Many real-world problems, including the design problem, involve multiple and often conflicting objectives. Genetic Algorithm (GA) is an effective method to solve such multi-objective optimization problems. The designer usually has some information and knowledge based on his/her experience. This paper describes a new method for multi objective design problems using GA. which can integrate designer's vague preferences into GA search. First, a multi objective optimization problem with constraints is expressed as a satisficing problem of constraints by introducing an aspiration level for each objective. Furthermore, the unsatisfying function is introduced in order to handle fuzziness involved in aspiration level and constraint, and the problem is formulated as a multi objective minimization problem of unsatisfaction ratings. In order to obtain a group of Pareto optimal solutions in which the designer is interested, a new strategy based on tournament selection is proposed. Finally, the proposed method is applied to a simple numerical example and a design problem of a four bar plane truss.


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

Both early stage and advanced prostate tumors are generally dependent on the androgen receptor (AR) for growth. Indeed a major clinical approach in management of the disease is to disrupt the AR signaling in the tumors by androgen ablation and the use of anti-androgen drugs. However, these options present major drawbacks including limited efficacy in advanced disease and many undesirable side effects on non-target tissues. Therefore a more tactical therapy approach would be one that could disrupt a functional arm of AR signaling that is critical for prostate tumor growth but not for the essential physiological roles of AR in normal adult tissues.

A considerable amount of evidence suggests that in prostate cancer, androgen/AR signaling is redirected to support tumor growth through the association of AR with critical growth promoting genes via tethering proteins. Our previous studies have identified Elk1, a genetically redundant DNA binding transcription factor, as an AR tethering protein essential for AR-dependent growth in established models of both hormone-dependent prostate cancer and castration recurrent prostate cancer. Elk1 recruits AR to chromatin sites to upregulate a major subset of genes that is strongly and primarily enriched for cell growth functions. Further studies in the lab demonstrate that the A/B domain of the AR alone is capable of co-activation of Elk1, suggesting that Elk1 may also mediate the hormone-independent growth supporting function of AR splice variants. Peptide or small molecule inhibitors of the Elk1-AR interaction may therefore selectively target the growth supporting function of AR in the spectrum of prostate tumors, obviating the need for androgen ablation. Toward this end we undertook to map peptide segment(s) of Elk1and AR that are essential for the Elk1-AR synergy.

In this study we used deletional and mutational analysis together with a promotor-reporter assay and a mammalian two-hybrid assay. The results demonstrate that the ability to recruit AR resides largely in the C-terminal activation domain of Elk1 (amino acids 307-428) and that residues within segments 367-428 and 307-337 are essential for this interaction. They also demonstrate that the recruitment of AR by Elk1 does not require Elk1 phosphorylation. Critical sites within the AR-A/B domain required for its association with Elk1 reside in the N-terminal region that is distal to known sites of co-regulator binding. This information will guide the development of peptide inhibitors of Elk1-dependent growth induction by androgen/AR and set the stage for future development of small molecule inhibitors.

Citation Format: Rayna Rosati, Mugdha Patki, Venkatesh Chari, Manohar Ratnam. Mapping peptides critical for association of the androgen receptor with Elk1. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2116. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2116


The VOYS (Voices of Young Scots) project aims to establish a speech database of adolescent Scottish speakers. This database will serve for speech recognition technology and sociophonetic research. 300 pupils will ultimately be recorded at secondary schools in 10 locations in Scotland. Recordings are performed via the Internet using two microphones (closetalk and desktop) in 22,05 kHz 16 bit linear stereo signal quality.

VOYS is the first large-scale and cross-boundary speech
data collection based on the WikiSpeech content management system for speech resources. In VOYS, schools receive a kit containing the microphones and A/D interface and they organise the recordings themselves. The recorded data is immediately uploaded to the server in Munich, alleviating the schools from all data-handling tasks. This paper outlines the corpus specification, describes the technical issues, summarises the signal quality and gives a status report.


Flavopiridol is a new synthetic flavone, structurally related to a natural alkaloid, originally purified from Dysoxylum binectariferum, a plant indigenous to India and used in Indian folk medicine. Flavopiridol was detected by a tandem screening system consisting in inhibition of the EGF-receptor Tyrosine phosphokinase and cytotoxicity. As a cytostatic mechanism, however, Flavopiridol strongly inhibits the cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk1, cdk2, cdk4, cdk7), with the potential to cause inhibition of cell cycle progression in G(1) and G(2) by multiple mechanisms relatable to cdk inhibition. In certain cell types, Flavopiridol induces apoptosis. The antitumor activity of that compound on human xenograft tumors is similar to standard cytostatic drugs and superior to them at least in prostate carcinoma. The dose limiting toxicity is diarrhea. Compared with other flavonoids or other kinase inhibitors Flavopiridol can be regarded as unique as no other compound is yet known that as specifically and potently inhibits nearly all the main cyclin dependent kinases and by that mechanisms can arrest cell cycle progression in G(1) as well as in G(2) and no other specific kinase inhibitor is known, which after i.v. or oral application reduces the growth of subcutaneous or subrenal xenografts of human tumors of different types. Initial results of a phase I study at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA, (Investigational New Drug Application no. 46211) provided some clinical and laboratory evidence for antineoplastic effect at nontoxic doses (no grade IV toxicities encountered). Thus, Flavopiridol is clearly in need of further clinical evaluation of its tumor therapeutic potential. In this review the chemical profile, tumorpharmacology (in vitro activity, inhibition of cdk's and preclinical in vivo activity), preclinical toxicology and pharmacokinetic of Flavopiridol are reviewed to provide a comprehensive source to aid further developmental efforts.


We studied 113 patients treated with intravenous amikacin to determine the value of determining serial trough and peak amikacin levels in plasma for predicting nephrotoxicity. Thirteen patients (11.5%) developed renal toxicity, with significant increases from 48 to 96 h in both peak and trough amikacin levels (6.7 +/- 4.7 [standard deviation] days before the serum creatinine rose). The nontoxicity group had no change or even showed decrements in amikacin levels in plasma. A higher nephrotoxicity risk was seen in patients with increments greater than 1 microgram/ml between 48 and 96 h, with odds ratios of 16.4 for trough, 8 for peak, and 7.2 for both levels. We suggest that an increment of at least 1 microgram/ml in amikacin levels in plasma from 48 to 96 h may predict the appearance of renal toxicity.


This study aims to test which factors influence and aid the psychosocial adjustment of patients with an ostomy and to provide data for the development of programmes for the self‐management of and psychosocial adjustment to intestinal stomas. A total of 150 ostomy patients were recruited between December 1, 2017 and March 26, 2018 in Korea and completed self‐report questionnaires. Data of 25 participants were excluded, resulting in a sample size of 125 participants. Factors, including social support subtypes and self‐efficacy, that influence the psychosocial adjustment were analysed using Cox's regression. Of the factors that influenced the adjustment groups after adjusting for time, the following subtypes of social support were found to influence the patients' adjustment: the patients' psychosocial adjustment increased by 0.4 when the level of medical staff support increased by 1 (Exp[B] = 1.04, P = 0.007), and adjustment decreased by 0.3 when the level of family support increased by 1 (Exp[B] = 0.97, P < 0.001). As medical staff support who have expertise exert more of an influence on the psychosocial adjustment of ostomy patients than self‐efficacy and family support, psychosocial adjustment programmes that reflect this and nurses specialised in care for ostomy patients are required.


Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), naphthalenes (PCNs), and biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in eggs of double-crested cormorants and herring gulls collected from Michigan waters of the Great Lakes. Concentrations of PCNs in eggs of double-crested cormorants and herring gulls were in the ranges of 380-2400 and 83-1300 pg/g, wet wt, respectively. Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDDs and PCDFs were 10-200 times less than those of PCNs in eggs whereas those of total PCBs (380-7900 ng/g, wet wt) were 3-4 orders of magnitude greater. While the profile of PCB isomers and congeners between double-crested cormorants and herring gulls was similar, the PCN isomer profile differed markedly between these two species. PCN congeners 66/67 (1,2,3,4,6,7/1,2,3,5,6,7) accounted for greater than 90% of the total PCN concentrations in herring gulls, whereas their contribution to total PCN concentrations in double-crested cormorants ranged from 18 to 40% (mean, 31%). The ratios of concentrations of PCDDs to PCDFs were greater in herring gulls than in double-crested cormorants collected from the same locations, suggesting the ability of the former to metabolize PCDF congeners relatively rapidly. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents (TEQs) contributed by PCNs in double-crested cormorant and herring gull eggs were 2-3% of the sum TEQs of PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCNs. PCB congener 126 (3,3',4,4',5-PeCB) accounted for 57-72% of the total TEQs in double-crested cormorant and herring gull eggs.


A key process in muon-catalysed fusion is the de-excitation of the dt mu 'nucleus' of the resonant muonic quasi-molecule, ((dt mu )dee), by emission of an Auger electron. The dt mu in the quasi-molecule is initially in a weakly bound excited state with J=1 and v=1. A preliminary calculation is carried out of the rate of the dominant transition to the state with J=0 and v=1. Use is made of the dipole matrix elements calculated for this transition by Bhatia et al. (1989) and Scrinzi and Szalewicz (1989) and, for the first time, full account is taken of the molecular nature of the quasi-molecule. Reasonable agreement is found with the results of earlier calculations.


