Objective: To find out the effect of fluoridated toothpaste and mouth rinse on titanium surface topographyMethodology: Thirteen discs of commercially pure titanium with dimensions 6 mm diameter and 4 mm thickness were made and polished. The specimens were divided into 5 groups based on the treatments viz. Group A (Fluoride paste + toothbrush), Group B (Immersion in fluoride mouthrinse), Group C (Immersion in fluoride mouthrinse + toothbrush), Group D (Immersion in 0.2% sodium fluoride solution) and Group E (Distilled water + toothbrush). The discs were subjected to brushing with fluoride toothpaste using a customised brushing simulator for an accelerated period of 2 years. The immersion test was conducted by immersing the discs in fluoride mouth rinse for 24 hours (accelerated 2 years). One disc was immersed in sodium fluoride solution for 24 hours and this served as control. Surface topography was evaluated at baseline (pretreatment) and post-treatment, using a contact profilometer in order to obtain the mean roughness values.Results: The roughness values were found to increase in all the groups. The mean difference in Ra value (μm) observed in group A was 0.0206±0.002, group B 0.0257±0.033, group C 0.0766±0.053, group D 0.0197±0.016 and group E was 0.011±0.0024Conclusion: Exposure to mouthwash withfluoride concentration of 0.2%w/v does not affect titanium perse, but brushing with fluoride containing toothpaste affects titanium roughness.


Background: Flower development affects fruit production directly in tomato. Despite the framework mediated by ABC genes have been established in Arabidopsis, the spatiotemporal precision of floral development in tomato has not been well examined.Results: Here, we analyzed a novel tomato mutant in which the normal development of stamens and carpels failed, resulting in ectopic formation of floral and shoot apical meristem in the fourth whorl position, which later developed into stem- and leaf-like structures. Using bulked segregant analysis (BSA), we assigned the causal mutation to the gene SLGT11 that encodes a transcription factor belonging to Trihelix gene family. Further RNAi silencing of SLGT11 verified the defective phenotypes of slf mutant. The failed termination of floral meristem and the occurrence of floral reversion in slf mutant indicate that SLGT11 functions as a non-canonical C type gene. Furthermore, we found that the defects in slf were substantially enhanced at higher temperature, with petals transformed into sepals, all stamens disappeared, and increased frequency of ectopic floral meristem.Conclusions: Together with the spatiotemporal expression pattern, we suggest that SLGT11 functions in floral organ patterning and termination of floral meristem identity in tomato.


One way to reduce predictive uncertainty due to the model structure is to incorporate information from several different models at once. Model aggregation can lead to a better prediction than a single model structure, as each model provides new information about the processes that are occurring. This paper presents an alternative by further developing an idea introduced by Marshall et al. (2006). A modeling framework that combines a number of individual model structures is presented. The approach, known as the hierarchical mixtures of experts (HME) framework, allows for a more sophisticated method of model aggregation by allowing individual models to be selected based on the preceding catchment conditions and also gives greater flexibility to the specification of the model errors. The modeling framework was previously shown to have potential as a modeling tool for assessing model components and identifying structural deficiencies in existing representations. This paper presents a basis for using the HME rainfall‐runoff modeling framework for prediction or simulation. We illustrate the rationale behind the proposed framework using daily rainfall, evapotranspiration, and flow data from two small sized catchments (<150 km2) in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Two different forms of a conceptual rainfall‐runoff model are used to represent the multiple component models of the framework. We investigate the usefulness of different catchment predictors to weight the individual models by assessing the resulting performance in a predictive sense. The usefulness of alternative models for the description of the model errors is shown. The study shows that given careful comparison of the possible mechanisms related to a switch in the catchment "state," the proposed approach can be a useful predictive tool, giving an aggregated model simulation that is better than any individual model.


Thermostability is a key property of industrial enzymes. Endo-polygalacturonases of the glycoside hydrolase family 28 have many practical applications, but only few of their structures have been determined, and the reasons for their stability remain unclear. We identified and characterized the Talaromyces leycettanus JCM12802 endo-polygalacturonase TlPGA, which differs from other GH28 family members because of its high catalytic activity, with an optimum temperature of 70 °C. Distinctive features were revealed by comparison of thermophilic TlPGA and all known structures of fungal endo-polygalacturonases, including a relatively large exposed polar accessible surface area in thermophilic TlPGA. By mutating potentially important residues in thermophilic TlPGA, we identified Thr284 as a critical residue. Mutant T284A was comparable to thermophilic TlPGA in melting temperature but exhibited a significantly lower half-life and half-inactivation temperature, implicating residue Thr284 in the kinetic stability of thermophilic TlPGA. Structure analysis of thermophilic TlPGA and mutant T284A revealed that a carbon-oxygen hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl group of Thr284 and the Cα atom of Gln255, and the stable conformation adopted by Gln255, contribute to its kinetic stability. Our results clarify the mechanism underlying the kinetic stability of GH28 endo-polygalacturonases and may guide the engineering of thermostable enzymes for industrial applications.


Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide, is the collective term/compound name for disorders afflicting the blood vessels and heart that accounts for 17.9 million deaths in 2016 1. Inflammation and enhanced oxidative stress have been shown as fundamental risk factors in the onset and progression of CVD 2. Chronic inflammatory conditions attenuate blood levels of antioxidants because of the continuous generation of elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A sufficient intake of antioxidants is also suggested to beneficially interfere with CVD by quenching ROS 3. Antioxidant vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, E, and C, and zinc may slow the development and progression of CVD Aim: This study aimed at investigating the association between daily consumption of dietary vitamins A, E, and C, and zinc and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods: Eligible adults (n=5102) were selected from the participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study with an average follow-up of 5.3 years. Dietary intakes were assessed using a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometrics and biochemical variables were evaluated at baseline and follow-up examinations. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the development of CVD associated with total intakes of vitamins A, E, and C, and zinc.Results: This study was conducted on 2,253 men and 2,849 women aged 47.0±11.6 and 45.6±10.5 years, respectively. The main sources of dietary vitamins A, E, and C and zinc were fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Risk of CVD decreased from quartile 1 to quartile 4 for vitamin E intake (HR (95% CI): 1.00, 0.91, 0.77, and 0.57; Ptrend=0.03). The association between risk of CVD and the quartiles of vitamins A and C and zinc intake was not significant.Conclusion: Our study suggested an inverse association between vitamin E intake and the risk of CVD. The results emphasized a potential protective role of its dietary sources in the prevention of CVD.


Targeted therapies(TT) combining FLT3 inhibitors with hypomethylating agents (HMA) and Venetoclax (Ven) are highly effective against FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with high response rates. Signaling mutations along with emergence of rarer mutations are the key contributors to primary and secondary resistance to TT. We hypothesize that resistant leukemia clones have unique proteomic profiles that facilitate survival under therapy pressure(TP) and deciphering proteomic profiles at the single-cell level will delineate resistance mechanisms and adaptive responses driven by TP. We performed multiplexed single-cell proteomic analysis of serial PB and BM samples (n:162) from patients treated with FLT3i+HMA+/-VEN using CyTOF. Unsupervised analysis identified leukemia cells and non-malignant cellular elements of the leukemia compartment in an unbiased manner. Next, we interrogated the leukemia proteomic landscape to identify leukemia associated proteomic features. Since Ven targets BCL2 and FLT3i modulates the expression of anti-apoptotic molecules we assessed the expression of apoptosis regulators and found that leukemia cells with immature phenotype, including those with leukemia stem cell(LSC) phenotype, almost always expressed moderate-high levels of BCL2. Monocytic cells(MC) lacked BCL2 expression and had the highest levels of MCL1. Despite expressing moderate levels of MCL1 and BCL-XL, TT was effective in substantially eliminating CD34+ immature leukemia cells. We observed a relative enrichment of MCs, either benign or malignant, after TT. Since cells with MC phenotype were inherently resistant to TT we hypothesized that leukemia cell subsets having similar proteomic profiles to MCs will persist after TT. Phenotypic interrogation of leukemia cells (UMAP) revealed that LSCs generally clustered on the opposite pole distant from MCs and leukemia cells on poles facing MCs were more differentiated. Remarkably, FLT3-ITD mutation partners differentially altered the proteomic landscape. NPM1 mutant FLT3-ITD AML cells displayed a less diverse leukemia architectural organization with differentiation block. Contrarily, signaling mutations diversified the leukemia landscape into a diverse continuum of differentiation states. We also observed that RAS/MAPK mutations could overcome differentiation block and gave rise to a differentiation continuum encompassing less-differentiated, transitional and differentiated leukemia cells. The transitional CD34+ leukemia cells, mapped in close vicinity to MCs, and differentiated MCs that preferentially persisted at D28, had active signaling pathways and expressed CD36. The presence of CD34+ leukemia cells with persistent signaling at D28 was indicative of poor clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Multiplexed single-cell proteomic analysis identified a unique mode of resistance and proteomic features of surviving cells in with FLT3-ITD AML patients treated with TT, and elucidated how different mutation partners in FLT3-ITD AML differentially altered proteomic landscape to drive resistance to TT.
 Citation Format: Muharrem Muftuoglu, Musa Yilmaz, Mahesh Basyal, Li Li, Naval Daver, Michael Andreeff. Multiplexed CyTOF analysis of FLT3-ITD AML landscape identifies proteomic profiles associated with resistance to targeted therapies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome; 2023 Jan 23-25; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Blood Cancer Discov 2023;4(3_Suppl):Abstract nr A05.


