Women's Global Health and Human Rights serves as an overview of the challenges faced by women in different regions of the world. Ideal as a tool for both professionals and students, this book discusses the similarities and differences in health and human rights challenges that are faced by women globally. Best practices and success stories are also included in this timely and important text. Major Topics include: "X Globalization "X Gender Based Terrorism and Violence "X Cultural Practices "X Health Problems "X Progress and Challenges


Elevated blood homocysteine (Hcy) level is frequently observed in aged individuals and those with age-related vascular diseases. However, its effect on peripheral microcirculation is still not fully understood. Using in vivo zebrafish model, the degree of Hcy-induced peripheral microcirculation dysfunction is assessed in this study with a proposed dimensionless velocity parameter V¯CV/ V¯PCV, where V¯CV and V¯PCV represent the peripheral microcirculation perfusion and the systemic perfusion levels, respectively. The ratio of the peripheral microcirculation perfusion to the systemic perfusion is largely decreased due to peripheral accumulation of neutrophils, while the systemic perfusion is relatively preserved by increased blood supply from subintestinal vein. Pretreatment with L-arginine attenuates the effects of Hcy on peripheral microcirculation and reduces the peripheral accumulation of neutrophils. Given its convenience, high reproducibility of the observation site, non-invasiveness, and the ease of drug treatment, the present zebrafish model with the proposed parameters will be used as a useful drug screening platform for investigating the pathophysiology of Hcy-induced microvascular diseases.


Aminopeptidase-N (APN) and cadherin proteins located at the midgut epithelium of Helicoverpa armigera have been implicated as receptors for the Cry1A subfamily of insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis. Ligand blot analysis with heterologously expressed and purified H. armigera Bt receptor with three closely related Cry1A proteins tentatively identified HaAPN1 as an interacting ligand. However, to date there is no direct evidence of APN being a functional receptor to Cry1Ac in H. armigera. Sf21 insect cells expressing HaAPN1 displayed aberrant cell morphology upon overlaying with Cry1Ac protein. Down-regulating expression of HaAPN1 by RNA interference using double-stranded RNA correlated with a corresponding reduction in the sensitivity of HaAPN1-expressing cells to Cry1Ac protein. This clearly establishes that insect cells expressing the receptor recruit sensitivity to the insecticidal protein Cry1Ac, and their susceptibility is directly dependent on the amount of HaAPN1 protein expressed. Most importantly, silencing of HaAPN1 in H. armigera in vivo by RNA interference resulted in reduced transcript levels and a corresponding decrease in the susceptibility of larvae to Cry1Ac. BIAcore analysis of HaAPN1/Cry1Ac interaction further established HaAPN1 as a ligand for Cry1Ac. This is the first functional demonstration of insect aminopeptidase-N of H. armigera being a receptor of Cry1Ac protein of B. thuringiensis.


The incidence and prevalence of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has been increasing over the past 3 decades. Because of high densities of somatostatin receptors (sstr)—mainly sstr-2—on the cell surface of these tumors, 111In-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-octreotide scintigraphy has become an important part of clinical management. 18F-radiolabeled analogs with suitable pharmacokinetics would permit PET with more rapid clinical protocols. Methods: We compared the affinity in vitro and tissue pharmacokinetics by PET of 5 structurally related 19F/18F-fluoroethyltriazole-Tyr3-octreotate (FET-TOCA) analogs: FET-G-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-TOCA, FETE-PEG-TOCA, FET-G-TOCA, FETE-TOCA, and FET-βAG-TOCA to the recently described 18F-aluminum fluoride NOTA-octreotide (18F-AIF-NOTA-OC) and the clinical radiotracer 68Ga-DOTATATE. Results: All 19F-fluoroethyltriazole-Tyr3-octreotate compounds retained high agonist binding affinity to sstr-2 in vitro (half-maximal effective concentration, 4–19 nM vs. somatostatin at 5.6 nM). Dynamic PET showed that incorporation of PEG linkers, exemplified by 18F-FET-G-PEG-TOCA and 18F-FETE-PEG-TOCA, reduced uptake in high sstr-2–expressing AR42J pancreatic cancer xenografts. 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA showed the lowest nonspecific uptake in the liver. Tumor uptake increased in the order 68Ga-DOTATATE < 18F-AIF-NOTA ≤ 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA < 18F-FET-G-TOCA. The uptake of 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA was specific: a radiolabeled scrambled peptide, 18F-FET-βAG-[W-c-(CTFTYC)K], did not show tumor uptake; there was lower uptake of 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA in AR42J xenografts when mice were pretreated with 10 mg of unlabeled octreotide per kilogram; and there was low uptake of 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA in low sstr-2–expressing HCT116 xenografts. Conclusion: We have developed novel fluoroethyltriazole-Tyr3-octreotate radioligands that combine high specific binding with rapid target localization and rapid pharmacokinetics for high-contrast PET. 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA and 18F-FET-G-TOCA are candidates for future clinical evaluation.


Seven Ln(III) complexes based on a novel nitronyl nitroxide radical have been synthesized and characterized structurally and magnetically: [Ln(hfac)3(NITNapOMe)2] (Ln = Pr(1), Gd(2), Tb(3), Dy(4), Ho(5), Er(6), Tm(7); hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate; NITNapOMe = 2-6′-methoxy-2′-naphthyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide). The single-crystal analyses show that these complexes have similar mononuclear tri-spin structures, in which central Ln(III) ions are eight coordinated by three hfac molecules and two NITNapOMe radicals. The variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility studies reveal the ferromagnetic interactions between Ln(III) ion and radicals in complexes 3, 4, and 7 and antiferromagnetic interactions in complexes 1, 2, 5, and 6.


The spatial confinement effects in laser-induced breakdown of aluminum (Al) targets in air have been investigated both by optical emission spectroscopy and fast photography. A KrF excimer laser was used to produce plasmas from Al targets in air. Al atomic emission lines show an obvious enhancement in the emission intensity when a pair of Al-plate walls were placed to spatially confine the plasma plumes. Images of the Al plasma plumes showed that the plasma plumes evolved into a torus shape and were compressed in the Al walls. The mechanism for the confinement effects was discussed using shock wave theory.


7-Deazahypoxanthine was found to be oxidised by cow's milk xanthine oxidase exclusively at carbon 2. The resulting 7-deazaxanthine is a strong inhibitor of the enzymatic reaction. This offers a possibility for determining the structural requirements of ligand binding separately for the first step. All the monomethyl isomers of 7-deazahypoxanthine were tested as probes by measuring their Km, Ki and V values. While the N-3-methyl and C-7-methyl isomers are still processed, the N-9-methyl and 6-O-methyl isomers are bound as inhibitors to the active site. The N-1-methyl compound is neither an inhibitor nor a substrate. This demonstrates that HN(1) and O = C(6) are essential for the binding. Replacement of O = C(6) by S = C(6) changes the substrate into a strong inhibitor (Ki = 9 microM), implying that the electron transfer to the enzyme is hindered. Methylation of the thioxo group (S =) reduces the inhibition significantly. In contrast to 7-deazahypoxanthine, 2-thioxo-7-deazaxanthine is an activator at concentrations below 87 microM and a partial competitive inhibitor above this concentration, which implies the presence of a second binding site.


OBJECTIVE
Guidelines recommend against prescribing antipsychotics without an indication, yet prescription rates remain undesirably high for youths. Information technology can facilitate guideline-based prescribing, but little is known about providers' needs. The Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth project is implementing an algorithm-based workflow for peer consultation, care navigation, and expedited psychotherapy access. To optimize workflow for a multisite trial, we engaged providers for input.

METHODS
Guided by human-centered design, we interviewed 15 providers from Kaiser Permanente Washington and Nationwide Children's Hospital about their prescribing barriers and workflow preferences. We identified qualitative themes on barriers affecting implementation and design opportunities to optimize workflow.

RESULTS
Providers expressed two major barriers: potential disruptions to clinical practice and threats to professional autonomy. Three design opportunities emerged: à la carte orders, passive review of orders, and consultation self-acknowledgment.

CONCLUSIONS
Human-centered design offers an innovative approach to improve guideline-based prescribing with optimizations that are grounded in providers' needs.


Abstract Background: International guidelines on diabetes control strongly encourage the setting-up of therapeutic educational programs (TEP). However, more than half of the patients fail to control their diabetes a few months post-TEP because of a lack of regular follow-up by medical professionals. The DIAB-CH is a TEP associated with the follow-up of diabetic patients by the community pharmacist. Aim: To compare the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and body mass index (BMI) in diabetic patients of Control (neither TEP-H nor community pharmacist intervention), TEP-H (TEP in hospital only) and DIAB-CH (TEP-H plus community pharmacist follow-up) groups. Methods: A comparative cohort study design was applied. Patients included in the TEP-H from July 2017 to December 2017 were enrolled in the DIAB-CH group. The TEP-H session was conducted by a multidisciplinary team composed of two diabetologists, two dieticians and seven nurses. The HbA1c level and the BMI (when over 30 kg/m2 at M0) of patients in Control (n = 20), TEP-H (n = 20) and DIAB-CH (n = 20) groups were collected at M0, M0 + 6 and M0 + 12 months. First, HbA1c and BMI were compared between M0, M6 and M12 in the three groups with the Friedman test, followed by the Benjamini-Hochberg post-test. Secondly, the HbA1c and BMI of the three groups were compared at M0, M6 and M12 using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Findings: While no difference in HbA1c was measured between M0, M6 and M12 in the Control group, Hb1Ac was significantly reduced in both TEP-H and DIAB-CH groups between M0 and M6 (P = 0.0072 and P = 0.0034, respectively), and between M0 and M12 only in the DIAB-CH group (P = 0.0027). In addition, a significant decrease in the difference between the measured HbA1c and the target assigned by diabetologists was observed between M0 and M6 in both TEP-H and DIAB-CH groups (P = 0.0072 and P = 0.0044, respectively) but only for the patients of the DIAB-CH group between M0 and M12 (P = 0.0044). No significant difference (P > 0.05) in BMI between the groups was observed. Conclusion: The long-lasting benefit on glycemic control of multidisciplinary group sessions associated with community pharmacist-led educational interventions on self-care for diabetic patients was demonstrated in the present study. There is thus evidence pointing to the effectiveness of a community/hospital care collaboration of professionals on diabetes control in primary care.


The vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates vitamin D actions beyond bone health. While VDR activation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D) leads to robust transcriptional regulation, less is known about VDR actions in the absence of 1,25D. We analyzed the transcriptomic response to 1,25D in fibroblasts bearing a severe homozygous hereditary vitamin D resistant rickets-related p.Arg30* VDR mutation (MUT) and in control fibroblasts (CO). Roughly 4.5% of the transcriptome was regulated by 1,25D in CO fibroblasts, while MUT cells without a functional VDR were insensitive to 1,25D. Novel VDR target genes identified in human fibroblasts included bone and cartilage factors CILP, EFNB2, and GALNT12. Vehicle-treated CO and MUT fibroblasts had strikingly different transcriptomes, suggesting basal VDR activity. Indeed, oppositional transcriptional effects in basal conditions versus after 1,25D activation were implied for a subset of target genes mostly involved with cell cycle. Cell proliferation assays corroborated this conjectured oppositional basal VDR activity, indicating that precise 1,25D dosage in target tissues might be essential for modulating vitamin D actions in human health.


In this study, a novel π-conjugated microporous poly(benzothiadiazole)–graphitic carbon nitride (BBT–C3N4) photocatalyst was synthesized through a facile in situ palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira–Hagihara cross-coupling polycondensation of 4,7-dibromobenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole with 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene in the presence of evenly dispersed g-C3N4 using mixed DMF/TEA as solvent at 80 °C. Systematic characterization results revealed that BBT was equally dispersed on the surface of C3N4 with chemical bonds. The photocatalytic tests showed that this BBT–C3N4 composite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic removal of both sulfathiazole and Cr(VI) in comparison with the pure BBT and C3N4 as well as a mechanical mixture of BBT and C3N4, indicating that the oxidation and reduction abilities of BBT–C3N4 were simultaneously enhanced after composition under visible light irradiation. This was subsequently confirmed by radical detection, PL analysis and scavenger experiments as well. Holes and photoelectrons were demonstrated to be the main active species during the photocatalytic removal of sulfathiazole and Cr(VI), respectively. A possible photoelectron transfer mechanism for efficient photoinduced electron–hole separation of BBT–C3N4 composites is proposed based on all the results. This study provides new insight into the design of highly efficient visible light-driven photocatalysts with superior redox ability for wastewater treatment.


The national management and retrieval service of the national scholar Content DB are very important. High quality content can improve the user's utilization and satisfaction and be a strong base for both the citation index creation and the calculation of journal impact factors. Therefore, the system is necessary to check data quality effectively. We have closely studied and developed a wed-based data quality checking system that will support anything from raw digital data to its automatic validation as well as hands-on validation, all of which will be discussed in this paper.


Averaged schemes of the geostrophic circulation on surface of the eastern Okhotsk Sea in winter months are plotted using the data of satellite altimetry measurements. Variations of the surface water transport by the West Kamchatka Current through the latitude of 54о N, between 153о E and the coast of Kamchatka, are analyzed. The current was strengthened in the winters of 1996, 1997, 2009, 2010, and 2013; it was relatively weak in the winters of 2002, and 2007. Statistical dependences of the sea surface temperature and ice cover on the West-Kamchatka Current intensity are calculated for entire winter season and by months; they are statistically significant for all winter months. The West Kamchatka Current variation determines up to 33–36 % of these indices variability.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Sepsis, defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from dysregulated host response to infection, is still a major challenge for healthcare systems. Early diagnosis is highly needed, yet challenging, due to the non-specificity of clinical symptoms. Rapid and targeted application of therapy strategies is crucial for patient's outcome. Areas covered: Faster and better diagnostics with high accuracy is promised by novel host response biomarkers and a wide variety of direct pathogen identification technologies, which have emerged over the last years. This review will cover both – host response-guided diagnostics and methods for direct pathogen detection. Some of the markers and technologies are already market-ready, others are more likely aspirants. We will discuss them in terms of their performance and benefit for use in clinical diagnostics. Expert opinion: Latest technological advances enable the development of promising diagnostic tests, detecting the host response as well as identifying pathogens without the need of cultivation. However, the syndrome's heterogeneity makes it difficult to develop a universal test suitable for routine use. Moreover, the robustness of the biomarkers and technologies still has to be verified. Combining these technologies and clinical routine parameters with bioinformatic methods (e.g., machine-learning algorithms) may revolutionize sepsis diagnostics.


The main objectives of this thesis were to develop a lowtemperature PECVD process suitable for optoelectronicintegration, and to optimize silica glass composition forUV-induced modifications of a refractive index in PECVDfabricated planar devices. The most important achievement isthe successful development of a low temperature silicadeposition, which for the first time makes it is possible tofabricate good quality low loss integrated components whilekeeping the temperature below 250oC during the entirefabrication process. Two strong absorption peaks thatappear at1.5 mm communication window due to N-H and Si-H bonds have beencompletely eliminated by process optimization. This openspossibilities for monolithic integration with other,temperature sensitive devices, such as semiconductor lasers anddetectors, or polymer-based structures on the common siliconplatform. PECVD technology for low loss amorphous silicon inapplication to SiO2/Si based photonic crystal structures hasbeen also optimized to remove hydrogen incorporated during thedeposition process, responsible for the porosity of thedeposited material and creation of similar to silica absorptionbands.Change of the refractive index of germanium doped silicaunder UV irradiation is commonly used for fabrication of UVinduced fiber Bragg gratings. Here we describe our achievementsin fabrication of fiber Bragg gratings and their application todistributed sensor systems. Recently we have built up a laserlab for UV treatment in application to planar technology. Wehave demonstrated the high photosensitivity of PECVD depositedGe-doped glasses (not thermally annealed) even without hydrogenloading, leading to a record transmission suppression of 47dBin a Bragg grating photoinduced in a straight buried channelwaveguide. We have also used a UV induced refractive indexchange to introduce other device modifications or functions,such as phase shift, wavelength trimming and control ofpolarization birefringence.The developed low temperature technology and the UVprocessing form a unique technology platform for development ofnovel integrated functional devices for optical communicationsystems.A substantial part of the thesis has been devoted tostudying different plasma deposition parameters and theirinfluence on the optical characteristics of fabricatedwaveguides to find the processing window giving the besttrade-off between the deposition rate,chamber temperatureduring the process, optical losses and presence of absorptionbands within the interesting wavelength range. The optimalconditions identified in this study are low pressure (300-400mTorr), high dilution of silane in nitrous oxide and high totalflow (2000 sccm), low frequency (380 KHz) RF source and high RFpower levels (800-1000 W).The thesis provides better understanding of the plasmareactions during the deposition process. RF Power is the keyparameter for increasing the rate of surface processes so as toaccommodate each atomic layer in the lowest energy statepossible. All the process conditions which favor a moreenergetic ion bombardment (i.e. low pressure, low frequency andhigh power) improve the quality of the material, making it moredense and similar to thermal oxide, but after a certain pointthe positive trend with increasing power saturates. As theenergy of the incoming ion increases, a competing effect setsin at the surface: ion induced damage and resputtering.Finally, the developed technologies were applied for thefabrication of some test and new concept devices for opticalcommunication systems including multimode interference (MMI)-based couplers/splitters, state-of-the-art arrayed waveguidegrating-based multi/ demultiplexers, the first Bragg gratingassisted MMI-based add-drop multiplexer, as well as moreresearch oriented devices such as a Mach-Zehnder switch basedon silica poling and a Photonic Crystal-based coupler.Keywords:silica-on-silicon technology, PECVD, plasmadeposition, photonic integrated circuits, planar waveguidedevices, UV Bragg gratings, photosensitivity, arrayed waveguidegratings, multimode interference couplers, add-dropmultiplexers.


As late as the end of the 19th century a tradition concerning Belin was still alive in the area of Tolmin, among the Slovenes there, who regarded Belin as a great healer and believed that with his »key« it was possible to cure blindness. It may be hypothesized that there was a continuity of worship of the Aquileian Belinus/Belenus, through the late Roman period and late antiquity up to the early Slavic period. The Slavs that settled in this region would have taken over from the indigenous folk the cult of the god and modified it consistent with their own beliefs. Perhaps they brought with them the cult of Belibog, Belin(ec), whereupon a mingling of the two divinities came about.


Interacting mixtures of bosons and fermions are ubiquitous in nature. They form the backbone of the standard model of physics, provide a framework for understanding quantum materials such as unconventional superconductors and two-dimensional electronic systems, and are of technological importance in $^3$He/$^4$He dilution refrigerators. Bose-Fermi mixtures are predicted to exhibit an intricate phase diagram featuring coexisting liquids, supersolids, composite fermions, coupled superfluids, and quantum phase transitions in between. However, their coupled thermodynamics and collective behavior challenge our understanding, in particular for strong boson-fermion interactions. Clean realizations of fully controllable systems are scarce. Ultracold atomic gases offer an ideal platform to experimentally investigate Bose-Fermi mixtures, as the species concentration and interaction strengths can be freely tuned. Here, we study the collective oscillations of a spin-polarized Fermi gas immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) as a function of the boson-fermion interaction strength and temperature. Remarkably, for strong interspecies interactions the fermionic collective excitations evolve to perfectly mimic the bosonic superfluid collective modes, and fermion flow becomes dissipationless. With increasing number of thermal excitations in the Bose gas, the fermions' dynamics exhibit a crossover from the collisionless to the hydrodynamic regime, reminiscent of the emergence of hydrodynamics in two-dimensional electron fluids. Our findings open the door towards understanding non-equilibrium dynamics of strongly interacting Bose-Fermi mixtures.


