity, its expression induces Class III PI3K activity and contributes to the enhanced autophagy. Thus, ARHI-induced autophagy is through activation of the transcription factor FoxO3a, which increases the expression of several autophagy-related genes that contribute to the formation of the autophagic complexes. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3779. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3779


The assessment of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) is the important practices in the teaching and learning process. However, various issues raised in the process of developing assessment task, namely i) the vague and diverse understanding of the HOTS concept. and ii) rely on the verb as a determinant to categorize the thinking ability level in the assessment task. The educators should master the five fundamental principles in the development of good quality and high degree of validity of the assessment tasks. Besides, the educators should hold a clear concept of HOTS which can be viewed from three main categories, namely transfer, critical thinking and problem solving. Various assessment strategies are stated for assessing problem solving, creativity and innovative, and decision-making ability. In the scoring process, apart from the accuracy of facts and answers, the assessor should also emphasize the response structure in terms of the ability to apply, analyze or synthesize the concept or content learned, as well as the ability to understand and use the information provided in the scenario. The detail discussions of the main principles for assessing HOTS, concept of HOTS, various strategies to assess HOTS and scoring the response structure for the HOTS tasks would provide a thorough and comprehensive overview of the HOTS task development process. This information is very vital for the educators and teachers who should play the role as professional assessors.


Inflammation and oxidative stress are essential components in a myriad of pathogenic entities that lead to metabolic and chronic diseases. Moreover, inflammation in its different phases is necessary for the initiation and maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. Therefore, an equilibrium between a necessary/pathologic level of inflammation and oxidative stress during pregnancy is needed to avoid disease development. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are important for a healthy pregnancy and a good neonatal outcome. Their role in fetal development during challenging situations is vital for maintaining the equilibrium. However, in certain conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases, it has been observed that HDL loses its protective properties, becoming dysfunctional. Bioactive compounds have been widely studied as mediators of inflammation and oxidative stress in different diseases, but their mechanisms of action are still unknown. Nonetheless, these agents, which are obtained from functional foods, increase the concentration of HDL, TRC, and antioxidant activity. Therefore, this review first summarizes several mechanisms of HDL participation in the equilibrium between inflammation and oxidative stress. Second, it gives an insight into how HDL may act as a vector for bioactive compounds. Third, it describes the relationships between the inflammation process in pregnancy and HDL activity. Consequently, different databases were used, including MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus, where scientific articles published in the English language up to 2023 were identified.


Education is highly valued in the Air Force, with the acquisition of highly specialised skills and expertise being an integral component of one's career progression. Training comes in various forms, including mandatory, specialist, on-the-job, and professional military education. In addition to these forms of training, members of the Air Force have access to opportunities for scholarship, where they can apply for graduate programs at Masters and PhD level through civilian universities. These programs afford individuals the chance to focus on a particular "problem" for Defence, dedicating an extended period of time to research and scholarship.


In the Papaloapan River two freshwater prawns with abbreviated development have been recorded: Macrobrachium villalobosi (a stygobitic species) and Macrobrachium totonacum (an epigeal species). In this paper we describe four new species from this genus, and the distribution of these six species along the river basin. M. oaxacae nov. sp. occurs in the River La Junta, and together with M. cosolapaense nov. sp. is geographically close to the stygobitic species and M. totonacum, but differs from these in the following aspects: pigmentation, the number of rostral spines, and the relative proportions of the articles of the second pereiopod, of appendix masculina and appendix interna, and the number of spines on the appendix masculina. Macrobrachium mazatecum nov. sp. lives in two streams in Veracruz: the first close to Tierra Blanca Veracruz and the second on the Zapotal Veracruz near Mpio. Lerdo de Tejada. This species was also recorded in two springs near Valle Nacional Oaxaca, and differs from M. oaxacae nov. sp. and M. cosolapaense nov. sp. in the number of rostral spines, and the relative proportions on the articles of second pereiopod, of appendix masculina and appendix interna, and of the spines on the appendix masculina. Finally, Macrobrachium jacatepecense nov. sp. occurs only in a spring near Jacatepec, Oaxaca. This species differs from the other species in the relative proportions of the articles of the second pereiopod: however, it is very close to Macrobrachium oaxacae nov. sp. in the number of rostral spines, but based on the geographical distribution of both species and other features, it is clearly a different species. In this Papaloapan River basin, the distribution of this complex of species is very limited, because the various populations live in very restricted areas associated with springs or small streams, and without direct interconnections. All these new species are comparable with the epigeal Macrobrachium species in the southeast of Mexico that have abbreviated larval development.