Background Significant progress has been made towards achieving the 90-90-90 global targets by 2020. Nationally, 72% of HIV-positive people aged 15–64 years in urban areas were aware of their HIV status. There is low habit of male partner accompanying pregnant women during ANC visit. This study assessed the HIV test service utilization and associated factors among pregnant women's partners in Addis Ababa. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from January to February 2020 in Addis Ababa town. A multistage sampling method was used to recruit 812 participants. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.1 and analysis was done by using SPSS version 25.0. The presence and strength of significant association with outcome variables in multivariable analysis were determined with P<0.05 and at 95% CI, respectively. Results Among respondents, 63.7% [95% CI (60–67%)] of pregnant woman partners had tested for HIV/AIDS. Knowledge on the route of HIV transmission from mother to child (AOR=1.9, 95% CI (1.3–2.7)), knowledge on ways of prevention of HIV from mother to child transmission (AOR=0.26, 95% CI (0.17–0.38)), previous history of couple HIV counseling (AOR=3.7, 95% CI (2.3–6.1)), discussion about HCT and ANC services with a partner (AOR=6.3, 95% CI (4.0–9.8)), heard about discordant HIV test result (AOR=1.6, 95% CI (1.4–4)) were significantly associated with partner HIV test. Conclusion HIV testing service utilization among male partners of pregnant women was good in the study area. The knowledge on ways of prevention of HIV from mother to child transmission, those who received couple HIV counseling before, those who discussed HCT at ANC services with a partner, and heard about discordant HIV test results were predictors of HIV test utilization among pregnant women partner. Therefore, increasing community awareness on the pregnant women partner testing should be planned to enhance male partner HIV testing during in antenatal care follow-up.


We cloned a 13.3 kilobase (kb) fragment of genomic DNA spanning at least the first two exons of the rat Na+/K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 subunit gene (NKAA1) and 1.5 kb of the 5'-flanking region. S1 nuclease mapping analysis of the 5' end of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase mRNA indicated that the transcription initiation site was located 262 base pairs (bp) upstream of the translation initiation codon. The transcription initiation site of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 subunit gene was identical among six tissues of adult rat (kidney, brain, heart, thyroid, liver and lung). A TATA-box-like sequence (at position -32), two Sp1 factor binding sequences (-137, -56), an active transcription factor consensus binding sequence (-71) and two glucocorticoid-responsive element half consensus sequences (-750, -481) were found in the 5'-flanking region. The sequence of the first exon and the 5'-flanking region of the rat NKAA1 was 63% homologous to that of the horse equivalent. Maximum homology (82%) between the two genes was observed in the region from 361 bp upstream of the translation initiation site to the 3' end of the first exon. The TATA-like box, Sp1 binding site and the active transcriptional factor (ATF) consensus site in this region were conserved in both rat and horse.


Research Article (RA) is the kind of academic publication that all researchers must produce constantly but not necessarily have learned systematically in their university education. RA consists of multiple parts as typically summarized to be IMRAD (Introduction, Method, Result and Discussion) which is a considered to be one of the academic genres. Each of the multiple parts of the RA genre is comprised of one or more sub-genres, which makes the RA genre complex and challenging, especially for novice EST (English for Science and Technology) researchers. As an effort to decode the RA genre in order to help the novice EST researchers, the researchers of this study analyze the sub-genre of "Results" using corpus-based approach, after they analyzed the Abstract, Introduction and Method sub-genres in previous studies. The purpose of this study is threefold: to determine the linguistic features of the common moves (structure) in the "Results" sub-genre of RA using corpus analysis, to compare the linguistic features of "Results" with those of the whole RA, "Introduction", and "Method".


Online health interaction (OHI) is an effective and increasingly popular method for patients to access health information. Extant literature overlooks such service users' satisfaction derived from online interactions and the measurement of OHI processes. Based on the relational communication literature and the features of OHI, the present study proposes three dimensions to conceptualize the success of OHI processes (i.e., interaction depth, information intensity, and time breadth) and explores the association between these interaction processes and service satisfaction. Further, two characteristics of OHI, namely information richness and indirect interaction, are identified as contingent factors on those proposed linkages. The research model was tested on the objective data collected from an online healthcare platform. The study findings showed that (1) interaction depth, information intensity, and time breadth positively impact service satisfaction and (2) both information richness and indirect interaction negatively moderate the effects of interaction depth and information intensity and positively moderate the effect of time breadth. The present study contributes to the existing literature by conceptualizing online interaction process and identifying the role of the specific characteristics of online healthcare and also provides implications to practitioners.


Two closely related proteins, ERK1 and ERK2, belong to a widely conserved family of serine/threonine protein kinases whose activities are regulated by phosphorylation. These kinases are components of signal transduction pathways which control critical cellular processes such as growth, differentiation, metabolism and apoptosis. In addition to normal cellular processes, these pathways have been associated with signaling in many cancers. Phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 has been shown to be mediated by signal transduction pathways which are activated by ligand binding to both receptor tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs) and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The focus of cell signaling studies is increasingly shifting to endogenous cell surface receptors rather than recombinant, over-expressed receptors. The hope is that these model systems will have greater biological relevance, more closely reflecting the physiology of the organism studied. In such studies the sensitivity of the assay platform becomes critical for success, especially when the endogenous receptors are activated at low levels. Several technologies have been used to quantitate relative levels of protein phosphorylation, including western blot, time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET), and AlphaScreen® SureFire® assays. AlphaScreen® SureFire® assays are homogenous, bead-based assays designed to measure endogenous levels of intracellular phosphorylated proteins. Here we describe the performance of the AlphaScreen® SureFire® p-ERK 1/2 assay compared to that of a TR-FRET assay. For this study we used two different cell lines. The first was CHO-K1 cells stably transfected with the human somatostatin sst5 GPCR, which is stimulated by its natural ligand somatostatin-28. The second was wild-type HEK 293 cells, which express endogenous receptors for epidermal growth factor (an RTK), and endogenous GPCRs activated by acetylcholine and ATP. In general, the AlphaScreen® SureFire® assay gave higher S/B ratios than the TR-FRET assay in all conditions tested, which in turn can have a significant impact on the assay robustness. In situations that gave wide response windows, such as stimulation of the CHO over-expressed somatostatin receptor or the HEK 293 endogenous EGF receptor, both assay kits yielded excellent results. However, the HEK 293 endogenous GPCRs for acetylcholine and ATP are coupled to a lower production of p-ERK, and in those cases the AlphaScreen® SureFire® assay proved to be much more robust, with significantly higher overall signal levels and S/B ratios. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2878. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2878


Many exciting new technologies for water-quality control combine microbiological processes with adsorption, advanced oxidation, a membrane or an electrode to improve performance, address emerging contaminants or capture renewable energy. An excellent example is the H2-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR), which delivers H2 gas to a biofilm that naturally accumulates on the outer surface of a bubbleless membrane. Autotrophic bacteria in the biofilm oxidise the H2 and use the electrons to reduce NO3-, CIO4- and other oxidised contaminants. This natural partnership of membranes and biofilm makes it possible to gain many cost, performance and simplicity advantages from using H2 as the electron donor for microbially catalysed reductions. The MBfR has been demonstrated for denitrification in drinking water; reduction of perchlorate in groundwater; reduction of selenate, chromate, trichloroethene and other emerging contaminants; advanced N removal in wastewater treatment and autotrophic total-N removal.


In this article, the restraint of the spontanueous tearing modes caused by RHF is analyzed and calculated by solving the resistive MHD equations. We prove that the growth rate of the tearing modes of m = 2 can be reduced about two times by the helical fields. The restraint of the tearing modes by the boundary controlled field is also discussed and calculated numerically.


A feminist group counseling model for Asian female pastors was developed and introduced in this manuscript. A major issue that this feminist group counseling model presented was based on Asian female pastors' lives and work in a patriarchal church structure guided by traditional patriarchal theology and culture. This model is applicable to the improvement of Asian female pastors' self-esteems and gender-related issues such as Asian female pastors' leaderships, intimate relationships, family of origins, and finance independence. This model is based on the positive feedback from 25 group sessions of five groups that were applied to 27 Asian female pastors. The application and recommendations for using this model are included in this article.


Abstract : The amorphous structure of four Ca60MgXZn40-X (X=10, 15, 20, and 25 at. %) ternary metallic glasses (MGs) has been investigated by neutron and x-ray diffraction, using Reverse Monte Carlo modeling to simulate the results. A critical analysis of the resultant models, corroborated by ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations, indicate that the glass structure for this system can be described as a mixture of Mg- and Zn-centered clusters, with Ca dominating in the first coordination shell of these clusters. A coordination number (CN) of 10 [with about 7 Ca and 3(Mg+Zn) atoms] is most common for the Zn-centered clusters. CN=11 and 12 [with about 7-8 Ca and 4 (Mg+Zn) atoms] are most common for Mg-centered clusters. Fivefold bond configurations (pentagonal pyramids) dominate (60%) in the first coordination shell of the clusters, suggesting dense atomic packing. Bond-angle distributions suggest near-equilateral triangles and pentagonal bipyramids to be the most common nearest atom configurations. This is the systematic characterization of the structure of Ca-Mg-Zn MGs, a category of bulk MGs with interesting properties and intriguing applications. It is also the experimental verification of the principle of efficient packing of solute-centered clusters in ternary MGs.


Coronary angiography has many limitations for the assessment of coronary artery disease. Intracoronary ultrasound imaging may overcome some of these limitations by providing direct visualization of the luminal area. This report describes a case where intracoronary ultrasound imaging was useful for correct assessment of left main coronary artery disease which enabled avoidance of coronary artery bypass grafting in this patient. Intravascular ultrasound may be a good complement to coronary angiography in selected cases of left main coronary artery lesion.


Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide over 600,000 human beings died due to the cause of the disease. In order to deescalate the transmission rate and to avoid crush loading the countries medical health systems social distancing, face masks, and lockdowns have been considered essential by the majority of governments. Whereas some countries have highly reduced or completely stopped otorhinolaryngological procedures, other countries have continued selected surgeries. The objective of this study was to analyze procedures and outcomes of continuing semielective and emergency surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Retrospective analysis of n = 750 patients who received semi-elective or emergency surgery between March 26 and June 16, 2020, in the Otolaryngology Department of the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. All patients were screened for COVID symptoms and swabbed for SARS-CoV-2 prior to surgery. Results: Of the n = 750 patients, n = 699 patients received semielective surgery and n = 51 emergency surgery. For 27 patients, the swab result could not be awaited due to a life-threatening condition. In these cases, surgery was performed in full protective equipment. No patient was tested positive during or after the surgery (follow-up 45 to 127 days). No member of the medical personnel showed symptoms or was tested positive after contact with patients. Due to the continuation of surgeries, patients' lives were saved and improvement of long-term quality-of-life and outcomes is anticipated. Conclusions: Continuing selected otorhinolaryngological surgeries is crucial for patients' health, survival, and long-time quality of life, yet, the protection of the medical personnel has to be granted.


