In conventional seismic processing, velocity analysis is performed by using the normal moveout (NMO) equation which is based on the assumption of flat, hori zontal reflectors. Imaging by migration (either before or after stack) is done normally in a subsequent step using these velocities. In this paper, velocity analysis and imaging are combined in one step, and migration itself is used as a velocity indicator. Because, unlike NMO, migration can be formulated for any velocity function, migration-based velocity analysis methods are capable of handling arbitrary structures, i.e., those with lateral velocity variations. In the proposed scheme, each shot gather (profile) is migrated with an initial depth-velocity model. Profile migration is implemented in the (x, co) domain, but the actual implementation of profile migration is not criti cal, as long as it is not done in a spatial-wavenumber domain, which would preclude handling of lateral veloc ity variations. After migration with an initial velocity model, the velocity error is estimated, and the initial velocity model is updated; the process is repeated until convergence is achieved. The velocity analysis is based on the principle that after prestack migration with the correct velocity model, an image in a common-receiver gather (CRG) is aligned horizontally regardless of struc ture. The deviation from horizontal alignment is there fore a measure of the error in velocity. If the migration velocity is lower than the velocity of the medium, events curve upward, whereas if the migration velocity is higher than the velocity of the medium, events curve downward.


A mathematical model has been developed to understand the electromagnetic phenomena, heat transfer and molten steel flow in a continuous casting tundish with channel-type induction heating. Maxwell equations are first solved using the finite element method to determine the electromagnetic force and joule heating. Then, the Navier-Stokes equations and energy conservation equation are also solved with the electromagnetic force and joule heating as a source term, respectively. The two-equation RNG k-e model is used to represent the turbulent mixing. Additionally, the tracer distribution is determined by solving a scale transport equation. The coupled flow field, temperature distribution and concentration distribution are solved by the finite volume method. A non-isothermal water model experiment is performed to observe significantly buoyancy driven flow in the tundish with induction heating. The results indicate that a current loop would be formed by the induced current through the two channels. The electromagnetic force points to the center of the channel generating a pinch effect on molten steel. As skin effect and proximity effect, the electromagnetic force as well as the joule heating in the region closer to the induction coil is greater than that in another region. Therefore, spiral recirculation would occur in the channels when molten steel flows through. After flows through the channels, the molten steel lifts upward under the effect of buoyancy. The heat loss of molten steel can be compensated effectively by the joule heating, and the temperature distribution become more uniform in the continuous casting tundish with induction heating.


Using a self-consistent mean-field theory for the S = 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet, Kruger and Schuck recently derived an analytic expression for the dispersion. It is exact in one dimension (d = 1) and agrees well with numerical results in d = 2. With an expansion in powers of the inverse coordination number 1/Z (Z = 2d) we investigate if this expression can be exact for all d. The projection method of Mori-Zwanzig is used for the dynamical spin susceptibility. We find that the expression of Kruger and Schuck deviates in order 1/Z2 from our rigorous result. Our method is generalized to arbitrary spin S and to models with easy-axis anisotropy Δ. It can be systematically improved to higher orders in 1/Z. We clarify its relation to the 1/S expansion.


The antibiotic radicicol suppresses transformation in a variety of transformed cells. The antineoplastic effects of the drug have been attributed to the degradation of Raf and the inactivation of the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascade. Here we demonstrate that radicicol induces cell spreading, suppresses anchorage-independent cell growth, and increases the expression of the high-molecular weight tropomyosin isoform TM-2 in cells stably expressing a constitutively active form of MEK-1 as well as in ras-transformed cells. Furthermore, the reverting effects of the drug are achieved at concentrations below those required to deplete Raf from the cell or to inhibit the phosphorylation of ERK or its substrates Elk and pp90(RSK). In contrast, low concentrations of radicicol significantly inhibited activator protein (AP-1) and serum response factor (SRF)-mediated transcription. The lack of correlation between the effects of radicicol on cell phenotype and on the signaling activities of the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway indicate that Raf depletion or disruption of proximal signaling events in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway are not the predominant mechanisms by which the drug suppresses the transformed phenotype. Our observation that low concentrations of radicicol block transcriptional activities mediated by AP-1 and SRF suggests that interference with signaling upstream of these transcription factors may contribute to the reverting effects of the drug.


Pretreatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduces ischemic damage after focal cerebral ischemia, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) were reported to ameliorate functional deficits after stroke in rats. Here we investigate the synergistically therapeutic effects of BDNF gene-modified MSCs on cerebral infarction. We transfected MSCs with the BDNF gene using a lentivirus-based system and investigated whether the BDNF-modified MSCs contributed to improved functional recovery in a rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. Compared to untreated rats, rats that received both MSCs and BDNF-MSCs showed significantly more functional recovery. The difference in modified neurological severity score(mNSS) was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Recovery was better in BDNF-MSCs than in MSCs (P < 0.001). At the second week and second month after the systemic delivery of blank vector-modified MSCs and BDNF-modified MSCs, the treated rats exhibited more significant recovery than the control, including the accumulation and living of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-positive cells in the infarct area and surrounding areas, neuron-like changes, expression of surface markers of neural cells, and a large amount of BDNF expression in the BDNF-MSCs-treated group. Our findings suggest that BDNF-gene-modified rMSCs can migrate to surrounding areas of the cerebral infarction lesion, differentiate into neural cells, and survive for extended periods. With the synergy of BDNF, they may promote the recovery of the neurological function following cerebral infarction and represent a new strategy for stem cell-based therapy.


Objective. To evaluate the risk of Down syndrome in fetuses with a heart echogenic focus using the Bayes theorem and likelihood ratios in an unselected population. Methods. We prospectively evaluated 12,672 second‐trimester sonographic features and extracted and examined a population with an echogenic focus for chromosomal anomalies. Results. There were 479 cases of echogenic focus; 90.4% were isolated, whereas 9.6% had associated findings. Eleven patients had fetuses with trisomy 21 (9 per 10,000). Eight of those did not have an echogenic focus, whereas 3 had a heart echogenic focus. Only 1 fetus with trisomy 21 had an isolated echogenic focus. The positive likelihood ratio for total cases of a heart echogenic focus and trisomy 21 was 7.25, whereas for an isolated echogenic focus, the positive likelihood ratio was 2.66. Conclusions. The results of the statistical analysis showed that the risk of aneuploidy is increased in fetuses with an echogenic intracardiac focus; however, the finding should prompt a detailed structural survey and correlation with a priori risk. Amniocentesis need not be offered to patients who are otherwise at low risk and have an isolated echogenic intracardiac focus.


SN1 DNA methylating agents such as the nitrosourea N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) elicit a G2/M checkpoint response via a mismatch repair (MMR) system-dependent mechanism; however, the exact nature of the mechanism governing MNNG-induced G2/M arrest and how MMR mechanistically participates in this process are unknown. Here, we show that MNNG exposure results in activation of the cell cycle checkpoint kinases ATM, Chk1, and Chk2, each of which has been implicated in the triggering of the G2/M checkpoint response. We document that MNNG induces a robust, dose-dependent G2 arrest in MMR and ATM-proficient cells, whereas this response is abrogated in MMR-deficient cells and attenuated in ATM-deficient cells treated with moderate doses of MNNG. Pharmacological and RNA interference approaches indicated that Chk1 and Chk2 are both required components for normal MNNG-induced G2 arrest. MNNG-induced nuclear exclusion of the cell cycle regulatory phosphatase Cdc25C occurred in an MMR-dependent manner and was compromised in cells lacking ATM. Finally, both Chk1 and Chk2 interact with the MMR protein MSH2, and this interaction is enhanced after MNNG exposure, supporting the notion that the MMR system functions as a molecular scaffold at the sites of DNA damage that facilitates activation of these kinases.


The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in South African universities and institutes of higher learning experiencing an unprecedented shift to online learning in 2020, coupled by limited access to campus, in order to prevent community transmission. However, the potential impact of the outbreak on the academic and psychosocial wellbeing of students warrants further exploration, as the rapid changes and the disruption to normal academic life, has left many students feeling socially isolated and struggling to cope with massive uncertainty. In addition, Health Sciences students may experience added anxiety due to their line of work, which places them at the forefront of the healthcare environment. This study explored the academic and psychosocial challenges experienced by students enrolled in a Health Sciences faculty in a University of Technology (UoT), as they transitioned through the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. A qualitative approach with an exploratory descriptive design was used to guide the study. A sample of students across all levels of study (first, second and third years as well as postgraduates) from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa were selected. Sample recruitment was done through non-probability sampling techniques which include purposive and convenience sampling. Data saturation was reached after interviewing 15 participants on Microsoft Teams. The interview schedule comprised key points on understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown affected students personally and academically. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and subjected to content and thematic analyses. Six broad themes emerged from the data, which captured the disruption students experienced within the context of their academic life, their personal fears and anxieties, struggles with online learning and connectivity issues. Students also expressed challenges whilst studying remotely at home. The findings suggested that there is an urgent need for universities to reflect on ensuring students' mental health wellbeing as well as ensuring academic success amidst a turbulent physical and psychological environment. © 2021 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved.


