growth or accretion is such as occurs in Annulose and not in Molluscous shells. One of the specimens contains a Ditrupa and a Spirorbis both of which exhibit precisely the same kind of microscopic structure." While some of the supposed patelliform shells cannot be placed among the Mollusca, one form, of which there are two specimens, is very well preserved and distinct. I t is referred by Gwyn Jeffreys to the genus Sipponyx, of which no upper valves were known previously from any strata below the Maestricht Limestone, although the lower valves or shelly bases had been met with in both the Chalk and Greensand in England. They are from the Glauconitic Marls of the Black Mountain, Belfast, from the zone of Pecten asper of Barrois. I have also received within the past week a new Emarginula from the Grey Chalk near Folkestone, which differs markedly from the only form hitherto known, E. Gresslyi, from that locality. I hope to illustrate both these in a future number of the GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE.


The effect of prior plastic deformation on the precipitation kinetics of europium-doped NaCl, KCl and KBr has been analysed using optical absorption, photoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance techniques. In the host NaCl, plastic deformation produces a considerable influence on the Eu precipitation processes into the metastable and stable phases. The introduction of defects by mechanical treatment strongly favours the formation of a second phase precipitate which does not nucleate in the undeformed samples and which can be tentatively identified as either NaEuCl3 or Na2EuCl4. In contrast, in the hosts KCl and KBr, plastic deformation does not influence Eu precipitation into the metastable phase which nucleates at low temperatures (<100 degrees C) and was previously related with the Suzuki phase, indicating that the nucleation of this phase is homogeneous. However, the rate of Eu precipitation into metastable and stable phases with EuX2 structure (X=Cl, Br) which nucleate at high temperatures ( approximately 200 degrees C) is enhanced in the plastically deformed samples, suggesting that the nucleation of these phases is heterogeneous. The effect of dislocation on pre-existing Eu second phase precipitates in both KCl and KBr has also been investigated. The results suggest that moving dislocations cause the re-solution of the preexisting Suzuki precipitates, creating complexes of a much simpler nature, while they create plate-like zones when acting on pre-existing stable dihalide EuX2 second phase precipitates.


The purpose of this study was to investigate and evaluate both ovariectomy and ovariohysterectomy, as an important surgical method used for sterilization of the female cats. Ovariohysterectomy and ovariectomy for elective sterilization were performed on 50 healthy female cats related to breeds of Siamese, Persion Turkish angora and Native breeds. The ovarioectomy and ovariohysterectomy operations differ significantly (P< 0.01) among the sterilized cats. The number of cats that occur to them ovariohysterectomy (60 %), while, those occur to them ovarioectomy reached to (40 %) from the total number of sterilized cats. Ovariohysterectomy, or Spaying is considered a routine abdominal operation and the best age for cats is before puberty. The procedure is done with the animal under general anesthesia and consists of a small incision in the abdomen for removal of the ovaries and uterus. It could be concluded that, the elective sterilization of female cat could be done by ovarioectomy and/or ovariohysterectomy, which is considered a simple, easy and effective techniques for spay in female cats. Spay of the female cats is an important part of basic cat health care. Spaying at a young age prevents mammary cancer and spaying at any age prevents unwanted kittens, noisy heat cycles, and possibly even urine marking in the house.


Left ventricular hypertrophy in guinea pigs was produced by partial constriction of the ascending aorta. 65-70 d after surgery, the animals were sacrificed and the hearts were mounted on a working heart apparatus. Results showed that all parameters of cardiac function in the hypertrophied (HT) group were depressed. The dose-response (D-R) curves for histamine (H) in the HT group shifted leftward and upward as compared with the sham-operated (S) group. In the presence of pyrilamine (P), the D-R curves for H shifted to the left in the S group, but the curves shifted to the right in the HT group. In the presence of cimetidine (C), the D-R curves for H shifted downward and rightward in both groups. In contrast to H, the D-R curves for norepinephrine (NE) on LVP/HW and CBF/HW in the HT group shifted rightward and downward as compared with the S group. These results indicate that the sensitivity of H2 receptors in hypertrophied heart was increased and that of beta receptors was slightly decreased, suggesting a possible beneficial effect of H2 receptor agonists in the treatment of certain types of cardiac failure, which are insensitive to catecholamine stimulation.


Introduction: Child's birth weight (BW) is an important aspect not only during childhood but also affects morbidity and mortality in adulthood. The focus of this study is to examine the role of different socioeconomic factors, along with women's decision-making autonomy on the determination of infant BW. Methods: The dataset was obtained from the National Family Health Survey, India (2005-06). The respondents were women of reproductive age (15-49 years) having at least one living child at least five years old preceding the survey. This study considered only the last single live birth child having a recorded BW at the time of delivery. Results: The results showed that 19% of the infants were born with low birth weight (LBW) with regional variations ranging from 13% to 27%. The mean BW of infants of mothers from high autonomy category was 2.90±0.645 kg, while that of mothers with low autonomy was 2.75±0.702 kg. The proportion of LBW infants was significantly higher among mothers with low education, short stature, low BMI and poor wealth index category. Percentage of LBW infants were lower among mothers with autonomy including taking care of their own health (18% versus 21% who were not), making large purchases (17% vs 22%), visiting relatives (18% vs 22%), and allowed to go to the market (18% vs 22%). Conclusion: The findings indicated that the mother's freedom of movement and financial independence were significantly associated with infant's BW in India. Attention should be given to improving the socio-economic conditions and empowerment of Indian women.


The northward shift of the Western North Pacific Subtropical High (WNPSH) in July 2018 broke the historical record since 1958 and resulted in extreme heat waves and casualties across Northeast Asia (NEA). In the present work, we associated this extreme WNPSH anomaly with the anomalies of barotropic anticyclone above NEA originating from the strongest positive tripole pattern of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the North Atlantic in July. Both data analysis and numerical experiments indicated that the positive tripole SSTA pattern could produce an upper-tropospheric wave source over Europe, which stimulated an eastward propagating wave train along the subpolar westerly jet over the Eurasian Continent. When its anticyclonic node reached NEA, the WNPSH started to shift northward. After the cyclonic node in the circulation anomaly encountered the Tibetan Plateau (TP), atmospheric diabatic heating was enhanced over the eastern TP, initiating another subtropical wave train, which furthered the northward shift of the WNPSH. Therefore, the wave source over Europe was critical for the northward shift of the WNPSH in July, connecting the tripole SSTA pattern in the North Atlantic with the WNPSH anomaly and maintaining the downstream effects of thermal forcing over the eastern TP on the Asian summer monsoon.


We have chemically synthesized NGR-LDP-PYM, a novel CD13/aminopeptidase (APN)-targeting and hydrolase-resistant conjugate by cross-linking of the antitumor antibiotic pingyangmycin (bleomycin A5 , PYM) to an engineered NGR motif-integrated apoprotein (NGR-LDP) with a noncleavable linker. This protein-drug conjugate not only basically retains the original properties of PYM but also can specifically deliver PYM to the CD13/APN-expressing tumor cells. Furthermore, the resulting conjugate exhibits more resistance to hydrolysis of recombinant human bleomycin hydrolase than parental PYM. These results may be useful for improving the therapeutic efficacy of PYM and have implications in the treatment of PYM-refractory and CD13/APN-overexpressing tumors.


Interspecific and intraspecific aggressive interactions in the coexisting crayfish species Astacus astacus and Pacifastacus leniusculus were experimentally studied in the laboratory. Pacifastacus leniusculus strongly dominated aggressive interactions with similar-sized A. astacus in heterospecific pairs of juveniles and adults. Pairs of young-of-the-year were considerably less aggressive than the larger body-size groups, and in this size group neither species was aggressively dominant. The two species showed substantial differences in patterns of aggressive behaviour. A higher frequency of unilateral aggressive acts and much lower frequency and shorter duration of fights in P. leniusculus pairs indicate that this species is more inclined to establish a dominance order than A. astacus. The aggressive dominance of P. leniusculus over A. astacus indicates that P. leniusculus might be able to competitively exclude A. astacus when the species are competing for a limited resource.


Rapid evolution has led to a large diversity in the sizes and morphology of male genitals across taxa, but the mechanisms driving this evolution remain controversial. In this study, we investigated the function of male genital sclerites in the adzuki bean beetle (Callosobruchus chinensis) and compared the length and morphology of genital sclerites between two populations that vary in their degree of polyandry. We found that the length of male genital sclerites was negatively correlated with copulation duration but positively correlated with the speed of matings with multiple females. Additionally, we found that the average length and number of genital sclerite spines of males from the more polyandrous population were larger than those from the less polyandrous population. We suggest that the genital sclerite of male adzuki bean beetles evolved by sexual selection, and a larger genital sclerite has a selective advantage because it allows for rapid copulations with multiple females.


A simulation study was conducted to examine the performance of several confidence intervals (CIs) for Kendall's tau (txy) under a variety of population conditions. Two normal population variables (N = 10,000) were transformed to have tau correlations, τ = 0, .19, .41, or.71. Samples (n = 10, 50, 200) were drawn from the transformed populations 2000 times under each level of correlation, and accompanying CIs were computed on each sample. The results show that the CI for τ based on a consistent estimate of the variance of txy has the best coverage and power among a number of alternatives. Kendall's txy is unaffected by non-normality induced by monotonic transformations and, with its consistent variance estimated from the sample, performs well under a wide range of conditions.


