Nowadays, represented by Deep Learning techniques, the field of machine learning is experiencing unprecedented prosperity and its influence is demonstrated in academia, industry and civil society. "Intelligent" has become a label which could not be neglected for most applications; celebrities and scientists also warned that the development of full artificial intelligence may spell the end of the human race. It seems that the answer to building a computer system that could automatically improve with experience is right on the next corner. While for AI or machine learning researchers, it is a consensus that we are not anywhere near the core technique which could bring the Terminator, Number 5 or R2D2 into real life, and there is not even a formal definition about what is intelligence, or one of its basic properties: Learning. Therefore, even though researchers know these concerns are not necessary currently, there is no generalised explanation about why these concerns are not necessary, and what properties people should take into account that would make these concerns to be necessary. In this paper, starts from analysing the relation between information and its representation, a necessary condition for a model to be a learning model is proposed. This condition and related future works could be used to verify whether a system is able to learn or not, thus enriched our understanding of learning: one important property of Intelligence.


This paper describes a 250-Mb/s to 3Gb/s continuous rate clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit in the TSMC 90nm CMOS process. The circuit first recovers the precise clock frequency from bit-serial 27−1 pseudorandom binary-sequences (PRBS) across a wide range of data rates. Thus, the requirements for loop bandwidth and locking range is much relaxed for the second step of phase detection, implemented as a 1/5 rate linear phase detector (PD) offering reduced clock operating frequency and low jitter. The CDR achieves 12.6-ps peak-to-peak jitter at 2.5Gb/s and consumes a current of 3.84mA in post-layout simulation.


Strong wind events at Dumont d'Urville (DdU), an East Antarctic coastal station, and Dome C, an interior station, were studied to determine if the wind along the Adelie Land coast increases with the approach of the depression from the west of the site or after its passage to the east of it. The events for the year 1993 were studied using synoptic observations, mean sea level pressure charts and composite infrared satellite images. It was found that the winds are enhanced with the approach of a depression from the west towards the DdU coast. The wind increases in response to the decreasing pressure at the coastal site and increasing downslope pressure difference (dp). The wind starts decreasing once the system moves to the east of DdU and the pressure at DdU starts building up, as reported in some earlier studies. The response of wind to the approaching depression is not the same for all the events but depends on the downslope pressure difference and the movement of the depression that is often conditioned by the presence of a blocking high to the northeast. The wind comes down if the system starts penetrating inland due to the presence of the high pressure ridge to the northeast and decreasing dp. It is observed that the winds at Dome C increase to as high as 17 m s(-1) with the inland penetration of the depression.


Biomass is one of the energy resources that can be exploited to replace fossil fuel. Combustion, pyrolysis and gasification are the main process to convert biomass into valuable fuel materials. In this study, Jathropa curcas L. husk was pyrolyzed to produce bio-oil. The effect of several parameters on the pyrolysis efficiency were tested to identify the optimal condition for the bio-oil production. The tested parameters include temperature, heating rate and gas flow rate. The experiments were conducted using vertical fixed-bed reactor. The response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite design (CCD), were used for optimization the process parameters. From the study, the optimal conditions were obtained at pyrolysis temperature of 400oC, heating rate of 60oC/min and gas flow rate of 100ml/min with the amount of bio-oil produced was 28.9%. Furthermore, the bio –oil produced under optimum condition was characterized by using elemental analyser, bomb calorimeter, Fourier Transform Infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GCMS).


BackgroundTo evaluate the level and correlation of serum neuropeptide cakiNnin gene-elated peptide (CORP), somatostatin (SS) and inflammatory factors (CRP, TNF-o, MCP-1 and sICAM-1) in patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CAD) complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), to explore the mechanism of diabetic patients prone to complicated CAD.MethodsPatients were divided into three groups according to corcmary angiography results and whether there was a history of type 2 diabetes: control group (no CAD or DM; n 58), CAD group (stable CAD without DM; n 68) and DM+CAD group (stable CAD+DM; n =66). The age, sex ratio and body mass index (BMI) of the three groups were balanced, and the indexes of serum CORP, SS and inflammatory factors (CRP, TNE-a, IL-113, MCP-1 and sICAM-1) were measured by ELASA method. The relationship between serum CORP, SS and inflammatory factors (CRP, TNE-¢,11,-1), MCP-1 and sICAM-1) were analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis, and the risk factors f CAD were analysed by binary logistic regression model.ResultsThere were significant differences between neuropeptides (CORP, SS) and inflammatory factors (CRP, TNT', IL-I, MCP-1 and sICAM-1) in the th©© groups. Compared with the control group and the CAD group, CGRP and SS were decreased (P < 0.05), and inflammatory factors were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the DMTCAD group. CGRP and SS were negatively correlated with inflammatory factors. Logistic regression model showed that CORP, SS, 11-10 and MCP-1 were independent risk factors for CAD (P <0.05). ConclusionCompared with the control group and the CAD group, patients in the DMTCAD group had less CGRP and SS but more inflammatory factors. Moreover, the inflammabry factors were negatively correlated with neuropeptides, and neuropeptides and some inflammatory factors are independent risk factors for CAD. This suggests that the TRPV1 injury in the sensory nerve endings and the reduction of neuropeptides release in type 2 diabetic patients may increase the risk of CAD. The mechanism may include that these neuropeptides may inhibit the inflammatory response to some extend


EARLY MALNUTRITION AND LATER INTELLIGENCE MALNUTRITION is now recognised as one of the postnatal causes of mental re ta~dat ion.~ STOCH and SMYTHE5 were among the first to draw attention to the connection between malnutrition and retarded intelligence. This was in a study based on the hypothesis that the ill-effects of undernutrition are determined, firstly, by its occurrence during the period of maximum growth, and secondly by the duration of undernutrition relative to the total period of growth. BROWN,^ using height as an index of the state of nutrition, found a similar connection between malnutrition and retarded intelligence. The work of CRAVIOTO and his colleagues2 on nutrition, growth and neurointegrative development was reviewed in these columns by PLATT and WHEELER4 in an annotation a year ago. Now STOCH and SMYTHE~ have recorded the results of an 1 1-year follow-up of the head size and intellectual development of the group of children on whom they reported in their earlier paper. They took 20 of the most grossly undernourished Cape Coloured infants they could find and matched them for age and sex with an adequately nourished control group from a similar socio-economic level. Throughout the period of study, members of the undernourished group had smaller heads, lower heights and weights, and lower intelligence quotients than the controls. The most important physical difference was considered to be the smaller mean head circumference, suggesting that the brain had reached maturity at a suboptimal size. The authors' conclusion is that 'there is cumulative and impressive evidence that severe undernutrition during the first 2 years of life, when brain growth is most active, has resulted in permanent reduction of brain size and defective intellectual development'. Department of Human Nutrition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St., London, W.C.I. REFERENCES 1 . Brown, R. E. (1966) 'Organ weight in malnutrition with special reference to brain weight.' Develop. Med.


SUMMARY We consider binary regression models when some of the predictors are measured with error. For normal measurement errors, structural maximum likelihood estimates are considered. We show that if the measurement error is large, the usual estimate of the probability of the event in question can be substantially in error, especially for high risk groups. In the situation of large measurement error, we investigate a conditional maximum likelihood estimator and its properties.


Experimental research was conducted to characterise the effects of hygrothermal history on the structural performance of HexcelTM IM7/8552 composite laminates. The laminates were first conditioned with a series of absorption/desorption cycles at accelerated hot/wet condition (70 oC in water). Gravimetric techniques have been used to measure the weight variation and consequently record the moisture content and the material saturation. After various cycles of absorption and desorption, changes to key structural properties such as stiffness, glass transition temperature (Tg), and tensile strength of the materials were evaluated via Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), resonant vibration testing and tensile testing. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was also conducted to inspect for physical damage to the composite. Gravimetric test results have clearly shown Fickian diffusivity and saturation to increase with each hygrothermal cycle. The effective diffusivity was also found to increase. This suggests that a potential permanent change in the material can occur in a composite laminate when subjected to hygrothermal history, whilst stiffness and tensile strength are virtually unaffected. Besides experimental work, Finite Element modelling was performed to study the complex moisture diffusion in thick laminates containing ply-drops. The model is complementary to the experiments as it allows the analyst to understand the "preferred paths" of moisture diffusion and to understand which parts of the structure are likely to saturate first.


Objective: to develop a personalized rehabilitation program for improving age-related resilience (AR), antioxidant status (AOS), the quality of life and reducing pain in elderly patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Patients and methods. The program consisted of two parts. In the first part, we conducted a comparative study to assess the AR (Mahnach test), geriatric status, and AOS (amperometric flow-injection analysis) in 181 subjects in total, with coxarthrosis (n=92) and without it (n=89). The average age of patients in two groups was comparable: 72.1±1.1 and 71.9±1.1 years. Using factor analysis, we developed the personalized rehabilitation program based on the obtained data. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated in the second part of our work. We conducted an additional comparative study of changes in AR, AOS, severity of joint pain (by visual analogue scale, VAS) and quality of life (according to SF-36 questionnaire) in patients with coxarthrosis (n=114). Results and discussion. Patients with coxarthrosis had significantly lower level of AR, total antioxidant, and antiradical activity, and a higher content of Schiff bases as compared to subjects without coxarthrosis (p<0.05). The program of rehabilitation, which included a course of treatment with Chondroquard, significantly improved AR, AOS, quality of life and reduced hip pain compared to the standard OA therapy (p<0.05). Conclusion. The personalized rehabilitation program has a complex positive effect on pain, quality of life, AR and AOS in elderly patients with OA.