We demonstrate a high-Q amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) microresonator with optical Q as high as 1.3 × 10(5). The high optical quality allows us to characterize the third-order nonlinear susceptibility of a-SiC. The Kerr nonlinearity is measured to be n2 = (5.9 ± 0.7) × 10(−15) cm(2)/W in the telecom band around 1550 nm. The strong Kerr nonlinearity and high optical quality render a-SiC microresonators a promising platform for integrated nonlinear photonics.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between patient-rated physician empathy and outcome of botulinum toxin treatment for post-stroke upper limb spasticity.

DESIGN
Cohort study.

SUBJECTS
Twenty chronic stroke patients with upper limb spasticity.

METHODS
All patients received incobotulinumtoxinA injection in at least one muscle for each of the following patterns: flexed elbow, flexed wrist and clenched fist. Each treatment was performed by 1 of 5 physiatrists with equivalent clinical experience. Patient-rated physician empathy was quantified with the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure immediately after botulinum toxin treatment. Patients were evaluated before and at 4 weeks after botulinum toxin treatment by means of the following outcome measures: Modified Ashworth Scale; Wolf Motor Function Test; Disability Assessment Scale; Goal Attainment Scaling.

RESULTS
Ordinal regression analysis showed a significant influence of patient-rated physician empathy (independent variable) on the outcome (dependent variables) of botulinum toxin treatment at 4 weeks after injection, as measured by Goal Attainment Scaling (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION
These findings support the hypothesis that patient-rated physician empathy may influence the outcome of botulinum toxin treatment in chronic stroke patients with upper limb spasticity as measured by Goal Attainment Scaling.


Each year, 17 000 US medical graduates and 7000 international medical graduates begin residency training in the United States. Three or more years later these physicians will confront another career crossroads. Most will enter some form of practice, after having weighed their options and opportunities to join this or that practice organization, hang out a shingle on their own, or do something else. This handbook, prepared by physicians in emergency medicine—one is listed as editor, the others are "medical contributors," but only the preface has a byline—is an attempt to allay the "common complaint [by residents] of never receiving any significant advice or training regarding the nonmedical aspects of starting in medical practice after residency." The sheer number of residents coming out every year would suggest that an eager audience might await a handbook with a title like this one. Unfortunately, few of them will find here the information they


A periodic Ginzburg–Landau model for superconductivity is considered. The model has two novel features compared to periodic problems arising in other settings. First, periodicity is defined with respect to a nonorthogonal lattice that is not necessarily aligned with the coordinate axes. Second, the periodicity of the physical variables implies nonstandard, in the context of periodic problems, relations for the primary dependent variables used in the model. Physical assumptions are introduced that form the basis for the model, and then the mathematical model is derived from these assumptions. The model discussed includes, as special cases, periodic Ginzburg–Landau models appearing in the literature. Then the model equations and its solutions are analyzed, addressing, among others, questions of existence and regularity. The paper closes with some remarks relevant to the use of the model in conjunction with analytic or numerical approximation methods.


Creative writing is the medium for this reflexive narrative in which Sarah (currently twenty years old) imagines herself to be twenty years in to the future and offering careers advice to her children. The account transpires to be a form of life-counselling intended to guide her elder daughter and younger son as they begin to make decisions about what to do in their lives. After listening to her own voice she reflects, and follows her own advice with some affirmative action. The reflexive process of envisaging forward in time to reflect back yields a succinct lesson in decision making which may reflect the true paths of some people's lives in sport. If so, it is hoped this account may be instructive in avenues of coach, player and parent education. An annotated reference list details sources of guidance that informed and inspired this story.


In this article, we investigate what sorts of information humans request about geographical objects of the same type. For example, Edinburgh Castle and Bodiam Castle are two objects of the same type: "castle." The question is whether specific information is requested for the object type "castle" and how this information differs for objects of other types (e.g., church, museum, or lake). We aim to answer this question using an online survey. In the survey, we showed 184 participants 200 images pertaining to urban and rural objects and asked them to write questions for which they would like to know the answers when seeing those objects. Our analysis of the 6,169 questions collected in the survey shows that humans have shared ideas of what to ask about geographical objects. When the object types resemble each other (e.g., church and temple), the requested information is similar for the objects of these types. Otherwise, the information is specific to an object type. Our results may be very useful in guiding Natural Language Processing tasks involving automatic generation of templates for image descriptions and their assessment, as well as image indexing and organization.


Abstract Philosopher Greg Welty contributed a chapter entitled 'Molinist Gunslingers: God and the Authorship of Sin', to a book devoted to answering the charge that Calvinism makes God the author of sin (Calvinism and the Problem of Evil). Welty argues that Molinism has the same problems as Calvinism concerning God's relationship to sin, regardless of what view of human freedom Molinism may affirm. The Molinist believes that God generally uses his knowledge of the possible choices of libertarianly free creatures in order to accomplish his will. (This knowledge is typically categorized as residing within God's middle knowledge.) But affirming libertarian freedom for humans, he argues, does not help in dealing with the question of God's relationship to evil. Therefore, Molinism is no better than Calvinism, at least concerning this issue. In response to Welty, (1) I agree with him that Molinism does not have a moral advantage over what he calls 'mysterian, apophatic' Calvinism, but Molinists don't claim that it does, and (2) I argue that, contra Welty, Molinism indeed does have a moral advantage over the Calvinist versions that do employ causal determinism. Welty does not take 'intentions' into consideration in his argument, and this is a serious flaw. In the libertarian model of Molinism, intent originates in the doer of evil. However, in the compatibilist model of causal determinism, ultimately God implants intent. Thus, adherents of causal determinism have difficulty not laying responsibility at the feet of God.


Endothelial cell migration and proliferation are essential for the establishment of a hierarchical organization of blood vessels and optimal distribution of blood. However, how these cellular processes are coordinated remains unknown. Here, using the zebrafish trunk vasculature we show that in future veins endothelial cells proliferate more than in future arteries and migrate preferentially towards neighboring arteries. In future arteries endothelial cells show a biphasic migration profile. During sprouting cells move away from the dorsal aorta, during remodelling cells stop or move towards the feeding aorta. The final morphology of blood vessels is thus established by local proliferation and oriented cell migration to and from neighboring vessels. Additionally, we identify WASp to be essential for this differential migration. Loss of WASp leads to irregular distribution of endothelial cells, substantially enlarged veins and persistent arteriovenous shunting. Mechanistically, we report that WASp drives the assembly of junctional associated actin filaments and is required for junctional expression of PECAM-1. Together, our data identify that functional vascular patterning in the zebrafish trunk utilizes differential cell movement regulated by junctional actin, and that interruption of differential migration may represent a pathomechanism in vascular malformations.


Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by dysregulated local immune defense with constant influx of leucocytes , providing a basis for continuous intestinal inflammation. The present study was conducted to evaluate the serum and intestinal concentrations of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and their correlation with the disease activity. Twenty eight patients with ulcerative colitis (16 with active and 12 with inactive disease) and 12 subjects as a control group were included in the study .The patients and control group were subjected to the following investigations: colonoscopy and obtaining biopsy specimens , histopathological examination of biopsy specimen for assessment of disease activity score, assay of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), assay of IL-8 and sICAM-1 levels in sera and colonic biopsy specimens. The results showed that the serum and tissue IL-8 concentrations were significantly increased in patients with active UC as compared to control group (p 0.05). The results of sICAM-1 in sera and colonic mucosa showed significant increase in patients with active UC as compared to the control group (p 0.05). Both IL-8 and sICAM-1 whether in sera or in tissue showed significant positive correlations with disease activity score and the inflammatory markers , (ESR and CRP) in patients with active UC. IL-8 in sera and tissue also showed significant positive correlation with sICAM-1 in patients with active UC. In conclusion, both IL-8 and sICAM-1 showed significant increase in patients with active ulcerative colitis as compared to control group and inactive cases , denoting that they might play a role in the inflammatory response and tissue destruction and that the assay of their serum levels could be simple, non-invasive tests for monitoring the disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis.


Cold forging is a highly efficient process to produce components. However, the occurring tribological loads are tremendous. Therefore, complex tribological systems are necessary. They can be influenced by numerous factors. Most important are the tribological loads, which can usually be investigated independently. On the other hand, the contact normal stress and the surface enlargement are coupled in tribometer tests. In order to investigate them independently, a new concept for the Sliding Compression Test is presented and verified. This procedure reveals that both values have an influence on the friction coefficient. However, the influence of the surface enlargement is with about two-thirds higher.


Background: β-Blockers are first-line agents for reduction in symptoms, hospitalization, and mortality in patients with heart failure having reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, the safety and efficacy of continuous β-blocker therapy (BBT) in patients who actively use cocaine remain controversial, and available literature is limited. We aimed to evaluate the effect of BBT on hospital readmission and mortality in patients having HFrEF with concurrent cocaine use. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with a diagnosis of HFrEF between 2011 and 2014 based on International Classification of Diseases 9-Clinical Modification codes. We included patients aged 18 and older who tested positive for cocaine on a urine toxicology test obtained at the time of index admission. Patients were followed for 1 year. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the effect of BBT on the 30-day, all-cause and heart failure–related readmissions. Results: The 30-day readmission rates for BBT versus no BBT groups were 20% versus 41% (odds ratio [OR]: 0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05-0.56, P = .004) for heart failure-related readmissions and 25% versus 46% (OR: 0.19, 95% CI = 0.06-0.64, P = .007) for all-cause readmissions. Conclusion: The BBT reduced 30-day, all-cause and heart failure–related readmission rate but not 1-year mortality in patients having HFrEF with concurrent cocaine use.


ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. agronomic crops, food crops, germplasm, horticultural crops SUMMARY. More than half of the world's food crops have originated in Asia. Throughout the centuries there has been an exchange of crops between Asia and the rest of the world and, as a result, some of the most well known crops in North America, both food crops and ornamental species, are Asian species. The globalization of the world's economy opens up the possibility of new exchanges.


BACKGROUND
Neoplastic gastroduodenal inoperable stenosis require a palliative treatment to restore alimentary transit.

OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to treat neoplastic gastroduodenal stenosis with self-expanding enteral stents.

MATERIAL OF STUDY
An endoscopic treatment with uncovered self-expanding metal stents has been performed in 45 patients: 37 duodenal stenosis (34 pancreatic neoplasia, 1 gallbladder neoplasia, 2 peritoneal carcinosis), 5 anthropyloric neoplastic stenosis and 3 gastro-jejunal anastomosis stenosis were treated. A total of 47 metal stent were positioned: in 43 patient 1 stent; in 2 patient, with a long stenosis, 2 stents.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT
Efficacy of endoscopic treatment to restore alimentary transit.

RESULTS
The positioning was successfull in all cases without any complication. All patients had a rapid and satisfying recovery from symptoms connected to the obstruction. The hospitalization period was averagely 3 days (range 1-7). In one patient another stent was inserted 2 months later because of tunoral ingrowth. The median survival period was 4 months (range 1-5). In one patient with duodenal stenosis due to pancreatic neoplasia,in which were inserted 2 stents, distal one dislocated in the jejunum 3 months later. It was removed by surgery.

CONCLUSIONS
The endoscopic stenting is a valid treatment of inoperable gastric duodenal stenosis and may become the preferable option for the palliative treatment of this pathology.

KEY WORDS
Endoscopy, Gastroduodenal, Neoplasia, Obstruction, Stent.


Catfish cDNA libraries were constructed using the poly(A+) RNA obtained from in vitro stimulated catfish leukocytes. Antigenic analysis with different antisera to catfish Ig resulted in the definition of cDNA clones encoding the catfish H chain. Sequence analysis confirmed that the catfish H chain was definitively identified, based on its similarities with chicken and mouse mu chains. Two clones were each shown to encode part of the CH2 domain, the complete CH3 and CH4 domains, the C-terminus, and a 184-bp 3' untranslated region before the poly(A+) tail. The conservation of domain size and structure is clearly evident. The two cysteines forming the intradomain disulfide bridge, as well as the tryptophans located within each domain, are absolutely conserved. There are four carbohydrate acceptor sites in the catfish H chain, only one of which is phylogenetically conserved. Of the six sequenced H chain clones, one was found to differ in a single base in the CH3, which results in the loss of a carbohydrate acceptor site. Whether this difference indicates isotypic variation between closely related genes or somatic mutation is unresolved. Amino acid sequence comparisons indicate that there is a approximately 24% similarity when the catfish H chain is aligned with mouse mu chains. This is considerably less than the approximately 40% amino acid conservation found between the chicken and mouse mu chain. The amino acid sequence of the catfish H chain is most conserved in the C-terminus (approximately 30%) and the CH4 (approximately 26%); there is less conservation in the CH3 (approximately 20%) when comparisons are made with mouse mu chain. The CH3 domain of the catfish H chain also has different hydropathy properties, when compared with the CH3 domain of the higher vertebrate mu chains. Finally, the sequence of the catfish H chain indicates an unusual arrangement of the cysteines that likely participate in intersubunit and inter-H chain disulfide linkages. The disulfide linkage of these cysteines during Ig polymerization may account for the unusual covalent architecture associated with the catfish tetramer.


Results of reconstructive vascular surgery in 352 patients (aged 3 to 75 years) with extracranial arterial occlusions (295 of internal carotid artery) with intermittent symptoms or minor neurological defects are reported. Advantages of reconstructive surgery in the prevention of recurrence are: (1) further cerebrovascular episodes more frequently affect the non-operated side or brain-stem; (2) neurological recovery is quicker and more complete in operated than conservatively treated patients. However, reconstructive surgery, while preventing further cerebrovascular episodes, does not influence definite neurological defects.


This is a collection of papers from a conference on primitive art, held in 1967 under the auspices of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. Its central concern is how art affects, and is itself affected by society. The answers vary considerably, because of the complexity and general nature of the problem. Art has eluded precise definition and different writers approach its analysis from different angles, interests, training, and experience. The volume offers no over-all theoretical breakthrough, but the papers provide a wealth of ethnographic data and a great deal of insight and illuminating observations. In his introduction to the book, Anthony Forge surveys a number of approaches to the study of art within social anthropology, emphasizing the promising possibilities of what he calls ' the symbolic system approach ' : ' A coherent body of art from a single culture is analysed into its basic elements of form, with the aim of discovering the rules of their combination and opposition, but meaning is recorded at every level from a wide range of informants both artists and beholders of the art ' . This is essentially a structuralist approach which has in recent years achieved important results in the analysis of myth and ritual. In a paper on ' Adornment and nudity in tropical Africa', Denise Paulme provides interesting data and observations on the social significance of body adornment, facial scarcifications, and hair styles in a number of African societies. Raymond Firth discusses the question of the boundaries of art on the basis of extensive ethnographic data relating to the Tikopia. Warren L. d'Azevedo presents a magnificent account of the position of the artist among the ' Poro cluster' of tribes in western Liberia. He analyses the significance of masks in the rituals of the two major secret societies, Poro and Sande, and sheds further light on the ideologies and organization of these societies. William Fagg, ' In search of meaning in African art ' , draws attention to the close relations between art and religion in Africa. He writes: ' Visual art, like music is a form of communication and is concerned especially with communicating the ineffable, that is truths, values, feelings, etc., for which the normal channels of communication such as speech are unavailable or inadequate '. In his own paper, ' Style and meaning in Sepik art ' , Anthony Forge gives an extensive coverage of the art of the Sepik river area in New Guinea and provides a highly sophisticated analysis. Edmund Leach disousses levels of communication and problems of taboo in the appreciation of primitive art and attempts to analyse the response to art cross-culturally. He suggests the hypothesis that ' when westerners affirm that some completely alien cultural product is a " work of art ", this is a response to the fact that elements in the iconography have touched off animal feelings which have been deeply repressed by taboo . . . (a) sex, (6) eating, (c) dominance and submission.. . . It is such factors as these which are most easily recognized cross-culturally'. The volume is concluded with a brilliant analysis by W. T. Jones, who did not present a paper during the conference, but wrote one later in which he critically surveys the contributions by the other participants. He explains at length and in great detail that the inconclusiveness of the conference was due to implicit disagreements, partly unconscious, among the participants about the nature of art. He points out that the various papers use three different dimensions, in terms of which art objects are ordered, each participant at the conference using one or another of them as a primary organizing principle. Those were the dimensions of utility, information, and expression. In addition, participants had different funds of information, different interests, different vocabularies, and different approaches to their subject. His observations and generalizations are penetrating and of immense value as they provide a unique contribution to a clearer understanding of the whole field. His criticism, however, does not in any way belittle the significance of the different articles of the book as a whole. The book is indeed a major contribution to the sociology of art generally. What is more, it is produced in a most elegant form which does justice to the importance of its subject. I strongly recommend it to all students of art.


The Danish government has defined an ambitious e-government strategy aiming to increase both citizen centricity and the efficiency of government service production and delivery. This research uses dynamic capability theory to compare a highly successful and a less successful e-government program both aiming at realising this strategy by reengineering back office processes and implement one-stop shopping. The research contributes to the e-government literature by identifying key differences between the two cases in terms of dynamic capabilities, by identifying the importance of the organisational context for the level of organisational transformation, by illustrating the relevance of the dynamic capability perspective within e-government research and practice, and thereby providing a better foundation for future similar e-government programs.


A rotational parameter Rθ has been introduced to complex wavelet transform (CWT). The rotational CWT (RCWT) corresponds to a matrix element ψ|U2(θ;μ;k)|F in the context of quantum mechanics, where U2(θ;μ;k) is a two-mode rotational displacing-squeezing operator in the η| representation. Based on this, the Parseval theorem and the inversion formula of RCWT have been proved. The concise proof not only manifestly shows the merit of Dirac's representation theory but also leads to a new orthogonal property of complex mother wavelets in parameter space.


An assay was developed to detect the potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), a dangerous plant pathogen that causes crop damage resulting in economic losses in the potato agriculture sector. The assay was based on the reverse transcription and recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) of PSTVd RNA coupled with amplicon detection via lateral flow assay (LFA). Primers labeled with fluorescein and biotin were designed for RT-RPA for effective recognition of the loop regions in the high-structured circular RNA of PSTVd. The labeled DNA amplicon was detected using lateral flow test strips consisting of a conjugate of gold nanoparticles with antibodies specific to fluorescein and streptavidin in the test zone. The RT-RPA-LFA detected 106 copies of in vitro transcribed PSTVd RNA in reaction or up to 1:107 diluted extracts of infected plant leaves. The assay took 30 min, including the RT-RPA stage and the LFA stage. The testing of healthy and infected potato samples showed full concordance between the developed RT-RPA-LFA and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and the commercial kit. The obtained results proved the feasibility of using the developed assay to detect PSTVd from a natural source.