Smooth muscle calcium sensitization reflects an inhibition of myosin light chain phosphatase (SMPP-1m) activity; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. SMPP-1m activity can be modulated through phosphorylation of the myosin targeting subunit (MYPT1) by the endogenous myosin phosphatase-associated kinase, MYPT1 kinase (MacDonald, J. A., Borman, M. A., Muranyi, A., Somlyo, A. V., Hartshorne, D. J., and Haystead, T. A. (2001)Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 98, 2419–2424). Recombinant chicken gizzard MYPT1 (M130) was phosphorylated in vitro by a recombinant MYPT1 kinase, and the sites of phosphorylation were identified as Thr654, Ser808, and Thr675. Introduction of recombinant MYPT1 kinase elicited a calcium-independent contraction in β-escin-permeabilized rabbit ileal smooth muscle. Using an antibody that specifically recognizes MYPT1 phosphorylated at Thr654(M130 numbering), we determined that this calcium-independent contraction was correlated with an increase in MYPT1 phosphorylation. These results indicate that SMPP-1m phosphorylation by MYPT1 kinase is a mechanism of smooth muscle calcium sensitization.


The accessibility of the s(4)U base in native tRNA(Val) from E.coli was monitored by studying the binding of various mercurials. The relative binding order HgBr(2)[unk]HgCl(2)>>CH(3)HgOAc[unk]CH(3)HgCl[unk]PCMB parallels approximately the steric requirements of linear HgX(2) or RHgX compounds for S(N)2 displacement by sulfur, although other factors are operative. Para-chloromercuri-benzoate (PCMB) does not bind the thiolated nucleotide unless the tertiary structure of the tRNA is opened up by removal of Mg(2+) ions and heating to 40 degrees . Under these conditions, equilibrium dialysis measurements using (14)C-labeled PCMB showed one binding site (n = 0.93) with an association constant, K(1), of 9 x 10(4)M(-1).


Ab initio gene prediction and evidence alignment were used to produce the first annotations for the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) genome. We also describe a genome browser, hosted by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, that provides simplified access to the annotation data in context with the genomic sequence. The present study extends the utility of the fathead minnow genome and supports the continued development of this species as a model organism for predictive toxicology. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3436–3442. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.


Fluorescence is widely used in DNA sequencing and genetic analysis. Novel fluorescence techniques for studying nucleic acids and other biologically important molecules are constantly being developed. In order to provide efficient probes with desired fluorescent properties, new fluorophores and nucleic acids labelling chemistries are required. The synthesis of various cyanine dyes derivatives is described in this thesis. Dyes were designed for NHS-ester and click chemistry labelling of oligonucleotides. Additionally the synthesis of disperse blue quencher and a 2?-mesyl-modified thymidine monomer are also presented. A simple and convenient method of oligonucleotide labelling was developed. This method utilises the copper-catalysed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction (known as click chemistry) between alkyne-modified cyanine dyes and azide modified oligonucleotides. The conditions of the labelling were optimised and have proved efficient for solid-phase and solution-phase labelling of oligonucleotides with alkyne-functionalised dyes. Click labelling was applied for the preparation of a series of HyBeacon probes and their fluorescence properties were investigated. The click-labelled HyBeacons were compared with HyBeacons labelled with standard cyanine dye NHS-esters showing improvements in the properties of the probes labelled by click chemistry. The thesis also contains a detailed discussion of the photophysical properties of free cyanine dyes in solution and while attached to oligonucleotide probes.


Purpose – The aim of this study is to examine relation between employees' participation in the organizations decisions making and their psychological empowerment in Iran Telecommunication Company subsidiary of Mazanderan Province.
Design / methodology /approach- 250 employees from the Iran Telecommunication Company subsidiary of Mazanderan Province participated in this study. A Spearman's correlation analysis was used to investigate correlation between participation employees in decision making and psychological empowerment among employees Telecommunication Company of Mazanderan Province.
Finding – the findings of this study have shown that higher levels of PDM are associated with significantly higher Competence, Meaningfulness, Impact and Self-determination (p_value>0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between employees' participation decisions making and total dimension empowerment. Coefficient correlation PDM and empowerment is 0.71 that indictor relation strengthens between two variables.


This paper develops a theory for group Lasso using a concept called strong group sparsity. Our result shows that group Lasso is superior to standard Lasso for strongly group-sparse signals. This provides a convincing theoretical justification for using group sparse regularization when the underlying group structure is consistent with the data. Moreover, the theory predicts some limitations of the group Lasso formulation that are confirmed by simulation studies.


Introduction: the article deals with the modern system of sources of financial law in Russia. This article proves that the system of sources of financial law is a complex, multi-level, hierarchical and dynamic formation characterized by a variety and specific diversity of elements, which is not arbitrary or random.Materials and methods. The methodological basis for this research is a set of methods of scientific knowledge: the analytical method, the method of synthesis and generalization of information. The study of this problem is based on the use of various methods of general scientific and special legal nature: dogmatic analysis, interpretation of legal norms, detailed study of the features of financial and legal documents, logical method, etc.Results. The analysis showed that the development of sources of financial law in Russia at the present stage is characterized by the presence of a three-level system: federal, regional and municipal levels, and the hierarchical sequence and their interaction is determined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The system of sources of financial law in Russia consists of: The Constitution of the Russian Federation, international treaties and international legal norms, federal constitutional laws, federal laws, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, orders of the Government of the Russian Federation, laws of the entities of the Russian Federation, decisions of local self-government bodies and other normative legal acts.Discussion and conclusion. As a result of the conducted research, it can be concluded that in order to systematize and logically complete the organization of the modern system of sources of financial law in Russia, it is necessary to adopt a single codified act regulating financial relations at various levels of the legal hierarchy.


We examine the existence of the value premium in the returns of the value industry index for large firms in Japan. This paper's contributions are first, we statistically found that the value premium existed in the returns of the Russell-Nomura overall index for large firms from July 2001 to March 2012. Second, we also clarified that out of 29 Russell-Nomura large-size industry indices, 20 industries had the value premium for July 2001 to March 2012. Further, we empirically demonstrated that through all our three sub-periods, in four industries of Foods, Pharmaceutical, Transportation Equipments, and Wholesale Trade, the value premium existed. Finally, we further clarified that after the US Lehman Shock, the value premium still existed in 17 index returns out of 29 RussellNomura large-size industry index returns.


Central pattern generators (CPGs) in the brain stem are considered to underlie vocalizations in many vertebrate species, but the detailed mechanisms underlying how motor rhythms are generated, coordinated, and initiated remain unclear. We addressed these issues using isolated brain preparations of Xenopus laevis from which fictive vocalizations can be elicited. Advertisement calls of male X. laevis that consist of fast and slow trills are generated by vocal CPGs contained in the brain stem. Brain stem central vocal pathways consist of a premotor nucleus [dorsal tegmental area of medulla (DTAM)] and a laryngeal motor nucleus [a homologue of nucleus ambiguus (n.IX-X)] with extensive reciprocal connections between the nuclei. In addition, DTAM receives descending inputs from the extended amygdala. We found that unilateral transection of the projections between DTAM and n.IX-X eliminated premotor fictive fast trill patterns but did not affect fictive slow trills, suggesting that the fast and slow trill CPGs are distinct; the slow trill CPG is contained in n.IX-X, and the fast trill CPG spans DTAM and n.IX-X. Midline transections that eliminated the anterior, posterior, or both commissures caused no change in the temporal structure of fictive calls, but bilateral synchrony was lost, indicating that the vocal CPGs are contained in the lateral halves of the brain stem and that the commissures synchronize the two oscillators. Furthermore, the elimination of the inputs from extended amygdala to DTAM, in addition to the anterior commissure, resulted in autonomous initiation of fictive fast but not slow trills by each hemibrain stem, indicating that the extended amygdala provides a bilateral signal to initiate fast trills.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY
Central pattern generators (CPGs) are considered to underlie vocalizations in many vertebrate species, but the detailed mechanisms underlying their functions remain unclear. We addressed this question using an isolated brain preparation of African clawed frogs. We discovered that two vocal phases are mediated by anatomically distinct CPGs, that there are a pair of CPGs contained in the left and right half of the brain stem, and that mechanisms underlying initiation of the two vocal phases are distinct.


Abstract Pain is prevalent in our society, affecting more than a quarter-million U.S. adults and leading to poor patient outcomes. At the Veteran's Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), a Telephone Pain Clinic (TPC) was developed to improve these outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of TPC in improving neuropathic pain. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the VASDHS comparing pre- and post- self-rated Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11), an 11-point scale from 0 to 10 with 0 equaling no pain and 10 equaling most severe pain. Patients were included if they were referred and enrolled to the TPC for neuropathic pain. They were excluded if they were co-managed by another pain provider or were referred for any other pain conditions. A total of 830 TPC patients were screened between January 2008 to December 2009 and 52 patients met criteria. Patients who participated in the clinic were found to have a significant 0.83 (p = 0.014) reduction in mean pain score from baseline (6.62, SD 1.96) to discharge (5.79, SD 2.49). At discharge, pain medications that were increased were use of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), pregabalin, and capsaicin. Management by the TPC showed promise and trends toward reducing pain experienced by patients with diabetic neuropathy, fibromyalgia, or postherpetic neuralgia. The TPC also may be more effective in maximizing evidenced-based pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain, suggesting expertise by pharmacist clinical specialists.


&NA; Baylor Health Care System* has a long history of addressing health disparities at its hospitals and clinics and in the communities it serves. The organization's definition of health equity has evolved from simply providing care that looks the same for all patients to providing care that is tailored to and effective at producing equitable outcomes for the highly diverse populations of North Texas. Baylor's overarching framework for achieving health equity requires work in three dimensions: improving access to care, improving care delivery, and ultimately producing equitable outcomes for patients. The strategies and tactics used by Baylor have also evolved over time and range from initiatives supporting volunteerism and community service to the operation of a network of clinics tailored to meet the needs of uninsured and underinsured patients. The factors contributing to disparities among different populations include a broad range of health system, medical, and societal issues, many of which are outside the direct scope of influence of hospitals and other healthcare organizations. We share how Baylor has proactively addressed disparities within the organization and its community in the hope of encouraging other hospitals and providers to engage in similar efforts to improve care for all patients.