In recent years, there has been a marked increase in interest in biodegradable materials for use in packaging, agriculture, medicine, and other areas. In particular, biodegradable polymer materials (known as biocomposites) are of interest. Polymers form the backbones of plastic materials, and are continually being employed in an expanding range of areas. As a result, many researchers are investing time into modifying traditional materials to make them more user-friendly, and into designing novel polymer composites out of naturally occurring materials. A number of biological materials may be incorporated into biodegradable polymer materials, with the most common being starch and fiber extracted from various types of plants. The belief is that biodegradable polymer materials will reduce the need for synthetic polymer production (thus reducing pollution) at a low cost, thereby producing a positive effect both environmentally and economically. This paper is intended to provide a brief outline of work that is under way in the area of biodegradable polymer research and development, the scientific theory behind these materials, areas in which this research is being applied, and future work that awaits.


An annual runoff forecasting method is presented based on unit root test,cointegration test and error correction model of the upper and lower reaches of the Second Songhua River.The method of cointegration analysis is applied to the annual runoff data of the Baishan and Fengman hydrology Stations;then the error correction model is set up,which can predict the annual runoff of Fengman hydrology Station from 1989 to 1998.The results show that the model based on cointegration analysis and error correction is suitable in runoff forecasting.


A university course timetabling problem is a combination of optimization problems. The problems are more challenging when a set of events need to be scheduled in the time slot, to be located to the suitable rooms, which is subjected to several sets of hard and soft constraints. All these constraints that exist as regulations within each resource for the event need to be fulfilled in order to achieve the optimum tasks. In addition, the design of course timetables for universities is a very difficult task because it is a non-deterministic polynomial, (NP) hard problem. This problem can be minimized by using a Micro Genetic Algorithm approach. This approach, encodes a chromosome representation as one of the key elements to ensure the infeasible individual chromosome produced is minimized. Thus, this study proposes an encoding chromosome representation using one-dimensional arrays to improve the Micro Genetic algorithm approach to soft constraint problems in the university course schedule. The research contribution of this study is in developing effective and feasible timetabling software using Micro Genetic Algorithm approach in order to minimize the production of an infeasible individual chromosome compared to the existing optimization algorithm for university course timetabling where UNITAR International University have been used as a data sample. The Micro Genetic Algorithm proposed has been tested in a test comparison with the Standard Genetic algorithm and the Guided Search Genetic algorithm as a benchmark. The results showed that the proposed algorithm is able to generate a minimum number of an infeasible individual chromosome. The result from the experiment also demonstrated that the Micro Genetic Algorithm is capable to produce the best course schedule to the UNITAR International University.


Antibodies directed to amino acids 877–894 (M-18) and 32–51 (K-20) were used to localize leptin receptor by immunocytochemistry in mouse brain. Both antibodies stained several hypothalamic nuclei (paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, supraoptic retrochiasmatic nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, preoptic area, ventromedial nucleus, dorsomedial nucleus, lateral hypothalamus, arcuate nucleus, ventral and dorsal premammillary nuclei), the thalamic and amygdaloid nuclei, neurons of the neocortex and archicortex and the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. While M-18 staining was concentrated in the Golgi area, with K-20 it was dispersed in the cytoplasm. Glial cells were stained only by K-20. These results suggest that the trans-membrane forms of the receptor are concentrated at the membrane level of the Golgi complex of neurons and in epithelial cells of the choroid plexus while the soluble form is dispersed in their cytoplasm. Glial cells express only the soluble form.


A 25-day-old girl born from consanguineous parents presented with seizures. She was apyretic, and, except for axial hypotonia, her neurological examination was normal. A cerebral scan and cardiac and abdominal ultrasonography did not detect any abnormality. First-line biological investigations showed hypoketotic hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia [glucose, 1 mmol/L (18 mg/dL); reference, 4–6 mmol/L (70–110 mg/dL); insulin, 19.32 mUI/L; reference, 2.00–12.00 mUI/L] and a constant hyperlactatemia (5.7 mmol/L; reference, 0.5–2.2 mmol/L). Cortisol (258 nmol/L; reference, 250–800 nmol/L), ammonia (34 μmol/L; reference, <35), bicarbonate (21 mmol/L; reference, 22–30 mmol/L), and free fatty acids (459 μmol/L; reference, 250–800 μmol/L) were within the normal intervals. The inappropriate insulin secretion, along with postprandial hypoglycemia in a patient of consanguineous parents, suggested congenital hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Thus, complementary investigations were performed, including a plasma acylcarnitine profile and urine organic acid analysis using GC-MS.