The first article reports on context-sensitive augmented-reality research presented at the 2007 International Symposium on Ubiquitous Virtual Reality. This student-organized event explored the use of contextual information, design principles, and effective user evaluation for developing AR applications for ubiquitous computing environments. The second article reports on The International Conference on Tangible and Embedded Interaction, the first conference series worldwide to focus on tangible and embedded interaction. The conference is interdisciplinary, covering the arts, hardware design, software toolkits for prototyping, and user studies and theory development.


According to an early approach, the decision to trust in the one-shot anonymous trust game is intuitively tantamount to a risky decision: the willingness to bet on the reciprocation of my investment. In a seminal study, Eckel and Wilson (2004) explored the correlation between risk attitudes (as elicited through a Holt and Laury mechanism) and the behavior of investors in the trust game. They found no correlation: trust decision cannot be viewed as a risky decision. However, since the probabilities of possible returns are unknown, we argue that trust behavior may correlate more specifically with ambiguity aversion rather than with risk aversion. We therefore modified Eckel and Wilson's experimental procedure in order to investigate the question as to whether trust is an ambiguous decision. We extended Holt and Laury switching-point elicitation mechanism between risky lotteries to ambiguous lotteries as Chrakravarty and Roy (2009) did. We then ran an experimental session including a standard one shot anonymous trust game (OSG). We found significant negative correlations between aversion to ambiguity and behavior in OSG. This result is a plea in favor of a decision-theoretical analogy between choices in ambiguous lotteries and trust-games.


In 2018, 27 percent of all children under 21 years old in the United States lived apart from a parent, often a father and referred to as a noncustodial parent by the child support program.1 Research consistently shows that these parents are a heterogeneous group, some of whom do not provide financial support to their children because they lack steady employment.2 However, a related question needs further research: Could a program that offers some form of employment services and other support services to unemployed and underemployed noncustodial parents increase their earnings, parental engagement, and child support payments? This brief summarizes three recently completed federal evaluations that address this question, all of which used a random assignment evaluation design.3 As discussed below, these program models delivered positive impacts on noncustodial parent employment, earnings, child support payments, and parenting, but had no impact on the amount of child support paid.


Lattice simulations of hadronic structure are now reaching a level where they are able to not only complement, but also provide guidance to current and forthcoming experimental programmes at, e.g. Jefferson Lab, COMPASS/CERN and FAIR/GSI. By considering new simulations at low quark masses and on large volumes, we review the recent progress that has been made in this exciting area by the QCDSF/UKQCD collaboration. In particular, results obtained close to the physical point for several quantities, including electromagnetic form factors and moments of ordinary parton distribution functions, show some indication of approaching their phenomenological values.


A variety of factors contribute to workers' employment prospects, such as the levels of human and social capital that employees may possess. However, factors related to employers' approaches to labor management contribute substantially to workers' opportunities to find jobs that pay above poverty wages. This investigation examines mechanisms that may act to unevenly distribute opportunities for older workers to obtain higher-quality employment both across and within different retail firms. Specifically, this study considers the role of six Chicago-area department store retailers' business strategies, and the associated brand images and hiring practices they use, as mechanisms that may limit or enhance employment opportunities available to workers age 50 and over. Because labor demand plays out on the front lines of organizations through the decisions managers make when hiring workers, managers' perceptions of whether older workers may fit within the firm and within particular jobs may help explain the distribution of opportunities for older workers within and across department stores. As such, this study examines hiring managers' perceptions of older workers and specifically the extent to which older workers are perceived as being a good fit for each firm and for particular jobs.


Novel nanowires patterned with holes and nanotubes of silicon oxide have been fabricated on silicon substrates by a catalyst-assisted route. The diameters of these nanowires and nanotubes vary from 20 to 100 nm. The patterned nanowires have encapsulated holes along the longitudinal direction. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the patterned nanowires and nanotubes are amorphous. The growth of the nanostructures is probably controlled by a modified vapour–liquid–solid process.


Introduction:
 The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) delivered through telestroke networks in patients with acute cerebral ischemia.

 Methods:
 We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA guidelines of all available randomized controlled and prospective non-randomized studies that compared telemedicine-guided thrombolysis to either phone-guided or on-site thrombolysis. Outcomes of interest were mortality and favorable functional outcome (i.e., modified Rankin scale 0-1) at 90-days and any tPA-associated intracerebral hemorrhage. Fixed-effect model was used to compute pooled effect estimates and the I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity.

 Results:
 Of 529 records identified through database searching, only five studies with a total of 1,562 patients fulfilled our eligibility criteria. Intracerebral hemorrhage rates were similar between patients subjected to telemedicine-guided thrombolysis and those receiving tPA after phone consultation or on-site at a stroke center (odds ratio=0.68, 95%CI: 0.36-1.26; p=0.216) with no evidence of heterogeneity (I2=0%). Neither there was a difference in mortality (odds ratio=1.17, 95%CI: 0.85-1.61; p=0.328) nor in favorable functional outcome (odds ratio=1.24, 95%CI: 0.83-1.86; p=0.291) at 90-days between telemedicine-guided thrombolysis and phone-guided or on-site thrombolysis. There was evidence of low heterogeneity (I2=29% and 37%, respectively; p>0.1). No evidence of publication bias (p>0.1, Egger statistical test) was detected.

 Conclusions:
 Our findings indicate that intravenous tPA delivery through telestroke networks is safe and effective. Lack of prospective trials, however, emphasize the need to further substantiate these findings in studies with sound methodological quality.


The molecular structure of the three compounds Aceclofenac (I), Salicylic Acid (II), and Piroxicam (III) has been determined using Gaussian 03W program with B3LYP method using 6-311++G (d,p) basis set calculations. The molecular structures were fully optimized with atomic numbering scheme adopted in the study. To understand the mode of binding and molecular interaction, the docking studies of compounds Aceclofenac (I), Salicylic Acid (II), and Piroxicam (III) have been carried out with prostaglandin H2 synthase-1 (1PGE) as target using induced fit docking. The molecular docking results show that the interactions and energy for Aceclofenac, Salicylic Acid, and Piroxicam show the best results when docked with prostaglandin H2 synthase-1 (1PGE). The hydrogen bonding interactions of compound I (Aceclofenac) are prominent with Arginine moiety, those of compound II (Salicylic Acid) are prominent with Tyrosine and Serine moieties, and compound III (Piroxicam) shows such interaction with Tyrosine and Arginine moieties. These interactions of prostaglandin H2 synthase-1 (1PGE) with substrates are responsible for governing COX-1 inhibitor potency which in turn is a direct measure of the potency of the drug.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The ciprofloxacin resistance of Klebsiella (K.) pneumoniae is mediated primarily through alterations in type II topoisomerase (gyrA) gene and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance-conferring genes (qnr). This study aimed to define the prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance-conferring genes (qnr) and type II topoisomerase (gyrA) alterations of a population of ciprofloxacin-resistant (n = 21), intermediate (n = 8), and sensitive (n = 18) K. pneumoniae isolates obtained from a teaching hospital at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A multiplex PCR assay was performed for simultaneous detection of qnrA, qnrB and qnrS. Sequence analysis of the amplified gyrA and gyrB regions of the isolates were performed.

RESULTS
The findings in this study revealed the emergence of a high prevalence (48.9%) of qnr determinants in our isolates. Four variants of plasmid-mediated qnr determinants (qnrB1, qnrB6, qnrB10 and qnrS1) were detected from 11 (52.4%) ciprofloxacin-resistant, 5 (62.5%) intermediate and 7 (38.9%) sensitive isolates. gyrA alterations were detected from 18 (85.7%) ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates. Single gyrA alterations, Ser83→Tyr, Ser83→Ile, and Asp87→Gly, and double alterations, Ser83→Phe plus Asp87→Ala and Ser83→Tyr plus Asp87→Asn were detected. While ciprofloxacin resistance was significantly associated with gyrA alteration (Ser83, p = 0.003; Asp87, p = 0.005; double alteration, p = 0.016), no significant association of ciprofloxacin resistance was noted with the presence of qnr determinants (p = 0.283).

CONCLUSIONS
The findings in this study demonstrate the emergence of qnr determinants and gyrA alterations contributed to the development and spread of fluoroquinolone resistance in the Malaysian isolates.


Background:In general, the emergence of new technologies such as the internet, social networks and providing opportunities to facilitate and improve global communications quality have created some threats, as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), which is an emerging psychological problem across the globe. Young defined it as "an individual's inability to control his or her use of the internet, which eventually causes psychological, social, school, and/or work difficulties in a person's life". Students are among the most critical internet and social networks, particularly during the coronavirus recent pandemic. The prevalence of internet addiction and its association with academic performance among Sudanese medical students has not been discussed yet. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of internet addiction on medical students' academic performance. Methods:This study was an observational descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on medical students at Omdurman Islamic University in Sudan from 321 sample size by stratified random technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire that contains four sections; the last one is the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), a 20-item scale that measures the presence and severity of internet addiction, developed by Young. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 24. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:Out of 321 medical students, 186 (57.9%) were females, and 135 (42.1%) were males, with no general differences regarding the addiction score. Social media was the leading platform for internet use purposes (88%), mean internet addiction score was 47.7; most of the respondents (55.8%) fit into the moderate-level addiction. There is an association between the duration of internet time consumption and the IAT score, with 5-6 hour/day scoring the highest (mean 50.1 ± 14.3) (P-value 0.001). There is a significant association between platforms that consume most of the participant time and IAT score, with games scoring the highest (IAT mean 56.4 ± 15) (P-value 0.001). There is an insignificant negative correlation between Internet Addiction Test (IAT) grade and CGPA (p-value 0.07).Conclusion:The mean internet addiction score is 47.7, and most of the respondents (55.8%) show moderate-level addiction. The Internet Addiction Test's application to medical students' sample concerning the academic performance found no significant association between Internet Addiction Test score and CGPA score.


