A new type of time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy experiment is presented: the ESCA shifts of the 4d fine structure split core-level of iodine atoms in the iodophenylphenol molecules adsorbed perpendicular to the (100) surface of silicon has been studied and observed transiently in fs-time resolved photoelectron spectroscopy as a function of the delay between the exciting ultrashort UV pulse and the ionizing ultrashort XUV pulse.


This paper aims to measure the residual stresses of plasma sprayed oxide ceramic deposits using the X-ray diffraction method and measure the Young's Modulus in specially designed four-point bend test device. Aluminum oxide and chromium oxide coatings are made with a water stabilized plasma spray gun. The paper analyzes the microstructure and the phase composition. The X-ray diffraction method is used to determine residual stresses on the layer surfaces. The same method is used for the local measurement of surface tensions in a four-point bending device built into an X-ray diffractometer. This device also enables the force applied and the specimen deflection to be measured. Effective modules of elasticity are determined from the gradient from load to deflection during bending. The results of the tension measurements and the values calculated from the applied force are compared. Paper includes a German-language abstract.


OBJECTIVE
Maternal problem-solving abilities, as they related to specific child-rearing situations, were examined and compared among mothers of infants with failure to thrive (FTT) and a matched group of comparison mothers.

METHODS
Participants were 37 mothers of children diagnosed with FTT and 37 mothers with normally growing children matched on three child variables and five maternal variables. Participants were administered a means-ends problem-solving measure specific to parents of young children and measures of language ability, depression, negative affect, and stressful life events.

RESULTS
Multivariate analysis of covariance results supported our main study hypotheses that mothers of infants with FTT would generate fewer problem-solving strategies that would be judged of poorer quality (i.e., less likely to result in positive outcomes) than mothers of healthy, normally growing infants. There were no significant associations obtained among problem-solving variables and individual difference variables (e.g., depression, negative affect, and stressful life events).

CONCLUSIONS
Limited maternal problem-solving abilities may contribute to FTT by interfering directly with the quality of nurturance, feeling, and caloric intake the child receives. Recommendations are made for future research and interventions with mothers of children with FTT.


The aim of this study was to assess in a vineyard the effect of purifying by solar photocatalysis the title rinse waters (currently most often rejected) in terms of efficacy and on-site practicality for the wine grower. The on-site, self-functioning, solar purifying unit included a corrugated-steel inclined plate of area S = 1 m2 onto which a TiO2-coated thin material had been slightly pressed, a tank, and an aquarium-type pump powered by a photovoltaic panel (appropriate for isolated locations). For a vineyard of area A = 0.15 km2, the rinse water (about 90 L) corresponding to each of four typical vine treatments in summer was analysed (major pesticides for each treatment, TOC, Microtox test and, in one case, BOD5) by independent laboratories, before and after purification for 8 days. The S/A ratio tested was found insufficient even if the photocatalytic treatment markedly improved the quality of the rinse waters. From the relatively low final organic content reached in one case, it is calculated that a three-time higher S/A ratio might suffice, but new trials are necessary to determine whether it is valid for other typical cases. Inferred contribution of inorganic ions to the post-photocatalytic treatment toxicity points to the need for an additional detoxification. These field experiments have also demonstrated that the purifying prototype is robust, and easy to install and use on site by the wine grower.


Four concepts are presented herein, deemed keys to reformulating technological education, with the purpose of guiding the collective construction of more equitable and participative relationships between technological innovation and social goals. These concepts are: "technical code" (A. Feenberg), "civic epistemology" (J. Jasanoff), "socio-technical citizenship" (H. Thomas) and "implication context" (F. Tula Molina). We propose a synergistic relationship between these concepts, through a broad perspective that regards the students primarily in their citizenship dimension, deeming them as future judges, lawyers, economists, engineers, educators and so on. In doing so, we aim to provide them with a critical and informed opinion on the technological policies that will affect both their human and social dimensions. One can reasonably expect that the acquired education will allow the student to develop attitudes of personal responsibility towards the natural environment and the quality of life. With such curricular design students may acquire critical capabilities for participating in the institutions where technological innovations and their related practices are elaborated, designed and regulated. I consider that such approach allows the educational system to strengthen technological literacy processes, by means of an active stance towards participation and responsible citizenship.


The chemistry of water and aqueous solutions is very different after irradiation with (3)H beta particles and high-energy electrons or (60)Co gamma rays. The greater the linear energy transfer (LET) of the medium for (3)H beta particles compared to high-energy electrons or (60)Co gamma rays leads to an increased local concentration of reactants. There is an increased amount of intratrack chemistry, which reduces the escape yield of and OH by about 50%, but increases the yield of H(2) by about 50% and of H(2)O(2) by about 35%. Analysis of stochastic-diffusion kinetic calculations employing simulated track structures reveals that the yield of H(2) produced by diffusion-kinetic processes increases significantly for (3)H beta particles compared to (60)Co gamma radiation, while production of H(2) by sub-picosecond processes is essentially the same. In both (3)H beta-particle and (60)Co gamma radiolysis, the reactions + and are equally important in the production of H(2). In the former case, each reaction has a yield of approximately 0.18, and in the latter a yield of approximately 0.08. In neutral water, the reaction (H + H) is negligible. The yield of Fe(III) in (3)H beta-particle radiolysis of the Fricke dosimeter is much smaller than in radiolysis with more energetic electrons. Simulations show that this change is primarily due to the reduced escape yield of H, formed from the scavenging of by the bulk H(3)O(+) of the acid. The chemical differences observed in experiments, and in calculations, reflect the underlying structure of the electron tracks: Examination of the track structure simulations demonstrates that primary events are considerably more well-separated in high-energy electron tracks compared to (3)H beta-particle tracks.


In this paper, the stable region for missile guidance loop employing an integrated proportional navigation guidance law is derived. The missile guidance loop is formulated as a closed-loop control system consisting of a linear time-invariant feed-forward block and a time-varying feedback gain. By applying the circle criterion to the system, a bound for the time of £light up to which stability can be assured is established as functions of flight time. Less conservative results, as compared to the result by Popov criterion, are obtained.


Lead is a widely used heavy metal that can affect children's nervous system development. ALAD gene polymorphism is associated with lead neurotoxicity. This study aimed to clarify the relationship among maternal blood lead, ALAD gene polymorphism, and neonatal neurobehavioral development through detecting maternal blood lead and ALAD gene polymorphism. 198 maternal and neonatal were selected as the research object. Graphite furnace atomic absorption method was applied to detect the maternal blood lead concentration. PCR-RFLP was used to detect ALAD genotype distribution. Neonatal NANB score was treated as effect indicator. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. The ALAD genotype was 181 cases (91.4%) for ALAD11 and 17 cases (8.6%) for ALAD12. ALAD allele frequency distribution accords with genetics Hardy-Weinberg balance (P > 0.05). Blood lead level in maternal with ALAD12 genotype was significantly higher than with ALAD11 genotype (P < 0.01). NANB score in high blood lead neonatal group was obviously lower than the low blood lead group (P < 0.05). Newborn's NANB score from the maternal with ALAD11 genotype was lower than from the maternal with ALAD12 genotype (P < 0.01). After ruling out the confounding factors influence by multiple linear regressions, ALAD gene polymorphisms had no significant correlation with neonatal NANB score (P > 0.05). ALAD gene polymorphism is associated with the blood lead level. Low level lead exposure in utero may cause newborn early neurobehavioral maldevelopment. Maternal ALAD gene polymorphism can affect early neonatal neurobehavioral development by influencing the blood lead level.


Neurodevelopmental abilities of 33 very-low-birthweight (VLBW) Trinidadian children and randomly selected matched pairs of classmates who were of normal birth weight were tested in 1998 at ages 68-88 months, using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. The 1 min Apgar score was significantly lower in the VLBW children, 6.5 (SD 1.0) versus 7.7 (SD 1.27), P-0.001. Mean scores on the McCarthy Scales for study and control children were: (Table cannot be represented.) These differences may reflect a delay in the neurodevelopment of these children. However, the effect of child-rearing practices and the inappropriateness of the test for the population cannot be ruled out.


Attempting to find a fast computing method to DHT (distinguished hyperbolic trajectory), this study first proves that the errors of the stable DHT can be ignored in normal direction when they are computed as the trajectories extend. This conclusion means that the stable flow with perturbation will approach to the real trajectory as it extends over time. Based on this theory and combined with the improved DHT computing method, this paper reports a new fast computing method to DHT, which magnifies the DHT computing speed without decreasing its accuracy.


ABSTRACT. Coelho C.N., Correia T.R., Oliveira G.F., Coumendouros K., Santos R.R., Medeiros M.T., Avelar B.R., Nascimento C.G. & Scott F.B. [Abamectin with fluazuron association in control of Dermatobia hominis in naturally infested cattle.] Associacao de abamectina com fluazuron no controle de Dermatobia hominis em bovinos naturalmente infestados. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinaria, 37(Supl.1):91-94, 2015. Curso de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Veterinaria, Anexo 1, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Campus Seropedica, Ecologia, BR 465 Km 7, Seropedica, RJ 23897-970, Brasil. E-mail: email@example.com The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of abamectin association 0.6% with fluazuron 3.0% in control of Dermatobia hominis in naturally infected cattle. There were selected 20 calves, crossbred Gir and Dutch breeds and male, also divided into two groups. Animals of the control group received no treatment, while the treated animals were given the formulation in the volume of 1ml / 10kg per body weight, being administered pour-on which correspond the dose of 600mcg of abamectin and 3mg fluazuron. On days +7 and +14 a count of the total number of live larvae of D. hominis on both sides of the animal for the purpose of evaluation of the effectiveness was performed. Statistical analysis of the means of living larvae of D. hominis counted among the groups, control and treated, showed that there was a significant difference (p = 0.05) between groups on days +7 and +14. The product showed an efficacy test results 90.70% and 96.84% respectively for the experimental days. Abamectin 0.6% association with 3% fluazuron was effective in controlling D. hominis in naturally infected cattle.


