Functional additives, particularly extreme-pressure and antiwear additives, in formulated oil will compete to adsorb and form a protective layer in tribological contacts. The thickness of the layer is determined by the equilibrium between the formation and removal processes. In this article, the interactions between additives and base oil molecules and operating conditions influence friction and wear are studied. One polar (ester oil) and one non-polar (poly-α-olefin) commercial base oil blended with zinc dialkyl dithiophosphates were studied. The tribological performance was evaluated using a ball-on-disc test rig under mixed rolling–sliding conditions in the boundary lubrication regime. An adapted in situ interferometry technique was used to monitor the additive-derived reaction layer formation. The properties of the additive-derived reaction layers were studied using surface analysis techniques, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. A thicker layer was formed when the additive is blended in the non-polar oil. This observation suggests that base oil polarity determines the transport of additives to the surface, thereby controlling the maximum reaction layer thickness, friction and wear, as well as the morphology of the additive-derived reaction layer. However, the reaction layer chemical composition is not strongly influenced by the base oil polarity. Among the operating conditions, shear was identified as a fundamental parameter for the activation of additives on rubbing steel surfaces and the properties of the derived reaction layer.


Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is an inherited disorder that is predominantly present in the right ventricular myocardium. Mutations in the genes encoding the desmosomal protein are thought to underlie the pathogenesis of AC. Since AC is genetically heterogeneous and phenotypically diverse, modifier genes and environmental factors have an important role in disease expression. The aim of the present study was to identify AC-associated desmosomal gene variations, and examine the expression levels of intercalated disc proteins in AC patients who carry the variations (DSG2 p.Leu797Gln, PKP2 p.Ser249Thr and p.E808fsX30). The results of the present investigation provided information on the search for modifier genes and desmosomal gene mutations, and improved our understanding of the mechanism underlying these AC mutations. Genetic screening of five desmosomal genes (DSG2, DSC2, JUP, PKP2, and DSP) in 23 patients with AC who underwent heart transplantation was performed and the expression levels and localizations of intercalated disc proteins were assessed using western blotting and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The results enabled the identification of three desmosomal gene variations (DSG2 L797Q, PKP2 S249T, and E808fsX30), two of which are reported for the first time. DSG2 L797Q was identified in one patient. The protein expression levels of DSG2 in the L797Q carrier were unchanged compared with the healthy controls, and the expression levels of the other proteins (JUP and Cx43) in the intercalated disc were also similar between the healthy controls, the variation carrier and the case controls. Two variations (S249T and E808fsX30) in PKP2 were identified in one patient, the protein expression levels of PKP2 in this patient were significantly decreased, and the expression levels of the other proteins in the intercalated disc was also decreased. The data suggest that there may be modifier genes and other AC-associated mutations requiring identification, in order to further our understanding of the disease mechanism induced by these mutations.


Quality changes in carrot slices, sticks, and shreds were not similar during storage at O', 5" and lO"C. The surface area per gram of tissue, respiration rate, and weight loss were greater with shreds than with slices or sticks. The total microbial count increased on all cuts during storage and the greatest increase was on shreds. Shear force of the sticks was greater than that of slices and shreds throughout storage. Chroma values for all types of cuts generally decreased during storage. These results indicate that carrot shreds quality cannot be maintained as well as that of slices and sticks during low temperature storage.


This study examined the effect of a soft denture liner on the distribution of stresses in the denture-supporting structures. Dentures without a linear and with three configurations of a soft liner were simulated by using a two-dimensional viscoelastic finite-element stress analysis. The stress intensity at functional force-bearing areas decreased when a soft denture liner was used. However, the stresses in the bone increased remarkably up to 3.0 seconds after loading. Because of the time-dependent effect of stresses applied to soft denture liners, denture patients who clench or brux may not benefit as greatly from soft denture liners. The study indicates that viscoelastic finite-element analysis is helpful for evaluating soft denture liners. Soft denture liners appear to be useful for improving the stress distribution in the supporting structures under dentures.


Coastal fish is one of the prominent marine resources, which takes a necessary role in the economic growth of a country. Because of environmental issues along with other reasons, not only most of the marine resources are diminishing but also many coastal fishes are getting extinct gradually. As a result, the young peoples have insufficient knowledge of coastal fish. This issue can be solved with the use of vision-based technologies. To deal with this situation, a coastal fish recognition system based on machine vision is conceived, which can be approached by the images of coastal fish that are captured with a portable device and identify the fish to recognize fish. Numerous experimental analyses are executed to exhibit the benefit of this proposed expert system. In the beginning, conversion of a color image into a gray-scale image occurs and the gray-scale histogram is developed. Using the histogram-based method, image segmentation is conducted. After that, a set of thirteen features comprising of four classes is extracted to be fed to a classifier. For reducing the number of features, PCA is applied. To recognize coastal fish, three cutting-edge classifiers are performed, where k-NN provides a potential accuracy of up to 98.7%.