One hundred and twenty patients with confirmed second degree haemorrhoids were randomly allocated to four treatment groups; injection, rubber band ligation, maximal anal dilatation, and haemorrhoidectomy. Each groups consisted of 30 patients. All patients were regularly followed up for at least one year. Assessment at one year showed that haemorrhoidectomy "cured" the haemorrhoids in 29 out of 30 patients. Rubber band ligation relieved 25 out of 30 and maximal anal dilatation 24 out of 30. Injection was the least effective treatment, and relieved 18 of the 30 patients, with a cure rate of 60% only. Haemorrhoidectomy caused pain in all cases, anal stenosis in two, postoperative haemorrhage in two, and the patients required an average hospital stay of 11.5 days and an average of a further 15.5 days off work. Rubber band ligation was painless in 26 patients out of 30, and maximal anal dilatation was painless in 25 our of 30. There were no postoperative complications in the latter two treatment groups. Haemorrhoidectomy is good in "curing" the disease, but the higher possibility of postoperative pain and complications and longer hospital stay would not justify its use in the treatment of second degree haemorrhoids. Both rubber band ligation and maximal anal dilatation are effective and relatively free from complications. Rubber band ligation has the additional advantage of not requiring hospital stay or anaesthesia and is therefore considered to be the most appropriate method of treatment for second degree haemorrhoids.


Glass waste produced around the world is disposed of carefreely, creating huge piles in landfills and increasing environmental pollution because it is non-biodegradable. This study was conducted to assess the strength and durability of waste glass as a partial replacement for a mortal mix of sharp sand and stone dust. The glasscrete block samples were produced in a 6" metal block mould with 0%, 25% and 50% partial replacement of stone dust and sharp sand respectively. The compressive strength and water absorption tests were conducted after the samples were cured for 7, 28 and 56 days in a laboratory. The highest compressive strengths of 102.333kN and 100.667kN were observed in 50% waste glass partial replacement with sharp sand and 50% waste glass combination with 25% sharp sand and 25% stone dust respectively. The least compressive strength was seen in the control samples of sand and stone dust with no replacement of waste glass. This shows that the addition of waste glass increased the compressive strength of the block samples. The least rate of water absorption was recorded in 50% waste glass, 25% sharp sand and 25% stone dust. It should be noted that the replacement of the waste glass with stone dust performed poorly unlike that of sharp sand. Therefore, it is recommended that 50% waste glass, 25% sharp sand and 25% stone dust should be adopted for the production of glasscrete blocks for a zero-spalling effect in buildings with varying mix ratios. Glasscrete blocks can therefore be used in the waterlogged environment and areas prone to the spalling condition.


The classic work on international relations, the 9 th edition of World Politics Since 1945 , by Peter Calvocoressi, was brought to Brazil by Penso editorial company. Despite the limitations imposed by the large time-space gap, it is an indispensable book for the study of contemporary foreign affairs.


Staphylococcus sp. is a commensal bacterium in humans. Nonetheless, it is considered as an opportunistic microbe, being frequently associated with food poisoning outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the presence of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus sp. in 100 cattle carcasses slaughtered in a slaughterhouse in the northwestern region of Parana, Brazil, and to identify its in vitro resistance profile against different antimicrobials. Samples were collected through swabs from the slaughtered cattle carcasses, and then were forwarded to the Preventive Veterinary Medicine laboratory, at University of Parananese (UNIPAR). From the 100 samples, 18 (18%) recorded growth of microorganisms, and 16 samples of these were selected for the antimicrobial assay, according to the standard count for coagulase-positive Staphylococcus. Results of antibiogram showed that; 56.25% of the samples were resistant to Vancomycin, 50% to Penicillin, 31.25% to Tetracycline and Ampicillin, 18.75% to Erythromycin and Enrofloxacin, 12.5% to Oxacillin, 6.25% to Gentamicin and Clindamycin, whereas, only Cephalothin did not show resistance to any of the samples tested. Current study reported that antibiotic resistant strains (ARS) of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus sp. were present in the collected samples; and could have been originated from the food handlers, the utensils, the environment, or even from the animal itself. Accordingly, such results showed that it is important to stimulate the good hygiene and sanitary conditions of the food handlers, making them aware of their responsibility towards single health. Moreover, the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials may be responsible for the increase in the antibiotic resistant S. aureus.


The rim partials of a
church bell (those with an antinode at the soundbow) generate the strike pitch
or perceived note of the bell. The spacing in frequency of the higher rim partials
has an important effect on the tonal quality of the bell. Investigations into
the partial frequencies of 2752 bells, both bronze and steel, of a wide variety
of dates, founders and sizes, show a simple and unexpected relationship between
the frequencies of the rim partials. This relationship explains why attempts to
tune the higher rim partials independently have failed. A modified version of
Chladni's law provides insight into the musical relationship of the partials,
and predicts the partials of individual bells well, but fails to give a simple
model of the spacing between the partials seen in bells with different
profiles.


Data from CPITN studies indicate that severe periodontitis affects approximately 10 per cent of most populations. These data have remained static for a number of years. Of interest, however, is that despite the dramatic increase in the use of oral hygiene aids, efforts by the dental profession in oral hygiene instruction, and the associated general improvement in oral hygiene levels in the community, the incidence of severe chronic inflammatory periodontal disease has remained largely unaffected. The effects of changing oral hygiene may be reflected in slight shifts in the mild and moderate classifications of periodontal disease but the prevalence of advanced disease in presumably susceptible subjects has remained relatively unchanged. The ramifications of relatively non-specific plaque control measures in the management of advanced disease in susceptible subjects are still unclear and it may not be until the adoption of a more specific approach to the control of specific pathogens which inhabit the subgingival biofilm that major changes in the general incidence of the severe inflammatory periodontal diseases will be seen.


Received Mar 01, 2019 Revised Apr 30, 2019 Accepted Aug 23, 2019 This study presents building pentration loss into and around multi-storey buildings at 900 and 1800MHz based on experimental data obtained through drive test, using Test Mobile System (TEMS) investigation tools. The received signal level was measured inside and outside three buildings; the Senate building of the University of Lagos (B1), Mike Adenuga Towers (B2) and the Sapetro Towers (B3) located in Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria. The building penetration loss (BPL) was derived from measurements, and the average and standard deviations of the BPL were computed. Results showed that the average BPL of 17.0dB and 13.8dB obtained from building B1 at 900 and 1800MHz, respectively, are comparatively higher than those of buildings B2 and B3. The standard deviation of the BPL shows an increase from 5.2dB at 900MHz to 7.8dB at 1800MHz for building B1, whereas it fell drastically from 8.65dB at 900MHz to 1.40dB at 1800MHz for B2, and a similar behaviour as in B1 is seen for building B3, where it rises sharply from 1.55dB at 900MHz to 6.55dB at 1800MHz. This is in agreement with the general trend of increasing penetration loss with increase in frequency except for building B2 where an anomaly is observed. In order to examine the correlation between the measured and the predicted BPL, cubic regression was used to fit a third order polynomial to the measured BPL. Overrall, the fitted models could find useful applications in the design of novel and robust BPL models for modern multi-floored buildings. Keyword:


Operators like fighter pilots, combat vehicle drivers and fire and rescue command operators handle considerable amount of information during mission critical activities. The increasing complexity of the information landscape calls for alternative information presentation. This thesis presents the rather novel interfaces 3D audio and tactile displays, and the combination of these. In several experiments the displays are evaluated on the basis that they could improve information presentation for specific real world scenarios. The experimental environments range from laboratory to real platform in which intelligibility, reaction/response time, and localisation error are measured.

A number of key findings are presented such as further evidence for using non-individualised Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) to acquire low localisation errors for virtual sound sources. It is also shown that 3D audio presented with a Commercials Off The Shelf (COTS) component could be used to support operators in real world settings, and that a tactile display can counteract front-back confusion occurrences as induced by 3D audio. In addition, results demonstrate that a tactile display can be used to present information to fighter pilots during threat interception, at high G-loads, and improve responses to threats. In a series of experiments concerning threat presentation to the driver of a combat vehicle it was found that combining displays for different sensory modalities can improve tactical manoeuvring performance without adding mental workload. It was also shown that the displays entailed different support for the driver depending on phases of manoeuvring towards threats.

The main conclusion drawn from this research is that these display technologies carry much promise for improving the information presentation in complex operator environments. It is mainly the omnidirectional character of the tactile and 3D audio presentations that contributes significantly to the making of intuitive interfaces, which can lead to enhanced perception and performance without adding workload. One application of these relatively new display technologies is to support visual displays in situations in which the operator already is engaged in activities occupying the visual sense.


Quantile regression for censored survival (duration) data offers a more flexible alternative to the Cox proportional hazard model for some applications. We describe three estimation methods for such applications that have been recently incorporated into the R package quantreg: the Powell (1986) estimator for fixed censoring, and two methods for random censoring, one introduced by Portnoy (2003), and the other by Peng and Huang (2008). The Portnoy and Peng-Huang estimators can be viewed, respectively, as generalizations to regression of the Kaplan-Meier and Nelson-Aalen estimators of univariate quantiles for censored observations. Some asymptotic and simulation comparisons are made to highlight advantages and disadvantages of the three methods.