Bronchodilators remain central to the symptomatic management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, and, for this reason and also because the patent protection of many bronchodilators has expired, several companies have reinitiated research into the field. The only limits set for the development of a long-lasting bronchodilator with a new product profile are medical needs and marketing opportunities. The incorporation of once-daily dose administration is an important strategy for improving adherence and is a regimen preferred by most patients. A variety of β2-agonists and antimuscarinic agents with longer half-lives and inhalers containing a combination of several classes of long-acting bronchodilator are currently under development. The present article reviews all of the most important compounds under development, describing what has been done and discussing their genuine advantage.


Improving DNA vaccination remains a fundamental goal in vaccine research. Theoretically, this could be achieved by molecules encoded by DNA capable of activating TLRs to mimic inflammatory responses generated by infection. Therefore, we constructed an expression vector that allows mammalian cells to express the TLR5 agonist flagellin (FliC) at the cell surface. In vitro, cell lines expressing FliC stimulated production of proinflammatory cytokines and the up-regulation of costimulatory molecules on monocytes. Mice given the FliC expression vector intradermally exhibited site-specific inflammation and, in combination with vectors expressing Ags, developed dramatic increases in Ag-specific IgG as well as IgA. Surprisingly, mice also developed strong Ag-specific MHC class I-restricted cellular immunity. To determine whether vaccination using FliC vectors could elicit protective immunity to an infectious agent, mice were given dermal injections of FliC expression vector together with a vector encoding the influenza A virus nucleoprotein. This vaccination strategy elicited protective immunity to lethal influenza A virus infection. These results demonstrate that expression of DNA-encoded TLR agonists by mammalian cells greatly enhance and broaden immune responses, imposing new possibilities on DNA vaccination to infectious agents and cancer.


This paper discusses the solar orientation of the archaeological complex of Sigiriya, the Lion Rock, in Sri Lanka. We can see that the axis of this complex is oriented with the sunset of the zenithal sun.


The present study is to investigate the effect of heat input on the microstructure, tensile properties and toughness of single-pass submerged arc bead-in-groove welds produced on SA508 class 3 steels. The heat input was varied in the range of 1.6, 3.2 and 5.0 kJ/mm. The toughness of weld metals was evaluated by using subsize Charpy V-notch specimens in the temperature range of -190℃ to 20℃. The weld microstructure and fractography were observed by optical and scanning electron microscopies, respectively.
With increasing heat inputs, tensile strength and hardness of weld metals were decreased while elongation was increased. The poor notch toughness at 1.6 kJ/mm was attributed to the formation of ferrite with aligned second phase and banitic microstructure with high yield strength while that at 5.0 kJ/mm was due to the presence of grain boundary and polygonal ferrites. The microstructure of the intermediate energy input welds consisted of a high proportion of acicular ferrite with limited polygonal ferrites, which provide improved notch toughness.


Traditional research comparing the effects of individualized instruction and conventional modes of instruction has been inconclusive. Naturalistic research dealing with the process of innovation as a critical issue was proposed as an alternative. Thus, the purpose of the study was to investigate the dynamics of change at the classroom level through identifying factors influencing change, as perceived by administrators, teachers, pupils, and investigator-observer. Ten teachers participated in an in-service experience in individualized instruction, which consisted of a series of workshops and regular classroom visits conducted by the investigator-observer. Additional data were obtained from teachers' diaries, informal pupil reactions, and interviews with a comparison group of teachers and administrators. Factors influencing change at the classroom level were identified. Naturalistic research was shown to be functional and valuable in that it suggested new patterns of organization in studies on individualized instruction, particularly the role of the pupil in educational change.


Testing of therapies for disease or injury often involves analysis of longitudinal data from animals. Modern analytical methods have advantages over conventional methods (particularly where some data are missing) yet are not used widely by pre-clinical researchers. We provide a Plain English Primer for analysing longitudinal data from animals and present a click-by-click guide for performing suitable analyses using the statistical package SPSS. We guide readers through analysis of a real-life data set obtained when testing a therapy for brain injury (stroke) in elderly rats. We show that repeated measures analysis of covariance failed to detect a treatment effect when a few data points were missing (due to animal drop-out) whereas analysis using an alternative method detected a beneficial effect of treatment; specifically, we demonstrate the superiority of linear models (with various covariance structures) analysed using Restricted Maximum Likelihood estimation (to include all available data). This protocol takes two hours.


The paper contains a description of OPFI: Opinion Finder for the Polish Language, a freely available tool for opinion target extraction. The goal of the tool is opinion finding: a task of identifying tuples composed of sentiment (positive or negative) and its target (about what or whom is the sentiment expressed). OPFI is not dependent on any particular method of sentiment identification and provides a built-in sentiment dictionary as a convenient option. Technically, it contains implementations of three different modes of opinion tuple generation: one hybrid based on dependency parsing and CRF, the second based on shallow parsing and the third on deep learning, namely GRU neural network. The paper also contains a description of related language resources: two annotated treebanks and one set of tweets.


This paper employs a multinomial logit model to examine what determines the choice of a particular firm for a given privatisation method. A variety of hypotheses about possible determinants of ownership change are tested using an extensive data set for Polish manufacturing at the beginning of transition. The results at a firm as well as at a sector level give strong support to the hypothesis of the importance of resource constraints on the choice of ownership. Large firms with high financing requirement are more likely to be owned by outsiders. High sectoral capital intensity discourages small insider owned firms while high degree of product differentiation is a constraint for different investors, with the exception of outsiders. We also find that firm quality, measured by profitability and exporting outside the Soviet block, appeals to all types of investors but, additionally, privatisation offers outsiders ways of entering sectors with substantial entry barriers.


Companies that deal in application software for electrical engineers found their territory expanding during the past year. The availability of highly capable hardware, as well as the introduction of the operating system, Windows NT, opened up the market to many new platforms. In addition, users are demanding software that can cope with new tasks. Everywhere, vendors say, one of the principal pressures is the need to network engineers into corporate data, so that engineering design data may be shared with manufacturing, reliability calculations can flow from design work, and so forth. This paper discusses Windows NT, how 'old software' is being updated to do more tasks, how DSP and RF tools are are being combined to form wireless systems and how suppliers are taking on many platforms.<<ETX>>


In this paper we reflect on the impact of ICT in educational systems, and the importance of preparing Portuguese teachers to the challenges of the learning society. In order to contribute for the definition of a national program for the professional development of teachers in ICT, we present some international programs for the professional development of teachers in ICT discussing results on current implementation. We then present the recently launched Portuguese Plan of ICT Competences for teachers that define levels of digital literacy and certification. In order to add new insights into current discussion on the topic we present a review of literature on a theoretical framework that has shown effective for the integration of ICT into the classroom: the TPACK. Examples of successful experiences in different curricular areas already implemented and tested with will be presented and discussed in order to help Portuguese teacher educators in the design of activities to be carried out in education programs for in


Thailand has seen a growing number of women elected to Parliament in recent decades. Yet, little research has been done on who these women are and how they affect the quality of democracy. This article is an attempt to fill this lacuna. Drawing on previously untapped Thai-language primary sources, it argues that the majority of female members of Parliament elected since 1975 have contributed to entrenching family-based rule and stunting the growth of political pluralism. This argument is based on the finding that most female MPs are related, by blood or marriage, to former male MPs. These women from political families constitute one part of the long historical process through which Thailand has lapsed increasingly into a family-based patrimonial polity since the absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932. The importance of families remains undiminished over time; the advent of electoral politics has only accentuated it by bringing more women with powerful family connections into Parliament.


Cryptocurrencies are a digital medium of exchange with decentralized control that renders the community operating the cryptocurrency its sovereign. Leading cryptocurrencies use proof-of-work or proof-of-stake to reach consensus, thus are inherently plutocratic. This plutocracy is reflected not only in control over execution, but also in the distribution of new wealth, giving rise to ``rich get richer'' phenomena. Here, we explore the possibility of an alternative digital currency that is egalitarian in control and just in the distribution of created wealth. Such currencies can form and grow in grassroots and sybil-resilient way. A single currency community can achieve distributive justice by egalitarian coin minting, whereby each member mints one coin at every time step. Egalitarian minting results, in the limit, in the dilution of any inherited assets and in each member having an equal share of the minted currency, adjusted by the relative productivity of the members. Our main theorem shows that a currency network, where agents can be members of more than one currency community, can achieve distributive justice globally across the network by joint egalitarian minting, whereby each agent mints one coin in only one community at each timestep. Specifically, we show that a sufficiently large intersection between two communities -- relative to the gap in their productivity -- will cause the exchange rates between their currencies to converge to 1:1, resulting in global distributive justice.


Introduction: Lipofilling is an increasingly popular technique for breast reconstruction following both mastectomy and breast conserving surgery. However, concerns remain over its oncological safety and its effect on cancer recurrence. Methods: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was carried out. Patients who had undergone mastectomy and patients who had undergone breast conserving surgery (BCS) were looked at separately in order to investigate whether the addition of lipofilling had a significant effect on locoregional recurrence rate. Results: Eleven studies were used in the analysis yielding a total of 2382 patients. For patients undergoing mastectomy (mean follow up = 36.2 months: range=12-90) or BCS (mean follow up = 30.2 months: range = 12-60) , the addition of lipofilling was not found to significantly affect the locoregional recurrence rate. Conclusion: This meta-nalysis demonstrates that lipofilling is an oncologically safe procedure to be incorporated into breast reconstruction following either mastectomy or BCS for breast cancer. However a careful oncological follow up is recommended. In the future, more adequately- powered controlled clinical trials are needed in order to fully understand long term outcomes after lipofilling. Citation Format: Wazir U, Chehade HEH, Headon H, Oteifa M, Kasem A, Mokbel K. Does fat transfer increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence? A meta-analysis involving 2382 patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-14-03.