Cyber-Physical Systems (smart grids, cities, homes, etc.) are composed of computing resources, actuators and sensors, connected through IP networks. These IP networks involve many technologies. In order to help designing and evaluating these systems, we are studying the modeling and simulation of IP networks in this context. Since there is no universal IP simulator proposing a model library corresponding to all the required technologies, we propose a solution to make different major IP simulators, generally not interoperable, interact with one another in a same co-simulation. Moreover, they should also interact with simulators corresponding to other fields of expertise involved in the simulation, mostly related to the physical or social aspects of these systems (e.g. power models, traffic models, weather models, etc.). In this paper, we propose to address these issues as a multi-modeling problem, by integrating well-known IP network simulators into a DEVS-based co-simulation platform. We propose some concepts, helping to split a network topology into several models, to create input/output ports inside them, and to integrate them to a DEVS multi-model. We illustrate our solution thanks to a use case, including interconnected event-based models executed both by NS-3 and OMNeT++, equation-based models and the co-simulation platform MECSYCO.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive picture of the innovative efforts undertaken over time to develop the digital technologies for managing the interface between supply chain management and marketing processes and the role they play in sustaining supply chain management-marketing (SCM-M) integration from an information processing point of view.

Design/methodology/approach
Patent analysis and actual examples are used to carry out this study. In detail, first, the authors identify the subset of enabling technologies pertaining to the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) that can be considered the most relevant for effective SCM-M integration (i.e. Industrial Internet of Things, Cloud computing, Big Data analytics and customer profiling, Cyber security). Second, the authors carry out a patent analysis aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the patenting activity trends characterizing the set of digital technologies under investigation, hence highlighting their innovation dynamics and applications.

Findings
This research provides insightful information about which digital technologies may enable the SCM-M integration. Specifically, the authors highlight the role those solutions play in terms of information acquisition, storage and elaboration for SCM-M integration by relying on illustrative actual examples. Moreover, the authors present the organisations more involved in the development of digital technologies for SCM-M integration over time and offer an examination of their technological impact in terms of influence on subsequent technological developments.

Originality/value
So far, much has been said about why marketing and supply chain management functions should be integrated. However, a clear picture of the digital technologies that might be adopted to achieve this objective has yet to be revealed. Thus, the paper contributes to the literature on SCM-M integration and Industry 4.0 by highlighting the enabling technologies for the Industry 4.0 that may particularly serve for managing the SCM-M interface from an information processing perspective.


The present study deals with investigation relating to the influence of wear parameters like sliding speed, applied load and sliding distance on the dry sliding wear of aluminium silicon titanium alloys. The design of experiment approach was employed to acquire data in controlled way using Taguchi method. A pin-on-disc apparatus was used to conduct the dry sliding wear test. An orthogonal array, signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance were employed to investigate the wear behavior of aluminium and it's alloys. The mathematical model was obtained to determine the wear rate of the aluminium and it's alloys. Addition of titanium in aluminium silicon alloys modifies microstructure as well improves the tribological characteristics.


Zoonotic coronavirus (CoV) infections, like those responsible for the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, cause grave international public health concern. In infected cells, the CoV RNA-synthesizing machinery associates with modified endoplasmic reticulum membranes that are transformed into the viral replication organelle (RO). While double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) appear to be a pan-coronavirus RO element, studies to date describe an assortment of additional coronavirus-induced membrane structures. Despite much speculation, it remains unclear which RO element(s) accommodate viral RNA synthesis. Here we provide detailed 2D and 3D analyses of CoV ROs and show that diverse CoVs essentially induce the same membrane modifications, including the small open double-membrane spherules (DMSs) previously thought to be restricted to gamma- and delta-CoV infections and proposed as sites of replication. Metabolic labelling of newly-synthesized viral RNA followed by quantitative EM autoradiography revealed abundant viral RNA synthesis associated with DMVs in cells infected with the beta-CoVs MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and the gamma-CoV infectious bronchitis virus. RNA synthesis could not be linked to DMSs or any other cellular or virus-induced structure. Our results provide a unifying model of the CoV RO and clearly establish DMVs as the central hub for viral RNA synthesis and a potential drug target in coronavirus infection.


In internal combustion engine research, cylinder pressure measurements provide valuable information about the underlying thermodynamic and combustion processes, and are typically collected in ensembles of several 100 traces. Although in some particular fields of combustion research all traces are analyzed, in most cases only one trace is studied because analyzing all the traces is impractical due to the large number of collected samples. Instead, an ensemble-averaged pressure trace is commonly calculated and used for analysis. However, this pressure trace is highly smoothed and dynamic information is lost during the averaging process. With the average trace, pressure rise rates are lower and pressure oscillations such as the ones resulting from combustion knock are lost. In this work, a statistical method was developed to determine the "most representative cycle," which is the cycle from the ensemble that has the pressure trace most representative of the engine operating condition. Eleven characteristic parameters are computed from each pressure trace and probabilistic distributions are obtained for each of the parameters using all the traces in the ensemble. Finally, the most representative cycle is selected by means of a cost function minimization. The benefits of this method are illustrated using experimental data from four very different engine platforms, under four different combustion modes and over a range of operating conditions.


The care of the critically ill patient in low-resource settings is challenging because of many factors, including limitations in the existing infrastructure, lack of disposables, and low numbers of trained healthcare workers. Although cost constraints in low-resource settings have traditionally caused critical care to be relegated to a low priority, ethical issues and the potential for mitigation of the lethal effects of often reversible acute conditions, such as sepsis and traumatic hemorrhage, argue for prudent deployment of critical care resources. Given these challenges, issues that require prioritization include timely and reliable delivery of evidence-based or generally accepted interventions to acutely ill patients before the development of organ failure, context-specific adaptation and evaluation of clinical evidence, and sustained investments in quality improvement and health systems strengthening. Specific examples include fluid resuscitation algorithms for patients with sepsis and reliable, low-cost, high-flow oxygen concentrators for patients with pneumonia. The lessons from new research on clinical management and sustainable education and quality improvement approaches will likely improve the care of critically ill patients worldwide.


This paper proposes variance component models for high resolution joint linkage disequilibrium (LD) and linkage mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) based on sibship data; this can include population data if independent individuals are treated as single sibships. One application of these models is late onset complex disease gene mapping, when parental data are not available. The models simultaneously incorporate both LD and linkage information. The LD information is contained in mean coefficients of sibship data. The linkage information is contained in the variance-covariance matrices of trait values for sibships with at least two siblings. We derive formulas for calculating the probability of sharing two trait alleles identical by descent (IBD) for sibpairs in interval mapping of QTL; this is the coefficient of dominant variance of the trait covariance of sibpairs on major QTL. To investigate the performance of the formulas, we calculate the numerical values via the formulas and get satisfactory approximations. We compare the power and sample sizes for both LD and linkage mapping. By simulation and theoretical analysis, we compare the results with those of Fulker and Abecasis 'AbAw' approach. It is well known that the resolution of linkage analysis can be low for complex disease gene mapping. LD mapping, on the other hand, can increase mapping precision and is useful in high resolution mapping. Linkage analysis is less sensitive to population subdivisions and admixtures. The level of LD is sensitive to population stratification which may easily lead to spurious association. Performing a joint analysis of LD and linkage mapping can help to overcome the limits of both approaches. Moreover, the advantages of the two complementary strategies can be utilized maximally. In practice, linkage analysis may be performed using pedigree data to identify suggestive linkage between markers and trait loci based on a sparse marker map. In the presence of linkage, joint LD and linkage mapping can be carried out to do fine gene mapping based on a dense genetic map using both pedigree and population data. Population and pedigree data of any type can be combined to perform a joint analysis of high resolution LD and linkage mapping of QTL by generalizing the method.


