It has been demonstrated that temperature-sensitive mutant p53 (val-->ala143) inhibits cell-proliferation at the permissive temperature, albeit to a lesser extent than wild-type p53 (Zhang et al.: EMBO J 13:2535-2544, 1994). We have studied its effect on the cell-cycle by dual-parameter flow cytometry, extended pulse-labeling, and pulse-chase experiments. p53ala143 interferes in Saos-2 cells at three levels with cell-cycle progression at permissive temperatures: it caused a G1-arrest, a reduced rate of DNA synthesis during S, and a prolonged G2/M. Strikingly, all these effects are transient. Continued culturing at 32 degrees C resulted in normal cell-cycle progression. Abrogation of the G1-block occurred even in the presence of high p21Waf1 protein levels, a negative cell-cycle regulator of which the expression is induced by wild-type p53.


The effect of acute and chronic hyperthyroidism was studied in serum and liver lipids in rats. Wistar adult female rats were separated into three groups. The first group, injected with saline solution was used as control (Co), while the second and third were injected daily with tetraiodothyronine (T4) 10 microg/100 g body weight; the second group (HT-I) for one week and the third group (HT-II) for five weeks. In HT-I, serum T4 level was higher than in HT-II. Triiodothyronine (T3) concentration increased in HT-I and HT-II. The serum triglyceride concentration increased in HT-II in relation to HT-I and Co groups. Serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and bile acids did not vary among the three groups. LDL cholesterol fraction was lower in HT-I and HT-II than in Co group. In the liver, total and free cholesterol (FC) concentrations decreased in HT-I, but both increased in HT-II, in relation to Co. Esterified cholesterol did not change among the three groups. Liver triglyceride (TG) mass decreased in HT-I and HT-II in relation to Co, but it was higher in HT-II than in HT-I. Hepatic fatty-acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) activities increased in HT-I and HT-II in relation to Co and there were no differences between HT-I and HT-II. The incorporation of [3H]-H2O into esterified cholesterol did not differ significantly among the groups, while its incorporation into FC decreased and into TG increased in HT-I and HT-II, in relation to Co. The effect of T4 on the amount and turnover of lipids is affected by the time of hormone administration, but the increase of FAS and ACC activities was the same for both times studied.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the psychometric properties of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in patients with acquired brain injury in Turkey.

METHODS
A total of 207 patients with acquired brain injury were assessed. Reliability was tested by internal consistency and the person separation index; internal construct validity by Rasch analysis; external construct validity by correlation with cognitive disability; and cross-cultural validity by differential item functioning analysis compared with Italian MMSE data.

RESULTS
Reliability was adequate with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.75 and person separation index of 0.76. After collapsing some categories, and adjustment for differential item functioning, internal construct validity was supported by fit of the data to Rasch model. Differential item functioning for culture was found in 2 items and after adjustment, data could be pooled between Turkey and Italy. External construct validity was supported by expected associations.

CONCLUSION
The Turkish version of the Mini-Mental State Examination can be used as a cognitive screening tool in acquired brain injury. Cross-cultural validity between Italy and Turkey is supported, given appropriate adjustment for differential item functioning. However, shortfalls in reliability at the individual level, as well as the presence of differential item functioning suggest that a better instrument should be developed to screen for cognitive deficits following acquired brain injury.


The occurrence of spatially and temporally variable reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause leads to the complex interaction of magnetic fields from the magnetosphere and magnetosheath. Flux transfer events (FTEs) constitute one such type of interaction. Their main characteristics are (1) an enhanced core magnetic field magnitude and (2) a bipolar magnetic field signature in the component normal to the magnetopause, reminiscent of a large‐scale helicoidal flux tube magnetic configuration. However, other geometrical configurations which do not fit this classical picture have also been observed. Using high‐resolution measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we investigate an event in the vicinity of the Earth's magnetopause on 7 November 2015. Despite signatures that, at first glance, appear consistent with a classic FTE, based on detailed geometrical and dynamical analyses as well as on topological signatures revealed by suprathermal electron properties, we demonstrate that this event is not consistent with a single, homogenous helicoidal structure. Our analysis rather suggests that it consists of the interaction of two separate sets of magnetic field lines with different connectivities. This complex three‐dimensional interaction constructively conspires to produce signatures partially consistent with that of an FTE. We also show that, at the interface between the two sets of field lines, where the observed magnetic pileup occurs, a thin and strong current sheet forms with a large ion jet, which may be consistent with magnetic flux dissipation through magnetic reconnection in the interaction region.


Background/Purpose. The difficulties of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with Billroth II gastrectomy have been reported. We evaluated the usefulness of an anterior oblique-viewing endoscope and a double-balloon enteroscope for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in such patients. Methods. From January 2003 to December 2011, 65 patients with Billroth II gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. An anterior oblique-viewing endoscope was used for all patients. From February 2007, a double-balloon enteroscope was used for the failed cases. The success rate of procedures was compared with those in 20 patients with Billroth II gastrectomy using forward-viewing endoscope or side-viewing endoscope from March 1996 to July 2002 as historical controls. Results. In all patients in whom the papilla was reached (60/65), selective cannulation was achieved. The success rate of selective cannulation and accomplishment of planned procedures in the anterior oblique-viewing endoscope group were both significantly higher than that in the control group (100% versus 70.1%, 100 versus 58.8%, resp.). A double-balloon enteroscope was used in 2 patients, and the papilla could be reached and the planned procedures completed. Conclusions. An anterior oblique-viewing endoscope and double-balloon enteroscope appear to be useful in performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with Billroth II gastrectomy.


The Earth's density distribution can be approximately considered piecewise continuous at the scale of two-flavor oscillations of neutrinos with energies about 1 MeV. This quite general assumption appears to be enough to analytically calculate the day-night asymmetry factor. Using the explicit time averaging procedure, we show that, within the leadingorder approximation, this factor is determined by the electron density immediately before the detector, i.e. in the Earth's crust. Within the approximation chosen, the resulting asymmetry factor does not depend either on the properties of the inner Earth's layers or on the substance and the dimensions of the detector. For beryllium neutrinos, we arrive at the asymmetry factor estimation of about −4 × 10 4 , which is at least one order of magnitude beyond the present experimental resolution, including that of the Borexino experiment.


BACKGROUND
Metastases to the oral cavity are unusual, and most cases affect the jaws. The clinicopathologic features of a metastatic melanoma involving the mandibular gingiva and facial skin are described.

METHODS
A 42-year-old white woman who had been treated for plantar melanoma 10 years ago showed concomitant nodular lesions in the mandibular gingiva and facial skin. Incisional biopsy and fine needle aspiration cytology were performed in the gingival and facial swelling, respectively.

RESULTS
Radiographs revealed irregular bone erosion and widening of the periodontal ligament space associated with the gingival lesion, whereas cranial computed tomography showed an irregular hyperdense mass associated with the dermal tissue. The histopathologic findings were suggestive of melanoma; immunohistochemical analysis revealed, in both lesions, neoplastic cells strongly positive for S100 and HMB-45 antibodies and weak reactivity for melan-A. The final diagnosis of these lesions was metastatic melanoma, and the patient died before restarting treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first English-language report of metastatic melanoma affecting the gingiva and facial skin concomitantly. The intraoral involvement of disseminated melanoma indicates a very poor prognosis, as confirmed by the current case.


Thirty adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) (20 males and 10 females, mean age 40 years) and a non-injured control group (12 males and 13 females, mean age 41 years) were tested on 16 tests of attention including three tasks of the Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS), a relatively new set of attention tasks. No differences between groups were found on age or education. Both groups had estimated IQs in the average range. Performance data for the GDS are presented for the TBI and CON groups. Mild to moderate deficits of attention were seen in the TBI group relative to controls on the Vigilance and Distractibility tasks. No differences between groups were seen on the Standard Delay groups. Person product moment correlations suggested different patterns of relationships between the GDS tasks and other tests of attention for the TBI and CON groups. These results support the utility of the Vigilance and Distractibility tasks for assessment of attention in a mild to moderately injured population.


Manganese (Mn) oxidation was evaluated for Petri disease fungi by using potato dextrose agar (PDA)
amended with Mn sulfate. Phaeomoniella chlamydospora showed reduced growth on PDA amended with 3000 ppm
Mn sulfate and exhibited no growth at higher concentrations. All Phaeoacremonium spp. evaluated were manganese
tolerant and grew on PDA amended with as much as 6000 ppm Mn sulfate. Phaeoacremonium viticola and P. angustius
s.s. oxidized manganese in vitro. Stereum hirsutum and Fomitiporia punctata, known white-rot basidiomycetes,
were used as controls. Stereum hirsutum oxidized Mn in vitro and grew on PDA amended with 6000 ppm Mn sulfate.
Fomitiporia punctata had reduced growth at 300 ppm and no growth at higher concentrations of Mn sulfate with no
clear evidence of Mn oxidation.


An experimental study on the characteristic of laser Doppler velocimetry known as heterodyne detection is reported. The experimental arrangement for the local-to-signal-beam ratio (LSR) determination is illustrated. The value of this ratio has been measured as a function of the power of the local beam, with an error not exceeding 10%. The height of heterodyne peak as a function of the power of the local beam has also been measured. The threshold power of heterodyne effect was estimated with an error of 9%.