The existing system available for fuzzy filters for noise reduction deals with fat-tailed noise like impulse noise and median filter. Only impulse noise reduction uses fuzzy filters. Gaussian noise is not specially concentrated; it does not distinguish local variation due to noise and due to image structure. The proposed system presents a new technique for filtering narrow-tailed and medium narrow-tailed noise by a fuzzy filter. The system first estimates a "fuzzy derivative" in order to be less sensitive to local variations due to image structures such as edges. Second, the membership functions are adapted accordingly to the noise level to perform "fuzzy smoothing." A new fuzzy filter is presented for the noise reduction of images corrupted with additive noise. The filter consists of two stages. The first stage computes a fuzzy derivative for eight different directions. The second stage uses these fuzzy derivatives to perform fuzzy smoothing by weighting the contributions of neighboring pixel values. Both stages are based on fuzzy rules which make use of membership functions. The filter can be applied iteratively and effectively reduce heavy noise. In particular, the shape of the membership functions is adapted according to the remaining noise level after each iteration, making use of the distribution of the homogeneity in the image. A statistical model for the noise distribution can be incorporated to relate the homogeneity to the adaptation scheme of the membership functions. Experimental results are obtained to show the feasibility of the proposed approach. These results are also compared to other filters by numerical measures and visual inspection.


We present adaptive optics (AO) assisted J, H, and K/K′ images of eight ultracompact H II (UC H II) regions taken with the ALFA and ADONIS AO systems at Calar Alto and La Silla observatories. The images show details of the stellar population and the near-IR morphology of UC H II regions with unprecedented resolution. We have searched for the ionizing sources of the regions using near-IR photometry. The spectral type of the ionizing and most luminous stars inferred from our photometry has been compared with spectral type estimates from IRAS and published radio-continuum measurements. We find that the photometric near-IR spectral types are earlier than estimates from radio and IRAS data. This difference is alleviated when stellar spherical models including line blanketing and stellar winds instead of non-LTE plane-parallel models are used to derive the radio- and IRAS-based spectral types. We also made an attempt to correlate the properties of the near-IR ionizing population with MSX data and published CS measurements. No correlation was found. We note that in two of the regions (G309.92+0.48 and G61.48+0.09B1), the best candidate to ionize the region is possibly a supergiant.


A device has been developed to measure the harmonic impedances of power network by using harmonic voltage and current increments at the point of common coupling between the network and a disturbing load. The key problem in the implementation of the method is the synchronization of phasors sampled asynchronously and at different times. This kind of synchronization is linked to the frequency measurement. A small error in the frequency will cause a great deviation of the impedance measurement. A formulation is given here to evaluate the error on the impedance in each individual measurement (event), and a statistical method is proposed to achieve a relatively high accuracy in the source impedance estimation. Laboratory and field tests results are both discussed as well as verified with the harmonic emission level estimation of the disturbing load.


Endometriosis is a condition that affects 5-10% women of reproductive age and is characterized by abnormal growth of endometrial cells outside the uterus. Most commonly it involves the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis and rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond pelvic organs. We report a case of a 43-year-old female patient admitted to hospital for a routine gynecological clinical examination. Regarding her personal and family medical history no important pathology was associated. Clinical examination revealed a normal uterus with a 10 cm tumoral mass on the right side. The transvaginal sonography showed a mass with a negative ecogenity, well delimited, with 92 mm in diameter. A diagnosis of right ovarian tumor was established. Using exploratory laparoscopy, the adnexal tumoral mass was confirmed and because the tumor didn't have definite signs of benignity, the intervention was converted into laparotomy. Due to massive hemorrhage the patient underwent abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The postoperative evolution was favorable, and the histological examination confirmed the ovarian endometriosis and adenomyosis.


A branch and bound method is presented for evaluating alternative regional wastewater treatment systems, taking into account economies of scale in constructing treatment plants and interceptor sewers. A branch and bound tree is 'grown' by using an algorithm which is very efficient computationally because it uses a powerful inspection step and a network algorithm to solve subproblems. Each infeasible solution found by using the method is converted to a feasible regional configuration of plants and interceptors. The alternative plans can be compared to examine tradeoffs between cost and other qualitative and quantitative planning objectives. Also the tree itself can be extended to generate additional planning alternatives. Rather than to find mathematically optimal solutions, the principal uses of the method are to generate systematically attractive alternative plans and potentially to assist in evaluating tradeoffs between different planning objectives.


OBJECTIVES
The ethyl acetate extraction of Artemisia ordosica Krasch (AOK) root showed anti-allergic rhinitis (AR) effect, while the active compounds and pharmacological targets were unknown.

METHODS
The P815 degranulation was established by cell counting kit 8 assay, β-hexosaminidase releasing assay and toluidine blue staining. The flavonoids were screened in vitro. Then toluidine blue staining and ELISA were carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of the active compound. Network pharmacology was implemented to explain the mechanisms of the active compound. iGEMDOCK was used to investigate the binding between active compound and hub targets.

KEY FINDINGS
C48/80 was the optimum reagent in triggering P815 degranulation. Naringenin could significantly decrease P815 degranulation. Meanwhile, naringenin could remarkably increase the IL-4 and decrease the tumour necrosis factor-α. The effect of naringenin on AR was achieved by regulating multiple targets (e.g. AKT1, MAPK3, VEGFA) and pathways (e.g. pathways in cancer, VEGF signalling pathway). Nine hub proteins were obtained by topological analysis. Multiple hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces were formed between the naringenin and the residues of hub proteins.

CONCLUSIONS
Naringenin might be one of the effective ingredients of AOK against AR. And its effects could achieve through regulating multiple targets and pathways.


INTRODUCTION
This review highlights the pathogenesis of both microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes and how these mechanisms influence both the management and preventative strategies of these complications. The cumulative data shown in this review suggest hyperglycemic and blood pressure control remain central to this intricate process.

AREAS COVERED
We reviewed the literature including retrospective, prospective trials as well as meta-analysis, and post hoc analysis of randomized trials on microvascular andmacrovascular complications.

EXPERT OPINION
Further research is needed to explore the ideal intervention targets and preventative strategies needed to prevent macrovascular complications. Furthermore, as the data for trials looking at microvascular complications lengthen more long-term data will further elucidate the role that the duration of diabetes has on these complications. Additionally, trials looking to maximize hyperglycemic control with multiple agents in diabetes, such as metformin, SGL2isand GLP-1 receptor agonists are currently in process, which will have implications for rates of microvascular as well as macrovascular complications.


Seismic imaging has been advancing rapidly over the last two decades, transitioning from post-stack time migration to pre-stack depth migration and from ray-theoretic algorithms (Kirchhoff migration) to one-way wave equation solvers (wave equation migration) and recently to two-way wave equation methods like Reverse Time Migration (RTM). The most recent step in this evolving sequence is Full Wavefield Inversion (FWI), which has rapidly become a focal area of research, development, and application within the geophysical community and industry.
FWI products, unlike migration results, are not depictions of seismic reflectivity, but rather high resolution images of subsurface properties such as compressional and shear velocities and density. The high resolution velocity models generated with FWI can be used to address challenging imaging problems that are difficult to solve using conventional processing tools. High fidelity velocity models will assist in imaging below fault shadows and shallow channels and may also better identify and quantify overpressured drilling hazards. FWI estimates of other elastic paramters, in particular the Vp/Vs ratio, are promising lithology indicators useful in reservoir characterization applications. In addition to imaging challenges, the broadband nature of FWI is ideally suited to address reservoir monitoring problems with the ability to provide high resolution updates of property changes in the subsurface due to production. FWI products, appropriately integrated into an interpretation strategy, will allow us to better understand subtler subsurface features such as stratigraphic traps or non-DHI plays. In our presentation, we will use FWI examples from several real data studies to explain the nature of the process and illustrate some of the potential applications.


A flexible support mechanism (FSM) for hard disk drives (HDDs) was devised, prototyped, and evaluated. This mechanism intercepts the external vibration of a frequency lower than its natural frequency; therefore, vibration disturbance in the HDD is decreased. Moreover, the resonance frequency of an HDD with an FSM is lower than that of an HDD alone, and the servo compensation ratio of HDDs is larger at a lower frequency band. The FSM has a high interception ratio to the external disturbance in an HDD for those reasons. Reducing the head positioning error (HPE) of an HDD is therefore possible by applying this FSM. The data transfer rate of an HDD decreases when the HPE increases because a longer read-write time is required. By applying an FSM and reducing the HPE, degradation of the read-write performance by vibration disturbance can then be prevented. An HDD with an FSM prototype exhibited twice the input-output performance of an HDD without the FSM.


We introduce a novel class of credit risk models in which the drift of the survival process of a firm is a linear function of the factors. The prices of defaultable bonds and credit default swaps (CDS) are linear–rational in the factors. The price of a CDS option can be uniformly approximated by polynomials in the factors. Multi-name models can produce simultaneous defaults, generate positively as well as negatively correlated default intensities, and accommodate stochastic interest rates. A calibration study illustrates the versatility of these models by fitting CDS spread time series. A numerical analysis validates the efficiency of the option price approximation method.