Psychosocial factors influencing behaviour play a central role in health research but seem under-explored in migration research. This is unfortunate because these factors, which include knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, intentions and personality traits, provide essential and potentially effective handles for linking migration and migrant-integration policies. We demonstrate that the health belief model (HBM) conceptualization of behavioural intentions contributes constructs that can further our understanding of migration intentions, thereby broadening the foundations for migration policies. We adapt the HBM to migration behaviour and then test it empirically by using survey data on international migration from West Africa and the Mediterranean region to the European Union. The results confirm that indicators of "perceived threat to living conditions", "perceived benefits" and "perceived barriers to migration", "cues to action" and "self-efficacy" contribute considerably to the explanation of migration intentions. We conclude that psychosocial factors deserve greater prominence in migration theories and empirical research, and we recommend that migration surveys consider this framework to identify relevant indicators of psychosocial factors of international migration and develop appropriate survey questions to measure them.


Although ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) does not require axillary evaluation, controversy exists regarding the use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with DCIS diagnosed by core needle biopsy (CNB). Advocates of concomitant SLNB and lumpectomy cite the low morbidity of SLNB, the high rate of invasive ductal carcinoma in resected specimens, and the positive nodes found in 1 to 2 per cent of patients with resected DCIS despite finding no invasive component. Opponents of this practice cite the complication risk and the improbability of clinically significant axillary recurrence. We therefore proposed to determine our rate of invasive cancer in DCIS diagnosed by CNB and to determine whether SLNB at first operation would decrease return to the operating room. We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with DCIS by CNB from 2003 to 2008. Standard clinicopathological data were collected and analyzed. In 110 patients, the prevalence of invasive cancer on final resection pathology was 13.6 per cent (15 of 110). Of those patients with invasive cancer, 93 per cent (14 of 15) had high-grade DCIS (P = 0.077) by CNB. Seventeen per cent (14 of 82) of patients with high-grade DCIS had invasive cancer. Of 34 patients with SLNB, three (9%) had positive nodes. Fifteen patients required re-excision to obtain negative margins, including 13 patients with invasive cancer. Five patients (4.5%) were spared additional operative intervention by initially performing SLNB. We suggest using concomitant SLNB when a high clinical suspicion of invasive cancer exists, in the presence of a palpable mass, or when mastectomy precludes future SLNB. Intraoperative margin assessment is needed to avoid return to the operating room.


This paper investigates the relevance of singing and performing the Te Deum Laudamus in the postmodern Christian era, especially in view of changing enactments and perceptions of the purpose of the hymn. The Te Deum has been used in various ways in church history, sung as a confession of praise and regularly used since the time of St Benedict during Matins (morning service). While the Reformers were critical of the late medieval worship, they did not query incorporating the Te Deum into their liturgies, because it brought meaning to the glorification of a benevolent God. This explains its use also by most Christian churches in their liturgies in the postmodern era. However, the pertinent question remains: Is the Te Deum still applicable to the postmodern church, which is characterised by secularism, charismatic sermons, and commercialised worship. The question is instigated by events and conceptions of the universe from the era of Gregorianism to Darwinism. In answering this question, the paper highlights the history of the Te Deum and its application within the church, and seeks to find out whether the hymn addresses the present needs of Christians, which have been affected by postmodernism. The paper contends that the Te Deum is still relevant and contributes to the glorification of God's mission (missio Dei).


The return of the local democracy to the military training areas raises a number of complex challenges even under the conditions of a democratic state. In the municipalities that were established in the Czech Republic on 1 January 2016 by a separation from the territory of the military training areas, a nondemocratic paternalist system has dominated for many decades at the local level, which in some cases was deepened by a presence of the foreign Soviet army. While other municipalities in the post-communist period after 1989 have undergone a complex development and have gradually responded to new challenges (e.g., the use of subsidy titles, intermunicipal cooperation), and, in the case of the settlements in the territory of the military training area districts, nondemocratic local paternalism was preserved until the end of 2015. In the first phase of their term, the elected representatives of the local government primarily focused on securing the basic functions of the municipality (issues of housing and basic amenities of the village—school facilities, shops), saving local sights as remnants of historical memory, and developing cooperation within different networks of actors on a general level (e.g., issues of tourism development, environmental protection).


The purpose of this research is to identify the principal components that formed of banking performance and identify of the sequence important principle component forming bank performance based on financial ratios of bank financial statements. The data used are secondary data from published financial statements of banks (2007-2009). The sampling consisted of 49 banking companies registered in the Directorate of Bank Indonesia. Analysis tool used is factor analysis. The important factor in the determination of factor analysis seen from the eigenvalue ≥ 1, and the critical value of the variable rate is determined by loading factor ≥ 0.50. Test the feasibility of the use of factor analysis factor was measured by Bartlett's test -Measure of Sampling Adequacy (MSA) with a criteria KMO's number (Keiser-Meyer-Oklin) ≥ 0.50 and Index Spherecity X2-Approximate. Then do the grouping variables into the respective component factor of the basic component matrix and rotated component matrix. From this research used 24 variables financial ratios included in the model CAMELS. The test found there are 14 permanent variable to pool the data (overall data). This research concludes that the financial ratios CAMELS model of banking is a form factor banking performance. Keywords: Banking Performance, Financial Ratios, CAMELS, Factor Analysis


Background: To investigate the effect of early (<6 h) versus delayed (>6 h) recanalization on infarct pattern in acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Methods: 35 patients with acute MCA occlusion (M1 segment; symptom onset <6 h) were analyzed. Stroke MRI was performed immediately after admission (day 0), and on days 1 and 7. In addition, vessel status was assessed within 6 h, at 24 h and on day 7. Patients were grouped according to early (≤6 h, n = 10), delayed (6–24 h, n = 8) or no recanalization within 24 h (n = 17). Infarct patterns between the three subgroups were compared on normalized day 1 diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data. Lesion plots were generated for the three subgroups depicting voxel by voxel the relative frequency of infarction. Results: Lesion growth was significantly larger in the group without recanalization (125 ± 100 cm3; mean ± SD) compared to patients with early (41 ± 42 cm3; p = 0.02) or delayed (47 ± 45 cm3; p < 0.05) recanalization. The analysis of infarct patterns revealed extensive sparing of peripheral cortical regions in both the early and delayed recanalization groups compared to the persistent occlusion group. In the early/delayed recanalization groups, cortical involvement was often limited to the central MCA territory (i.e. insular region and adjacent cortex, in addition to the basal ganglia). The final infarct volume was 80 ± 71 cm3 in patients with early, 93 ± 62 cm3 in those with delayed, and 194 ± 156 cm3 in those without recanalization. Conclusions: Delayed recanalization significantly limits DWI lesion expansion in patients with proximal MCA occlusion and selectively saves peripheral cortical regions. Collateral supply to the peripheral MCA territory may be sufficient for an extended period of time.


The character of the estrous cycle was studied in mature rats with different variants of the experimental hypophyseal-thyroid imbalance. This state was caused by injecting rifathyroine--a synthetic analogue of thyroliberin, thyrotropin and L-thyroxin to rats having a stable 4-days estrous cycle. The above manipulations were made either in the morning hours of proestrus when a rapid growth of dominant follicles takes place in the ovary, or at the stage of diestrus when new ovarian follicles start growing. The effect of injecting rifathyroin nonspecifically stimulating the release of prolactin by the adenohypophysis was dependent on the stage of the estrous cycle in which the animal was when injecting the drug was started. If it was the proestrus, the duration and sequence of the estrous cycle phases was not changed. If injecting rifathyroin was started at diestrus, in 6 of 11 animals this stage was as long as the whole cycle period. An experimental elevation of the content of thyrotropin caused by a single injection resulted in a disturbance of the duration and sequence of phases of the estrous cycle in all the animals. If thyrotropin was injected within the first hours of proestrus, this phase became shorter and the ovulation did not take place. An injection of thyrotropin during diestrus prolonged the latter for the whole period of observations equal to the cycle duration. Injections of L-thyroxin failed to change the sequence and duration of the cycle phases practically in half of the experimental animals, independent of the phase when the injecting was started. In 6 of 11 rats given the first injection of L-thyroxin at the stage of proestrus the anestrus and a prolonged phase of diestrus (during the whole cycle) were observed afterwards.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


We review a quartet of widely discussed probability puzzles – Monty Hall, the three prisoners, the two boys, and the two aces. Pearl explains why the Monty Hall problem is counterintuitive using a causal diagram. Glenn Shafer uses the puzzle of the two aces to justify reintroducing to probability theory protocols that specify how the information we condition on is obtained. Pearl, in one treatment of the three prisoners, adds to his representation random variables that distinguish actual events and observations. The puzzle of the two boys took a perplexing twist in 2010. We show the puzzles have similar features, and each can be made to give different answers to simple queries corresponding to different presentations of the word problem. We offer a unified treatment that explains this phenomenon in strictly technical terms, as opposed to cognitive or epistemic.


Obstructive jaundice is characterized by an obstruction of the intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary system, and the most common causes include pancreatic and duodenal periampullary cancer. There have been some cases reporting obstructive jaundice caused by infection. Deep tissue infection usually develops in the individuals who are immunologically compromised or chronically ill, while a few cases reported in the immunocompetent patients. Those cases were diagnosed by fungal culture or percutaneous biopsy. Here, we presented an interesting case of obstructive jaundice secondary to fungal infection confirmed by postoperative pathological examination. A 79 years old man complaint about upper abdominal discomfort, darkened urine, and skin itch, with a history of esophageal cancer operation 5 years ago. The serology for hepatitis virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was negative. Imaging examinations showed a nodular located at distal common bile duct. As evidenced by increased level of cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), the patient was highly suspected to be malignant obstructive jaundice. Thus, pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD) was conducted. To our surprise, the ultimate diagnosis was fungal infection at the site of duodenum ampulla by the postoperative pathological examination, with no evidence of malignance. Anti-infective therapy was conducted subsequently, combined by fluconazole, sulperazone and tinidazole. Three weeks later, the patient was generally in good condition and discharged from hospital. During the 2-year follow-up, no fungal infection or tumor recurrence was observed. This case reminded us that fungal infection could be the cause of obstructive jaundice in an elderly person.