Since the publication of Testimony (1979), a book that portrayed the thoroughly politicized Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich (1906–1975) as a closet dissident, interpretations of his political status have become intertwined with interpretations of his music. Shostakovich has been labeled a "high-art" symphonist, a "light" music composer, a dissident, and a Communist. His eclecticism and the changing political environment in which he lived are in part responsible for these controversial interpretations of his music and character. Recent scholars have challenged the assumed historical narrative that perpetuates these politicized interpretations: the narrative that describes modernist and experimental composers of the 1920s as tragically having been converted to conservative and propagandistic socialist realist trend of the 1930s. My work seeks to continue the recent reevaluation of the modernist/socialist realist narrative, focusing on Shostakovich's early film music. By analyzing of his early film scores and discussing their reception, I reveal the aesthetic and political motivations for his negotiation of modernism and socialist realism. In so doing, I redefine Shostakovich as a more nuanced and heterogeneous composer of both film and art music. My dissertation examines the process of Shostakovich's renegotiation of his musical identity in his first four film scores as he made the so-called transition from the modernist silent cinema of the 1920s to the socialist realist sound cinema of the 1930s. The analyses of


Background Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is an often curative intent treatment, however it is associated with significant gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity and treatment related mortality. Graft-versus-host disease is a significant contributor to transplant-related mortality. We performed a phase 2 trial of the somatostatin analog pasireotide to prevent gastrointestinal toxicity and GVHD after myeloablative allogeneic HCT. Methods Patients received 0.9mg pasireotide every 12 hours from the day prior to conditioning through day +4 after HCT (or a maximum of 14 days). The primary outcomes were grade 3–4 gastrointestinal toxicity through day 30 and acute GVHD. Secondary outcomes were chronic GVHD, overall survival and relapse free survival at one year. Stool and blood samples were collected from before and after HCT for analyses of stool microbiome, local inflammatory markers, and systemic inflammatory and metabolic markers. Results were compared with matched controls. Results Twenty-six patients received pasireotide and were compared to 52 matched contemporaneous controls using a 1–2 match. Grade 3–4 GI toxicity occurred in 21 (81%) patients who received pasireotide and 35 (67%) controls (p = 0.33). Acute GVHD occurred in 15 (58%) patients in the pasireotide group and 28 (54%) controls (p = 0.94). Chronic GVHD occurred in 16 patients in the pasireotide group (64%) versus 22 patients in the control group (42%) (p = 0.12). Overall survival at 1 year in the pasireotide group was 63% (95% CI: 47%,86%) versus 82% (95% CI: 72%, 93%) in controls (log-rank p = 0.006). Relapse-free survival rate at one year was 40% (95% CI: 25%, 65%) in the pasireotide group versus 78% (95% CI: 68%, 91%) in controls (log-rank p = 0.002). After controlling for the effect of relevant covariates, patients in the pasireotide group had attenuated post-HCT loss of microbial diversity. Analysis of systemic inflammatory markers and metabolomics demonstrated feasibility of such analyses in patients undergoing allogeneic HCT. Baseline level and pre-to-post transplant changes in several inflammatory markers (including MIP1a, MIP1b, TNFa, IL8Pro, and IL6) correlated with likelihood of survival. Conclusions Pasireotide did not prevent gastrointestinal toxicity or acute GVHD compared to contemporaneous controls. Pasireotide was associated with numerically higher chronic GVHD and significantly decreased OS and RFS compared to contemporaneous controls. Pasireotide may provide a locally protective effect in the stool microbiome and in local inflammation as measured by stool calprotectin, stool beta-defensin, and stool diversity index.


H T ead Start is a preschool program for disadvantaged children which aims to improve their skills so that they can begin schooling on an equal footing with their more advantaged peers. Begun in 1965 as part of PresidentJohnson's "War on Poverty," Head Start now serves over 800,000 children in predominantly part-day programs, almost 50 percent of eligible three and four year-old poor children (Children's Defense Fund, 2000). Over time, federal funding has increased from $96 million in 1965 to $4.7 billion in 1999. There have been dozens of studies of Head Start and closely related preschool and early school enrichment programs. Some studies involve small-scale model programs, others evaluate large-scale public programs which are generally of somewhat lower quality than the model programs. This paper discusses what is known about these early childhood education programs: what they try to do; the extent to which they work; what can be said about their optimal timing, targeting, and content; and the circumstances in which the benefits of providing these programs-ranging from gains to the children to the value of child care provided to the parents-are likely to outweigh the costs. This review of the evidence concludes that these programs have significant short- and medium-term benefits, and that the effects are often greater for more disadvantaged children. Some of the model programs have produced exciting results in terms of improving educational attainment and earnings and reducing welfare dependency and crime. The jury is still out on Head Start, but a simple cost-benefit analysis suggests that Head Start would pay for itself in terms of


Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are a large family of tumor-associated antigens expressed in human tumors of different histological origin, but not in normal tissues, with the exception of the testes and placenta. Numerous immunohistochemical studies have reported associations between CTA expression and a negative estrogen receptor (ER) status in breast tumors, and demonstrated that CTAs are frequently expressed in tumors with higher nuclear grade. The expression of CTAs has not been studied as extensively in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as it has been in invasive breast cancer. The present retrospective study included archived paraffin-embedded specimens from 83 patients diagnosed with DCIS in the period between January 2007 and December 2014. The follow-up time for local recurrence ranged between 1 and 8 years (mean, 5.02 years). Antigens from the melanoma-associated antigen gene (MAGE) family, namely multi-MAGE-A, MAGE-A1, MAGE-A10 and New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1 (NY-ESO-1) antigen, were evaluated by immunostaining and their subcellular location was investigated. Presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was evaluated on all sections, together with the histopathological variables of DCIS. Specific tested antigens exhibited associations with histopathological parameters for DCIS and all demonstrated statistically significant associations with nuclear staining, simultaneous cytoplasmic and nuclear staining, and local recurrence. Antigen MAGE-A10 demonstrated a significant association with higher expression of ER (P=0.005) and higher tumor nuclear grade (P=0.001), cytoplasmic staining (P=0.029) and antigen NY-ESO-1 with higher tumor size (P=0.001), expression of TILs (P=0.001) and R1 resection (P=0.001). A χ2 test revealed significant associations between simultaneous cytoplasmic and nuclear staining and local recurrence (P=0.005), central necrosis (P=0.016), and the expression of ER (P=0.003) and progesterone receptor (PR) (P=0.010). Additional analysis revealed an association between antigen MAGE-A10 and TILs (P=0.05). Additional analysis of TILs indicated that they were significantly associated with tumor grade (P=0.023), central necrosis (P<0.001), ER (P=0.003) and PR (P=0.029). Overall, CTAs from the MAGE family (MAGE-A1, multi-MAGE-A and MAGE-A10) and NY-ESO-1 associate with histopathological predictive variables of DCIS. The expression of antigens NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A10 could serve an important role in the treatment of patients with negative histopathological predictive variables, but further analysis is required. Simultaneous cytoplasmic and nuclear protein expression of MAGE-A family and NY-ESO-1 CTAs may represent an independent marker for local recurrence. Taken together, the present data suggest that CTAs are not perfect indicators of invasiveness for DCIS, but could inform treatment strategies for patients when taken in combination with other histopathological predictive variables. However, this was a small study and further larger studies will be necessary to confirm the current findings.


This article is an anthropology study on how western-style coffee culture influences Indonesian coffee culture and eventually develops a new localized coffee culture. Immense development of such worldwide coffee franchise as Starbucks affects local community's coffee culture, particularly the middle class. This new wave is considered as an alternative lifestyle for those who are consumptive and seeking for leisure, dynamics, and identity. Broader than just the process of domestication or creolization, Indonesian new coffee culture has an element of "soft countering to" western coffee culture even though it still embraces some parts of the western styles. This phenomenon is referred to by the writer as the cultural encapsulation process or the process of substantial cultural resistance by drawing a line between the two coffee cultures with the intention of taking merely compatible elements.


About one million women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Breast cancer makes up one-third of all cancer diagnoses in women. Diagnosing breast cancer early is vital for successful treatment. Among the breast cancer screening methods available today, mammography is the most effective, although the low precision rate of breast biopsy caused by mammogram interpretation results in approximately 70% unnecessary biopsies with benign outcomes. The aim of this study was to extract strong diagnostic fuzzy rules for the inference engine of an expert system to be used for the diagnosis of breast cancer. These rules have been extracted through the use of artificial intelligence technologies. For this, a neuro-fuzzy classification tool called NEFCLASS was used. The learning algorithm of this tool is heuristic and it has efficient performance diagnosis and classification tasks. The rule base to be used for diagnosis consists of 9 rules using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), mass shape, and mass margin attributes. The positive predictive value of this rule base is 75% and the negative predictive value is 93%. When the approximately 70% rate of unnecessary biopsy in the diagnosis process is taken into consideration, an expert system that has this strong rule base with a high predictive value can be used by doctors in deciding whether to conduct biopsies.


In this paper a numerical and analytical approach has been presented for the theoretical design and practical characterization of a wired cross cage dipole antenna. Using thin wire approximations a model for current distribution has been proposed that provides rapid solution convergence. Radiated far fields have been evolved using the current distribution which in result provides radiation intensity and gain. Based on the modeling, the antenna has been designed, using simulation tools, to determine the optimized values for wires in a cage, gain dependency over wires, cage diameter and end tilt angle (ETA) through number of experiments to achieve maximum gain and minimum deviation in the magnitude of impedance and phase of the cross cage dipole antenna. At the end of this paper practical results are presented through characterization of cross cage dipole antenna. A phasing line technique has been introduced to achieve a bandwidth of 17 MHz with a band center 51.5 MHz. The test results attained, i.e. 50 Omega characteristic impedance and nearly isotropic radiation pattern of the two models shows the certification of design results


Parameter identification based on model updating is one of the most important links in Structural Identification. The benefits of combining finite element (FE) analysis with on-site measurement through model updating are significant and growing as more reliable experimental, modeling and model correlation approaches become available. The authors have successfully applied Structural Identification to numerous bridges over the past decade. However, manual model updating of structural parameters has significantly limited the application of model updating on large infrastructures. The methodology proposed within aims to use the Application Programming Interface (API) function in the Strand7 FE software package to automatically update selected parameters using Matlab. The proposed methodology was applied to a three span, simply supported T-beam bridge. Both the elastic modulus for the global structure and the crack height of the primary girders were utilized as updateable parameters in two separate cases. The results show that the average crack height parameter reproduced the static measurements with a high degree of accuracy and is a reasonable parameter choice for this class of structure.


New challenges are constantly faced in the development of RF and microwave filters, which have not only sustained but fuelled microwave filter research over the many years. These developments have encouraged new solutions for the realization of compact, low loss, highly selective RF and microwave filters. This text presents a novel distributed dual-mode resonator configuration which allows the realisation of tunable, highly compact microwave bandpass filters. Many interesting and attractive characteristics of the resonator are explored in detail. Application of this resonator in bandpass filter design is discussed with examples illustrating the design process with theoretical and experimental results to showcase filter performance. All-pole, generalised Chebyshev and dual-bandpass filters are shown to be easily developed with the novel resonator while achieveing a highly miniature footprint and a wide stopband. Finally, by employing a novel non-linear distortion enhancement technique readily applicable to this resonator, the design of highly linear tunable filter is discussed.