Postprandial hypoglycemia usually results from an alteration of insulin secretion by the pancreatic β cells. Several rare diseases may trigger insulin secretion by disrupting mitochondrial energy metabolism regulation underlying insulin release such as deficiencies in sulfonylurea receptor 1, inward-rectifier potassium channels, …


Authors' contribution Wkład autorów: A. Study design/planning zaplanowanie badań B. Data collection/entry zebranie danych C. Data analysis/statistics dane – analiza i statystyki D. Data interpretation interpretacja danych E. Preparation of manuscript przygotowanie artykułu F. literature analysis/search wyszukiwanie i analiza literatury G. Funds collection zebranie funduszy Summary Background. Physical activity plays an immensely significant role in the prevention and treatment of diseases that often lead to premature death. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between physical activity of adults and determinants of their financial situation such as steady income, per capita income, savings, and indebtedness. Material and methods. The study was carried out between 2014 and 2015 in Wrocław, Poland on a group of 4332 residents aged 18 to 64 years. The respondents' habitual physical activity levels and income status were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and the author's own Socio-Economic Status of Working Age People Questionnaire (S-ESQ), respectively. Results. There are positive correlations between physical activity level and socio-economic status. Steady income and per capita income are two determinants of differences in physical activity in individuals over 44 years of age. The highest level of physical activity was noted in adults with a steady income of more than USD 542 per month. respondents with savings were also more physically active than their counterparts without savings. Finally, Wrocław residents who were without debts and who were aged 18-44 years were more physically active than were financially indebted residents. Conclusions. Actions should be undertaken to enhance physical activity of those adults remaining in a poor socio-economic situation.


The study of rotating-disk heat-flow problems is relevant to computer storage devices, rotating machineries, heat-storage devices, MHD rotators, lubrication, and food-processing devices. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of a Hall current and motile microorganisms on nanofluid flow generated by the spinning of a disk under multiple slip and thermal radiation conditions. The Buongiorno model of a nonhomogeneous nanofluid under Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis was applied. Using the Taylor series, the effect of Resseland radiation was linearized and included in the energy equation. By implementing the appropriate transformations, the governing partial differential equations (PDEs) were simplified into a two-point ordinary boundary value problem. The classical Runge–Kutta dependent shooting method was used to find the numerical solutions, which were validated using the data available in the literature. The velocity, motile microorganism distribution, temperature, and concentration of nanoparticles were plotted and comprehensively analyzed. Moreover, the density number, Sherwood number, shear stresses, and Nusselt number were calculated. The radial and tangential velocity declined with varying values of magnetic numbers, while the concentration of nanoparticles, motile microorganism distribution, and temperature increased. There was a significant reduction in heat transfer, velocities, and motile microorganism distribution under the multiple slip conditions. The Hall current magnified the velocities and reduced the heat transfer. Thermal radiation improved the Nusselt number, while the thermal slip conditions reduced the Nusselt number.


Due to its effect on the time available for host selection and learning, butterfly age is expected to alter the degree of host specificity and potentially niche breadth. Here, we use the small cabbage white, Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), to test the effect of age on ovipositional specificity and decision-making time. Specifically, we examined the ovipositional behavior of P. rapae 4, 8, and 12 days post-emergence. Females were recorded in thirty-minute trials using leaves of two hosts, mustard leaves, Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., and collard greens, Brassica oleracea L. Acephala group, and the non-host common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L.. Subsequently, we measured the duration of drumming events (a proxy for decision-making time) and whether the leaves were accepted or rejected as ovipositional substrates. As would be expected if prior experience influenced ovipositional behavior, we saw a reduction in the duration of drumming events as females aged. In particular, we saw a reduction in duration of drumming events when rejecting the non-host between days 4 and days 8 and 12. We also detected a decrease in drumming time between days 4 and 8 when accepting hosts, but an increase in drumming time between days 8 and 12 when accepting hosts. These results suggest both an increased ability to recognize hosts and an increase in selectivity with age.


