PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the dental and craniofacial morphological characteristics in patients with mild skeletal facial asymmetry, and to investigate the relationship between mild skeletal facial asymmetry and dental anomalies.

METHODS
Thirty patients with mild skeletal facial asymmetry (experimental group) and 30 patients with normal faces (control group) were selected. All patients were scanned by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and X-ray machine, Winceph software was used to measure the posteroanterior cephalometric radiographs, NNT software was used to measure the CBCT data. The results were analyzed by Chi-square test, paired t test and independent sample t test using SPSS 19.0 software package.

RESULTS
There were significant differences between the left and right sides of faces, teeth and alveolar bone of the first molar in the experimental group. The angle of mandibular dental midline and facial midline, the inclination of the frontal mandibular plane, the inclination of the first molar, the inclination of alveolar bone of the mandibular first molar, the width of alveolar bone of the mandibular first molar showed significant differences between the experimental group and the control group (P<0.05). There are some correlations among menton deviation, inclination of the first molar and alveolar bone of the first molar.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with mild skeletal facial asymmetry showed some specific skeletal and dental characteristics. There could be some correlations between these features..


Electroporation is commonly performed to deliver drugs and genes to cells comprising tissues. A possible way to control and confirm delivery is through the use of impedance spectroscopy. Ideally, this tool should not interfere with delivery and should incorporate the use of electrodes, applicators, used for delivery. This work examines impedance spectra obtained with non-penetrating surface applicators commonly used for skin electroporation. After collecting and processing over 9,000 spectra from three animal models it was determined that the electrode systems tested would have no significant effect on the obtained spectra. Therefore, electroporation applicators currently in use could be used concurrently for the collection of impedance spectra.


Abstract Research on the role of language in multilingual workplaces, where English is often adopted as a lingua franca (ELF), shows that language practices influence socialization and interpersonal communication, frequently creating issues such as asymmetrical sharing of information, language clusters, or thin communication. Similarly to other organizations, academic workplaces are undergoing a process of internationalization. However, academia as a workplace has been largely ignored, particularly in terms of language practices in social situations. We address this gap by investigating multilingualism in an academic workplace; departing from the concepts of language clustering and thin communication, we focus on how language practices affect social interaction and the establishment of rapport. We report the experiences of five academics with various backgrounds and status in a science university department in Sweden. In-depth interviews and grand/mini tour elicitation techniques reveal how language practices – English and other languages – are experienced from different points of view. We identify lunch as the primary activity associated with social interaction and exchange of information: people and places connected with this activity seem to determine language practices. In the final section we discuss the presence of language clustering and thin communication in this academic workplace.


Relevance. F1 hybrids breeding programs of onion are based on the use of nuclear cytoplasmic male sterility (NCMS). Breeding and seed production based on NCMS suggest a development of a female sterile maternal line, a maintainer line and a paternal component. The development of an isogenic pair of sterile line – maintainer line is one of the most labor-, time-consuming and intellectually-intensive stages of a breeding program, the implementation of which becomes more complicated with an increase in the number of traits / genes for which selection is carried out.Methods and results. This paper presents a genetic scheme for the development of a Downy mildewresistant (pathogen P. destructor) maintainer line of onion using marker-assisted selection (MAS). F2 populations were obtained from the cross of the female maintainer inbred line, Bn1- (13) (genotype – cytN msms pdpd) and male inbred line resistant to Downy mildew, No. 136 (genotype – cytT MsMs PdPd). DNA marker DMR1 were used for Downy mildew resistance gene Pd, jnurf13 – for maintainer gene ms and marker system 5`cob: orfA501 – for N, S and T cytoplasms. It was shown that the MAS application allow to develop a stable Downy mildew resistant maintainer line cytN msms PdPd in two generations.


The delta4 isoform of phospholipase C (PLC-delta4) is thought to be associated with various cellular functions and disease status. However, little is known about how its function is controlled in cells, particularly in terms of the regulation of its expression. To understand the regulation mechanisms of the PLC-delta4 gene transcription, the 5'-flanking region (-2046 approximately +5) (the nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the EMBL/GenBank/DDBJ data bank under accession numbers DQ302751) of the human PLC-delta4 gene was isolated from human genomic DNA. It was a TATA-less promoter with very GC-rich sequences near the transcription start site. The activity of the PLC-delta4 promoter was shown in various human and mouse cell lines by luciferase reporter assay. Serial deletion analysis identified the core promoter region as being between -402 and -67, in which an E-box and an AP-1 binding site played important roles in the promoter activity. In addition, we also showed that 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-1,3-acetate (TPA), a PKC activator and tumor promoter, induced the activity of the PLC-delta4 promoter via the AP-1 binding site. In summary, this study identified a core promoter region of the hPLC-delta4 gene and the factor binding sites responsible for the promoter activity. These results will provide important new information to further understand the regulatory mechanism of the PLC-delta4 function.


The Lambert-Beer's law of the absorption of the light by blood in a vessel is used to model the light attenuation by a blood vessel that is transilluminated. Two models are used for an automatic vessel diameter determination for intravital microscopy. Some requirements for the photometric system have to be met in order to reduce errors due to light scattering. In these conditions, a videodensitometric pattern of the cross-section of the vessel can be fitted by the different models in order to obtain the diameter of the vessel. The first model proposed uses a uniformly distributed red blood cell column. A non-linear estimation of the diameter is done with the Levenberg-Marquardt method in 2 sec, using a regular PC386 microcomputer. The second one takes in account the presence of a plasma layer and computes the diameter of the red blood cell column and the diameter of the vessel in one minute. These models can be used for pharmacological studies or for a better understanding of the formation of a transilluminated intravital image. They can also be used for angiographic images.


This paper discusses the development of a Sleep Walking Prevention (SWP) system, designed to prevent sleep walkers from suffering any dangerous consequences. It sounds an alarm if an incidence of sleep walking is detected. The SWP system also alerts a friend or family member in case the alarm alone was unsuccessful in awakening the sleep walker so that help can arrive before any harm befalls the sleepwalker or others. It does this by sending out a text message to the caregiver's cell phone. The sleep walking prevention alarm system makes use of passive infrared sensors for monitoring the status of a potential sleep walker. A system log is also in place to keep detailed records of sleep walking activities and patterns for reference purposes. This information can be very helpful to the consulting psychiatrist or doctor.


This paper discusses the use of a computerized test to measure the decision-making abilities of teenage basketball players Singapore. There are five sections in this test anxiety inventory-2 (CSAI-2) questionnaire (measures player's cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence), Corsi block tapping task (measures player's short-term spatial mem awareness global assessment technique (SAGAT) (measures players' situation awareness in a basketball game), multiple choice questions on basketball knowledge (measures players' knowledge of basketball rules and concepts), and lastly, a learning test that requires participants to recall and recognize basketball set plays (measures player's ability to learn and recognize set plays). A total of basketball players, aged 14 to 16 years old, from three secondary school teams participated in this experiment. basketball players obtained from this cognitive test were then used to compare with their physical fitness and basketball performance. Keywords—Basketball, cognitive abilities, computerized test, decision-making.


Previous reports suggest that glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), a peptide secreted from the distal small intestine, is an endocrine satiation signal. Nevertheless, there are conflicting reports regarding the site where circulating GLP-1 acts to reduce food intake. To test the hypothesis that vagal afferents are necessary for reduction of food intake by circulating GLP-1, we measured intake of 15% sucrose during intravenous GLP-1 infusion in intact, vagotomized, and capsaicin-treated rats. We also measured sucrose intake during intravenous infusion of cholecystokinin, a peptide known to reduce food intake via abdominal vagal afferents. We found that reduction of intake by GLP-1 was not diminished by capsaicin treatment or vagotomy. In fact, reduction of sucrose intake by our highest GLP-1 dose was enhanced in vagotomized and capsaicin-treated rats. Intravenous GLP-1 induced comparable increases of hindbrain c-Fos immunoreactivity in intact, capsaicin-treated, and vagotomized rats. Plasma concentrations of active GLP-1 in capsaicin-treated rats did not differ from those of controls during the intravenous infusions. Finally, capsaicin treatment was not associated with altered GLP-1R mRNA in the brain, but nodose ganglia GLP-1R mRNA was significantly reduced in capsaicin-treated rats. Although reduction of food intake by intraperitoneal cholecystokinin was abolished in vagotomized and capsaicin-treated rats, reduction of intake by intravenous cholecystokinin was only partially attenuated. These results indicate that vagal or capsaicin-sensitive neurons are not necessary for reduction of food intake by circulating (endocrine) GLP-1, or cholecystokinin. Vagal participation in satiation by these peptides may be limited to paracrine effects exerted near the sites of their secretion.


Theoretical work has shown that the timescale separation required for the application of the Smoluchowski, Fokker-Planck and Langevin equations to interacting Brownian particles in concentrated liquid solutions may not exist. In particular, it was suggested that the current autocorrelation function of the Brownian particles may not decay sufficiently quickly in comparison with the intermediate scattering function at appropriate wave vectors. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) calculations are performed for hard-soft-sphere liquid solutions containing Brownian-type particles of large mass and volume. The mass and volume ratio are varied systematically. The MD results indicate the following: (i) for solutions of equally sized particles, the current autocorrelation function of the massive particles decreases sufficiently quickly compared with the intermediate scattering function, thus ensuring timescale separation; (ii) massive particles of large volume diluted among light and small particles show a time decay of the current autocorrelation function, which approaches that of the intermediate scattering function. However, the similarity of the two correlation functions reduces with increasing mass ratio. Hence, for asymptotic conditions timescale separation can be expected.