Phase-pure samples of sodium rare-earth phosphate tungstates Na(2)RE(PO(4))(WO(4)) (RE = Y, Dy-Lu) and Na(2)Y(PO(4))(WO(4)):Ln(3+) (Ln = Eu, Tb) were obtained by reaction of the respective rare-earth oxide with ammonium hydrogen phosphate with sodium tungstate Na(2)WO(4)·2H(2)O as a flux at 1220 K. According to X-ray single-crystal investigations Na(2)RE(PO(4))(WO(4)) (RE = Y, Tb-Lu) crystallise orthorhombically in space group Ibca (no. 73) (RE = Y, Z = 8, a = 1799.7(4), b = 1210.2(2), c = 683.82(14) pm, wR(2) = 0.040, R(1) = 0.037, 661 reflections, 62 parameters). The crystal structure contains non-condensed phosphate and tungstate tetrahedra with the (3 + 3)-coordinate sodium and eight-coordinate rare-earth ions in the voids. Relevant absorption and infrared spectra as well as the fluorescence spectra of Na(2)Y(PO(4))(WO(4)):Ln(3+) (Ln = Eu, Tb) are presented. An FP-LAPW band-structure calculation confirms the assignment of the main absorption as well as the optical band-gap (ε(calc) = 5.1 eV; ε(meas) = 5.2(1) eV) of Na(2)Y(PO(4))(WO(4)).


This article presents a bifurcation theory of smooth stochastic dynamical systems that are governed by everywhere positive transition densities. The local dependence structure of the unique strictly stationary evolution of such a system can be expressed by the ratio of joint and marginal probability densities; this 'dependence ratio' is a geometric invariant of the system. By introducing a weak equivalence notion of these dependence ratios, we arrive at a bifurcation theory for which in the compact case, the set of stable (nonbifurcating) systems is open and dense. The theory is illustrated with some simple examples.


This research examines how cognitive bias manifests in the design activities of graduate student design teams, with a particular focus on how to uncover evidence of these biases through survey-based data collection. After identifying bias in design teams, this work discusses those biases with consideration for the intent of error management, through the lens of adaptive rationality. Data was collected in one graduate level design course across nine design teams over the course of a semester-long project. Results are shown for five different types of bias: bandwagon, availability, status quo, ownership, and hindsight biases. The conclusions drawn are based on trends and statistical correlations from survey data, as well as course deliverables. This work serves as a starting point for highlighting the most common forms of bias in design teams, with the goal of developing ways in which to mitigate those biases in future work.


The fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is a selective RNA-binding protein that regulates translation and plays essential roles in synaptic function. FMRP is bound to specific mRNA ligands, actively transported into neuronal processes in a microtubule-dependent manner, and associated with polyribosomes engaged in translation elongation. However, the biochemical relationship between FMRP-microtubule association and FMRP-polyribosome association remains elusive. Here, we report that although the majority of FMRP is incorporated into elongating polyribosomes in the soluble cytoplasm, microtubule-associated FMRP is predominantly retained in translationally dormant, polyribosome-free messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes. Interestingly, FMRP-microtubule association is increased when mRNPs are dynamically released from polyribosomes as a result of inhibiting translation initiation. Furthermore, the I304N mutant FMRP that fails to be incorporated into polyribosomes is associated with microtubules in mRNP particles and transported into neuronal dendrites in a microtubule-dependent, 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine-stimulated manner with similar kinetics to that of wild-type FMRP. Hence, polyribosome-free FMRP-mRNP complexes travel on microtubules and wait for activity-dependent translational derepression at the site of function. The dual participation of FMRP in dormant mRNPs and polyribosomes suggests distinct roles of FMRP in dendritic transport and translational regulation, two distinct phases that control local protein production to accommodate synaptic plasticity.


Graph Convolutional Neural Networks (GCNs) are widely used to process large-scale graph data. Different from deep neural networks (DNNs), GCNs are sparse, irregular, and unstructured, posing unique challenges to hardware acceleration with regular processing elements (PEs). In particular, the adja-cency matrix of a GCN is extremely sparse, leading to frequent but irregular memory access, low spatial/temporal data locality and poor data reuse. Furthermore, a realistic graph usually consists of unstructured data (e.g., unbalanced distributions), creating significantly different processing times and imbalanced workload for each node in GCN acceleration. To overcome these challenges, we propose an end-to-end hardware-software co-design to accelerate GCNs on resource-constrained FPGAs with the features including: (1) A custom dataflow that leverages symmetry along the diagonal of the adjacency matrix to accelerate feature aggregation for undirected graphs. We utilize either the upper or the lower triangular matrix of the adjacency matrix to perform aggregation in GCN to improve data reuse. (2) Unified compute cores for both aggregation and transform phases, with full support to the symmetry-based dataflow. These cores can be dynamically reconfigured to the systolic mode for transformation or as individual accumulators for aggregation in GCN processing. (3) Preprocessing of the graph in software to rearrange the edges and features to match the custom dataflow. This step improves the regularity in memory access and data reuse in the aggregation phase. Moreover, we quantize the GCN precision from FP32 to INT8 to reduce the memory footprint without losing the inference accuracy. We implement our accelerator design in Intel Stratix10 MX FPGA board with HBM2, and demonstrate $1.3\times-110.5\times$ improvement in end-to-end GCN latency as compared to the state-of the-art FPGA implementations, on the graph datasets of Cora, Pubmed, Citeseer and Reddit.


In order to improve the mechanical roperties of the Gangjin celadon BaTiO 3 was added into the raw materials of celadon matrix. Through SEM and XRD analysis the structural changes were observed and the hardness values were measured. We could confirm that the mechanical strength considerably increased in the BaTiO 3 added celadon through the measurement of hardness values. The increase of mechanical strength values in the celadon may result from the compositional change in the microstructure such as grain boundary area through EDAX analysis. We might suggest a fundamental idea to improve the mechanical intensity of the celadon.


Since binding sites for morphine, nicotine and strychnine exist in the brain, it is possible that they may have some role in neuronal function. The presence/variation in the levels of these alkaloids in the brain of rats fed tryptophan and tyrosine, and in the serum of patients with some neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders were studied. Brain of rats loaded with tyrosine (500 mg/kg b wt X 14 days) showed increased amounts of morphine, while that from animals loaded with tryptophan (in the same dose) showed presence of strychnine and increased amounts of nicotine. Strychnine is being reported in mammalian brain for the first time. Serum of patients with epilepsy, Parkinson's disease (PD) and manic depressive psychosis (MDP) was also examined for the presence of these alkaloids. Serum of control subjects did not show the presence of any of these alkaloids, while that of all 3 patients groups contained strychnine. Morphine was present only in the serum of patients of MDP. Nicotine was present in trace amounts in the serum of all these patients. Presence of these alkaloids in the serum of patients of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders is being reported for the first time, to the best of our knowledge.


Gigapixel-class cameras present new challenges in calibration, mechanical testing, and optical performance evaluation. The AWARE-2 gigapixel camera has nearly one-hundred micro-cameras covering a 120 degree wide by 40 degree tall field of view, with one pixel spanning an 8 arcsec field angle. Viewing the imagery requires stitching the sub-images together by applying an accurate mapping of registration parameters over the entire field of view. For this purpose, a testbed has been developed to automatically calibrate and test each micro-camera in the array. Using translation stages, rotation stages, and a spatial light modulator for object space, this testbed can project any test scene into a specified micro-camera, building up image quality metrics and a registration look-up table over the entire array.


Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a life-threatening infection in patients with HIV disease. A rapid, quantitative diagnostic technique is needed to adi in the diagnosis of CMV disease. This study was undertaken to evaluate the CMV antigenemia test in patients with HIV disease who are at risk for CMV disease. The study included 22 patients who underwent ophthalmologic exams or selected diagnostic techniques in whom CMV cultures and CMV antigenemia tests were performed. All of 11 patients with CMV disease had positive CMV antigenemia assays [range, 48-1,000 positive cells/2 x 10(5) peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL)], and 10 were also CMV viremic. There was no clinical evidence of CMV disease in 11 patients, including seven in whom the CMV antigenemia assay was negative and who remained without evidence of CMV disease after a median follow-up of 159 days. Four patients had low antigenemia levels. Of these four, two subsequently developed CMV retinitis. In conclusion, a positive CMV antigenemia result with > or = 48 positive cells/2 x 10(5) PBL correlated with concurrent CMV disease. The CMV antigenemia test appears to be a valuable tool for the rapid diagnosis of CMV disease in HIV-infected individuals.


The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene, a potential tumor‐suppressor gene, is frequently inactivated in multiple human cancers. However, the FHIT gene remains largely unexplored in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL). Hence, we assessed whether loss of FHIT expression occurs in BL, and, if so, what is the mechanism of such loss. Lack of protein expression was observed in 50% of BL cell lines. Methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) showed that 45% of BL cell lines carried aberrantly methylated FHIT alleles. Sequencing of bisulfite‐treated DNA confirmed these data and indicated a very high density of methylation in all methylated alleles. Real‐time, quantitative reverse‐transcription PCR analysis indicated that attenuation of full‐length FHIT transcription was correlated with methylation. Sequencing of transcripts illustrated that aberrant transcription resulting in loss of FHIT exons occurred more commonly in BL containing unmethylated FHIT genes. However, such transcripts often coexisted with full‐length FHIT transcripts. Not surprisingly, therefore, loss of FHIT protein in BL correlated with CpG island methylation, rather than with aberrant transcription. FHIT methylation also was detected in 31% (16 of 51) of the primary BLs examined, including 2 samples whose derived cell lines also manifested FHIT hypermethylation. Aberrant methylation can thus occur in vivo. In summary, this report provides evidence that epigenetic modification frequently results in loss of FHIT expression in BL. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Excerpt] The nature of faculty employment practices at American colleges and universities is changing rapidly. So too is the gender, racial and ethnic composition of American faculty members. These changes, along with the growing importance and costs of scientific research, the increased commercialization of faculty research, the elimination of mandatory retirement for tenured faculty members and the growing costs of retiree health insurance, the growing salary differentials across universities and academic fields within an university, and the growth of collective bargaining for tenured and tenure-track faculty and graduate assistants at public universities and now adjuncts at private universities, have put enormous stresses on our nation's academic institutions and their leaders. The discussion that follows explains why.