Cyclopia is a rare unusual anomaly in which the anterior brain and the midline mesodermal structures develop anomalously. The orbital region is grossly deformed, resulting in the formation of a central cavity (pseudo orbit) with absence of nasal cavity. In the present study, a newly born male goat showing true cyclopia was examined grossly, radiography, CT and histologically.
The head was small and severely deformed with a hydrocephalus on the forehead. The upper and lower lip were present but small. The upper jaw was short due to the absence of the os incisivum and the deformity of the maxilla. A well marked malformed was present. The lower margin of the mandible was strongly curved and carries a prominent ventral peak. The maxilla was reduced. The frontal, lacrimal, nasal, premaxilla vomer bones, the orbit and nasal septum were absent. The dura mater was developed but the falex cerebri was absent. Only one eyeball was present and large with a thick optic nerve. There was only one optic nerve and there was no evidence of optic chiasma Cerebrum was poorly developed and there was no formation of cerebral hemispheres. The eye showed histologically some blood capillaries found in the substantia propria of the cornea. The retina showed areas of normal lamination, whereas in other areas, especially near the site of optic disk, it was replaced by numerous neuronal rosettes.
These finding support the hypothesis that the craniofacial malformation in holoprosencephaly result from a developmental disturbance of the mesoderm at the rostral end of the notochord.


Within the strategy for the Digital Single Market, the policy of open data is an important part of the European Commission's ambitions to create a European information market. Open data is the term for public sector information that has been turned into a machine-readable format and free to reuse. Open data has the potential to create immense value but one condition is that the information is relevant for third parties to create new services with it. Users are important for prioritizing in the supply. However, they are not involved in these decisions. A recent addition to the Dutch open data policy is the prioritization of high value data sets. To find out to what degree users are part of the process of supply, the practices of ten Dutch public sector bodies within the central government have been studied. This study uses a new method for assessing user involvement based on Sheryl Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation. The results show that the organizations rank high regarding the possibility of user involvement but have low frequency of such practices. It was thus argued that the assessment model should be broadened to include the frequency with which an act is made. In order to enhance the user involvement, and the provision of valuable data, the organizations should find out who their users are. Additionally, demand should be given a clearer part in the decision on high value data sets.


The vortex coronagraph is an optical instrument that precisely removes on-axis starlight allowing for high contrast imaging at small angular separation from the star, thereby providing a crucial capability for direct detection and characterization of exoplanets and circumstellar disks. Telescopes with aperture obstructions, such as secondary mirrors and spider support structures, require advanced coronagraph designs to provide adequate starlight suppression. We introduce a phase-only Lyot-plane optic to the vortex coronagraph that offers improved contrast performance on telescopes with complicated apertures. Potential solutions for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) are described and compared. Adding a Lyot-plane phase mask relocates residual starlight away from a region of the image plane thereby reducing stellar noise and improving sensitivity to off-axis companions. The phase mask is calculated using an iterative phase retrieval algorithm. Numerically, we achieve a contrast on the order of $10^{-6}$ for a companion with angular displacement as small as $4~\lambda/D$ with an E-ELT type aperture. Even in the presence of aberrations, improved performance is expected compared to either a conventional vortex coronagraph or optimized pupil plane phase element alone.


In this study, molybdenum nitride-bentonite was successfully employed for the reaction of hydrocracking of palm oil to produce a bio-gasoline and bio-aviation fuel. The prepared catalyst was characterized using XRD, FT-IR, and SEM-EDX. The acidity of the catalyst was determined using the pyridine gravimetric method. The result showed that the acidity of bentonite was increased after modification using molybdenum nitride. The hydrocracking study showed that the highest conversion and product fraction of bio-gasoline and bio-aviation fuel were exhibited by molybdenum nitride-bentonite 8 mEq g−1. The catalyst was later used to optimize the hydrocracking process using RSM-CCD. The effects of the process variables such as temperature, contact time, and catalyst to feed ratio, on the response variables, such as conversion, oil, gas, and coke yield, were investigated. The analysis of variance showed that the proposed quadratic model was statistically significant with adequate precision to estimate the responses. The optimum conditions in the hydrocracking process were achieved at a temperature of 731.94 K, contact time of 0.12 h, and a catalyst to feed ratio of 0.12 w/v with a conversion of 78.33%, an oil yield of 50.32%, gas yield of 44.00% and coke yield of 5.73%. The RSM-CCD was demonstrated as a suitable method for estimating the hydrocracking process of palm oil using a MoN-bentonite catalyst due to its closeness to the optimal value of the expected yield. This study provided a potential catalyst of based on bentonite modified using molybdenum nitride for the hydrocracking of palm oil.


Advanced maternal age has been a common occurrence within the last decade. Today, women are much more active outside of the home and childbearing has been postponed as careers and finances have become the main focus of younger adult women. Although pregnancy is a natural occurrence, older age can have negative effects on both the mother and baby. There are several complications that can arise and many problems that are not pregnancy-related. This topic hasn't been as widely researched due to it being a recent trend and change. This paper will look at the normal processes of pregnancy, the effects of aging in women, and the combination of these two in a pregnant woman of advanced age. This topic also personally related to a family member of my own.


This paper reviews the literature on spontaneous cases of tool use in captive, semi-free, and wild New and Old World monkeys. These data are evaluated to determine whether the presently available evidence supports the assumption that monkeys naturally or spontaneously use tools, and understand how the reported tool functions in solving a task. Following Panger's (1998, 1999) distinction between tool-using and object-using, we found extremely limited evidence for spontaneous tool use in monkeys. The overwhelming number of published reports were associated with species of three primate genera, Cebus, Macaca and Papio. Moreover, the majority of observations described in the literature as tool use are examples of object use. Considering the extremely small number of reported tool-using events and the fact that typically only 1 or 2 members of a group have been observed to manipulate objects as tools, we conclude, (1) the presently available evidence does not support the contention that monkeys naturally use tools, and (2) in those cases when monkeys are reported to use tools it remains unclear from the animals' behaviour the degree to which they understand how the tool functioned (casual knowledge) in accomplishing the task.


An endophytic bacterium, YGRE24, isolated from surface sterilized root of watermelon by dilution plate method and flat confrontation method, could inhibit mycelial growth of three physiological races of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.niveum with inhibition rates of 54.76%, 55.95% and 55.24%, respectively. The antagonistic activity was detected in the fermentation broth of YGRE24 as well. The strain YGRE24 displayed a broad-spectrum antagonistic activity to five pathogens, like Fusarium graminearum and Rhizoctonia solani and so on. Furthermore, the strain had the capacity of phosphate-solubilizing, indole acetic acid-producing and siderophore-producing. The results of pot culture experiments showed that the fresh weight and dry weight of shoot were increased by 44.75% and 30.32% after incubated with strain YGRE24. The lesions caused by watermelon Fusarium wilt were obviously reduced by inoculating the strain. According to morphology,bio-physiological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence, the strain YGRE24 was identified as Bacillus subtilis.


The author presents a follow-up study of 34 children with cerebral palsy. Eight years previously 23 of these children were attending a special school for handicapped children, and 11 were attending regular schools. The author evaluated the children and their families through formal and informal interviews and by administering parent and teacher rating scales of the children's behavior. He found that the development of these children between the ages of 10 and 14 was highlighted by their increased awareness and their parents' awareness of the permanence of their handicap and their consequent search for personal and, ultimately, occupational identity and their parents' emotional withdrawal.


Acute presentation of upper and lower extremity motor weakness is commonly attributed to intracerebral ischemic infarct upon initial examination. For those that exhibit acute onset of bilateral weakness, it is important to expand the differential diagnosis to include spinal cord ischemic involvement. One cause of ischemic lesions is spinal dural arteriovenous (AV) fistulas which are generally found in the thoraco-lumbar region. They present with progressive paraplegia or quadriplegia due to changes in the spinal venous pressure and eventual myelopathy. We present a 60 year old gentleman with bilateral upper extremity weakness and right lower extremity weakness preceded by upper back and neck pain. Initial studies included both Magnetic resonance imagine (MRI) of the brain and also the cervical spine that demonstrated abnormal signal intensity within the anterior cervical cord from C3-C7 levels concerning for spinal cord infarct. In our case there were no flow voids to suggest dilated perimedullary vessels that usually prompt further diagnostic evaluation through a spinal angiogram. However, given the clinical suspicion, a spinal angiogram was obtained that demonstrated a cervical dural AV fistula supplied by a dural branch vessel originating from the left vertebral artery. We will highlight the importance of recognizing the clinical presentation of spinal dural AV fistulas; the usual findings on imaging, the value of considering further diagnostic tests if clinical suspicion is high, and provide an overview of the spinal dural AV treatment.


Purpose: This study presents the characteristics of patients with mild malformation of cortical development with oligodendroglial hyperplasia in epilepsy (MOGHE) with SLC35A2 somatic variants in the brain who underwent epilepsy surgery and showed clinical improvement in seizures. Methods: We collected 10 patients with SLC35A2 somatic mutations in the brain who underwent surgery to treat drug-resistant epilepsy at Severance Children's Hospital from 2014 to 2019 and retrospectively reviewed their genetic profiles, neuropathologic results, clinical features, pre-operative evaluations, and post-operative outcomes. Results: Six of the 10 patients with SCL35A2 somatic mutations in the brain had Lennox Gastaut syndrome (LGS) evolving from infantile spasms (IS), three had LGS, and one had IS. The median value of variant allele frequencies (VAFs) was 5.7% (1.7% to 5.8%; range, 1.4% to 22.9%). Nonsense mutations were the most common (50%), followed by missense mutations (40%) and a splicing site mutation (10%). Eight patients (80%) had good post-operative outcomes, with freedom from disabling seizures in five (Engel class I) and rare disabling seizures in three (Engel class II). Four of the eight patients who could be assessed for social quotient (SQ) after surgery showed SQ improvements by 12.2±6.4. Although all patients were finally diagnosed with MOGHE, seven (70%) were initially diagnosed with gliosis, two with mild malformation of cortical development, and one with no abnormality. Conclusion: All patients with SCL35A2 brain somatic mutations, even with low VAFs, had refractory epilepsy such as LGS or IS, and were finally diagnosed with MOGHE. This report is the first in Korea to our knowledge.