Objective Nodal metastasis from oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma follows a predictable pattern. Isolated level IV involvement, termed skip metastases, is described. This study attempts to identify the incidence of skip metastasis. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary academic hospital. Subjects Fifty-two consecutive patients with T1 to T4 N0 stage who underwent excision of the primary tumor with neck dissection (levels I-IV). Methods Retrospective study. The incidence of isolated level III or IV involvement pathologically and isolated nodal recurrence in levels III and IV was analyzed. Results Pathologically, isolated level III involvement occurred in 2 (3.8%) patients. Isolated level IV occurred in 1 (1.9%) patient. Mean follow-up was 24 months. Two patients had recurrence in the primary site; 1 had recurrence in neck level II. None had recurrence in level III or IV. Conclusion Skip metastasis is rare in T1 and T2 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Inclusion of level IV is not mandatory in selective neck dissection for clinically and radiologically negative neck disease in early tumors (T1 and T2).


A fuzzy logic-based adaptive power system stabilizer (PSS) is proposed in this paper. The parameters of the fuzzy logic-based PSS are tuned by neural networks on-line. The system is divided into two subsystems, a recursive least square identifier with a variable forgetting factor for the generator and a fuzzy logic-based adaptive controller to damp oscillations. The effectiveness of the proposed PSS in increasing the damping of local and inter-area modes of oscillation is demonstrated in a one-machine-infinite-bus system; a two-area, 4-machine, 13-bus system and a 16-machine, 68-bus system.


While many comparative analysts see parliamentary government as essential for stable democracy, this volume argues that the American presidential system that separates and diffuses power can provide new perspectives for those building democratic institutions in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the new republics of the former Soviet Union. The authors recognize risks of rigidity, gridlock, and excessive centralization in presidential institutions. But they also emphasize the unexpected levels of legislative productivity during periods of divided government, the dramatic reversal of declining popularity by Presidents Reagan and Clinton, and the importance of direct appeals by presidents to the nation. After examining the American presidential system, the authors focus on the de-facto separation of powers in European parliaments and presidentialism in France, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Both trends in European parliamentary systems and the dramatic changes within French presidential institutions suggest that scholars should temper broad generalizations about presidential or parliamentary government.


Faculty members engaged in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning generate visible analyses of the learning taking place in their institutions, provide excellent models of practice for local colleagues, generate high-quality evidence for internal and external assessment, and offer accessible examples of quality education to prospective students. SoTL contributions of this kind should be nurtured by institutions as a basic expectation of high-quality instruction. I discuss these faculty contributions as assets derived from a cosmopolitan social role within their organizations, and I develop a recommendation for institutional strategy from that perspective.


Herpes simplex virus (HSV)‐induced sepsis affects immunocompromised patients. We report here the case of an immunocompetent adult with sepsis, hepatitis, renal failure and esophagitis. The possibility of HSV should be considered in cases of sepsis without any evident cause, even in immunocompetent patients. The characteristic endoscopic and histological findings of the associated esophagitis may assist the etiology of sepsis.


The oxygen permeation performance of perovskite La₀.₆Sr₀.₄Co₀.₂Fe₀.₈O₃₋δ (LSCF) hollow fibre membranes was enhanced by surface modification via coating of a Ba₀.₅Sr₀.₅Co₀.₉Nb₀.₁O₃₋δ (BSCN) porous layer. The hollow fibres were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS elemental mapping and tested for air separation. Experimental results revealed that the BSCN porous layer had significantly improved the oxygen permeation flux of the coated LSCF hollow fibre membranes. Operated at 950 °C and under the oxygen pressure gradient of the air/sweep gas, the maximum oxygen permeation flux of 1.92 mL cm⁻² min⁻¹ was achieved after the hollow fibre membrane was coated by a BSCN porous layer on both outer and inner surfaces. In addition, the modified membrane showed high oxygen permeation stability under the investigated operational conditions.


Aims: Bronchial asthma constitutes important problem worldwide. This chronic lung disease has detrimental effect in the oral cavity like reduction of salivary secretion, change in salivary composition and pH. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to compare the prevalence of dental caries in asthmatic children and healthy children, and also to evaluate the correlation between the Streptococcus mutans , Lactobacillus and dental caries in both the groups. Results: In this study, the mean decayed, missing, filled teeth score of children in the study group was (4.53 ± 3.38) higher than the control group (1.51 ± 1.58) (P < 0.01). The S. mutans count of the study group was (59574.47 ± 28510.67) higher than the control group (19777.78 ± 17899.83) P < 0.01. The Lactobacillus count in study group was (43553.19 ± 58776.96) higher than the control group (8843.84 ± 7982.72) P < 0.01. Subjects using inhaled corticosteroids were more prone to develop dental caries than the control group with odds ratio = 6.26 and 95% confidence interval. Conclusions: The dental caries prevalence increases with the usage of β2agonist and corticosteroid inhalers for the treatment of asthma. Thus in asthmatic children, increase in caries prevalence might be due to the drug treatment and not due to the disease by itself. It can be concluded that asthmatic children have a higher prevalence of dental caries than healthy children. Hence, special oral health care is needed for asthmatic children.


The research in your hands is a verification and a study of a message in the Hanafi jurisprudence of the sign Akmal Al-Din Baparti, entitled: (Message: It is not permissible to Selling one animal for another animal with delay edwhile payment). It is an important doctrinal issue that often occurs, especially in livestock-raising areas, The research includes of two main sections, The first of which includes a translation of the author and his mission, and a statement of the work of the researcher in the verification. The second is dedicated to the verified text . The researcher obtained through this study the following results, perhaps the most important are :
• The modesty of the Babarti, and how he invested his relationship with the Sultan in the satisfaction of Allah .
• The question of the doctrinal message had been disputed among the jurists, and some were fanatical about their opinion, and this letter was the appropriate response, as Baparti noted in the introduction.


Integrated photonic devices have become pivotal elements across most research fields that involve light-based applications. A particularly versatile category of this technology are programmable photonic integrated processors, which are being employed in an increasing variety of applications, like communication or photonic computing. Such processors accurately control on-chip light within meshes of programmable optical gates. Free-space optics applications can utilize this technology by using appropriate on-chip interfaces to couple distributions of light to the photonic chip. This enables, for example, access to the spatial properties of free-space light, particularly to phase distributions, which is usually challenging and requires either specialized devices or additional components. Here we discuss and show the detection of amplitude and phase of structured higher-order light beams using a multipurpose photonic processor. Our device provides measurements of amplitude and phase distributions which can be used to, e.g., directly distinguish light's orbital angular momentum without the need for further elements interacting with the free-space light. Paving a way towards more convenient and intuitive phase measurements of structured light, we envision applications in a wide range of fields, specifically in microscopy or communications where the spatial distributions of lights properties are important.


Monetary sanctions in the criminal legal system are legally and procedurally complex. If not paid in a timely manner, a single conviction can result in multiple legal financial obligations, varying in kind, payment procedure, and consequences. This study examines how, and the extent to which, criminal legal debtors understand monetary sanctions. Based on interviews with 60 individuals who owed criminal legal debt in New York, we propose a typology of debtor understanding. Proximal understanding pertains to individual, case-level factors and is instrumentally oriented. Distal understanding concerns system-level matters and is oriented toward normativity and fairness. We examine how debtors develop each type of understanding, how these dimensions interact, and the implications of debtor understanding for compliance behavior.


Background Social isolation is increasing, with negative consequences for both physical and mental health. People with life-limiting illness and their carers are at risk of inadequate social support and loneliness. Hospices support social wellbeing with services including traditional day care, support groups, befriending, multi-component interventions, and community activities. Existing research suggests that access to social support is highly valued. However, models of support used in practice are poorly documented and outcomes difficult to ascertain. The significance of social support in palliative care is under-researched. Aim To establish an overview of hospice service models that facilitate social support for adults living in the community with life-limiting illness. Method An online survey was developed, piloted, and disseminated to adult hospices in the UK and ROI. Questions include hospice characteristics, provision of services facilitating social support, access issues, use of patient outcomes, and availability of cost data. Results 107 hospices responded to the survey (c. 50% of eligible hospices). A diverse range of service models were identified. Results include descriptive statistics of the sample, categories of services identified, and salient access issues. Implications of findings for research and economic evaluation are discussed. Conclusion This survey demonstrates hospices to be interested and active in facilitating social support. It is possible that increasingly diverse approaches used in practice may improve issues regarding access to and awareness of hospice care. More work is needed to share best practice, document outcomes, and consider cost-effectiveness.


Reduced travel time, regional cohesion, economic development and environmental benefits were some of the reasons given to develop the High Speed network in Spain, the largest in Europe. Ever since the opening of the first High Speed line in 1992, High Speed Rail (HSR) have become a new travelling experience despite the fact that in the recent years several voices have raised concerns over a lack of demand and low occupancy rates for HS trains compared to other countries. In February 2013, RENFE implemented a new pricing scheme which reduced ticket prices by at least 11%, and introduced flexibility in their purchase in order to boost the usage of HSR. In this research, the effects of the new scheme are analyzed and the impact on the shift in the modes of transport is underpinned by considering a discrete choice model. As a consequence of this policy, occupancy rates have been hugely increased but several other findings arise from the research. Although apparently ticket price is not regarded by users as the main factor to travel by HS trains, the price elasticity of demand turns out to be high. Depending on the transport modes competing with HS the effects are quite different. For short routes connecting small and medium-size cities with big metropolitan areas the growth of demand is achieved at the expense of car and bus, whereas for long routes connecting large cities where air transport is available the growth is made mainly at the expense of air transportation, and induced demand is also triggered. Finally, when the owner of the infrastructure and the Train Operating Companies (TOC's) are both managed by the government, the rail infrastructure fee policy set may prompt unfair competition with other modes such as the bus or the plane. Ortega, A., Guzman A. F., Preston, J. & Vassallo J. M. 3


We profiled antibody responses in a cohort of recipients of the BTN162b2 mRNA vaccine who were either immunologically naïve (n=50) or had been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 (n=51). Of the previously infected, 25 and 26 were infected during the first and second pandemic waves in Italy, respectively; the majority of those from the first wave had corresponding waning immunity with low to undetectable levels of anti-S antibodies and low anti-N antibodies. We observed in recipients who had been previously infected that spike-specific IgG and pseudovirus neutralization titers were rapidly recalled by a single vaccine dose to higher levels than those in naïve recipients after the second vaccine dose, irrespective of waning immunity. In all recipients, a single vaccine dose was sufficient to induce a potent IgA response that was not associated with serum neutralization titers.