The foraging behavior of Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), Sedge Warbler (A. schoenobaenus) and Marsh Warbler (A. palus- tris) was surveyed on three crop types (spring ce- reals, winter cereals and oil seed rape) in western Poland. The foraging intensity was greatest in oil seed rape, while the lowest was in spring cere- als. For Sedge Warbler, oil seed rape fields were visited mainly in May, while cereal fields were visited in June and July. The number of foraging visits decreased with increasing distance from a breeding marsh patch. There was no difference in distance traveled to different crop types. There was a significant negative correlation between marsh patch area and foraging intensity for all species combined. This study shows that oil seed rape may be useful as a foraging habitats for some farmland birds during the breeding season.


180mTa, which is the second excited state of 180Ta at Ex = 77 keV, is naturally occurring and is the only known stable isomer. The half-life of 180mTa is considered to be an important parameter for nuclear synthesis models for heavy elements. However, the decay of 180mTa has never been observed even though several groups tried to measure it. We will search for gamma transitions from 180mTa decays in a tantalum sample by using an array of fourteen HPGe detectors recently installed in an underground laboratory at Yangyang, Korea. In preparation for the measurement, Monte-Carlo simulation studies were conducted to optimize the tantalum sample configuration. Based on the simulation study, we decided on a configuration composed of a 2 mm thick disk with diameter of 200 mm and six 2 mm thick rectangular plates with dimension of 158 × 195 mm2. The finalized tantalum sample configuration gives 2.0 and 7.5 coincidence events per year for the EC and the β-decay of 180mTa, respectively. In this study, we used T1/2 =2.0 × 1017 years and T1/2 = 5.8 × 1016 years for the EC and β-decay which are the present best lower-limits as reported by B. Lehnert et al.


The current study aims to discuss the use of systematic methods to generate experimental designs with good statistical properties and low costs. The research focuses on the sequence of experiments and on analysis the results of three different approaches used to build (orthogonal and non-orthogonal) two-level factorial designs, wherein sequencing is randomly or systematically performed. The study simulated the design generated by each approach in the context of an actual glass container manufacturing process, with and without the presence of linear trend effects. The results indicate that, in comparison to the random order, systematic sequences may lead to fewer factor level changes and to increased robustness to linear trend effects. Therefore, they may attach design cost and quality.


Central nervous system development in insect embryos is characterised by growth of neurones on stereotyped pathways along preexisting axon bundles to reach their targets. These two papers describe the identification of two genes (DPTP99A and DPTP1OD) and their protein products that are implicated in the axonal outgrowth and guidance. The genes, through alternative splicing, code for multiple forms of receptor linked protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases). The isoforms of the proteins differ in their C-terminal tails. The expression of these proteins is restricted to CNS axons and show distinct patterns specific to different subsets of CNS neurones. The expression of DPTP99A coincides with the onset of axonogenesis and is observed in several pioneer neurones. Transient expression ofDTP99A proteins is observed in intersegmental and segmental nerves. This expression pattern suggests that they are involved in axon outgrowth and guidance. The structure of the receptor linked PTPases indicates that they may be involved in transduction of cell surface signals provided by extracellular matrix molecules or neural cell adhesion molecules. The PTPases have extracellular fibronectin type III repeats and intracellular protein tyrosine kinase domains. Thus, they may link cell recognition to tyrosine phosphorylation.


Purpose To determine if there are significant differences between fibromyalgia (FM) patients and healthy controls using three different functional brain imaging techniques to assess for differences in a number of brain areas that have been considered to play a role in pain processing. Materials and Methods All subjects (20 FM patients and 20 age-matched controls) underwent a conventional pre- and postcontrast MRI as well as completing extensive baseline clinical work-up including the McGill Pain Questionnaire and pain/pressure sensitivity testing. For 2D-CSI proton spectroscopy (TE/TR = 144/1500 ms), 18 1 × 1 × 1 cm voxels were placed in areas implicated in pain processing. Metabolite ratios were calculated for each voxel. DTI was performed using a single-shot spin-echo EPI technique along nine different directions with a b value of 1,000 s/mm2 and standardized 50 mm2 regions of interests (ROIs) were placed in a number of potential pain processing regions. For MR perfusion, 20 50 mm2 circular ROIs were placed in selected gray and white matter structures to allow calculation of relative quantitative data for mean time to enhance (MTE) and negative enhancement integral (NEI). Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results Analysis of the 2D-CSI data showed mean Cho/Cr ratios to be significantly higher in FM patients compared to normal controls in the right prefrontal subcortical white matter (p = .02) and the left parietal white matter (p = .04). Nonsignificant similar trends were seen in the left thalamus (p = .07) and the left internal capsule (p = .09). No significant differences were found in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values between fibromyalgia patients and normal controls in most of the different regions examined. A tendency for lower FA values was found in the parietal white matter in patients with fibromyalgia compared to the normal healthy controls, 0.256 ± 0.026 (mean ± SD) vs 0.273 ± 0.034, respectively (p = .06). Regarding MR perfusion, relative MTE values were significantly lower in FM patients compared to healthy controls in the following areas: bilateral insula, thalami, prefrontal dorsolateral gray matter, corona radiata, frontal white matter, parietal white matter, and right internal capsule. Conclusion Our data suggest that there are differences between FM patients and healthy controls in brain regions that have been implicated in pain processing. Larger studies are needed to better understand the determinants and consequences of CNS changes in FM, correlate with clinical symptoms, and evaluate the potential of functional imaging in disease monitoring and therapy response.


It is desirable for endovascular surgery simulation to describe with quantitative data the interaction between the catheter and the blood vessel model wall to make an objective evaluation of the procedure. Photoelastic stress analysis in straight segments of multi-layered models was used for that purpose. In this research we study the error introduced by stress direction on the magnitude measurements, for photoelastic stress analysis. And we propose a scanner for three dimensional visualization of photoelastic stress analysis. As result, we quantified that the maximum contribution of error from stress direction in the first half of the fringe is 2.52% for the stress magnitude measurements. Three-dimensional stress visualization was obtained in segment of straight vasculature with an average error in sample slices of 10.73%, 4.55% and 3.18% for inner pressures of 80, 120 and 160mmHg respectively.


We present a quantum communication experiment conducted over a point-to-point free-space link of 1.6 km in urban conditions. We study atmospheric influences on the capability of the link to act as a continuous-variable (CV) quantum channel. Continuous polarization states (that contain the signal encoding as well as a local oscillator (LO) in the same spatial mode) are prepared and sent over the link in a polarization multiplexed setting. Both signal and LO undergo the same atmospheric fluctuations. These are intrinsically auto-compensated which removes detrimental influences on the interferometric visibility. At the receiver, we measure the Q-function and interpret the data using the framework of effective entanglement (EE). We compare different state amplitudes and alphabets (two-state and four-state) and determine their optimal working points with respect to the distributed EE. Based on the high entanglement transmission rates achieved, our system indicates the high potential of atmospheric links in the field of CV quantum key distribution.


The concepts of hematopoiesis and the generation of blood and immune cells from hematopoietic stem cells are some steady concepts in the field of hematology. However, the knowledge of hematopoietic cells arising from solid tumor cancer stem cells is novel. In the solid tumor microenvironment, hematopoietic cells play pivotal roles in tumor growth and progression. Recent studies have reported that solid tumor cancer cells or cancer stem cells could differentiate into hematopoietic cells. Here, we discuss efforts and research that focused on the presence of hematopoietic cells in tumor microenvironments. We also discuss hematopoiesis from solid tumor cancer stem cells and clarify the notion of differentiation of solid tumor cancer stem cells into non-cancer hematopoietic stem cells.


IkB kinase β (IKKβ) is a key signaling kinase for inflammatory responses, but it also plays diverse cell type-specific roles that are not yet fully understood. Here we investigated the role of IKKβ in the cornea using IkkβΔCS mice in which the Ikkβ gene was specifically deleted in the corneal stromal keratocytes. The IkkβΔCS corneas had normal morphology, transparency and thickness; however, they did not heal well from mild alkali burn injury. In contrast to the IkkβF/F corneas that restored transparency in 2 weeks after injury, over 50% of the IkkβΔCS corneas failed to fully recover. They instead developed recurrent haze with increased stromal thickness, severe inflammation and apoptosis. This pathogenesis correlated with sustained myofibroblast transformation with increased α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, higher levels of senescence β-Gal activity and scar tissue formation at the late stage of wound healing. In addition, the IkkβΔCS corneas displayed elevated expression of hemo-oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a marker of oxidative stress, and activation of stress signaling pathways with increased JNK, c-Jun and SMAD2/3 phosphorylation. These data suggest that IKKβ in keratocytes is required to repress oxidative stress and attenuate fibrogenesis and senescence in corneal wound healing.


Background: Tuberculosis is a communicative disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that may cause death if it is left untreated. The incidence of tuberculosis has decreased since the introduction of anti-tubercular drugs. Undesirable side effects and drug-drug interaction of anti-tubercular drugs will results in discontinuation or substitution of other drugs. This may influence patient's response and compliance. It also may increase the risk of treatment failure. Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to study the side effects and drug interactions of anti-tubercular drugs as well as the way to manage them. Literature Review: Journals related to anti-tubercular agents are referred to accomplish this assignment. Databases such as Science Direct and PubMed are used to search for these journals. Discussion: Patients with tuberculosis are with treated anti-tubercular agents, either in monotherapy or in combination. The anti-tubercular drugs will bring adverse effects to the patients if not managed properly such as hepatotoxici ty and rashes due to hypersensitivity. The anti-tubercular drugs will also interact with other medications such as antiretroviral drugs as well as among themselves. The negative effects from these interactions have to be managed. Conclusion: Tuberculosis treatment will bring positive effects as well as negative effects due to side effects and drug interactions of the anti-tubercular dugs. Therefore, the side effects of as well as the interactions of the anti-tubercular drugs have to be managed to prevent treatment failure or even worse, death in the tuberculosis patient.