Fluorescence spectroscopy is a common technique used to monitor early metallic corrosion. The fluorescence response characteristics of rhodamine-ethylenediamine toward Cu2+ have been studied using fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. Fluorescence microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to study the monitoring effect of rhodamine-ethylenediamine on the corrosion of copper relics protected by an epoxy coating. The results showed a strong fluorescent response and selectivity toward Cu2+ that existed using rhodamine-ethylenediamine. Early metallic corrosion of copper relics can be effectively monitored upon adding 0.8 wt % rhodamine-ethylenediamine to an epoxy coating. When the soaking time was increased, the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescent area on the coating became stronger. In addition, the area of the luminous coating reached ∼0.06 mm2 and the area of corrosion under the protective coating was ∼0.008 mm2, which was about 1/10 of the fluorescence area observed on the coating.


It was reported recently that male mice lacking brain serotonin (5-HT) lose their preference for females (Liu et al., 2011, Nature, 472, 95–100), suggesting a role for 5-HT signaling in sexual preference. Regulation of sex preference by 5-HT lies outside of the well established roles in this behavior established for the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). Presently, mice with a null mutation in the gene for tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), which are depleted of brain 5-HT, were tested for sexual preference. When presented with inanimate (urine scents from male or estrous female) or animate (male or female mouse in estrus) sexual stimuli, TPH2-/- males show a clear preference for female over male stimuli. When a TPH2-/- male is offered the simultaneous choice between an estrous female and a male mouse, no sexual preference is expressed. However, when confounding behaviors that are seen among 3 mice in the same cage are controlled, TPH2-/- mice, like their TPH2+/+ counterparts, express a clear preference for female mice. Female TPH2-/- mice are preferred by males over TPH2+/+ females but this does not lead to increased pregnancy success. In fact, if one or both partners in a mating pair are TPH2-/- in genotype, pregnancy success rates are significantly decreased. Finally, expression of the VNO-specific cation channel TRPC2 and of CNGA2 in the MOE of TPH2-/- mice is normal, consistent with behavioral findings that sexual preference of TPH2-/- males for females is intact. In conclusion, 5-HT signaling in brain does not determine sexual preference in male mice. The use of pharmacological agents that are non-selective for the 5-HT neuronal system and that have serious adverse effects may have contributed historically to the stance that 5-HT regulates sexual behavior, including sex partner preference.


Objectives:To examine associations between the perpetration of intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviour among young men in rural South Africa. Design:An analysis of baseline data from men enrolling in a randomized controlled trial of the behavioural intervention, Stepping Stones. Methods:Structured interviews with 1275 sexually experienced men aged 15–26 years from 70 villages in the rural Eastern Cape. Participants were asked about the type, frequency, and timing of violence against female partners, as well as a range of questions about HIV risk behaviours. Results:A total of 31.8% of men reported the perpetration of physical or sexual violence against female main partners. Perpetration was correlated with higher numbers of past year and lifetime sexual partners, more recent intercourse, and a greater likelihood of reporting casual sex partners, problematic substance use, sexual assault of non-partners, and transactional sex. Men who reported both physical and sexual violence against a partner, perpetration both before and within the past 12 months, or more than one episode of perpetration reported significantly higher levels of HIV risk behaviour than men who reported less severe or less frequent perpetration of violence. Conclusion:Young men who perpetrate partner violence engage in significantly higher levels of HIV risk behaviour than non-perpetrators, and more severe violence is associated with higher levels of risky behaviour. HIV prevention interventions must explicitly address the links between the perpetration of intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviour among men, as well as the underlying gender and power dynamics that contribute to both.


This study considers robust filtering problems for uncertain two dimensional (2-D) discrete systems in nonlinear fractional transformation (NFT) representations. Like one-dimensional (1-D) systems, the NFT in this paper serves to complement the linear fractional transformation (LFT). Linear matrix inequality (LMI) formulations are given to analyze as well as synthesize robust filters. Numerical examples show the advantage of the NFT over the LFT in terms of not only computational savings but also substantial performance gains and verify the efficiency of the proposed techniques.


Context: The emerging disease COVID-19 has made a major problem for people around the world, and treatment systems are facing hardships. Obesity is a risk factor for health, and COVID-19 is a global disease. Obesity may be a risk factor for this disease. The relationship between obesity and the disease was examined in this study. Evidence Acquisition: Three databases, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase, were examined. The search strategy and keyword combinations were ("COVID-19" OR "Coronavirus" OR "Wuhan virus" AND "Obesity" OR "Obese"). The results of related articles were used. Results: Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases are the risk factors for COVID-19, especially in severe cases, which can affect the length of hospital stay and mortality. Conclusions: We know very little about this disease. Thus, much research is needed to conduct. Since obesity is a risk factor for this disease, exercise is proposed to prevent it.


Objective The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not provide a recommendation regarding the preferred vaginal preparation solution. We intended to compare the effectiveness of chlorhexidine versus iodine in decreasing vaginal bacterial counts. Methods In this institutional review board–approved study, participants undergoing total hysterectomy via vaginal or laparoscopic approach were randomized to 4% chlorhexidine or 10% iodine for presurgical vaginal preparation. Swabs were collected from the vaginal mucosa before, then 30, 60, and 90 minutes after preparation. Our primary outcome was the number of positive cultures (≥5,000 bacteria) at 90 minutes. The secondary outcomes included the presence of selected pathogens, postoperative complications, and infections. The sample size of 71 per arm was calculated using ɑP = 0.05, 80% power, and anticipating a 22% difference in positive cultures. Results Between May 2018 and August 2019, 85 participants were randomized. The average age was 59.8 years (SD, 11.4), and the median Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 2 (minimum, 0; maximum, 6). Baseline bacterial counts were similar in both groups. Chlorhexidine demonstrated a lower percentage of positive cultures at 90 minutes (47.6% vs 85.4%; odds ratio, 10.6; P = 0.001). In addition, the median bacterial count in the chlorhexidine group was significantly lower than the iodine group (3,000 vs 24,000 colony-forming units, P < 0.001) at 90 minutes. No surgical site infections were identified in either group during the 30-day postoperative period, and there were no reported adverse reactions to either solution. Conclusions Chlorhexidine resulted in substantially lower bacterial counts after preparation compared with iodine. Gynecologic surgeons may consider switching to 4% chlorhexidine for vaginal preparation before hysterectomy.


Olivine lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is a promising cathode material for Li-ion battery. A temperature around 700 – 800 ℃ is generally required to prepare LiFePO4 powder with good crystallinity. The LiFePO4 materials are synthesized via a solid-state method by using a highenergy nano mill (HENM). The conventional ball-milling process is also conducted for the same material for a comparative study. The effect of the precursor's mixing processes on the synthesis temperature of LiFePO4 is investigated in this study. The required reaction temperature of LiFePO4 is 432 ℃ for the HENM process and 480 ℃ for the ball-mill process as found from the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results. The HENM process improves the reaction activity and the homogeneity of the materials used throughout process and lowers the reaction temperature as compared with the conventional ball-mill process. The milled powders are characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sample synthesized by using the HENM process exhibits a discharge capacity of 136 mAhg −1 at 0.1 C rate. The results in this study indicate that the HENM process is a substantial and promising process for LiFePO4 cathode preparation owing to its short fabrication time and ability to improve the reaction condition. A HENM can be used to promote formation of LiFePO4 at lower temperatures.


International discussions on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) foresee payment for environmental services (PES) schemes as an important mechanism to provide local incentives for the conservation and enhancement of carbon stocks. There are concerns, however, about the potential impacts of REDD+ and PES on local livelihoods. This article assesses the livelihood impacts of seven existing PES schemes using a comparative case study approach, and reviews lessons for the design of REDD+. It finds that PES schemes provided some livelihood benefits to participants, particularly in terms of building individual participants' and community institutions' capacity, and in some cases contributing to income. Insights for the design of PES for REDD+ schemes are derived in relation to the issues of the role of intermediaries, individual versus collective contracts, payment schedules and amounts, conditionality and permanence, and property and access rights.


The gene encoding a thermophilic group 3 alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermotoga lettingae TMO was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The full-length DNA sequence of TlADH was 1086-bp encoding a polypeptide of 361 amino acids. Comparative and bioinformatic analysis revealed that TlADH showed high similarity to group 3 ADHs from thermophilic and mesophilic alcohol dehydrogenases, but relatively highest similarity to T. maritime 1, 3-propanediol dehydrogenase. The optimal pH-values of butanol oxidation and butylaldehyde reduction of TlADH were 11.9 and 6.0, respectively. Kinetic parameters of the enzymes showed TlADH preferred NADP+ to NAD+ as a cofactor. TlADH can catalyze a range of primary alcohols oxidation, while it was inactive towards branched-chain alcohols and cyclitol. TlADH also can reduce aldehydes to corresponding alcohols, including aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. It showed higher activity of aldehyde reduction than that of alcohol oxidation that may be relative to reactive aldehyde detoxification in cell metabolism. In the case of external ions addition we found a 5.23-fold increase in reaction activity by the adding of 1 mM MnCl2. T. lettinga ADH was cloned and overproduced in a mesophilic heterologous expression system, and the recombinant enzyme was characterized. It will be helpful to understand more about the physiological role of group 3 alcohol dehydrogenase.