Recent observations of white dwarfs in globular clusters indicate that these stars may get a velocity kick during their time as giants. This velocity kick could originate naturally if the mass loss while on the asymptotic giant branch is slightly asymmetric. If white dwarfs get a kick comparable to the orbital velocity of the binary, the initial Runge-Lenz vector (eccentricity vector) of the orbit is damped to be replaced by a component pointing toward the cross-product of the initial angular momentum and the force. The final eccentricity may be of the order of unity and if the kick is sufficiently large, the system may be disrupted. These results may have important ramifications for the evolution of binary stars and planetary systems.


Poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), a versatile biodegradable polymer, is one of the most commonly-used materials for tissue engineering applications. To improve cell affinity for PLLA, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was used to develop diblock copolymers. Human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) were cultured on MPEG-b-PLLA copolymer films to determine the effects of modification on the attachment and proliferation of hBMSC. The mRNA expression of 84 human extracellular matrix (ECM) and adhesion molecules was analyzed using RT-qPCR to understand the underlying mechanisms. It was found that MPEG-b-PLLA copolymer films significantly improved cell adhesion, extension, and proliferation. This was found to be related to the significant upregulation of two adhesion genes, CDH1 and CTNND2, which encode 1-cadherin and delta-2-catenin, respectively, two key components for the cadherin-catenin complex. In summary, MPEG-b-PLLA copolymer surfaces improved initial cell adhesion by stimulation of adhesion molecule gene expression.


The vertebrate syndecans, which make up a four-member family of small type I transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans, constitute evolutionarily conserved family proteins. In particular, sequences in the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains are a unifying feature within the family. However, the extracellular domain sequences are molecule-specific, implying that different syndecans have evolved to carry out similar, but non-identical, functions. While all four syndecans have been implicated in regulation of the cytoskeleton, their roles are clearly complex. Recent developments indicate that the closely related syndecan-2 and -4 have separable functions, though both bind a number of ligands through their heparan sulfate chains. The specification of these activities is probably core protein related, but is it due to a distinct expression pattern or molecule-specific regulatory mechanisms? Although there is not yet enough data to provide unambiguous answers, here we shall review the known functions and regulatory mechanisms of syndecan-2 and -4.


The Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour meets each year to discuss and highlight recent developments in our understanding of all aspects of controls of eating and drinking. The aim of this satellite was to focus on key issues in human food intake control: palatability, central and peripheral signalling, dietary restraint, macronutrients, energy density, heritability and the significance of animal models for research in man, and to bring together researchers approaching these issues from different perspectives. The presentations including live discussions are reflected in the following papers.


Current guidelines for dialysis in pregnant women have been developed in response to occasional dialysis patients who unexpectedly become pregnant. These include prolonged dialysis times, generally 20 or more hours per week. The increased dialysis time requires careful monitoring of phosphorus and potassium which may be removed in excessive amounts. Target serum bicarbonate for a pregnant woman is 18-20 mEq/L. Patients require increased supplementation of water soluble vitamins particularly folate. Increased doses of erythropoietin are needed to meet the demands for increased red cell production occasioned by pregnancy. Hypertension is the greatest danger to the mother and extreme vigilance is required up to six weeks postpartum. Volume status is difficult to predict and can only be determined by repeated clinical assessment. Only 50% of pregnancies result in a surviving infant and in the best subgroups, no more than 75% of pregnancies are successful. Over 80% of live born infants are premature, often severely premature. The key to improving the outcome of pregnancy in dialysis patients lies in decreasing premature labor and premature rupture of membranes in the late second and early third trimester. To this end, it is important for obstetricians to recognize that the risk of prematurity in pregnant dialysis patients is as higher or higher than in any other group and that any intervention, including such measures as progesterone and oxytocin antagonists, used to prevent premature labor in other groups should be considered in dialysis patients.


This paper examines the challenges that confront negotiators of Regional Trading Arrangements because of the second best nature of the arrangements. It shows that human resource constrained administrations in developing countries are likely to be at a particular disadvantage in carrying out the necessary assessments of the costs and benefits of specific proposals for RTA. It then considers the Sussex Framework for assessing RTA as a specific example of a relatively low cost but robust approach to analysing RTA without recourse to sophisticated modelling. The paper then suggests that for reasons of international negative spillovers from RTA and asymmetric information there is a case for public provision of such analytical frameworks free or at low cost to developing countries. The WTO could in principle provide the analytical, training and advisory services but is unlikely to do so for political reasons. The paper concludes by proposing a new international organisation, the Advisory Centre on RTA, closely modelled on the Advisory Centre on WTO Law set up to help developing countries involved in trade disputes


We have previously shown that a major group of 28-30 kDa proteins decreases after the LH surge in bovine granulosa cells (GC). In the present study, we have characterized two proteins in this group in search of factors that may intervene in folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation. Polyclonal antibodies raised against 28 kDa or 29 kDa bovine GC proteins were used to screen a complementary DNA (cDNA) expression library. This resulted in the characterization of two isoenzyme subunits for alpha class glutathione S-transferase, named bGSTA1 and bGSTA2. Both bGSTA1 (25.4 kDa, pI 8.9; 791 bp cDNA; GenBank Accession No. BTU49179) and bGSTA2 (25.6 kDa, pI 7.2; 959 bp cDNA; GenBank Accession No. AF027386) have 222 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequences were compared and showed 82% (bGSTA1) and 74% (bGSTA2) identity to human GSTA1, whereas bGSTA1 and bGSTA2 are 81% identical to each other. The bGSTA2 represents a novel GSTA subunit because it harbors a specific 16 amino acid sequence not found in any other species and GST classes. Northern blots showed that bGSTA1 and bGSTA2 are coexpressed and are tissue specific with single transcripts of 1.2 kb and 1.4 kb, respectively for bGSTA1 and bGSTA2. The messenger RNA (mRNA) were detected in GC, corpus luteum, adrenal gland, testis, liver, lung, thyroid, kidney and cotyledon, and the relative abundance of their mRNA varied. Ratios of bGSTA1/bGSTA2 mRNA vary between tisssues, indicating that expression of these genes is controlled differently. Immunohistochemistry observations revealed that expression of GSTA is cell specific, being associated with GC and theca cells, small luteal cells, Leydig cells, hepatocytes, adrenal cortex, specific chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla, renal proximal convoluted tubular cells, and Clara cells in the bronchioles. Studies in vivo showed that levels of mRNA for bGSTA1 were elevated in follicular wall of preovulatory follicles before hCG treatment, but decreased by 77% 12 h after hCG injection. However, in FSH stimulated preovulatory follicles, the decrease in mRNA for both GSTAs was only 21% at 24 h following hCG injection. We concluded that bGSTA1 and bGSTA2 expression is tissue- and cell-specific, is associated with steroidogenically active cells, and is hormonally regulated by gonadotropins in the bovine ovarian follicle.


The Medicare Conditions for Coverage for dialysis facilities, effective since 2008, make the medical director responsible for all levels of quality patient care in the facility. This includes issues such as water quality, infection control, staff education, policy/procedure development and implementation, dialyzer reuse, involuntary discharges, and patient safety. Most importantly, the medical director is the leader of the team responsible for quality assessment and performance improvement, which is central to the process of continuous quality improvement in the dialysis facility and the basis for much of Medicare's evaluation of facility performance. Through the measures assessment tool, the Conditions for Coverage specify the required domains for quality improvement activities in the dialysis facility, including dialysis adequacy, nutrition, bone disease, anemia management, vascular access, medical errors, patient satisfaction, and infection control. Under the leadership of the medical director, the quality assessment and performance improvement team identifies opportunities for improvement, tests and implements interventions, collects data, interprets results, and links system change with improved outcomes. These activities are rigorously documented and provide evidence to Medicare that the facility is acting responsibly to provide the best possible services for which it is being paid. The medical director is fairly compensated for his/her services by the facility, but must always act in the patients' best interest when evaluating policy changes directed at cost containment. The success of a medical director in shepherding positive change in a dialysis facility can be immensely satisfying as it impacts on patients other than his/her own.


In this report an attempt was made to synthesize so me pyrazoline derivatives by benzalkonium chloride and urea based deep eutectic (DES) solvent using thermal(NUS ) and ultrasonic (US) methods. Similar reaction was tested by conventional solvent (glacial acetic acid) by therm al method. Result obtained in all of the approaches was calculated and compared with regard to the reaction time, temperature and % yield in both of the metho ds considering the glacial acetic acid and DES as solv ent. Reaction took 15 hr to complete when conventio nal solvent(glacial acetic acid) were used by thermal m ethod, but same reaction finishes in 4hr in thermal and 1hr in ultrasonic method using DES as solvent. Ultrasound assisted synthesis along with DES works under room temperature (RT) irrespective of thermal method whe re products are formed at much elevated temperature (<80 0 C). Similarly, rise in %yield was observed in DES led r eaction either in thermal or ultrasonic method. Int erestingly, in DES-ultrasound combined reaction the % yield was as much as 88%. Furthermore, cost effective, recyclab le, environmental friendly nature of DES together with ultrasound make ideal for the present research.