BACKGROUND: Most lakes have increased concerns about water pollution due to the inflow of non-point sources caused by human activities. Therefore, the lake water quality survey was conducted in order to propose effective plans for water quality management by analyzing the characteristics of lakes and the change of water quality. METHODS AND RESULTS: In order to investigate the physicochemical water quality in Daedong lake, water quality analysis was undertaken from July 2018 to June 2019. Water temperature was ranged from 7.8 to 34.3°C and pH varied from 6.9 to 10.2. The concentration of DO, SS, BOD, and COD were 5.6 ~ 17.2 mg/L, 2.4 ~ 35.3 mg/L, and 4.5 ~ 15.1 mg/L, and 0.9 ~ 2.8 mg/L, respectively. The T-N concentration ranged from 0.974 ~ 2.126 mg/L, and T-P concentration ranged from 0.014 ~ 0.057 mg/L. The Chl-a ranged from 2.7 ~ 37.9 mg/m3. Through Carlson TSIm assessment using T-P and Chl-a results, evaluating trophic state, Daedong lake was evaluated as mesotrophic. CONCLUSION: Water pollution management plan needs such as nutrient removal technology and nonpoint source management for prevention of eutrophication in Daedong lake.


Photonic crystal fiber interferometers are widely used for sensing applications. In this work, solid core-Photonic crystal fiber based on Mach-Zehnder modal interferometer for sensing refractive index was presented. The general structure of sensor applied by splicing short lengths of PCF in both sides with conventional single mode fiber (SMF-28). To apply modal interferometer theory; collapsing technique based on fusion splicing used to excite higher order modes (LP01 and LP11). Laser diode (1550 nm) has been used as a pump light source. Where a high sensitive optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) was used to monitor and record the transmitted. The experimental work shows that the interference spectrum of Photonic crystal fiber interferometer exhibits good sensitivity to refractive index variations. The response of the PCFI is observed for a range of refractive index values from (1.33 to 1.38), the position of the interference peaks is found to be shifted to longer wavelength with refractive index increasing. A different length of PCFs (2, 3, 4) cm were used, and the maximum refractive index sensitivity of (7.5 pm / RIU) is achieved with a PCF length of 4 cm. This refractive index sensor has distinguished properties as that it small size, high sensitivity, fast response time, design flexibility, and immunity to electromagnetic interference.


Abstract The mineral eskolaite (Cr2O3) has been discovered in association with natural diamond from the Udachnaya pipe in Yakutia, where it is intergrown with an octahedral diamond, mostly as an inclusion in the diamond, but also exposed at its surface. A detailed study was performed on fragments extracted from the outer surface of the diamond, using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM), analytical electron microscopy (AEM), including line-scan and elemental-mapping, EMP, and SIMS. These applied techniques confirmed the nature of the eskolaite with 86.8 wt% Cr2O3 and notable impurities of TiO2 (3.99 wt%), Al2O3 (2.00 wt%), Fe2O3 (5.83 wt%), and MgO (1.11 wt%). Trace elements, including V (4900 ppm), Mn (129 ppm), Zr (56 ppm), and Nb (32 ppm) were also detected. The entire range of REE is just at or below the limits of detection. A small picrochromite inclusion (XMg 81.2; YCr 94.7) was detected in the eskolaite; its chemistry is typical of chromite diamond inclusions. It also contains minute inclusions of perovskite, corundum, and an unidentified Ti-phase. Nano-sized cavities in picrochromite were determined to consist of carbonate and quench products, including Si, Mg, Ca, P, K, and Cl. This may represent relics of the diamond-forming metasomatic fluids. The eskolaite, containing a picrochromite inclusion, was formed at high pressure within the diamond stability field from C-O-H-bearing fluids containing Ca, K, Cl, P, and possibly even peridotitic (U-type) oxides and silicates.


Since the composition and concentration of aeroengine exhaust can reflect the combustion efficiency, they can provide the basis for condition based maintenance, and also the basis for the analysis of environment pollution caused by aeroengine exhaust. So the importance of aeroengine exhaust detection is evident. Up to now, the measurement of aeroengine exhaust is based on sampling analysis which is not convenient and can't meet the detection requirements when an aeroplane is flying-off or flying in the sky. Hence, new methods of exhaust detection must be studied. The passive measurement technology based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was applied to the measurement of aeroengine exhaust in the present paper. At first, the principle of passive measurement based on FTIR was introduced in detail. On this basis, a model algorithm for gas concentration calculation was deduced based on the principle of infrared transmission. Then the feasibility of aeroengine exhaust measurement based on passive FTIR was analyzed, and the passive measurement method of aeroengine exhaust based on FTIR was given. In the end, an experiment of aeroengine exhaust passive measurement was carried out by a FTIR with the type of Tensor 27 produced by BRUKER. Good quality spectra of the exhaust and the background were measured. Based on the model algo rithm of passive measurement, the absorbance spectra of CO and NO were obtained respectively, and the concentrations of CO and NO were figured out. To check up the veracity of this method, a comparison was made with another apparatus. There were only little differences between the results of the two experiments, showing that the passive measurement technology based on FTIR could meet the requirements of aeroengine exhaust detection.


Previously published as a special issue of Policy Studies, this volume demonstrates the vitality of the field of urban politics and presents future challenges for urban political research in the years ahead.

If it does not already, the population of cities will very soon make up more than half the global population. As the global urban population continues to expand, the challenges facing urban politics grow with it. How do we understand the relationship between politics and urban policy? What are the political challenges facing citizens and politicians in a radically unequal developing country like South Africa? How are patterns of urban governance institutionalised? How might we understand the changing relationship between hierarchies, markets and networks? And is it possible to develop a genuinely comparative urban politics in countries as different as Canada, South Africa and Bangladesh?

Drawing together the work of new and established scholars from the UK, Canada, the US and South Africa in an impressive and wide ranging collection of articles, this book demonstrates the contribution of urban scholarship to answering these questions.


This study examines the characteristics of convective momentum transport (CMT) and gravity wave momentum transport (GWMT) in two-dimensional cloud-system-resolving model simulations, including the relationships between the two transports. A linear group velocity criterion is shown to objectively separate CMT and GWMT. The GWMT contribution is mostly consistent with upward-propagating gravity waves and is present in the troposphere and the stratosphere. The CMT contribution forms a large part of the residual (nonupward-propagating contribution) and dominates the fluxes in the troposphere. Additional analysis of the vertical sensible heat flux supports the physical interpretation of the two contributions, further isolating the effects of unstable convection from vertically propagating gravity waves. The role of transient and nonconservative (friction and diabatic heating) processes in generating momentum flux and their dependence on changes in convective organization was assessed using a pseudomomentum budget analysis. Nonconservative effects were found to dominate the transports; the GWMT contribution involved a diabatic source region in the troposphere and a dissipative sink region in the stratosphere. The CMT contribution was consistent with transport between the boundary layer and free troposphere via tilted convection. Transient buoyancy‐vorticity correlations highlighted wave sources in the region of convective outflow and the boundary layer. These sources were akin to the previously described ''mechanical oscillator'' mechanism. Fluxes associated with this upper-level source were most sensitive to convective organization, highlighting the mechanism by which changes in organization are communicated to GWMT. The results elucidate important interactions between CMT and GWMT, adding further weight to suggestions that the two transports should be linked in parameterizations.


This integrative literature review aimed to analyze the findings of studies that focused on the therapeutic properties of propolis for treatment of skin lesions. Studies were obtained through literature searches using LILACS, MEDLINE, and BDENF databases. The search was limited to publications in Portuguese, English, or Spanish languages from 1980 to 2007. Initially, 1127 publications were identified. However, only 38 publications met the study inclusion criteria. Seven publications (18.42%) were clinical studies and remainder of the 31 publications (81.58%) used "in vitro" or with animal experiments. These publications were focused on the therapeutic properties of propolis in wound healing and on the antimicrobial properties of propolis. Findings suggested the effectiveness of propolis for treating skin lesions, acting as a natural healing and antimicrobial agent whose therapeutic properties depends on the form and place of extraction and concentration of the product.


The relative constancy of the circadian period over a wide range of temperatures is a general property of circadian rhythms. Insights into the molecular mechanisms of temperature compensation are emerging from genetic and molecular genetic studies of the period (per) and timeless (tim) genes in Drosophila. These genes encode proteins that are thought to be part of a negative feedback cycle, which results in circadian oscillations of both per and tim mRNA, as well as a complex of the two proteins. Complex formation is temporally regulated and apparently necessary for nuclear localization of both per and tim proteins. While insights into the roles of per and tim in temperature compensation have been intriguing, they have also been somewhat perplexing. For instance, the interaction of wild-type per peptides is relatively insensitive to temperature in the yeast two-hybrid assay or in assays employing in-vitro-translated peptides, while the interaction of perL mutant peptides is reduced at a high temperature. Apparently, the perL mutation increases an intramolecular interaction between different parts of the per peptide in these assays, and this interaction reduces the amount of per homodimer. On the other hand, the same assays show that the intermolecular interaction between the per and tim peptides is reduced at a high temperature by the perL mutation; this reduction does not require the competing intramolecular interaction. Despite this difference, in all of the experiments employing these assays the perL mutation has rendered per-per and per-tim peptide interactions sensitive to high temperature, so it is likely that one or both of these reduced interactions contribute to the longer circadian periods at high temperature in perL mutant flies. However, the timSL and perS mutations, as well as deletion of the Thr-Gly repeats from per, affect temperature compensation but have not been shown to affect these molecular interactions of per and tim. Finally, a recent report of oscillating per and tim proteins in the cytoplasm (rather than the nuclei) of silk moth neurons may suggest an alternative mechanism for per and tim function in these cells.