As proposed recently by Fornal and Grinstein, neutrons can undergo a dark matter decay mode which was not observed before. Such a decay could explain the existing discrepancy between two different methods of neutron lifetime measurements. If such neutron decay is possible, then it should occur also is nuclei with sufficiently low neutron binding energy. We examine a few nuclear candidates for the dark neutron decay and we consider possibilities of their experimental identification. In more detail we discuss the case of $^{11}$Be which appears as the most promising nucleus for the observation of the neutron dark decay.


In the first part we discuss how the BEC picture for magnons is modified by anisotropies induced by spin-orbit coupling. In particular, we focus on the effects of antisymmetric spin interactions and/or a staggered component of the g (gyromagnetic) tensor. Such terms lead to a gapped quasiparticle spectrum and a non-zero condensate density for all temperatures so that no phase transition occurs. We contrast this to the effect of crystal field anisotropies which are also induced by spin-orbit coupling. In the second part, we study the field-induced magnetic ordering in TlCuCl3 on a quantitative level. We show that the usual BEC picture does not allow for a good description of the experimental magnetisation data and argue that antisymmetric spin interactions and/or a staggered g tensor component are still crucial, although both are expected to be tiny in this compound due to crystal symmetries. Including this type of interaction, we obtain excellent agreement with experimental data.


To test the hypothesis that the antidepressant effects of total sleep deprivation (TSD) are linked to the serotonergic and/or noradrenergic system the authors carried out a double-blind study (fluvoxamine versus maprotiline) in 42 inpatients with endogenous depression (ICD). Patients were randomized to a four-week treatment with either fluvoxamine (100-300 mg/day) or maprotiline (100-300 mg/day). In addition, patients underwent a TSD procedure before and after one week of antidepressant medication. There was a statistically significant reduction of depression ratings (HDRS) in both the fluvoxamine and maprotiline group. The day-1 response to TSD before antidepressive medication was not associated with a clear relationship to the outcome after four weeks of treatment with either fluvoxamine or maprotiline. On the other hand, the day-2 response to TSD was significantly correlated with a good outcome to subchronic treatment with maprotiline. Furthermore, the results of the authors' data suggest that a favorable short-term outcome of TSD may be connected to antidepressants enhancing the serotonergic neurotransmission. The global comparison between fluvoxamine and maprotiline revealed that the group of patients treated with fluvoxamine had a significantly higher efficiency index (CGI) than the maprotiline group; fluvoxamine was rated to be tolerated excellently in 70% of the patients whereas this percentage was only 43% in the maprotiline group. There was also significantly more vertigo and dry mouth in the maprotiline group whereas the fluvoxamine group was rated to have significantly more sleep disturbances during the trial.


This paper presents a torque analysis of an axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machine (AFPMSM) based on analytical analysis of magnetic field. The proposed method for torque analysis requires less computational time and is more flexible than finite element method (FEM). This is important advantage, especially for the early stages of the design process. Torque measurements on prototype AFPMSM confirm the validity of the torque analysis method.


Females, males and second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne spartinae were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of M. spartinae is very typical of the genus for most characters in general. However, as expected, some minor differences occur, particularly in the shape of the head, stylet and tail, and morphometrics of several characters. It is not clear at present how the karyotype of seven chromosomes in M. spartinae is related to the 13-18 chromosomes of other apparently related Meloidogyne species. The M. spartinae karyotype may represent an ancestral form from which the other species have evolved, possibly as polyploid-aneuploids. More studies are needed to clarify this point. However, M. spartinae is remarkably similar in morphology to other species and is justly placed within the genus Meloidogyne.


BACKGROUND
Chronic and systemic inflammatory alterations occur in HIV-infected patients and elderly uninfected subjects and in both scenarios these alterations are associated with the development of chronic morbidities and mortality. However, whether the levels of inflammatory alterations in untreated HIV-infected patients and elderly individuals are similar is unknown. Moreover, whether long-term antiretroviral therapy normalizes inflammatory alterations compared with HIV-uninfected persons of different age is not known.

METHODS
We analysed soluble inflammatory levels [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interferon (IFN)-γ, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-17] in a cohort of viraemic HIV-infected patients compared with (i) age-matched, (ii) elderly and (iii) non-survivor elderly, uninfected healthy controls. We longitudinally analysed the effect of long-term 48 and 96 week suppressive combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on the soluble inflammatory levels compared with those found in control subjects.

RESULTS
Baseline IL-6 and IL-8 levels were at similar or lower concentrations in untreated patients compared with healthy elderly individuals. However, TNF-α and IFN-γ levels broadly exceeded those found in survivors and non-survivor elderly individuals. Long-term suppressive cART normalized most of the inflammatory markers, with the exception of TNF-α levels, which persisted as high as those in elderly non-survivor controls.

CONCLUSIONS
Chronic inflammatory alterations associated with HIV infection are maintained at a different level from those of ageing. The persistent alteration of TNF-α levels in HIV-infected patients might cause tissue damage and have implications for developing non-AIDS-defining illnesses, even when HIV replication is long-term controlled by cART.


INTRODUCTION
Pertussis or whooping cough continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants younger than 1 year old.

OBJECTIVES
To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of Bordetella pertussis and to analyze the factors associated with confirmation by PCR and case fatality rate.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Prospective, cohort study conducted between December 2003 and December 2011. The study included children seen at the Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez suspected of pertussis. The factors associated with confirmation by PCR and the case fatality rate by relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval were studied.

RESULTS
Six hundred and twenty patients with a 38% of positive cases (236/620) were included, 3 cases were confirmed by epidemiological link. Confirmed cases (239) showed a seasonal pattern from September through February, a median age of 3 months old, and 89% had received less than three vaccine doses. Eighty six percent of patients were hospitalized: their median length of stay was 7 days. A total of 99% of patients were eu-trophic, 98% were immunocompetent and 17.5% required intensive care. The clinical presentation was analyzed in 480 patients. Of them, 38% (184) had a positive PCR result and their symptoms were: 96.2%, cough; 76.5%, paroxysmal cough; 57.9% cyanosis; 55.7%, respiratory distress; 29%, fever; 22.4%, apnea; 21.9%, vomiting after coughing. A multivariate analysis identified the following as independent predictors associated with confirmation of pertussis by PCR: paroxysmal cough (OR 2.52: 1.50-4.22; p= 0.000) and leukocytosis upon admission >20 000 white blood cells/mm3 (OR 7.96: 4.82-13.17; p= 0.000); having developed fever reduced the chance of having a positive PCR result (OR 0.47: 0.29-0.77; p= 0.003). The case fatality rate for hospitalized patients was 6.8%. Leukocytosis >30 000 white blood cells/mm3 was a predictor of fatality (RR 6.7: 1.88-23.9; p= 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Confirmed cases were mostly infants younger than 1 year old who were healthy before and who had not completed their primary immunization schedule. Paroxysmal cough and leukocytosis were associated with PCR diagnosis, while leukocytosis was a predictor of mortality.


A search of alternative energy resources is one of the most popular topics of modern scientific research. Recently, transition metal chalcogenide clusters have gained considerable importance due to their potential applications in the field of energy conversion, storage, and optoelectronics etc. Among them, the compounds formed between Cu and S are extensively used in technological and strategic industries, including thermoelectric cooling materials, solar cells, clean-energy sectors, nonlinear optical materials, lithium ion batteries, gas sensors, nanoscale switches, photocatalysts, supercapacitors, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals etc. Nano clusters of Copper sulfides (CuS) have paramount importance due to its significant adsorption property and non-toxic behavior. In this analysis, nanoalloy clusters of (CuS)n; (n=1-8) have been theoretically analyzed in terms of Conceptual Density Functional Theory (CDFT) based descriptors, aiming to explore its electronic and other properties. 3d modeling and structural optimization of all the compounds have been performed invoking Gaussian 03 within Density Functional Theory framework. Global DFT based descriptors have been computed for ground state configurations and low-lying isomers of (CuS)n clusters. Computed HOMO-LUMO gaps, lying in the range of 1.25 – 3.53 eV, indicate that (CuS)n clusters may be utilized as renewable energy sources specially in photocatalysis and solar cell applications. A statistical correlation has been established between electronic and photo-catalytic properties of copper-sulfide clusters with their computational counterparts. The close agreement between experimental and computed data establishes efficacy of our analytical approach.


As gene expression datasets become larger and larger, mining the interaction between genes from large scale gene expression data will be rendered difficult extremely. In this paper, we proposed to combine association rules with genetic algorithm (GA) to mine gene networks from global gene expression data. Firstly, the association rules algorithm is improved from the limitation of the frequent itemsets, the compression of the transaction database and the stored forms of the records in the transaction database for decreasing the computational complexity of this algorithm: Then, the mined rules are further optimized by the genetic algorithm. The efficient combination between two algorithms is realized through the reasonable design of Coding/Decoding, fitness function and genetic manipulation in GA. An optimizing selection operator is introduced in order to enhance the searching efficiency of GA. Finally, the computational tests have showed that the method combined by association rule and genetic algorithm can mine some important interactions between genes from global gene expression datasets.