In conventional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems, the image of a moving target is usually mislocated. This is because the Doppler shift of the moving target is determined not only by its geometric location but also by its velocity. After range compression and auto-focusing, the Doppler frequency of the moving target is still time varying and the Doppler centroid is shifted. As a result, the SAR image of a moving target is smeared and the image location of the target may not reflect its true geometric location. In this paper, a dual-speed SAR imaging approach, i.e., the radar platform flies with two different speeds in the radar observation time duration, is proposed to resolve the above two problems, especially mislocation of a moving target.


An extensive survey was conducted in Coimbatore and Dharmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu from June, 2017 to May, 2018 to determine the species diversity and relative abundance of fruit flies in gourds viz., snake gourd (Trichosanthes anguina L.), ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula L.) and bitter gourd (Momardica charantia L.). The maximum species diversity of fruit flies was 0.15, recorded in Coimbatore in snake gourd. Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillet) (Diptera: Tephritidae) being predominant species (>95%) in both Dharmapuri and Coimbatore followed by Dacus ciliatus (Loew) (5%). The relative abundance of B. cucurbitae was high in all the three gourds at both locations. The diversity index, richness and evenness index were computed for both locations and it has concluded that fruit fly diversity was high in Coimbatore (0.06, 0.15 and 0.21, respectively) compared to Dharmapuri. Results of the present investigation may be utilized in developing a sustainable fruit fly management strategy in cucurbitaceous vegetable ecosystem.


Jodhpur is well known city of Rajasthan state in India and is a tourist place. Jodhpur is surrounded by industrial areas and defence installations. Air pollution is now becoming a challenge to the administration of a city because of its adverse effects on human beings. In this study four monitoring stations were selected to find pollution level in the ambient air. Air Quality Index was calculated by considering five pollutant parameters i.e. SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, CO at all monitoring stations. Minimum, average and maximum air quality index were calculated at each industrial area monitoring stations. It was observed that PM10 and PM2.5 are responsible air pollutants which governs the air quality index. In this study duration weather was clear and wind direction was either from North direction or from North-East direction. SCREEN3 Air Dispersion Model was used to find the pollutant concentration with increasing distances from area sources. Modelled AQI was also calculated before and after overlapping zone using SCREEN3 Air Dispersion Model. It was observed that air pollution from one industrial area is interfering the AQI of other industrial area.


Given the emphasi's on programs for the enhancement of self-concept and achievement, it is critical that adequate validation studies be executed. A sample of fifthand sixth-grade low SES black children was administered the Stanford Achievement Test and the Sears SelfConcept Inventory. Regression analyses were used to explore the structure of the nomological network embracing academic self-concept, social self-concept, and achievement. A hierarchical model of selfconcept is proposed, and implications are drawn for programs focusing on increasing achievement and enhancing self-concept in minority group children.


Abstract—The effect of linear stability analysis of triple diffusive convection in a vertically oscillating viscoelastic liquid of Oldroyd-B type is studied. The correction Rayleigh number is obtained by using perturbation method which gives prospect to control the convection. The eigenvalue is obtained by using perturbation method by adopting Venezian approach. From the study, it is observed that gravity modulation advances the onset of triple diffusive convection.


Purpose of review This review examines the diagnostic and prognostic performance of the standard exercise treadmill test (ETT) in comparison to stress imaging procedures. This topic is timely and relevant due to increasing healthcare expenditures and the substantially lower cost of the ETT. Recent findings The most important goal of noninvasive testing is to identify patients with left main or three-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) or severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 35%. These patient subsets demonstrate a survival advantage when treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (severe CAD) or a defibrillator (LVEF <35%). This benefit is not present for patients with one-vessel or two-vessel CAD or preserved LVEF. For patients who have a normal resting ECG, studies have shown that the standard ETT is as accurate as imaging for identifying these high-risk patients. Outcome of patients with a low-risk exercise treadmill score is excellent. Summary The standard ETT should be the initial test in patients presenting for evaluation of CAD with the following characteristics: (1) ability to exercise adequately; (2) normal resting ECG; and (3) no prior revascularization. Applying this strategy should not sacrifice prognostic accuracy and should result in significant cost savings.


The concept of e-governance indicates, in the powerful synthesis provided by Heeks (2001), "the ICT-enabled route to good governance": it refers, indeed, to the wide system of solutions for public administration that are based on the toolkits of digital technology. As it emerges from an important problematization operated by Unsworth (2005), the idea of "good governance" does not merely coincide with the maximization of public cost efficiency; instead, it can be identified with the achievement of a complicated balance, between state effectiveness in control and policymaking and downward accountability of the state to its citizens. On the one hand, in those nations where economic efficiency constitutes the main objective of public management, e-governance tends to be seen primarily as a means to speed up the mechanisms of bureaucracy. Yet, when we shift the focus on countries that suffer from institutional frailty, the dimension of accountability, and of the transparent functioning of public administration, necessarily emerges as a primary objective of any intervention within the sphere of government.