Elevated concentration and high variance of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in surface waters are a challenge for the production of drinking water. Past studies have indicated a dominant role of wetlands in DOC mobilization, but have mainly been focused on boreal and oceanic catchments. Here we analyze the observational DOC time series from 89 temperate humid catchments which drain into German drinking water reservoirs. We characterize the DOC concentration median and variability and utilize partial least squares regression in order to quantify the relation to catchment characteristics such as land use, climate, and topography. We found that the long-term median DOC concentration in the catchment is well predicted by the 90th percentile of the distribution of the topographic wetness index (0.9P TWI) over the entire catchment area. The 0.9P TWI can be directly connected to the abundance of riparian wetlands in the catchments. DOC concentration variability (represented as the ratio of the interquartile range and the median concentrations) was also found to be well predictable. Concentration variability was highest in cold and wet catchments with a high 0.9P TWI. Here we also found stronger correlations between DOC concentrations and discharge, with positive concentration-discharge patterns. Catchments with elevated DOC-concentration variance also exhibited the most severe long-term increases in concentrations. Our results thus indicate that, in temperate climates, riparian wetlands can be the dominant source zones of DOC and control the hydrological mobilization and potentially also the spatial difference in long-term concentration trends observed in surface waters. We conclude that the dominance of topography and climatic conditions in controlling spatio-temporal patterns in DOC concentrations leads to very limited management options.


Abstract: The widely opening of the democratic system in Indonesia provides a good opportunity for the development of the nation's politics. One of the indicators is the running of a democratic political system and measuring the level of public participation is the involvement of citizen participating in elections. The purpose of this study was to determine the political participation of women in the District of Gorontalo and the obstacles faced by women politicians in Gorontalo District at the period of 2009-2014. The methodology used was a descriptive qualitative analysis. Primary data were collected through structured interviews and observation. The secondary data obtained from research reports, journals, and the data available in each political party, the KPU, and the institution associated with the election. The sample consisted of 10 informants of women politicians, election commission, NGOs, head women's empowerment, academicians, and leaders of the party. The result showed that women's political participation is still low in Gorontalo District. It is suggested women politicians should enhance their capacity building, networking with women's organizations and NGOs as well as the need for the party's commitment to give priority to women.Keyword: Women's Political Participation


The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for feed intake recorded as farmers' perception of young sows' appetite for the first 3 weeks of lactation (APP) and feed intake recorded for one day in the 3rd week of lactation (FEED), litter weight (LW) at 3 weeks, sow body condition at weaning (BC) and the following five reproduction traits: weaning-to-service interval of 1 to 7 days (WSI7), weaning-to-service interval of 1 to 50 days (WSI50), delayed service or not (DELAYED), pregnant on first service or not (PREGNANT) and litter size in 2nd parity (NBT2). The analyses included data on 4606 Norwegian Landrace 1st-parity sows and their litters. The Gibbs sampling method was used. The traits DELAYED and PREGNANT were analysed as threshold traits and APP, FEED, LW, BC, WSI7, WSI50 and NBT2 were analysed as linear traits. The heritability estimates for APP and FEED were low (<0.1), whereas the estimates for DELAYED and PREGNANT were rather high (0.4 and 0.3). The heritability estimate for BC was 0.2. The genetic correlations confirmed the complexity of breeding for sow performance; selection for heavy 1st litters may lead to lower body condition at weaning, which in turn leads to lower reproductive performance and smaller litters in 2nd parity. Selection for higher sow feed intake would improve body condition, but the simple way of measuring feed intake tested in this study (APP and FEED) cannot be recommended because of the low heritability obtained for these traits.


Back ground: Oxidative damage has been suggested to play a key role in accelerating inflammation and to be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). Many studies had shown that those patients have low antioxidants level and are at risk of increased oxidative stress. Objective: This study was designed to examine the levels of serum Total Antioxidant Status (TAS). Malondialdehyde (MDA) as index of lipid peroxidation and C–Reactive Protein (CRP) as a marker of oxidative stress in patients with RA and OA and compared them with healthy control. J Fac Med Baghdad 2007; Vol. 49, No.2 Received Jan.2007 Accepted April 2007 Method: Serum TAS , MDA and CRP levels were measured in 16 RA and 24 OA patients and compare with those obtained from 25 healthy controls. Results: Serum TAS were significantly lower in RA group than in the OA and control groups (P < 0.05). Serum MDA and CRP levels were significantly higher in patients with RA than in those with OA and healthy subjects (P< 0.05). There were significant negative correlations between TAS and MDA, CRP levels (r = -0.850; p < 0.001) and ( r = -0.498; P < 0.05) respectively and a positive correlation between MDA and CRP levels in the RA group (r = 0.686; P < 0.01) . In OA group, the level of CRP was significantly increased (P< 0.05) and there was significant positive correlation between age and MDA level (r = 0.553; P < 0.01). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that levels of lipid peroxidation are increased in patients with RA compared to controls and patients with OA , In addition serum TAS levels were decreased in RA. Serum TAS levels may be used as a routine and rapid test to verify the levels of oxidative stress in RA. Furthermore correlating TAS and MDA levels with a cute phase reactants such as CRP may give some clues about disease activity in RA .


Abstract More than 25 years have passed since the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 classified dietary supplements as a subcategory of food, thereby exempting manufacturers from providing premarket evidence of product safety and efficacy. In this commentary, I discuss problems in the supplement industry through an examination of cases introduced or decided in US federal courts between 2010 and 2019. More than half the cases located involved defendants charged with introducing misbranded food or drugs into interstate commerce. Contaminants included anabolic steroids, erectile dysfunction medications, weight-loss drugs, workout stimulants and mind-altering substances. As the article points out, raw powders obtained in bulk quantities facilitate the practice of 'home brewing' and the introduction of prescription drugs into dietary supplements.


In general, probabilistic fatigue life estimation were performed using Weibull analysis and end-of-life fatigue data. This is basically using traditional strain/stress ∼ life (S∼N) data. Although it is always better to estimate the reliability of a component based on probabilistic evaluation of end-of-life data, it may not be always possible to conduct hundreds of costly and time-consuming fatigue experiments for each and every different loading case. The strain/stress ∼ life data are mostly related to push-pull type symmetric (R = −1) loading cases and the traditional Weibull probabilistic model are based on the associated end-of-life data. However, the Weibull approach doesn't depend on the time evolution of damage but is just based on end-of-life data. It is our assumption that for a given loading and environment, the time-evolution based probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and reliability model would produce more accurate results compared to a PRA model simply based on the end-of-life data obtained under a different loading conditions. However, the time-evolution based PRA for a particular loading and environment requires hundreds of fatigue tests, which might not always be possible to perform due to the high cost and time requirements. To overcome these issues, we propose the use of Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo (MCMC) techniques for time series or time-evolution prediction of damage states under a particular loading and environment (e.g. in this case, high-temperature PWR coolant-water condition) condition. Then, the probabilistic fatigue life can be estimated on the basis of the simulated scatter band in damage states for a given failure criteria. In this paper, we discuss the MCMC model based probabilistic damage state estimation and associated probabilistic fatigue life of 316 stainless steel subjected to cyclic loading at 300 °C in-air and PWR-coolant-water conditions.


Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that causes involuntary movements, emotional lability, and cognitive dysfunction. HD symptoms usually develop between ages 30 and 50, but can appear as early as 2 or as late as 80 years. Currently no neuroprotective and neurorestorative interventions are available. Early multimodal intervention in HD is only possible if the genetic diagnosis is made early. Early intervention in HD is only possible if genetic diagnosis is made at the disease onset or when mild symptoms manifest. Growing evidence and understanding of HD pathomechanism has led researchers to new therapeutic targets. Here, in this article we will talk about the multimodal treatment strategies and recent advances made in this field which can be used to target the HD pathogenesis at its most proximal level.


BACKGROUND
It is well-known that work-related upper limb musculoskeletal disorders, particularly tendinitis and nerve entrapment, remain a difficult and costly problem in industrialized countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate tendinitis and entrapment neuropathy of the upper limb of Turkish coal miners.

METHODS
Eighty coal miners and 43 age-matched clerical workers were included in the study. The evaluation procedures included collection of personal and clinical data, physical examination and bilateral electrodiagnostic testing. Subjects were examined to diagnose tendinitis and nerve entrapment of the upper limb. Bilateral median and ulnar nerves conduction tests were performed on all subjects. Data were collected between August 2011 and December 2011.

RESULTS
There were 33 subjects with lateral epicondylitis, 10 with medial epicondylitis, and 22 with De Quervain's disease among the coal miners. There were seven subjects with lateral epicondylitis, eight with medial epicondylitis, and four with De Quervain's disease in the control group. The two groups significantly differed in the prevalences of lateral epicondylitis and De Quervain's disease (P = 0.024 and P =0.029, respectively). Sixteen subjects in the coal miners and 12 subjects in the controls had carpal tunnel syndrome (P = 0.66). Thirty-seven subjects in the coal miners had ulnar neuropathy of the elbow (UNE), while four subjects in the controls had UNE; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION
Lateral epicondylitis, De Quervain disease, and ulnar neuropathy are common work-related upper limb disorders among coal miners.


The first 97 eyes operated with keratomileusis by two surgeons starting to use this technique are evaluated. The 30- and 90-day postoperative results of this initial experience are reported. Average preoperative myopia was -10.53 D spherical equivalent (range -5.25 to -22.25 D); average refractive correction at 90 days was -10.20 D. Preoperative visual acuities without correction were between 0.01 and 0.15 Snellen scale (20/2000 to 20/133), and 90 days postoperatively they varied between 0.02 and 0.60 Snellen scale (20/1000 to 20/33) with an average of 0.29 (20/69). Average preoperative visual acuity with correction was 0.70 Snellen scale (20/29), and 90 days afterward it was 0.60 Snellen scale (20/33). Preoperative average refractive cylinder was 1.33 D and postoperative was 1.86 D, showing that significant amounts of astigmatism were not induced.