Abstract The potentials of urban public space are often seen as an arena for the representation and articulation of the needs of people with different social and ethnic background, as well as a space for encounter and communication between them. The aim of this paper is to suggest an answer to the question how these potentials are turned to account in the context of fighting for the right to stay. I will approach the question by exploring the activities in public space that were carried out by the initiative Kotti & Co in Berlin Kreuzberg. Being motivated by the need to fight against unaffordable housing and displacement in their neighbourhood, Kotti & Co started in May 2012. The locals managed to occupy part of a public square and to turn it into a permanent protest camp. From here, the activists actu-alize their protest, declare demands, and withstand political strategies that try to assimilate them or tire them out. I argue that the initiative has created an important meeting place for people with different social, political and ethnic backgrounds, as well as a forum for a new and solidary form of public togetherness. These activities have strengthened Kotti & Co's protest against gentrification of this urban quarter.


Evaluation of the Genetic Diversity in Iraqi Local Breeds of Goat Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Markers B. K. Sulaiman College of Sciences\ Al-Nahrain University Abstract In the current study, random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase (RAPD) was used to investigate the genetic diversity and relationship among three breeds of local goat (Black, Brown and White). Twelve individual were subjected to blood samples collection, four from each population. Extracted DNA was in adequate quantity and quality. The polymorphism varied between primers and within breeds. Seven out of sixteen RAPD primers were found to be polymorphic. The maximal number of scorable fragments was amplified by D15, while C5 and C12 primers were shared the same minimal value of amplified fragments which was 8 bands. Molecular size of amplified fragments ranged from 0.16 kbp to 4.8 kbp. Of the 69 amplified fragments, 32 fragments (46%) were polymorphic with an average of 4.57 polymorphic fragments per primer. Dendrogram derived from RAPD profiles separated the twelve individuals into four main clusters; two were consisted of single individual, whereas the other two clusters consisted of three and seven individuals, respectively. Genetic similarity was ranged from 0.61% to 0.97%. The results indicated that RAPD-PCR technique was a valuable tool in the arsenal of animal breeders and can efficiently distinguish between goat breeds.


There exists a real dearth of literature available to Anglophones dealing with philosophical connections between transhumanism and Marxism. This is surprising, given the existence of works on just this relation in the other major European languages and the fact that 47 per cent of people surveyed in the 2007 Interests and Beliefs Survey of the Members of the World Transhumanist Association identified as "left," though not strictly Marxist (Hughes 2008). Rather than seeking to explain this dearth here, I aim to contribute to its being filled in by identifying three fundamental areas of similarity between transhumanism and Marxism. These are: the importance of material conditions and particularly, technological advancement, for revolution; conceptions of human nature; and conceptions of nature in general. While it is true that both Marxism and (especially) transhumanism are broad fields that encompass diverse positions, even working with somewhat generalized characterizations of the two reveals interesting parallels and dissimilarities fruitful for future work. This comparison also shows that transhumanism and Marxism can learn important lessons from one another that are complementary to their respective projects. I suggest that Marxists can learn from transhumanists two lessons: that some "natural" forces may become reified forces and the extent to which the productive apparatus is now relevant to revolution. Transhumanists, on the other hand, can learn from Marxist theory the essentially social nature of the human being and the ramifications this has for the transformation of the human condition and for the forms of social organization compatible with transhumanist aims. Transhumanists can also benefit from considering the relevance of Marx's theory of alienation to their goals of technological advancement. 1. Transhumanism


Abstract The settlement of Armenians on Bulgarian territory dates back to Armenians in the service of the Byzantine army, later to numerous settlements of Armenian military, and the growth of Paulicianism, a heresy created mainly by Armenians and Syrians. Mass immigration started in the beginning of the 17th century, when an economic and political crisis developed in Ottoman Armenia. After Bulgaria's 1878 Liberation from Ottoman rule, there were 4,000 Armenians in the Principality of Bulgaria and 1,300 in Eastern Rumelia, according to an 1884 census. Waves of refugees fled to Bulgaria after the 1896 and 1915 genocides. During the rule of Kemal Atatürk and after the 1919–1922 Greco-Turkish War, the Armenians were compelled to seek refuge beyond Turkey. On the orders of the Alexander Stamboliiski government, Bulgaria opened its borders to refugees in 1922, and approximately 25,000 Armenians settled in the country. Today there are 13,000 Armenians in Bulgaria, with their own churches, schools, newspapers and cultural life in many cities such as Plovdiv, Sofia, Shumen, etc.


The invention relates to a method and device for connection of configuration inputs (101-107) for a microcontroller, whereby said device is embodied such that one signal state from at least two possible signal states is set at each configuration input (101-107), characterised in that an energy source (121-127) is connected to each configuration input (101-107) which can adopt at least two states in order to set the at least two signal states at each configuration input, whereby setting means (109) are provided by means of which the states of each energy source may be controlled such that the requisite signal state for each configuration input is provided. ® KIPO & WIPO 2007


This paper discusses modeling and simulation issues associated with the stochastic behavior of a special type of a computer worm called a random constant scanning (RCS) worm. Although these worms propagate by randomly scanning network addresses to find hosts that are susceptible to infection, traditional RCS worm models are fundamentally deterministic. A density-dependent Markov jump process model for RCS worms is presented and analyzed. Conditions are shown for when worm models can safely ignore some stochastic properties of RCS worm propagation. A computationally simple hybrid deterministic/stochastic model for the observed scanning behavior on a local network due to the global propagation of an RCS scanning worm is also presented and discussed.


W I T H I N the last three years, thousands of mathematicians and teachers of mathematics at all levels have taken part in studies designed to ascertain ways of improving mathematics instruction. No earlier review period has seen investigations comparable to the current massive effort and its results. The investigations have been concerned with mathematics programs from the kindergarten through the graduate school. A first goal of many studies has been the production of sample course materials; the implications for and effect on teacher education are far-reaching. The academic and professional training of teachers must take into account the changing mathematics curriculum. All the groups preparing and trying out new materials have recognized the related teacher-education problems, and almost all have carried on investigations specifically concerned with teacher education. Jones (1960) emphasized implications of research in mathematics for teacher education in a paper before the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Some 20 separate studies in mathematics curriculum were under way during the review period. The School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) of mathematicians and teachers in all parts of the country, which has an advisory committee appointed by the presidents of the three major national mathematical societies, has offered its co-operation to all independently operating centers of activity and is in a position to take advantage of the good work of the other groups. A major concern of the SMSG is teacher education. Another kind of investigation which has equally far-reaching implications for teacher education is the growing interest of psychologists in learning theory as related to mathematics. This research is best exemplified by the work of Bruner (1960). Research in mathematics and science is often classified as basic or applied. Duncan and Frymier (1960) made this distinction for research in teacher education. This review, more concerned with applied research, reviews studies peculiar to mathematics-teacher education rather than studies which have implications for teacher education generally. Moreover, a greater proportion of the former is clearly applied, particularly the investigations of course content. Research dealing with the way children learn mathematics, since it has important implications for other fields, may come to be classified as basic.


A BSTRACT . The karyotypes of 21 herbaceous peony ( Paeonia ) cultivars were studied using root tip squashes revealing a wide variety of ploidy levels. There were three tetraploid (2 n = 4 x = 20), 11 triploid (2 n = 3 x = 15), and one diploid (2 n = 2 x = 10) cultivars in the hybrid group; five triploid (2 n = 3 x = 15) cultivars in the Itoh group; and one diploid (2 n = 2 x = 10) cultivar in the lactiflora group (LG). The asymmetry index (AI) ranged from 59.61% ('Cytherea') to 64.03% ('Little Red Gem'). The karyotypes of all peony cultivars were 2A with 60% metacentric (m), 20% submetacentric (sm), and 20% subtelocentric (st) chromosomes. The karyotypic background of these 21 herbaceous peony cultivars is discussed in the context of the evolution of ploidy and the three cultivar groups. These results provide cytological information that would assist in a peony hybridization program.


Systematic reviews are a widely used method to provide an overview over the current scientific consensus, by bringing together multiple studies in a reliable, transparent way. The large and growing number of published studies, and their increasing rate of publication, makes the task of identifying all relevant studies in an unbiased way both complex and time consuming to the extent that jeopardizes the validity of their findings and the ability to inform policy and practice in a timely manner. The CLEF 2017 e-Health Lab Task 2 focuses on the efficient and effective ranking of studies during the abstract and title screening phase of conducting Diagnostic Test Accuracy systematic reviews. We constructed a benchmark collection of fifty such reviews and the corresponding relevant and irrelevant articles found by the original Boolean query. Fourteen teams participated in the task, submitting 68 automatic and semi-automatic runs, using information retrieval and machine learning algorithms over a variety of text representations, in a batch and iterative manner. This paper reports both the methodology used to construct the benchmark collection, and the results of the evaluation.


In 1987, the United States Congress enacted a policy that prohibited HIV-positive noncitizens from entering the United States for both temporary visits and immigration. Nearly two decades later, the policy still stands, making the United States one of only a handful of countries that still enforces such an exclusionary policy. Several international health organizations, including the World Health Organization, have condemned the HIV ban as "irrational and without public health justification" (Goldberg 1998). In 1993, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services attempted to remove HIV from the exclusion list based on the fact that it is not transmitted by casual contact, but failed due to public outcry. Despite overwhelming evidence against the rationale behind the ban, the United States government still considers HIV a "communicable disease of public health significance" (Goldberg 1998). The United States' policy on the exclusion of HIV-positive noncitizens is not only discriminatory and unjustified, but it is also a violation of international human rights. This paper examines the ban in its entirety with special attention given to some exceptions to the ban, one of which is the acquisition of asylum. The act of seeking asylum based on HIV-positive status, whether due to one's membership in a persecuted social group or one's political opinion, is beginning to gain support in the immigration courts. It is because of the granting of HIV-based asylum that the United States' exclusion policy is no longer the obstacle that it once was.