GCM-based forecast simulations predict continuously increasing seasonality of the sea ice cover and an almost ice-free, summer-time, Arctic Ocean within several decades from the present. In this study we use a primitive equation ocean model: NEMO, coupled with the sea ice model LIM2, to test the hypothesis that under such an increased range in seasonal ice cover the intensity of shelf-basin water exchange will significantly increase. We use the simulated results for the Laptev Sea from a global model run 1958–2007 and compare results for two years with anomalously high and low summer sea ice extents: 1986–1987 and 2006–2007. The shelf–basin fluxes of volume, heat and salt during specific seasons are evaluated and attributed to plausible driving processes, with particular attention to dense water cascading. Analyses of the model temperature distribution at the depth of the intermediate maximum, associated with Atlantic Water, have shown a marked increase of the amount of the local origin cold water in late winter 2007 in the region, where dense water typically appears as a result of its formation on the shelf and subsequent downslope leakage. Calculation of the shelf-basin exchange during March-May in both years confirmed a substantial increase (a factor of two) of fluxes in "ice-free" 2007 compared to the "icy" 1987. According to several past model studies, dense water production on Arctic shelves in winter driven by ice freezing and brine rejection is not likely to cease in a warmer climate, but rather to increase. There is also observational evidence that cascading in the seasonally ice covered seas (e.g. the Barents Sea) is much more efficient than it is in the permanently ice covered Arctic Ocean, which supports these model results.


INTRODUCTION
Management of patients in the acute care setting requires accurate diagnosis and rapid initiation of validated treatments; therefore, this setting is likely to be an environment in which cognitive augmentation of the clinician's provision of care with technology rooted in artificial intelligence, such as machine learning (ML), is likely to eventuate.

SOURCES OF DATA
PubMed and Google Scholar with search terms that included ML, intensive/critical care unit, electronic health records (EHR), anesthesia information management systems and clinical decision support were the primary sources for this report.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT
Different categories of learning of large clinical datasets, often contained in EHRs, are used for training in ML. Supervised learning uses algorithm-based models, including support vector machines, to pair patients' attributes with an expected outcome. Unsupervised learning uses clustering algorithms to define to which disease grouping a patient's attributes most closely approximates. Reinforcement learning algorithms use ongoing environmental feedback to deterministically pursue likely patient outcome.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY
Application of ML can result in undesirable outcomes over concerns related to fairness, transparency, privacy and accountability. Whether these ML technologies irrevocably change the healthcare workforce remains unresolved.

GROWING POINTS
Well-resourced Learning Health Systems are likely to exploit ML technology to gain the fullest benefits for their patients. How these clinical advantages can be extended to patients in health systems that are neither well-endowed, nor have the necessary data gathering technologies, needs to be urgently addressed to avoid further disparities in healthcare.


Sinus headache is a common diagnosis when patients have facial pain and pressure accompanying their headache. However, acute sinus headache is in fact rare, and the headache must accompany acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS), a diagnosis which is based both on clinical and radiological evidence. In fact, sinus headache is a misnomer. The only headache related to sinus disease, as recognised by the International Headache Society (IHS), is headache attributed to rhinosinusitis (HARS; section 11.5 of IHS criteria). Many patients who are diagnosed with sinus headache and treated with antibiotics have a primary headache, usually migraine. This is an important distinction and the treatment is very different. This review covers the most recent definitions, epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostics and treatment of ABRS and the resulting headache as defined by the IHS.


In clinical practice, chronic Achilles tendon ruptures are uncommon. Usually, these lesions are discovered four to six weeks after injuries. More frequently, Achilles tendon ruptures are acute and treated with tendon sutures.1 Many surgical techniques are available to treat chronic lesions such as sutures or V-Y elongation with or without augments.2-3 Our case is about a chronic Achilles tendon rupture discovered two years after injury. Our patient came to our attention with a 6 cm tendon gap. We performed tendon repair with cadaver allograft. After four years of follow-up, our patient has a complete functional recovery and he can normally perform daily and working tasks without pain.


The point of departure of the present article is the child's right to preservation of her/his ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic background in adoption, as stipulated in the CRC and the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. The article seeks to analyse the various meanings attributed to preservation of the child's background in in- and intercountry adoption and in different national contexts. The main focus is on the seldom-studied perspective of one of the major sending countries in intercountry adoption: India. Five representatives of two non-governmental adoption agencies and one governmental agency in addition to six Indian adoptive parents have been interviewed about their views on the significance of the child's background in adoption. In our analysis, we show that preservation of a child's background is perceived to be in conflict with other interests of the child, such as gaining a position in her/his adoptive family equal to that of a biological child and being loved unconditionally. In contrast to the general portrayal of Indian adoption applicants as being selective regarding the child's religious background and skin colour, agency representatives as well as adoptive parents endeavoured to distinguish themselves from this portrayal by emphasizing the irrelevance of the child's background.


[Study Objectives] This thesis aims to contribute interdisciplinary findings, which benefit from both economic and nutritional approaches, that explain the Russian dietary quality with respect to nutrient deficiencies, but also the increasing prevalence of nutrition-related chronic diseases. Thereby, the main objective of this study is an empirical analysis of Russian dietary quality, as well as its socio-economic, sociodemographic, and lifestyle-influencing factors. Based on this main objective, the following specific sub-objectives are derived that aim to answer the aforementioned relevant research questions of this thesis. After clarifying the macroeconomic conditions of food demand, the first sub-objective of this thesis is the empirical analysis of trends in Russian food consumption patterns during economic transition. Thereby, it is necessary to consider specific features of Russian food consumption before and after the collapse of the Soviet system such as cultural aspects, food availability, household food consumption budgets, and nutritional education. The second sub-objective of this study is the development of a composite index to measure dietary quality, which must be explicitly suitable for the analysis of Russian dietary quality. Such a composite index regarding the measurement of dietary quality needs to take into account both the evidenced specifics of Russian dietary patterns, as well as the data restrictions of the employed data set. The respective empirical analysis of this study is supposed to establish if and to what extent dietary quality has changed during the Russian transformation process. The third sub-objective of this thesis is to analyze the Russian demand for dietary quality using a comprehensive theoretical framework; GROSSMAN's dynamic health investment model provides such an economic framework. However, in order to employ this model for the analysis of dietary quality, this thesis aims at the following two model modifications: first, a change of the specification of the model's inherent health investment production function in order to receive more realistic model implications, and second, the model's adaption to the analysis of the demand for dietary quality. Based on such a modified health investment model, demand functions shall be derived that describe the optimum demand for dietary quality depending on relevant socio-demographic, socio-economic, and lifestyle factors. Afterwards, these theoretically implied relationships between the demand for dietary quality and its influencing factors shall be empirically employed to explain the demand for dietary quality in Russia. The theoretical and empirical findings of the Russian analysis of dietary quality lead to the fourth sub-objective, which is to provide important suggestions regarding nutrition policy. Identified problematic profiles in the Russian diet, as well as their influencing factors, shall be the basis for designing appropriate educational or market-specific intervention programs, which must be aimed at achieving a healthier Russian diet. Owing to the increased prevalence of nutrition-related diseases and the associated healthcare costs within the Russian population, such official intervention strategies are of tremendous socio-political interest.


A state-space model is developed to enable a general analysis of the class E amplifier with a power-MOSFET switch under nonoptimal and optimal conditions. That is, it permits analysis of nonzero voltage switching and nonzero current switching operation, as well as the optimal zero voltage switching (ZVS) and zero current switching (ZCS) condition. This is achieved by improving the representation of the power MOSFET switch by the inclusion of a series inductance, a model for the on-state resistance and switching time, and a model for the anti-parallel body diode. An optimal 100-kHz class E amplifier was designed and constructed, using the model to choose component values. Experimental results show good agreement with the predictions of the state-space model for both optimal and nonoptimal operating conditions.


ESS models of reproductive allocation have been used extensively to explain patterns of floral diversity in angiosperms. These theoretical explorations assume that proportional allocation to pollen, ovules, and seeds, as well as to secondary features such as showy petals and nectar rewards, can evolve independently within the limits set by total resource availability. In populations of California wild radish, we have shown previously that petal size, a strong determinant of visitation by honey bee pollinators, is positively correlated with both pollen and nectar production, but not with ovule or seed number per flower. These phenotypic associations may reflect selection, environmental correlation, and/or genetic constraint. By exerting selection on the petal size : pollen number ratio over two generations, we eliminated the positive correlation between petal size and pollen production, with both characters showing significant change after a single selection episode. Once these two floral traits became uncoupled, nectar sugar production was significantly correlated only with petal size. Our results suggest that natural selection could readily alter reproductive allocation in these flowers, and that the phenotypic correlations observed in nature may be maintained by selection for effective reproductive phenotypes.