Adsorption and activation of CO2 is a key step in any chemical reaction, which aims to convert it to other useful chemicals. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that drive the activation process and also search for materials that promote the process. We employ the density functional theory to explore the possibility of using small-sized bimetallic Cu-Zr clusters, Cu4-nZrn, with n = 1-3 for the above-mentioned key step. Our results suggest that after adsorption, a CO2 molecule preferably resides on Zr atoms or at the bridge and triangular faces formed by Zr atoms in bimetallic Cu-Zr clusters accompanied with its high degree of activation. Importantly, maximum activation occurs when CO2 is adsorbed on the CuZr3 cluster. Interestingly, we find that the adsorption energy of CO2 can be tuned by varying the extent of the Zr atom in Cu-Zr clusters. We rationalize the high adsorption of CO2 with the increase in the number of Zr atoms using the d-band center model and the concept of chemical hardness. The strong chemisorption and high activation of CO2 are ascribed to charge migration between Cu-Zr clusters and the CO2 molecule. We find an additional band in the infrared vibrational spectra of CO2 chemisorbed on all of the clusters, which is absent in the case of free CO2. We also observe that the energy barriers for the direct dissociation of the CO2 molecule to CO and O decrease significantly on bimetallic Cu-Zr clusters as compared to that on pure Cu4. In particular, the barrier heights are considerably small for Cu3Zr and CuZr3 clusters. This study demonstrates that Cu3Zr and CuZr3 clusters may serve as good candidates for activation and dissociation of the CO2 molecule.


THE LITERATURE during 1949 and 1950 contains many contributions of interest for otolaryngologists doing facial plastic surgery. One notes with satisfaction that there is an absence of articles advocating complete removal of the nasal septum, based on the theory that the septum does not provide support for the dorsum of the nose. When this theory, which was dangerous and unsound, was followed, it resulted in a large number of saddle nose deformities. A modification of the principle is still advocated in which a straight piece of septal cartilage is inserted between the mucoperichondrial flaps to provide support for the dorsal line of the nose. This is an old procedure, which is valuable in selected cases, but its use by the occasional operator is not advisable. There is also an absence of articles advising extensive or complete removal of the nasal septum in growing children, either alone or with a rhinoplasty.


Resistance to new generation beta-lactam antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria is increasing worldwide. This resistance is due to EBS enzymes in Klebsiella spp., and Type-I chromosomal enzymes in Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter, P. aeruginosa, Providencia, M. morganii and S. marcescens. In this study, the types of beta-lactamases in 16 Klebsiella spp. and 15 Enterobacter spp. which are resistant to newer beta-lactam antibiotics was investigated by isoelectric focusing. The results of the study showed that TEM-1 enzymes are prevalent in these isolates. pI (isoelectric point) values and antibiotic susceptibility test results suggest that there are EBS enzymes in Klebsiella spp., and Type-I enzymes in Enterobacter spp. These results have to be supported by further investigations.


Communication is the ability to communicate between members of the same society. The communicative approach is now, influenced by new technology. Thanks to the Internet thousands of information takes place in real time. The new technology has revolutionized time, manner, frequency and immediacy. A significant contribution to the communication was made by J. Austin with his "Speech Act" and his theory where "each mean is also a do." The communication in the classroom setting creates a series of collective problem solving. A school every communication transmits identity and social position of each entity generating skills and knowledge.


Searching for medical information is both a common and important activity since it influences decisions people make about their healthcare. Using search engine optimization (SEO), content producers seek to increase the visibility of their content. SEO is more likely to be practiced by commercially motivated content producers such as pharmaceutical companies than by non-commercial providers such as governmental bodies. In this study, we ask whether content quality correlates with the presence or absence of SEO measures on a web page. We conducted a user study in which N = 61 participants comprising laypeople as well as experts in health information assessment evaluated health-related web pages classified as either optimized or non-optimized. The subjects rated the expertise of non-optimized web pages as higher than the expertise of optimized pages, justifying their appraisal by the more competent and reputable appearance of non-optimized pages. In addition, comments about the website operators of the non-optimized pages were exclusively positive, while optimized pages tended to receive positive as well as negative assessments. We found no differences between the ratings of laypeople and experts. Since non-optimized, but high-quality content may be outranked by optimized content of lower quality, trusted sources should be prioritized in rankings.


We are enjoined nowadays to be ever more cognisant of the views of patients about the care they receive, in all forms of health service. From the point of view of psychiatry, there is a small but growing literature on this subject and we have three opinions from around the world in this issue. First, Australian colleagues from psychiatric nursing (Brenda Happell and Monica Summers) surveyed patients with mental health problems who attended an accident and emergency department. One important issue, which is reflected in many such departments around the world, is the length of time spent waiting for an assessment. Despite the fact that a triage process was available, which presumably did increase efficiency, the wait was too long for many clients, who left before being seen. (Most had attended after self-harming behaviour.)


This paper presents an improved wide color-gamut technique for liquid crystal modules (LCM) with multiphosphor white (MPW) light emitting diodes (LED) and an modified rich color image processing method. The MPW LED improves 13% of the display color gamut in comparison with standard white LED under the assumption of equal power consumption and brightness. Via many simulation results, the pixel-level rich color method is shown to obtain a superior image data by giving about 45% saturation enhancement without hue distortion. The performance and merit of the proposed technique are exemplified by conducting several experimental results on a 2.8-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) LCM.


The main objective of the current work was to investigate the transformation mechanism in quasicrystals during mechanical alloying/milling. The quasicrystalline phases have been synthesized by melting the individual elements as well as by mechanical alloying of the concerned elements using high energy ball milling. The transformation of icosahedral and decagonal quasicrystalline phases to various disordered states in Al-Fe-Cu-Cr and Al-Fe-Cu-Mn alloys during milling of the pre-alloyed material. The milling of a quasicrystalline alloy was carried out using a high energy ball mill by varying milling times up to 40h under liquid hexane medium and at various milling intensity. X-ray diffraction was carried out for evaluating the lattice strain, lattice parameters and crystallite sizes of the mechanically milled samples. The evolution of nano icosahedral and nano decagonal phases as well as crystalline phases was found to occur. The subsequent thermal treatment led to the structural ordering in the concerned phases. The implication of the evolution of various phases, their structural correlations and their relative stability will be discussed.


A 40-kDa protein from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis has been previously identified as a protective antigen against ovine caseous lymphadenitis. From genomic DNA libraries of C. pseudotuberculosis, we have cloned and sequenced the 40-kDa protein gene, which was found to contain an open reading frame of 1,137 bp encoding a protein of 379 amino acids. No significant homology with previously published DNA or amino acid sequence data was found in databases, suggesting that this is a novel protein. Recombinant 40-kDa protein was overexpressed as a fusion protein to 15% of total cell proteins in Escherichia coli. Biochemical analysis of native and recombinant 40-kDa proteins has revealed associated proteolytic activity, which was shown to be of the serine protease type through the use of specific inhibitors. We suggest that this novel protective antigen be termed corynebacterial protease 40 (CP40).


Objective: A case in which intracranial arterial stenosis was exacerbated 5 months after percutaneous intracranial stent retriever thrombectomy is reported. Case Presentation: In a 62-year-old male, percutaneous intracranial thrombectomy using a stent retriever was performed for acute occlusion of the basilar artery. After complete recanalization, a stenotic lesion considered to be atherosclerotic remained in the basilar artery, but the procedure was ended as there was no exacerbation. Although the patient was asymptomatic, cerebral angiography performed 5 months after the treatment showed progression of the remaining stenosis and poor delineation on the distal side of the stenosed area, and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was carried out. Patency of the basilar artery was satisfactory on MRA 10 months after angioplasty. Conclusion: Since existing atherosclerotic stenosis may be exacerbated after percutaneous intracranial thrombectomy using a stent retriever, follow-up of the treated vessel is necessary after this procedure.


The emergence of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Enterobacterales, mainly New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM), represents a clinical threat due to the limited therapeutic alternatives. Aztreonam (AZT) is stable to MBLs, but most MBL-producing Enterobacterales isolates usually co-harbour other β-lactamases that confer resistance to AZT and, consequently, its use is restricted in these isolates. We compared the ability of sulbactam (SUL), tazobactam (TAZ), clavulanic acid (CLA) and avibactam (AVI) to restore the AZT activity in MBL-producing AZT-resistant Enterobacterales isolates. A collection of 64 NDM-producing AZT-resistant Enterobacterales from five hospitals in Buenos Aires city, Argentina, were studied during the period July-December 2020. MICs were determined using the agar dilution method with Mueller-Hinton agar according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. AVI, SUL and TAZ were used at a fixed concentration of 4 mg l-1, whereas CLA was used at a fixed concentration of 2 mg l-1. A screening method based on disc diffusion to evaluate this synergy was also conducted. Detection of bla KPC, bla OXA, bla NDM, bla VIM, bla CTXM-1, bla PER-2 and bla CIT was performed by PCR. The AZT-AVI combination restored the AZT activity in 98.4 % of AZT-resistant strains, whereas CLA, TAZ and SUL did so in 70.3, 15.6 and 12.5 %, respectively, in isolates co-harbouring extended-spectrum β-lactamases, but were inactive in isolates harbouring AmpC-type enzymes and/or KPC. The synergy screening test showed an excellent negative predictive value to confirm the absence of synergy, but positive results should be confirmed by a quantitative method. The excellent in vitro performance of the AZT-CLA combination represents a much more economical alternative to AZT-AVI, which could be of use in the treatment of MBL-producing, AZT-resistant Enterobacterales.