This study aims to compare governmental activities and citizens' consciousness in environmental protection in China and Japan. The citizens' environmental awareness and the relevant acts were examined by designing and distributing questionnaires to citizens in urban and rural cities in China and Japan. The results demonstrate that there are more differences between the two countries than between urban and rural cities inside the same country. Chinese people pay more attention to local severe problems, and require more garbage classification while Japanese people are relatively satisfied with the current environmental situations. Past trends of the accessible environment could positively affect citizens' perspectives for the environment in the future. Key words: Environmental awareness; Citizen; China; Japan; Social survey


Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a promising solution to formalize and communicate information about the design of complex systems, in particular for the automotive industry which faces new challenges associated to autonomous driving. Numerical simulation is commonly used to support the design of these complex systems, but the possible relations with MBSE should be further investigated. This work, conducted with academic and industrial partners at the research institute IRT SystemX, aims at further bridging the gap between system architecture and numerical simulation. An industrial design problem related to the design of an autonomous vehicle passing traffic lights is used to validate and illustrate new methods and tools based on SysML. Their aim is to: 1) guide the formulation of a question requiring simulation, called solicitation, by the system architect 2) guide the design of a simulation architecture by the simulation architect with a special focus on the consistency with the system. A Java plugin was developed in the SysML editor Papyrus for the solicitation, and a SysML metamodel was defined for the simulation architecture. The solicitation associated to the industrial design problem is answered by a multiobjective optimization of the vehicle's cost and electrical consumption using a co-simulation between the tools Simulink and Amesim.


Ovarian cancer (OC) is a highly prevalent gynecologic malignancy and its mortality is extremely high. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic approaches for OC is of great significance. In this study, LINC01342 was upregulated in OC tissue in the GSE38666 microarray and in tumor tissue samples collected in our center. The silencing of LINC01342 suppressed the proliferative and metastatic capacities of A2780 and HO8910 cells. Subcellular distribution assays showed that LINC01342 was mainly enriched in the cytoplasm. Subsequently, the downregulation of microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p was proven to be the target of LINC01342. The silencing of microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p enhanced the clonality and migratory capacity of OC cells. Moreover, the silencing of microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p could reverse the inhibited migration and clonality in OC cells caused by LINC01342 knockdown. In addition, hypoxia‐inducible factor 3 subunit α (HIF3A) was proven to be the target gene of microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p, which was upregulated. HIF3A was negatively regulated by microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p but positively regulated by LINC01342 in OC cells. An RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assay showed that microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p, LINC01342, and HIF3A could bind to argonaute RISC catalytic component 2. The overexpression of HIF3A reversed the inhibited migration and clonality in OC cells with LINC01342 knockdown. By analyzing the follow‐up data from the enrolled OC patients, the LINC01342 and HIF3A levels were negatively correlated with prognosis, while the microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p level was positively correlated with the same. In short, the upregulated LINC01342 in OC absorbs microRNA‐30c‐2‐3p to release HIF3A. Thus, upregulated HIF3A expression accelerates the progression of OC.


The analysis of solar-like oscillations for stars belonging to a binary system provides an opportunity to probe the internal stellar structure and to test our knowledge of stellar physics. We present asteroseismic observations of 70 Oph A performed with the HARPS spectrograph together with a comprehensive theoretical calibration of the 70 Ophiuchi system.


This paper presents a comprehensive study to evaluate the influence of graphene oxide (GO) concentration on the physiochemical and mechanical properties of cement mortar composites. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterizations were performed to understand the correlation between physicochemical and observed axial tension and compression properties of GO–cement mortar composites. The results show considerable concentration dependence, with the optimum concentration of 0.1% GO that increases the tensile and compressive strength of the composite by 37.5% and 77.7%, respectively. These results are explained by the stronger bonding of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) components in the cement matrix in the presence of GO sheets and the dependence of their dispersions and possible aggregation.


The glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate (HS), present at the surface of most cells and ubiquitous in extracellular matrix, binds many soluble extracellular signalling molecules such as chemokines and growth factors, and regulates their transport and effector functions. It is, however, unknown whether upon binding HS these proteins can affect the long-range structure of HS. To test this idea, we interrogated a supramolecular model system, in which HS chains grafted to streptavidin-functionalized oligoethylene glycol monolayers or supported lipid bilayers mimic the HS-rich pericellular or extracellular matrix, with the biophysical techniques quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). We were able to control and characterize the supramolecular presentation of HS chains—their local density, orientation, conformation and lateral mobility—and their interaction with proteins. The chemokine CXCL12α (or SDF-1α) rigidified the HS film, and this effect was due to protein-mediated cross-linking of HS chains. Complementary measurements with CXCL12α mutants and the CXCL12γ isoform provided insight into the molecular mechanism underlying cross-linking. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), which has three HS binding sites, was also found to cross-link HS, but FGF-9, which has just one binding site, did not. Based on these data, we propose that the ability to cross-link HS is a generic feature of many cytokines and growth factors, which depends on the architecture of their HS binding sites. The ability to change matrix organization and physico-chemical properties (e.g. permeability and rigidification) implies that the functions of cytokines and growth factors may not simply be confined to the activation of cognate cellular receptors.


This paper is concerned with the existence of local (in time) positive solutions to the Cauchy-Neumann problem in a smooth bounded domain of R N for some fully nonlinear parabolic equation involving the positive part function r 2 R 7! (r)+ := r _ 0. To show the local solvability, the equation is reformulated as a mixed form of two dierent sorts of doubly nonlinear evolution equations in order to apply an energy method. Some approximated problems are also introduced and the global (in time) solvability is proved for them with an aid of convex analysis, an energy method and some properties peculiar to the nonlinearity of the equation. Moreover, two types of comparison principles are also established, and based on these, the local existence and the nite time blow-up of positive solutions to the original equation are concluded as the main results of this paper.


Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the case of Chavez v. Martinez (2003). This case focused the constitutionality of a Miranda‐less police questioning of a wounded man who was never charged with a crime. The Court held that such police action does not violate the Fifth Amendment right against self‐incrimination. This paper will first explore the topic of police interrogations. Second, the legal rules relating to interrogations will be examined. Last, the case of Chavez v. Martinez (2003) will be reviewed in detail and its policy implications discussed.


In Mexico, the forest land is the main substrate used in the production of containerized ornamental plants, but its unlimited extraction causes a negative ecological impact. Among the alternatives for the replacement of the land of forest, are the garbage of gardening also called "green garbage". There is a possibility that the inclusion of green waste as a substrate in the cultivation of containerized ornamental plants, have significant effects on the characteristics of growth and development of the same, so that the objective of this work was to characterize and determine the optimal dose for use as a substrate component for the production of containerized geranium. Physical chemistry laboratory analyzes were carried out and an agronomic evaluation experiment was carried out. Different proportions (100, 75, 50 and 25%) of green waste and scrubland were mixed, complemented with a general substrate (coconut fiber and sawdust, 50/50, v/v). A completely randomized design of eight treatments with eight repetitions was used. It was concluded based on the results that green waste has physicochemical characteristics similar to the land of the forest. In the growth and development of geranium in container, the results were statistically equal between the treatments of 100% of green waste and forest land in 16 variables studied. The green waste is a material that used as a substrate has the physicochemical characteristics necessary to successfully replace the land of forest in the cultivation of containerized geranium.


In the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, membrane proteins are thought to be organized into domains or islands that play a role in the segregation, movement and turnover of membrane components. However, there is presently limited information on the structure of these domains or the molecular interactions that mediate domain formation. In the present work, the Escherichia coli outer membrane vitamin B12 transporter, BtuB, was spin labeled and double electron-electron resonance was used to measure the distances between proteins in live cells. These data together with Monte Carlo simulations provide evidence for the presence of specific intermolecular contacts between BtuB monomers that could drive the formation of string-like oligomers. Moreover, the EPR data provide evidence for the location of the interacting interfaces and indicate that lipopolysaccharide mediates the contacts between BtuB monomers.


INTRODUCTION: Family planning and contraception is the effective strategy to reduce maternal mortality, child mortality, abortion, and unwanted pregnancies. Since the medical students are the future doctors, it is important to have proper knowledge and training on family planning services. This study aimed to explore the effect of teaching-learning process at maternal and child health (MCH) clinics on the students' knowledge, perceptions toward contraception methods, and family planning counselling. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the private medical institution in Malaysia. The same questionnaire was used to administer twice, before and after the posting. Moreover, a qualitative question on the issues related to family planning and contraception utilizations in Malaysia was added to the after posting survey. The quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS (version 20) and qualitative data by RQDA software. RESULTS: A total of 146 participants were recruited in this study. Knowledge on contraception method before posting was 5.11 (standard deviation [SD] ±1.36) and after posting was 6.35 (SD ± 1.38) (P < 0.001). Thematic analysis of the students' answer revealed four salient themes, which were as follows: (1) cultural barrier, (2) misconception, (3) inadequate knowledge, and (4) improvement for the health-care services. CONCLUSIONS: The teaching-learning process at the MCH posting has an influence on their perception and upgraded their knowledge. It also reflects the role of primary health-care clinics on medical students' clinical exposure and training on family planning services during their postings.