Lazarevic, J., Lazarevic, S.: Possibilities for production and application of native Cyclamenneapolitanum in landscape architecture and horticulture. Biologica Nyssana, 1 (1-2), December 2010:105-109. Cyclamen neapolitanum Ten is autochthonous in Montenegro and Serbia in wide range of habitats, fromMediterranean-seaside, to sub Mediterranean and mountain ones, where it grows on fresh, porous soils, richin humus and carbonates. It is perennial hardy herbaceous plant with underground tuber, which goes indormancy trough the period of physical drought. C. neapolitanum flourishes during the autumn, formingafter near ground rosette of leaves, which lasts to the next summer, so it is extraordinary suitable forperennials, especially alpinums, individual green areas and also for vertical greening of buildings (balconies,terraces). Reproduction is generative. Generative reproduction of C. neapolitanum was examined with seedcollected in Gorica (Podgorica, MNE), Petrovac (MNE), and Palojce (Grdelicka George, Serbia). Twodifferent artificial substrates were used, as well as classical technologies of plant production with single seedsowing in tresset pots, which were later used to transplantation. Seed germination was high (more then 85%),for the seeds originated from all three localities, and also in both of substrates. Further loses in plantproduction were not evident, and development of seedlings as well as transplanted plants, was good. Basedon conducted experiments, here are given the proposals for economical commercial production, and also forcultivation of plants on green areas. Key words : Cyclamen neapolitanum , Serbia, Montenegro, seed germination, commercial production.


Teaching 'out-of-field' occurs when teachers teach a subject for which they have no disciplinary or methods qualification. The incidence of out-of-field mathematics, science and technology teaching are particularly high in rural and regional areas. Given that mathematics and science are key areas of policy concern, there is an urgent need to understand teachers" position in this increasingly common practice in order to provide appropriate system responses. This paper asks the question, how are mathematics and science teachers" professional identities influenced by having to teach out-of-field? Twenty teachers who had taught science or mathematics at some time in their career, two school leaders, and two support staff, took part in semi-structured interviews, which I then transcribed. This paper reports on a thematic analysis of a subset of the data that isolated factors influencing teachers" self-assessment of themselves as out-of-field or in-field. Excerpts from the interviews are used to introduce and contextualise these factors within rural and regional settings. These factors are used to generate a theoretical model, the Boundary Between Fields (BBF) Model, that enables analysis of the impact of these factors on identity construction during a boundary crossing event. The Model highlights the influence of support mechanisms, contextual factors and personal resources on the nature of teachers" negotiation of subject boundaries and its impact on professional identity. This innovative model provides a platform for re-conceptualising these experiences as opportunities for professional learning occurring within schools as communities of practice, where teachers are supported and enabled to expand their professional identity. These findings provide insight for policy-makers, school leaders and teacher educators, into the complexity of the issue for teachers, as well as the conditions required for such teaching to be considered learning opportunities.


1962 The accurate measurement of urinary biomarkers of exposure such as cotinine often requires correcting for urinary dilution using creatinine concentrations. Creatinine reflects renal function in a steady state and is the most commonly used measure of urinary dilution in spot samples. However, differences in creatinine clearance or muscle mass can result in substantial interindividual variation in urinary creatinine levels. This could confound comparisons of creatinine-corrected urinary biomarker values between dissimilar groups. For example, a urinary biomarker comparison between men and women would be affected by differences in muscle mass and creatinine clearance. The present goal was to assess the use of total urine solids as measured by refractive index (RI) as a more appropriate means of accounting for urinary dilution since levels are less dependent on creatinine output. Two hundred and ten healthy adult smokers with similar proportions of men and women, and blacks and whites were recruited from Westchester County, NY. Subjects were non-obese individuals with an average age of about 33 years in each race-sex group. Urine and serum creatinine was measured on a Vitros 500 clinical chemistry analyzer. Urine cotinine was measured by an enzyme immunoassay, and total solids was assessed by refractometry using the following equation: TS=RI20 X 6774-9030. Creatinine clearance was calculated from serum creatinine values using the method of Cockroft and Gault. All analyses were conducted on morning void specimens. There was a high correlation between cotinine/creatinine and cotinine/total solids (r=0.73). The Pearson correlation coefficient ranged from 0.59 in white men to 0.88 in black men. In men, both cotinine measures were about 20% higher in blacks than in whites. There were little differences in creatinine clearance between black and white men. In women, the cotinine/creatinine was higher by 10% in blacks (P=N.S.) and the cotinine/total solids was higher by 35% (P


This paper proposes a structural optimization method for a hexrotor. Structure here means the positions and orientations of the six rotors constituting the hexrotor. In the present optimization method, 6-DOF dynamic manipulability and the maximum translational acceleration are simultaneously considered as structural evaluation indices. The former is introduced as a common evaluation index for motion performance, and the latter with hope for payload flying against the gravity force. A special class of hexrotor structure is first proposed to make the optimization problem tractable, where 6-DOF dynamic manipulability can be provided by the simple product of translational manipulability and rotational one. Then, structual optimization problems are defined and a nonlinear optimization technique is applied. Here, the optimization problems handle two cases: (i) anti-torque of rotors and change of innertia tensor depending on structure are small enough to be neglected, or (ii) they are explicitly considered for structural optimization. Consequently, it is shown that the optimization provides strong symmetry.