With a wealth of colour photographs taken specially for this volume, this book clarifies the nature and variety of chairs and seating in Britain from 1500 to 1700. Unusually, all the illustrations are accompanied by the dimensions of the pieces, and attention is drawn to restorations or missing parts or replacements, as well as to rare, fine or particularly interesting features. The author, Tobias Jellinek, handled and examined every piece illustrated. "Fine Seating in Britain" will help the new or wary enthusiast get to grips with some of the difficulties in authenticating old furniture, and by example and explanation will demonstrate what serious buyers should be looking for. It also displays the superb quality and fascinating range of the finest furniture of this period.


Beyond the "myeloplax tumor", other tumoral bony lesions, essentially benign, present "osteoclast-like" giant multinuclear cells at the time of the anatomo-pathologic examination. Generally, the differential diagnosis of these bony lesions with giant cells is due to the conjunction of several data such as the age of appearance of the lesion, bony location, radiological aspect, anatomopathological aspect, etc.


Abstract A variable structure model reference adaptive control for plants with relative degree greater than one and unknown high frequency gain sign is proposed. A switching scheme is introduced based on a monitoring function designed for the first auxiliary error of the close loop system. It is shown that under the supervision of the monitoring function, the switching stops after at most a finite number of switchings and the tracking error converges to a residual set that can be made arbitrarily small by appropriately choosing some design parameters.


Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. hebarum colonized painted metal surfaces of covering panels and register vents of heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. Hyphae penetrated the paint film and developed characteristic conidiophores and conidia. The colonies were tightly appressed to the metal surface and conidia were not readily detectable via standard air sampling procedures.


The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) is an invaluable probe of the conditions of the early universe. Recent measurements of its spatial anisotropy have allowed accurate determinations of several fundamental cosmological parameters, such as the curvature of the universe, the shape of the spectrum of primordial density fluctuations, and the contribution of baryons, dark matter, and dark energy to the overall energy density of the universe. In addition to being spatially non-uniform, the CMB is theorized to be slightly polarized. Measurements of this polarization, particularly at large angular scales, have the potential to provide information on primordial gravitational waves, theories of inflation, and the ionization history of the universe, as well as help further constrain cosmological parameters. Polarization has not yet been detected in the CMB. This thesis describes a recent search for CMB polarization at large angular scales, conducted in the spring of 2000 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After a general introduction on both CMB polarization and general microwave polarimetry, details of the experiment itself are given, as well as a full description of the data selection and analysis techniques. Using these techniques, our data lead to a new upper limit on CMB polarization at large angular scales of 10 μK in both Eand B-type polarization at 95% confidence. If B-polarization is assumed to be zero, the limit for E-type polarization is lowered to 8 μK. This experiment is the first of a new breed of highly-sensitive instruments that will one day map out this interesting property of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation.


There is a lots of route of drug delivery, but today one of them, the ocular drug delivery system becomes the most compulsive and attractive attempt in front of pharmaceutical scientists. Ocular drug delivery has always been a formidable task in the area of pharmaceutical research due to distinctive structure and function of the eye. Different attempt in ocular drug delivery have been made to enhance the bioavailability and to increase the contact time of topically applied drugs to the eye. In an ophthalmic dosage form the less bioavailability is due to the tear production, achieving less absorption, short term residence time, and less permeability of corneal epithelium. Immediate pre-corneal elimination is a biggest problem in ocular drug delivery. In order to solve this problem, researchers developed a new system; in-situ gel forming system. This formulation undergoes phase transition in the eye to form gel, thus prolonging the precorneal contact time which will result in enhance ocular bioavailability for prolonged therapeutic action ointment, suspensions and gelled systems are also used.


The sharing of travel experiences has become ubiquitous in today's era. This study focuses on a pervasive trend among Millennial consumers: the experience of benign envy toward others' positive travel experience sharing on social networking sites. Drawing on social comparison theory, the current study reveals why and under what conditions others' positive experience sharing may trigger Millennial consumers' destination visit intention. Using a mixed experimental design, this study finds that, among consumers with low trait self-esteem, luxury travel experiences shared by similar others stimulate focal consumers' own intentions to visit the same destination. In addition, destination visit intention is triggered by benign envy toward the experience sharer. Important theoretical insights are provided regarding peer influence mechanism on social networking sites and travel consumption. Finally, managerial implications for destination marketers are presented with a focus on how to improve the effectiveness of social media marketing in targeting Millennials.