The modulatory actions of ovarian steroids on the norepinephrine (NE) induced alterations in luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion were examined in male and female rats. Long-term (4 weeks) castrated male and female rats bearing chronic third-ventricle cannulae were implanted with intra-atrial catheters. Animals were bled sequentially at 5- or 15-min intervals for 4-6 h, and plasma LH secretory patterns were determined by radioimmunoassay. After a 2- to 3-hour control bleeding period, castrated unprimed rats received an intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of 0.3 mumol of arterenol bitartrate or vehicle. Blood sampling was continued for an additional 2-3 h after infusion. In female rats NE caused a rapid and potent inhibition of episodic LH secretion which was characterized by decreases in mean plasma LH, mean pulse amplitude, and pulse frequency. Similarly, ICV infusion of NE into male rats resulted in decreased mean plasma LH and pulse frequency. In a second series of experiments, castrated male and female rats were primed with estrogen and progesterone 2 days prior to the bleeding/infusion session. Animals were bled sequentially and infused with 0.3 mumol arterenol bitartrate or vehicle during a morning or afternoon session. ICV infusion of vehicle had no effect on plasma LH in either sex regardless of the time of day. NE infusion into estrogen and progesterone primed female rats resulted in significant elevations of plasma LH during both morning and afternoon periods. In estrogen and progesterone primed male rats, NE infusion resulted in a marked facilitation of LH release, similar to that observed in female rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The objectives of the study were to determine distribution of heavy metal contamination in water, sediments and biota (Callinectes amniciola) of the upper reaches of the Bonny Estuary and to determine the impact on physicochemical characteristics of the water body. Sampled was from January to June 2020. The physicochemical parameters of the water varied slightly across the months but were within FEPA/WHO (2003) acceptable limits. Furthermore; the study compared the seasonal variations and determination of Bio-accumulation Factor (BF) of C. amnicola with respect to sediment. The study site is a tidal creek that drains into the main Bonny River channel within Niger Delta, Nigeria. The sampled locations/stations include Trans-Amadi slaughter in Azuabie {N4°81'49.9 and E7°04'63.4}, Okpoka Creek in Abuloma {N4°78'02.43 and E7°06'66.12} and Okirika Jetty {N4°73'70.04 and E7°09'56.93}. Samples of surface water, sediments and swimming crabs were collected from three different stations which were at least 1000 meters apart. The results of this study show that concentrations of the heavy metals (Fe and Zn) were both higher in the three media than the approved limits prescribed by the local regulatory authority. Although Cu was relatively within acceptable limit in the three media. There is therefore the need to control the anthropogenic activities within or around the river. This will help to prevent effluent and solid waste discharges that lead to increase in the concentration of heavy metals in the aquatic environment. Routine monitoring should be encouraged to identify the major sources of heavy metals introduction into the river and their impacts on the aquatic resources.


Concentrations of T-2, HT-2, 3'-OH T-2, 3'-OH HT-2, T-2 triol, and T-2 tetraol toxins which inhibited [3H]thymidine uptake in mitogen-stimulated human peripheral lymphocytes by 50% were 1.5, 3.5, 4.0, 50, 150, and 150 ng/ml, respectively. The results suggested that the initial hydrolysis of T-2 toxin and the hydroxylation of T-2 toxin to 3'-OH T-2 toxin did not significantly decrease the immunotoxicity of the parent molecule, whereas further hydrolysis to T-2 triol and T-2 tetraol toxins or hydroxylation to 3'-OH HT-2 toxin decreased in vitro toxicity for human lymphocytes.


out. he was not under medical care here, nor did he complain of illness at any time. Wfre trust the above information will suit your pulrpose. and are, yours faithfully, TANCRED, ARROL AND Co. -1)r. Uvrom Bramwell." Copy' if Letter front Dr. James Hunter. The Priory, Queeusferry. December Dth, 1887. Dear Dr. Bramwell, ---J. (.was a meiubtr of the Forth Bridge Workmen's Club, in virtue of whichl he was entitled to medical advice ait auv time. Up to the (late on which hie met with the accident to his eve I had not been asked to see him professionally. Indeed, I dum nOt aware that hie was on any occasion absent from his duties at the bridlge.-Youtrs sincerely, JAMES HUNTER." The details of another case of aneurysm (which is reported in the ELdinlryh Medical Journal for April, 1888) were also given, iu wlhich the patient was able to work for a period of eight years -%with an aneurysm projecting through the front wvall of the thorax.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare three types of hernioplasty using a mesh: Lichtenstein, Mesh-plug and Prolene Hernia System. Methods: From February 2002 to April 2007, we retrospectively studied the clinical outcome of 138 cases of adult inguinal hernia patients who had operations performed with the use of mesh. Three types of mesh operations were composed of Lichtenstein repair group (LR group; N=18), Mesh plug repair group (MR group; N=38) and Prolene hernia system group (PHS group; N=82). The Clinical features and outcomes of the three groups were compared by age, sex, operation time, lengths of hospital stay, numbers of post-operative intravenous analgesics, complications, and recurrence. Results: Mean age of three groups was 50.2±20.7, 51.0±18.4 and 61.5±15.9 years for LR. MR, PHS groups, respectively. The PHS group was significantly older than other two groups (P=0.002). The sex, operation time and lengths of hospital stay were not significantly different among the three groups. Numbers of intravenous analgesics used after the operations were 1.7±1.2, 2.7±2.2, 3.3±2.0 in the LR, MR, PHS groups, respectively. A lesser amount of IV analgesics was injected into the LR group than the PHS group. Although some complications occurred such as wound infection, hematoma, dehiscence, testicular edema in the three groups, there were no significant differences among the three groups. There were no recurrences in all three groups. Conclusion: We could not find any better outcome among the LR, MR and PHS groups.


We conduct a systematic investigation into the mechanism of hole collection in amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunctions solar cells using transient-capacitance techniques. The devices are formed by depositing undoped amorphous silicon (i layer) followed by p-type amorphous silicon on n-type crystalline silicon wafers. For i layers varying from 3.2 to 96 nm, we find only a factor of four change in hole collection-rate at low temperature where thermal emission over the valence band offset is precluded. We conclude that holes traverse the i layer by hopping through defects rather than direct tunneling through the entire i layer. This process is weakly thermally activated with a rate above 1 × 104 s−1 at room temperature. Near room temperature and with thick i layers, we observe hole collection with a high activation energy that depends on measurement conditions. We demonstrate that hopping through defects is the dominant mode of hole collection for solar cell operation at room temperature and above.


Ethical approaches to practice and research in counselling and arts/psychotherapies demand an urgent attention to body politics. Bodies are not neutral; gender, sexuality, ethnicity and class are socio-political aspects that shape our mental, emotional and physical selves and inform our ethical values. Drawing from the author's embodied practice as interdisciplinary practitioner-researcher, the aim of this paper is to examine the inseparability of ethics and bodies and explore how autobiographical, relational and political aspects of our selves-in-motion give rise to and build upon 'ethically important moments'. The paper concludes with expanding possibilities; that highlighting ethical tensions within the lived experiences of bodies-in-motion allows for politically progressive approaches to practice that reflect the emerging paradigm shift of a post-Cartesian and interdisciplinary age.


Background:
 Thrombophilia in children is characterized by hypercoagulability and increased frequency of thrombotic events (Young G, et al. Circulation. 2008;118:1373-1378; Kenet G, et al. Circulation. 2010;121:1838-1847). Recently, phase IIb/III clinical trials in children with venous thromboembolism (VTE) have reported the non-inferiority of dabigatran etexilate (DE) versus standard of care (SOC) for the treatment of acute VTE (Albisetti M, et al. ISTH 2019, Abstract OC 57.3), and a favorable safety profile for DE in secondary VTE prevention in children with persistent VTE risk factor(s) (Brandão LR, et al. Blood. 2020;135:491-504).
 Aims:
 To perform a subgroup analysis evaluating the efficacy and safety of DE for the treatment and secondary prophylaxis of VTE in children with thrombophilia in the phase IIb/III DE clinical trials.
 Methods:
 In the open-label, phase IIb/III DIVERSITY trial (NCT01895777), children aged from birth to < 18 years (yrs) with an objectively confirmed VTE diagnosis (by imaging studies) initially treated with unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin were randomized (2:1) to receive up to 3 months of DE or SOC. Primary composite efficacy endpoint: complete thrombus resolution and freedom from VTE recurrence, or VTE-related death. Safety endpoints included bleeding events (BEs). The open-label, phase III, secondary VTE prevention trial (NCT02197416) treated children aged from > 3 months to < 18 yrs with DE for up to 12 months or less, if the identified VTE clinical risk factor resolved. Eligible children had an objectively confirmed diagnosis of VTE treated with SOC for ≥ 3 months, or had completed DE or SOC treatment in DIVERSITY and had an unresolved clinical VTE risk factor requiring further anticoagulation. Primary endpoints included VTE recurrence and BEs. Thrombophilia status was confirmed according to the definitions used by the local experts.
 Results:
 In DIVERSITY, 23.2% of children had thrombophilia; demographics were comparable to the overall population, although they were slightly older (mean [standard deviation] age 13.2 [4.9] vs 11.1 [6.1] years in the overall population; p = 0.005). In children with thrombophilia, DE was found to be non-inferior to SOC for the primary endpoint (similar to the overall population), and more children treated with DE achieved the composite primary endpoint than with SOC (SOC 21.7% vs DE 35.9%; Mantel-Hänszel-weighted difference in rates for SOC minus DE [90% CI] −0.14 [−0.32 to 0.05]; p for non-inferiority = 0.0014), similar to the overall population (Table). Regardless of treatment, VTE recurrence appeared higher in children with thrombophilia than in the overall population, with numerically fewer VTE recurrences reported by children with thrombophilia treated with DE (7.7%) versus SOC (21.7%), although this was not significantly lower (p = 0.13). Numerical differences in residual thrombotic burden between SOC vs DE seen in the overall population appeared to be amplified in children with thrombophilia. Numerically fewer children with thrombophilia treated with DE reported thrombus progression (SOC 13.0% vs DE 5.1%) or stabilization (21.7% vs 10.3%), while more reported partial (34.8% vs 43.6%) or complete thrombus resolution (21.7% vs 35.9%). In the thrombophilia subgroup, BEs appeared to be lower in children treated with DE (SOC 26.1% vs DE 17.9%), while in the overall population BEs with SOC and DE were comparable. In the secondary VTE prevention trial, children with thrombophilia were also slightly older versus the overall population (mean [standard deviation] age 14.1 [3.6] vs 12.8 [4.6] yrs; p = 0.006). In this larger subgroup of children, rates of recurrent VTE at 12 months appeared to be higher in the thrombophilia group (2.8%) compared to the overall population (1.4%) (Table), with BEs largely comparable (27.4% and 22.5%, respectively).
 Conclusions:
 Unsurprisingly, numerically more children with thrombophilia appeared to report VTE recurrence, and in DIVERSITY thrombus progression/stabilization also seemed higher compared with the overall population. Compared with the overall populations, these subgroup analyses showed consistent results for DE in children with acute VTE and thrombophilia in the DIVERSITY trial, along with a favorable safety profile of DE for secondary VTE prevention.