 Key words: Group 3 ADH, bioinformatic analysis, recombinant expression, thermophilic,catalytic properties.


This paper focuses on interactive design, security and scalability issues for interactive mobile application integrated website design paradigm. With this system architecture and software, which has significant advantages compared to traditional solutions, an extraordinary server-client performance is possible considering all sectors at every stage of life from banking to insurance, e-commerce to e-government, health to travel, education to military, which all require transactions and communications over local/global networks. The results of this presented study conclude that both security and scalability dimensions together should be dealt with first and foremost, while meeting the various requirements of mobile applications, which may bring about significant increases in the number of users or instant transactions.


Purpose: Vancomycin is commonly prescribed for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, including patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving intermittent hemodialysis (IHD). Infection is the second-leading cause of mortality in this patient population; therefore, optimizing vancomycin dosing is essential. New guidelines recommend using the ratio of area under the curve (AUC)/minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) dosing with a target of 400-600 to maximize efficacy and minimize vancomycin nephrotoxicity. Summary: A retrospective chart review was performed to assess the current protocol for vancomycin dosing in ESRD patients on IHD at a community hospital in North Mississippi. A protocol was developed for dosing vancomycin utilizing AUC/MIC targets in this patient population. The study included all inpatient adults with ESRD receiving IHD at least 3 times weekly and receiving vancomycin. Data collection occurred in two phases. The first phase of data collection occurred before implementation of the new protocol and assessed the current vancomycin protocol effectiveness. In phase II of data collection, an assessment of the newly developed protocol utilizing similar data collected in phase I was conducted. Conclusions: It is thought that the difference in treatment outcomes and AUC/MIC targets is due to decreased immune function in this population. For this reason, we set our goal pre-dialysis level at 20-25 mg/dL, rather than 17-25 mg/dL, which correlates with an AUC/MIC of 480-600. It is important to quickly achieve therapeutic levels for the patients that do have MRSA to improve outcomes, to sustain these levels, and to reduce adverse events and costs.


In two digestion experiments with wethers and seven feeding experiments with 198 fattening bulls with rations rich in (greater than 55% of the dry matter intake from roughage), the influence of the antibiotic monensin on the digestibility of the ration, on rumen-physiologic characteristic values and on fattening and slaughtering results was investigated. The digestibility of the organic matter and the crude nutrients was not significantly influenced by the use of monensin (20 mg/kg dry matter). The administration of 200 mg monensin per fattening bull and day resulted in an increase of the molar concentration of propionate in the rumen fluid by 9.7 mol%, the concentration of acetate and butyrate decreased by 7.3 resp. 2.8 mol %. On an average of the seven experiments the intake of dry matter was diminished by 5.1% through the use of monensin, the live weight increase remained almost unaffected (3.0% additional increase), feed and energy requirement per kg live weight were improved by 7.9%. The fattening results do not always correspond in the various experiments. The results of the dressing of the carcass, the composition of the carcass and the quality of the meat remained unaffected by the administration of monensin.


In historiography Calvinism has suffered from several interpreters who have sought to recruit it for this or that contemporary school of thought. In this article I will discuss some of these approaches developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. On the basis of recent research it is argued that it historically and theologically incorrect to force Calvinism into an overall system which is controlled by theological or socio-political 'unit ideas' or even a 'central dogma.' Instead the historian of theology should attempt to develop a historical approach to the Reformed tradition after Calvin that is not influenced by nineteenth or twentieth century agenda's that impose categories of modern theology onto early modern theologians. Such an approach takes account of the complexity and wide variety of post-Reformation Reformed tradition.


Background: Determining the pregnancy outcomes with independent prognostic factors in the first trimester combined screening test and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is a concern for practitioners. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between TSH and first trimester combined screening test levels and examine their effects on pregnancy outcomes in healthy pregnant women. Methods: A total of 349 pregnant women in Izmir Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Turkey with normal TSH values in the first trimester between 2015 and 2020 were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups as 274 and 75 patients according to TSH values with 2,5 as cut-off value; their birth weights and weeks were compared. Patients were also divided into three groups according to gestational weeks; their TSH values and combined tests were compared. Results: When grouped based on the TSH threshold value (2.5uIU/ml), no significant relationship was found between the combined test parameters and TSH levels. In the combined test, after grouping according to the week of gestation, a negative correlation was observed between free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and TSH measured at 11 weeks (P=0.040, r=−0.189). A significant negative correlation was found between free β-hCG and newborn birth weight (P=0.032, r=−0.199), TSH and delivery time (P=0.011, r=−0.235). Conclusion: Free β-hCG and TSH levels could guide practitioners for birth weight and early delivery, respectively. Postponing the combined test for patients with elevated serum TSH levels to between the 12th and 13th weeks of gestation may reduce false positives.


Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are common in children of all ages and can result in tooth breakage, displacement, or loss, severely impacting function, esthetics, and psychological well-being. Almost 25% of children experience dental trauma at school, with men being two times as likely as women, the upper central incisors are most often affected, with a high frequency between 8 and 10.A survey was used to perform this cross-sectional investigation of Riyadh's dental. A simple random sampling method was used to include 450 dentists in the research. A questionnaire method comprised of questions on demographics and awareness and understanding of oral traumatic injuries was developed as part of the study. The mean overall knowledge score was 7.11±2.90. The results showed that the presence of ongoing training sessions on dental trauma had a substantial impact on the mean knowledge (P = 0.039). The overall awareness of dentists towards the management of dental trauma is satisfactory, with their training having a significant impact.


This study examined the effects of insulin (INS) and growth hormone (GH) on mRNA and functional expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). Rainbow trout liver was used as a model system to evaluate the direct effects of INS and GH on mRNA expression of three SSTR subtypes characterized previously from this species: SSTR1A, SSTR1B, and SSTR2. INS and GH directly stimulated steady-state levels of all SSTR mRNAs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner; however, the pattern of expression was hormone and SSTR subtype specific. INS stimulated SSTR2 expression to a greater extent than SSTR1A or SSTR1B expression, whereas GH stimulated SSTR2 and SSTR1B expression to a similar extent, with SSTR2 and SSTR1B expression being more responsive to GH than SSTR1A. Whether INS- or GH-stimulated SSTR expression resulted from altered rates of transcription and/or changes in mRNA stability also was investigated. Formation of nascent SSTR transcripts in nuclei isolated from rainbow trout hepatocytes was significantly stimulated by INS and GH. Neither INS nor GH, however, affected the stability of SSTR mRNAs. Functional expression of SSTRs was studied in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells stably transfected with SSTR1A or SSTR1B. Surface expression of functional SSTRs was stimulated by INS and GH. These findings indicate that INS and GH stimulate SSTR expression by regulating transcription of SSTR mRNAs and by increasing functional SSTRs on the cell surface, and they suggest that regulation of SSTRs may be important for the coordination of growth, development, and metabolism of vertebrates.


For the first time, we present a state-of-the-art 32 nm low power foundry technology integrated with 0.15um2 6-T high density SRAM, low standby transistors, analog/RF functions and Cu/low-k interconnect for mobile SoC applications. To our knowledge, this is the smallest fully functional 2Mb SRAM test-chip for 32nm node. Low power transistors with Lg of 30nm achieve current drive of 700/380 uA/um at 1.1V and off-leakage current of 1 nA/um for NMOS and PMOS, respectively. An NPoly/NWell MOS varactor shows capacitance ratio of >5.0. The MOM unit capacitance of 3.5 fF/um2 is achieved with only 4 metal layers.


BACKGROUND
Jaundice is the quite common benign condition in neonates, but due to its potential toxicity, neonates must be monitored. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of serum albumin level on the transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements in term neonates with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

METHODS
Serum albumin and total serum bilirubin (TSB) of 252 jaundiced term neonates were estimated and simultaneously TcB was measured over sternum and the effect of serum albumin on TcB measurements was evaluated.

RESULTS
The correlation between TSB and TcB was linear and significant for the entire cohort. When this correlation was studied separately in the groups with different albumin levels, maximum correlation (r = 0.888, R2 linear = 0.789, p <  0.001) was observed in group 1 with hypo-albuminemia followed by in group 2 with normal albumin levels (r = 0.854, R2 linear = 0.729, p <  0.001) and group 3 with higher albumin levels (r = 0.809, R2 linear = 0.689, p <  0.001). Bland-Altman plot analysis of whole study population demonstrate good agreement between TSB and TcB [95% CI = -0.038 to 0.493 mg/dL, 17/252 = 6.75% outside the limits of agreement, Mean difference = 0.227]. This analysis in different groups also show good agreement between TSB and TcB.

CONCLUSIONS
The correlation between the TSB and TcB may affected by serum albumin level. Therefore, transcutaneous bilirubinometry is not able to replace invasive TSB measurement. However, in the absence of TSB it could be an alternative to measure the level of bilirubin in term neonates.