Methodological aspects of the analysis of protective measures in agriculture in the long-term period of liquidation of the consequences of a nuclear accident are considered. Examples of the estimations of countermeasure effectiveness with the use of the cost-benefit analysis, as well as methods of the estimation of intervention levels and examples of a comparison of various protective measures with the use of several criteria of effectiveness are discussed.


The flip-chip technique, in which a bare chip is directly connected to a substrate, has become a key technology in producing compact electronic products, including cellular phones. In particular, the technique of using Au bumps to connect the bare chip with the substrate, with the aid of an anisotropic conductive film (ACF), is one of the most useful technologies. The most serious problem with ACF bonding technology today is that the deterioration mechanism of interconnections is not clear. This study is motivated to clarify the mechanism of deterioration and to establish the method of obtaining reliability in the design of interconnections for which ACF is used.


Many of the compact extragalactic radio sources that are used as fiducial points to define the celestial reference frame are known to have proper motions detectable with long-term geodetic/astrometric very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) measurements. These changes can be as high as several hundred microarcseconds per year for certain objects. When imaged with VLBI at milliarcsecond (mas) angular resolution, these sources (radio-loud active galactic nuclei) typically show structures dominated by a compact, often unresolved "core" and a one-sided "jet." The positional instability of compact radio sources is believed to be connected with changes in their brightness distribution structure. For the first time, we test this assumption in a statistical sense on a large sample rather than on only individual objects. We investigate a sample of 62 radio sources for which reliable long-term time series of astrometric positions as well as detailed 8 GHz VLBI brightness distribution models are available. We compare the characteristic direction of their extended jet structure and the direction of their apparent proper motion. We present our data and analysis method, and conclude that there is indeed a correlation between the two characteristic directions. However, there are cases where the ∼1–10 mas scale VLBI jet directions are significantly misaligned with respect to the apparent proper motion direction.


The relation between oxygen consumption, length and tension of isolated strips of rat diaphragm was examined as a function of the concentration of ryanodine. The influence of mechanical stretching on oxygen consumption of resting rat diaphragm was found to be very small compared with that reported in Rana temporaria There is evidence that the stretch response is related to an increase in length rather than to rise in tension; the latter per se may have a negative influence on Q o 2 . Ryanodine causes a small but definite rise in Q o 2 ; in contrast to frog muscle, no significant difference was observed between muscles maintained isometrically and those which were allowed to shorten. The limited observations which have been made on different species are consistent with the possibility that the Q o 2 responses to stretch and to ryanodine may involve a common mechanism.


Inflammatory external root resorption (IERR) refers to the pathological process of dissolving the hard tissue on the outer surface of the tooth root by the body's own immune system under the stimulation of various physical and chemical factors such as infection, stress, trauma and orthodontic treatment. Severe IERR can lead to endodontic and periodontal diseases, and even the loss of teeth. Therefore, understanding the etiology and the pathogenic mechanism of IERR are of importance in its prevention and treatment. This article will review the etiology and the regulation mechanisms of IERR.


SUMMARY Background Psychotherapeutic diagnosis is largely based on verbal explorations and/or psychological tests. In contrast, the relevance of non-verbal communication is often disregarded. Here, we aim to provide a tool to measure and assess non-verbal behavior in clinical interviews, based on the Ethological Coding System for Interviews (ECSI), developed by Troisi (1999), which was translated and validated in Spanish. An ethogram is a catalogue of behaviours or patterns of behaviour, which are operationalized and grouped in categories such as affiliation, flight, assertiveness, relaxation and so forth. Method Study1. The ECSI was translated into Spanish. Three "blind" observers registered the frequencies of the behavioral patterns of the patient. The recordings were made in 15 seconds intervals during the first and the last 10 minutes of a clinical interview. An inter-observer reliability of r=0.989, p<0.001 was obtained. Study 2. Based on the first study, it was considered pertinent to add behavioral patterns, as well as rearranging and redefining the proposed categories. The three "blind" observers performed the same task as in study 1 with a second video-recording. Aside from the frequency of the observed behaviours, the duration of the behavior was measured. An inter-observer reliability of r=0.993, p<0.001 was obtained. Results and discussion The ECSI has proven a reliable and valid tool for the examination of patients' nonverbal behaviour during interviews. It is hoped that the ECSI can be added to the diagnostic process during psychotherapeutic sessions.


The goals of antihypertensive therapy are to normalize arterial pressure and to minimize pharmacological adverse effects. Recent data indicate that in general the first goal has been achieved but the second has not, resulting in a substantial non-compliance rate. There is increasing evidence, therefore, that the next major step forward in treating hypertensive patients is to link specific forms of therapy to subsets of the hypertensive population. The present article illustrates this point by describing the characteristics and therapeutic implications of a subset of essential hypertensives termed non-modulators and the therapeutic implications which arise. These individuals have a defect in the way that sodium intake modifies adrenal and renal vascular responses to angiotensin II, resulting in an abnormality in sodium handling. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors partially, if not completely, correct this underlying defect and thereby reduce blood pressure by restoring the renal vascular responsiveness to normal. Because of the specificity of ACE inhibitors in treating non-modulators, it is to be expected that they would produce fewer long term side effects, resulting in a better quality of life for these patients than if their blood pressures were treated non-specifically.


Background and MethodsPentoxifylline can inhibit blood leukocyte functions in vitro, and some inflammatory processes in the lung in vivo. Therefore, we examined the effects of pentoxifylline on alveolar macrophage functions in vitro. Alveolar macrophages were harvested from normal rat lungs by airway lavage. The dose-response relationship of varying concentrations of pentoxifylline and in vitro cell functions were examined. Macrophage functions studied included adherence to nylon wool, random (unstimulated) and zymosan-activated serum-stimulated migration through 5 um millipore filters, and superoxide generation induced by zymosan-activated serum as assayed by cytochrome c reduction. ResultsPentoxifylline inhibited superoxide generation and stimulated migration (but not random migration or adherence) in a dose-dependent fashion. Statistically significant inhibition was demonstrated at 0.5 mM and 5.0 mM concentrations of pentoxifylline, respectively, for stimulated migration and superoxide generation. ConclusionsPentoxifylline can inhibit some alveolar macrophage functions in vitro. These effects may inhibit some forms of inflammatory lung injury, particularly when iv infusion of high doses of pentoxifylline are utilized. However, potentially adverse effects on inflammatory defense mechanisms must be considered as well.


The Middle Pleistocene Transition represents an important reorganization of climate that switched from a 41‐kyr periodicity to a quasiperiodic 100‐kyr cycle. Here, we have investigated this time interval using calcareous nannofossils from a midlatitude well‐preserved sedimentary record from the Ocean Drilling Program Site 1209 in the North West Pacific Ocean. We studied samples from 1.45 to 0.45 Ma, looking for significant changes in the nannofossil assemblages. Micropaleontological data were processed using an information theoretic model comparison that deconvolutes variations in nannofossil assemblages using different predictors. The major findings are that calcareous nannofossils permit the detection of discrete events during the Middle Pleistocene Transition. They display three different associations belonging, respectively, to the 41‐kyr world, the transition, and the 100‐kyr world. The statistical approach demonstrated that nannofossils responded abruptly at the boundaries of the transition developing in two rapid steps superimposed on a more gradual process. Moreover, a strong decrease in the genus Reticulofenestra and the beginning of the Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica acme permitted us to pinpoint climate events within the Middle Pleistocene Transition. Finally, through the nannofossil paleoecology, we documented an anomalous long‐term warming trend that could be related to an intensification of the Walker circulation and the stabilization of long‐term conditions like La Niña at the midlatitudes of the NW Pacific during the Middle Pleistocene Transition.


This research is about tax planning strategies of PT. BPR Tulus Puji Rejeki.in order to save income Tax and save the other taxes that should be paid. This research used the descriptive-qualitative to describe method by revealed the condition of profit and financial lost report in that the company based on fact. Then it processed into data which it would be analized so taht produced conclusion. PT BPR Tulus Puji Rejeki engaged in the business services set by Bank Indonesia and had a special tax treatment.This study proved that, tax planning can optimal profit after tax by using different method for depresiasi. PT BPR Tulus Puji Rejeki used the decline methode before, however the reseacher used the straight line method and it could prove can be save tax Rp. 20.777.963. Then reseacher used the gross up method to calculate PPh 21 for employee could save tax PPh 21 Rp. 8.219.600. The tax planning for PT BPR Tulus Puji Rejeki could save tax in 2013 Rp. 8.059.049. Keyword: Income Tax, Tax Planning, Tax Saving.


This paper is concerned with the question of how to define the core when cooperation takes place in a dynamic setting. The focus is on dynamic cooperative games in which the players face a finite sequence of exogenously specified TU-games. Three different core concepts are presented: the classical core, the strong sequential core and the weak sequential core. The differences between the concepts arise from different interpretations of profitable deviations by coalitions. Sufficient conditions are given for nonemptiness of the classical core in general and of the weak sequential core for the case of two players. Simplifying characterizations of the weak and strong sequential core are provided. Examples highlight the essential difference between these core concepts.


This paper reports on a university robotics-based education outreach program aimed at building teachers' confidence and capacity, and encouraging students' interest, in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The aim of this study is to examine the perceived value of the outreach program and the professional development (PD) workshops for the teachers participating in the program. The program was underpinned by constructionist theory of teacher PD; constructing knowledge through hands-on activities. The PD workshops focussed not only on how teachers could learn to build and program robots but also how they could develop and implement engaging robotics-based STEM activities in their classrooms. Questionnaires were completed after each workshop and teachers also provided written comments regarding the outreach program. The data collected showed that the hands-on workshops helped the teachers build knowledge and confidence to implement engaging robotics-based STEM activities. The teachers reported the key benefits of partnering with the university outreach program were: the development of their robot building and programming skills; the sharing of ideas for STEM activities to engage their students; and the on-going support provided by the outreach program.