We have used a high-throughput LC/MS/UV/ELSD method to rapidly determine the absolute quantity and purity of 42 organic compounds from seven lead discovery libraries. A general calibration curve generated from a different set of 42 compounds with seven different scaffolds was used in this analysis. We have also studied 33 organic compounds with different molecular weight (MW) by LC/MS/UV/ELSD to investigate the effect of MW on ELSD response and the accuracy for purity and quantity measurement using UV(214) and ELSD. A general ELSD calibration curve from these compounds was also generated to quantify 42 library compounds. Purity measurement by ELSD underestimates the amounts of impurities due to a reduced ELSD response from smaller molecular weight impurities often produced in library synthesis. Absolute quantity determination by ELSD is more accurate (RSD 28%) than that by UV(214) (48%) using a calibration curve generated from the same set of compounds with diverse MWs. Error assessment for the measurement of absolute quantity of a class of commercial compounds and a class of representing reference compounds from seven diverse lead discovery libraries shows that structurally related compounds should be used to generate calibration curves to sustain smaller deviation.


This paper, one of several in a symposium on constitutional niches, discusses a niche within a niche: federalism considerations in theories of governmental takings of property. Several property theorists have argued that larger-scale and smaller-scale legislative bodies should be treated differently in takings jurisprudence, since these differently-scaled legislatures are likely to behave differently in dealing with individuals' property, and to respond differently to compensation requirements. The author agrees with this general proposition, but she sharply disagrees with the centralist drift of most of this literature, which would favor the national legislature while imposing strict takings requirements on local legislatures; she argues that these analyses overlook the existing constraints on smaller-scale governing bodies. Meanwhile, the courts have paid very little overt attention to federalism concerns of any kind in takings jurisprudence, string-citing cases about local, state, and national governments without distinguishing them. Instead of responding to federalism (and other) taking theories, actual takings jurisprudence vacillates between leniency toward all legislatures and contempt for them. The author argues, however, that federalism considerations might help courts to analyze the legislative process, and might be incorporated into takings jurisprudence by a distinction between Fifth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment takings.


Alfentanil has a short duration action which did not markedly increase with increasing dose in mice. It is approximately one-fourth as potent as fentanyl. Repeat injections gave reproducible analgesic effects but depression of respiratory rate increased when repeat injections were given on the basis of cessation of analgesic activity. Alfentanil appeared to reduce the analgesic effect of morphine given 30-60 min after alfentanil administration. This has been demonstrated with injection of alfentanil 15 min before, simultaneously with and 30 min after morphine injection. There were not significant effects on depression of respiratory rate produce by morphine.


This Work in Progress paper describes an interdisciplinary course for first year engineering students focused on exploring the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Grand Challenges, and recognizing societal issues that influence engineering solutions to those challenges. This course is offered as a part of the NAE Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP) at Arizona State University (ASU) to help students develop a personal plan for pursuing their interests in the program. The NAE GCSP is designed to prepare students to become the next generation of engineering leaders with a unique experience and skillset that includes hands-on research experience, interdisciplinary curriculum, entrepreneurship, global dimension, and service learning. The course described in this paper is one approach that could be used to help first year students to define and pursue their path toward becoming these future engineering leaders. At ASU, approximately 100 freshmen engineering students admitted into GCSP enroll in this interdisciplinary course each fall semester, which is taught in sections of up to 50 students. Through participation in this course, students develop an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the Grand Challenges and identify which challenges they want to focus their efforts on in their future in the GCSP. Students use digital portfolios throughout the course to reflect on their experience for each grand challenge theme area and their overall course experience, in order to relate their coursework to their interests and future plans. To prepare the students for their future in GCSP, students complete planning assignments which require them to meet faculty and develop a plan to complete the GCSP requirements. The impact of this course on first year GCSP students' awareness of the Grand Challenges, their interests, and their confidence that they will complete the GCSP was assessed. A custom survey instrument was designed to measure students' familiarity with the Grand Challenges, GCSP requirements, and opportunities at ASU to complete GCSP requirements, as well as their confidence in their interests, future completion of the program, and having a plan to complete the program. Results indicate that this course is successful at meetings its goals of increasing students' familiarity with the Grand Challenges and the GCSP, and at helping them to identify their interests and become confident that they have a plan for completing the GCSP.


Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an aggressive malignancy which shows a variable degree of malignant behavior. To identify molecular signatures and establish a new diagnostic model for oral malignancies, we have identified marker genes representing pre-malignant and malignant phenotypes of oral mucosal lesions. The expression of marker genes was examined by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Then, we created discriminatory predictor models using Fisher's linear discriminant analysis and leave-one-out cross validation. These models were applicable for the diagnoses of pre-malignant leukoplakias (LPs), and of invasion status for advanced OSCCs.
The clinical course of various cancers is also influenced by host immune response. Our preliminary data using flow cytometric analysis demonstrate that the percentage of CD4+CD57+ T cells in peripheral blood lymphocyte was higher in the high grade OSCCs than that in the low grade ones. Furthermore, lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced ex-vivo production of Interferon (IFN)-γ from peripheral blood cells was highest in stage I patients and gradually decreased during the course of OSCC progression up to stage III. These decreased levels in the early stages were inversely correlated with tumor size.
In this review, we propose that the usage of the immunological status of OSCC patients combined with the molecular signatures of tumor tissues could provide valuable indices for diagnosis of oral malignancies.


In this paper we report results of skin prick tests (SPT) using pollen extracts on 200 patients with clinical symptoms of asthma, and results of a parallel study in which pollen was collected and classified over a period of 18 months. The patients were outpatients from the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while the pollen grains were collected with a spore trap placed in the campus of the University of Malaya, approximately one kilometer from the University Hospital. Pollen extracts of 3 grasses (Bahia, Bermuda, rough pigweed) and 2 flowering trees, Acacia and Melaleuca, were used in the SPT. Of the 29.5% asthmatics with positive SPT reactions, 21.5% were to one or more of the grass pollens, 21.5% to Acacia and 7.5% to Melaleuca pollen. Acacia and Bermuda grass extracts were the most allergenic, which agreed with results of the pollen collection which showed grass and Acacia pollen grains to be the two most commonly found pollens.


I Emotions are Janus-faced: their focus may switch from how a person is feeling deep inside her, to the busy world of actions, words, or gestures whose perception currently affects her. The intimate relation between the 'inside' and the 'outside' seems to call for a redrawing of the traditional distinction within mental states between those that can look out to the world, and those that are, supposedly, irredeemably blind.


Various heterocyclic compounds including tetrazoles have shown many biological activities like antimicrobial, antifungal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antitubercular, anticonvulsant, cyclooxygenase inhibitors and antihypertensive, anticancer, antidiabetic and others. The tetrazoles provide diverse pharmacological activities of tetrazole moiety and the potential role in biosciences. Therefore, researchers are interested in development of tetrazole for their diverse pharmacological activities. Moreover, lot many things to be explored about these compounds. This review highlights the important things about the potential role, some chemical reactions and biological activities of tetrazoles. Key words: Azole Derivatives, Biological Activity, Tetrazole.


We aimed to assign optic nerve head microvascular variations in amblyopic eyes and compare them with healthy eyes. We designed this study as an observational case-control study. Seventeen strabismic, 20 anisometropic, 18 meridional, and 18 ametropic amblyopic eyes were enrolled as a study group. Seventy-two healthy eyes were selected as a control group. After full ophthalmic examination, optic nerve head-centered, 4.5 × 4.5 mm scan size images were taken from all groups. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, vessel density, and ganglion cell complex parameters were analyzed. For gender, age, and adjusted intraocular pressure, the groups were similar (x2(2, N=145)= 5.4, p=0.34; p=0.49; p=0.61; respectively). In amblyopic eyes, the mean peripapillary, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal vessel density was significantly higher (p=0.023; p=0.041; p=0.015; p=0.039; p=0.019; respectively), while the mean inside disk vessel density was lower compared to the control (p=0.038). Additionally, the mean total vessel density was similar in both groups (p=0.29). For retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and ganglion cell complex, no significant different data were obtained between the two groups and among amblyopic subgroups (p>0.05 for all). Optic nerve head vascularization may be altered in amblyopic eyes. Optical coherence tomography angiography can help us to understand the optic nerve head blood supply differentiations in amblyopic eyes. Prospective studies are required to assign the further outcomes of crowded optic nerve head in amblyopic eyes.


A new and efficient strategy to synthesize multicompartment block copolymer nanoparticles (MCBNs) by two macro-RAFT agents comediated dispersion polymerization is proposed. By simultaneously employing two macro-RAFT agents in dispersion RAFT polymerization, one-pot synthesis of well-defined MCBNs constructed with two diblock copolymers of poly(tert-butyl methyl acrylate)-block-polystyrene (PtBMA-b-PS) and poly[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-N,N-diethylamine]-block-polystyrene (PVEA-b-PS) is achieved. These MCBNs contain a PS core and discrete PVEA and/or PtBMA nodules on the PS core. By changing the ratio of the two macro-RAFT agents or the polymerization degree of the solvophobic block in the two diblock copolymer mixture, the structure of MCBNs can be tuned. Our strategy overcomes the inconvenience and difficulty in synthesis of MCBNs, and it introduces a valid way to prepare well-defined MCBNs constructed with two or more diblock copolymers.