Modern processors mostly use cache to hide the memory access latency, so cache performance is very important to application program. A detailed cache performance analysis will provide programmers a clear view of their program behaviors, which can help them to identify the performance bottleneck and to optimize the source code. As the chip industry turn to integrate multiple cores into one chip, multi-core/many-core processor becomes the new approach to maintain the Moor's Law. Therefore, Parallel programs turn to be more important even in the personal computers. In parallel programs, the interaction between tasks is the source of bugs and errors and is hard to handling for most of programmers. The detailed cache behaviors will greatly helpful to the programmer to find the errors and optimize the programs. However, the existing cache performance analysis tools, due to the limitations of the hardware performance counters they depend on to get data, cannot get as much data as we expected. Those tools cannot reveal the program routines characteristics on shared cache and the source of cache misses with limited metrics on cache misses. In this paper, we propose a method to obtain and analysis real time cache performance with binary instrumentation and cache emulation. We instrument the parallel program while it is running, and get the trace data about memory access. Then we transport the trace data to an carefully configured cache emulation module to get the detailed cache behavior information. The emulation module can not only get more information than hardware performance counter but also can be configured to simulate different target hardware environment. Additionally, we use the performance data to form a group of cache performance metrics which can intuitively help programmers to optimize their codes. The accuracy of this method is demonstrated by comparing the summary result with the hardware performance counter. Finally, we design an cache performance analysis tool named CC-Analyzer for parallel programs. Comparing with the existing technologies, CC-Analyzer is able to analyze the cause of cache misses and gather much more performance statistics when the parallel program is running on different cache architectures.


The physician compliance is determined by knowledge, skill and behaviour. In 103 physicians working in the basic medical care investigations of the compliance were performed. Partly clear deviations from the guidelines recommended were found in the habits of diagnostics and therapy. These deviations frequently concerned even the majority of the physicians asked for. While the knowledge can relatively easily be judged according to objective criteria, the behaviour is difficult to be measured. Of 4 physicians with comparable knowledge concerning the clinical picture of hypertension the influence of the behaviour of the physician on the success of therapy was investigated during a psycho-physiologically orientated group therapy and the breath-induced relaxation training. The univariate and discriminance-analytic investigations as well as the factor analyses showed the behaviour of the physician as essentially determinating for the success of the therapy. The determination of the physician compliance gives the possibility to recognize still existing insufficiencies in the treatment of hypertension. It serves for the further optimization of the therapy of hypertension. Measures increasing the compliance among others can be derived also for the training and further training.


Abstract The search for effective and efficient climate policy has led to a major expansion in the use of market-based instruments and voluntary agreements (New Environmental Policy Instruments [NEPIs]) at national and international levels. Yet, despite the prevalence of these instruments as an outcropping of the broader shift toward neoliberal approaches to environmental policies, tremendous diversity exists in the way signatories to the Kyoto Protocol have deployed NEPIs. Drawing on recent geographical and political science research on the neoliberalization of nature, this article reexamines reasons for geographical variations in market environmentalism and, in particular, the role of national policy styles in refracting neoliberal influence on environmental policy. In so doing, I argue that policy styles are too frequently conceptualized in terms of state processes, overlooking complex and territorialized social relations between regulators and regulated parties. To illustrate this claim, I compare the implementation of climate policy in the United Kingdom and Germany, exploring the effects of national policy styles on NEPI deployment, factors contributing to industry reactions to market-based and voluntary measures, and how national policy styles color these evaluations. This is used to argue that understanding geographical variations in market environmentalism requires greater appreciation of the role of industry groups in the creation, defense, and evolution of national policy styles. I conclude by reflecting on the study's implications for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.


After a migration process, people begin to yearn for the settledness of their previous lives; this includes those in the education process. After the crisis in Syria, millions of refugees came to Turkey, in that, many of whom were students. The students started to enrol and although the schools' curricula are in Arabic, students of these schools must pass a university entrance exam in the Turkish language to apply. There is also a quota limitation imposed on foreign students in universities. As these obstacles evoke extra-migratory stress among young refugees, the psychosocial support (PSS) needs become even more pronounced. The PSS workshop series outlined in this field report was conducted for Syrian students as they prepare for university admission. The series aimed to support participants to deal with this stressful process through six sessions using art and creativity methods and social theatre tools, including drama therapy games and forum theatre techniques. Through such techniques, the participants were encouraged to express their fears and future anxieties as well as find solutions for self-defined obstacles.