Immunohistochemical staining was performed on biopsy specimens from normal ovary and also from abnormal ovarian growth using monoclonal OKT9 antibody. The results showed positive reaction in 8.77% of normal ovarian specimens removed during laparotomy. The reaction was also positive in 15.7% in cases diagnosed by histological examination as benign ovarian growth. Specimens proved by histological examination to be malignant showed reaction with OKT9 in 100%. The significance of this finding is discussed.


The goal of this paper is to empirically and theoretically analyze real exchange rate movements in transition countries. Since the beginning of the transition process, continuous real exchange rate appreciation has become stylized fact of all transitional economies. Most of the mainstream models of exchange rate economics have proven to be inadequate in explaining the real exchange rate movements in transition economies. Therefore, new, transition specific theories emerged as possible explanations. This paper seeks to investigate and empirically validate all transition specific theoretical frameworks which were used in explaining real exchange rate movements since the beginning of the transition.


A Lewis acid-mediated electrophilic cyanation of 2,2'-biphenols with a trifloromethanesulfonyl (Tf) protecting group is reported. The cya-nation reactions with low toxic and commercially available MeSCN as a cyanating reagent afforded a range of 3-cyan-2,2'-biphenols in moder-ate to high yields. The use of trifloromethanesulfonyl (Tf ) as a protecting group is crucial to the success of this transformation. Moreover, the cyanated products were readily transformed into various synthetically useful molecules. This protocol features high efficiency, excellent regiose-lectivity, and good functional group compatibility, and may provide a practical tool for the synthesis and modification of biologically active compounds, catalysts, and ligands.


Postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95/SAP-90) is a member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) family of proteins that assemble protein complexes at synapses and other cell junctions. MAGUKs comprise multiple protein-protein interaction motifs including PDZ, SH3 and guanylate kinase (GK) domains, and these binding sites mediate the scaffolding function of MAGUK proteins. Synaptic binding partners for the PDZ and GK domains of PSD-95 have been identified, but the role of the SH3 domain remains elusive. We now report that the SH3 domain of PSD-95 mediates a specific interaction with the GK domain. The GK domain lacks a poly-proline motif that typically binds to SH3 domains; instead, SH3/GK binding is a bi-domain interaction that requires both intact motifs. Although isolated SH3 and GK domains can bind in trans, experiments with intact PSD-95 molecules indicate that intramolecular SH3/GK binding dominates and prevents intermolecular associations. SH3/GK binding is conserved in the related Drosophila MAGUK protein DLG but is not detectable for Caenorhabditis elegans LIN-2. Many previously identified genetic mutations of MAGUKs in invertebrates occur in the SH3 or GK domains, and all of these mutations disrupt intramolecular SH3/GK binding.


New technology, especially biotechnology and the creation of new medicines, represents a difficult legal task for the European Union (EU). There are interests that conflicts with each other: the protection of the internal market and health care, prevent and treat illness, ensure a competitive and sustainable future for the EU, and even more sovereignty of Member States. This essay aims to discus different legal aspects that surround the regulation on new technologies in the EU. It describes and analyses norms, bodies and conflicts between them. Special attention is paid to the European Patent System and the Marketing Authorization (MA).


The successful utilization of single-bed three way catalysts is dependent upon high initial catalyst activity and maintenance of this activity after exposure to a wide range of exhaust composition and temperature. A review of performance after aging under a variety of engine dynamometer and thermal cycles indicates high temperature aging is particularly detrimental to CO conversion while HC conversion is most sensitive to chemical poisoning. Results on individual Platinum Group Metal Catalysts show Platinum has good chemical poison resistance, but is sensitive to thermal deactivation. Palladium shows good thermal stability, but exhibits more deactivation by chemical poisoning. Rhodium is significantly deactivated by lean high temperature aging. These results have been used to compare and contrast the deactivation of bimetallic and trimetallic catalyst formulations. A new generation of catalysts has been developed utilizing the above information. These catalysts exhibit substantially improved performance and thermal stability.


This experiment was conducted to bring in a suitable and economic agarwood oil extraction method for Agar tree (Aquilaria agollocha) growers in Bangladesh. Agarwood was collected from Fotikchori upazila of Chittagong district and a prototype of hydro-distillation extraction chamber was developed at the lab of Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during January to March 2013. Using the prototype, 7 ml of agarwood oil was extracted from 15 kg matured agarwood. It was found from the calculation that the developed system can bring yearly benefit of Tk. 7,78,389 with benefit-cost ratio as 2.33. This development was, therefore, proven very beneficial for Bangladeshi agar tree growers.


This book provides both the theoretical background and the practical treatment interventions necessary for working with those who are bereaved or dying. Important topics such as anticipatory grief, postdeath mourning, and the stress of grief are described in detail. Grief reactions, both normal and abnormal, as well as their causes are analyzed. Special attention is given to grief caused by the death of a child or spouse, death by suicide, and children's grief. Numerous exercises and case examples are included.


Abstract Three rugose species in two genera—Nanshanophyllum hamadai n. sp., N. gokasense n. sp., and Shensiphyllum sp.—are described for the first time from the Kurosegawa Terrane, Southwest Japan. These species occur in the Middle Member of the Gionyama Formation, which is Late Llandovery to Early Ludlow (Silurian) in age. The two genera, Nanshanophyllum and Shensiphyllum, formerly were known only from South China and Qaidam. The occurrence of these two genera in Japan may indicate a paleogeographic connection between 'Proto-Japan' and the South China Block during the Silurian.


Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, which is part of the Franklin County Women and Violence Project, explores the healing experiences of 18 women who have histories of violence, substance abuse, and involvement in the mental health and/or substance abuse treatment system. Ethnographic interviews suggest that while professional intervention can be beneficial, it may not be adequate. In fact, it can be retruamatizing. The means of service delivery and treatment by individuals, service providers and others, may be more important than the actual service. Often women find that caring individuals and a safe environment yield the greatest benefit. It is not so much what people do to help, but how they do it.


Neurotoxicity of local anesthetics has been reported for both matured and growing neurons. In the present study, we examined if tetracaine increases Ca2+ concentration during growth cone collapse. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration was measured by fura 2/AM after exposure to tetracaine. Tetracaine (1–2 mM) induced increases in intra-growth cone Ca2+ concentration (P < 0.01). The Ca2+ hot spot was expanded into the neurite from the periphery towards the cell body. When tetracaine was applied to growth cones in Ca2+ free media, the increase was minor. However, tetracaine induced growth cone collapse even in the culture media, which did not contain Ca2+. Ni2+ (100 &mgr;M; a general Ca2+ channel inhibitor) and BAPTA-AM (5 &mgr;M; intracellular Ca2+ chelator) could not inhibit growth cone collapse induced by 1–2 mM tetracaine. Tetracaine (>1 mM) induces collapse and Ca2+ increase at growth cones simultaneously; however, these two phenomena might be provoked independently.


BACKGROUND
Marine actinobacteria have proven to be a remarkable source of bioactive metabolites.

METHODS
The present study focused on the isolation of anticancer metabolites from marine actinobacteria. Streptomyces sp. VITGAP173 was found to have promising anticancer activity against breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7).

RESULTS
Bioassay-guided fractionation was followed to identify the bioactive metabolites from crude ethyl acetate extract of VITGAP173, which yielded four fractions. Among the four fractions, fraction B exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cell lines. Further structural characterization of the fraction was done by FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. The fraction-2 induced cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cell lines and the half maximal inhibition (IC50) value was calculated as 4.7μg/ml. To elucidate the possible mechanism of cell death, MCF-7 cells were treated with fraction-2 for 24 hours and the morphological changes were examined using acridine orange - ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. The fraction also increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation (Flow cytometry, DCFH-DA). The molecular mechanism of fraction-induced cell death was analysed by real-time PCR, which revealed that the fraction promotes apoptosis through the CHOP-ATF-4 pathway which is involved in ER stress signalling.

CONCLUSION
The present findings suggest the apoptosis inducing potential of fraction-2 in breast cancer therapy.


Between 1978 and 1985, 140 patients with large cell lymphoma (27 follicular, 92 diffuse, 5 immunoblastic, and 16 transformed) had DNA-RNA cytometry performed on involved tissue. DNA-RNA features were correlated with treatment outcome and compared to other established prognostic factors in 63 newly diagnosed patients who received uniformly intensive therapy. Significantly better outcome was noted for previously untreated patients with intermediate RNA content (RNA index, 1.0-1.8), diploid DNA content, and (during the initial 12-month follow-up) low proliferative activity. Of patients followed beyond 12-24 months, those with high proliferative activity appeared to have the most durable remissions, although this was not statistically significant. These findings suggested a preferential impact of intensive chemotherapy on patients with intermediate RNA content and possibly those with high proliferative activity, since previous studies and our own experience with relapsing patients have indicated a progressively worse outlook with higher proliferative activity and RNA index values. In newly diagnosed patients, multivariate analysis identified RNA content as the most important prognostic factor, followed by proliferative activity and serum lactate dehydrogenase. Thus, for patients with large cell lymphoma, DNA-RNA cytometry appears to be a valuable prognostic parameter for identifying a subset of patients who have a high likelihood of cure with intensive chemotherapy.