Pulmonary surfactant's complex mixture of phospholipids and proteins reduces the work of breathing by lowering alveolar surface tension during respiration. One mechanism of surfactant damage appears to be the hydrolysis of phospholipid by phospholipases activated in the inflamed lung. Humans have several candidate secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)) enzymes in lung cells and infiltrating leukocytes that could damage extracellular surfactant. We considered two mechanisms of surfactant disruption by five human sPLA(2)s, including generation of lysophospholipids and the depletion of specific phospholipids. All five sPLA(2)s studied ultimately caused surfactant dysfunction. Each enzyme exhibited a different pattern of hydrolysis of surfactant phospholipids. Phosphatidylcholine, the major phospholipid in surfactant and the greatest potential source for generation of lysophospholipids, was susceptible to hydrolysis by group IB, group V, and group X sPLA(2)s, but not group IIA or IID. Group IIA hydrolyzed both phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, whereas group IID was active against only phosphatidylglycerol. Thus, with groups IB and X, the generation of lysophospholipids corresponded with surfactant dysfunction. However, hydrolysis of and depletion of phosphatidylglycerol had a greater correlation with surfactant dysfunction for groups IIA and IID. Surfactant dysfunction caused by group V sPLA(2) is less clear and may be the combined result of both mechanisms.


The aim of this research is to know about the potential of meniran plant (Phyllanthus Fraternus) as a supplement in albino mice feed and to monitor the growth rate. Thirty male albino mice aged 8 weeks were feed with different
concentration of meniran and are grouped into five treatments and six replications. P0 had no meniran powder; P1, P2, P3 and P4 were treated with 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%
and 2% meniran powder respectively for 29 days. The weight of the mice was measured every week and the blood sample was collected to test for SGPT and SGOT. Data was analysed with Analysis of Variance (Anova). The result showed that meniran has no effect on the weight gain of albino mice. It also proves that meniran is not significantly different for the SGPT and SGOT and the test result was in normal range value


This paper analyzed the characteristics of the permanent magnet (PM)-type claw pole stepping motor by using 3D finite element method (FEM). In the case of analyzing this type of motor, 3D FEM is necessary for an accurate analysis due to the magnetizing component of the z-axis direction. As a main design variable, the magnetizing pattern and PM area were selected. The variation of the detent torque and the holding depending on the shape of the pole is also shown. Finally, the results are verified as to compare with the experimental results


SUMMARY In this study, we evaluated the effect of the grouping of 1-d-old chicks according to initial BW on the subsequent homogeneity and distribution of the weight of the broilers at harvest. Two treatments (placement methods) were tested: in one treatment (random), the chicks' placement was at random and not grouped by initial weight; in the other treatment (homogeneous groups), the chicks were grouped according to their initial weight. The broilers were individually weighed upon placement and again at 21 and 42 d of age. The lowest dispersion of the weight at placement was observed for the homogeneous groups, but the dispersion did not differ between the treatments at the subsequent weighings. Despite the difference in placement, the distributions of the weight data for the 2 groups did not differ between 21 or 42 d of age. Based on these results, the grouping of chicks by weight does not produce more uniform broilers at the end of the production period.


interpretation Abstract interpretation is a framework for relating different semantic interpretations of a program. Its most prominent use is in the correctness proofs of static program analyses, when these are defined as a non-standard semantic interpretation of a language in a domain of abstract program properties Fixpoint iteration The result of a static analysis is often given implicitly as the solution of a system of equations {x = fi(x)}ni=1 where the fi are monotone functions over a partial order. The KnasterTarski Fixpoint Theorem suggests an iterative algorithm for computing a solution as the limit of the ascending chain f(⊥) where ⊥ is the least element of the partial order. 3.1.1. Static program analysis [39], [49] cover a variety of methods for obtaining information about the run-time behaviour of a program without actually running it. It is this latter restriction that distinguishes static analysis from its dynamic counterparts (such as debugging or profiling) which are concerned with monitoring the execution of the program. It is common to impose a further requirement viz., that an analysis is decidable, in order to use it in program-processing tools such as compilers without jeopardizing their termination behaviour. Static analysis has so far found most of its applications in the area of program optimisation where information about the run-time behaviour can be used to transform a program so that it performs a calculation faster and/or makes better use of the available memory resources. Examples of static analysis include: • Data-flow analysis as it is used in optimising compilers for imperative languages. The properties can either be approximations of the values of an expression ("the value of variable x is greater than 0") or invariants of the computation trace done by a program. This is for example the case in "reaching definitions" analysis that aims at determining what definitions (in the shape of assignment statements) are always valid at a given program point. Project-Team Lande 3 • Alias analysis is another data flow analysis that finds out which variables in a program addresses the same memory location. This information is significant e.g., when trying to recover unused memory statically ("compile-time garbage collection"). • Strictness analysis for lazy functional languages is aimed at detecting when the lazy call-by-need parameter passing strategy can be replaced with the more efficient call-by value strategy. This transformation is safe if the function is strict, that is, if calling the function with a diverging argument always leads to a diverging computation. This is e.g., the case when the function is guaranteed to use this parameter; strictness analysis serve to discover when this is the case. • Dependency analysis determines those parts of a program whose execution can influence the value of a particular expression in a program. This information is used in program slicing, a technique that permits to extract the part of a program that can be at the origin of an error, and to ignore the rest. Dependency information can also be used for determining when two instructions are independent, and hence can be executed in any order, or in parallel. Finally, dependency analysis plays an important role in software security where it forms the core of most information flow analyses. • Control flow analysis will find a safe approximation to the order in which the instructions of a program are executed. This is particularly relevant in languages where parameters or functions can be passed as arguments to other functions, making it impossible to determine the flow of control from the program syntax alone. The same phenomenon occurs in object-oriented languages where it is the class of an object (rather than the static type of the variable containing the object) that determines which method a given method invocation will call. Control flow analysis is an example of an analysis whose information in itself does not lead to dramatic optimisations (although it might enable in-lining of code) but is necessary for subsequent analyses to give precise results. 3.1.2. The structure of a static analysis A static analysis can often be viewed as being split into two phases. The first phase performs an abstract interpretation of the program producing a system of equations or constraints whose solution represents the information of the program found by the analysis. The second phase consists in finding such a solution. The first phase involves a formal definition of the abstract domain i.e., the set of properties that the analysis can detect, a technique for extracting a set of equations describing the solution from a program, and a proof of semantic correctness showing that a solution to the system is indeed valid information about the program's behaviour. The second phase can apply a variety of techniques from symbolic calculations and iterative algorithms to find the solution. An important point to observe is that the resolution phase is decoupled from the analysis and that the same resolution technique can be combined with different abstract interpretations. 3.1.3. Certified static analysis In spite of the nice mathematical theory of program analysis (notably abstract interpretation) and the solid algorithmic techniques available one problematic issue persists, viz., the gap between the analysis that is proved correct on paper and the analyser that actually runs on the machine. While this gap might be small for toy languages, it becomes important when it comes to real-life languages for which the implementation and maintenance of program analysis tools become a software engineering task. A certified static analysis is an analysis whose implementation has been formally proved correct using a proof assistant. Such analysis can be developed in a proof assistant like Coq [30] by programming the analyser inside the assistant and formally proving its correctness. The Coq extraction mechanism then allows for extracting a Caml implementation of the analyser. The feasibility of this approach has been demonstrated in [6]. 3.2. Program testing


This paper deals with the Pennsylvanian and Permian rocks exposed in the northern half of New Mexico. The Pennsylvanian consists of marine arkoses, shales, and limestones with interbedded continental clastics, including some coal. The Permian consists mainly of redbeds, arkoses, evaporites, and thick, light-colored, cross-bedded sandstones with local marine clastics and limestones in the lower part. A profound unconformity separates these rocks from the underlying granites and metamorphics of supposed pre-Cambrian age. Lithologic variations reflect the pre-Pennsylvanian physiography and the changing distribution of land and sea during the periods of deposition. All of the main units, except a basal limestone, contain fossil plants, fusulinids, and metazoans that provide e idence for detailed correlations. The earliest sedimentary formation in the areas of outcrop is a local massive limestone whose age is uncertain because it is barren of fossils excepting very rare, small crinoid columnals. It seems to be nearly conformable with the early Pennsylvanian rocks and is tentatively included as a formation with them, though it may be Mississippian or even earlier in age. Above this are rocks of Morrow, Des Moines, and upper Pennsylvanian age, though a complete succession is not present everywhere. The Morrow and lower Des Moines rocks commonly consist mainly of clastics and include some coal. The remainder of the Des Moines is dominantly calcareous and contains many horizons of Wedekindellina and Fusulina. The upper Pennsylvanian is represented by both marine a d continental rocks and locally contains abundant Triticites. The Wolfcamp equivalent is composed of marine and continental rocks, the latter continuing upward into possible Leonard equivalents. Above these are light-colored, tangentially cross-bedded sandstones, thin limestones, and evaporate-bearing redbeds of possible Leonard and Whitehorse age. Upper Triassic sandstones commonly overlie the last named. Work in eastern Arizona has indicated a need for revision of the Arizona-New Mexico Permian correlations. The top of the Permian in the Colorado Plateau, the Kaibab limestone, is apparently the equivalent of the San Andres formation. Careful tracing eastward from the DeChelly upward indicates a continuation of the DeChelly sandstone or an upper tongue of the Coconino sandstone into the Glorieta sandstone and the Yeso formation of New Mexico. The Abo sandstone of some parts of New Mexico may be correlated with the lower Coconino as well as with the Hermit shale and Supai formation. End_of_Article - Last_Page 910------------


We analyze the role of boundary geometry in viscous electronic hydrodynamics. We address the twin questions of how boundary geometry impacts flow profiles, and how one can engineer boundary conditions -- in particular the effective slip parameter -- to manipulate the flow in a controlled way. We first propose a micropatterned geometry involving finned barriers, for which we show by an explicit solution that one can obtain effectively no-slip boundary conditions regardless of the detailed microscopic nature of the channel surface. Next we analyse the role of mesoscopic boundary curvature on the effective slip length, in particular its impact on the Gurzhi effect. Finally we investigate a hydrodynamic flow through a circular junction, providing a solution, which suggests an experimental set-up for determining the slip parameter. We find that its transport properties differ qualitatively from the case of ballistic conduction, and thus presents a promising setting for distinguishing the two.