 Brandao: Boehringer Ingelheim: Other: Member of a paediatric expert working group. Tartakovsky:Boehringer Ingelheim: Current Employment. Albisetti:Boehringer Ingelheim: Other: Member of a paediatric expert working group; Daiichi Sankyo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Bomgaars:Boehringer Ingelheim: Other: Member of a paediatric expert working group. Chalmers:CSL Behring: Honoraria; Shire/Takeda: Honoraria; Boehringer Ingelheim: Other: Member of a paediatric expert working group; Grifols: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Sobi: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria. Mitchell:Boehringer Ingelheim: Other: Member of a paediatric expert working group. Luciani:Boehringer Ingelheim: Other: Member of a paediatric expert working group. Lvova:Boehringer Ingelheim: Honoraria. Simetzberger:Boehringer Ingelheim: Current Employment. Sun:Boehringer Ingelheim: Current Employment. Gergei:Boehringer Ingelheim: Current Employment. Brueckmann:Boehringer Ingelheim: Current Employment. Halton:Boehringer Ingelheim: Other: Member of a paediatric expert working group.

 dabigatran etexilate in paediatric VTE


1. The activities of NMN pyrophosphorylase, NMN adenylyltransferase and NAD kinase in the mammary glands of rats at different stages of pregnancy, lactation and involution were measured. 2. NMN pyrophosphorylase has a low activity early in pregnancy, but its activity increases at parturition and in early lactation to reach a maximum at the tenth day of lactation, after which it remains constant until it declines abruptly in involution. 3. NMN adenylyltransferase is already quite active by the tenth day of pregnancy and its activity does not rise further in the second half of gestation. After a sharp rise in activity at parturition, the activity of the enzyme declines slowly throughout the period of lactation and, more sharply, in involution. 4. NAD kinase has a low activity for most of pregnancy, but its activity rises at parturition to a value at 2 days of lactation that is maintained until the tenth day. Between the tenth and fifteenth days of lactation the activity almost doubles, but falls sharply in mammary involution. 5. The relation of the activities of these enzymes to the rates of synthesis of NAD and NADP is discussed.


The paper aims to analyze the quality of financial information, by assessing the timeliness of earnings, using information specific to non-financial companies listed on the regulated section of Bucharest Stock Exchange. The study also seeks to assess the symmetry of actions for the timely recognition of potential gains and losses (components of the economic income) and, if there is an asymmetry, to identify the sense of the temporary gap. The phenomenon is analysed in conjunction with a number of control factors such as the Romanian Accounting Standards (RAS), the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the degree of indebtedness or the entities' field of activity. Quantitative analysis performed through econometric models consecrated in the field, such as Basu (1997) and Ball and Shivakumar (2005), reveals that the companies included in the study provide financial information that meets the qualitatively criterion assessed, respectively earnings timeliness. Deepening the analysis has made it possible to identify a timely recognition both for unrealised gains and potential losses, as a result of tests carried out on the whole sample, an advance in what concerns the inclusion of economic lose in the accounting income compared to the recognition of economic gains. The presence of disjunctive factors in the analysis generated a number of particular results. In the case of normally indebted companies that apply the IFRS, a timely recognition of economic gains and losses was noted, without the gap specific to conservatism.


Three structural analogues of styrene, vinyltoluene (40% para-, 60% meta -isomers), 4-methoxy-trans-beta-chlorostyrene and trans-beta-nitrostyrene, were tested for their potential to induce chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanged (SCE) in phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes cultured for 48 h (aberration analysis) or 72 h (SCE analysis). The treatments were carried out 24 h (aberrations) or 48 h (SCEs) before harvest. The toxicity of vinyltoluene to cultured lymphocytes was similar to that of styrene while 4-methoxy-beta-chlorostyrene was about 10 times and beta nitrostyrene about 100 times more toxic than styrene. A dose-dependent increase of SCEs and chromosome aberrations was observed in cells treated with vinyltoluene (0.33-4.00 mM) or with 4-methoxy-beta-chlorostyrene (0.5-1.00 mM). No effect could be seen in cultures treated with beta-nitrostyrene (0.004-0.044 mM). The results suggest that, like styrene, vinyltoluene and 4-methoxy-beta-chlorostyrene also are converted in vitro in reactive metabolites, presumably epoxides.


Previously we showed that membrane fusion is required for TANGO1-dependent export of procollagen VII from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (Nogueira, et al., 2014). Along with the t-SNARE Syntaxin 18, we now reveal the complete complement of SNAREs required in this process, t-SNAREs BNIP1 and USE1, and v-SNARE YKT6. TANGO1 recruits YKT6-containing ER Golgi Intermediate Compartment (ERGIC) membranes to procollagen VII-enriched patches on the ER. Moreover residues 1214-1396, that include the first coiled coil of TANGO1, specifically recruit ERGIC membranes even when targeted to mitochondria. TANGO1 is thus pivotal in concentrating procollagen VII in the lumen and recruiting ERGIC membranes on the cytoplasmic surface of the ER. Our data reveal that growth of a mega transport carrier for collagen export from the ER is not by acquisition of a larger patch of ER membrane, but instead by addition of ERGIC membranes to procollagen-enriched domains of the ER by a TANGO1-mediated process. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10982.001


Abstract Trends in temperature and rainfall extremes in the Bangkok Metropolitan area were analyzed on the basis of 3 high-quality series of daily data. A set of core climate extreme indices recommended by the WMOCCL/ CLIVAR Expert Team on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring and Indices (ETCCDMI) that measures many aspects of a changing climate including changes in intensity, frequency and duration of temperature and rainfall events was computed. Analysis of these indices provided clear evidence that different aspects of temperature and rainfall extremes in the Bangkok Metropolis exhibited significant changes during 1965- 2006. The region has been clearly warming over the last few decades and extremes of temperature have changed accordingly. It was found that the frequency of warm days/nights has significantly increased while the frequency of cool days/nights has significantly decreased. In addition, there have been significant increases in the number of summer days and tropical nights, but the annual occurrence of cold spell duration has significantly decreased. Significant rainfall change was marked by a pronounced increase in total rainfall amount especially during summer monsoon period. In association with the change in mean state of rainfall amounts, there were coherent changes towards increases in both frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events. Another noteworthy feature is that the Bangkok Metropolis has experienced more intense daily rainfall, as its index showed a significant increase in the recent decades. These findings suggest that the risk of disasters associated with temperature and rainfall extreme changes such as severe and flash floods in Bangkok Metropolitan area will increase and affect on millions of people, socio-economic and bio-physical environment. Impacts and consequences of such extreme rainfall and temperature events can substantially wipe out development gain and significantly reduce the standard of living as well as compound environmental degradation. Therefore, detailed study on vulnerability and risk assessment is urgently needed to provide valuable insights of adaptation strategy, disaster preparedness and management plan for Bangkok Metropolis, and to move forward as climate resilient sustainable development in a mega-city as well. Keywords : Temperature and rainfall extreme, Trend, Bangkok Metropolis, Vulnerability


We present, for the first time, a detailed abundance analysis of five giant stars in the moderately metal-poor bulge globular cluster NGC 6558. Spectra have been obtained at the VLT with the multifiber spectrograph FLAMES in GIRAFFE mode (R ∼ 22,000). The resulting iron abundance is [Fe/H] = -0.97 ± 0.15, in good agreement with the metallicity inferred from the slope of the red giant branch, but unusually high for a cluster with such a blue horizontal branch, possibly indicating an old age. A color-magnitude diagram in V and I, based on photometry obtained with the Wide-Field Imager at ESO, is also presented. An isochrone of 14 Gyr fits the evolutionary sequences, confirming an old age. NGC 6558 is another "second-parameter" bulge cluster. The metallicity derived is near the end of the low-metallicity tail of the bulge field-star distribution; hence, it presumably formed at the very early stages of the bulge formation. Abundance ratios show enhancements of the α-elements oxygen, magnesium, and silicon, with [O/Fe] = +0.38, [Mg/Fe] = +0.24, [Si/Fe] = +0.23, and solar calcium and titanium. The r-element europium is also enhanced by [Eu/Fe] = +0.36. The odd-Z elements sodium and aluminum, as well as the s-elements barium and lanthanum, show solar ratios. A heliocentric radial velocity of v = -197.3 ± 4 km s-1 is found for NGC 6558.