As part of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury multi-cycle program, we observed a 12′ × 6.′5 area of the bulge of M31 with the WFC3/UVIS filters F275W and F336W. From these data we have assembled a sample of ∼4000 UV-bright, old stars, vastly larger than previously available. We use updated Padova stellar evolutionary tracks to classify these hot stars into three classes: Post-AGB stars (P-AGB), Post-Early AGB (PE-AGB) stars, and AGB-manqué stars. P-AGB stars are the end result of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase and are expected in a wide range of stellar populations, whereas PE-AGB and AGB-manqué (together referred to as the hot post-horizontal branch; HP-HB) stars are the result of insufficient envelope masses to allow a full AGB phase, and are expected to be particularly prominent at high helium or α abundances when the mass loss on the red giant branch is high. Our data support previous claims that most UV-bright sources in the bulge are likely hot (extreme) horizontal branch (EHB) stars and their progeny. We construct the first radial profiles of these stellar populations and show that they are highly centrally concentrated, even more so than the integrated UV or optical light. However, we find that this UV-bright population does not dominate the total UV luminosity at any radius, as we are detecting only the progeny of the EHB stars that are the likely source of the UV excess. We calculate that only a few percent of main-sequence stars in the central bulge can have gone through the HP-HB phase and that this percentage decreases strongly with distance from the center. We also find that the surface density of hot UV-bright stars has the same radial variation as that of low-mass X-ray binaries. We discuss age, metallicity, and abundance variations as possible explanations for the observed radial variation in the UV-bright population.


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Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy is still en entity of unknown etiology and pathophysiology which clinically manifests with sudden, severe chest pain and/or dyspnea. It is generally triggered by emotional or physical stress and most cases are reported in postmenopausal women. Electrocardiographic changes are similar to acute myocardial infarction with ST-elevation, laboratory markers of myocardial lesion are usually mild to moderately high, and coronary angiography shows no significant pathomorphological changes of epicardial coronary arteries. Ventriculography and echocardiography show reversible akinesis and ballooning of the left ventricular apex with reduced ejection fraction which is usually normalized within 2-4 weeks. Generally, Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy has a good prognosis, in-hospital mortality rate is about 1%. In this article, we present a review about todays knowledge on Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy.


Significant limitations in vertebrate animal model systems include the time involved, the expense, the fact that in vitro results may not reflect live animal pathology, difficulties in transporting the toxin past the blood brain barrier, and the inability to identify the mechanism of action without some a priori knowledge of the toxin's target. The availability of the complete genome sequence of the nematode C. elegans, coupled with the worm's size, growth rate, ease of culturing, and the realization that basic biological mechanisms and disease processes between worms and humans are highly conserved, makes this genetically tractable model a remarkable opportunity to dissect and identify in vivo the cellular processes involved in toxin‐induced cell dysregulation and death. This unit includes protocols for culturing worms on solid and axenic media and acute and chronic exposure parameters for Parkinson's disease–associated toxins and hemin chloride. These methods provide the groundwork for using this powerful model system to further elucidate and understand the molecular mechanisms involved in nutrition as well as toxicological responses relevant to human diseases.


Osteoid osteoma is the most common bone-producing tumor that typically presents with "throbbing night pain" and that improves dramatically with use of low-dose salicylates. Few cases of pelvic osteoid osteoma have been reported, and most have involved patients younger than age 30. Surgical excision classically has been the treatment of choice, but, recently, less invasive modalities, including radiofrequency ablation, have begun to supplant surgical management of osteoid osteoma, resulting in a decrease in the need for definitive surgical diagnosis and treatment. We present a rare case of osteoid osteoma in the pelvis of a woman older than age 30.


This study aims to study IFD based IFC application, and API technology were examined for extending IFC2×4 information by using IFD libraries. According to this, information exchange scenarios for Open BIM were established with IFD application. And necessary standard elements for introduction of IFD were introduced and the templates of object and property information were suggested for realization.


paper we are proposing a text clustering method based on a well-known Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) algorithm, the Lesk algorithm, to classify textual data by doing highly accurate Word Sense Disambiguation. The clustering of text data is thus primarily based on the context or meaning of the words used for clustering. The Lesk algorithm is used to return the sense identifiers for the words used to classify the text files by looking up the senses of a word in a Knowledge-Base similar to the English WordNet (enriched with more informative columns or fields for each synset (synonym set) of the English WordNet database), so as to greatly increase the chances of contextual overlap, thereby resulting in high accuracy of proper sense or context identification of the words. The proposed scheme has been tested on a number of heterogeneous text document datasets. The clustering results and accuracies, obtained using the proposed scheme, have been compared with the results obtained using the K-means clustering algorithm on the Vector Space Models generated for all the heterogeneous textual datasets. Experimental results show that our algorithm performs much better than the Vector Space Model (VSM) and K-means based approach. The technique will thus help the users much better in searching for meaningful contextual information from a highly diversified collection of textual information, which is a key task of the information overload problem.


Broadband analog network coding (ANC) has been recently introduced to further increase the network capacity by exploiting the broadcasting nature of the wireless channel. However, channel state information (CSI) knowledge is required for self-information removal and signal detection. Recently, a pilot-assisted channel estimation (PACE) scheme has been presented for broadband ANC; however, feedback of the channel estimates from the relay to the users is required. In this paper, we present a PACE scheme for broadband ANC, based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) radio access, without feedback from the relay. In the first time slot, the users transmit their respective pilots to the relay and then, in the second time slot, the relay amplifies and forwards the received pilot signals to both users. Each user can then estimate all the CSI it needs for self-information removal and signal detection, without requiring any feedback from the relay. The bit error rate (BER) performance of broadband ANC using the proposed PACE is evaluated by computer simulation. It was shown that the proposed PACE scheme can achieve almost the same BER performance as the conventional PACE scheme, while eliminating the feedback channel requirement.


Cell-type specific intrinsic programs instruct neuronal subpopulations before target-derived factors influence later neuronal maturation. Retrograde neurotrophin signaling controls neuronal survival and maturation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons, but how these potent signaling pathways intersect with transcriptional programs established at earlier developmental stages remains poorly understood. Here we determine the consequences of genetic alternation of NT3 signaling on genome-wide transcription programs in proprioceptors, an important sensory neuron subpopulation involved in motor reflex behavior. We find that the expression of many proprioceptor-enriched genes is dramatically altered by genetic NT3 elimination, independent of survival-related activities. Combinatorial analysis of gene expression profiles with proprioceptors isolated from mice expressing surplus muscular NT3 identifies an anticorrelated gene set with transcriptional levels scaled in opposite directions. Voluntary running experiments in adult mice further demonstrate the maintenance of transcriptional adjustability of genes expressed by DRG neurons, pointing to life-long gene expression plasticity in sensory neurons.


A dynamic analysis of structural change is reviewed based on a vintage model of substitutability between inputs including capital before investment, but no substitution possibilities after investment, and ex post production possibilities characterised by fixed input coefficients. Key elements in understanding structural change are the entering of capacity embodying new technology and exiting of capacity no longer able to yield positive quasi-rent. Three production function concepts are identified: the ex ante micro unit production function as relevant when investing in new capacity, the ex post micro production function, and the short-run industry production function giving the production possibilities at the industry level. Productivity measurement, taking these types of production functions into consideration, leads to different interpretations of productivity change than traditional approaches not being clear about which production function concept is used.


At 20 degrees C, in a phosphate buffer, pH 5,8--8,0, methanol and aniline interactions with hemoglobin and cytochrome c were studied using the difference spectrophotometry method. The difference absorption spectra are characterized by following values of lambdamax and lambdamin (nm): I--MeOH--hemoglobin (405 and 420), II-MeOH--cytochrome c (405--406 and 419--422), III--aniline--cytochrome c (421--410 and 401--396). The values of lambdamax and lambdamin for system III are shifted in the region of shorter wavelengths from 421 to 410 nm and from 401 to 396 nm, respectively within the pH range of 5,8--7,95. From difference spectra for systems I, II, III the dissociation constants of complexes obtained, Ks were calculated. Log Ks is linearly dependent on pH. System I is characterized by two values of Ks at all pH. The Ks values were calculated in general form from the dependences obtained. The nature of the complexes is discussed.


Background: Screening for patient-level opioid-related risk in the community pharmacy setting has increased patient education about opioids and naloxone distribution, helping to mitigate the impact of the opioid epidemic. However, patient experience and satisfaction with opioid screening and education is unknown. Fear of patient dissatisfaction may limit pharmacists' willingness to implement screening activities. Objective: To report patient experience and satisfaction of a convenience sample of patients undergoing screening and intervention for opioid-related risk as a part of the ONE Program (formerly ONE Rx). Methods: Patients who received ONE Program screening and intervention from their community pharmacist were recruited to participate in a 9 item survey regarding their experience and satisfaction. Results were analyzed by urban and rural location of participants. Results: Urban (n = 42) and rural (n = 32) patients who completed the survey reported positive experiences namely feeling comfortable with the ONE process (86.5%), the process taking an appropriate amount of time (93.2%) and feeling safer as a result of their pharmacist's attention to their opioid-related medication risk (86.3%). Urban patients were significantly more likely than rural patients to report positive attitude and behavior changes as a result of the ONE process. Conclusion: High levels of patient satisfaction and positive experience with the ONE Program screening and intervention process for patient-level opioid-related risks may encourage community pharmacists to more broadly implement such activities.