Ayahuasca is a beverage used in religious rituals of indigenous and nonindigenous groups, and its therapeutic potential has been investigated. Ayahuasca is obtained by decoction of the Banisteriopsis caapi that contains β‐carbolines (harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine) plus Psychotria viridis that contains N,N‐dimethyltryptamine. Although plants used in folk medicine are recognized as safe, many of them have genotoxic potential. The Salmonella/microsome assay is usually the first line of the mutagenicity evaluation of products intended for therapeutic use. Our objective was to evaluate the mutagenicity of ayahuasca beverage and their constituents using the Salmonella/microsome assay with TA98 and TA100. We analyzed two ayahuasca samples, and also beverage samples prepared each individual plant P. viridis and B. caapi. Harmine and harmaline were also tested. All beverage samples were chemically characterized and both ayahuasca samples could be considered representative of the beverages consumed in religious rituals. Both ayahuasca samples were mutagenic for TA98 and TA100 with and without S9, with similar potencies. The beverage obtained from P. viridis was not mutagenic, and beverage obtained from B. caapi was mutagenic for TA98 with and without S9. Harmine was nonmutagenic and harmaline was mutagenic only for TA98 without S9. Harmaline fully explain the mutagenicity observed with TA98 without S9 of both ayahuasca samples and the B. caapi beverage samples. We conclude that the ayahuasca samples are mutagenic and this effect is partially explained by harmaline, one of the β‐carbolines present in the beverage. Other mutagenic compounds seem to be present and need to be further investigated. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 60:269–276, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Modulation of dopamine transmission evokes strong behavioral effects that can be achieved by psychoactive drugs such as haloperidol or cocaine. Cocaine non-specifically increases dopamine transmission by blocking dopamine active transporter (DAT) and evokes behavioral arousal, while haloperidol is a non-specific dopamine D2 receptor antagonist with sedative effects. Interestingly, dopamine has been found to affect immune cells in addition to its action in the central nervous system. Here we address the possible interactions between haloperidol and cocaine and their effects on both immune cells and behavior in freely moving rats. We use an intravenous model of haloperidol and binge cocaine administration to evaluate the drugs' impact on the distribution of lymphocyte subsets in both the peripheral blood and the spleen. We assess the drugs' behavioral effects by measuring locomotor activity. Cocaine evoked a pronounced locomotor response and stereotypic behaviors, both of which were completely blocked after pretreatment with haloperidol. The results suggest that blood lymphopenia which was induced by haloperidol and cocaine (except for NKT cells), is independent of dopaminergic activity and most likely results from the massive secretion of corticosterone. Haloperidol pretreatment prevented the cocaine-induced decrease in NKT cell numbers. On the other hand, the increased systemic dopaminergic activity after cocaine administration is a significant factor in retaining T CD4+ and B lymphocytes in the spleen.


Background: Promising results of clinical trials involving SGLT2 inhibitors urge every clinician managing diabetes to use them. However, upcoming real-world data still show increased incidence of adverse events, but efficacy is comparable to clinical trials. Objectives: Genitourinary infection is the most commonly reported adverse effect with SGLT2 inhibitors. We evaluated effectiveness of patient screening protocol and advice of hygiene and hydration to avoid adverse effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in real-world setting. Method: This was a prospective observational longitudinal study which included consecutive subjects with uncontrolled T2DM recommended with SGLT2i after a simple screening protocol from December 2017 to November 2018. The adverse effects and metabolic parameters were evaluated at 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months for each patient. Results: Of 413 patients recommended for SGLT2 inhibitors, 335 patients started the medication. At baseline, average age, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and weight were 53 years, 9.5%, and 82 kg, respectively. Data of 332, 299, 270, and 231 patients were available at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months for safety follow-up, respectively. Genitourinary tract infection was the most common adverse effect (8%) followed by ketosis (4%). Two patients needed to stop the drug permanently due to recurrent transient ischaemic attack and emphysematous pyelonephritis. Significant reduction in mean weight and HbA1c was observed at 6 months (n = 270): 2.9 kg and 1.1%, respectively, and at 12 months (n = 231): 3.8 kg and 1.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Simple screening protocol for patients considered for SGLT2i significantly reduced incidence of genitourinary adverse events.


The proportion of medical students in Austria who are sympathetic to voluntary euthanasia has more than tripled in the past ten years. According to researchers at the Medical University of Graz acceptance of active euthanasia increased from 16.3% to 29.1% to 49.5% in the periods from 2001 to 2003/04 to 2008/09. In the general population it rose from about 49% to 62% between 2000 and 2009.


Abstract Background: Researchers and clinicians suggest that excessive tanning may be a behavioral addiction. Given the significance of craving in substance use, craving may be a useful construct to assess in those who tan. Objective: We designed this study to assess the psychometric properties of an alcohol craving measure adapted to measure past-week craving to tan. Methods: Undergraduate students (n = 421) who reported past-month tanning completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed demographics, tanning-related characteristics, and psychopathology, in addition to the Craving to Tan Questionnaire (CTQ). Results: Analyses provided support for a single factor CTQ with good internal consistency, construct validity and convergent validity. CTQ scores were significantly higher among problematic versus non-problematic and dependent versus non-dependent tanners. CTQ scores were also associated with several tanning-related characteristics, such money spent on tanning in a typical month, frequency of tanning, and frequency of tanning-related problems. Additional analyses found that past-week craving to tan was significantly associated with greater obsessive compulsive and body dysmorphic symptoms. Conclusions: It may be useful in clinical settings to identify those experiencing problems with tanning and in research to further clarify the conceptualization of addiction-like tanning. However, the CTQ needs further evaluation.


Shareholding structure and the structure of the board of commissioners that are the
focus in this study were (1) the internal ownership structure (insider ownership), which
share ownership by managers and commissioners, (2) stock ownership by blockholders,
ie individuals and or institutions that own shares company by 5% or more, (3) the
proportion of independent commissioners (outside board), and (4) the size of the board of
commissioners (board size). In determining the structure of share ownership and the
board structure as the application of corporate governance mechanisms, firms are
always faced with the question of costs (cost) and benefits (benefits). As a result, the
company could substitute the level of use of the mechanism of the shareholding structure
and board structure of the board of commissioner such a way to balance the marginal
cost and marginal benefit. Hence the hypothesis proposed in this research are: (l) the
company doing the substitution between ownership structure and the structure of the
board, (2) ownership structure and the board structure significantly influence the
performance of the company. Companies that were sampled in this research is a
registered company in Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2008. Based on purposive sampling
acquired 100 companies are used as a sample. Testing the first hypothesis is done by
using two stages least squared while the second hypothesis testing is done using ordinary
least squared. The results of testing the first hypothesis suggests that companies in
Indonesia has yet to substitute between ownership structure and the structure of the
board of commissioners. Except found that internal ownership but also turns positive
effect on the proportion of independent commissioners. The second hypothesis as not
entirely proven. However, it was found that the presence of blockholders apparently
significant effect on company performance. Researchers then expected to find a proxy or
a variable and more precise control for the study still found a model that does not fit.
Keywords: board size, blockholders, insider ownership, outside shareholders.


Regulation of oxidative stress in the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment is critical for the maintenance of HSC self-renewal. A number of reports have previously implicated p16 in aging of HSCs, pancreatic β-islet cells and subventricular zone progenitors in the brain [1–3]. In the context of the hematopoietic system, p16 INK4a expression in HSCs increases with age, and correlates with decreased HSC repopulating ability, decreased self-renewal, and increased apoptosis with stress [1]. We and others have recently reported that FoxO play essential roles in the response to physiologic oxidative stress and thereby mediate quiescence and enhanced survival in the HSC compartment [4, 5]. Young mice deficient in FoxO1 , FoxO3 , and FoxO4 in the adult hematopoietic system, with striking similarity to aging wild-type mice, show a defect in bone marrow repopulating ability, decrease in self-renewal, myeloid skewing in differentiation and increased levels of apoptosis. Furthermore, young FoxO -deficient HSC show increased levels of p16 when compared to their wildtype counterparts. These collective findings suggested the possibility that FoxO loss could result in accelerated aging of HSC due to increased expression of p16 as a consequence of increased ROS. To test the hypothesis that p16 is one of the key mediators of FoxO loss responsible for accelerated aging of HSC, we deleted FoxO1 , FoxO3 , and FoxO4 in the adult hematopoietic system of mice deficient in p16 INK4a . Young mice deficient in FoxO and p16 shared the same characteristics of their HSC(Lin − Sca1 + c-kit + ) compartment as mice deficient in FoxO only, including decreased number of HSC, increased percentage of HSC entering S/G2/M and apoptosis, and increased levels of ROS as compared to their wildtype counterparts. However, in a setting of long-term repopulation studies, bone marrow isolated from mice deficient in p16 and FoxO demonstrated a rescue of long-term repopulation for up to 20 weeks, as compared to FoxO deficient bone marrow that showed a severe defect in long-term repopulation. p16 deficiency in the setting of FoxO deficiency did not result in reduction of ROS levels in the HSC compartment. Taken together, these findings indicate that p16 is a critical downstream mediator of FoxO in the maintenance of the HSC compartment, and that it can dissociate the detrimental effects of ROS on HSC self-renewal in a setting of FoxO deficiency.