Summary DNA methylation plays an important role in gene regulation and genomic stability. However, large DNA hypomethylated regions known as DNA methylation valleys (DMVs) or canyons have also been suggested to serve unique regulatory functions, largely unknown in rice (Oryza sativa). Here, we describe the DMVs in rice seedlings, which were highly enriched with developmental and transcription regulatory genes. Further detailed analysis indicated that grand DMVs (gDMVs) might be derived from nuclear integrants of organelle DNA (NORGs). Furthermore, Domains Rearranged Methylase 2 (OsDRM2) maintained DNA methylation at short DMV (sDMV) shores. Epigenetic maps indicated that sDMVs were marked with H3K4me3 and/or H3K27me3, although the loss of DNA methylation had a negligible effect on histone modification within these regions. In addition, we constructed H3K27me3‐associated interaction maps for homozygous T‐DNA insertion mutant of the gene (osdrm2) and wild type (WT). From a global perspective, most (90%) compartments were stable between osdrm2 and WT plants. At a high resolution, we observed a dramatic loss of long‐range chromatin loops in osdrm2, which suffered an extensive loss of non‐CG (CHG and CHH, H = A, T, or C) methylation. From another viewpoint, the loss of non‐CG methylation at sDMV shores in osdrm2 could disrupt H3K27me3‐mediated chromatin interaction networks. Overall, our results demonstrated that DMVs are a key genomic feature in rice and are precisely regulated by epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications. OsDRM2 maintained DNA methylation at sDMV shores, while OsDRM2 deficiency strongly affected three‐dimensional (3D) genome architectures.


Schools in Slovenia are expected to address and respond to the changing environment. Breaking through the rigidity of traditions is a complex process. Internal marketing can be used for doing this. It is a process that focuses on teachers and students in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency of schools and also the level of satisfaction of 'school customers'. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the elements of internal marketing which are essential for teacher and customer satisfaction and to indicate opportunities for the implementation of internal marketing philosophy and related strategies in Slovenian schools. The paper provides a theoretical framework, an analysis of the Slovenian legal framework and the results of the case study conducted in a grammar school. Data were collected through a group interview, a questionnaire and individual in-depth interviews. The findings show that although the concept of internal marketing is unknown to the participants in the study, its philosophy and focus are present in the school.


Abstract. Performances are a key concern in aerospace vehicles, requiring safer structures with as little consumption as possible. Composite materials replaced aluminum alloys even in primary structures to achieve higher performances with lighter components. However, random events such as low-velocity impacts may induce damages that are typically more dangerous and mostly not visible than in metals. Structural Health Monitoring deals mainly with sensorised structures providing signals related to their "health status" aiming at lower maintenance costs and weights of aircrafts. Much effort has been spent during last years on analysis techniques for evaluating metrics correlated to damages' existence, location and extensions from signals provided by the sensors networks. Deep learning techniques can be a very powerful instrument for signals patterns reconstruction and selection but require the availability of consistent amount of both healthy and damaged structural configuration experimental data sets, with high materials and testing costs, or data reproduced by validated numerical simulations. Within this work will be presented a supervised deep neural networks trained by experimental measurements as well as numerically generated strain propagation signals. The final scope is the detection of delamination into composites plates for aerospace employ. The approach is based on the production of images trough signal processing techniques and on employ of an image recognition convolutional network. The network is trained and tested on combinations of experimental and numerical data.


It has been well known that addition of rare earth elements was indispensable for production of ductile cast iron. The addition reduces solidification shrinkage. However there are still ambiguities in understanding the mechanism and predicting the casting defects. A possible explanation for the reduction of shrinkage is that the addition of rare earth promotes expansion of castings due to the graphite formation, which is related to cooling rate. In this study, the effect of rare earth addition was considered as a function of cooling rate and solidification shrinkage rate was determined by the macro-scale simulation. In the meso-scale and the micro-scale simulations, distribution of graphite nodules was compared with the experimental results. The multi-scale simulation result well reproduced the experimental results.


Abstract An adult female American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) presented with an exophytic multilobular soft tissue mass involving the majority of the second left front digit. An excisional biopsy was performed under general anesthesia using a buffered tricaine methanesulfonate bath. The entire digit, including the distal, middle, and proximal phalanges, and associated mass were surgically removed by dislocation at the metacarpophalangeal joint. The incision was closed with 4-0 polydioxanone using two horizontal mattress sutures and the frog was recovered in a freshwater bath. Histological examination revealed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with a mitotic rate of less than one per high power field. Six months following surgery the frog was fully recovered and returned to use in an educational program. The frog survived four years postsurgery with no gross or histological evidence of neoplasm recurrence.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the short-term and long-term effect of novel agents followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell (ASCT) in Chinese multiple myeloma(MM) patients in order to find out the optimal therapeutic regimen for transplant-eligible patients.

METHODS
Clinical data of 100 active MM patients receiving bortezomib-based induction regimens followed by high-dose melphalan and ASCT were retrospectively analyzed from June 1, 2006 to January 30, 2014.

RESULTS
The overall response rates(ORR) after induction therapy, transplantation and consolidation and maintenance therapy were respectively 90.0%, 97.0%, and 98.9%. The median progress free survival(PFS) was 42.3 months. The median overall survival(OS) was not reached. The cumulative near complete response (nCR)+complete respanse(CR) rate was no longer improved after 4 cycles of induction therapy for non-light chain type MM and two cycles for light-chain type. In newly-diagnosed light-chain type MM patients, the cumulative nCR+CR rate after 4 cycles of bortezomib plus dexamethasone (VD) regimen was similar to that of bortezomib, doxorubicin and dexamethasone (PAD). While for those non-light-chain types, three drug-based regimen was better than two drug-based. PFS of patients receiving early ASCT was longer than that of late ASCT (50.7 months vs 26.6 months, P = 0.023) . PFS in patients receiving autologous bone marrow stem cell transplantation (ABMSCT) was longer than that of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) (NA vs 36.1 months, P = 0.049) . Maintenance therapy was beneficial regardless of the response rate after ASCT. Patients with CR at any time during the therapy had longer PFS than those with nCR.

CONCLUSIONS
Bortezomib-based therapy followed by ASCT is the first line therapy for transplant-eligible MM patients. Patients with different types of M protein require different induction regimens. Maintenance is beneficial to patients after ASCT, no matter whether a CR is reached or not. Patients with CR after induction or ASCT tend to have longer survival.


This research considers the characteristics of the plan of the vernacular form of dwelling in KoCheon-Ri village, situated in the Yong-Dong mountain region. As part of this study, an analysis of local diversity is carried out. The current existing village houses in Kocheon-Ri can be categorized according to their floor structure, either as a wooden-floored or an Ondol-floored Kyup-jip(a double row house type). It was found that the wooden-flooded Kyup-jip house has been transformed into Ondol-floorded Kyup-jip due to a range of various factors. In order to clarify the characteristics of the vernacular dwelling type occurring in a particular area, it is important to determine the typical form that appears within the broader area. However, differences is also essential.


Fish monitoring gears rarely capture all available fish, an inherent bias in monitoring programs referred to as catchability. Catchability is a source of bias that can be affected by numerous aspects of gear deployment (e.g., deployment speed, mesh size, and avoidance behavior). Thus, care must be taken when multiple surveys—especially those using different sampling methods—are combined to answer spatio-temporal questions about population and community dynamics. We assessed relative catchability differences among four long-term fish monitoring surveys from the San Francisco Estuary: the Bay Study Otter Trawl (BSOT), the Bay Study Midwater Trawl (BSMT), the Fall Midwater Trawl (FMWT), and the Suisun Marsh Otter Trawl (SMOT). We used generalized additive models with a spatio-temporal smoother and survey as a fixed effect to predict gear-specific estimates of catch for 45 different fish species within large and small size classes. We used estimates of the fixed effect coefficients for each survey (e.g., BSOT) relative to the reference gear (FMWT) to develop relative measures of catchability among taxa, surveys, and fish-size classes, termed the catch-ratio. We found higher relative catchability of 27%, 22%, and 57% of fish species in large size classes from the FMWT than in the BSMT, BSOT, or SMOT, respectively. In the small size class, relative catchability was higher in the FMWT than the BSMT, BSOT, or SMOT for 50%, 18%, and 25% of fish species, respectively. As expected, relative catchability of demersal species was higher in the otter trawls (BSOT, SMOT) while relative catchability of pelagic species was higher in the midwater trawls (FMWT, BSMT). Our results demonstrate that catchability is a source of bias among monitoring efforts within the San Francisco Estuary, and assuming equal catchability among surveys, species, and size classes could result in significant bias when describing spatio-temporal patterns in catch if ignored.


This paper presents an abstract framework for the optimization of mobile sensing devices in distributed parameter systems. The optimization is performed on the repositioning of these devices throughout the spatial domain. It is assumed that a network of mobile sensing devices is available to obtain measurements from the spatially distributed process. Both a centralized state estimator with mobile sensors and a network of consensus distributed estimators are proposed, since both filters can be shown to result in the specific algebraic structure of a symmetric spatial operator with collocated filter and measurement operators. Extensive numerical simulations for a centralized filter for a diffusion equation are included to verify the effectiveness of a such a mobile sensor network in suppressing the effects of spatially varying disturbances and enhancing the estimator's performance.


Cervical cancer remains an important public health problem in developing countries where over 80% of the global burden occurs annually but screening has been ineffective. In a polygamous country like Ghana with a high incidence of cervical cancer but no national screening program, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine presents a unique opportunity to reduce the burden of HPV infection and cervical cancer in Ghanaian women. The evidence so far indicates that the vaccines are safe and efficacious. Although routine HPV vaccination of girls raises several religious, political, socioeconomic and ethical challenges, the emphasis of this paper will be on addressing the ethical challenges using the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice as a framework. Parental autonomy can be preserved with judicious exemptions for those who decline the vaccine on religious and philosophical grounds. This promotes public health without trampling parental authority. Routine HPV vaccination confers several benefits to individuals and society by preventing HPV infection. Instead of causing harm; it reduces harm by preventing the development of about 70% of cervical cancers and removing the negative physical and psychological impact of a cervical cancer diagnosis. It also has the potential to reduce the disparities in cervical cancer rates and its cost effectiveness will ensure considerable cost savings in terms of the money spent on diagnosis and treatment. Consequently, the HPV vaccine is an important public health landmark and achievement in women's health that must be heralded, especially in developing countries where the bulk of the disease and death occur.