In order to evaluate the capacity of RC members, the main codes allow the use of stress-strain laws that can re- produce closely the real behaviour of concrete, as opposed to parabola-rectangular or equivalent rectangular diagrams. Both sectional strength and ductility depend on the law of concrete, therefore they are influenced by the confinement of members, as evidenced in the literature. In this paper a possible design approach is presented, based on classic section analysis methods. The method uses parameters that represent the stress-strain law of confined concrete. The studies car- ried out show that such parameters can be chosen through simple relationships depending on the strength of non-confined concrete, on the amount and geometry of longitudinal and transverse reinforcement, and on the geometry of the section. At this aim some numerical analyses have been performed using an analytical model of confined concrete, capable of tak- ing into account all the mentioned effects, even in the case of various sources of confinement, when different types of hoops and external elements (FRP wrappings, steel plates, etc.) are used. More in detail, the section interaction diagrams for the different limit states requires the definition of an appropriate upper bound for the strain of concrete. Therefore the study focuses on the possibility of using stress-blocks depending on the maximum stain assumed, or on the level of resid- ual stress accepted in concrete according to a specified limit state. Further studies will extend the parametric analysis in order to obtain design equations to be implemented in codes.


The electrical conductivity and impact strength of polypropylene(PP)/EPDM/carbon black ternary composites were investigated in this paper. Two processing methods were employed to prepare these ternary composites. One was called one-step processing method, in which the elastomer and the filler directly melt blended with PP matrix. Another one was called two-step processing method, in which the elastomer and the filler were mixed first, and then melt blended with pure PP. To get an optimal phase morphology that favors the electrical conductivity and impact strength, controlling the distribution of CB in PP/EPDM blend was a crucial factor. Thus the interfacial tension and the work of adhesion were first calculated based on the measurement of contact angle, and the results showed that CB tended to be accumulated around EPDM phases to form filler-network structure. Expectably, the filler-network structure was observed in PP/EPDM/CB(80/20/3) composite prepared by two-step processing method. The formation of this filler-network structure decreased the percolation threshold of CB particles in polymer matrix, and the electrical conductivity as well as Izod impact strength of the composite increased dramatically. This work provided a new way to prepare polymer composites with both improved conductivity and impact strength. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In 1765, Joseph Priestley created what may be the world's first modern timeline, A Chart of Biography. This paper offers the first study of the philosophy underlying Priestley's timeline. It argues that Priestley was pushed towards representing times as lines by his views on abstract ideas and time, and there is no reason to believe that Newtonian absolutism grounds his uniform depiction of time. Further, the Chart confirms, and even advances, Priestley's views on human progress. Finally, this study shows that Priestley's conception of time as a line comprises a landmark contribution to the history of space-time parallelism.


The modelling of the friction interfaces has received much attention in recent years from the aerospace industry. In order to obtain reliable prediction of the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of the disc and blades in the aerospace engine the friction forces at interfaces, such as in under-platform dampers, blade and fir tree roots or shrouds, must be modelled accurately. Two contact parameters, namely the contact stiffness and the coefficient of friction, are sufficient to model, with good accuracy, the friction contact. The contact parameters are obtained experimentally, and are of interest for the designer only if representative of the operational environment of the engine. To pursue this aim a test rig has been designed to perform experiments in a wide range of temperatures, with different combinations of normal and tangential load, frequencies and mating materials, representative of the real operating condition of the engine. Most of the rigs found in literature perform most likely point contact even if the two bodies have plane mating surfaces. The design of a real plane-on-plane contact test rig is not an easy task but despite the difficulty a solution was found in the design shown in this work. The core of the rig is a tilting mechanism enabling one surface to lies down on the other so that the plane-on-plane contact is achieved, at least within the flatness geometrical tolerance of the surfaces. The results of the experiments are the hysteresis loops, namely the tangential contact force against the relative displacement, from which the contact parameters can be calculated. Measurements of displacements are taken very close to the actual contact area and are performed by means of two laser interferometers. Localized heating is achieved by means of an induction heating machine while a thermocouple measures the temperature at points close to the contact area.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is well established as a safe and effective treatment for several psychiatric disorders. Responsiveness to ECT does not abate with age, and data indicate that the use of ECT in the treatment of psychiatric disorders in the elderly persons has increased in recent decades. Special consideration must be given to the baseline cognitive abilities of an elderly patient prior to treatment with ECT. Much of the literature on the use of ECT in the elderly persons has focused on the treatment of mood disorders, whereas less research has been devoted to its use in the treatment of other psychiatric conditions. Although depressive syndromes remain the most common indication for ECT in the elderly persons, clinicians treating elderly patients should remain aware of the safety and efficacy of this treatment modality with other psychiatric disorders. This review examines the literature on the use of ECT in elderly patients with some common neuropsychiatric disorders including catatonia, bipolar mania, schizophrenia, dementia with behavioral disturbance, and Parkinson's disease.


Dielectric properties of natural rubber Hevea brasiliensis latex were measured at frequencies 0.2 to 20 GHz, at temperatures of 2, 15, 25, 35, and 50°C and around 30-98% moisture content. Measurements were done using open-ended coaxial line sensor and automated network analyzer. As expected, results showed that dielectric constant increased with increasing moisture. From 0.2 to 2.6 GHz, the losses were governed by conductive losses but for frequencies greater than 2.6 GHz, these were mainly due to dipolar losses. The former is due to conducting phases in hevea latex, while the latter is mainly governed by the orientation of water molecules. The results were analyzed at 2.6, 10, and 18 GHz, respectively. These were then compared with the values predicted by the dielectric mixture equations recommended by Weiner, Bruggeman and Kraszewski. All the measured values were found to be within the Weiner's boundaries and close to the upper limit of Weiner's model. It is also close to the predicted values of Bruggeman's model with a/b = 0.1. All the models including Kraszewski are suitable for predicting the dielectric properties of hevea latex for frequencies 2.6 to 18 GHz, moisture content 30 to 98% and temperatures 2 to 50°C.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims to survey medical staff's acceptance of online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) during the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP), and to know some information of physical and emotional response of those medical staff who worked at the forefront of COVID-19, through the playback amount of the online MBSR training.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Considering the working environment of medical staff in forefront of NCP, we designed and recorded MBSR audio album including 13 sessions, covering 24 hours of a day, then sent the album to medical staff who had been working in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. We collected the playback amount in each session on February 10th and February 24th, which were one week and three weeks after the album was finished.

RESULTS
On February 10th and February 24th, there were separately 5778 and 10640 times of broadcasting. The highest broadcasting frequency session was at 5:00 am, followed by 7:00 am. The least broadcasting frequency sessions were 17:00 pm and 19:00 pm. The broadcasting amount in the 6 periods of the night (from 21:00 pm to 7:00 am) was significantly higher than those in the daytime (from 9:00 am to 19:00 pm), with a statistical difference. The tendency of the amount of playback was consistent, which was not affected by the specific content of the mindfulness exercises.

CONCLUSIONS
Online MBSR exercises were well accepted by medical staff in the COVID-19. It may help them relax and reduce the risk of stress reactions. During the NCP, medical staff may have different degrees of sleep and emotional problems, which need to be paid more attention to.


The advances in automated production processes have resulted in the need for detecting, reading and decoding 2D datamatrix barcodes at very high speeds. This requires the correct combination of high speed optical devices that are capable of capturing high quality images and computer vision algorithms that can read and decode the barcodes accurately. Such barcode readers should also be capable of resolving fundamental imaging challenges arising from blurred barcode edges, reflections from possible polyethylene wrapping, poor and/or non-uniform illumination, fluctuations of focus, rotation and scale changes. Addressing the above challenges in this paper we propose the design and implementation of a high speed multi-barcode reader and provide test results from an industrial trial. To authors knowledge such a comprehensive system has not been proposed and fully investigated in existing literature. To reduce the reflections on the images caused due to polyethylene wrapping used in typical packaging, polarising filters have been used. The images captured using the optical system above will still include imperfections and variations due to scale, rotation, illumination etc. We use a number of novel image enhancement algorithms optimised for use with 2D datamatrix barcodes for image de-blurring, contrast point and self-shadow removal using an affine transform based approach and non-uniform illumination correction. The enhanced images are subsequently used for barcode detection and recognition. We provide experimental results from a factory trial of using the multi-barcode reader and evaluate the performance of each optical unit and computer vision algorithm used. The results indicate an overall accuracy of 99.6 % in barcode recognition at typical speeds of industrial conveyor systems.


In an Irish national setting, the urgent need to address the national language skills' shortage has been highlighted in numerous arenas, and in the context of the need for a continued economic recovery, language skills and proficiency are essential. Against this backdrop, the national project* reported in this paper aims to develop a digital literacies framework and accompanying on-line interactive resource for language learners and teachers in Irish higher education (HE). Within the scope of this project the target user groups include first year students, study abroad students, and language lecturers. The main research questions for the project are: -          what are the main practical issues that students have when making the transition from secondary to third level language study? -          to what extent are digital literacies part of the curriculum at third level and what gaps do students and lecturers identify in this provision? -          what are the strengths and weaknesses of the emerging digital literacies framework for language learning (as identified through piloting and evaluation) and how do these inform the final design and implementation of the 'digilanguages' platform? Preliminary primary pilot research conducted in 2015 as part of the project identified a number of key areas where online flexible support is best focussed. Based on these findings and international research in the field, the aim of the project is to develop online resources and activities in three broad areas: Digital Literacies for Language Development Language Learning Strategies and Practices Transitions to Third Level Language Learning Environments The portal will be freely available, offering a range of OERs and will be scalable for use in other contexts. The contents and activities will afford integration into many programmes currently on offer in Irish HE.