PURPOSE
To investigate the prevalence of prostate carcinoma in a sample of volunteers known to have a large proportion of Bantu African ancestors, and the performance of total PSA (tPSA), PSA density (PSAD) and free-to-total PSA ratio (f/tPSA) on the diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 473 volunteers (range: 40 - 79 years) were screened for prostate carcinoma. Those with tPSA >2 ng/ml and/or abnormal digital rectal examination were submitted to a transrectal ultrasound-directed biopsy (10 cores). The volunteers were classified as White, Mulatto or Black according to physical characteristics and to ancestors race reference. The following variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) were analyzed in the blood of 120 volunteers without cancer and in 27 patients with prostate cancer: D4S43, PAH, F13A1, APOB and vW-1.

RESULTS
The biopsies performed in 121 volunteers revealed cancer in 27 (5.7% of 473). The proportions of cancer in White, Mulatto and Black were respectively: 0.6% (1/148), 6.7% (6/90) and 8.5% (20/235) (p = 0.006). The VNTRs analysis revealed heterogeneity in White, Mulatto and Black anthropologic phenotypes with the following admixture of Caucasian, African and Amerindian gene lineages: 67.5 +/- 8%, 20.8 +/- 8%, 11.7 +/- 7%; 54.8 +/- 9%, 36.3 +/- 5%, 8.9 +/- 7%; and, 45.3 +/- 3%, 45.9 +/- 4%, 8.8 +/-7%. Such a mixture was 50.5 +/- 9%, 49 +/- 8% and 0.5 +/- 4% in volunteers bearing cancer, and 59.1 +/- 7%, 31.7 +/- 8% and 9.2 +/- 5% in those without cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of tPSA at cut-off levels of 2, 2.5 and 4 ng/ml for volunteers with tPSA </= 10 ng/ml were respectively: 100% and 6,6%, 100% and 36,6%, 69,2% and 62,2%. PSAD at a cut-off level of 0.08 or 0.10, and f/tPSA at a cut-off level of 20% were able to increase significantly tPSA specificity without loss on sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS
The tumor prevalence was higher in Non-White than in White phenotype. The association of tPSA at a cut-off level of 2.5 ng/ml with a PSAD of 0.08 or a f/tPSA of 20% for biopsy indication deserves further investigations as an alternative to tPSA cut-off level of 4 ng/ml.


This paper explores the implications of embodied ways of knowing for research, teaching, and activism. The concept of embodied knowledges/pedagogies draws attention to bodies as agents of knowledge production. I first outline a theoretical framework that connects embodied knowledges to lived experiences, performance, and bodily intelligence. This theoretical framework has emerged from the collaboration among four groups and institutions: Ananya Dance Theatre (ADT hereafter), environmental justice researchers/advocates, the College of St. Catherine (CSC hereafter), and the 2008 Inclusive Science Conference (ISC hereafter). By evaluating this collaborative project, I develop three pedagogical models that foreground embodied knowledges. Qualitative evidence suggests that embodied pedagogies foster a sense of community and challenge Eurocentric and male-centered systems of knowledge production predicated upon the body/mind binary. In the civic arena, activists use embodied pedagogies to provide emotional access to science-based information, and to mobilize for social change. I invite artists, activists, and educators to consider the potential of embodied knowledges to forge creative alliances, and to radically transform our work, our institutions, and knowledge production in general.


The main subject of this paper is e–Report. It is recommended by the author form of presentation information in e–Navigation system. As the eReport will be an integral component of eNavigation system it have to meet the assumptions of that system. This article shows what features of eNavigation system author considers to be the most important and which the eReport must necessarily have. The article presents the preliminary version of the eReport created by author.


The authors design and implement an efficient algorithm that uses the cyclic odd-even reduction method to solve large tridiagonal systems on a distributed memory multiprocessor. The algorithm works on a bidirectional array of transputers, and the code has been written in Occam2. The algorithm performs a parallel cyclic reduction of the original system, solves the reduced system using Gaussian elimination and obtains the remaining solutions with a cyclic backward substitution phase. They present both a theoretical and an experimental study of its performance on the Parsys SN-1000. Results reflect a real efficiency close to the theoretical maximum.<<ETX>>


This paper presents the evaluation of heat transfer coefficients for the flow of R22 through internally grooved copper tubes. A series of tests were conducted using two types of tubes namely Tube A and Tube B, which have different tube parameters. The straight and horizontal test section of the test apparatus with a length of 3.67 m was heated or cooled by water circulated in a surrounding annulus. Condensation tests were conducted at mass flux rates of 180 to 537 kg/ms and the vapor qualities ranged from a nominal value of 83% at the test section inlet to 6% at the outlet. Evaporation tests were conducted at mass flux rates of 110 to 404 kg/ms and the nominal vapor qualities at the inlet and outlet were 0 and 85%, respectively. For both the condensation and evaporation tests, the heat transfer coefficients are found to increase as the mass flux rate increases. Copyright © 2012 International Energy and Environment Foundation All rights reserved.


Patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed changes of the fatty acid spectrum manifested in a reduction of the polyunsaturated acids (linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic) and an increase of the level of monounsaturated (oleic, palmithooleinic) depended on the course of the disease. Antirheumatic treatment produced a positive effect, especially gold preparations, on normalization of the level of unsaturated fatty acids in rheumatoid arthritis.


Sequential behavior is observed in various domains of cognitive psychology, including free recall paradigms. In this chapter, within a neurocomputational framework resampling (RS) mechanisms are compared with competitive queuing (CQ) mechanisms. While both types of implementations select the most active representation, the subsequent inhibition is at the level of selection for RS models and at the level of (re)activation for CQ models. It is shown that despite the overwhelming success of CQ models in serial recall (with regard to types of sequencing error), RS models outperform CQ models with regard to inter-response times in a free recall task. Additional analyses show that decay of response suppression reduces the difference between the models. The RS model is sensitive to the size of the search set and accounts for memory selection performance in patients with Alzheimer's dementia or Huntington's disease.


The particular study is the first academic attempt to review a new financial instrument, the covered warrants, which were listed for trading in the Athens Exchange within the framework of the recapitalization of the three systematic Greek banks (Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank) in the summer of 2013. In particular, we discuss the basic characteristics of these instruments and we examine their pricing efficiency during the fifteen months of their listing. The empirical results suggest that the Greek warrants market is inefficient as the three listed contracts are systematically underpriced compared to their theoretical value based on the historic realized volatility of the underlying shares. Furthermore, a dynamic delta-hedged warrant portfolio yields significant cumulated gains that exceed the risk-free rate.


Obtaining informative answer passages and ranking them appropriately has previously been error prone for complex, non-factoid questions related to action and event occurrences, causes, and spatiotemporal attributes. A fundamental problem that has hampered the efforts to date has been the inability to extract relations of interest that determine the search for relevant answer passages. We report on a model-based approach to answer selection based on the idea that relations relevant to a question are best captured by an expressive model of events. We outline the essential attributes of the model and report on its application to the AQUAINT focused data corpus for Question Answering.


Artificial neural networks built from two-state neurons are powerful computational substrates, whose computational ability is well understood by analogy with statistical mechanics. In this work, we introduce similar analogies in the context of spiking neurons in a fixed time window, where excitatory and inhibitory inputs drawn from a Poisson distribution play the role of temperature. For single neurons with a "bandgap" between their inputs and the spike threshold, this temperature allows for stochastic spiking. By imposing a global inhibitory rhythm over the fixed time windows, we connect neurons into a network that exhibits synchronous, clock-like updating akin to neural networks. We implement a single-layer Boltzmann machine without learning to demonstrate our model.


Fibrosarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm of fibroblasts that rarely affects oral cavity and can cause local recurrences or metastasis. The aetiologic factors are still unknown, but many authors have reported the radiation therapy history as an important aetiological factor, followed by trauma and underlying conditions like Paget's disease, fibrous dysplasia or chronic osteomyelitis. Fibrosarcoma of mandible is rare, with an incidence which ranges from 0-6.1% of all primary fibrosarcomas of the bone. This paper has described a case of a swelling in the mandible of a 17-years old female who had a radiolucency in association with crown of an impacted tooth and foci of radiopacity, which led to a misdiagnosis of either an odontogenic lesion or a bone tumour, but proved to be a fibrosarcoma on histopathological and immunohistochemistry investigations.