The increasing liberalization of European electricity markets, the growing proportion of intermittent renewable energy being fed into the energy grids, and also new challenges in the patterns of energy consumption (such as electric mobility) require flexible and intelligent power grids capable of providing efficient, reliable, economical, and sustainable energy production and distribution. From the supplier side, particularly, the integration of renewable energy sources (e.g., wind and solar) into the grid imposes an engineering and economic challenge because of the limited ability to control and dispatch these energy sources due to their intermittent characteristics. Time-series prediction of wind speed for wind power production is a particularly important and challenging task, wherein prediction intervals (PIs) are preferable results of the prediction, rather than point estimates, because they provide information on the confidence in the prediction. In this paper, two different machine learning approaches to assess PIs of time-series predictions are considered and compared: 1) multilayer perceptron neural networks trained with a multiobjective genetic algorithm and 2) extreme learning machines combined with the nearest neighbors approach. The proposed approaches are applied for short-term wind speed prediction from a real data set of hourly wind speed measurements for the region of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. Both approaches demonstrate good prediction precision and provide complementary advantages with respect to different evaluation criteria.


The objective of human re-identification is to recognize a specific individual on different locations and to determine whether an individual has already appeared. This is especially in multi-camera networks with non-overlapping fields of view of interest. However, this is still an unsolved computer vision task due to several challenges, e.g. significant changes of appearance of humans as well as different illumination, camera parameters etc. In addition, for instance, in surveillance scenarios only low-resolution videos are usually available, so that biometric approaches may not be applied. This paper presents a whole-body appearance-based human re-identification approach for low-resolution videos. We propose a novel appearance model computed from several images of an individual. The model is based on means of covariance descriptors determined by spectral clustering techniques. The proposed approach is tested on a multi-camera data set of a typical surveillance scenario and compared to a color histogram based method.


Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA

A key hallmark of cancer is unlimited replication, which requires cancer cells to evade replicative senescence induced by telomere shortening. The majority of cancers overcome this critical barrier by up-regulating the enzyme telomerase, a telomere-specific reverse transcriptase. However, for a subset of cancers that lack telomerase, telomeres are maintained by employing the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway, which is thought to be dependent on homologous recombination. In a variety of tumor types, our laboratory and others have reported a strong correlation between the ALT phenotype and recurrent cancer-associated somatic inactivating mutations ATRX or DAXX, genes encoding chromatin remodeling proteins. In a previous comprehensive survey of the ALT phenotype in cancer, we reported that the ALT phenotype is highly prevalent in some tumor types (e.g. astrocytoma, sarcomas, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors), but we did not observe any ALT-positive cases in over 1,000 cases of primary prostate cancer. Notably, however, we found a subset of metastatic prostate cancer harbors the ALT phenotype, suggesting that mutations giving rise to ALT in this disease are unique to metastatic prostate cancer. Here, we have created the first prostate cancer cell lines exhibiting the ALT phenotype, with the purpose of molecularly characterizing ALT in prostate cancer and identifying promising therapeutic approaches for men with lethal metastatic prostate cancer harboring this phenotype. These novel cell lines were generated by inactivating ATRX using the CRISPR cas9 nickase system in a genetically well characterized prostate cancer cell line that normally expresses telomerase, as well as wild-type ATRX and DAXX. In this new model, abolishing ATRX expression is sufficient to induce the ALT phenotype, as assessed by multiple biomarkers of ALT, including bright telomeric FISH foci, ALT-associated PML bodies (ABPs), and c-circles. Interestingly, compared to the parental line, cells with compromised ATRX function have significantly lower telomerase activity and a five-fold decreased expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Ultimately, we will use these isogenic cell lines to further characterize and elucidate the basic biology of cancers harboring ALT, and pharmacologically target the molecular features unique to the ALT phenotype. The identification of ALT-specific drugs will pave the way for the development of new targeted treatments for a subset of men with lethal metastatic prostate cancer that harbor this unique molecular phenotype, and more broadly, other cancers that share the ALT phenotype in common.

Citation Format: Mindy K. Graham, Jacqueline Brosnan-Cashman, Anthony Rizzo, Michael Haffner, Alan Meeker, Christopher Heaphy. Generating and characterizing novel prostate cancer cell lines that employ the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) telomere maintenance mechanism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4767.


Background: RNA in situ hybridization is an extremely useful gene expression analysis technique that preserves the spatiotemporal nature of tissue and allows for evaluation of specific cell populations and morphologies. This technique is especially useful in evaluating expression changes in disease progression models. Tissue processing procedures used to identify pathological disease morphologies in situ could compromise RNA integrity and the reproducibility and quantitative accuracy of RNA in situ hybridization assays. Methods: A combinatorial approach to pre-screen rat mammary gland tissue whole mounts for hyperplastic and malignant lesions that were not visually discernible without staining was used. This pre-screening process was followed by an RNA in situ hybridization analysis method known as RNAscope. Results: We show that there are no differences in the quantitative nature of RNAscope assays between tissue that was immediately formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE), which is recommended by the manufacturer, and tissue that was whole mounted and pre-screened for lesions of interest prior to RNAscope. Conclusions: Preserving the integrity of RNA and quantitative nature of the RNAscope assay is important, as it allows unpalpable lesions to be directly identified, bypassing a need for labor-intensive serial sectioning of FFPE tissues to find lesions. This method is applicable to any epithelial-based disease progression model using whole-tissue mounts.


: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors (URE) among children 3-10 years of age and to confirm the need for a national school-based visual screening program for school-aged children. Due to quarantine in Saudi Arabia due to the spread of Coronavirus, this study is dependent on previous studies, and the researcher analyzes the results of previous studies related to the subject so that the researcher uses the inductive approach with the use of citations for all sources. The main study discussed was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in Medina, Saudi Arabia in 2015. Children were selected through multi-stage stratified random sampling from 8 kindergartens and 8 primary schools. Those included were screened to diagnose UREs using a visual acuity chart and an auto-refractometer as per American guidelines. Prevalence and types of UREs have been estimated. The results of this study are based on the results of (Alrahili et al., 2017) which found that 1893 of the 2121 children listed had been examined, yielding a response rate of 89.3 per cent. The prevalence of URE was 34.9 per cent (95 per cent CI = 32.8 per cent-37.1 per cent), with significant differences in different age groups. The prevalence of astigmatism (25.3 per cent) was higher than that of anisometropia (7.4 per cent), hypermetropia (1.5 per cent) and myopia (0.7 per cent). The risk of incorrect refractive error was positively associated with age, and this was mentioned in astigmatism, myopia, and anisometropia. In addition, the risk of hypermetropy was associated with boys and the risk of myopia was associated with girls. To conclude, the prevalence of URE, in particular astigmatism, was high among children 3-10 years of age in Medina, with significant age differences. Vision screening programs targeting kindergartens and primary school children are crucial in reducing the risk of the preventable visual impairment according to URE.


Lytic activity of l-menthol (1) derivatives [(-)-(1S,3R,4S,6S)-6-hydroxymenthol (2), (-)-(1S,3R,4S)-1-hydroxymenthol (3), and (+)-(1S,3R,4R,6S)-6,8-dihydroxymenthol (4)] against the snow blight disease fungus, Micronectriella nivalis was investigated. Compounds 2, 3, and 4 had 85.0, 63.9, and 81.9% lytic activity, respectively, at a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL. The activity of each of the three compounds increased in a dose-response manner. To study the structure-activity relationship, acetyl esters of 1-4 [(-)-menthyl acetate (1Ac), (-)-6-hydroxymenthyl diacetate (2Ac), (-)-1-hydroxymenthyl 3-monoacetate (3Ac), and (-)-6,8-dihydroxymenthyl 3,6-diacetate (4Ac)] were synthesized with yields of 80.2-99.8% and were also assayed. The acetyl esters of 1Ac, 2Ac, 3Ac, and 4Ac had 51.2, 91.5, 66.0, and 95.2% lytic activity, respectively, at a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL, and these compounds showed further high lytic activity compared with the alcohols of 1-4. These acetyl esters also showed higher lytic activity as their concentration was increased. Of particular interest is the fact that 2Ac and 4Ac both had higher lytic activity at 0.05-0.2 mg/mL compared with copper 8-hydroxyquinolate, a standard chemical widely used to control snow blight. This is the first report on lytic activity of l-menthol derivatives.


The sequence of so-called signature moments describes the laws of many stochastic processes in analogy with how the sequence of moments describes the laws of vector-valued random variables. However, even for vector-valued random variables, the sequence of cumulants is much better suited for many tasks than the sequence of moments. This motivates us to study so-called signature cumulants. To do so, we develop an elementary combinatorial approach and show that in the same way that cumulants relate to the lattice of partitions, signature cumulants relate to the lattice of so-called "ordered partitions". We use this to give a new characterisation of independence of multivariate stochastic processes; finally we construct a family of unbiased minimum-variance estimators of signature cumulants.


The aim of the graduation project is a (re)development plan for a neighbourhood in a deteriorating district of Naujininkai, Vilnius. A neighbourhood faces the major issues which are common in the districts around the city centre built in Soviet times. Worn out building environment, ageing, low-income population lead to threats of social segregation. A revitalization of this kind of neighbourhoods is an important issue for the city. There is a need to attract more people in the more central areas because the city has huge sprawl issues what is the reason for a low density of the city. One of the objectives of a neighbourhood plan was to revitalize the area by involving the community and other stakeholders in planning and upgrading processes. A proposed neighbourhood plan encourages people by giving 'guidelines and recommendations' to improve their environment. 'Guidelines and recommendations' explain how the improvements could be made, and how 'win-win' situations between private- public sector could happen in the upgrading processes. The other objective of the design was to switch planning from the top- down to participatory and from zoning to strategic.
 The proposed neighbourhood plan is alternative planning method which encourages participation, provides guidelines and one development vision/plan.
 The third objective of the design was to solve dilemma between control and self-organization.
 It is proposed to integrate a neighbourhood plan with its spatial plan and guidelines into the interactive online tool. An interactive tool should help to organize the dialogues between the community, private sector, and municipality, to make the easier process for the implementation of the neighbourhood regeneration plan.