The observation that the human genome can be mapped represented a major inflection point in biology. The decision to sequence the human genome was met with excitement and trepidation. The arguments for and against sequencing included whether the technology was sufficiently advanced, whether it would divert resources from elsewhere, and whether it could have unknown negative societal benefits. Some 2 decades later, the delivery of the first draft of the human genome was received as a crowning achievement of science. Now, high-throughput genomic technologies have potentiated mutation discovery across many disorders and have carried with them the promise that treatments for these ailments will eventually follow. Indeed, terminology such as "individualized medicine," "precision medicine," "personalized medicine," and other similar terms abound, and these imply that by reading the genome; integrating worldwide data sets with clinical observation; and real-time biometric readings, diagnosis will be expedited and treatments will be tailored to the needs of each individual genome.

Reflecting on the genome journey, there is no question that giant advances in diagnostics and therapy have been made. We celebrated gene therapy trials such as Ashanti DeSilva's to treat adenosine deaminase deficiency in 1990 (1) and some forms of retinal degeneration (2). We cheered when enzyme replacement therapy and allogeneic stem cell transplants showed some effectiveness in catastrophic inborn errors of metabolism (3) such as Pompe disease, and, as RNA therapeutics emerged, we marveled at the early successes of antisense oligonucleotides delivered intrathecally to treat spinal muscular atrophy (4), to name but a few exemplars.

Unfortunately, these successes represent a handful of "solutions" in the backdrop of 10000+ rare and ultrarare genetic diseases (https://rarediseases.org/). Under current paradigms it is difficult to see a path to more …


Liquid crystals (LC) are increasingly finding uses in fields outside of display optics. Their strong electro-optic response can be used in applications such as tunable photonic devices, for example, to make tunable planar Bragg gratings. While Bragg gratings are well known as fixed wavelength reflectors, the application of a liquid crystal can convert these fixed reflectors into tunable filter elements, with potential applications in telecommunications networks [1]. We have previously demonstrated such devices, and have shown the capability to tune the Bragg peak through adjacent DWDM channels [2]. These devices contained channel waveguides and gratings defined by laser writing techniques. The Bragg peak is tuned by applying an electric field across the device, which causes a change in the LC refractive index, which modifies the modal index of an exposed Bragg grating. The tuning curves for these devices exhibit hysteresis depending on whether the field amplitude is being increased or decreased. In this work we report investigation of the liquid crystal behaviour by direct observation of polarization state and physical changes in the LC. We will also highlight new interaction geometries and show that careful control of modal interactions can be used to optimize the available tuning performance.


Two lambda gt11 clones of the toxin gene of Clostridium botulinum type B were identified by the monoclonal antibody specific to the heavy chain of type B toxin. Neither of the expressed fusion proteins from the lysates of lysogenic E. coli Y1089 showed any botulinal toxic activity. One of the clones hybridized to the oligonucleotide probe which was synthesized according to the amino acid sequence of N-terminus of heavy chain. The sequence analysis revealed that highly homologous regions in N-terminus of heavy chain exist among botulinum neurotoxins (type A, B) and tetanus toxin on the amino acid sequence level.


The endothelium is the production site of several potent vasoactive factors that contribute to the modulation of the vascular tone. Because hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) have been demonstrated to cause vasoconstriction and thereby increase arterial pressure by interacting with endothelium-derived factors such as nitric oxide and endothelin-1, we hypothesized that hemoglobin could penetrate into the endothelial cells. Therefore, we investigated the presence of hemoglobin into guinea pig aortic endothelial cells by immunohistochemical staining after exchange transfusion with a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier. Despite the large molecular size of HBOC due to chemical modifications designed to prevent hemoglobin subunit dissociation and extravascular leakage, hemoglobin was detectable by immunohistochemical staining into the endothelial cells. These findings suggest that the vascular endothelial cells could uptake hemoglobin by endocytosis mechanisms or could help hemoglobin to cross the endothelial barrier toward media by transcytosis mechanisms. These findings are very important to lead future investigations to the mechanisms by which HBOC cause vasoconstriction.


: A multicarrier demodulator (MCD) suitable for advanced digital satellite communications is presented. This system permits the direct interfacing of FDMA and TDM communication links by using digital signal processing techniques. Two main functions are implemented by an MCD : demultiplexing and demodulation. We focus here only on a digital implementation of an MCD with a view to achieving flexibility, better performance and suitability for VLSI. The demultiplexer is implemented according to a per-channel structure based on an analytic signal method that allows a highly modular and flexible implementation to be achieved. This approach permits a certain degree of integration of the demultiplexer and demodulator functions. In the proposed MCD scheme the receiver pulse- shaping filter can be integrated in the demultiplexer structure, thus lowering the overall implementation complexity. Coherent demodulation is used to reduce the signal-to-noise ratio required to achieve a specified bit error rate and is carried out using the maximum likelihood (ML) estimation method. A maximum U posteriori probability (MAP) method is used to jointly estimate the carrier phase and bit timing of the received signal. The digital architecture of the proposed MCD can be adapted to different digital modulation techniques. However, we focus here on the application for QPSK signals, since this modulation scheme is of interest in digital satellite com- munications. A theoretical analysis and computer simulations are performed in order to evaluate the performance degradation of the proposed MCD, including the finite arithmetic implementation.


Author(s): Blaesi, Sabine | Advisor(s): Bridgeman, Bruce | Abstract: The perception and understanding of human behavior is fundamental for social interaction. Mostly grounded in the theory of embodied cognition, the study of intentional action has focused on different aspects such as action planning and execution, action identity, and action prediction. Based on principles of dynamical systems theory (DST), the goal of this study is to test the method of using eye tracking to expand our knowledge of the temporal dynamics of human intention perception by investigating the time-locked sequence of eye movements during social interaction to investigate the online decision making process during an action observation task. Stimuli consist of 5 sec videos portraying reach and grasp actions, which are either intentional (pour coffee) or unintentional (coffee spills), cooperative action (serve other) or non-cooperative (serve self). In condition 1 participants are asked to determine whether an action presented is intentional, condition 2 whether the action is cooperative while collecting eye tracking data. This study hypothesized that participants' eye movements will be sensitive to the task demands, predicting that (H1) participants in the intentional group will be more likely to attend to the object interactions as compared to the cooperative condition and (H2) participants in the cooperative group will be more likely to attend to social cues between the agents as compared to the intentional condition. The results show that the intentional group was more likely to focus on the object interactions in support of hypothesis 1. Furthermore, results also showed that the cooperative group focused more on social cues in support of hypothesis 2. Therefore, the results of this study strongly support the theory that cognitive processes such as decision-making during an intentional or cooperative action are emergent and the temporal dynamics can be made visible through eye tracking. In support of the dynamical systems theory, external influences such as task demand were shown to have an effect on the viewing pattern, duration of fixations, as well as attention to target details while observing a dynamic, natural and social interaction.


Epigenetic regulations on the maintenance of neural stem cells (NSCs) are complicated and far from been fully understood. Our previous findings have shown that after blocking Notch signaling in NSCs in vivo, the stemness of NSCs decreases, accompanied by the downregulated expression of miR-582-5p. In the current study, we further investigated the function and mechanism of miR-582-5p in the maintenance of NSCs in vitro and in vivo. After transfecting a mimic of miR-582-5p, the formation of neurospheres and proliferation of NSCs and intermediate progenitor cells (NS/PCs) were enhanced, and the expression of stemness markers such as Sox2, Nestin, and Pax6 also increased. The results were reversed after transfection of an inhibitor of miR-582-5p. We further generated miR-582 knock-out (KO) mice to investigate its function in vivo, and we found that the number of NSCs in the subventricular zone (SVZ) region decreased and the number of neuroblasts increased in miR-582 deficient mice, indicating reduced stemness and enhanced neurogenesis of NSCs. Moreover, RNA-sequencing and molecular biological analysis revealed that miR-582-5p regulates the stemness and proliferation of NSCs by inhibiting secretory protein FAM19A1. In summary, our research uncovered a new epigenetic mechanism that regulates the maintenance of NSCs, therefore providing novel targets to amplify NSCs in vitro and to promote neurogenesis in vivo during brain pathology and aging.


Primula luteoflora, a new species of Primulaceae from Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated here. It is morphologically assigned to Primula sect. Petiolares subsect. Davidii, characterized by the leaves firmly papery or leathery, with adaxially impressed veins and reticulate veins distinctly raised abaxially. However, the new species is distinguished by its leaf size, number of lateral veins, glabrous scape, number of flowers and yellow flowers.


We illustrate the approach to the use of asteroseismology to sound stellar interiors. We also present the spectroscopic and photometric observations carried out to give the complete characterisation of the potential targets of the space mission COROT. The Italian contribution plays an important rôle in the preparation of the observational basis of this space mission.


The purpose is to test the applicability of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) to Chinese children with intellectual disabilities. The study was done by distributing the questionnaire to the parents through teachers online. Asked the parents to fill out the scale based on their observations of their children's daily life. The correlation coefficients between each item and the total score of the corresponding dimension ranged from 0.52 to 0.77. Factor analysis confirmed the establishment of the PA-NA two-factor structure of affect. A significant positive correlation existed between the NA and the challenging behavior. The Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability of the PA scale were 0.87 and 0.85, and the Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability of the NA scale were 0.85 and 0.83, respectively, higher than 0.80. It was concluded that PANAS has good applicability in Chinese children with intellectual disabilities.