Background: Integrons are the main contributors to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) among Gram-negative bacilli. There is a lack of knowledge about the molecular relation between gene cassettes and antibiotic resistance in India. Objective: In this study, we have investigated the occurrence of Class II integron and their cassette array among Enterobacteriaceae. Materials and Methods: A total of 268 MDR non-duplicate strains of Enterobacteriaceae were collected from Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Silchar, Assam, India, during June 2012 to May 2013. Polymerase chain reaction was performed for detection of the integrase genes and gene cassettes within the Class II integron which were further analysed by sequencing. Results: Class II integron was observed in 47 isolates. Four different gene cassette arrangements were detected: dfrA1-sat2-aadA1; dfrA1-sat2-aadA1-orfX-ybeA-ybfA-ybfB-ybgA; dfrA12-sat2-aadA1; and dfrA1-linF-aadA1. The most prevalent cassette combination was dfrA1-sat2-aadA1. This study has also identified a set of gene cassette associated with linF gene instead of sat2 gene. Conclusion: Further investigation is required to determine the current situation and important reservoir of Class II integron for the transmission of drug resistance among Enterobacteriaceae and their contribution to antimicrobial resistance in hospital environment .


OBJECTIVE
To establish optimal amplification conditions with the application of 0.2 mL test tube in single cell separation and inspection.

METHODS
Oral epithelium cell suspension was prepared. Five or ten cells were collected with 0.2 mL test tube. Then DNA were amplified with Identifiler Plus kit in three different conditions in which the proteinase K addition, gold enzyme concentration in PCR reaction, and PCR reaction cycles were adjusted separately. Finally the detection rate, allelic dropout rate and artificial alleles were compared among the groups.

RESULTS
In these 3 different conditions: addition of proteinase K, addition of 0.4 microL gold enzyme in PCR reaction, and use of 32 cycles, the detection rate was higher and allelic dropout rate was lower than the other conditions.

CONCLUSION
In single cell separation and inspection, the usage of 0.2 mL test tube could be an effective supplement to chip-low volume amplification.


A statistical model based on the method of variance components was applied to obtain confidence statements for single and repeat determinations of left ventricular ejection fraction by radionuclide techniques. With this approach variance caused by individual factors in the measurement procedure is estimated to allow calculation of confidence intervals based on single measurements and the detection limits for changes. Six study groups made up of a total of 143 subjects were examined by both multigated equilibrium and first pass imaging. Under favourable conditions (with an updated gamma camera and experienced observer) the 95% confidence interval with a single measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction by equilibrium imaging was +/- 3 ejection fraction units, compared with +/- 6 units with the first pass technique (one ejection fraction unit = 1/100 of the possible values from 0.00 to 1.00). The minimal significant changes (at the 5% level) in measured equilibrium left ventricular ejection fraction at intervals of 15 min, 3 days, 1, 3, and 4 weeks were +/- 4, +/- 4, +/- 5, +/- 5, and +/- 6 units, respectively. The corresponding minimal detectable changes in a subject's "true" left ventricular ejection fraction for the same intervals were +/- 7, +/- 7, +/- 10, +/- 10, and +/- 12 units respectively. With first pass imaging, only average values for the variation at repeat determination could be calculated. The minimal significant change in measured first pass left ventricular ejection fraction was +/- 7 units, and the minimal detectable change in "true" left ventricular ejection fraction was +/- 14 units. Measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction by equilibrium technique were generally more reproducible than first pass determinations because the variability caused by study acquisition, observer analysis, and residual errors was smaller. The method of variance components appears to be well suited to the evaluation of quantitative biological measurements in clinical use. The popularity of established procedures may obscure the lack of basic information about method evaluation.


Abstract This paper is concerned with the determination of the particle motion of the earth9s surface due to the incidence of a plane S wave of arbitrary polarization and incidence angles. It is assumed that the earth9s surface may be represented by a plane surface. For angles of incidence less than sin -1 ( b 0 / a 0 , where a 0 and b 0 are the P and S wave velocities at the earth9s surface, all three components of ground motion will be in phase, and the resultant motion is linear. For angles of incidence greater than sin -1 ( b 0 / a 0 ), all three components of ground motion will in general be out of phase, with the resultant motion describing some three-dimensional figure. The epicentral distance at which the motion changes from linear to non-linear depends upon the wave length of the S wave and the slope of the travel time curve at that distance.


This paper presents the analyzed results of stability enhancement of a grid-connected offshore wind farm (OWF) using a superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) unit. The fuzzy damping controllers of the proposed SMES unit are designed by using fuzzy control theory to contribute effective damping to the studied 80-MW OWF based on doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) under various disturbance conditions. The simulated results show that the proposed SMES unit joined with the designed fuzzy damping controllers can effectively stabilize the studied OWF under a severe disturbance. The inherent fluctuations of the injected active power delivered to the power grid can also be simultaneously mitigated by the proposed control scheme.


In this work the fluorescence enhancement that water-soluble CdTe quantum dots (QDs) capped with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) exhibit in the presence of a biguanide compound, chlorhexidine, was investigated. Acting as an electron-donor ligand, chlorhexidine was able to interact with the defects (mid-gap energy traps) on the QD surface improving the surface passivation and the fluorescence emission. The accomplished fluorescence enhancement was used as the sensing strategy for the implementation of an analytical methodology for the determination of chlorhexidine in pharmaceutical formulations. The developed approach was implemented by resorting to fully automated multipumping flow systems, which improved the versatility and analytical potential provided by QDs thereby enabling some of the shortcomings associated with the commonly used batch procedures to be overcome. Different sized QDs were synthesised and evaluated. A chlorhexidine analytical working range for concentrations between 0.05 × 10−3 and 0.5 × 10−3 mol L−1 was verified with a sampling throughput of about 63 samples per hour. The obtained results were in good agreement with those obtained using the reference method (RD% < ±4.77). A mechanism for the enhancing phenomenon is proposed.


Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury is one of the major drawbacks of mortality and causes significant short/long-term neurological dysfunction in newborn infants worldwide. To date, due to multifunctional complex mechanisms of brain injury, there is no well-established effective strategy to completely provide neuroprotection. Although therapeutic hypothermia is the proven treatment for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), it does not completely chang outcomes in severe forms of HIE. Therefore, there is a critical need for reviewing the effective therapeutic strategies to explore the protective agents and methods. In recent years, it is widely believed that there are neuroprotective possibilities of natural compounds extracted from plants against HIE. These natural agents with the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, and neurofunctional regulatory properties exhibit preventive or therapeutic effects against experimental neonatal HI brain damage. In this study, it was aimed to review the literature in scientific databases that investigate the neuroprotective effects of plant extracts/plant-derived compounds in experimental animal models of neonatal HI brain damage and their possible underlying molecular mechanisms of action.


We present unsupervised parameter learning in a Gaussian variational inference setting that combines classic trajectory estimation for mobile robots with deep learning for rich sensor data, all under a single learning objective. The framework is an extension of an existing system identification method that optimizes for the observed data likelihood, which we improve with modern advances in batch trajectory estimation and deep learning. Though the framework is general to any form of parameter learning and sensor modality, we demonstrate application to feature and uncertainty learning with a deep network for 3D lidar odometry. Our framework learns from only the on-board lidar data, and does not require any form of groundtruth supervision. We demonstrate that our lidar odometry performs better than existing methods that learn the full estimator with a deep network, and comparable to state-of-the-art ICP-based methods on the KITTI odometry dataset. We additionally show results on lidar data from the Oxford RobotCar dataset.


Abstract : A spectroscopic system based on vapor phase absorption of infrared radiation produced by a diode laser is shown to be useful for measuring water vapor diffusion rates through materials in sheet form. Measurements of water vapor diffusion through four polymer membranes and membrane laminates showed an excellent correlation with an existing water vapor transport apparatus that uses hygroscopic polymer film capacitance sensors. The diode laser spectrometer eliminates sorption hysteresis artifacts present in the capacitance sensors.


Sharia cooperative is subject to use the PSA Sharia guideline 100 and 101 on the process of arranging and presenting financial report. The fact is that there are a lot of financial report presentation that is less suitable with the PSAK Sharia. This research aims at determining the reasons why do the financial report presentation is less suitable with the PSAK Sharia 100 and 101. This research utilizes qualitative approach with exploratory case study method. Data collection is done by interviewing informant with resource triangulation validation method. The result of this research shows that sharia cooperation tends to use Indonesian Accounting Standards Non-Publicly-Accountable Entities (SAK ETAP) when presenting the financial report since there is a Ministrial regulation of Cooperatives and Small-Medium Enterprises number 4 in 2012 that obliged all the cooperatives in Indonesia to use SAK ETAP guide.


PURPOSE
To measure the volumetric breast density (VBD) from digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) reconstructions and compare with estimates from mammography.

METHODS
A kernel-based fuzzy c-means algorithm developed to segment DBT reconstructed slices to provide anatomic priors for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in a multimodality NIRS/DBT clinical-prototype imaging system was used to quantitate VBD. The VBD was determined from 17 DBT reconstructions of 11 breasts from 9 subjects (6 subjects-unilateral 2-view, 1 subject-unilateral craniocaudal (CC) view, 2 subjects-bilateral CC view) who underwent multimodality NIRS/DBT imaging. VBD from mammography (Quantra, Hologic Inc.) matched for subject, breast laterality and view was used for comparison. To account for differences in compressed breast thickness (T) between the modalities, the metric normalized VBD (nVBD = VBD/T) was considered.

RESULTS
All data satisfied normality assumption (Shapiro-Wilks, p>0.06). Pearson's correlation (r) and paired t-tests were used for analysis. The normalized VBD (nVBD) was statistically correlated (r=0.66, p<0.01) between the two modalities, but the VBD was not (r=0.47, p=0.06), as the compressed breast thickness (p=0.01, difference=6.6+/-9.8 mm) and the total breast volume (p<0.01, difference=183+/-169 cc) were higher with mammography than with clinical-prototype NIRS-coupled DBT system, while the fibroglandular volume was not different (p=0.21). The intra-modality nVBD assessed between 2-views of the same breast (n=6) were better correlated (r=0.86, p=0.03) in DBT than in mammography (r=0.57, p=0.24).