[1] Meteorites and diamonds encounter high pressures during their formation or subsequent evolution. These materials commonly contain magnetic inclusions of pyrrhotite. Because magnetic properties are sensitive to strain, pyrrhotite can potentially record the shock or formation pressures of its host. Moreover, pyrrhotite undergoes a pressure-induced phase transition between 1.6 and 6.2 GPa, but the magnetic signature of this transition is poorly known. Here we report room temperature magnetic measurements on multidomain and single-domain pyrrhotite under nonhydrostatic pressure. Magnetic remanence in single-domain pyrrhotite is largely insensitive to pressure until 2 GPa, whereas the remanence of multidomain pyrrhotite increases 50% over that of initial conditions by 2 GPa, and then decreases until only 33% of the original remanence remains by 4.5 GPa. In contrast, magnetic coercivity increases with increasing pressure to 4.5 GPa. Below ∼1.5 GPa, multidomain pyrrhotite obeys Neel theory with a positive correlation between coercivity and remanence; above ∼1.5 GPa, it behaves single domain–like yet distinctly different from uncompressed single-domain pyrrhotite. The ratio of magnetic coercivity and remanence follows a logarithmic law with respect to pressure, which can potentially be used as a geobarometer. Owing to the greater thermal expansion of pyrrhotite with respect to diamond, pyrrhotite inclusions in diamonds experience a confining pressure at Earth's surface. Applying our experimentally derived magnetic geobarometer to pyrrhotite-bearing diamonds from Botswana and the Central African Republic suggests the pressures of the pyrrhotite inclusions in the diamonds range from 1.3 to 2.1 GPa. These overpressures constrain the mantle source pressures from 5.4 to 9.5 GPa, depending on which bulk modulus and thermal expansion coefficients of the two phases are used.


This research is an attempt to understand the relationship between logistics and supply chain management and how logistics impacts supply chain management. And this qualitative study was to explore how logistics helps to grow an organization. Also, in the light of international business laws what main key points to keep in mind while growing an organization or sustaining the place of the organization in the market. A key objective of this research is to explore and state that logistics plays important role in the development of an organization. The research model was tested with 201 participants (134 males and 60 females) from different sectors through an online and onsite survey. The survey consisted of different sections: Demographic information, and the perceived uncertainty scale. SPSS program was used to make a statistical analysis of the data.


A percutaneous cardiopulmonary support system (PCPS) was used in 12 patients (mean age 68 years) between March 1991 and June 1996 for difficulties weaning from ordinary cardiopulmonary bypass. Cardiac procedures preceding the placement of the PCPS were coronary artery bypass grafting in 8 patients, aortic valve replacement in 1, double valve replacement in 1, and ascending aortic replacement for acute aortic dissection in 1. These procedures were elective in 6 patients and emergent in 6. Intraaortic balloon pumps were used in all cases except in two cases with atherosclerotic occlusive disease. Nine (75%) of the patients were weaned from PCPS, and seven (58%) were discharged. There were no complications due to the placement of PCPS except for three episodes of lower leg ischemia. We conclude that PCPS is useful in addressing difficulties in weaning from ordinary cardiopulmonary bypass and there should be further discussion about the limitations of PCPS in cases of severe circulatory failure.


The purpose of this study is to show reports that revealed small businesses in Indonesia have many concerns about survival, competitiveness, and efficiency due to related issues such as finance, lack of information and knowledge, capabilities and capacity. This research is based on problems related to IT implementation in Indonesia. It determines the problems associated with implementation and identifies factors for successful IT implementation in Indonesia. The descriptive qualitative method with literature review was carried out to obtain data that has been changed in the form of book notes, newspapers, agendas, inscriptions, minutes of meetings, and magazines. This study intends to be a reference in the development of small businesses in Indonesia who are very concerned about the development of technology that can improve small businesses to utilize social media as promotion.


Digital watermarks have been proposed as a method for discouraging illicit copying and distribution of copyright material. This paper presents a new approach for the secure and robust copyright protection of digital images. The digital watermarks described in this paper are designed to be, as far as possible, invariant against image transformations such as rotation, translation, scaling and cropping. We concentrate especially on the desirable properties of the Fourier Transform and propose a novel technique based on an invisible template which allows us to reverse many of the e ects of image processing on the digital watermark. Robustness of the watermark to operations such as lossy compression is achieved by using a perceptually adaptive spread spectrum communications approach, in which a spread spectrum signal is embedded in selected components of the magnitude spectrum of the image. The keys used to embed the spread spectrum signal are generated, certi ed, authenticated and securely distributed using a public key infrastructure containing an electronic copyright o ce and a certi cation authority. The security architecture used for this purpose is also outlined.


LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) may play an important role in the Baltic Sea Region in the near future – both as an alternative energy source for Baltic countries and as an alternative fuel for ships operating on the Baltic Sea. However, it requires construction of special port infrastructure. At present, a number of LNG terminals are planned to be constructed in Baltic Sea Region in the near future. Some of them are large scale LNG import terminals (Świnoujście, Riga, Klaipeda, Paldiski) and others are smaller scale LNG distribution terminal (Nynäshamn, Gothenburg, Gävle). Construction of infrastructure for distribution of LNG to ships is also essential. LNG is consider as a alternative fuel mainly for ships operating in liner service. Hence, LNG terminals for bunkering purpose should be constructed in locations where there is the most dense liner services.


ABSTRACT Failure to meet user preferences continues to prevail as a major reason for innovation project failure despite wide arrays of methods and methodologies available for addressing it. The user research and user insight availability problem appears to have become replaced by a method and insight adequacy problem. This calls for the means to better address how organisations and project teams know their users, and how this knowing is intertwined in other organisational processes. A research challenge lies in developing representational templates that are both specific enough for addressing explicit and implicit user insight and encompassing enough for linking these to the relevant project and organisational issues. We develop such a representational template based on ecologies of knowledge mapping and discuss its potential through applying it to a comparative study on two social media web service projects of the Finnish National Broadcasting Company.


Purpose: This study was to investigate the status of Preconception Care (PC) and associated factors. Methods: A convenience sample consisting of 400 pregnant women who took maternity schools at a university hospital and a specialty hospital. Subjects, who agreed to participate in the study, completed self-administrated questionnaire (K-University hospital institutional review board) containing characteristics of preconceptional and pregnant period. Results: Although 84.7% of study subject perceived PC, only about half (54.1%) visited clinics for basic medical tests and treatments before pregnancy. The consultation rates on chronic diseases, drugs and spouse tests were even lower. Associated factors of PC included age (OR:0.114), prepregnant BMI (OR: 0.390), previous pregnancy (OR: 4.276), and perception on PC (OR:13.907). Conclusion: This study suggested that the academic and politic attention should be paid to PC management standards and related policies that include inter-conception care and sexuality education for adolescent.


A 33-year-old right-handed male presented complaining of a 2-year history of progressive cognitive slowing, rigidity, tremors, slowing of movements, and gait instability leading to falls. On examination, he had a Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score of 29, slowed saccadic eye pursuit, hypomimia, cogwheel rigidity, a 3- to 4-Hz tremor, and a "cock-walk" gait. His symptoms and signs were similar to idiopathic Parkinson's disease; however, he was young, inattention and forgetfulness occurred early in the course of the disorder, levodopa was unhelpful, and his gait was atypical. His work up for secondary causes of parkinsonism was negative, except for increased signal intensity on T1-weighted magnetic resonance image (MRI) in the bilateral basal ganglia. Typical etiologies for that finding were ruled-out, which led to further inquiries into the patient's lifestyle. He was a welder, and discussion with his employer revealed that he used a steel-manganese alloy, he often worked in a confined ship's hold, and he did not use a respiratory mask. Because manganese toxicity can produce increased T1-weighted signal intensities in the basal ganglia, the authors tested his serum and urine manganese, and both were elevated. This patient emphasizes the importance of a careful occupational history in persons presenting with atypical manifestations of a neurodegenerative disorder. It also lends support to the hypothesis that welding can produce enough exposure to manganese to produce neurologic impairment.


David Ure (1749–98) contributed, in his History of Rutherglen and East-Kilbride (1793) not only to local history but, especially, to the development in Scotland of natural history, in some aspects of which he played a pioneering part. His studies at Glasgow University (with John Anderson as one of his teachers) were followed by ordination to the ministry of the Church of Scotland. A 'stickit minister' for most of his life, he played a significant part in Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland and contributed also to the surveys prepared for Sinclair's Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement. Had he lived, he would have been Anderson's choice as professor of natural history in what became the Andersonian Institute. His writings reflect a lifelong commitment to the pursuit of knowledge with a view to improvement: he is thus a notable example of what the Enlightenment in late 18th-century Scotland was meant to exemplify and uphold.


The relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are probably driven by the action of supermassive, spinning black holes. There is very little direct evidence for this, however, since the nuclei of active galaxies are difficult to study. This is now changing with new, high-resolution multiwavelength observations of nearby sources such as Sgr A* at the Galactic center and the nucleus of NGC 6251 (hereafter called NGC 6251*). In this paper, we explore the possibility that the radiative properties of the most compact region in NGC 6251* may be understood in the same sense as Sgr A*, though with some telling differences that may hint at the nature of jet formation. We show that observations of this object with ASCA, ROSAT, HST, and VLBI together may be suggesting a picture in which Bondi-Hoyle accretion from an ambient ionized medium feeds a standard disk accreting at ~ 4.0 × 1022 g s-1. Somewhere near the event horizon, this plasma is heated to more than 1011 K, where it radiates via thermal synchrotron (producing a radio component) and self-Comptonization (accounting for a nonthermal X-ray flux). This temperature is much greater than its virial value and the hot cloud expands at roughly the sound speed (~0.1c), after which it begins to accelerate on a parsec scale to relativistic velocities. In earlier work, the emission from the extended jet has been modeled successfully using nonthermal synchrotron self-Compton processes, with a self-absorbed inner core. In the picture we are developing here, the initial ejection of matter is associated with a self-absorbed thermal radio component that dominates the core emission on the smallest scales. The nonthermal particle distributions responsible for the emission in the extended jet are then presumably energized, e.g., via shock acceleration, within the expanding, hot gas. The power associated with this plasma represents an accretion efficiency of about 0.54, requiring dissipation in a prograde disk around a rapidly spinning black hole (with spin parameter a ~ 1).


Enantioselective copper(I) hydride (CuH)-catalyzed hydroamination has undergone significant development over the past several years. To gain a general understanding of the factors governing these reactions, kinetic and spectroscopic studies were performed on the CuH-catalyzed hydroamination of styrene. Reaction profile analysis, rate order assessment, and Hammett studies indicate that the turnover-limiting step is regeneration of the CuH catalyst by reaction with a silane, with a phosphine-ligated copper(I) benzoate as the catalyst resting state. Spectroscopic, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and nonlinear effect studies are consistent with a monomeric active catalyst. With this insight, targeted reagent optimization led to the development of an optimized protocol with an operationally simple setup (ligated copper(II) precatalyst, open to air) and short reaction times (<30 min). This improved protocol is amenable to a diverse range of alkene and alkyne substrate classes.


Imagine an ordinary action sequence, such as making a peanut butter sandwich. You first reach for two bread slices, grasp your peanut butter jar, open the jar, reach for a knife, insert it into your jar… and so forth. Even the simplest actions contain a complex stream of information from movements, objects, and other people and their goals. How do young infants, who have limited amounts of motor experiences or world knowledge, process the action sequences they observe around them? How do we as humans learn novel action sequences from mere observation? This thesis investigated the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie the ability to learn and predict action sequences. Specifically, I focused on statistical learning—the ability to extract statistical regularities from the environment—as a candidate mechanism for learning novel action sequences. This thesis presents a series of experiments with infants, toddlers, and adults using a combination of behavioral, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging (EEG) methods. Findings show that, across development, observers correctly predict upcoming actions and their effects by successfully extracting the statistical regularities in action sequences. Further, findings show that our own motor system plays an important role in this process. The experiments described in this thesis collectively contribute to a better understanding of how statistical learning abilities contribute to action prediction across development.


The growing interest in time-of-flight PET triggered the study of the time resolution obtainable with a 4times4times20 mm3 LSO crystal coupled directly to the center of a 52 mm in diameter Photonis XP20D0 photomultiplier as well as the time resolution obtainable with the use of an 11 mm thick lucite light diffuser that simulates the conditions in typical PET block detectors. The LSO crystal directly coupled to the PMT yielded a time resolution of 166plusmn5 ps, while in the case of light readout with the use of the light diffuser it degraded to 196plusmn5 ps and 277plusmn6 ps in the center and at the edge of the PMT, respectively. The light diffuser was coated on the sides with black tape to absorb light and to approximate in this way the realistic performance of a future block detector. Similar time resolution was obtained by coupling the LSO crystal either to the Photonis XP20D0 PMT or to a very fast 25 mm diameter Hamamatsu R5320 PMT. These results illustrate the advantages of the very low time jitter of the Hamamatsu PMT on one side, and high quantum efficiency and a screening grid at the anode of the Photonis PMT, on the other. This study strongly suggests that time-of-flight PET based on LSO crystals is a realistic proposition for the further development


The [HCo(CO)3]-catalyzed hydroformylation of allene and propyne has been investigated at the B3LYP level of density functional theory. It is found that hydroformylation of allene favors the linear anti-Markovnikov product in high regioselectivity both kinetically and thermodynamically. The origin of this regioselectivity comes from the enhanced stability of the eta3-allylic intermediate [(eta3-CH2CHCH2)Co(CO)3]. By contrast, propyne does not show any regioselectivity. The possible interconversion between allene and propyne mediated by [HCo(CO)3] has been explored.


This study aims to optimize the utilization of the Local Government's asset in supporting Local Original Income (PAD) in Salatiga City, involving: (1) Asset lease to a third party not based on leasing tariff because Salatiga City Government has not had Local Regulation yet about redistribution of local wealth; (2) The direct use of income resulting from the asset leasing to the third party in which the leasing income is used directly for repairing the damaged object. It is because of an agreement loosely governing right and obligation; and (3) Inadequate supervision over object/asset that the third party can utilize. This research uses a survey method conducted in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia, which involves relevant regional apparatus organizations, resource persons, and community leaders. The local asset has strategic value. The quality of asset management should be improved along with the attempt to optimize local income. The effectiveness and efficiency of institutional management can be seen, among others, from the comparison between asset size and income. Asset management of Salatiga City Government is conducted, not merely referring to legislation. However, it should also pay attention to usefulness value to improve local original income and usefulness to the people. This research found that asset optimization is inhibited by the function sustainability of internal management and legislative technique.


Cognitive models allow predicting some aspects of utility and usability of human machine interfaces, and also simulating the interaction with these interfaces. The action of predicting is based on a task analysis which analyses what a user is required to do in terms of actions and cognitive processes to achieve a task. Task analysis facilitates the understanding of the functionalities of the system to be modeled. Cognitive models are part of the analytical approaches that do not make necessarily appeal to the user during the interface development process. This paper presents a study about the evaluation of a human machine interaction (HMI) with an interface of a contextual assistant, using ACT-R and GOMS cognitive models. It shows how these techniques may be applied in HMI evaluation, design and research, emphasizing on the task analysis in one side, and on the time execution of tasks in the other side. In order to validate and support our results, an experimental study of user performance, during the interaction with the contextual assistant interface is conducted at the DOMUS laboratory. The results of our models show that both models GOMS and ACT-R give good to very good predictions of user performance at the task level as well as the object level, our results are very close to those obtained in the experimental study. Keywords—HMI, interface evaluation, cognitive modeling, user modeling, user performance.


Objective: The authors determine whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can reduce resumption time when an ongoing task is interrupted. Background: Interruptions are common and disruptive. Working memory capacity has been shown to predict resumption lag (i.e., time to successfully resume a task after interruption). Given that tDCS applied to brain areas associated with working memory can enhance performance, tDCS has the potential to improve resumption lag when a task is interrupted. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups that received anodal (active) stimulation of 2 mA tDCS to one of two target brain regions, left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), or to one of two control areas, active stimulation of the left primary motor cortex or sham stimulation of the right DLPFC, while completing a financial management task that was intermittently interrupted with math problem solving. Results: Anodal stimulation to the right and left DLPFC significantly reduced resumption lags compared to the control conditions (sham and left motor cortex stimulation). Additionally, there was no speed-accuracy tradeoff (i.e., the improvement in resumption time was not accompanied by an increased error rate). Conclusion: Noninvasive brain stimulation can significantly decrease resumption lag (improve performance) after a task is interrupted. Application: Noninvasive brain stimulation offers an easy-to-apply tool that can significantly improve interrupted task performance.


In this article we present a pedagogical discussion of some of the optomechanical properties of a high finesse cavity loaded with ultracold atoms in laser induced synthetic gauge fields of different types. Essentially, the subject matter of this article is an amalgam of two sub-fields of atomic molecular and optical (AMO) physics namely, the cavity optomechanics with ultracold atoms and ultracold atoms in synthetic gauge field. After providing a brief introduction to either of these fields we shall show how and what properties of these trapped ultracold atoms can be studied by looking at the cavity (optomechanical or transmission) spectrum. In presence of abelian synthetic gauge field we discuss the cold-atom analogue of Shubnikov de Haas oscillation and its detection through cavity spectrum. Then, in the presence of a non-abelian synthetic gauge field (spin-orbit coupling), we see when the electromagnetic field inside the cavity is quantized, it provides a quantum optical lattice for the atoms, leading to the formation of different quantum magnetic phases. We also discuss how these phases can be explored by studying the cavity transmission spectrum.


Cancer of the female breast is one of the leading types of cancers worldwide. This paper presents a case study of Malwa Belt in India that has witnessed the proliferation in the overall mortality rate due to breast cancer. The paper researches mortality aspect of the disease and its association with the various risk parameters including demographic characteristics, percentage of pesticides residue present in the water and soil, life style of the women in the affected area, water intake, and the amount of pesticide exposure to the patient. The levels of organochlorine pesticides like DDT and its metabolites and isomers of HCH in blood, tumor and surrounding adipose are estimated. Additionally, an extent of exposure of the subjects to environmental pollutants like heavy metals (Lead, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Selenium, and Chromium etc.)are also examined. For the obtained experimental data, an efficient ensemble machine learning based framework called Bagoost is proposed to predict the risk of breast cancer in Malwa women. The performance of the proposed machine learning model results in an accuracy of 98.21 percent, when empirically tested using K-fold cross validation over the real time data of malignant and benign cases and is established to be efficacious than the existing approaches.