Objective To investigate if walking is independently associated with low back pain (LBP) in the general population. Methods This cross-sectional study used public data from the Fourth and Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Subjects included 5,982 community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years. Presence of current LBP was defined as LBP for 1 month or more in the past 3 months. Walking was measured as total walking duration for the past week and subjects were divided into four quartiles. Independent effect of walking on LBP was determined using odds ratios (OR) adjusted for age, sex, osteoporosis, depression or anxiety, and radiographic lumbar spondylosis. Results Prevalence of LBP was 26.4% in this population. Older people and women had higher prevalence of current LBP. Prevalence of obesity and osteoporosis was higher in subjects with current LBP and quality of life was poorer in subjects with current LBP. Adjusted logistic regression model revealed that older age (OR, 1.655; p=0.018), female sex (OR, 2.578; p<0.001), radiographic lumbar spondylosis (OR, 2.728; p<0.001), depression or anxiety (OR, 5.409; p<0.001), and presence of osteoporosis (OR, 1.467; p=0.002) were positively associated with current LBP. Walking decreased prevalence of current LBP proportionally (2nd quartile OR, 0.795; 3rd quartile OR, 0.770; and 4th quartile OR, 0.686 compared with the 1st quartile of walking). Conclusion Walking was negatively associated with LBP. Further studies are needed to reveal causal relationship of this phenomenon.


PURPOSE
The unique decay properties of copper-64 (64 Cu) has made it a radionuclide of interest in theragnostic applications of nuclear medicine. This study aims to calculate the dose point kernels (DPKs) of 64 Cu in various media with PENELOPE Monte Carlo code.

METHODS
Monte Carlo simulations were performed using PENELOPE code (version 2014). To calculate DPKs, the simulation comprised an isotropic point radiation source positioned at the origin of a spherical object of radius 50 cm. The absorbed dose along the radial direction outwards from the point source were scored with a resolution of 20 μm. Validations were firstly performed by calculating the DPKs of monoenergetic electrons and photons in water and the results were compared against the literature values. The continuous energy spectra of the beta minus and positron emissions from 64 Cu were numerically modeled and used as inputs to the simulation. DPKs of 64 Cu were calculated in water, soft tissue, lung tissue, and cortical bone, including all emissions types.

RESULTS
The simulations have been successfully validated against literature values. The largest deviations have been observed with 10 keV monoenergetic electrons with the average and maximum dose difference of -1.01% and -10.56%. The modeled energy spectra closely compared with the average energies from Brookhaven Laboratory National Nuclear Data Centre and the combined spectral shapes from the RAdiation Dose Assessment Resource (RADAR). The DPKs of 64 Cu demonstrated different radial dose deposition in different media owing to the different physical density and effective atomic number.

CONCLUSIONS
The DPKs of 64 Cu have been calculated with Monte Carlo simulations in four different media. They will be useful to study the dosimetric properties of 64 Cu-labeled radiopharmaceuticals and perform therapeutic dose planning.


Background Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a potent causal risk factor for cardiovascular events and mortality. However, its relationship with subclinical atherosclerosis, as defined by arterial calcification, remains unclear. This study uses the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study) to evaluate the relationship between Lp(a) in middle age and measures of vascular and valvular calcification in older age. Methods and Results Lp(a) was measured at ARIC visit 4 (1996–1998), and coronary artery calcium (CAC), together with extracoronary calcification (including aortic valve calcium, aortic valve ring calcium, mitral valve calcification, and thoracic aortic calcification), was measured at visit 7 (2018–2019). Lp(a) was defined as elevated if >50 mg/dL and CAC/extracoronary calcification were defined as elevated if >100. Logistic and linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between Lp(a) and CAC/extracoronary calcification, with further stratification by race. The mean age of participants at visit 4 was 59.2 (SD 4.3) years, with 62.2% women. In multivariable adjusted analyses, elevated Lp(a) was associated with higher odds of elevated aortic valve calcium (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.82; 95% CI, 1.34–2.47), CAC (aOR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.08–1.81), aortic valve ring calcium (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.07–1.73), mitral valve calcification (aOR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.06–1.78), and thoracic aortic calcification (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.05–1.77). Similar results were obtained when Lp(a) and CAC/extracoronary calcification were examined on continuous logarithmic scales. There was no significant difference in the association between Lp(a) and each measure of calcification by race or sex. Conclusions Elevated Lp(a) at middle age is significantly associated with vascular and valvular calcification in older age, represented by elevated CAC, aortic valve calcium, aortic valve ring calcium, mitral valve calcification, thoracic aortic calcification. Our findings encourage assessing Lp(a) levels in individuals with increased cardiovascular disease risk, with subsequent comprehensive vascular and valvular assessment where elevated.


The future of cities undoubtedly spells change on many levels due to urban growth. One of the mechanisms used in cities to cope with change is urban regeneration. Urban regeneration has mainly been addressed through economic and planning policies geared towards physical renewal, with hardly any understanding or acknowledgment of the social dynamics underlying the physical process. Social dynamics are important to consider in urban regeneration, as they form the underlying driving forces of cities. However, little is known about these underlying forces. The aim of this research is to explore the role of social systems in the Central Business District of Potchefstroom. An ethnographical approach is used to guide the methodology, while qualitative methods (observations and interviews) are used to capture data about the social systems that are present in the study area, how these social systems interact with one another, and how they can be included in urban regeneration initiatives. The findings suggest the existence of three interactive social systems that reflect pro-social behaviour and cultural relativism which, in turn, create vitality in the study area. Social systems play a multi-levelled role in the study area. Their role can possibly inform urban regeneration by being proactive in terms of attracting new and maintaining existing social relationships; being creative in terms of adapting and changing the physical environment to address needs, and being supportive in order to unlock internal resources such as local knowledge, creativity, commitment, energy and ownership. Keywords : complexity, Potchefstroom Central Business District, social systems, urban planning, urban regeneration, qualitative research


Accumulated evidence demonstrates the existence of bone marrow-derived cells origin in the endometria of women undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). In these reports, cells of a bone marrow (BM) origin are able to differentiate into endometrial cells, although their contribution to endometrial regeneration is not yet clear. We have previously demonstrated the functional relevance of side population (SP) cells as the endogenous source of somatic stem cells (SSC) in the human endometrium. The present work aims to understand the presence and contribution of bone marrow-derived cells to the endometrium and the endometrial SP population of women who received BMT from male donors. Five female recipients with spontaneous or induced menstruations were selected and their endometrium was examined for the contribution of XY donor-derived cells using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), telomapping and SP method investigation. We confirm the presence of XY donor-derived cells in the recipient endometrium ranging from 1.7% to 2.62%. We also identify 0.45–0.85% of the donor-derived cells in the epithelial compartment displaying CD9 marker, and 1.0–1.83% of the Vimentin-positive XY donor-derived cells in the stromal compartment. Although the percentage of endometrial SP cells decreased, possibly being due to chemotherapy applied to these patients, they were not formed by XY donor-derived cells, donor BM cells were not associated with the stem cell (SC) niches assessed by telomapping technique, and engraftment percentages were very low with no correlation between time from transplant and engraftment efficiency, suggesting random terminal differentiation. In conclusion, XY donor-derived cells of a BM origin may be considered a limited exogenous source of transdifferentiated endometrial cells rather than a cyclic source of BM donor-derived stem cells.


Emerging evidence shows that amino acids can modulate lipid metabolism. Aromatic amino acids (AAAs) serve as important precursors of several neurotransmitters and metabolic regulators that play a vital role in regulating nutrient metabolism. But whether AAAs have a lipid-lowering function remains unknown. Here mice were fed amino acid-defined diets containing AAAs at 1.82% and 3.64% for 3 weeks. We demonstrated that double AAA intake significantly decreased the serum and hepatic triglycerides and serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but increased the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as insulin tolerance. Combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis showed that the hepatic acidic pathway of bile acid synthesis was responsible for the improvement in lipid metabolism by AAA treatment. This study suggests that AAAs have the potential to ameliorate steatosis and provides a new alternative to improve lipid metabolism.


In this study, new dduk-galbi was developed by adding ripened Korean cabbage kimchi made with solar salt. Dduck-galbi was selected by pre-estimation for main dish to add the ripened Korean cabbage kimchi. To solve the bad smell of ripened Korean cabbage kimchi and enhance the function of the food, herb was added. The preference of the herb to kimchi was determined by sensory evaluation. The preference was in the order of rosemary > lemon balm > thyme. Sensory evaluation was adopted to determine optimal contents of ripened Korean cabage kimchi. The result showed that 10 % was best for beef dduck-galbi and 20 % for pork dduck-galbi.


This study examines the relationship between information disclosures and firm value under different levels of product market competition. Using a unique information rating scheme that draws from 114 measures over five dimensions of information disclosure from 2005 to 2013, we find that firms with higher levels of information disclosure (better information transparency) are related to higher industry-adjusted Tobin's Q. We also find that the levels of information disclosure and product market competition interact in affecting firm value. This relationship is robust after controlling for a number of firm-specific factors and agency-based measures. Our paper brings two streams of research that aim to explain the variation in firms' value together, and suggests that information disclosure and product market competition complement each other in enhancing a firm's value.


We are developing hot-electron superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES) capable of counting THz photons and operating at . We fabricated superconducting Ti nanosensors with Nb contacts with a volume of on planar Si substrates and have measured the thermal conductance in the material, G=4times10-3 W/K at 0.3 K, caused predominantly by the weak electron-phonon coupling. The corresponding phonon-noise NEP=3times10-19 W/Hz1/2 . Detection of single optical photons (1550 nm and 670 nm wavelength) has been demonstrated for larger devices and yielded the thermal time constants of 30 mus at 145 mK and of 25 mus at 190 mK. This hot-electron direct detector (HEDD) is expected to have a small enough energy fluctuation noise for detecting individual photons with v>THz where NEP~3times10-20 W/Hz1/2 is needed for spectroscopy in space.