CONCLUSION
Normalized VBD (nVBD) could be a better metric when compressed breast thickness differs between the modalities. nVBD estimated from DBT is better correlated between 2-views of the same breast than mammography and could improve the consistency in the estimate. The algorithm, in addition to providing anatomic priors for NIRS reconstruction, may also be suitable for breast density estimation. Ability to use DBT reconstructions could facilitate widespread adaptation. Future studies will investigate VBD from images acquired on a combined mammography/DBT system. This work was supported in parts by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01CA139449 and R21CA176470. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the NIH or the National Cancer Institute.


Abstract: In a previous paper, 1 we proposed a complete model for methane hydrate crystallization from pure water and methane gas in a semibatch reactor. This model takes into account the crucial importance of the rate‐determining mass transfer at the gas/liquid interface, coupled with primary nucleation and growth. The validity of this model has been proved on a large number of experimental results. However, due to the complexity of the equations, only a numerical solution is possible, so that comparison between theory and experiment is not straightforward. In this paper, we consider a simple model of primary nucleation/growth and we propose an analytical solution for the time evolution of the total number of particles, mean diameter, and methane gas consumption rate during the first time of the crystallization. This model is used to analyze experimental results obtained in the presence of a kinetic additive: polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), in order to understand the origin of its effect.


The evolution of crocodylians from their suchian ancestors represents one of the great transformations in vertebrate evolution. Modern crocodylians have flat skulls and generate high forces during feeding, but crocodylian ancestors have tall skulls and lack most of the characters that help crocodylians generate and resist high forces. Thus, the evolution of crocodylians involved a substantial reorganization of the feeding apparatus. Although changes to skull shape in the lineage leading to crocodylians have received a great deal of attention, the functional consequences of shape change on feeding biomechanics are unclear. This dissertation addresses this gap in our knowledge by building high-fidelity biomechanical models to ask questions about the evolution of skull shape and feeding performance in the lineage leading from early suchians to extant crocodylians. I use detailed 3D muscle attachment sites to estimate muscle forces and distribute forces on 3D finite element models using an approach validated against in vivo data. These finite element models are used to estimate bite and joint forces. I use traditional linear morphometrics to characterize skull flattening. I also develop novel methods to quantify and visualize joint articular surface shape. These results are analyzed using phylogenetic comparative methods and ancestral character state reconstruction. My results show that skull flatness is linked with inefficient muscle geometries and that these geometries developed stepwise in the lineage leading to crocodylians. I found that joint shape best reflects the highest-magnitude loads that the skull experiences, that the orientation of joint loading tracks with skull flatness, and that peak joint pressure falls within the range predicted by chondral modeling. This study shows that extant crocodylians rely on extra muscle mass to produce high bite force with inefficient muscle configurations and that the derived, suturally-immobilized cranial joints are key features of the feeding apparatus that mitigate mechanical inefficiencies imposed by a flat skull. Overall, these results depict a coordinated evolution of skull shape, muscle anatomy, joint surface shape, and biomechanical performance in the lineage leading to Crocodylia and have broad implications and applicability to all vertebrate musculoskeletal systems. This dissertation research represents an important step in improving our understanding of the biomechanics of musculoskeletal transitions.


Mastitis is the most complex and costly disease of dairy cows occurring throughout the world. In Algeria, the disease is not well investigated. A cross-sectional study to elucidate its magnitude, distribution, bacterial causes, and to investigate the reliability of a test for early diagnosis of mastitis in cattle in Blida and Ain Defla governorates, central region of Algeria, was carried out from May to December 2011 in a total of 108 milking cows using California mastitis test, clinical inspection of udder and bacteriological analysis. After conducting california mastitis test (CMT) in farms, quarter-based milk samples were collected from 108 cows. Also, 50 positive samples with CMT were collected for bacterial culture. Based on CMT, 29.20% of quarters and 29.62% of cows had subclinical mastitis; the sensitivity of CMT to infections with all bacteria was 96%. Staphylococcus aureuswere the most common pathogens (40%). Based on the results of the current study, CMT has very acceptable sensitivity in diagnosis.

 Key words: Bacteriology, CMT, milk, sensitivity, subclinical mastitis


Silicon dioxide films on silicon have been deposited by microwave plasma-enhanced MOCVD process using TEOS and oxygen. The structural characterisation of the films have been carried out by measurements of refractive index and etch rate and analysis of IR absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectra. MOS capacitors fabricated using deposited oxides have been used to characterise the electrical behaviour of the films. Results indicate a quality suitable for VLSI application.


Kathleen Donegan, associate professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley, is the winner of the Richard Beale Davis Prize for the best article published in Early American Literature in 2013. Donegan's essay, "What Happened in Roanoke: Ralph Lane's Narrative Incursion" (EAL 48.2), makes a compelling case for reconsidering the importance of Ralph Lane's An Account of the Particularities of the Imployments of the English Men Left in Virginia to the literary history of early colonial America. Where Lane's text has often been passed over in favor of Thomas Harriot's Brief and True Report and John White's watercolors because of its poor organization, its many omissions, and its formal idiosyncrasies, Donegan argues that the Account is not designed to answer questions about "what happened" in Roanoke—indeed those questions may in fact be beside the point. Instead, she abides by the "uncomfortable reading practices" (286) that the Account demands, and demonstrates that "learning to read [its] disorder as a valuable kind of evidence allows us to recognize how often incomprehension and crises of meaning interrupted the discourses of possession" (310). Beginning with a seemingly minor observation about a text's obscurity, Donegan develops a counterintuitive approach to colonial history through a bracing model for reading narrative form as a historiographic artifact. Exemplifying the most exciting work in the field today, she highlights the importance of literary critical approaches to early American studies, brings the field into dialogue with literary studies' current concern with methods of reading and the role of the critic, and points to the vibrant possibilities that lie ahead.


When water flows through rocks of different permeabilities in parallel, an additive which makes the solution shear thickening is required to slow the flow in the more permeable rock compared with that in the less permeable. However, when the velocity of flow is the same in all the layers, under equal pressure gradients, then shear thinning additives are required. The apparent paradox is discussed. Shear thickening is best used in practice.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the circular DNA level of patients with hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) and evaluate its potential clinical value.

METHODS
Venous blood in 30 healthy children and 78 patients with HFMD within 3 days of onset of illness and convalescent period was collected. The level of plasma circular DNA was detected by duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Blood sugar, high-sensitive CRP(hs-CRP) and leucocyte were also detected.

RESULTS
The level of circular DNA in control group was (6.57 +/- 4.67) ng/ml. The level of circular DNA in ordinary and severe HFMD patients was (11.51 +/- 7.75) ng/ml and (20.59 +/- 10.67) ng/ml before treatment, respectively. The levels of circular DNA in ordinary and severe HFMD patients were significantly higher than that in control group (P = 0.021; 0.000); the level of circular DNA in severe HFMD patients was significantly higher than that in ordinary HFMD patients (P = 0.011). The level of circular DNA in severe HFMD patients after treatment were significantly lower than that before treatment (P = 0.033). The level of circular DNA before treatment and after treatment in ordinary HFMD patients had no significant difference. The levels of blood sugar and hs-CRP in severe HFMD patients were higher than those in ordinary before treatment (P = 0.045; 0.011). The levels of blood sugar and hs-CRP before treatment and after treatment in ordinary HFMD patients had no significant change. There was significantly positive correlation between the level of circular DNA and that of hs-CRP in HFMD patient (P = 0.021), but there was no correlation between the level of circular DNA and that of blood sugar and leucocyte.

CONCLUSIONS
The level of circular DNA not only become an early identification marker of severe HFMD patients, but also become monitoring marker of effect of treatment.


: In a new version of special relativity that absorbed the uncertainty principle, the Einstein-Lorentz mass formula proved to be a special case of a more universal equation. The new equation indicates that there is a "high speed but low mass" weak effect in particle motion, which will cause the generation of abnormal ultra-high energy electrons with a small probability when an electron beam passes through an accelerating electric field. The author used the method of long-times accumulation detection to test it on the BEPCII, which results show that there is indeed emission of abnormal electrons with energy up to 10 5 times of the beam energy at the downstream of the RF cavity of the electron storage ring. Therefor, it is suggested to use the detector with an online real-time display function, such as the "Shashlyk calorimeter", to detect the single event of ultra-high energy electron, so to fully verify this previously unknown phenomenon and further discover new physics.


ABSTRACT Because the small intestine is exposed to variety of foreign substances, it participates in host immune response. We investigated whether the expression levels of intestinal MAdCAM-1, PECAM-1 (CD31) and CAV-1 are affected by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress following brief treatment with tunicamycin (TN). We administered a single dose of TN intraperitoneally. Twenty-four hours later, MAdCAM-1, PECAM-1 and CAV-1 expression levels in Peyer's patches and villi were examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF) and western blotting. Immunostaining of MAdCAM-1 and CAV-1 in control and TN treated Peyer's patches and villi exhibited similar staining patterns. The immunoreactivity of PECAM-1 was similar for the control and TN treated Payer's patches, whereas staining was decreased significantly in TN treated villi. Our findings suggest that short term TN treatment did not affect leukocyte movement to lymphoid compartments of the small intestine, but it altered villus architecture due to decreased PECAM-1 expression.