A process for producing a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet with zinc phosphate coat, which realizes stabilizing of the composition balance of treating agent and realizes reducing of production cost and lessening of influences on environment. A galvanized steel sheet with zinc phosphate coat excelling in lubricity and adherence is provided through the process. There is provided a process for continuously producing a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet with zinc phosphate coat, comprising the surface regulating agent supply step of feeding a surface regulating agent onto a hot-dip galvanized surface; the predrying step of drying the surface regulating agent as a post-step of the surface regulating agent supply step; and the treating agent supply step of feeding a treating agent containing an aqueous solution of zinc phosphate onto the hot-dip galvanized surface as a post-step of the predrying step.


Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated with antibiotic resistance and present in a wide range of environments, including marine habitats. However, little is known about the development, persistence, and spread of antibiotic resistance in such environments. This study aimed to obtain the complete genome sequences of antibiotic‐resistant K. pneumoniae isolated from marine bivalves in order to determine the genetic context of antibiotic‐ and heavy metal resistance genes in these isolates. Five antibiotic‐resistant K. pneumoniae isolates, of which four also carried heavy metal resistance genes, were selected for complete genome sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform and the Oxford Nanopore Technologies GridION device. Conjugation experiments were conducted to examine the transfer potential of selected plasmids. The average length of the complete genomes was 5.48 Mbp with a mean chromosome size of 5.27 Mbp. Seven plasmids were detected in the antibiotic‐resistant isolates. Three IncFIB, one IncFIB/IncFII, and one IncFIB/IncHIB plasmid, respectively, carried antibiotic resistance genes such as qnrS1, aph(6)‐Id and aph(3′)‐Ia, aadA1, and aadA2. Four of these plasmids also carried genes encoding resistance to copper (pco), silver (sil), and arsenic (ars). One plasmid carrying tet(D) and blaSHV‐1 as well as pco, sil, and ars genes was transferred to Escherichia coli by conjugation. We show the co‐occurrence of antibiotic‐ and heavy metal resistance genes on a conjugative IncFIB plasmid from K. pneumoniae from marine bivalves. Our study highlights the importance of the marine environment and seafood as a possible dissemination route for antimicrobial resistance and provides insights into the potential for co‐selection of antibiotic resistance genes by heavy metals.


Since summer 2010, we teach a practice supervision course at the Berlin School of Economics and Law. The students were distributed across different countries with all sessions taking place in a virtual world, with additional support by a learning management system (Moodle) and blogging software (WordPress). In our research, which is part of a larger project focusing on improvement of further education in small and medium-sized enterprises, we wanted to find out to which extent advanced group activities can be transferred to the virtual realm. We find that not only can most groupbased activities be transferred but that some complex techniques such as role playing, work even better in the virtual classroom than in the physical one.


We use Time-Dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory to study the nucleation of vortices in type II superconductors in the presence of geometric and material inhomogeneities. The superconducting Meissner state is meta-stable up to a critical magnetic field, known as the superheating field. For a uniform surface and homogenous material, the superheating transition is driven by a non-local critical mode in which an array of vortices simultaneously penetrate the surface. In contrast, we show that even a small amount of disorder localizes the critical mode and can have a significant reduction in the effective superheating field for a particular sample. Our approach uses a finite element method to simulate a cylindrical geometry in 2 dimensions and a film geometry in 2 and 3 dimensions. We combine saddle node bifurcation analysis along with a novel fitting procedure to evaluate the superheating field and identify the unstable mode. We demonstrate agreement with previous results for homogenous geometries, and extend the analysis to include surface roughness and local variations in material properties. We discuss implications for fabrication and performance of superconducting resonant frequency cavities in particle accelerators.


Typical neuroimaging studies analyze associations between physiological or behavioral traits and brain structure or function. Some rely on predicting these scores from neuroimaging data. To explain association between brain features and multiple traits, reduced-rank regression (RRR) models are often used, such as canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and partial least squares (PLS). These methods estimate latent variables, or canonical modes, that maximize the covariations between neuroimaging features and behavioral scores. Here, we investigate theoretically and empirically the extent to which reduced-rank models predict out-of-sample clinical scores from functional connectivity. Experiments on a schizophrenia dataset show that i) significant correlations between canonical modes do not necessarily mean accurate generalization on unseen data, and ii) better accuracy is achieved when taking into account regularized covariance between scores.


Monodora myristica Dunal is an edible fruit belonging to Annonaceae family that plays a crucial role in household economy in Cameroon as the seeds of this fruit are widely consumed for his nutritional value. The characteristics of the stakeholders in the value chain and their benefit derived from it are under investigated. Hence, to better understand the value chain of the seeds, the research investigated the socio-demographic characteristic of producers and traders and the marketing channels used. Purposive sampling method was used to select the region and communities due to the large production of the species in Nde district. A sample of 15 producers and 57 traders were randomly selected and semi-structured questionnaires were administrated to respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data collected and one-way ANOVA was used for analysing the differences among wholesalers, resellers and retailers actors' groups. Profit margin was calculated to estimate the percentage of benefit perceived by traders. Results revealed that men (93%) were predominantly involved in the production, while majority of the women (73.7%) were involved in the trade of seeds. Producers, wholesalers, resellers, retailers and final consumers were the main actors identified and involved in the value chain of the species. Wholesalers gathered the highest quantities of seeds per production cycle (875 kg) compared to resellers (105 kg) and retailers (32 kg). The profit margin obtained by resellers was higher than other actors and varied between US31.07toUS 50.82 per bucket of 15 liter according to the abundance and scarcity period. However, women are marginalised in the production process by men due to land ownership control which is in the hands of the men. Similarly, along the value chain despite majority of women involved in the process, the wholesaler actors discriminate women involvement. Therefore, policies that will support resources allocation and gender equality will help to mitigate the challenges.


Citrus polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) reduce the synthesis of liver lipoproteins in animal and in vitro cell assays, but few studies have evaluated the direct effects of their metabolites on this highly regulated process.

To investigate the effects of representative metabolites of PMF on the secretion of liver lipoproteins using the mammalian cell Huh7.5.

In this study, the influences of three PMFs and five previously isolated PMF metabolites on hepatic apoB-100 secretion and microsomal transfer protein (MTP) activity were evaluated. Tangeretin (TAN), nobiletin (NOB) and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone (HMF), and their glucuronides (TAN-Gluc, NOB-Gluc and HMF-Gluc) and oxidatively demethylated metabolites (TAN-OH, NOB-OH, HMF-OH) were incubated with Huh7.5 cells to measure their inhibitory effects on lipid synthesis.

The results showed that TAN, HMF and TAN-OH reduced the secretion of apoB-100 in a dose-dependent manner, while NOB and the other tested metabolites showed no inhibition. MTP activity in the Huh7.5 cells was significantly reduced in the presence of low concentrations of TAN, and in high concentrations of NOB-OH. This study also showed that PMFs and PMF metabolites produced a wide range of effects on apoB-100 secretion and MTP activity.

The results suggest that while PMFs and their metabolites control dyslipidemia in vivo, the inhibition of MTP activity cannot be the only pathway influenced by these compounds.


Turbomachines are machines that transfer energy between a rotor and a fluid, including both turbines and compressors. While a turbine transfers energy from a fluid to a rotor, a compressor transfers energy from a rotor to a fluid. Many different designs of turbomachines are in use of which Tesla turbomachine is one, whose design is different from conventional designs. A Tesla turbomachine utilizes the viscous shear forces of a fluid (boundary layer effect) passing near a disk on an axle to transmit torque to and from the fluid. Tesla turbomachines have found wide ranging applications that include handling of mixtures of solids, liquids and gases without damaging the machine. It can be designed to efficiently pump highly viscous fluids as well as low viscous fluids. It has been used to pump fluids including ethylene glycol, fly ash, blood, rocks, live fish and many other substances. This paper attempts to present the outcomes of research carried out by various researchers during the last four decades. A summary of the modeling, simulation, and experimental procedures used to understand Tesla machines is presented. The performance of Tesla machines is found to be influenced by a number of parameters including width of disks, the number of disks, gap between disks, jet angle at inlet, inlet pressure, load applied, Mach number, Reynolds number. The paper also outlines the results of investigations performed by the researchers and further identifies the deficiencies, which can serve as a future direction to research in this field.


This study examined the role of Cu as a mediator of cardiac postischemic oxidative injury. Isolated rat hearts were subjected to 20 min of normothermic global ischemia, followed by 30 min of reperfusion; after 20 min of preischemic loading with Krebs-Henseleit buffer ± 20 or 30 μM zinc-bis-histidinate (Zn-His2), 0.5 mM deferoxamine (DEF) or 42 μM neocuproine (NEO). Postischemic developed systolic pressure and rate-pressure product were highest and postischemic end-diastolic pressure was lowest in hearts treated with 20 or 30 μM Zn-His2 and 0.5 mM DEF. Cu efflux was significantly increased by 225 and 290% (end of preischemic loading), and 325 and 375% (immediate postischemic period) of control basal rates in hearts treated with 30 μM Zn-His2 and 0.5 mM DEF, respectively. NEO did not effect any of these parameters. By the end of ischemia, protein carbonyls were lowest in Zn-His2-treated hearts and highest in DEF-treated hearts when compared with control hearts. The results of this study suggest that removal of redox-active Cu before ischemia has beneficial effects, indicating a mediatory role in postischemic cardiac oxidative injury.