We are developing a cryogen-free high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet system for a compact 3T MRI system for human brains. In the conceptual design, the magnet system consists of 5 main coils that are layer windings of Bi-2223 tapes. The magnet system will have 500 mm room temperature bore and be operated at 20 K using G-M cryocoolers. The target field is 3 T ±5 ppm for 250 mm (dia,) and 200 mm (length) volume. All the coils will be connected in series and operated in driven mode. Controlled overpressure (CT-OP) processed Bi-2223/Ag tapes which are reinforced with Cu-alloy laminations are to be used for these coils. We investigated Ic-B-T performance in detail for short samples of the tape. We fabricated and tested five small layer-wound coils using the tape (38.4 ~ 46.2 m piece for each coil). Each small coil could be energized up to its expected current that was calculated using the short sample performance and the coil parameters. The maximum electromagnetic force (hoop stress) reached 137 MPa, and caused no degradation in the coil performance. These results show that our layer-winding techniques and the conductor performance (Ic-B-T and homogeneity along length) can be applicable and suitable for our 3T MRI magnet.


An essential requirement for any practical fully integrated lab-on-a-chip device is the ability to mix two or more fluids thoroughly and efficiently, i.e., in a reasonable amount of time. This paper presents a way to improve mixing in microfluidic systems combining alternate flows with obstacles using passive mixers. Numerical simulations show that the layers of high and low solute concentration, created by the alternate flow, are split into smaller chunks of fluid, due to the obstacles inserted in the mixing channel, increasing the contact area between high and low concentration regions and decreasing the critical mixing length. This improvement can lead to shorter mixing channels and to low-cost mixers fabricated by planar lithographic technology.


A memory module includes a memory hub coupled to several memory devices. The memory hub includes at least one performance counter that tracks one or more system metrics-for example, page hit rate, number or percentage of prefetch hits, cache hit rate or percentage, read rate, number of read requests, write rate, number of write requests, rate or percentage of memory bus utilization, local hub request rate or number, and/or remote hub request rate or number.


The one-particle type temporal soliton exists by maintaining a balance between dispersive linear contributions on the one hand and non-linear effects on the other. The linear contributions occur from processes such as group velocity and polarization mode dispersion. The non-linear features occur from Kerr, or power law non-Kerr behavior. In addition, a variety of perturbations, such as damping, Brillouin scattering, and Raman effects exist to alter the simple soliton solution. In this paper, we review the propagation of temporal solitons in power law non-Kerr media. This is developed through the higher nonlinear Schrödinger's equation (HNLSE). Also, the fundamentals of multiple-scales are presented that will be used to yield quasi-stationary solitons when perturbations are present. In waveguides, the one-particle type spatial soliton exists by maintaining a balance between the linear propagational diffraction and non-linear self-focusing, while possibly being subjected to a variety of perturbations. Here, we use a spatial optical soliton solution to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation in an inhomogeneous triangular refractive index profile as a small index perturbation to illustrate the oscillation property within a two dimensional waveguide. We determine, from the motion of spatial soliton, its effective acceleration, period of oscillation, and compare results with the Gaussian refractive index profile. Such spatial solitons behave as point masses existing in a Newtonian gravitational potential hole.


Objectives miRNAs are a family of non-coding RNAs that affect cell growth, migration and apoptosis. However, little is known on the behavior of miRNAs in neurons. Hence, this work aimed to investigate the functions and roles of miRNA-451 in neurons induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury. Materials and methods In this study, we established a 12- or 24-hour oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) cell model. miR-451 mimic, si-CUGBP Elav-like family member 2 (siCELF2), oeCELF2 and the corresponding negative controls were transfected into the 24-hour OGD/R cells. The transfection efficiency and the relative expression of miR-451 and CELF2 were measured using quantitative reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analysis. Cell viability, apoptosis, oxidative stress and cleaved-caspase-3 expression were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, LDH, SOD, malondialdehyde, ROS assays, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis upon miR-451 overexpression, CELF2 silencing or overexpression of both. Bioinformatics analysis and the dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to examine the relationship between CELF2 and miR-451 in the OGD/R cells. Results The results showed that miR-451 was downregulated in the OGD/R cells. The overexpression of miR-451 increased cell viability and SOD activity, but decreased apoptosis rate, levels of LDH, MDA, ROS and cleaved caspase-3 expression. CELF2 silencing inhibited apoptosis and oxidative stress. The results suggested that CELF2 was a target of miR-451, and that CELF2 overexpression alleviated the inhibitory effect of miR-451 on apoptosis and oxidative stress of the OGD/R cells. Conclusion The results demonstrated that miR-451 could protect cells against OGD/R-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress by targeting CELF2.


The review presents a critical compilation and a general account of the published data on rapid proton exchange processes obtained by proton magnetic resonance (PMR). An attempt has been made to establish wherever possible the dependence of the rate and mechanism of the exchange on the chemical structure of the reactants, particularly on the properties of the hydrogen bonds formed by them. The bibliography includes 163 references.


Abstract This paper investigates the synaesthetic constructions in Persian with the aim of finding out what motivates them despite their incongruous syntactic-semantic assignments. It is argued that these paradoxical elements require a metaphoric/metonymic frame to assign appropriate lexical units (LUs) to their corresponding syntactic categories (NP + rɑ +VP and NP + AP). The discrepancy derives from the semantic aspects for which frame semantics provides two types of explanations: internal and external frame factors. Internal factors deal with the metaphoric/metonymic compatibility or similarity between frames, while external factors underline the use of lexical items from one subframe to fill the vocabulary gap of a different subframe. The argument is that this gap owes much to the indirect contact between the Phenomenon (e.g., an odorous substance) and the Body-part (e.g., nose) that perceives it. In short, the analysis of our data reveals that synaesthesia is not only an economical strategy for modifying the senses, but also a natural mental strategy for interpreting vague experiences. A configuration of the incongruent construction of 'smell' and 'hearing' will be proposed to generalize such an analysis.


OBJECTIVE
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is associated with preterm delivery, but there is little evidence that treatment improves pregnancy outcomes. We examined whether oral or vaginal metronidazole treatment for BV in early pregnancy was more effective in restoring the normal vaginal environment.

METHODS
This was a randomized controlled trial comparing oral and intravaginal metronidazole for treatment of BV in early pregnancy (<20 weeks). Vaginal samples collected at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment were evaluated using gram stain, culture, colorimetric detection of sialidase, and immunoassay for measurement of proinflammatory cytokines interleukins-1beta, -6, -8 (IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8) and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI). We compared the effect of treatment between groups (using chi-square and t test) and within individuals (McNemar's test).

RESULTS
Of 126 subjects, 108 (86%) completed follow-up (55 oral, 53 intravaginal). Of the study population, 34% achieved therapeutic cure, and this was not different between treatment groups. BV-associated bacteria were significantly reduced in both groups, but few subjects regained colonization with protective lactobacilli. Among women who achieved therapeutic cure, the level of IL-1beta dropped significantly (p < 0.001) and SLPI increased (p = 0.003). More women in the vaginal treatment group had undetectable sialidase after treatment (p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with oral or intravaginal metronidazole in early pregnancy reduced colonization with BV-associated bacteria but was not effective in achieving therapeutic cure or in restoring healthy vaginal lactobacilli.


Glycosylation is one of the most widely observed, and structurally diverse, forms of post translational modification (PTM) of proteins. Animal, plant, fungal and bacterial cell systems all have the ability to glycosylate proteins and, whilst similarities do exist between these groups, there are also significant differences in terms of monosaccharides used and carbohydrate structures produced. Glycosylation is therefore an immensely diverse form of PTM, with different cell lines exhibiting significantly different patterns of protein glycosylation due largely, but not exclusively, to the expression of different repertoires of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases within the ER and Golgi apparatus of each cell. This variety of profiles gives cells the flexibility to produce glycoproteins with specific properties related to the function of that cell but from a limited number of monosaccharides. Glycans have been shown to have a range of specific biological roles: by targeting of a glycoprotein to specific receptors both intraand intercellularly, by controlling of residence time in the bloodstream, and by assisting in correct molecular folding1.


: Cardiac fibroblasts are the primary cell type responsible for deposition of extracellular matrix in the heart, providing support to the contracting myocardium and contributing to a myriad of physiological signaling processes. Despite the importance of fibrosis in processes of wound healing, excessive fibroblast proliferation and activation can lead to pathological remodeling, driving heart failure and the onset of arrhythmias. Our understanding of the mechanisms driving the cardiac fibroblast activation and proliferation is expanding, and evidence for their direct and indirect effects on cardiac myocyte function is accumulating. In this review, we focus on the importance of the fibroblast- to- myofibroblast transition and the cross talk of cardiac fibroblasts with cardiac myocytes. We also consider the current use of models used to explore these questions. against decapentaplegic (Smad) signaling. TGF- β binds its receptor, initiating phosphorylation (p) of Smad2/3. This complex then binds Smad4 and translocates to the nucleus to induce transcription of target genes involved in proliferation, collagen production, and activation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts (MyoFbs).


Abstract Longstanding scaphoid nonunion, scaphoid malunion, and chronic scapholunate dissociation result in malalignment of the carpal bones, progressive carpal collapse, instability, and osteoarthritis of the wrist. The most commonly used procedures to treat scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse (SNAC) and scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) wrists are the four-corner fusion (4CF) and the proximal row carpectomy (PRC). Here we describe a different treatment option: radial styloidectomy and scaphocapitolunate (SCL) arthrodesis. This treatment option is chosen in an effort to maintain the joint contact surface and load transmission across the radiocarpal joint. Twenty patients were treated by the senior author (DLF) with this method with a mean follow-up of 4.6 years. Pain decreased in all patients, and 13 patients were pain-free postoperatively. The average Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores decreased from 44 preoperatively to 23 postoperatively. One patient's course was complicated by nonunion, which was successfully treated with revision of the SCL arthrodesis. On follow-up radiographs, no patient had progressive osteoarthritis. This method preserves the normal ulnar-sided joints of the carpus, which are sacrificed during 4CF, and maintains a more physiologic joint surface for radiocarpal load sharing.