A new model of the sawtooth, which is not triggered by the m=l helical mode, is proposed. A catastrophic change in the transport coefficient is predicted in the central region, where the safety factor q is lower than unity. The magnetic component in fluctuation increases as the plasma pressure increases. If the pressure gradient exceeds a certain threshold, a magnetic stochasticity sets in. The electron thermal conductivity can be enhanced by the factor of the ion-to-electron mass ratio, leading to the rapid flattening of the electron pressure profile. An enhanced transport coefficient also occurs for ions. The increment of the transport associated with the strong magnetic perturbation continues until the ion pressure profile is flattened. Hysteresis behaviour of transport flux to the pressure gradient is obtained. The current profile is influenced by the enhanced current diffusivity from the same mechanism, but the change in the q profile remains small. Simple model equations which follow the dynamics are introduced. The dynamic solution of sawtooth crash is simulated.


This paper considers the scattering of very high frequency (VHF) electromagnetic waves from a random weakly corrugated surface by the perturbation method. The calculations show that the scattering has a resonant nature, i.e., only certain Fourier components of the surface shape are responsible for scattering in every given direction. Experiments carried out in a water basin confirmed the results of the calculations. The backscattered intensity is proportional to the spectral density of those Fourier components of the surface oscillation that have a resonant space period. In these experiments, resonant maxima of the reflected signal corresponding to the second-order approximation of the perturbation method were also observed. The frequency spectrum of the scattered electromagnetic field is also investigated. It is shown that the spectrum of the scattered radiation is shifted from the incident frequency by a certain value related to the phase velocity of the resonantly scattering Fourier component of the surface shape. The experimentally observed dependence of the scattered intensity on frequency and the theoretically predicted one are very much alike.


Objective: Skeletal muscle loss (sarcopenia) is a prognostic factor in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. However, the influence of muscle quality on prognosis remains unclear. We retrospectively examined preoperative skeletal muscle quantity and quality impact on survival of elderly patients undergoing curative resection of colorectal cancer. Methods: We examined data from 142 patients aged ≥75 years who underwent curative resection of colorectal cancer between 2007 and 2012. We determined the size and quality of skeletal muscles, represented by the psoas muscle mass index (PMI) and intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC), respectively, using a preoperative computed tomography image. Overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates were determined according to values of PMI, IMAC, and other prognostic factors. Results: OS and RFS rates in patients with low PMI were lower than those in patients with normal PMI. The OS and RFS rates in patients with high IMAC were also lower than those in patients with normal IMAC. PMI and IMAC were independent prognostic factors for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 3.81, and 3.04, respectively); IMAC was an independent factor for RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 3.03). Conclusion: Preoperative sarcopenia, indicating low quality and size of skeletal muscle, predicts mortality after curative resection of colorectal cancer in the elderly.


A new genus of Chondrichthyes from the uppermost Silurian–lowermost Devonian deposits of central Tuva (Russia) is described on the basis of the microremains (scales). A sample from the Khondergei Formation of the Bazhyn-Alaak locality in the Tchadan region contained scales of a new chondrichthyan, Tuvalepis schultzei  gen. et sp. nov., together with another chondrichthyan, Elegestolepis grossi KARATAJŪTĖ-TALIMAA, 1973, as well as numerous scales of the thelodont Helenolepis navicularis KARATAJŪTĖ-TALIMAA, 1978. The scales of T. schultzei display significant morphological variation and are characterized by a very fine, comparatively wide and flat crown with longitudinal ribs and a small and short neck. The growth pattern of T. schultzei scales is very different from that of elegestolepids described so far – the scales grew by appositional addition of layers towards the distal side of the crown, in contrast to the scales of Elegestolepis grossi which lack any kind of concentric growth lines.


Abstract Grasslands and forests are degraded in Turkey's Mediterranean Region (TMR), the center of the widespread traditional Yoruk silvopastoral system. Government efforts to halt degradation focus on afforestation, a policy that reduces the amount of land available to the Yoruks for their traditional livelihood system, which is further endangered by socioeconomic dynamics subject to the pressures of globalization. This silvopastoral system is examined with respect to policies that affect it and its potential for sustainability, with a view to regional community development. Interaction between this regional system, a component of traditional culture in the TMR, and current trends in globalization are noted, and the need for harmony between silvopastoralism and forestry is examined.


OBJECTIVE
To study the numerical alteration of chromosome 8 and its application for detecting cancer cells in the pleural effusions.

METHODS
In situ hybridization with chromosome 8 centromere probe was carried out in 52 patients with pleural effusions.

RESULTS
In 31 lung cancer patients examined, hyperdiploid chromosome 8 was found in the effusions. The same hyperdiploid of the chromosome was also noted in 4 cases of effusion from adenocarcinoma of breast, mesothelioma and lymphoma. In 15 pleural effusions which were reportedly negative in previous cytological diagnosis, hyperdiploid chromosome 8 was found in 3 cases, and diploid chromosome 8 in another 12 cases by in situ hybridization. After reexemination of the samples from the 3 patients with hyperdiploid chromosome 8, adenocarcinoma cells were found in 2 cases, and the third one was a patient being treated with radiotherapy. Hyperdiploid chromosome 8 also existed in the pleural effusions from 2 cases suspicious of adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSION
Hyperdiploid chromosome 8 may be a useful marker to ascertain the malignant nature of pleural effusion.


This paper deals with the reconstruction of two-dimensional objects from laboratory-controlled data in microwave tomography. This inverse problem is commonly ill-posed and nonlinear, therefore we propose to solve it in a Bayesian estimation framework using an iterative scheme to solve the optimization problem. This approach allows us to introduce a priori knowledge about the object function to be reconstructed. The experimental data were obtained in a controlled environment at Institut Fresnel (Marseille, France). The considered targets are either metallic or dielectric homogeneous cylinders. In this paper, the authors have only considered the data corresponding to the transverse magnetic polarization case. For these targets, the presented results show the potentiality of the proposed regularization scheme and the interest of these experimental data for testing inverse algorithms.


The magnetization reversal of 10 nm thick FePt nanowires has been studied for widths down to 30 nm. Above 500 nm, the magnetic domains grow within a dendritic structure. Below 300 nm, the reversal takes place by propagation of a single domain wall (DW), and the coercivity increases. Below 50 nm, the coercivity increase is such that a mix of nucleation and DW propagation appears. These results suggest that the reversal process is determined by the comparison of the wire dimensions with four characteristic lengths: the dendrite width, the disorder length, the mean edge roughness, and the nucleation distance.


I recentl y' read the article in your March issue entitled, "Fibrin glue prevents complications of septal surgery: Findings in a series of 100 patients" by Pay am Daneshrad, MD , Gregory Y. Chin, MD, and Dale H. Rice, MD (Ear Nose Throat J 2003;82:196-7). Although I am sure that the fibrin glue work s to approximate flaps , I would like to point out that it appears in the art icle that the septum is not reconstructedthat is, removed cartilage and bone are not replaced to create a rigid septum. This is akin to malpractice. For a proper and efficient nasal cycle, the turbinates need a rigid septum to be their reference point. Without that, they simply become hypertrophic and acyclic, and the nasal airway obstructs. Reconstruction of the nasal septum with septal packing or splints is still the logical way to go . Glenn W. Drumheller, DO Everett, Washington


The decline in capture fisheries of the world has necessitated the production of fish under different aquaculture systems to bridge the gap in demand. Aquaculture contributes about 50% of fish consumed worldwide. Today, the total annual fish production in Kenya is estimated at about 150,000 metric tons, against an annual demand of 500,000. With the ever-increasing human population and demand for fish, technologies to improve aquaculture production must be embraced to bridge fish supply gap and to achieve nutritional sufficiency. One of these technologies is cage aquaculture which is the rearing of fish(es) in water bodies like dams, lakes, ponds and reservoirs in floating enclosures that allow free flow and exchange of water between the cage the outer water body. The frames of the cages can be made from bamboo, metal or High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE). With the challenges associated with pond aquaculture such as competition for land with other uses and susceptibility to floods, cage aquaculture has gained recognition and is rapidly expanding in Kenya and the world over. In Kenya, for example, the use of cages to produce fish is relatively new and is being practised in Lake Victoria in the five riparian Counties of Migori, Homabay, Kisumu, Siaya and Busia (Anjejo, 2017). These cages have several negative impacts on the lakes environment as highlighted below.


Investigators at the Institute for Research on Mental Retardation and Brain Aging, Troina, and University of Naples, Italy report a case of Cowden syndrome presenting with unilateral perisylvian dysplasia and with drug resistant focal seizures.


Background: Snoring in children, is associated Kith adenotonsillar hypertrophy and sinusitis which contribute to upper airway obstruction, so we studied the sinusitis and adenoid size of snoring children with plain radiography Materials and method: Fifty patients having snoring, nasal obstruction in our hospital between November 2001 and November 2002 were studied using plain radiology PNS(water's view) and Neck lateral view(adenoid size with A/N ratio) Results: 1. In oriental medicine, Hu-Bi means laryngopharyngeal edema and obstruction, laryngopharyngeal disease are due to Hwa-Yeoul( fire and hot), sinus disease are due to Fung-Han(wind and cold) and Fung-Yeoul(wind and hot). 2. Age ranged from 2 to 17 year-old ( mean age: 6 years), 5-7 year-old were 18 patients (36%). Age of on set, 25 patients were 1-4 year-old (50%). 3. Of the 50 snoring patients, 37 patients were sinusitis(74%), 20 patients had enlarged adenoid(40%). Of the 20 large adenoid patients, 19 patients were sinusitis(95%). 4. Of the 50 snoring patients, size of tonsil were flowed. Fifteen were severe(3+), 17 patients were moderate(2+) and 15 patients were mild(1+). Of the 20 enlarged adenoid patients, size of tonsil flowed. Five were severe(3+), 11 patients were moderate(2+) and 4 patients were mild(1+). Conclusion : Of the 50 Snoring patients, 37 patients showed sinusitis(74%), 32 patients showed large tonsil(64%), 20 patients showed large adenoid(40%).