In this crucial period important changes in social and individual life have been observed. Political and economic transformation has affected the sphere of education, including foreign language teaching. Russian language undergoes distinct changes as well. In Poland nowadays it is returning to schools of different kind, especially to those of university level.


Employing a proper groundwater recharge estimation technique is extremely important for efficient water resource development in a groundwater basin. This paper describes the estimation of groundwater recharge in the Besease basin using the linear Kalman filter mathematical model. The physical model estimated the watertable levels and subsequently derived the infiltration parameters from rainfall inputs and groundwater levels data. The Kalman Filter method used as a recharge estimate resulted in a fit between the simulated hydraulic head and observed sub-surface water level fluctuation. The results show that the infiltration parameter varied considerably over the period of time when it was assumed as time dependent with the recharge values ranging between 0.0-1.27 % for P4 and 0.0-16.5 % for P14 of the incident rainfall. A very high infiltration factor α was obtained when considerable rain fell during June 2009, October 2009 and in June and July, 2010. However, during the periods from December 2009 to April 2010, the infiltration factor was zero which suggested that infiltrated water could not reach the water table but was retained in the unsaturated zone to replenish moisture deficit. Therefore, efficient application of irrigation water, knowledge about the moisture regime and the cropping pattern in the basin is fundamental for ensuring optimal moisture content and watertable level management.


Skeletons are formed through two distinct developmental actions, intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification. During embryonic development, most bone is formed by endochondral ossification. The growth plate is the developmental center for endochondral ossification. Multiple signaling pathways participate in the regulation of endochondral ossification. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/FGF receptor (FGFR) signaling has been found to play a vital role in the development and maintenance of growth plates. Missense mutations in FGFs and FGFRs can cause multiple genetic skeletal diseases with disordered endochondral ossification. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of FGFs/FGFRs signaling in skeletal development and genetic skeletal diseases will have implications for the development of therapies for FGF-signaling-related skeletal dysplasias and growth plate injuries. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in elucidating the role of FGFs/FGFRs signaling in growth plate development, genetic skeletal disorders, and the promising therapies for those genetic skeletal diseases resulting from FGFs/FGFRs dysfunction. Finally, we also examine the potential important research in this field in the future.


Background subtraction is an effective method in detecting moving objects in a static scene, which requires a fixed camera, and a static background. Illumination changing is a challenging problem which causes failure of background subtraction. Most background subtract algorithms require the illumination changing slowly, so the object can be tracked accurately and the background is easy to update. If the illumination changes rapidly and nonmonotonously, many algorithms fail. In this paper, we do some research on the condition when there is a single light which simulates a continuously and rapidly varying illumination. This kind of condition has many applicable scenes in daily life. This scene can be seen not only in doors or in the dark or in underground architecture but also out doors or in the light. We propose a new algorithm based on the illumination factor which can be applied to not only the indoor environment but also outdoors with natural illumination. In our algorithm, illumination factor is computed through the comparison of background and the current frame. The background is estimated and updated based on this factor, which tracks the change of background accurately and reduces the chance of failure. Experiments have proven the effectiveness of our method.


The present work deals with the numerical solution of the compressible Reynolds equation in the frame of the finite volumes method of discretization. The first original aspect of the numerical solution is a new upwind procedure borrowed from aerodynamics, namely from the transonic potential flow solutions. The second original aspect of the numerical solution is the finite volume discretization for unstructured grids. The method was developed in an effort to obtain a tool for analyzing hybrid bearings so its first validations consists of comparisons between calculated static and dynamic characteristics and values found in the literature.Copyright © 2005 by ASME


Thermal contraction and expansion of the Cryostat will affect its reliability and stability. To optimize and upgrade the Cryostat, we analyzed the heat transfer in a cryo-vacuum environment from the theoretical point first. The simulation of cryo-vacuum deformation based on a finite element method was implemented respectively. The completed measurement based on a Laser Tracker and a Micro Alignment Telescope was conducted to verify its correctness. The monitored deformations were consistent with the simulated ones. After the predictable deformations in vertical direction have been compensated, the superconducting solenoids and Half Wave Resonator cavities approached the ideal "zero" position under liquid helium conditions. These guaranteed the success of 25 MeV@170 uA continuous wave protons of Chinese accelerator driven subcritical system Injector II. By correlating the vacuum and cryo-deformation, we have demonstrated that the complete deformation was the superposition effect of the atmospheric pressure, gravity and thermal stress during both the process of cooling down and warming up. The results will benefit to an optimization for future Cryostat's design.


It appears that no further significant improvements in the survival of women with metastatic breast cancer are likely to result from the use of traditional chemotherapeutic agents. Research attempting to identify novel agents has focused on biological therapies, which can be used to target specific abnormalities in cancer cells. Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is a cell membrane receptor with growth-regulating activity. Studies indicate that the 25-30% of women with breast cancer who overexpress HER2 have aggressive disease and a worse prognosis than those who do not overexpress HER2. Herceptin targets HER2 and is the first humanized monoclonal antibody approved for therapeutic use. Clinical trials have demonstrated that Herceptin is well tolerated, produces durable objective responses and improves survival in women with metastatic breast cancer. Its side-effects are generally mild to moderate and differ from those of traditional cytotoxic agents. Cardiotoxicity, the most significant adverse effect of Herceptin, is manageable in most patients using standard therapy. The likely positioning of Herceptin in the treatment of HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer is in combination with paclitaxel as first-line therapy and as second- or third-line therapy when administered alone. It is likely that the exploitation of HER2 as a target for therapy and the development of Herceptin will serve as a model for the development of future biological therapies.


WORLD ECONOMIC AFFAIRS ● WINTER 1997 OR ECONOMICS TRACTS AIMED AT the non-economist, mortality is clearly in the air. Browsing at my local business bookstore in downtown Toronto, I quickly came across three recently published instances: The Death of Economics; The Death of Money; and The Death of Inflation. The death of "Economics", which is in any case commonly thought of as a rather dismal discipline, can be left unmourned for now. The passing of "Money" would surely excite more heartfelt concern— money being in our purses and chequebooks we might think. But the obituary for "Money" is in fact more about what the author calls "megabyte money", the potential of finance, liquid capital, and electronic trading to affect and shape the world—much to do with the power of capital markets, but nothing much to do with transactions balances. If that book had been about transactions balances—that is, money as a medium of exchange for goods and services—it might have offered a ready-made explanation for The Death of Inflation, Roger Bootle's contribution to the list of casualties and the subject of this article. No supply of money, no inflation of prices, so to speak. But money, alive or dead, is not the prime focus of the Bootle book in any case. In its view of things, money and monetary policy, if not exactly a sideshow, are certainly of secondary importance in the decline of inflation that has occurred throughout the industrial world in recent years.


In general, diamond-like carbon is classified on the basis of the sp2, sp3, and hydrogen contents, otherwise known as the ternary phase diagram of amorphous carbon. In this study, however, it has been found that there is still some structural difference even though amorphous carbons may be located at the same point on the ternary phase diagram. Bond orientations of two types of amorphous carbon, arising in the deposition and annealing processes, are investigated, and it is shown that the bond orientations are totally different from each other even though the sp2, sp3, and hydrogen contents are the same.


Given a graph structure, different layout algorithms (even different settings of the same algorithm) usually result in different arrangements of vertices, and each layout may reflect certain aspects/parts of the graph more accurately than others. Thus, for high-level graph analysis tasks that rely on the overall arrangement of vertices, drawing conclusions only from one layout is risky. To alleviate the risk, we propose an ensemble framework to capture the commonalities and differences among possible layouts, and help users obtain a comprehensive view of the structure patterns. We leverage a set of layouts that represents the distribution of algorithm outputs. Then, visual features are extracted and analyzed based on various measures of visual similarity. Our framework supports users to analyze individual layouts in the context of the distribution, so that users can quickly identify structures of interest and discover patterns more accurately and comprehensively. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework by applying it to three datasets.


The patient was an 82-year-old female. She had been treated with warfarin for atrial fibrillation that developed after a heart valve replacement operation. She was admitted because of a progressive loss of renal function together with persistent microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. Although the renal biopsy showed only focal mononuclear cell infiltration and mild mesangial expansion in the glomeruli, the occlusive red blood cell casts were remarkable in the tubules and were accompanied by inflammatory and edematous changes in the surrounding interstitial area. After the adjustment of an excessively extended prothrombin time, her renal function gradually improved in parallel with the marked decrease in the microhematuria. It was assumed that an acute kidney injury observed in this case was caused by the occlusive red blood cell casts as a result of abnormal hemorrhage in the glomeruli due to focal glomerulonephritis and a warfarin overdose. The present case, therefore, suggests that a warfarin overdose is a potential risk factor for acute kidney injury in the presence of coexisting glomerular injury.


thinner cylindrical inclusions in the centre of basic hexagonal units of the amorphous structure along a given path. This waveguide in amorphous structure is similar to the coupled resonator optical waveguides in periodic photonic crystals. The transmission of this waveguide for S-polarized waves is investigated by a multiple-scattering method. Compared with the conventional waveguide by removing a line of cells from amorphous photonic materials, the guiding properties of this waveguide, including the transmissivity and bandwidth, are improved significantly. Then we study the effect of various types of positional disorder on the functionality of this device. Our results show that the waveguide performance is quite sensitive to the disorder located on the boundary layer of the waveguide, but robust against the disorder in the other area in amorphous structure except the waveguide border. This disorder effect in amorphous photonic materials is similar to the case in periodic photonic crystals.