The cause of schizophrenia is unknown; however, one hypothesis is that seasonality of birth contributes to its development, with an excess of winter-spring births observed in those with schizophrenia. There are over 200 studies exploring this issue at the writing of this article with most of the studies revealing a decrease in late summer births and an increase number of winter-spring births of those individuals with the disease.The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the seasonality of birth for 376 institutionalized patients with schizophrenia receiving clozapine treatment in a New York State psychiatric hospital. This was a retrospective review of a clozapine database accessed between January 1, 2001 to January 1, 2011, which included date of birth for the national clozapine registry, confirming the accuracy of the information. The psychiatric diagnoses for the patients included in this study were documented to ensure that this research included individuals with schizophrenia. The author hypothesized that due to the long-term institutionalization often required for refractory schizophrenia, the New York state hospitalized patients were assumed to be of Northern Hemispheric birth origin. The study sample included 376 patients, 16 of which did not have a definitive diagnosis of schizophrenia. The author chose to evaluate all 376 patients in the sample due to the introduction of clozapine therapy, which would substantiate the presence of a refractory psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. The author found that the seasonality distribution did not reflect any difference in percentage from that which would be expected in the general population, challenging the hypothesis that seasonality of birth contributes to the development of schizophrenia. The author provides a review of literature and discusses some of the theories surrounding the season of birth hypothesis. A larger patient sample should be studied to confirm the findings of this smaller population sample.


ABSTRACT In recent years, nuclear security has gained prominence on the international security agenda. Driven by post 9/11 anxieties and the politicization of fears regarding nuclear terrorism, concerns in this area have spawned a wealth of initiatives, which seek to counter this threat. Principal among these have been efforts to promote nuclear security education and infuse teaching and learning in this sphere with a more holistic understanding of the subject, its relevance and its implications. Against this background, this article sets out the findings of empirical research into the impact of nuclear security 'train-the-trainer' professional development courses on the practice of an emerging cadre of nuclear security educators. In particular, the paper explores the value of this model as a means of establishing sustainable communities of practice in the context of nuclear security education.


Place attachment provides insight on why and to what extent individuals value a particular setting. Most investigations involving place attachment and environmental attitudes have been conducted in terrestrial settings; little work has addressed proenvironmental behavior in marine settings. The purpose of the current investigation was to extend Stern et al.'s work, which indicates that individuals' environmental worldviews (EWVs) influence their attitudes toward anthropogenic impacts on the environment. We hypothesized a model wherein place attachment partially mediates the relationship between recreational visitors' EWV and their awareness of consequences of negative impacts on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. We then compared this model with competing models. Our results suggest that place attachment is a useful addition to studies that use Stern et al.'s value-belief-norm model.


This paper examines the firm specific characteristics – as a proxy for positive accounting research – that are associated with the propensity of companies listed on the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchanges (CASE) to comply with the newly harmonised Egyptian Accounting Standards (EASs) issued in 1997 and that are close to the international accounting standards (IASs). Although having an international audit firm is the dominant factor associated with disclosure and measurement/presentation compliance, ownership concentration, share trading, size as measured by market capitalisation and internationality are also associated with compliance. However, the results show that profitability, liquidity and leverage do not seem to affect the extent of compliance with EASs and the performance of manufacturing are at par with non-manufacturing firms. Also the performance of private sector firms is at par with public sector firms. This may indirectly imply that the positive accounting perspective may not be entirely applicable for de facto compliance in Egypt. Hence, it cannot be entirely inferred that listed Egyptian companies may use de facto compliance with EASs as a means of reducing agency costs, raising capital, reducing political costs or signalling to the market that they are high quality firms.


A novel weight coefficient cluster covering genetic algorithm for multi-objective optimization and its implementation based on Delphi 7.0 are discussed. First, the principle and key technologies of the algorithm are presented, including cluster covering, accurate decoding and fuzzy decoding, etc. Then, its workflow is analyzed. Its main modules include input module, computing module, output module, and operational module. Its operational process is illustrated. The influence of algorithm parameters on computing results is also analyzed. The results show that the algorithm is validated. The algorithm can adopt several computing patterns. Both accurate decoding and fuzzy decoding have good astringency and diversity distribution. It is easy to use and its visualized result analyzing sub-system can output both data and graphs. The alternative employment of accurate decoding and fuzzy decoding can further improve its performance. These instructions give you basic guidelines for preparing papers for conference proceedings.


Sheet-like calcite array and stable vaterite were synthesized by bio-mimetic supported liquid membrane system under different reaction conditions. Both of the FTIR spectra of products showed narrower peak at 1418 cm^-1 than that of bulk CaCO3, and that of vaterite has a split in this peak.


† The array of agents now available for anesthesia and analgesia should be exploited to the utmost. Anesthesia starts the evening before an operation, with an interview that helps to decide the entire plan for premedication and subsequent procedures; this plan must be one that leads to the objective more certainly and safely than any other conceivable means. In the evening, the patient generally receives a tranquilizer such as promethazine and a somnifacient such as ethchlorvynol. In the morning, the premedication commonly consists of promethazine, morphine, and atropine. General anesthesia proceeds with thiopental sodium or with a muscle relaxant, oxygen, and nitrous oxide. Dosages must be such as to avoid respiratory difficulties; it is better to allow the patient to breathe for himself. In the postoperative period promethazine is used for its antinauseant effect and for its synergism with analgesic drugs. New drugs useful for producing amnesia, for blocking sensory nerves, and for combating shock are available, and improvements are being made in equipment for monitoring the patient's condition, communicating with other departments, and transporting the patient within the hospital.


Obesity has been an ever growing problem in today's western society. A large number of chronic diseases are directly correlated with nutrition and what we put into our bodies. Trans-fats have been a constant problem with today's society and there are many negative aspects that come with the consumption of this lipoprotein. LDL cholesterol has negative effects on our bodies and is most specifically correlated with Atherosclerosis. It plays a huge role in the pathophysiology of disease. High amounts of LDL lead to hardening of the blood vessels in the body along with a greater risk for obesity. Huge strides have been made in order to cut back on the consumption of trans-fats in our country, but it is still a problem we deal with every day.


Our family is the most important part of our life and we do our best to protect them from
life's perils and uncertainties. Nowadays, basic social services are no longer free and in fact,
law will be issued soon to past the cost of medical services to us directly or through medical
msurance.
Since there are many Insurance companies in Malaysia, surely there are a lot of choices of
policies attached to the insurance. The project is to develop a decision support system for
Takaful Medical Insurance. Under the medical insurance itself, it has a number of packages
offered and each package has it own specialties. This system will help in making decision of
which insurance packages to choose by selecting the criteria that a user wants.
The author made a research on policies of each medical insurance package and come out
with selection of criteria that certain policies cover and the user just need to click on their
preferred choice and as the result, the system will show which package is the best that suite
with our requirements that we have chosen. With this system, the user will be able to make a
decision on purchasing medical insurance that best suites their requirements.


The first practical method to evolve many-body nuclear forces to softened form using the similarity renormalization group in a harmonic oscillator basis is demonstrated. When applied to 4He calculations, the two- and three-body oscillator matrix elements yield rapid convergence of the ground-state energy with a small net contribution of the induced four-body force.


Introduction: the pumpkin seed has been studied and used in the treatment of parasitic diseases, benign prostatic hypertrophy, cystitis and as hypoglycemic substance. However, the research concerning the use of pumpkin seeds and especially the sterols and squalene as hypocholesterolemic elements in humans is unknown. Objective: to determine the phytosterol and squalene content of five varieties of pumpkin seeds for their potential use as hypocholesterolemic compounds in humans. Methods: the pumpkin seeds from two species called Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita moschata from Cuba and Mexico were studied. The varieties were Fifi, Marucha, INIVIT C-88 (Cuban), Tapatia and Chata (Mexican) for which the profile of phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and stigmastenol) and the squalene were determined using gas-liquid chromatography. Results: the content of ethereal extract and real fat in the seeds ranged 331.5 to 346, and 307 to 336 g/kg, respectively. The variety Fifi (C. moschata) had the highest content of unsaponifiable material (35.0 g/kg) and showed significant differences (p< 0.001) compared with other varieties and above that of conventional oilseeds. The squalene, and beta-sitosterol concentration was higher Marucha (Cucurbita moschata) (40.27 and 202.59 mg/100 g), indicating significant differences (p< 0.001) compared with other varieties. Marucha and Chata varieties exhibited the highest campesterol content (50.08 and 49.31 mg/100 g, respectively), and the Marucha evidenced the largest concentration of stigmasterol and stigmastenol (1.75 and 28.63 mg/100 g); additionally, the amounts contained were above those of the common vegetable food in the diet. Conclusions: the results in phytosterol and squalene concentrations achieved in the studied varieties suggested that the pumpkin seeds be studied as a possible hypocholesterolemic substance for humans.


In recent years, cosmetic industry profits soared due to the widespread use of cosmetics, which resulted in illicit manufacturers and products of poor quality. Therefore, the rapid and accurate detection of the composition of cosmetics has become crucial. At present, numerous methods, such as gas chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, were available for the analysis of cosmetic ingredients. However, these methods present several limitations, such as failure to perform comprehensive and rapid analysis of the samples. Compared with other techniques, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry offered the advantages of wide detection range, fast speed and high accuracy. In this article, we briefly summarized how to select a suitable matrix and adjust the appropriate laser energy. We also discussed the rapid identification of undesired ingredients, focusing on antibiotics and hormones in cosmetics.


Nuchal cord (NC) is defined as the umbilical cord being wrapped 360 degrees around the fetal neck. It is one of the most common complications of the umbilical cord and any pregnancy might be complicated with a nuchal cord. If a nuchal cord occurs in a pregnant woman with decreased fetal movements, it should be considered to be at high risk, particularly for fetuses with multiple nuchal cords. We report a case in breech presentation with an excessively long umbilical cord (190 cm) which was complicated with five nuchal loops around the fetal neck and resulted in intrauterine death at the 37th week of pregnancy.