Computer mediated communications technologies are being recommended increasingly within the university environment as a means to enhance flexible delivery and student learning. This paper presents my trial use of the bulletin board within WebCT as a tutorial environment in which to discuss prescribed readings. I investigate whether a computer based tutorial setting can be used as a tool for learning, in addition to being a tool for delivery of information. Specifically, I examine whether online tutorials can be used to encourage students to undertake the readings, distinguish the evidence and arguments of these, and relate the ideas to everyday experience through a discussion with their peers, in an online environment.


North Atlantic right whales (NARW) are critically endangered and have been declining in abundance since 2011. In the past decade, human-caused mortalities from vessel strikes and entanglements have been increasing, while birth rates in the population are at a 40 yr low. In addition to declining abundance, recent studies have shown that NARW length-at-age is decreasing due to the energetic impacts of sub-lethal entanglements, and that the body condition of the population is poorer than closely related southern right whales. We examined whether shorter body lengths are associated with reduced fecundity in female NARW. We compared age-corrected, modeled metrics of body length with 3 metrics of fecundity: age at first reproduction, average inter-birth interval, and the number of calves produced per potential reproductive year. We found that body length is significantly related to birth interval and calves produced per reproductive year, but not age at first reproduction. Larger whales had shorter inter-birth intervals and produced more calves per potential reproductive year. Larger whales also had higher lifetime calf production, but this was a result of larger whales having longer potential reproductive spans, as body lengths have generally been declining over the past 40 yr. Declining body sizes are a potential contributor to low birth rates over the past decade. Efforts to reduce entanglements and vessel strikes could help maintain population viability by increasing fecundity and improving resiliency of the population to other anthropogenic and climate impacts.


This work discusses how to connect business decision support systems, implemented in terms of the BPMN and DMN standards, with materials modelling workflows. The suggested approach facilitates interoperability of materials modelling software tools covering the main phenomena involved in advanced corrosion protection and active protective coatings' behaviour. The proposed system integrates materials modelling methodologies with decision support in business processes using a knowledge-based architecture. Thus, this contribution showcases the missing link between business processes, materials science, and computational engineering workflows for industrially relevant use cases; here, specifically, corrosion and protective-coating modelling. At the implementation level, we report on novel features of the process modelling suite ProMo for ontology and process-topology based materials modelling workflow construction and documentation. ProMo is extended to address challenges specific to the H2020 project VIPCOAT which works toward establishing an open innovation platform for active protective coatings and accelerated corrosion tests, including assessments of their in-service durability. Connections between quantitatively reliable materials modelling tools, their integration into simulation workflows, and ontology-based knowledge representation are considered, addressing the use case from VIPCOAT.


The increasing interest in compressed air as an interrupting and operating medium for circuit breakers in central-station and industrial service, together with its gratifying record in service periods extending up to five years, warrants investigation of its application to a-c railway service. Previous developments leading up to present standards of requirement for this service are reviewed, and a description is given of a compressed-air breaker designed for high-speed interruption of short circuits on contact line feeders in single-phase 25-cycle railway service at 12,000 volts to ground. Application of the principle to other railway service is discussed.


La Montanara was once labelled as a small producer with super cheese. This reputation is exactly what Eckard Leicher, owner and cheesemaker of this award winning establishment and preferred provider to Woolworths, always dreamt of. After two decades of difficult decisions and hard work the farm, Sarah's River, milks around 120 Jerseys, is equipped with the best technology for making exclusive cheese, and has three tankers to collect milk from the factory's eighteen dedicated suppliers.


Summary HeLa cells and human lymphocytes were grown in complete media or conditioned in folate deficient media and were used to study the physiology of folic acid binding proteins (FABP). The uptake of tritiated folic acid (3HPGA) and N-5-methyl tetrahydrofolic acid (3H methyl-THFA) by folate replete HeLa cells increased for 3 hr, was temperature dependent, was greater for 3H methyl-THFA than 3HPGA and was not influenced by preincubation with Dilantin or ethanol. HeLa cells conditioned in folate deficient media after 1 week exhibited deranged DNA synthesis (abnormal deoxyuridine suppression of 3H thymidine into DNA and a decreased growth curve) which was progressive with degree of folate deficiency. The uptake of 3HPGA and 3H methyl-THFA was greater (five and three times, respectively) in the folate deficient HeLa cells than in the folate replete HeLa cells. 3HPGA or 3H methyl-THFA bound to the FABP of folate deficient sera, some uremic sera, human or cow's milk was less available for the uptake by the HeLa cells. The percent uptake of 3HPGA by HeLa cells was inversely related to the amount of FABP in several sera tested. FABP added to the culture medium following a 1 hr pulse of 3HPGA did not decrease the cellular uptake of 3HPGA. Evidence was found for an energy dependent, active mechanism for efflux of 3HPGA from the HeLa cell.


The applied variants for determination of distribution of tensions in prestressed elements are presented. The author's method for determination of area of distribution of tensions in the stringed concrete squared beams of switches is suggested.


The effect of magnesium ions on fertility, injury by mutagenic agents of different action mechanism alkylating ethyl-methane sulphonate EMS and ionizing X-ray and on sex ratio was studied with Drosophila melanogaster M. Magnesium was found to increase the fertility and the male to female ratio. EMS decreased the fertility and the male to female ratio, during EMS treatment the magnesium ions did not change the sex ratio but prevented the EMS from decreasing fertility. In X-ray treatment the magnesium ions did not influence the sex ratio but greatly hindered the X-rays from decreasing the fertility.


The high degree of resource sharing in flexible manufacturing systems can lead to deadlock situations. We model the concurrent execution of working processes through colored Petri nets and we implement some effective deadlock avoidance policies in the same framework. Control places impose restrictions on the transition firing on the basis of the current marking and a look-ahead procedure of only one step.


In a 2003 revision to the civics curriculum in Ethiopia, middle and high school students are introduced to a radical reordering of Ethiopian history and social life. In the second chapter entitled "The Rule of Law," students are told that "before 1974, the political system in Ethiopia was set up on the basis of the divine right of kings. Monarchs claimed to be elects of God. Such belief helped the monarchs establish absolute power over their subjects by monopolizing legislative, executive and judiciary powers." In the next chapter, students are taught that, because of the change of government in the early 1990s and the subsequent revision of the constitution,
 the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) became the first charter of equality in Ethiopian history…. The major purpose of the FDRE government is to secure the peaceful co-existence of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples who consented to live together on the basis of equality and other principles of democracy. These principles and values … are designed to protect not only individual members but also the rights of all Nations, Nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia as a whole.


The potential to adapt to novel environmental conditions is a key area of interest for evolutionary biology. However, the role of multiple selection pressures on adaptive responses has rarely been investigated in natural populations. In Sweden, the natterjack toad Bufo calamita inhabits two separate distribution areas, one in southernmost Sweden and one on the west coast. We characterized the larval habitat in terms of pond size and salinity in the two areas, and found that the western populations are more affected by both desiccation risk and pond salinity than the southern populations. In a common garden experiment manipulating salinity and temperature, we found that toads from the west coast populations were locally adapted to shorter pond duration as indicated by their higher development and growth rates. However, despite being subjected to higher salinity stress in nature, west coast toads had a poorer performance in saline treatments. We found that survival in the saline treatments in the west coast populations was positively affected by larger body mass and longer larval period. Furthermore, we found negative genetic correlations between body mass and growth rate and their plastic responses to salinity. These results implicate that the occurrence of multiple environmental stressors needs to be accounted for when assessing the adaptive potential of organisms and suggest that genetic correlations may play a role in constraining adaptation of natural populations.


Cerebral angiography is an imaging technique used to detect alterations in the blood supply of the brain. A positive contrast is injected and the image obtained by conventional radiography, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance (MRI). The present research describes the technique with the use of conventional radiography due to the rare availability of tomography or MRI equipment in veterinary practice. The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of the method in demonstrating the angiographic pattern of normal animals, to serve as a complementary exam to simple x-ray and improve the capability of detecting altered intracranial blood flow. It is concluded that the technique is capable of producing clear images of cerebral vessels and its ramifications.


Muzzle voltage is an essential diagnostic tool used in both contact resistance modeling and transition determination. However, it is challenging to stem the necessary meanings from the collected measurements. However, these measurements should be decomposed to deliver meaningful data. Thus, in this study the muzzle voltage is decomposed into three subsections, each of them calculated with proper models. The modeling strategies are discussed to understand the transition mechanism better. Some parameters which affect muzzle voltage is calculated with the 3-D Finite Element Method (FEM), i.e., rail mutual inductance. A few experiments are shared with investigating different scenarios. The constructed model shows promising results in the first two regions, but the transition starting point is still unclear. However, the study offers some physical understandings of muzzle voltage, a clear literature review, and explanations for the conflicts with previous studies.


We aimed to characterize the role of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) in apoptosis induction by antitumour quinones RH1 (2,5-diaziridinyl-3-hydroxymethyl-6-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone) and MeDZQ (2,5-dimethyl-3,6-diaziridinyl-1,4-benzoquinone). Digitonin-permeabilized FLK cells catalyzed NADPH-dependent single- and two-electron reduction of RH1 and MeDZQ. At equitoxic concentrations, RH1 and MeDZQ induced apoptosis more efficiently than the nonalkylating duroquinone or H(2)O(2). The antioxidant N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylene diamine, desferrioxamine, and the inhibitor of NQO1 dicumarol, protected against apoptosis induction by all compounds investigated, but to a different extent. The results of multiparameter regression analysis indicate that RH1 and MeDZQ most likely induce apoptosis via NQO1-linked formation of alkylating species but not via NQO1-linked redox cycling.