SIGNIFICANCE Placido disc–based videokeratography is one of the most extensively used methods for corneal topographic assessments in keratoconus. Anterior corneal wavefront analysis has been demonstrated to be an effective tool to manage keratoconus eyes. However, currently, there is no clinically adequate classification system for keratoconus. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to analyze the usefulness of anterior corneal high-order aberrations in keratoconus classification provided by Placido disc–based videokeratography conducting a cross-validation analysis. METHODS Corneal topography of 70 normal and 77 keratoconic eyes (divided according to the Amsler-Krumeich classification [n = 21, stage 1; n = 30, stage 2; and n = 26, stage 3]) was assessed using Placido disc–based videokeratography (Oculus Keratograph [Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany]). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to compare the mean values of coma, trefoil, tetrafoil, secondary astigmatism, spherical aberration, and coma-like, third-, and fourth-order root mean square (RMS) to calculate cutoff values, sensitivity, and specificity to discriminate between normal and stage 1 keratoconus eyes and between each keratoconus stage after cross-validation analysis. RESULTS All wavefront aberrations were significantly different between the normal and keratoconus groups (P ≤ .01). The coma and third-order RMS values (cutoff values, 0.367 and 0.359 μm, respectively) provide better sensitivity (99 and 100%, respectively) and specificity (100%) to discriminate keratoconus (stage 1) from healthy eyes compared with trefoil, tetrafoil, secondary astigmatism, spherical aberration, and coma-like and fourth-order RMS values (sensitivity >84% and specificity >57%). The coma and third-order RMS values showed the highest specificity (100%) and great sensitivity (90 and 87%, respectively) to differentiate between stages 1 and 2 and good sensitivity (97 and 100%) and specificity (81 and 88%) to differentiate between stages 2 and 3. CONCLUSIONS Anterior corneal high-order aberrations, specifically coma and third-order RMS, could be useful in keratoconus diagnosis and topographical classification. These new cutoff values could improve different stages of keratoconus eyes discrimination.


"Weinstein explores the attitudes and organizations of artists and architects in Berlin, Munich, and Dresden in response to the tumultuous events associated with the end of WWI and the (failed) Revolution. She traces the initial excitement and zeal and then the disillusionment as utopian dreams were dimmed by social, political, and military realities as well as by inherent contradiction within the arts movements itself. The accompanying b&w illustrations, fascinating in themselves, directly depict textual themes." "Booknews""


The 3-aminoquinzolinediones represent a new series of antibacterial agents structurally related to the fluoroquinolones. They are inhibitors of bacterial gyrase and topoisomerase IV and demonstrate clinically useful antibacterial activity against fastidious Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms, including multidrug- and fluoroquinolone-resistant organisms. These agents also demonstrate in vivo efficacy in murine systemic infection models.


A modern electronic device is a complex 3-D structure that consists of millions of components for each single integrated circuit (IC) chip. This complex and delicate device requires effective encapsulation and packaging to ensure its long-term reliability. This device encapsulant requires not only excellent electrical and physical properties, but also suitable mechanical properties for hostile and extreme temperature cycling requirements (from -65/spl deg/ to 150/spl deg/C). Hence, the mechanical and thermal behavior of the encapsulant plays a critical role in device reliability. Low stress encapsulants are the preferred choice for microelectronic packaging. Silicone-based materials, either the elastomers or gels, with their low modulus and excellent electrical properties, are the best encapsulants. However, the intrinsic low modulus silicone provides weak mechanic protection for the IC device. We have, however, modified the silicone material with a high loading of silica to improve its mechanical and physical properties. This high-silica filler loading material improves not only its mechanical property, but also its modulus. Furthermore, this modified high modulus silicone material tends to have microcracks during the high temperature thermal cycling testing that generates the device reliability problem. In this paper, we will describe a modified version of the thermal-mechanical enhanced silicone-based encapsulant, its material formulation, curing process, thermal mechanical failure and its protecting mechanisms, and its application. >


Semantic similarity and relatedness between concepts have been extensively studied in different areas ranging from psychology to computational linguistics. In this paper we address the problem of determining the similarity between concepts defined in a knowledge source such as an ontology. We propose a concept similarity algorithm based on geometric models for representing concepts and relationships, which can be applied to different types of ontologies. The key idea is the concept weighting scheme which allows for quantifying the degree of abstractness of concepts. The evaluation settings involving two ontologies validate and highlight the advantages of the proposed approach. Using our measure, which closely resembles the human judgment of similarity, we can reliably recreate predefined concept clusters, and generate more informative concept paths.