The paper presents a new, intuitive formal language, ℒE, that fits in with a world view in which experiences are central entities. It is shown how classical logic and an "objective making" adaptive logic can be applied to formulas of ℒE. The latter logic sheds an interesting light on the creation of theories about "the objective world". The paper also contains a small comment on sentences that are not translatable in ℒE. In the last section, I revise self-referring sentences by means of their translations in ℒE.


D advances in diagnostic technics the early recognition of appendicitis continues to be a major diagnostic problem. Approximately 200,000 cases of appendicitis are recognized in the United States each year, associated with an overall mortality rate of about 1 percent.' Perforation with abscess and/or peritonitis continues to be the most important factor in mortality.2"4 This complication occurs in about one patient in six,' and the mortality rate increases significantly among those patients with coexisting systemic disease, the very young, the very old, and pregnant women.1,2 In the effort to prevent appendiceal perforation an early diagnosis must be made and an operation be performed within 36 or 48 hours after the onset of symptoms.5 Obviously, this diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion on the part of the physician, and attempts have been made to categorize the early symptoms suggestive of appendicitis. Cope15 described the following sequence of symptoms and findings for appendicitis: epigastric or umbilical pain, nausea or vomiting, local iliac tenderness, fever, and leukocytosis. Bonilla, Hughes, and Bowers5 consider that the features suggesting appendiceal rupture are: duration of symptoms for longer than 48 hours, elevation of body temperature to more than 103 F., physical signs of peritonitis, leukocyte count of more than 20,000 per cubic millimeter, and a palpable abdominal mass. However, development of generalized peritonitis after appendiceal perforation is not inevitable, and a pelvic abscess of considerable proportion may develop without other characteristic features.2,7 Cope6 described the perforated pelvic appendix as ". . . one of the most easily overlooked, and therefore one of the most dangerous, conditions which may occur in the abdomen."


Background Thinning in the temporoparietal cortex, hippocampal atrophy, and a lower regional blood perfusion is connected with prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Of note, an increase of electroencephalography (EEG) upper/low alpha frequency power ratio has also been associated with these major landmarks of prodromal AD. Methods Clinical and neuropsychological assessment, EEG recording, and high-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging were done in 74 grown up subjects with mild cognitive impairment. This information was gathered and has been assessed 3 years postliminary. EEG recording and perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography assessment was done in 27 subjects. Alpha3/alpha2 frequency power ratio, including cortical thickness, was figured for every subject. Contrasts in cortical thickness among the groups were assessed. Pearson's r relationship coefficient was utilized to evaluate the quality of the relationship between cortical thinning, brain perfusion, and EEG markers. Results The higher alpha3/alpha2 frequency power ratio group corresponded with more prominent cortical decay and a lower perfusional rate in the temporoparietal cortex. In a subsequent meetup after 3 years, these patients had AD. Conclusion High EEG upper/low alpha power ratio was connected with cortical diminishing and lower perfusion in the temporoparietal brain area. The increase in EEG upper/low alpha frequency power ratio could be helpful in recognizing people in danger of conversion to AD dementia and this may be quality information in connection with clinical assessment.


Two new topologies of energy storage systems connected to the grid which can provide concomitant benefits associated with a unified power flow controller are described. The unified power flow controller can provide fast control of real and reactive power along a distribution corridor by continuously providing phase angle control, series compensation and shunt reactive power compensation, while at the same time providing several other very important benefits to power system operation such as, harmonic compensation, load levelling, voltage stability improvement and back-up supply. These storage power flow controllers can provide improved power system operation and control, added system security and reduced power system losses.


In this study, the effectiveness of the ozonation process, in neutral distilled water at room temperature, as a clearing process for disperse-dyed poly(lactic acid) fibre fabrics is investigated. The efficiency of simultaneous decolorisation of dyebath effluent and clearing of dyed poly(lactic acid) in the cooled dyebath after completion of the poly(lactic acid) dyeing cycle is also explored. Conventional alkaline reduction clearing with sodium dithionite was chosen as a control clearing process for comparison. Wash fastness, colour difference, colour removal (in Hazen) and chemical oxygen demand values were determined and compared. Long ozone treatment times at high ozone dose resulted in unacceptable colour differences. The colour difference problem was solved by use of lower ozone dose; however, a warm soaping step had to be added to the after-clearing sequence in order to achieve the desired fastness properties. A 33% reduction on the chemical oxygen demand load of the total process (dyeing + after-clearing) could be achieved by ozone after-clearing instead of using a conventional reduction clearing treatment. The addition of the warm soaping step to improve the fastness properties of the ozonated samples increased the total chemical oxygen demand of the process (dyeing + ozonation in water + warm soaping), but a 12–18% reduction on the chemical oxygen demand load of the total process was observed when compared with the conventional treatment sequence (dyeing + reduction clearing).


A new nickel polyborate, NiB12O14(OH)10 was synthesized using boric acid as a flux. This material has two-dimensional borate layers with a quasi-square lattice of Ni2+. The Ni2+ ions locate in the plane of the two-dimensional layer, bridged through BnO(n+1) chains in the plane and connected with the three-membered ring borate groups out of the plane. The dc and ac magnetic susceptibility, magnetization and specific heat measurements show that this material undergoes a weak ferromagnetic phase transition at Tc = 5.8 K. At T < Tc, a metamagnetic phase transition is observed at about 5 T, associated by a spin-flop, suggesting the ferromagnetic ordering is induced by an antiferromagnetic interaction. A broad maximum in the ac susceptibility at TM = 23-24 K indicates an intermediate short-range ordering.


CrSiN coatings of stepwise changing Si concentration were deposited on stainless steel by closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering (CFUBM) system. Microstructure of the films due to the Si concentration is measured by XRD. The corrosion behavior of CrSiN coatings in deaerated 3.5% NaCl solution was investigated by potentiodynamic test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and surface analyses. The microstructure of CrSiN film depends on the Si concentration. When Si/(Cr+Si) was under 11.7%, preferred orientation is defined at CrN(220), CrN(311) and Cr₂N(111). The results of potentiodynamic polarization tests showed that the corrosion current density and porosity decreased with increasing Si/(Cr+Si) ratio. EIS measurements showed that the corrosion resistance of Si-bearing CrN was improved by phase transformation of the film, which leads to increase of pore resistance and charge transfer resistance. At the Si/(Cr+Si) ratio of 20, the Si-bearing CrN possesses the best corrosion resistance due to the highest pore resistance and charge transfer resistance.


In this study, a dendrite-free liquid sodium-potassium alloy (NaK) anode with high capacity, a low reduction potential and fast kinetics was paired with two organic polymer cathodes, poly(N-phenyl-5,10-dihydrophenazine) (P1) and poly(hexaazatrinaphthylene) (P2), in metal-ion batteries. A high energy density of 631 W h kg-1 was achieved for one of the polymers (P1) at a discharge current density of 0.2 A g-1 (∼1C rate), while a still impressive specific energy of 443 W h kg-1 was achieved at 20 A g-1 (∼160C rate), which is an unprecedented value for post-lithium battery cathodes. Outstanding power densities of >105 W kg-1 were demonstrated, thus boosting the rate capability of metal-ion batteries to the level of high-power supercapacitors. Moreover, excellent cyclability was demonstrated, with only 11% capacity loss after 10 000 charge/discharge cycles at 10 A g-1 for cathodes based on P2.


The purpose of this study was to investigation functional independence and rehabilitation outcomes of traumatic spinal cord patients. The data were obtained for 38 patients with traumatic spinal cord lesions admitted to the physical therapy unit from 1997 to 2001. The mean age was 32 +/- 6.48 years. Functional improvement was presented in terms of progress in independence in six daily activities. Independence was rated on a four-point scale. From admission to six months, significant increases in functional independence were made in self-care, sphincter control, mobility and locomotion. Differences were found in the extent of functional improvement between subgroups of patients with different levels and extents of lesions. Contrary to expectations based on theoretical models, patients with complete paraplegia did not achieve maximal independence in self-care activities. Regarding the outcome of bladder management, poor results were found. Interestingly, independence in bowel management, independent mobility and locomotion were only attained by patients with incomplete lesions. This study provides insight into the functional outcomes of a group of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury. More research is needed to determine the optimal rehabilitation program for these patients.


So far, the principal force shaping local plant abundance patterns remains unclear. Rarity can result not only from poor competitive ability or from small vegetative or generative reproduction, but also from strong self‐limitation. The same mechanisms can drive species‐specific overyielding, that is, increased species productivity at high community diversity. Rare species can then benefit more (i.e., overyield to a larger extent) from growing in species‐rich communities because of altered competitive hierarchies or smaller conspecific frequencies. Here, we test which mechanism is the most important determinant of species rarity and of species‐specific productivity across a diversity gradient ranging from 1‐ to 60‐species plots. For that, we measured vegetative growth, competitive ability (competitive effect), and negative frequency dependence for 49 perennial grassland species from Central Europe. We then linked these characteristics with species abundance (measured as species biomass from 60‐species plots) and with species‐specific overyielding in The Jena Experiment. Species with higher rates of vegetative growth (when grown without neighbours) were also more abundant in the Jena Experiment. Larger species‐specific overyielding was then associated with a stronger negative frequency dependence. As species with greater vegetative growth were also more self‐limited, larger overyielding in species‐rich communities was characteristic for common rather than for rare species, refuting our initial hypothesis. Finally, path analysis indicated that species with poor capacity to suppress neighbours also profited more from growing in diverse communities. Synthesis. Our results identify key mechanisms driving abundance and productivity of species in synthetic communities differing in species richness. While vegetative reproduction was closely associated with abundance, intraspecific interactions (strength of negative frequency dependence) shaped species productivity across a richness gradient. Our study sheds light on the abundance patterns of species and their influence on community functions, such as biomass production, of species‐rich and ‐poor vegetation.