This article focuses on the role of water control in the emergence and demise of Classic Maya political power (c. C.E. 250-950), one that scholars have long underestimated. The scale of water control correlates with the degree of political power, reflected in three levels of Maya civic-ceremonial centers—regional, secondary, and minor. Such power derives from a complex relationship among center location, seasonal water supply, amount of agricultural land, and settlement density. Maya kings monopolized artificial reservoirs and other water sources during annual drought, providing the means to exact tribute from subjects. Climate change undermined the institution of rulership when existing ceremonies and technology failed to provide sufficient water. The collapse of rulers' power at regional centers in the Terminal Classic (c. C.E. 850-950) had differing impacts on smaller centers. Secondary and minor centers not heavily dependent on water control survived the drought and the collapse of regional centers. [


The history of our natural woodland has received the attention of several authors, of whom Forbes, Henry, Falkiner and Hore are most notable. These have dealt with the extent and location of the ancient woodland area and with the historical references to clearances and utilisation for charcoal-making, stave-making, ship building, etc. So far no general description of their composition, ecology and sylviculture as gleaned from their scattered remnants' has been published. Praeger has touched on the floristic as opposed to the ecological aspect. The intensive study of the Killarney woods by Turner and Watt is by far the most important contribution, but is a gem that needs to be fitted into the setting of a more comprehensive but less detailed survey...


Qualitative assessment of elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum. cv. Napier) and mombacagrass (Panicum maximum, cv. Mombaca) pastures under rotational stocking was performed using the esophageal extrusa technique. Samples of esophageal extrusa were taken at the third, second and first days of the grazing period. The following analyses were determined: DM, CP, EE, OM, lignin (LIG), NDF, ADF, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), lag time and degradation rate of carbohydrates, and fractions of the carbohydrates and nitrogenous compounds. The average composition of extrusa samples as a function of the days under grazing were compared through orthogonal contrasts, with subsequent adjustment of regression equations. For IVDMD and LIG, differences were observed just for the mombacagrass. For this species, an increase of 2.57 percentual points in the indigestible fraction (fraction C) and a reduction of 3.23 percentual points in the potential degradable fraction (B2) of carbohydrates were observed. For the kinetics of degradation, it was found difference just for the mombacagrass, showing linear reduction in the rate of degradation of the fibrous carbohydrates. Both the acid detergent insoluble protein fraction and the protein degradable fraction of elephantgrass and mombacagrass showed linear decrease with increasing grazing period.


For the abrasion phenomenon of the turbine flowing-passage components was very serious, the electrical discharge machining (EDM) surface strengthening process of stainless steel 1Cr13 by different electrodes were carried out in this paper, the formation laws and influencing factors of the EDM surface strengthening layer are researched deeply. The correspondence relation between strengthening layer thickness and enhancing time, electrode materials, and electrical parameters are obtained by the detailed theoretical analysis and experimental investigation. The results show that, in the premise of the strengthening layer thickness, workpiece quality and machining efficiency, the strengthening process can be improved by reasonable selecting and controlling the process parameters such as discharge voltage, capacitance, pulse frequency, peak current, pulse width and enhancing time.


Background: Raised inter-arm difference (IAD) in blood pressure (BP) has been found to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. Relation of raised IAD in BP with family history (FH) of hypertension, mean arterial BP (MABP), and anthropometric parameters are not well addressed in most of the previous studies.

Aims and Objectives: Primary objective was to find the association of raised IAD in BP with FH of hypertension, stroke, coronary artery disease, and peripheral vascular disease. The secondary objective was to find a correlation of raised IAD in BP with anthropometric parameters and MABP.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 284 medical students. BP was measured twice in each arm, using an automatic device (OMRON-Model-HEM-7130) that was calibrated according to the manufacturer's recommendations, and the values were averaged. IAD in BP is defined as the difference between average BP in the right arm and average BP in the left arm. FH of hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral vascular disease, and stroke were obtained using questionnaire. Height and weight were measured using standard equipment.

Results: Raised IAD in BP shows a statistically significant association with FH of hypertension (P = 0.002). Systolic IAD and diastolic IAD (DIAD) in BP in both males and females show positive correlations with right arm MABP. The results were also statistically significant (P < 0.05). DIAD in BP shows a statistically significant negative correlation with height in females (P = 0.002).

Conclusion: The presence of raised IAD in BP in patients with FH of hypertension warrants follow-up of these patients for disease development in future.


Many experiments have proved the effectiveness of lower hybrid waves for driving toroidal current in tokamaks. However, the use of these waves to provide all the current in a reactor is thought to be uncertain because it may happen that the waves do not penetrate into the centre of the more energetic reactor plasma and, if they do, the wave power may be absorbed by alpha particles rather than by electrons. The authors address mathematically the interaction between lower hybrid waves and alpha particles


Abstract : Despite the importance of both suicide and violence prevention in the military, little is known about how these behaviors relate to one another. The current research sought to elucidate the relationship between early warning signs for suicide and violence in a military population. This study included a review of 200 military law enforcement records maintained by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and identification of early warning signs that may be observable to military law enforcement personnel. Statistical analyses tested for differences in warning signs between cases of suicide, violence, or both suicide and violence. The suicide-only and suicide/violence groups were more likely than the violence-only group to show early warning signs for: (1) psychological issues of depression, anxiety, hopelessness, a mental health diagnosis, and participation in treatment, (2) physical changes and impulsive behaviors, particularly substance abuse, (3) social warning signs, specifically social withdrawal, and (4) occupational issues, including diminished performance and interest at work. By contrast, the suicide/violence group was more likely than the other groups to show early warning signs of anger and aggression. Our findings suggest that Service members at risk for both suicide and violence are similar to those exclusively at risk for suicide, and they each differ from those solely at risk for violence. Our findings also suggest that the emotional trajectory that those who are both suicidal and violent follow is more aggressive, hostile, and angry than those who are either strictly suicidal or violent. The findings from this effort may enhance the ability of law enforcement and command personnel to prevent further acts of suicide and violence among military personnel. Recommendations for policy and future research are discussed.


The interrelationships between changes in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and intracellular pH in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and kidney glomerular epithelial cells exposed to various stimuli were analyzed simultaneously using a new design of a fluorescence video microscope. Cells were double labeled with indo 1 and SNARF 1 dyes and were excited simultaneously at 350 and 540 nm. Images at four emission wavelengths were captured simultaneously at 405, 475, 575, and 640 nm at 30 frames/s for the two ratio dyes. SNARF sensitivity to pH between 6.5 and 8.0 was unchanged by [Ca2+]i. The SNARF ratio maps were used to correct the pH-dependent changes in the calculation of local cell calcium. NH4Cl loading produced the expected alkalinization and a concurrent rise in [Ca2+]i. When the NH4Cl was removed and the cells became acidic, a second rise in [Ca2+]i was recorded. Both changes in [Ca2+]i were from intracellular stores since they persisted in the absence of extracellular calcium. The findings demonstrate the need for pH correction of indo 1 recordings.


Gingival metastases are very rare. We report the case of a 47 year-old man presenting with a gingival metastasis from a non small cell lung carcinoma. According to the literature, the most probable way of spread of such metastasis is haematogenous. Local implantation of cancer cells, present in patient's expectorations, in a fragile gingiva may be an other pathway of lung cancer metastasizing in this region as we will try to describe in this case report. Cytological and/or histological investigation is needed to assess the malignant and the metastatic character of these gingival lesions. A rapid regression is observed after a flash of external beam radiation; nevertheless metastasis prognosis depends on the primary tumour progress.


Self-assessments are often prone to error. Past research has identified cognitive and motivational biases that lead self-assessments astray. In the present paper, we discuss how behavior shaped by social norms leaves the negative information that people require for accurate self-assessments invisible. First, social norms lead people to suppress critical feedback in favor of more positive evaluations. Although people recognize that they prefer to provide positive feedback to others, they fail to consider that they might be the recipient of incomplete feedback. As a result, they are left with overconfident self-impressions. Second, social norms lead people to hide their own negative emotional experiences from others. Again, people are aware that this positivity norm influences their own behavior but do not apply this knowledge to their understanding of others. As a result, people regard their own negative emotions as more socially aberrant than is actually the case.


Standard notions of Riemannian geometry are applied to the case of piecewise-flat manifolds. Particular care is taken to explain how one may define some particular vectors and tensors in an invariant way at points of a conical singularity. The geometry surrounding the equations of motion and the energy-momentum of the piecewise-flat manifold is developed in detail. The resolution theorem is presented, which states that on certain resolution hypersurfaces there is a clear connection between the energy-momentum of the piecewise-flat manifold and the Regge equations of motion. This theorem both generalises and explains a previous result of the author.


The authors have developed a highly efficient, high-power microwave tube called SUPER-RELTRON. They have achieved operation at >400 MW with approximately 50% efficiency at 1 GHz and >300 MW with 50% efficiency at 3 GHz. The RF pulse durations are typically a few hundred nanoseconds. These lightweight, compact tubes do not require an external magnetic field. The RF output coupling is straightforward and power is delivered directly via the fundamental TE/sub 10/ wave in a rectangular waveguide without a mode converter. The key features of the tube include (1) generation of a well-modulated electron beam by periodic virtual cathode formation: (2) postacceleration of the modulated beam to reduce the relative electron energy spread; and (3) a multicavity output section that efficiently extracts power without RF breakdown. The authors discuss various aspects of the device and briefly summarize experimental results.<<ETX>>