Foliage density and leaf area index are important vegetation structure variables. They can be measured by several methods but few have been tested in tropical forests which have high structural heterogeneity. In this study, foliage density estimates by two indirect methods, the point quadrat and photographic methods, were compared with those obtained by direct leaf counts in the understorey of a wet evergreen forest in southern India. The point quadrat method has a tendency to overestimate, whereas the photographic method consistently and ignificantly underestimates foliage density. There was stratification within the understorey, with areas close to the ground having higher foliage densities.


This paper studies energy-efficient joint coordinated beamforming and antenna selection in multi-cell multi-user multigroup multicast multiple-input single-output systems. We focus on interference-limited scenarios, e.g., when the number of radio frequency (RF) chains is of the same order as the number of multicasting groups. To tackle the interference, we exploit rate-splitting to divide the group messages into common and group-specific sub-messages. We propose a per-cell rate-splitting approach, where the common message is locally designed to be decoded by the in-cell users, while treated as noise by the out-cell users. We consider the case where the number of RF chains is smaller than that of antennas, and consider a switching architecture, that is, the antenna selection is employed to choose the best antennas for transmission. Numerical results illustrate the potential of the proposed approach to significantly improve the energy efficiency in the interference-limited regime.


A significant subset of patients with heart failure (HF) experience small to moderate rise in serum creatinine (RSC) in the setting of otherwise beneficial therapies such as aggressive diuresis or renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibition. Accumulating data suggest that RSC in this setting is dissimilar from conventional causes of renal insult in that it has a negligible impact on the outcomes. There is also emerging evidence on the lack of association between biomarkers of renal injury and RSC in the setting of aggressive diuresis. A similar pattern has been observed in recent hypertension trials where the RSC in patients with intensive blood pressure control has not been associated with biomarker evidence of renal injury or adverse outcomes. Based on these findings, RSC, rather than acute kidney injury, appears to be the preferred terminology in HF (and possibly in hypertension) because of its purely descriptive nature that lacks any potentially inaccurate implication of mechanistic or prognostic reference. From a pragmatic viewpoint, we believe that small to moderate RSC is to be anticipated and tolerated with RAAS inhibition and/or aggressive diuresis in acute or chronic HF and should not prompt discontinuation of the therapy unless complications such as hypotension and severe hyperkalemia develop.


In this report the performance of a microwave-pumped SQUID with niobium, tantalum, and vanadium point-contact junctions is discussed. These SQUID's were developed for measurements of RF attenuation in the frequency range 0-1 GHz. The equipment described here is controlled by a desktop computer and can be used to measure attenuation up to 60 dB. A simple analytical theory for the operation of the X-band SQUID is also described. In our experiments we have reached the conclusion that the most important limitations on RF measurements at high frequencies and high signal levels are the voltage and the power dependence of the quasi-particle conductance of the Josephson junction. In this paper we have considered this source of error in some detail. We have been able to show that a SQUID can be used successfully for RF measurements at very high signal frequencies if a junction material with a sufficiently low critical temperature is chosen.


Deep learning is currently the state-of-the-art for automated detection of referable diabetic retinopathy (DR) from color fundus photographs (CFP). While the general interest is put on improving results through methodological innovations, it is not clear how good these approaches perform compared to standard deep classification models trained with the appropriate settings. In this paper we propose to model a strong baseline for this task based on a simple and standard ResNet-18 architecture. To this end, we built on top of prior art by training the model with a standard preprocessing strategy but using images from several public sources and an empirically calibrated data augmentation setting. To evaluate its performance, we covered multiple clinically relevant perspectives, including image and patient level DR screening, discriminating responses by input quality and DR grade, assessing model uncertainties and analyzing its results in a qualitative manner. With no other methodological innovation than a carefully designed training, our ResNet model achieved an AUC = 0.955 (0.953 - 0.956) on a combined test set of 61007 test images from different public datasets, which is in line or even better than what other more complex deep learning models reported in the literature. Similar AUC values were obtained in 480 images from two separate in-house databases specially prepared for this study, which emphasizes its generalization ability. This confirms that standard networks can still be strong baselines for this task if properly trained.