Research background: Economic crisis hit all the European Union Member States hard, with the impact of crisis varying considerably. The low growth performance in the EU has increased concerns regarding an increasing wage dispersion, income inequality at large, and social exclusion in line with poverty. Inequality should be seen as a cornerstone of both sustainable and inclusive growth under the Europe 2020 Strategy. Social inequality in the EU is a real problem, which hampers sustainable economic growth. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this study is to introduce evaluation of social development convergence and divergence trends between the EU Member States in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The study gives an outline of the issues of the labour market and income disparities and poverty. Policymakers must be clear about what social objectives they are aiming to achieve, therefore special attention is paid to headline national goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Methods: The main task of this study is to assess social dimension and inequalities problems in the EU27 by applying Data Envelopment Analysis method, resp. time-series dynamic efficiency analysis in the form of output-oriented Malmquist Productivity Index. This study contains changes of key social equality indicators related to the Europe 2020 Strategy and compares objectives and general outlines of period 2010-2015, as well as the impact on national economics and living conditions. Findings & value added: Results contain elements of typology premises of the EU28 and point to a large diversity in inequality patterns, as the Author observes both increases and decreases in inequality at the EU level. Recent changes in social inequality have been associated with the business cycle, particularly with the accessibility of the labour market and, of course, with income inequality. Additionally, the development challenges are discussed for improvement of the socioeconomic well-being of the EU and to avoid social disparities.


Atrophy of the nerve fibres in the retina visible by direct ophthalmoscopy using red-free illumination, together with corresponding scotomata in the visual fields, signified retrograde degeneration of retinal nerve fibres from multiple sclerosis. Defects in medullated retinal nerve fibres were continous with arcuate nerve fibre bundle defects. These myelin defects exemplify secondary demyelination of optic axons.


E-HRM is coming to a more full-grown stage within organisational life. Much is assumed and expressed about the advantages of e-HRM, however scientific proof of these advantages is scarce. No clarity exists about the answer to the question whether e-HRM contributes to HRM effectiveness. In this paper we present results from the first quantitative study on the contribution of e-HRM to HRM effectiveness. The data is collected in a Dutch ministry. Results show that actual use of the e-HRM application correlates with HR effectiveness, especially the content and design (= quality of the e-HRM application). Regression analysis confirms that the experienced quality of the e-HRM application is the only significant explanatory factor of technical and strategic HR effectiveness. In the final section of the paper conclusions are drawn, limitations discussed and future research directions raised.


The Chinese banking system, characterized by massive government intervention, poor asset quality and low capitalization, has started a reform process based on three main pillars: (i) bank restructuring, through the cleaning-up of non-performing loans and public capital injections, particularly in the four largest state-owned banks; (ii) financial liberalization, with the gradual flexibilization of quantity and price controls, the opening-up to foreign competition and cautious steps toward capital account liberalization; and (iii) strengthened financial regulation and supervision, coupled with efforts to improve corporate governance and transparency. Although the reform is still ongoing, our preliminary assessment indicates that changes are needed for the reform to be fully successful. Asset quality has improved, particularly in the recapitalized banks, but there is a high risk of a new build-up of non performing loans. Capitalization has increased in the largest banks, as a consequence of the government capital injections, but it generally remains low and profitability has fallen even further. China's huge financing needs, to maintain high economic growth, and its commitment to fully open up its banking system to foreign competition urgently require a more comprehensive and time-bound strategy, with a long-term vision of the desired structure of the Chinese banking system. Bank recapitalization should be completed immediately, not only to ensure bank soundness, but also to increase profitability, which could be affected negatively as competition increases with full financial liberalization. Bank recapitalization, however, needs to be accompanied by a radical improvement in corporate governance, which would clearly be facilitated by a change in the property structure.


Background: Although the use of contraception has been associated with improving the health of women and children, its utilization among refugee women was limited. Thus, the main aim of the study was to assess factors associated with use of modern contraceptive methods among married women residing in Sheder refugee camp Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia.
Methods and Materials: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 329 randomly selected married women found in reproductive age group. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20software. Multiple logistic regression analyses were done to see their association and factors associated with the outcome of an interest. All p values were two tailed and P-value <0.05 with 95% CI level was used as a cut of point to see their level of significance. Qualitative data were transcribed and analyzed in thematic ways and triangulated in to quantitative findings
Results: The proportion of women using modern contraceptives was 55(17.8%). Maternal education [AOR=6.7 (95% CI:2.1, 11.5)], discussions with their partner [AOR=2.9(95% CI: 1.6, 5.8)], having number of live children more than 3 [AOR=5.4 95% CI: 2.3, 12.1)], working outside their home [AOR=5.4 95% CI:(1.6, 17.8)], husbands approval [AOR=3.7 95% CI:( 1.8, 9.3)] and decision making role [ AOR=2.9% CI:(1.57, 6.8) were significantly associated with modern contraceptive use.
Conclusion: Therefore, partner involvement in decision making are encouraged and women empowerment should be more promoted through education and employment to improve their decision making autonomy to use modern contraceptive methods.


The formulation of Fermat's principle for electromagnetic waves traveling in materials with a negative refractive index is refined. It is shown that a formulation in terms of the minimum (or extremum) of wave travel time between two points is not correct in general. The correct formulation involves the extremum of the total optical length, with the optical length for the wave propagation through left-handed materials taken to be negative.


to indicate where his sympathies lie, as, for example, in dealing with the meaning of iSCa and avaxd>pTi<ns. The edition of U.P.Z. is in fact a reproduction of Wilcken's—with the great difference that uncertain letters, corrections, and restorations are not indicated, a departure from accepted practice of which Wilcken would surely have disapproved and by which nothing is gained and much may be lost. The supplements to P. Kroll are reasonable enough, though, as the editor admits, arbitrary, as they must be when the greater part of every line has disappeared. But here too the editorial technique is not beyond reproach: for example, one cannot seriously doubt TO ic in i. 12 but the sigma read as the fifth letter should be dotted, as should the last letter in i. 22. In i. 26 either there is a letter missing after tau or the scribe has, for some reason, perhaps because of a flaw in the papyrus, left a gap between it and the following omega; in ii. 2 there are visible traces about two spaces before, and two after, avro, which Koenen gives no sign of having noticed, and the last nu should be dotted. I am not altogether happy about the omicron of axno—might it be a broad omega'?—or the iota of eS[e]t in the next line, though it is true that upsilon, which looks better, would be much harder to fit into the required sense. These points, together with the traces before Qwv, might repay a more careful examination. No doubt the editor will be publishing a revised version of this text in the projected larger work.


Gene looping, defined as the physical interaction between the promoter and terminator regions of a RNA polymerase II-transcribed gene, is widespread in yeast and mammalian cells. Gene looping has been shown to play important roles in transcription. Gene-loop formation is dependent on regulatory proteins localized at the 5' and 3' ends of genes, such as TFIIB. However, whether other factors contribute to gene looping remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the contribution of intrinsic DNA and chromatin structures to gene looping. We found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae looped genes show high DNA bendability around middle and 3/4 regions in open reading frames (ORFs). This bendability pattern is conserved between yeast species, whereas the position of bendability peak varies substantially among species. Looped genes in human cells also show high DNA bendability. Nucleosome positioning around looped ORF middle regions is unstable. We also present evidence indicating that this unstable nucleosome positioning is involved in gene looping. These results suggest a mechanism by which DNA bendability and unstable nucleosome positioning could assist in the formation of gene loops.


This report is the second technology roadmap for a ground-breaking media service delivery platform being developed by the FLAME project. The report describes the software products to be delivered at infrastructure, platform and media service layers and how combinations of products are used to exploit the benefits of highly distributed software-defined infrastructures. Each product is described in terms of features, baseline implementation technologies and release schedule. At the core of the roadmap is the FLAME platform that brings together components for orchestration, Service Function Routing, Service Function endpoint management and cross-layer management and control. A systems integration and testing plan describes the DevOps environment including multi-project structure, development workflows and continuous integration processes supported by build, provisioning, configuration and automated testing tools. A software integration infrastructure is designed that replicates a part of the production infrastructures in ways that allow flexible configuration of different cross-component test scenarios. Finally, the downstream staging and production infrastructures are summarised completing the end-to-end DevOps pipeline for efficient and high-quality delivery.


We propose a generic feedback channel model, and compressive sensing based opportunistic feedback protocol for feedback resource (channels) reduction in MIMO Broadcast Channels under the assumption that both feedback and downlink channels are noisy and undergo block Rayleigh fading. The feedback resources are shared and are opportunistically accessed by users who are strong (users above a certain fixed threshold). Strong users send same feedback information on all shared channels. They are identified by the base station via compressive sensing. The proposed protocol is shown to achieve the same sum-rate throughput as that achieved by dedicated feedback schemes, but with feedback channels growing only logarithmically with number of users.


Identification of metabolites in humans remains challenging. Here, we present synthesis-based reverse metabolomics as a strategy for structure elucidation that aims to also find phenotypic associations. In this approach, MS/MS spectra are acquired from newly synthesized compounds, and searched against public metabolomics data to uncover their phenotypic associations. To demonstrate the concept, we used combinatorial amide coupling reactions to synthesize an array of amino acid conjugated bile acids. A total of 16,587 spectral matches were found for 145 amidates synthesized, representing the single largest expansion of structures in the 170+ year history of bile acids. Furthermore, some new bile acids were associated with health-related phenotypes such as inflammatory bowel diseases and obesity. Using independent human cohorts for validation revealed that some cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid conjugates were elevated in Crohn's disease, of which some were also potent PXR agonists. Bacteria belonging to bifidobacterium, clostridium, and enterococci genera were the main producers of these new conjugated bile acids. Because searching repositories with MS/MS spectra has only recently become possible, this synthesis-based reverse metabolomics approach can now be employed as a general strategy to elucidate structures and discover other new molecules from human and animal ecosystems.