Aim: To study associations between FeNO, FEV1 and dyspnoea in day care centre staff and levels of cat, dog and horse allergens in day care centres.

Methods: 62 staff in 5 day care centres in Uppsala participated in a study performed 3 times in each subject in spring, in connection with a diet study. Dust was collected by vacuum cleaning and analysed for cat (Fel d1), dog (Can f1) and horse (Equ cx) allergens by ELISA. Amount of allergens per ALK-filter was calculated by multiplying concentration with amount of fine dust. Airborne allergens were sampled in Petri dishes for 1 week. Exhaled NO was measured by NIOX MINO and FEV1 by dynamic spirometry. Dyspnoea was rated from 0-100%. FeNO and dyspnoea were log-transformed and associations analysed by multiple linear regression, adjusting for age, atopy, smoking, and body mass index (BMI). All were females.

Results: There were no pets in any building, but all allergens were common. Geometric mean (GM) (ng/g) were 1199 Fel d1, 666 Can f1 and 478 Equ cx. Fel d1 was found in 100% (GM=29.8 ng/m2 and day), Can f 1 in 33% and Ecu c x in 13% of Petri dish samples. FeNO was higher at higher amount of Fel d1 (p=0.04) and Can f1 (p=0.04) and lower at higher amount of Equ cx (p=0.01). No associations were found for FEV1 or dyspnoea and allergen levels.

Conclusion: Cat, dog and horse allergens were common in the day care centres, due to track in by clothes or hair. Cat and dog allergens in day care centres can be a risk factor for airway inflammation, measured as FeNO. The negative association for horse allergen remain unclear. It could be due to co-variance with some protective indoor factor, or a healthy life style related to horse riding.


Persistent air leakage is a serious and sometimes fatal complication of bullous lung disease surgery. A 32-year-old man with lung involvement of neurofibromatosis type I underwent bullectomy for huge bullae and recurrent pneumothorax. Persistent postoperative air leakage developed and the lung was totally collapsed. The initial surgery failed, but a second trial employing a novel suture technique on half-absorbed polyglycolic acid (PGA) felt successfully resolved the massive air leakage. Pneumothorax did not recur and the patient remained stable without dyspnea. Thus, a suture technique employing half-absorbed PGA felt was an effective option for managing persistent air leakage.


To study the relationship between neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, we employed a relatively new biological assay using saporin-conjugated quantum dots. Conjugation of saporin, a type I ribosomal inhibitor protein, to quantum dots, which are fluorescent nanocrystals, generates a microglia-specific toxin (QD-SAP) which has been shown to selectively ablate microglia in vitro. Administration of QD-SAP in our studies shows the same microglial depletion observed in vitro, but in our in vivo studies, also shows neuronal loss. This effect in not localized to the SNc; administration of QD-SAP in the hippocampus (HPC) shows the same result. Interestingly, administration of QD-SAP in the HPC caused dopamine cell loss in the SNc. The reverse effect was not found. We suggest that it is an initial increase in inflammation, followed by a subsequent loss of homeostatic regulation upon microglial depletion, that causes neurons to die.


Abstract There is a growing interest in developing human-computer dialogue systems which is an important branch in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). However, the evaluation of large-scale Chinese human-computer dialogues is still a challenging task. To attract more attention to dialogue evaluation work, we held the fourth Evaluation of Chinese Human-Computer Dialogue Technology (ECDT). It consists of few-shot learning in spoken language understanding (SLU) (Task 1) and knowledge-driven multi-turn dialogue competition (Task 2), the data sets of which are provided by Harbin Institute of Technology and Tsinghua University. In this paper, we will introduce the evaluation tasks and data sets in detail. Meanwhile, we will also analyze the evaluation results and the existing problems in the evaluation.


Petrographic and geochemical studies of an Upper Eocene reef and associated basinal sediments from the mixed carbonate–siliciclastic fill of the south‐eastern Pyrenean foreland basin near Igualada (NE Spain) provide new insights into the evolution of subsurface hydrology during the restriction of a marine basin. The reef deposits are located on delta‐lobe sandstones and prodelta marls, which are overlain by hypersaline carbonates and Upper Eocene evaporites. Authigenic celestite (SrSO4) is an important component in the observed diagenetic sequences. Celestite is a significant palaeohydrological indicator because its low solubility constrains transportation of Sr2+ and SO42− in the same diagenetic fluid. Stable isotopic analyses of carbonates in the reef indicate that meteoric recharge was responsible for aragonite stabilization and calcite cementation. Sulphur and oxygen isotope geochemistry of the celestite demonstrates that it formed from residual sulphate after bacterial sulphate reduction, but also requires that there was a prior episode of sulphate recycling. Meteoric water reaching the reef and basinal areas was most probably charged with SO42− from the dissolution of younger Upper Eocene marine evaporites. This sulphate, combined with organic matter present in the sediments, fuelled bacterial sulphate reduction in the meteoric palaeoaquifer. Strontium for celestite precipitation was partly derived in situ from dissolution of aragonite corals in the reef and basinal counterparts. However, 87Sr/86Sr data also suggest that Sr2+ was partly derived from dissolution of overlying evaporites. Mixing of these two fluids promoted celestite formation. The carbonate stable isotopic data suggest that the local meteoric water was enriched in 18O compared with that responsible for stabilization of other reefs along the basin margin. Furthermore, meteoric recharge at Igualada post‐dated evaporite deposition in the basin, whereas other parts of the same reef complex were stabilized before evaporite formation. This discrepancy resulted from the spatial distribution of continental siliciclastic units that acted as groundwater conduits.


Rh(III)-catalyzed redox-neutral chemodivergent coupling of N-phenoxyacetamides and alkylidenecyclopropanes (ACPs) has been documented. The reaction proceeds via C-H activation, regioselective migratory insertion and stereoselective β-carbon elimination followed by β-hydride elimination, resulting in o-dienylation of phenols in nonpolar solvents, whereas [3 + 2]-annulation leading to dihydrobenzofurans was realized in polar fluorinated solvents. It was observed that the nucleophilic directing group controls the elimination of β-carbon and so plays a vital role for achieving high stereoselectivities. The synthetic utility of the dienylation and annulation was demonstrated by carrying out gram scale reactions and further derivatization.


Mussel-inspired conductive hydrogels are attractive for the development of next-generation self-adhesive, flexible skinlike sensors. However, despite extensive progress, there are still some daunting challenges that hinder their applications, such as inferior optical transparency, low catechol content (e.g., poor adhesion), as well as limited sensation performances. Here, we report a dopamine-triggered gelation (DTG) strategy for fabricating mussel-inspired, transparent, and conductive hydrogels. The DTG design leverages on the dual functions of dopamine, which serves as both polymerization initiator and dynamic mediator to elaborate and orchestrate the cross-linking networks of hydrogels, allowing for pronounced adhesion, robust elasticity, self-healing ability, excellent injectability and three-dimensional printability, reversible and tunable transparent-opaque transition, and thermoresponsive feature. These preferable performances enable DTG hydrogels as self-adhesive, flexible skinlike sensors for achieving multiple sensations toward pressure, strain, and temperature, even an extraordinary visual perception effect, making it a step closer in the exploration of future biomimetic skin.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of a short course of indomethacin on gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF).

METHODS
Patients with musculo-skeletal pain of recent origin and were prescribed a short course of therapy with indomethacin (25 mg tid for 7 days) were studied Baseline measurements of GMBF were carried out using endoscopic laser-Doppler velocimetry prior to starting indomethacin. At sites on the antrum, incisura, lesser and greater curvatures, and fundus. GMBF measurements were repeated after indomethacin therapy, as above and also on sites of erosions, it any.

RESULTS
Baseline GMBF at sites on the antrum, incisura, greater and lesser curvatures, and fundus were (mean) 8.6, 7.9, 8.8, 8.5 and 8.7 volts, respectively. Post-therapy values did not differ from the corresponding baseline values (8.7, 8.5, 8.6, 8.6 and 8.3 volts, respectively). However, ten of the 16 patients developed gastric mucosal erosions and the mean GMBF on these sites of erosion was significantly reduced (6.6 +/- 1.3 volts, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
A short course of indomethacin therapy produces a patchy decrease in blood flow in the gastric mucosa and erosions were seen in these areas.


We have prepared iron doped TiO2 samples by the impregnation of TiO2 (Degussa—P25) with Fe(III) nitrate as an iron precursor. Obtained materials were then characterized by structural x-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical (Uv-vis, Raman) techniques. Later, we deposited very small gold nanoparticles (AuNPs; <5 nm) onto as-prepared supports by a colloidal deposition method, in which lysine was used as a capping agent and a short sonication time was applied to facilitate the dispersion and deposition of AuNPs. The presence of Fe+3 in the TiO2 structure was confirmed by an increase in the number of oxygen defect sites that react with O2 to form reactive oxygen species. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to determine the size of the gold particles before and after deposition. The AuNPs deposited on the FeTiO2 exhibited good thermal stability against sintering, even at 500 °C for 4 h.


Query-based object detectors directly decode image features into object instances with a set of learnable queries. These query vectors are progressively refined to stable meaningful representations through a sequence of decoder layers, and then used to directly predict object locations and categories with simple FFN heads. In this paper, we present a new query-based object detector (DEQDet) by designing a deep equilibrium decoder. Our DEQ decoder models the query vector refinement as the fixed point solving of an {implicit} layer and is equivalent to applying {infinite} steps of refinement. To be more specific to object decoding, we use a two-step unrolled equilibrium equation to explicitly capture the query vector refinement. Accordingly, we are able to incorporate refinement awareness into the DEQ training with the inexact gradient back-propagation (RAG). In addition, to stabilize the training of our DEQDet and improve its generalization ability, we devise the deep supervision scheme on the optimization path of DEQ with refinement-aware perturbation~(RAP). Our experiments demonstrate DEQDet converges faster, consumes less memory, and achieves better results than the baseline counterpart (AdaMixer). In particular, our DEQDet with ResNet50 backbone and 300 queries achieves the $49.5$ mAP and $33.0$ AP$_s$ on the MS COCO benchmark under $2\times$ training scheme (24 epochs).