Background: While geographic variation in health care access and quality may affect health status of patients with chronic diseases little is known about the health status of patients with COPD.

Objectives: The purpose of this analysis was to examine urban-rural differences in health status among patients with COPD.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from patients with COPD enrolled in a self-management clinical trial. Urban-rural residence was determined from zip code. Health status was measured using BODE index (BMI, obstructive impairment, dyspnea severity, exercise capacity), and generic (SF-12) and disease-specific (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire [CRQ]) quality-of-life instruments. Independent sample t-tests and chi-square tests were used to examine statistical differences.

Results: To date, results from 82 patients are available with mean age of 69 years, 46% female, 51% rural residence, and 98.8% with health insurance. Rural residence was associated with greater impairment (mean [SD] BODE index=4.9 [1.8]) compared to urban residence (3.4 [1.8], p=0.0003). Moreover, 6-minute walk distance was clinically and significantly less among rural (325 m [104]) vs. urban (375 m [90]) (p=0.02) residence. A similar pattern was found for quality-of-life measures with a lower SF-12 physical summary score among rural (28.3 [9.6]) vs. urban (36.1 [10.0], p=0.0006) residence and clinically worse dyspnea (CRQ-dyspnea=4.1 [1.0]) vs. 4.8 [1.3], respectively, p=0.009).

Conclusion: In this population of patients with COPD rural residence was associated with poorer health status for all measures despite similar access to health care as measured by health insurance.


Lengthening the terms of the productive use of animals is the most important problem in the cultivation of dairy and dairy and beef cattle, pig breeding and other branches of animal husbandry. The aim of this work was to review the influence of various genotypic and paratypic factors on life expectancy, productive longevity of farm animals, as well as analysis of studies to find modern ways of predicting and prolonging them. It was shown that with an increase in milk yield for lactation from 2500-3000 kg to 10000 kg of milk, the duration of productive use of cows decreases from 7-9 to 2-3 lactations, which increases the cost of milk production (I.I. Klimenok et al., 2001; J.R. Wright et al., 2016 et al.). An increase in milk productivity is accompanied by a decrease in reproductive function: the service period is prolonged, animal fertility decreases due to stress resulting from activation of the lactational dominant (A.I. Abilov et al., 2013; Y.S. Schuermann et al., 2016, etc.) To improve reproductive functions, duration of use, it is recommended to use special mineral-vitamin supplements (L.V. Romanenko et al., 2014; B. Close, 2007). Animal welfare is considered as an indicator of the stability of the system and is considered economically profitable (P.A. Oltenacu et al., 2010; L.V. Efimova et al., 2017). The duration of the productive use of sows, depending on the number of farrowing during use, fertility, survival of piglets and other factors is 3-4 farrowing instead of 4.5 in accordance with the accepted norm, which also affects economic indicators (M.D. Hoge et al., 2011). The indicators of heritability of signs of longevity in cattle and pigs are given (L. Canario et al., 2006), various feeding methods, breeding techniques, including the use of genetic markers to lengthen the economic use of animals. (C.N. Lopes et al., 2011; A.I. Sironen et al., 2010 et al.). Molecular markers related to the reproductive characteristics and duration of use of animals are given, which should also be used in genomic selection (N.S. Yudin et al., 2015; Q. Zhang et al., 2017). The theoretical provisions on the causes of aging, the influence of various stressors arising as a result of peroxide and antioxidant processes in the body are considered (E.S. Bauer, 1935; V.L. Voeikov, 2002).The role of reactive oxygen species, free radicals, and antioxidants of different nature on the reproductive function and viability of animals under stressful effects of different strengths is discussed (D.D. Boler et al., 2012; M. Sajeda Eidan, 2016). Thus, to increase the duration of the use and longevity of farm animals, combined with high productivity and adaptability to various, including adverse environmental factors, methods should be used that add up to several positions. It is necessary to develop and use proper feeding techniques that optimize the energy balance during all periods of the reproductive cycle, create favorable conditions for keeping animals, providing for exposure to certain stimulating factors that increase the biophysical potential of the body, affecting the functioning of biochemical systems. One should use the latest methods for predicting the level of free-radical oxidation of animal tissue lipids, which affect the manifestation of oestrus, oocyte and sperm viability, and the use of antioxidants with feed additives to balance oxidative and antioxidative processes. One more approach is to create herds (breeds, types) of animals with a high genetic potential for productivity and stress resistance using the most effective selection methods, genetic markers, genetic and mathematical models, and genetic engineering methods.


An exact and approximate realization theory for estimation and model filters of second-order stationary stochastic sequences is presented. The properties of J -lossless matrices as a unifying framework are used. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the exact realization of an estimation filter and a model filter as a submatrix of a J -lossless system are deduced. An extension of the so-called Schur algorithm yields an approximate J -lossless realization based on partial past information about the process. The geometric properties of such partial realizations and their convergence are studied. Finally, connections with the Nevanlinna-Pick problem are made, and how the techniques presented constitute a generalization of many aspects of the Levinson-Szego theory of partial realizations is shown. As a consequence generalized recursive formulas for reproducing kernels and Christoffel-Darboux formulas are obtained. In this paper the scalar case is considered. The matrix case will be considered in a separate publication.


Neural Networks (NNs) can provide major empirical performance improvements for robotic systems, but they also introduce challenges in formally analyzing those systems' safety properties. In particular, this work focuses on estimating the forward reachable set of closed-loop systems with NN controllers. Recent work provides bounds on these reachable sets, yet the computationally efficient approaches provide overly conservative bounds (thus cannot be used to verify useful properties), whereas tighter methods are too intensive for online computation. This work bridges the gap by formulating a convex optimization problem for reachability analysis for closed-loop systems with NN controllers. While the solutions are less tight than prior semidefinite program-based methods, they are substantially faster to compute, and some of the available computation time can be used to refine the bounds through input set partitioning, which more than overcomes the tightness gap. The proposed framework further considers systems with measurement and process noise, thus being applicable to realistic systems with uncertainty. Finally, numerical comparisons show that our approach based on linear programming and partitioning can give 10× reduction in conservatism in $\frac{1}{2}$ of the computation time compared to the state-of-the-art, and the ability to handle various sources of uncertainty is highlighted on a quadrotor model.


An atomistic modeling tool is essential to an in-depth understanding upon surface reactions of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), with the presence of compositing agents, including Ti and Au, under different environmental exposures. We report a new ReaxFF reactive force field parameter set for Mo, Ti, Au, O, S, and H interactions. We apply the force field in a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to unravel the impact of the Ti dopant on the oxidation/hydrogenation behaviors of MoS2 surface. The simulation results reveal that, in the absence of Ti clusters, the MoS2 surface is ruptured and oxidized at elevated temperatures through a process of adsorption followed by dissociation of the O2 molecules on the MoS2 surface during the temperature ramp. When the MoS2 surface is exposed to H2O molecules, surface hydrogenation is most favored, followed by oxidation, then hydroxylation. The introduction of Ti clusters to the systems mitigates the oxidation/hydrogenation of MoS2 at a low or intermediate temperature by capturing the O2/H2O molecules and locking the O/H-related radicals inside the clusters. However, OH− and H3O+ are emitted from the Ti clusters in the H2O environment as temperature rises, and the accelerating hydrogenation of MoS2 is consequently observed at an ultra-high temperature. These findings indicate an important but complex role of Ti dopants in mitigating the oxidation and hydrogenation of MoS2 under different environmental exposures. The possible mechanisms of oxidation and hydrogenation revealed by MD simulations can give an insight to the design of oxidation resistant TMDs and can be useful to the optical, electronic, magnetic, catalytic, and energy harvesting industries.


We report two cases of intra-auditory canal lipoma, presenting as acoustic neuroma, observed in respectively 45 and 53 year old patients. Cerebellopontine angle lipomas are unusual lesions, more exceptional than their intracranial counter-parts. The knowledge of these tumoral lesions and of their close relationships with cranial nerves incite to perform a frozen section when imagery is evocative, to limit functional postoperative sequelae.


Abstract. Orbital angular momentum (OAM), one of the most recently discovered degrees of freedom of light beam field has fundamentally revolutionized optical physics and its technological capabilities. Optical beams with OAM have enabled a large variety of applications, including super-resolution imaging, optical trapping, classical and quantum optical communication, and quantum computing, to mention a few. To enable these and several other emerging applications, optical beams with OAM have been generated using a variety of methods and technologies, such as a simple astigmatic lens pair, one-/two-dimensional holographic optical elements, three-dimensional spiral phase plates, optical fibers, and recent entrants such as metasurfaces. All these techniques achieve spatial light modulation and can be implemented with either passive elements or active devices, such as liquid crystal on silicon and digital micromirror devices. Many of these devices and technologies are not only used for the generation of amplitude phase-polarization structured light beams but are also capable of analyzing them. We have attempted to encompass a wide variety of such technologies as well as a few emerging methodologies, broadly categorized into generation and detection protocols. We address the needs of scientists and engineers who desire to generate/detect OAM modes and are looking for the technique (active or passive) best suited for their application.


A journey from cultural memory through recall to transformation of historical grievances is elucidated with the aid of phenomenological thought. The context for this study is a conflict resolution project undertaken by the Center for the Study of Mind and Human Interaction of the University of Virginia. Russians and Estonians of Klooga participated in a group meeting aimed at resolving ethnonational conflict. This meeting is described, and the potential of phenomenology in an interdisciplinary approach to conflict resolution is explored.