Background In our hospital, a protocol is used in empirical treatment for bone and joint prosthetic device infections. It combines the use of efficient antibiotics on methicillin resistant staphylococci (MRS) with the search for gene mecA indicating resistance to methicillin (answer is obtained within 2 hours after the sampling). Since January 2018, the combination of daptomycin and cefepime as empirical antibiotic therapy has been replaced by ceftobiprole. Antibiotics are administered until the result of resistance genes is available. In the case of negative response, a relay by cefepime is performed until adaptation to antibiogram results. Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the respect of this protocol and the economic impact of using ceftobiprole instead of the daptomycin-cefepime combination. Material and methods A prospective monocentric study was performed between January and July 2018. Data, collected by the analysis of all prescriptions, were: indications, previous history of MRS, prescriptions (monotherapy, way of administration and posology), results of expression of mecA, number of administrations and relays. Ceftobiprole-related cost was compared to theoretical cost of the daptomycin-cefepime combination. Results A total of 154 patients received ceftobiprole after surgery because of bone and/or prosthetic infections: (83/154 (55%) osteoarticular prosthesis; 59 (38%) osteosynthesis; 10 (6.5%) induced membrane technique; and one (0.5%) external fixator. Five (3%) patients had a previous history of MRS infection. Ceftobiprole monotherapy was given to 152 patients and cefepime combination in two. All prescriptions respected dosage and administration way. Eight (5%) of the prescriptions did not comply with the protocol, including indications (six; 4%) and monotherapy (two; 1%). MecA search was negative for 139 (90%) of patients, positive for nine (6%) and uninterpretable for six (4%). Patients received 2.34±2.57 ceftobiprole injections (2.02±1.80 if mecA search was negative). When negative, a switch to cefepime was performed for 130 (94%) patients. The cost gain from this antibiotic therapy switch was €24 501 in 6 months. Conclusion This study showed a respect of ceftobiprole use in this protocol. Most of the prescriptions were compliant with protocol (indications, administrations). If mecA search was negative, the relay was appropriate mainly by cefepime. The economic gain was demonstrated over this period, but it will be reassessed with the arrival of the generic of daptomycin. References and/or acknowledgements No conflict of interest.


This document describes the requirement for encoding international
characters into DNS names and records. This document is guidance for
developing protocols for internationalized domain names.


Epinets presents a new way to think about social networks, which focuses on the knowledge that underlies our social interactions. Guiding readers through the web of beliefs that networked individuals have about each other and probing into what others think, this book illuminates the deeper character and influence of relationships among social network participants.Drawing on artificial intelligence, the philosophy of language, and epistemic game theory, Moldoveanu and Baum formulate a lexicon and array of conceptual tools that enable readers to explain, predict, and shape the fabric and behavior of social networks. With an innovative and strategically-minded look at the assumptions that enable and clog our networks, this book lays the groundwork for a leap forward in our understanding of human relations.


By Testing tension coupon, deviation of yield strength & tensile strength of SS and SM is big but the that of SN is small relatively. So Designing weak beam type frame by using SN could be reflected well the original intention. As the strength ratios of beam and column becomes large, the absorption energy is large. The increase quantity was linear relationship, the y=0.46x+0.62 (R2=0.82).


The importance of Brazilian bioethanol as biofuel has been increasing significantly. Its origin from renewable sugar cane is able to reduce carbon in the atmosphere and is one of the factors that contribute for reducing global warming. Because of the difficulty in measuring pH in nonaqueous solutions, Inmetro, the Brazilian Metrology Institute, has focused its attention on the needs for accurate and reliable pH measurements, as part of its work in developing and producing certified reference material (CRM) of bioethanol. This paper aims to present the studies of pH measurement in CRM of bioethanol from sugar cane (approximately 99.6 % ethanol content) using two commercial pH electrodes with different internal filling electrolytic solutions. One electrode, containing potassium chloride (KCl), was specified in the American standard, ASTM D6423, and the other one, containing lithium chloride (LiCl), was specified in the Brazilian standard, ABNT NBR 10891, and European standard EN 15490. These studies have shown that there was a significant difference among the pH values (more than 1.0 pH unit) measured by the different electrodes related to its internal filling solution. The results have shown that a harmonization of the standardization on the pH measurement is needed in order to make possible its use and application as analytical parameter.


Background: Over the years, Dengue fever outbreaks are increasing both in number and distribution in India. Subjects and Methods: In this study all probable cases of dengue fever in age group 2-14 years were included in study. Their detailed clinical and laboratory profile were recorded in pre designed proforma. Cases were classified according to WHO 2009 classification. Patients with positive for Dengue markers (IgM/NS1 antigen) are considered as Dengue fever. Results: Total of 50 cases were included in the study out of these 56% were males and 44% were females with majority of them were in 6-14 years of age.  Majority of patients presented with headache (88%) followed by muscular pain(82%). Hess test, positive in (24%), with Spleenomegaly in 16% and Hepatomegaly in 14%. Lab parameters revealed thrombocytopenia and leucopenia. Only 2% patient expired with 88% were discharged with improvement. A total of 38% subjects had dengue like fever, 26% subjects presented with dengue, 34% had dengue with warning signs and 2% subjects had severe dengue. Conclusion: Dengue fever can presents with varied clinical and laboratory manifestation. Early diagnosis and appropriate management can reduce morbidity and mortality markedly.


The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is currently testing clinical indicators that will become an important part of hospital quality assurance programs. Implementation of clinical indicators may necessitate more extensive data collection than is now being done. This article reviews important considerations in the development of a data collection system that facilitates the evaluation of indicators of clinical performance. The evolution of the system currently used by the Nutritional Support Service at Pennsylvania Hospital is provided.


For the purpose of investigating a topographical correlation between antigen molecules and protein A-gold(PAG) particles which localized as an immunocytochemical probe, the simplest model on a localization pattern of antigen molecules, which were arranged two-dimensionally on a plane surface of the resin, was used. Ultrathin sections of a G-actin layer, which was adsorbed on epoxy resin and was re-embedded subsequently in JB-4 resin, was stained indirectly with rabbit anti-actin antibody and subsequently by PAG. From this immunoelectron microscopy, a histogram (relative frequency, denoted by y vs. relative length, denoted by x) was obtained using a computer-assisted method. For this histogram, a fitting curve was calculated by a least squares optimization and three parameters (H, U, and W) of the curve which could be useful for a study on the topographical organization of antigen molecules were estimated. Parameter H (maximum y of the curve) would reflect the maximum amount of epitopes at x = U. Half width W, which is the width of the curve at y = H/2, would reflect a breath of epitope masses. This fitting curve was separated into two overlapping curves whose Ws were different from each other. The one constituent curve of which value W was smaller than the other was regarded as a unit curve and the other constituent curve could be resolved into many unit curves whose W values are the same. From these unit curves, the resolution power of the immunoelectron microscopy, using a post-embedding procedure of ultrathin sections, was estimated as 58-66 A degrees.


the internationalization of business transactions, business expansion through mergers and acquisitions, and the interest of covering more diversified investment portfolios, require agencies to draft uniform accounting standards across countries to allow comparability of financial information for these new "multinational companies" (Zeff, 2012). thus, in 1973 arises the IASC, based in London as a first attempt to establish international basic standards called International Accounting Standards. this article is a historical overview of the institutions involved in the formulation of these rules, the implications that its implementation has had on the financial statements, how some countries have made adjustments to them and what are the main challenges that the IASB should face in the future.


We describe a case of a delayed liver abscess presenting two years after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. At exploration, the patient was found to have an unretrieved gallstone as the nidus for the Streptococcus bovis abscess.


Aiming to achieve efficient activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the expansion of the structure- and ligand-based drug design approaches was adopted, which has been recently reported by our research group. Purine ring is a corner stone in the development of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitors. The privileged purine scaffold was elaborated to achieve additional affinity based on hybridization and fragment-based approaches. Thus, the characteristic pharmacophoric features that are required for the inhibition of Mpro and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2 were utilized along with the crystal structure information of both targets. The designed pathways involved rationalized hybridization with large sulfonamide moieties and a carboxamide fragment for the synthesis of ten new dimethylxanthine derivatives. The synthesis was performed under diverse conditions to afford N-alkylated xanthine derivatives, and cyclization afforded tricyclic compounds. Molecular modeling simulations were used to confirm and gain insights into the binding interactions at both targets' active sites. The merit of designed compounds and the in silico studies resulted in the selection of three compounds that were evaluated in vitro to estimate their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 (compounds 5, 9a and 19 with IC50 values of 38.39, 8.86 and 16.01 μM, respectively). Furthermore, oral toxicity of the selected antiviral candidates was predicted, in addition to cytotoxicity investigations. Compound 9a showed IC50 values of 8.06 and 3.22 μM against Mpro and RdRp of SARS-CoV-2, respectively, in addition to promising molecular dynamics stability in both target active sites. The current findings encourage further specificity evaluations of the promising compounds for confirming their specific protein targeting.


Abstarct. The study demonstrated that eight weeks after ovariectomy in female white Wistar rats endothelial dysfunction of bone microvasculature and deterioration of regional blood flow in bone develops, leading to the emergence of generalized osteoporosis. Nanoparticulated forms of losartan and resveratrol, possessing endothelioprotective action, effectively prevents the reduction of regional microcirculation in bone tissue, keeping it at the level of intact rats. It is allowed to maintain an adequate level of bone remodeling processes, which manifested in slowing of the thinning of bone trabeculae and preventing the occurrence of their microfractures.