Seagrasses are important marine foundation species that are reported to be declining worldwide, with almost 15% of species considered threatened. Seagrasses are highly productive plants that reconfigure water flow and influence nutrient cycling, as well as provide critical habitat for a wide array of fish and invertebrate species. Yet, many of these seagrass-dependent species, including economically important fishes and invertebrates, are themselves in danger of overexploitation or extinction. In fact, there is on average more than one threatened associated species for every seagrass species across the globe. Links between threatened seagrasses and their dependent communities illustrate the importance of an ecosystem-based management approach that incorporates interdependencies and facilitation among species.


We study a two-stage sequential search model with two agents who compete for one job. The agents arrive sequentially, each one in a different stage. The agents' abilities are private information and they are derived from heterogeneous distribution functions. In each stage the designer chooses an ability threshold. If an agent has a higher ability than the ability threshold in the stage in which he arrives, he gets the job and the search is over. We analyze the equilibrium ability thresholds imposed by the designer who wishes to maximize the ability of the agent who gets the job minus the search cost. We also investigate the ratio of the equilibrium ability thresholds as well as the optimal allocation of agents in both stages according to the agents' distributions of abilities.


New cancer markers have been discovered in the form of male and female oncogene peptide protein and its anti-peptide antibodies. They were found in both salvia and blood samples of females with breast cancer and males with prostate cancer, in a pilot study for fifteen married patients having cancer in advanced-stage and their Husbands and Wives. Ten females, their age ranging from 32 to 58 for breast cancer (group A), five males for prostate cancer their age ranging from 54 to 71 years (group B), and four normal persons [two male and two female], their age ranging from 23 to 34 years] (as control group), were recruited into a controlled study to investigate the presence of the new suspected oncogene peptide proteins and their specific anti-oncogene antibodies in their blood and saliva. Tumour markers, C.T scan, ultrasound, and mammogram reports were completely collected before the study for each subject in the three groups. The collection data revealed the presence of male oncogene peptide protein [MOP] in serum and saliva samples of male Husbands in group A and its specific anti-oncogene antibodies [AMOP] in the serum samples of each female affected with breast cancer in group A, and the presence of female oncogene peptide protein [FOP] in all five female Wives and its specific anti-oncogene antibodies [AFOP] in each male affected with prostate cancer in group B, and the differences between normal controls and cancer patients were estimated by different in vitro and in vivo experimental trails. Our conclusions showed that a direct relation exists between the increases in concentration levels of OPP and its AOAbs, and the stage of malignancy. These promising results can open the doors for a new challenge, by developing a therapeutic and prophylactic cancer vaccine as well as new biological markers for breast and prostate cancer.


A method that allows partial denaturation of protein ligands in Bi- and Zn-protein complexes, leaving the metal coordination centre intact, was developed. It was based on the reduction of the S-S bridges with tris(2-carboxyl)phosphine followed by derivatization with iodoacetamide. Consequently conditions that allow the separation of Bi- and Zn-protein complexes using SDS electrophoresis were found. The separation efficiency was much higher than that in non-denaturating blue native electrophoresis. The method allowed the detection of seven Bi-binding protein candidates in H. pylori treated with bismuth subcitrate, some of which-fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (33.6 kDa), urease alpha subunit (26.4 kDa), and the 16.8 kDa proteins: 30S ribosomal protein S6 and neutrophil activating protein (NapA)-were bio-induced during the treatment. The method also allowed the monitoring of the changes in the Zn-proteome during treatment of H. pylori with the Bi-drug, which was found to increase the concentration of the Zn-binding proteins with particularly strong expression of the urease, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase and the above 16.8 kDa proteins.


Background: Microalbuminuria (MAU) has been considered the first indication of renal injury in patients with diabetes and associated with a higher cardiovascular risk. It is evident from epidemiological studies that urine albumin concentration (UAC) or albumin: creatinine ratio (ACR) in spot urine sample gives similar result like 24-hour urinary albumin excretion (UAE).
Objectives: The study was aimed to find out whether UAC and/or ACR calculated in 24-hour urine sample correlate or not with same 24-hour UAE and what is diagnostic outcome by various measures of albumin excretion calculated in 24-hour urine samples in type 2 diabetic patients?
Methodology: We collected 24-hour urine sample from 125 type 2 diabetic patients and urinary albumin and creatinine were measured. We calculated different parameter of albumin excretion in 24-hour urine sample and interpretation of each parameter was derived. Data was expressed as median and range. Results: The median ACR was 187.30 (mg/g), UAC was 135.5 (mg/L) and UAE was 270.92(mg/24 hours) in 24-hours urine sample. Clinical outcome of nephropathy by different calculated measures of albumin excretion in 24-hour sample was different. 72 patients had similar interpretation while 53 patients showed different diagnostic interpretation by different measures of albumin excretion in the same 24-hour urine sample.
Conclusion: Various measures of urine albumin excretion like UAC, ACR calculated in 24-hour urine sample in type 2 diabetic patients showed different diagnostic interpretation. We recommend when the urinary albumin concentration exceeds 10 mg/L in spot or random urine sample, another 24-hour sample should be collected for confirmed diagnosis of the stage of the albuminuria / nephropathy. We conclude that 24-hour urine sample is gold standard for diagnosis of nephropathy in diabetic patients. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Key Words: Microalbuminuria, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Urine al


We present a method that utilises dynamic molecular modelling technique to track the changes within complex social network. The users forming a social network are interpreted as large sets of interacting particles. The data for the conducted research was obtained from e-mail communication within Enron company. The social network of employees was extracted and used to evaluate the methodology of social network dynamics modelling.


The review considers the influence of the length of the polymethine chain, the structures of the hetero-radicals, the nature of substituents, electronic asymmetry, interactions of chromophores, structures of ion-pairs, photochemical reactions with proton transfer, and concentration, on the spectral-luminescent properties of polymethine dyes. The characteristic features of these properties in low-polarity media, including polymeric matrices, are discussed. Solvatochromism and solvatofluorochromism of polymethines are considered. Major factors influencing changes in the spectral-luminescent properties of cyanines, in relation to their structure and the nature of the medium, are revealed. Possible applications of polymethines to the solution of various problems connected with the transformation of light energy are discussed. The bibliography includes 231 references.


OBJECTIVES: to determine HIV testing prevalence during antenatal care and hospital admission for delivery and identify factors associated to pregnant women testing and results delivery. METHODS: a descriptive study comprised of 400 puerperal women seen at the Women Care Center of Instituto Materno Infantil Professor Fernando Figueira, IMIP. RESULTS: one hundred and fifty four (38.5%) women were admitted for delivery without having received the results of the anti-HIV test. One hundred and thirty four women (87.0%) had been prescribed a "fast HIV test" but only 130 were tested (84.5%). The following was determined: the number of antenatal medical visits ((p<0,001), the number of professionals providing antenatal care and education level (p=0,006) were significantly associated to anti-HIV testing during antenatal care, but not with results delivery. Counseling and test access during antenatal care and hospital admission for delivery were significantly associated to anti-HIV testing during antenatal care as well. CONCLUSIONS: anti-HIV testing prevalence during antenatal care and/or screening was satisfactory in quantitative terms, however, results delivery during antenatal care, admission for delivery, and post-test counseling fell short of recommendations.


The invention discloses a carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) quantitative determination kit. The kit is characterized by comprising a CEA magnetic separation reagent, an enzyme reactant, a reaction reinforcing agent, diluent, a CEA standard, a CEA quality control material, concentrated cleaning solution and substrate solution. The invention also discloses a preparation method of the kit. The kit has the following main innovations: the kit provides a reaction system close to homogeneous phase by combining chemiluminescence technology and immunological magnetic particles; and compared with the prior art, the kit has higher detection sensitivity and specificity, simultaneously has result obtaining time shortened by at least 10 minutes, achieves better performance parameters and greatly lowers the product cost.


This study presents a new parallel Finite Element Method (FEM) strategy designed for coarse grain distributed memory systems. The adopted communication protocol is Message Passing Interface (MPI) and tests are carried out in a cluster of PCs. Compressed data structure is used to store the Hessian matrix in order to optimize memory usage and to use the parallel direct solver MUMPS. The new partitioning paradigm is based on structural finite element nodes, not elements (as usually done in references), resulting in an overlapping algorithm, where a reduced amount of information should be allocated and manipulated to integrate finite elements. The main advantage of the nodal partitioning is the performance improvement of the Hessian matrix assembly and the natural ordering to improve the system solution. Numerical examples are shown in order to demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of the proposed algorithm.


A decade ago, the so-called Kroner-Lee decomposition—primarily introduced to discern between elastic and (visco-)plastic strains—was given a broader scope and a deeper interpretation than the original ones, as describing the interplay between the actual and the relaxed configuration of each body element. The main intended application was to growth mechanics of soft living tissues. In 2002, a novel (tensorial) balance law governing the time evolution of the relaxed configuration was devised, and endowed with a proper constitutive theory, thus establishing the foundations of a dynamical theory of material remodelling. Material remodelling does not describe explicitly the chemistry or whatever else is acting behind the changes in material structure. However, it does account explicitly for the power expended by the biochemical control system, which is of the essence for modelling the mechanics of living tissue. Material remodelling discriminates active from passive remodelling, while treating both on the same footing. Thus it provides mechanistic models of living materials without conceiving of them as inert materials engineered with magic constitutive recipes. The present study develops a toy model of saccular aneurysms, focussing on the two-way coupling between growth and stress.