[1] Two puzzling traits of giant rock avalanches (sturzstroms) are the decrease of the effective friction coefficient as a function of the volume (volume effect) and the remarkable preservation of large geological structures during the flow, demonstrating that the upper cap of a sturzstrom travels coherently on top of a basal shear layer. Hence, frictional heat is rapidly produced along the shear layer, which could explain the formation of sheets of molten rock inside certain landslide deposits. It has been conjectured that a molten layer could potentially self-lubricate the base of the sturzstrom. To theoretically investigate this scenario, we consider the model of a rock slab sliding on an inclined surface. We present a set of coupled differential equations to calculate the frictional heat produced, the properties of the molten layer (thickness, temperature, and velocity distribution), and the motion of the slab. Our simulations illustrate the onset of self-lubrication and show the volume effect when the melt viscosity is low, corresponding to a simulated mafic composition of the rock. For a felsic composition (and to some extent also for intermediate melts) we find that the melting introduces more resistance at the beginning of the melting process, in close similarity with frictional melting in tectonic faults. However, in contrast to faults, the rock avalanche is capable of overcoming the initial resistance in at least two situations: if the rock is rigid and the landslide is sufficiently thick or else if the material of the landslide is disintegrated. The simulations also show that although self-lubrication is a viable possibility to explain the runout of sturzstroms, there are rather stringent conditions for the formation of a molten layer of good lubricating qualities. More generally, we suggest that the properties of the Coulomb frictional law at the interfaces may change radically during sliding and that the assumption of constant friction does not represent a good model in landslide calculations.


The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) are pointed to as the mammals central circadian pacemaker. Aged animals show internal time disruption possibly caused by morphological and neurochemical changes in SCN components. Some studies reported changes of neuronal cells and neuroglia in the SCN of rats and nonhuman primates during aging. The effects of senescence on morphological aspects in SCN are important for understanding some alterations in biological rhythms expression. Therefore, our aim was to perform a comparative study of the morphological aspects of SCN in adult and aged female marmoset. Morphometric analysis of SCN was performed using Nissl staining, NeuN-IR, GFAP-IR, and CB-IR. A significant decrease in the SCN cells staining with Nissl, NeuN, and CB were observed in aged female marmosets compared to adults, while a significant increase in glial cells was found in aged marmosets, thus suggesting compensatory process due to neuronal loss evoked by aging.


A dynamic photonic crystal structure based on a triangular lattice and GaAs is proposed for optical storage and processing. Preserving the translational invariance and the adiabaticity, the structure exhibits electromagnetic induced transparency and can compress larger bandwidth pulses than the previous square lattice models.


Higher laser powers are pushing the limits of common coating materials in various applications, from frequency conversion processes to space based LIDAR systems. Towards further ultraviolet material optimizations, luminescence spectroscopy may be employed to identify responsible energy levels as possible precursors for laser induced damage. Hafnium dioxide and aluminum oxide deposited by reactive ion beam sputtering are considered in the present study as a basis. Selected characterization methods are employed to determine the optical properties of the single layers of about four quarter wave optical thicknesses at 1064 nm. The luminescence induced by 193 nm excimer irradiation with about 2 mJ pulsed energy at 200 Hz repetition rate was evaluated by fiber coupled spectrophotometry. Detected aluminum oxide emission bands describe band gap intermediate states representing structural imperfections. Hafnium dioxide exhibits luminescence around 2.8 eV of photon energy that can be attributed to atomic and molecular interstitial defects and oxygen vacancies. Process variations like the supply of oxygen by the primary source keep the luminescence characteristics of hafnium dioxide unaffected. Luminescence transformations resulted from simultaneous ion bombardment of the growing layers associated to increased degrees of micro crystallinity. Luminescence spectroscopy can be considered as a process optimization tool for dual ion beam sputtering towards for example enhanced laser induced damage thresholds.


This chapter grapples with the hegemony of the visual and its pervasiveness in current urban installations. It discusses how technology and the visual are fetishized instead of used in their dialogical potential to engage people in socio-spatial transformation. This chapter presents the trajectory of the Graphics Laboratory for Architectural Experience at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil (LAGEAR) in its theoretical and practical development. This chapter then discusses LAGEAR's main drives, which are the playful interaction, the distinction between interface, and interaction and dialogue, in order to create interactive interfaces that actually engage people in socio-spatial transformation. It presents examples of the authors' works, drawing from visually based to bodily engaging and socio-political installations. Discussion concerns the problematization that leads to the need of engagement rather than the bodily engagement. Emphasis was put on working with the socio-spatial context and proposing interfaces that take into account the process in its openness and indeterminacy instead of prescribing a product (even if an interface-product).


Cantilever installation is a construction method of which is often used in the construction of Concrete Oblique-pulling truss bridge. For ensuring the safety of construction process, the structural line shape and stress under different construction phases of the bridge were tested. Contrastive analysis between the testing results and the calculating results was carried on in different construction phases. The results showed the testing values of vertical displacement is smaller than the calculating values because the actual stiffness of the structure is bigger than the theory stiffness. But the stress of key section's stress of the truss bridge in the whole construction phases agreed pretty well between the testing results and the calculating results. The maximal cantilever length phase to entire bridge closure phase is the most disadvantageous state in the whole construction process.


In this paper, we discuss the use of Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS) to perform isotopically selective saturation spectroscopy of lutetium isotopes. Utilizing this technique, it is shown that accurate measurements of the relative frequencies of hyperfine (HF) components for different isotopes easily can be made without the need for an isotopically enriched sample. The precision with which the HF splitting constants can be determined is estimated to be ∼5 times greater than in previous work.


Neurospecific and neuro-nonspecific isozymes of glycolytic enzyme enolase known to be molecular markers of neuronal and glial cells respectively were isolated from human brain. Using immunoenzyme assay, the content of these proteins was measured in the brain of 7-13-week human embryos and adult subjects. The content of both isoenzymes gradually increases attaining constant level in 10-13-week embryos. Relative content of neuro-nonspecific enolase in the brain of 10-13-week embryos is 1 1/2 times higher than that in adults, whereas the content of neurospecific enolase amounts only to 2% of its level in the adult brain.


In performative prediction, the deployment of a predictive model triggers a shift in the data distribution. As these shifts are typically unknown ahead of time, the learner needs to deploy a model to get feedback about the distribution it induces. We study the problem of finding near-optimal models under performativity while maintaining low regret. On the surface, this problem might seem equivalent to a bandit problem. However, it exhibits a fundamentally richer feedback structure that we refer to as performative feedback: after every deployment, the learner receives samples from the shifted distribution rather than only bandit feedback about the reward. Our main contribution is an algorithm that achieves regret bounds scaling only with the complexity of the distribution shifts and not that of the reward function. The algorithm only relies on smoothness of the shifts and does not assume convexity. Moreover, its final iterate is guaranteed to be near-optimal. The key algorithmic idea is careful exploration of the distribution shifts that informs a novel construction of confidence bounds on the risk of unexplored models. More broadly, our work establishes a conceptual approach for leveraging tools from the bandits literature for the purpose of regret minimization with performative feedback.


Background In our previous study (1) from the Swedish Farmacotherapy (SWEFOT) trial (2), we showed that a change of multi-biomarker disease activity (ΔMBDA) score (3) in methotrexate incomplete responders (MTX-IR) was predictive for subsequent response to non-biological triple therapy (TT; a combination of MTX with sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine) or to anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy. Objectives To evaluate further how ΔMBDA score could be used to predict optimal choice of second-line treatment, by investigating different cut-offs and by comparing this to using the C-reactive protein (CRP) for prediction. Methods 157 MTX-IR patients from the SWEFOT trial with complete data were grouped into those with and without big ΔMBDA (big decrease >22 and non-big decrease ≤22 respectively from baseline to Month 3) based on highest quartile. The change of CRP (ΔCRP) was studied in parallel using a cut-off based on the highest quartile (>28 & ≤28). Analysis was done by last observation carried forward. The proportion of clinical responders (DAS28 ≤3.2) across ΔMBDA groups between the two therapy arms was assessed by Breslow-Day test. Results Among patients with ΔMBDA>22, 76% responded to TT and 47% to anti-TNF, while among the others more responded to anti-TNF (55% vs 38%; cross-comparison for all 4 groups p=0.016; figure 1). When based on ΔCRP responses were 50% and 39% versus 45% and 56% (p=0.226). Conclusions In MTX-IR patients, an improvement in the MBDA scores by >22 predicts better response to subsequent Triple Therapy, and lack thereof predicts a better response to anti-TNF. The same analyses using CRP did not reveal similar results. Thus, monitoring patients during MTX treatment using the MBDA score may guide optimal therapy choice in MTX-IRs on the individual patient level. References Hambardzumyan K, Bolce R, Saevarsdottir S, et al. FRI0005 In Early RA Patients with Non-Response to Methotrexate Monotherapy the Change in Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity Score is Differentially Associated with Subsequent Response to Non-Biological versus Biological Therapy. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2014 June 1, 2014;73(Suppl 2):382-3. van Vollenhoven RF, Geborek P, Forslind K, et al. Conventional combination treatment versus biological treatment in methotrexate-refractory early rheumatoid arthritis: 2 year follow-up of the randomised, non-blinded, parallel-group Swefot trial. Lancet. 2012 May 5;379(9827):1712-20. PubMed PMID: 22464340. Centola M, Cavet G, Shen Y, et al. Development of a multi-biomarker disease activity test for rheumatoid arthritis. PloS one. 2013;8(4):e60635. PubMed PMID: 23585841. Pubmed Central PMCID: 3621826. Disclosure of Interest K. Hambardzumyan: None declared, R. Bolce Shareholder of: Myriad Genetics Inc., Employee of: Crescendo Bioscience, a wholly owned subsidiary of Myriad Genetics, Inc., S. Saevarsdottir: None declared, K. Forslind: None declared, J. Karlsson: None declared, E. Sasso Shareholder of: Myriad Genetics Inc., Employee of: Crescendo Bioscience, a wholly owned subsidiary of Myriad Genetics, Inc., D. Chernoff Consultant for: Crescendo Bioscience, a wholly owned subsidiary of Myriad Genetics, Inc., C. C. Hwang Shareholder of: Myriad Genetics Inc., Employee of: Crescendo Bioscience, a wholly owned subsidiary of Myriad Genetics, Inc., R. van Vollenhoven Grant/research support from: Abb Vie, BMS, GSK, Pfizer, Roch, UCB, Consultant for: Abb Vie, Biotest, BMS, Crescendo Bioscience, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, Roch, UCB, Vertex


Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor with a dismal prognosis, highlighting the need for novel treatment strategies. Here, we provide the first evidence that the histone deacetylase inhibitor, MS275, sensitizes glioblastoma cells for chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Pretreatment of glioblastoma cells with MS275 causes acetylation of histone H3 protein and significantly enhances doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Calculation of combination index showed that MS275 and doxorubicin acted in a synergistic manner to trigger apoptosis. Furthermore, pre-exposure to MS275 significantly increases apoptosis in response to temozolomide, etoposide, and cisplatin. In contrast, treatment with MS275 before the addition of vincristine and taxol significantly reduces the induction of apoptosis. Analysis of cell cycle alterations showed that treatment with MS275 triggers G1 cell cycle arrest, which in turn renders cells less sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of mitotic inhibitors, such as vincristine and taxol. Thus, these findings show for the first time that the histone deacetylase inhibitor, MS275, represents a promising strategy to prime glioblastoma cells for chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in a drug-specific manner.


This article is a critical appraisal of the recent German publication entitled Uber die Freiheit des Wortes, which is a German translation of the well-known Norwid's poetic treatise On the freedom of the Word, also including some other translations of his poetic works, e.g. Fatum, W Weronie [In Verona], Bema pamieci zalobny-rapsod [A funeral rhapsody in memory of General Bem], Ironia [Irony] or Fortepian Szopena [Chopin's Grand Piano]. Yet, preeminent in the volume is the title treatise in verse, if not for the fact that the volume offers the first ever German rendition of this work. According to the author of the article, the translator Peter Gehrisch sometimes happens to fall into interpretation traps that Norwid's texts are full of: semantic convolutions, phraseological ambiguities or – above all – stylistic and syntactic complications. Another limitation that is evident in the German rendition is that Gehrisch strove very much to preserve in his version the original versed form of the treatise. The result is not always optimal if one considers the senses of the particular phrases or larger fragments.


For each graph and each positive integer n, we define a chain complex whose graded Euler characteristic is equal to an appropriate nspecialization of the dichromatic polynomial. This also gives a categorification of n-specializations of the Tutte polynomial of graphs. Also, for each graph and integer n ≤ 2, we define the different one variable n-specializations of the dichromatic polynomials, and for each polynomial we define graded chain complex whose graded Euler characteristic is equal to that polynomial. Furthermore, we explicitly categorify the specialization of the Tutte polynomial for graphs which corresponds to the Jones polynomial of the appropriate alternating link.


The purpose of this essay is to study the republican and socialist Northern Ireland political party Sinn Fein and to examine its legitimacy in the eyes of the citizens of Northern Ireland. Is it possible to have a political agenda that includes violence and still maintain legitimacy? The Irish Republican Army's (IRA) military struggle was for a long time a part of the party's political agenda. This strategy has been described as to have a ballot paper in one hand and an Armalite in the other, and successfully made Sinn Fein one of the province's largest political parties. I have examined the time period from 1989 to present time. My concept of legitimacy is based on a theory by the political scientist Mikael Axberg, who describes legitimacy to be a concept that contains three different parts: a legal, a democratic and a sociological perspective. Methodically this essay is both a qualitative and quantitative study. The main question of the essay is:"Can Sinn Fein be considered to be a political party of a legitimate foundation in the eyes of the citizens?". In order to examine this question I have used three sub questions: 1) Is Sinn Fein, from a legal understanding of legitimacy, a legitimate party? 2) Is Sinn Fein, from a democratic understanding of legitimacy, a legitimate party? 3) Is Sinn Fein, from a sociological understanding of legitimacy, a legitimate party? Of course this is not the only way to understand legitimacy and approach this problem, but it is the way I find most useful in order to answer the question. The sub questions have a wide range and include three different perspectives, which provides a good foundation for answering the main question of the essay. The essay comes to the conclusion that Sinn Fein is a legitimate party in the eyes of the citizens, if the polarisation of the society is considered. Catholic and protestant citizens have very different views on the legitimacy of Sinn Fein. The essay concludes that if a society is as polarised as Northern Ireland, that has to be taken into account when questions of legitimacy are examined.


Macro placement is the problem of placing memory blocks on a chip canvas. It can be formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem over sequence pairs, a representation which describes the relative positions of macros. Solving this problem is particularly challenging since the objective function is expensive to evaluate. In this paper, we develop a novel approach to macro placement using Bayesian optimization (BO) over sequence pairs. BO is a machine learning technique that uses a probabilistic surrogate model and an acquisition function that balances exploration and exploitation to efficiently optimize a black-box objective function. BO is more sample-efficient than reinforcement learning and therefore can be used with more realistic objectives. Additionally, the ability to learn from data and adapt the algorithm to the objective function makes BO an appealing alternative to other black-box optimization methods such as simulated annealing, which relies on problem-dependent heuristics and parameter-tuning. We benchmark our algorithm on the fixed-outline macro placement problem with the half-perimeter wire length objective and demonstrate competitive performance.


The long-time correlations of fluctuations of lattice displacements in the quantum paraelectrics and are studied within the framework of the mode-coupling theory of the dynamic transition from an ergodic to a non-ergodic state caused by defects. It is shown that the very hard local non-symmetry-breaking defects formed by the oxygen vacancies can induce the dynamic transition at . The low-temperature non-ergodic state is characterized by long-time correlations of local fluctuations of the polar displacements, which continuously arise for . Simultaneously, the local non-symmetry-breaking defects lead to the appearance of long-time correlations of long-wavelength fluctuations of acoustic displacements via the local random piezoelectric coupling for . The random local piezoelectric coupling is caused by the electrostrictive interaction, which is modified by the random electric fields of the frozen symmetry-breaking defects. The conditions that must be met for the dynamic transition to be induced by the oxygen vacancies are analysed. It is also shown that the unavoidable oxygen vacancies in the nominally pure and are quite sufficient in number to cause the non-ergodic state. The role of the dynamic transition in the formation of the glass state for lightly doped and is discussed.


ABSTRACT Data visualization can accelerate data processing so that enormous quantities of data can be utilized effectively. Visualization of data can achieve image communication between people and data as well as between people to help observers get information hidden in data, providing a tool for discovery and understanding of scientific law. To solve the problem of multi-image and multi-modality image display in the field of remote sensing, an interactive colour visualization method for hyperspectral imagery (HSI) is proposed in this article. This method visualizes complex information of original HSI data through different fusion results of multiple images in a colour space, which is under the interactive control of the observers. By gradually determining predetermined points, observers can obtain a relatively satisfying image blending mode, output an image with clearer interested target, and obtain the corresponding mixing coefficient of images. The proposed method can also solve the problem that traditional visualization methods only display information from three bands in one image, and conduct information mining in HSI with a certain purpose based on the demands of users. In addition, this approach is also applicable for visualization of other types of multi-modal imagery.


Although the ears, spikelets and florets of a wheat crop are initiate of the resulting grains of the crop ripen synchronously. Similarly, crops of winter wheat sown at widely different dates tend to ripen during the same period of a few days in the following summer. This review, which draws evidence from winter, spring and day-neutral varieties, and from a range of temperate and mediterranean environments, explores the mechanisms leading to this convergence of organ, plant and crop development. Central to these mechanisms are the roles of the environment (temperature, including vernalisation, and photoperiod) in determining the time of initiation of reproductive development (initiation of the collar) and the rates and durations of organ initiation (leaves, tillers, spikelets, florets); however, the mortality of organs, notably tillers and florets, caused by intra- and inter-plant competition also plays a major part in determining the duration of developmental processes and the number of initiated organs which survive. The observed synchrony of crop development cannot be achieved without the coordinated responses of a number of developmental processes (e.g. leaf and ear development) to the environment; how this coordination is achieved by the plant is largely unknown, and in spite of the widespread use of plant growth regulators, molecular aspects of the control of plant development are poorly characterised. In practice, the convergence of development rarely fails, and the few examples of failure of synchrony (e.g. in crops which have lodged or where an inappropriate variety has been used) are reviewed.


In this study, the effects of photochemical pre-treatment (pilot-plant UV/H2O2 process) of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) on its subsequent biological treatment were examined. It was observed that the photochemical pre-treatment of the LAS solution did not increase its biodegradability. Moreover, the effects of acclimated microorganisms on the biodegradability of the LAS solution were also studied. It was observed that the acclimated activated sludge increased the biodegradation of the LAS solution. However, due to the presence of some intermediates in the effluent of the photoreactor, the biodegradability of this effluent was less than the biodegradability of the untreated LAS solution with the same concentration of the LAS in the effluent of the photoreactor.


Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the most important plants worldwide because of its fiber that is used as raw material for the textile industry. Since the dyes used in dyeing process negatively affect the environment, many people prefer to use natural colored cotton products. The objective of this study was to establish the inter-relationship and direct and indirect effect of various quality traits on seed cotton yield in colored cotton genotypes. The F3 and F4 generations of the cross between Carmen (white) and Devetüyü-176 (brown fiber) were used for selection process in terms of seed cotton yield per plant and fiber color. The measured quality traits in the selected genotypes from F3 and F4 generations were micronaire, fiber strength, fiber length, uniformity ratio, short fiber index, fiber elongation. Phenotypic correlation and path coefficients were calculated separately for each generation. As results of the correlation analysis, seed cotton yield was not negatively associated with fiber quality properties. It may be concluded that the selection for seed cotton yield and fiber color should be applied in early generations and fiber quality properties of the selected promising colored cotton genotypes can be determined in further generations of Carmen x Devetüyü-176.


Large language models (LLMs) have garnered significant attention, but the definition of"large"lacks clarity. This paper focuses on medium-sized language models (MLMs), defined as having at least six billion parameters but less than 100 billion. The study evaluates MLMs regarding zero-shot generative question answering, which requires models to provide elaborate answers without external document retrieval. The paper introduces an own test dataset and presents results from human evaluation. Results show that combining the best answers from different MLMs yielded an overall correct answer rate of 82.7% which is better than the 60.9% of ChatGPT. The best MLM achieved 71.8% and has 33B parameters, which highlights the importance of using appropriate training data for fine-tuning rather than solely relying on the number of parameters. More fine-grained feedback should be used to further improve the quality of answers. The open source community is quickly closing the gap to the best commercial models.


Bicultural teaching practice in Aotearoa New Zealand is based on commitment to partnerships reflecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ The Treaty of Waitangi between Māori and non-Māori cultures, and is governed by professional standards and documents. I am a Pākehā (European ethnicity) early childhood teacher educator concerned about how effectively I engage in bicultural teaching practice. According to Michel Foucault's theories, individuals' self-understandings are shaped within discourses that frame their values and beliefs, and their thoughts and actions. This article reports on poststructural self-study research into my negotiations within three discourses of bicultural teacher education practice, as well as discourses of colonisation that continue to pervade Aotearoa New Zealand.


Background: Chronic partial sleep deprivation continues to be a global problem. Studies have shown that oestrous cyclicity is disrupted by total sleep deprivation. The relationship between partial sleep deprivation – the predominant form of sleep deprivation in the current global society – and the oestrous pattern remains elusive. This study examined oestrous cycle patterns of rats subjected to partial sleep deprivation. Methods: Thirty female Wistar rats were divided into control and Sleep-Deprived (SD) groups of fifteen rats each. Oestrous patterns were monitored for two weeks before sleep deprivation and throughout the study. Sleep deprivation was induced using the modified multiple platform method. Five animals were sacrificed under thiopental anaesthesia during proestrus on days 7, 14 and 21. The ovaries, uteri and adrenal glands were examined. Data were compared using t-test at p<0.05. Results: Proestrus and oestrus frequencies reduced in the SD groups; metestrus frequency increased in the 7 days and 14 days SD and diestrus frequency increased in 21 days SD group. Cycle lengths increased in the 14 days and 21days SD groups. The SD groups had inflammation of ovary and uterus, as well as adrenal medulla hyperplasia. Conclusion: Partial sleep deprivation reduces frequencies of phases characterized by sexual activity and ovulation while increasing cycle lengths in Wistar rats. Thus, adequate sleep is important for women who are trying to get pregnant. Keywords: Sleep deprivation, Oestrous cycle, Adrenal medulla, rats


1 Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Conflicts of interest: none. Introduction: Aiming to obtain autogenous and injectable lipografts from resected tissues in dermolipectomies, this study proposes a new method for harvesting and processing adipose tissue through a specific fragmenting device. The main objective was to establish a comparative analysis of the quality and viability characteristics of the new lipofragmentation technique and those of the well-known liposuction technique, widely accepted as a viable source of fat grafting. In vivo and in vitro assays were designed to evaluate the biological behavior of the samples to guide new and possible human studies with clinical applications. Methods: A post-bariatric patient who underwent abdominal dermolipectomy had her surgical specimen resected, which was divided into four parts that underwent liposuction and lipofragmentation, with and without prior infiltration. All samples were centrifuged and distributed for assays with assessments involving histological analysis, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, cell culture, and xenograft injection on the back of 10 Wistar rats, which was evaluated after six weeks for mass, volume, and histological features. Results: The structural characteristics and biological behaviors of fragmented, dry, and infiltrated fat samples were similar to those of liposuction samples. Conclusions: Fat fragmentation transformed the subcutaneous cellular tissue of dermolipectomies into a new, viable injectable lipograft variant, with biological characteristics similar to those of traditional liposuction. Although still preliminary, our results support further investigations to optimize the technique and improve fat grafting and its possible applications in regenerative medicine. ■ ABSTRACT


Gauromydas Wilcox, Papavero & Pimentel, 1989 are giant flies, and include the largest fly known, G. heros (Perty, 1833). This genus was originally erected to group four Neotropical species, namely G. apicalis (Wiedemann, 1830), G. autuorii (d'Andretta, 1951), G. heros, and G. mystaceus (Wiedemann, 1830). As with most of the remaining Mydidae, adults of Gauromydas are very rarely collected. We here describe two new species of Gauromydas (G. mateus sp. nov. and G. papaveroi sp. nov.) discovered in entomological collections, including specimens unstudied for up to eight decades. We also provide revised diagnoses for the remaining four species of Gauromydas, along with a new key and new distribution records for the genus.


Blood lipids are important mediators of host defense during the acute phase of innate immunity. Parasites may induce significant changes in lipid parameters, as has been shown in vitro study where substitution of serum by lipid/cholesterol in medium and in experimental models (in vivo). Thus changes in lipid profile occur in patients that having active infections with most of the parasites. Toxoplasma cannot synthesize cholesterol and depends upon acquisition of low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived from the host cell, via endocytosis mediated by the LDL receptor or the LDL receptor-related protein.The present study is conducted to evaluate the changes in lipid profile in T. gondii infected women.A total of patients included 87 aborted women who had positive test for toxoplasmosis and a two control groups (115 non toxoplasmosis women): The first control group (negative control) contains 88 apparently healthy women and the second control group (positive control) contains 87 aborted women, were registered from Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Both control groups had negative test for toxoplasmosis. These samples were collected between the period January 2009 and May 2010. Patients and controls women's had comparable age that ranged between 15-45 years old. Serum samples were collected from each woman in the three groups and then the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) and Lipid profile assays were performed by using two commercial kits. In the basis of ELISA test anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG and IgM), detected in the patients sera, three types of toxoplasmosis were identified. These were; acute type, sub-acute type and chronic type. Most of patients had chronic type 75 (86.2%). There were significant decreased in the total cholesterol are 165.05 (control groups 212.44, 213.33 respectively), triglycerides 134.98 (control groups 173.81, 174.40 respectively), LDL 87.78 (control groups 137.32, 135.87 respectively) and vLDL values 26.99 (control groups 34.70, 34.60 respectively). In contrast, there was significant increased in HDL value (49.0) as compared with control groups (40.42, 38.78 respectively). Also the result indicated that there were no significant differences in lipid profile values between the three types of disease. Toxoplasma gondii had a role in changes lipid profile values in infected women which characterized by decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride and LDL with a significant increases in HDL level. Further studies needed to maintain the effect of duration of the toxoplasmosis (acute or chronic) on the changes in lipid profile.


This work was conceived within the discussions that propose to analyse connections between power and early childhood. Choosing as its main focus the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Education - Referencial Curricular Nacional para a Educacao Infantil (RCN) -, this study intends to problematise the ways governmental xmechanisms operate to govern childhood. This research, inspired by Michel Foucault's ideas, seeks to show how mechanisms of power/knowledge concerning childhood are produced within pedagogical relationships. In this article, an analysis of the ";government"; of childhood is undertaken, examining propositions presented in the document and stressing the ways technologies of the self operate. Related to political technologies and governmental rationalities this work emphasises the RCN as a mechanism that proposes to produce children's subjectivities and that aims to organise, impart and control the circulation of knowledge in early childhood institutions.


Little is known about the ontogeny of cyclooxygenase activity and synthesis of prostaglandins in the developing gastrointestinal tract. We tested the hypothesis that an age-related increase in cyclooxygenase as reflected in production of PGE2 in the proximal small bowel (PSB) is associated with the maturation of the mucosal barrier as determined by 51Cr-EDTA permeability. Cyclooxygenase activity in PSB of rats at 10, 22, 36, and 63 (adult) days of age was determined by the generation of PGE2 using specific radioimmunoassay. Systemic 51Cr-EDTA clearance into the lumen was used to assess mucosal barrier function in PSB in 10- to 12-day-old and adult rats. Prostaglandin E2 generation rose significantly from 24.8 +/- 0.4 pg/mg/min in 10-day-old rats to 125.0 +/- 7.8 in adult rats. The 51Cr-EDTA clearance decreased significantly from 5.08 +/- 0.90 ml/min/100 g in 10- to 12-day-old rats to 0.43 +/- 0.18 ml/min/100 g in adult rats. To assess the possible role of endogenous PGE2 in directly mediating these observed changes in the mucosal permeability, a group of adult rats chronically received indomethacin (2.5 mg/kg/day) over a 3-day period, while another group of vehicle-treated rats served as controls. The 51Cr-EDTA clearance of the indomethacin-treated rats was significantly higher than the control rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Ten basalt samples recovered from the FAMOUS area were selected so as to obtain representatives of a wide geographical and compositional range. The samples were analyzed for 87Sr/86Sr, K, Rb, Cs, Sr, Ba, and rare-earths. Sr-isotope ratios fall in the narrow range of 0.70288 to 0.70307, which implies that these samples were derived from an isotopically homogeneous source. The FAMOUS area lies in a geochemical transition zone between the Azores Plateau and "normal" ridge areas south of lat 33°N. The LIL (large-ion-lithophile) and Sr-isotope geochemistry of FAMOUS basalts is thus influenced by the Azores mantle plume; this results in higher Sr-isotope and LIL concentrations in these basalts than is typical of Mid-Atlantic Ridge basalts. Trace-element distributions in FAMOUS area basalts cannot be entirely accounted for by fractional crystallization models that are based on major-element chemistry. The LIL distribution in FAMOUS basalts could be due to variable extents of partial melting. Zonation within the magma chamber may result from incomplete mixing of successive batches of magma entering the chamber and could be further enhanced by fractional crystallization. The variation in partial melting would require significant increases in mantle temperature over a relatively short period of time. According to this model, the Mount Pluto magma represents the highest degree of partial melting and may mark the initiation of a new cycle of eruptive activity in the median valley.


Innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms are rapidly reshaping our world and daily life. However, Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), which are the heart of many AI algorithms, impose profound challenges when they are being executed on top of the existing computer architectures. As a matter of fact, the massive amount of data, that DNNs demand, overwhelms the existing von-Neumann architecture because the latter is fundamentally bottlenecked by the data movement between the physically-separated processing elements and memory blocks. Therefore, there is, more than ever before, a relentless increase in the need for breakthroughs at both hardware and software sides in order to bring AI to the next level. Nevertheless, such breakthroughs would indispensably necessitate novel and elegant HW/SW codesign methodologies towards maximizing the accuracy without scarifying the gained efficiency. In this work, we focus on how Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) circuits, that perform approximate in-memory Hamming distance computing, can be realized using both classical CMOS-based SRAM memories and emerging beyond-CMOS Ferroelectric FET (FeFET) non-volatile memories. Further, we demonstrate how HS/SW codesign allows an outstanding synergy between brain-inspired Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC) and novel beyond-von Neumann architectures towards realizing ultra-efficient, yet accurate machine learning algorithms.


Document analysis and understanding (DAU) systems aim not only at the recognition of text and document structures but also at the extraction of relevant information out of a scanned document. Depending on the class of a document, information to be extracted may be defined in advance in syntactic structures as well as in semantic structures. In this paper we present a system for detecting such information and transforming it into a semantic representation. The basic component is a pattern matcher which incorporates geometric positions to detect phrases in the document. By defining a Levenshtein distance, the component reacts more generously in order to be error tolerant against OCR failures.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment represents one of the largest unmet medical needs. Developing drugs capable of preventing Aβ aggregation is an excellent approach to prevent and treat AD. Here, we show that gallic acid (GA), a naturally occurring polyphenolic small molecule rich in grape seeds and fruits, has the capacity to alleviate cognitive decline of APP/PS1 transgenic mouse through reduction of Aβ1-42 aggregation and neurotoxicity. Oral administration of GA not only improved the spatial reference memory and spatial working memory of early stage AD mice (4-month-old), but also significantly reduced the more severe deficits in spatial learning, reference memory, short-term recognition and spatial working memory of the late stage AD mice (9-month-old). The hippocampal long-term-potentiation (LTP) was also significantly elevated in the GA-treated late stage APP/PS1 AD mice. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence densitometry analyses showed that GA can reduce Aβ1-42 aggregation from forming toxic oligomers and fibrils. Indeed, pre-incubating GA with oligomeric Aβ1-42 reduced Aβ 1-42-mediated intracellular calcium influx and neurotoxicity. Molecular docking studies identified that the 3,4,5-hydroxyle groups of GA were essential in noncovalently stabilizing GA binding to the Lys28-Ala42 salt bridge and the -COOH group is critical for disrupting the salt bridge of Aβ1-42. The predicated covalent interaction through Schiff-base formation between the carbonyl group of the oxidized product and ε-amino group of Lys16 is also critical for the disruption of Aβ1-42 S-shaped triple-β-motif and toxicity. Together, these studies demonstrated that GA can prevent and protect the AD brain through disrupting Aβ1-42 aggregation.


We investigate the effect of financial incentives, framed as gains and losses, on creative breakthrough. Rather than originating merely from diligent work, creative breakthrough entails a eureka-moment – the sudden insight and the radical reorganization of ideas for the solution of a problem. We argue that financial incentives can be detrimental for creative breakthrough. Moreover, framing financial incentives as losses may lead to particularly strong detrimental effects, compared to incentives framed as gains. We test our hypotheses in a laboratory experiment using a classical paradigm to investigate creative breakthrough: the candle problem (Duncker 1945). We find causal evidence that, relative to a condition without performance-contingent incentives, financial incentives are counterproductive for creative breakthrough. This holds true for financial incentives framed as gains as well as for those framed as losses. We do not find any significant differences arising from the framing of incentives. Financial incentives and the loss framing of incentives are classical managerial tools for enhancing employee performance. They have proven effective for routine tasks. Our results, however, suggest that their success cannot be generalized to work environments that build on people's ability to achieve breakthroughs via eureka-moments.


Abstract The proliferation of online digital libraries offers users a great opportunity to search their desired literatures on Web. Cross-library search applications can help users search more literature information from multiple digital libraries. Duplicate literatures detection is always a necessary step when merging the search results from multiple digital libraries due to heterogeneity and autonomy of digital libraries. To this end, this paper proposes a holistic solution which includes achieving automatic training set, holistic attribute mapping, and weight of attribute training. The experiments on real digital libraries show that the proposed solution is highly effective.


This study used a mixed-methods design combining qualitative and quantitative research to understand the factors affecting customer satisfaction with institutional foodservice during COVID-19. First, in-depth interviews and open coding were conducted with institutional foodservice users, and they indicated that harmonious menu composition, food taste, food temperature, close proximity to the restaurant, clean tableware, staff hygiene, hand sanitizer use, and table dividers were important concepts (qualities). Second, factors affecting customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction with institutional foodservice were analyzed using the Kano model, customer satisfaction coefficient, and importance–satisfaction analysis. The highest priorities derived from those analyses for improving the quality of institutional foodservice were harmonious menu composition and food temperature. This mixed-methods study is meaningful because it comprehensively analyzes the satisfaction factors important to customers of institutional foodservice, which have changed because of COVID-19. Therefore, these results will help to improve institutional foodservice and industrial development.


Objective of this paper is to review the literature on materialism and to come up with the contemporary notion about materialism that is apposite for present-day study of consumer behavior. The study has devised exploratory research design to reconnoiter the existing conceptualizations of materialism. Literature review of different conceptualizations of materialism has been presented in this paper. The contextual review helped in framing the conceptual definitions. The current research spells out the new and contemporary conceptual definitions of materialism, derived from literature review of different conceptualizations, which contributes in the area of behavioral study. The study has added to the literature in terms of a development of the concept of materialism that is contemporaneous and comprehensive. It has offered across-the-board conceptualization of materialism. JEL Codes: M00, M30, M31, M39


Coffee is a favorite and beverage in Western countries that is consumed daily. In the present study, capillary zone electrophoresis (CE) was applied for the separation and quantification of three isoflavones including daidzein, genistein and formononetin in coffee. Extraction of isoflavones from the coffee sample was carried out by extraction and purification process using ether after the acid hydrolysis with the antioxidant butylated hydroxy-toluene (BHT). The experimental conditions of the CE separation method were: 20 mmol/L Na2HPO4 buffer solution, 25 kV applied voltage, 3 s hydrodynamic injection at 30 mbar, and UV detection at 254 nm. The results show that the three compounds can be tested within 10 min with a linearity of 0.5–50 µg/mL for all three compounds. The limits of detection were 0.0642, 0.134, and 0.0825 µg/mL for daidzein, formononetin and genistein, respectively. The corresponding average recovery was 99.39% (Relative Standard Detection (RSD) = 1.76%), 98.71% (RSD = 2.11%) and 97.37% (RSD = 3.74%).


Heavy metal removal from water is essential as these toxic chemicals may enter to impasse food web and will cause severe disasters not only for human beings but also for all aquatic & non aquatic species. Many techniques have reported till date for removal of heavy metal especially from water but having their own advantages as well as disadvantages. In present work we report biosorption of Copper and Nickel by locally available contaminated mixed freshwater algae culture. In present work three algal samples were collected, in which two were from macro/sea weed origin where as another was Senedesmus species. In comparison study of Cu(II) removal it was found that, more than 95% adsorption was observed by sample 1, where as ~87% was from sample 2 and ~70% from sample 3. Approximately 25% of Nickel was also up taken by sample 3. As samples taken for observation were not isolated and purified so it is difficult to interpret best among macro/micro algal, bacterial or fungal biosorption capacity however, we conclude that even fresh water contaminated mixed algal species are a promising and cheap mean to utilize for heavy metal removal from various industrial or other wastes.


In a previous paper, the measurement of an atomic Berry phase associated with two crossing levels has been suggested as a possible test for an atomic interferometry method. As one of the two levels involved is radiative, an analysis of geometrical phase factor arising in the cyclic evolution of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian is undertaken here. It is shown that the use of the dual basis allows a simple generalization of Berry's results and that, in addition to the two possible values encountered in the Hermitian case (0, π), the geometrical phase can take on as intermediate value π/2 or even a complex value, whereas the corresponding quantum states may be permuted. The validity of the adiabatic approximation is discussed in view of the measurability of this new effect.