The paper reports the development of a flexible and scalable testbed for the implementation and evaluation of signal processing algorithms for multiple antenna (MIMO) systems. At a maximum, four transmit and four receive antennas can be served. Two operational modes are targeted, non real-time block transmission and real-time operation.


In this work, the aerodynamic performance of four types of bird's airfoils (eagle, stork, hawk, and albatross) at low Reynolds number and a range of angles of attack during fixed (unflapping) gliding flight was numerically investigated utilizing open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Stanford University unstructured (SU2) and K-ω Shear Stress Transport (K-ω SST) turbulence model. The flow of the simulated cases was assumed to be incompressible, viscous, and steady. For verification and comparison, a low Reynolds number man-made Eppler 193's airfoil was simulated. The results revealed that stork has the greatest aerodynamic efficiency followed by albatross and eagle. However, at zero angle of attack, the albatross aerodynamic efficiency exceeded all the other birds by a significant amount. In terms of aerodynamics efficiency, stork's and albatross's airfoils performed better than Eppler 193 at angles of attack less than 8°, while at a higher angle of attack all studied birds' airfoils performed better than Eppler 193. The effect of surface permeability was also investigated for the eagle's airfoil where the permeable surface occupied one-third of the total airfoil surface. Permeability increased the generated lift and the aerodynamic efficiency of the eagle's airfoil for angles of attack less than 10°. The increase reached 58% for the lift at zero angle of attack. After the specified angle, the permeability had an adverse effect on the flow which may be due to the transition to turbulent ahead of the permeable section.


Mental fatigue is best described as a change in psychophysiological state due to sustained cognitive or perceptual performance. The negative effects of mental fatigue on occupational and cognitive tasks have been well documented (Boksem, Meijman, & Lorist, 2005; Lorist et al., 2000; Lundberg et al., 2002). Few studies exist that examine the effect of mental fatigue on physical performance (Marcora, Staiano, & Manning, 2009; Mehta & Parasuraman, 2014); those that do suggest that mental fatigue negatively affects performance. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of mental fatigue on the psychobiological response to exercise, whilst controlling for aerobic capacity, perfectionism, and intrinsic motivation. A neuroergonomic approach was used by implementing Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to examine cerebral hemodynamics. Participants (N=50) underwent two phases of testing: an initial screening phase and an experimental phase. A matched grouped design was implemented, randomly assigning participants to either the control or experimental group. The testing phase consisted of either a mentally fatiguing cognitive task, or a neutral control condition, followed by a 10km cycling time trial. Dependent variables were time to completion, heart rate, VO2, peak power, oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, total oxygenation index, self-efficacy, and rate of perceived exertion. Data reduction was executed via principle component analysis, resulting in three new factors: performance and central physiological markers, negative peripheral physiological markers, and negative psychological markers. MANCOVA was performed with VO2max, self-orientated perfectionism, and motivation towards physical activity entered as covariates, and group as the only independent variable. Group failed to


In April 2022, Adtalem Global Education sponsored a virtual summit entitled Advancing Equity in Healthcare, in which several of the authors of this article and other prominent health-care professionals examined the need to diversify the health-care profession. Topics included educational justice and its impact on health care, the business case for transforming and advancing health equity, and addressing systemic inequities and improving health outcomes for historically marginalized persons. The summit inspired the authors to write this paper to advocate for authentic, sustainable partnerships led by Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as a means to diversify nursing leadership and to stem systemic and structural inequities in health care.


The article argues that for mission to be contextual and liberating it has to take seriously the plight of those who for various socio-economic and political factors have been forced to migrate from their countries of birth. Furthermore it critically analyses those factors that have led to the uprooting and the dislocation of Africans who are further impoverished, if not enslaved in the new countries where they are domiciled, particularly in the South African context. The paper argues that it is time, just like at Melbourne (1980) with regard to the poor, for those people who are dislocated to be "put in the very centre of missiological reflection". In addition they also have to be put in the centre of theological reflection, and in particular theological education. Only if the plight of foreigners (migrants) who have been dislocated is placed at the centre of theological education can the churches through their main functionaries who benefit directly from theological education play a liberating and humanising role in welcoming and humanising the foreigners who have been dislocated. Clergy, theologians and laity have significant roles to play in view of uprooting and dispelling the myths, stereotypes and resentment that often fuel xenophobia, in view making Africa hospitable to Africans.


The binding of [N-methyl-3H] methylphenazepam with synaptosomal membranes of rat striatum was studied. The affinity of binding sites to this ligand was higher when compared with [3H] diazepam. No changes in maximal binding capacity were found in two groups. GABA and muscimol increased the binding of [3H] diazepam and had no effect on binding of [N-methyl-3H] methylphenazepam. Diazepam and phenazepam competitively decreased the [N-methyl-3H] methylphenazepam binding. The inhibitor activity of phenazepam was higher.


The history of software from the 1960s has barely begun to be studied and literature on its past is limited. This article explores why such a situation exists, identifies study resources, and explains some of the issues concerning archival holdings. The article suggests an initial research agenda, arguing that the 1960s were seminal for the history of software as a whole.


Within classical economics, an agent is deemed "rational" if their preferences are both consistent and maximize utility of positive, subjective experience. Violations from this norm may occur as a result of utility devaluation (proceeding from risk or delay) or when an imbalance occurs between 'liking' and 'wanting'.

The current studies investigate how changes in reward-contingencies, delay before reward receipt, and reinforcer devaluation contribute to such utility-based decision-making in human and rodent models. I examined the effects of devaluation through pre-exposure and outcome-contingency on the development and maintenance of sign- and goal-tracking responses in rats (chapter three) and humans (chapter four). Chapter four presents a novel, translational, eye-tracking procedure and correlates of such behaviour, including trait-impulsivity and discounting performance.

In chapter five I presented probability- and temporal discounting using a mouse model, exploring the consequences of satiety-based devaluation, and changes in outcome-contingencies- and delays. In Chapter six I presented the same factors in a human sample using a novel laboratory-based procedure and sought to explore the impact of trait and state impulsivity and correlates of rapid discounting.

Finally, in chapter seven I considered the relationship between trait impulsivity, alcohol use, smoking and discounting behaviour using a more conventional online questionnaire. The results represent some of the first to present probability discounting using a mouse model and characterisation of reliable sign- and goal-tracking performance in humans. The results of the latter studies broadly support previous findings in rats showing that lowered reward contingency diminishes goal-oriented, but enhances sign-oriented, responding. Chapter six establishes a human equivalent to rodent discounting paradigms through implicit learning that will allow future controlled studies in humans. Finally, chapter seven presents evidence for an association between delay discounting and trait impulsivity.

The results of these studies support the assertion that irrational decision-making arises, in part, from changes in reward utility as a function of delay, probability, devaluation and individual differences. Furthermore the translational-homologous models presented allow for future biopsychological research into mechanisms underlying such behaviours.


Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to monitor the uptake of organic anions from solution by aminoethanethiol (AET) monolayers on Au substrates, as a test of the applicability of this monolayer as a substrate for organic SIMS analysis. Event-by-event bombardment and detection mode coupled with coincidence counting allowed the atomic and polyatomic projectile impacts on a particular sample surface to be compared simultaneously and under the same experimental conditions. The mass spectra produced from the monolayer surface and those from Au and Si blanks demonstrate that the AET monolayer is important to the uptake of the organic anion. The exchanged monolayer surfaces were used to measure secondary ion yields, defined as the number of secondary ions detected per incident primary ion, produced from ultrathin films by (CsI)nCs+ (n = 0-2) projectiles at the limit of single-ion impacts. The yield of a tetradecyl sulfate (IDS) anion was improved by a factor of 200 using the AET substrate instead of the thick salt target. The intact ion and fragment ion yield trends produced from the AET surface were measured as a function of number of atoms in the primary projectile and energy. We observed a yield increase for both the intact ion and the fragment ion with the projectile complexity and energy. The increase in yield per projectile atom was linear for the emission of intact TDS and intact dodecyl sulfate from the AET surfaces. A supralinear yield enhancement, however, was observed for the fragment ion SO3- when the three-atom (CsI)Cs+ cluster was used. The experiments demonstrate that the various organosulfate and suffonates are weakly bound to the AET surface and their adsorption to the AET monolayer is reversible. The utility of the AET monolayer on Au was also tested as a general substrate for the characterization of derivatized organic molecules with biological and industrial importance by TOF-SIMS.


Cryoablation of tumors involve the insertion of a probe into a tumor nodule to administer tissue-ablative cold temperatures. Its mechanism of action has been attributed to the mechanical forces of crystallization, the osmotic changes due to crystallization, and the ischemic effects of microvascular injury. This leads to immunogenic tumor cell death resulting in cross presentation of tumor-associated antigens (TAA) of the cryo-killed tumor cells by antigen-presenting cells (APC) to the immune system. This in turn leads to the recruitment of TAA-specific T cells, which are powerless because of the strong immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment. We found that Meriva, a Curcumin derivate with high bioavailability, reduced immune suppression by IL-6, resulting in the activation of T cell responses to TAA Mage-b and Survivin (highly expressed by tumors and metastaess), and a nearly complete elimination of metastatic breast cancer (4T1 model) when combined with Cryoablation. In addition, the overall survival of mice that received Cryoablation and Meriva was significantly increased compared to the saline group. Our results demonstrate that Meriva is a potent agent to reduce immune suppression by IL-6 and to stimulate TAA-specific T cells in a tumor microenvironment. Moreover, Meriva might be useful in other combination therapies that induce immunogenic tumor cell death like adriamycin or radiation, or with vaccines that are hampered by immune suppression in the TME.