Newborns' susceptibility to infection is mainly attributed to decreased neutrophil bone marrow reserves and peripheral blood neutropenia. However, the regulation of neonatal neutrophil kinetics in sepsis remains poorly understood. We demonstrate herein that the developmental endothelial locus (DEL-1) is elevated in early life and is integral to a protective host response in neonates, by supporting emergency granulopoiesis. DEL-1-deficient neonate mouse pups subjected to sepsis displayed diminished bone marrow numbers of neutrophils and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, leading to neutropenia, exaggerated bacteremia, and increased mortality; defects that were rescued by DEL-1 administration. Contrary to adult mice, DEL-1 was not downregulated upon neonatal sepsis. The sustained production of DEL-1 under newborn sepsis was attributed to a high IL-10/IL-17A ratio, as we IL-10 upregulated DEL-1. The expression of DEL-1 and its effect in emergency granulopoiesis in neonates was diminished by anti-IL-10-Receptor blockage. Consistent with the mouse findings, DEL-1 and neutrophil numbers were higher in septic human adult and neonate patients with high IL-10/IL-17A ratio. Furthermore, septic patients with high DEL-1 exhibited lower mortality rates compared to patients with low DEL-1. These findings highlight the role of a hitherto unappreciated IL-10–DEL-1 axis in supporting emergency granulopoiesis, preventing neutropenia and promoting sepsis survival in early life.


Data are the information we use as the basis for reasoning, analysis, and debate. They are the factual currency for evidence-based policy making. In a data-driven utopia, data would be highly valued and demanded and used ethically and effectively. But data travel a long journey, gaining value as they go, before they achieve their highest purpose. The data value chain provides a framework through which to visualize the life cycle of data, from defining a need to using them for impact.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Unlike the well-known effects of promoter methylation, the functional significance of altered intragenic (gene body) CpG methylation remains unclear, particularly in genes such as the TP53 tumor suppressor which lack a 5′ CpG island. Here we show that CpG-specific demethylation of TP53 exon 5 in normal human and mouse cells is inducible by X-irradiation; this is accompanied by co-expression of a 5′-truncated TP53 isoform, raising the possibility that demethylation permits transcription from the known alternative promoter (P2) in intron 4. Consistent with this, in vivo expression of fully pre-methylated TP53 exonic constructs is associated with reduced basal and damage-inducible expression of both full-length and truncated TP53. In contrast, virally TP53-reconstituted Caco-2 and PC-3 human cancer cell lines respond to damage by upregulating expression of full-length TP53 and reducing expression of the truncated RNA isoform; CDKN1A expression varies directly with P2 isoform expression but inversely with the P1 transcript in these cells, suggesting that the isoform mediates downstream transactivation. 450K methylation analysis of adjacent normal and TP53-mutated human pancreatic cancer tissues suggests a mutation-specific decrease of intragenic TP53 methylation in intron 1 near P1 (p < 0.02 ) and a reciprocal increase in intron 4 near P2 (p < 0.01). Archival TP53 database analysis indicates that CpG-specific mutation frequency in human tumors is inversely associated with damage-inducible demethylation at the same sites in vitro (Spearman coefficient -7.1 ), consistent with methylation-dependent downregulation of transcription-coupled repair. We conclude that intragenic alterations of TP53 methylation are both physiologically inducible and functional, and hypothesise that tumor progression is drivable by either (i) intragenic hypermethylation affecting P1 as a field defect in TP53-wt tumor or adjacent normal tissues, or (ii) damage-inducible repression of P2 isoform expression associated with defective intron 4 demethylation, together with overexpression of full-length p53, in TP53-mutant tumors and cells.

Citation Format: James Blackburn, Robert Ng, Daniel Roden, Jianmin Wu, Richard J. Epstein. Damage-inducible intragenic demethylation activates transcription of an alternative intronic promoter in TP53-wildtype but not mutant human cells and tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-85. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-85


This book, comprising a collection of articles edited by John Dawson and Masao Mukoyama, will appeal to a wide audience of both academics and practitioners. With contributions from international scholars, the volume offers a comprehensive overview of history, contemporary practices, and future directions of retail internationalization with particular focus on Asian and European companies. Within its eleven chapters it blends conceptual, empirical, and case study-based papers linked through the application of the global portfolio strategy paradigm. The reader is steered from discussion of the broader industry-wide context and historical evolution of international retailing to more textured analyses of present day retailer strategies.


This research aims to develop a mathematics learning tool using model-eliciting activities with problem cards to build the self-confidence of junior high school students in Indonesia. It implements the ASSURE method, which comprises the following six steps: Analyze Learners; State Objectives; Select Methods, Media, and Materials; Utilize Materials; Require Learner Participation; and Evaluate and Revise. The assessment was provided by experts in learning materials, learning tools, and learning media, with all indicating positive feedback. Respectively, the scores were 88%, 91.2%, and 80%, leading to the conclusion that this tool is valid and proper. Other findings of this study show that the average learning that resulted from the experimental class was better than that of the control class. The learners in the experimental class achieved an average score of 82.9, substantially higher than the minimum mastery criteria of 70. In contrast, the average score for the control class was 65.5. This leads to the conclusion that using model-eliciting activities and a valid set of problem cards helps to shape the confidence of junior high school students.


ABSTRACT Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the major cause of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis in many developing countries and is also endemic in many industrialized countries. Due to the lack of an effective cell culture system and a practical animal model, the mechanisms of HEV pathogenesis and replication are poorly understood. Our recent identification of swine HEV from pigs affords us an opportunity to systematically study HEV replication and pathogenesis in a swine model. In an early study, we experimentally infected specific-pathogen-free pigs with two strains of HEV: swine HEV and the US-2 strain of human HEV. Eighteen pigs (group 1) were inoculated intravenously with swine HEV, 19 pigs (group 2) were inoculated with the US-2 strain of human HEV, and 17 pigs (group 3) were used as uninoculated controls. The clinical and pathological findings have been previously reported. In this expanded study, we aim to identify the potential extrahepatic sites of HEV replication using the swine model. Two pigs from each group were necropsied at 3, 7, 14, 20, 27, and 55 days postinoculation (DPI). Thirteen different types of tissues and organs were collected from each necropsied animal. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) was used to detect the presence of positive-strand HEV RNA in each tissue collected during necropsy at different DPI. A negative-strand-specific RT-PCR was standardized and used to detect the replicative, negative strand of HEV RNA from tissues that tested positive for the positive-strand RNA. As expected, positive-strand HEV RNA was detected in almost every type of tissue at some time point during the viremic period between 3 and 27 DPI. Positive-strand HEV RNA was still detectable in some tissues in the absence of serum HEV RNA from both swine HEV- and human HEV-inoculated pigs. However, replicative, negative-strand HEV RNA was detected primarily in the small intestines, lymph nodes, colons, and livers. Our results indicate that HEV replicates in tissues other than the liver. The data from this study may have important implications for HEV pathogenesis, xenotransplantation, and the development of an in vitro cell culture system for HEV.


The empirical evidence that institutional differences across countries affect bilateral trade is robust. The crucial question remains how countries can enhance trade amid these differences. In this paper, we measure the degree to which governance and institutions differ between countries as "governance distance". Using a sample of EU/EFTA imports, we examine how the adoption of private food standards and certifications modify the effect of governance distance on exports within a structural gravity framework. Our results show that while increasing governance distance hinders bilateral trade, the interaction of standards and the governance distance is positively associated with exports, hence partially offsetting their direct trade–inhibiting effects. GlobalGAP certified countries see the trade-inhibiting effects of governance distance on their exports reduced by about 50%, ceteris paribus.


Bovine oocytes are damaged when chilled to temperatures near 0°C. We have determined the temperatures at which this injury occurs, as well as its kinetics and the functional consequences for oocytes both at the germinal vesicle‐stage (GV) and after in vitro maturation (IVM). Cooling GV oocytes had no effect on their nuclear maturation or fertilization. Compared to control oocytes held at 30°C, the development of GV oocytes into blastocysts following maturation and fertilization was unaffected by cooling them to 20°C for 30 min (blastocyst formation: 25% vs 26%, respectively), but development decreased after cooling them to 10° and 0°C (blastocyst: 6% and 1%, respectively). Cooling oocytes after maturation gave similar results, with no difference between controls and oocytes cooled to 20°C (blastocyst: 25% and 26%, respectively). However, cooling them to 10° and O°C did reduce development (blastocyst: 8% and 3%, respectively). Chilling oocytes to 0°C for 30.sec reduced their cleavage and blastocyst formation by >40%; there was a high negative correlation between the length of exposure and subsequent survival, both for GV‐stage and for IVM oocytes. The extreme sensitivity of both GV and IVM oocytes to chilling can explain the limited success obtained for cryopreservation of bovine oocytes by conventional slow‐cooling procedures. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This paper describes how we applied a fuzzy technique to a data-mining task involving a large database that was provided by an international bank with offices in Hong Kong. The database contains the demographic data of over 320,000 customers and their banking transactions, which were collected over a six-month period. By mining the database, the bank would like to be able to discover interesting patterns in the data. The bank expected that the hidden patterns would reveal different characteristics about different customers so that they could better serve and retain them. To help the bank achieve its goal, we developed a fuzzy technique, called fuzzy association rule mining II (FARM II). FARM II is able to handle both relational and transactional data. It can also handle fuzzy data. The former type of data allows FARM II to discover multidimensional association rules, whereas the latter data allows some of the patterns to be more easily revealed and expressed. To effectively uncover the hidden associations in the bank-account database, FARM II performs several steps which are described in detail in this paper. With FARM II, the bank discovered that they had identified some interesting characteristics about the customers who had once used the bank's loan services but then decided later to cease using them. The bank translated what they discovered into actionable items by offering some incentives to retain their existing customers.