. Soil moisture plays a crucial role in the hydrological cycle, but accurately predicting soil 10 moisture presents challenges due to the nonlinearity of soil water transport and variability of boundary conditions. Deep learning has emerged as a promising approach for simulating soil moisture dynamics. In this study, we explore ten different network structures to uncover their mechanisms of data utilization and maximize the potential of deep learning for soil moisture prediction, including three basic feature extractors and seven diverse hybrid structures, six of which are applied to soil moisture prediction for the 15 first time. We compare the predictive abilities and computational costs of the models across different soil textures and depths systematically. Furthermore, we exploit the interpretability of the models to gain insights into their workings and attempt to advance our understanding of deep learning in soil moisture dynamics. For soil moisture forecasting, our results demonstrate that the temporal modeling capability of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is well-suited. Besides, the improved accuracy achieved by feature 20 attention LSTM (FA-LSTM) and the generative adversarial network-based LSTM (GAN-LSTM), along with the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) analysis, help us discover the effectiveness of attention mechanisms and the benefits of adversarial training in feature extraction. These findings provide effective network design principles. The Shapley values also reveal varying data leveraging approaches among different models. The t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) visualization 25 illustrates differences in encoded features across models. In summary, our comprehensive study provides insights into soil moisture prediction and highlights the importance of the appropriate model design for specific soil moisture prediction tasks. We also hope this work serves as a reference for deep learning studies in other hydrology problems. The codes of 3 machine learning and 10 deep learning models are


Background and objectives: The course of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is still under analysis. The majority of complications arising from the infection are related to the respiratory system. The adverse effect of the viral infection on bone and joint tissue has also been observed. Materials and Methods: We present a group of 10 patients with degeneration of large joints and adjacent epiphyses of long bones and the spine, with a background of bone infarctions and avascular necrosis (AVN) immediately after infection with the COVID-19 virus. In MR imaging, changes in the characteristics of AVN were documented. Results: Observation of this group showed a clear correlation among the history of COVID-19 disease in the patients, moderately severe symptoms, high levels of IgG antibodies, and the time of occurrence of joint changes. No other clinically significant complications were observed following COVID-19 infection in the study group. No other risk factors for AVN or autoimmune or degenerative diseases were found in the study group. The group of patients responded well to empirical treatment with steroids, which normalized acute inflammatory symptoms and pain in the joints. Conclusions: During coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, there are complications in the locomotor system, such as microembolism and the formation of AVN; hence, more research is needed.


We consider embedding diagrams for the Reissner-Nordstrm spacetime. We embed the (r t) and (r �) planes into 3-Minkowski/Euclidean space and discuss the relation between the diagrams and the corresponding curvature scalar of the 2-metrics. PACS numbers: 0420, 0420B, 0420J Embedding of a curved surface in the Euclidean space visually demonstrates the "curvedness" or curvature of the surface. Embedding diagrams therefore become excellent tools for visualizing the curvature of spacetime;i.e. the gravitational field. The particle trajectories could easily be seen and they would be analogues of the field lines in electromagnetic theory - they are indeed field lines of gravitational field. Of the most interesting objects in this context is black hole causing critical warping of space around it so that no null ray can propagate out of it. The embedding diagram would make this phenomenon transparent and visually illuminating. In (1), a departure is made, from the conventional embedding process, in that the (r t) plane of spherically symmetric spacetimes is embedded into (2+1)-Minkowski spacetime. Conventional embeddings are generally restricted to constant-time slices of the geometry and hence convey information only regarding the spatial curvature. Intuitively speaking the kinematic part of the field, gravitational potential sits in gtt = 1 + 2�, while it is grr which brings in the contribution of gravitational field energy (2, 3, 4). The latter is purely relativistic feature which is absent in the Newtonian theory and is in fact the distinguishing characteristic of general relativity (GR). When we embed the t = const. slice, we are purely considering the spatial curvature which hinges on the field energy while (r t) plane would have both the gravitational potential as well as the field energy included and hence would refer to the entire field. The contributions from the both should act in unison and it can be demonstrated that the space curvature does indeed guide free particle towards the centre (3) and for this to happen it must be negative which would demand the field energy to be negative (4). Thus the positive energy condition for the field energy density is that it be negative. The main aim of this note is for the Reissner-Nordstr¨ (RN) black hole to relate the scalar curvature of the surface being embedded with the character of the embedding diagram. The (r t) plane embedding has been studied (1) and we follow the same method (which was first employed in (5)) for the spatial embedding. Of course the embedding has to be carried out over patches for r+ � r, rrr+, Q 2 /2Mrr where r± = M ± p M 2 Q 2 are the two horizons. In the former case, it cannot go as far in as r and can even stop above r+ if Q 2 /M 2 > 8/9, while the spatial embedding can go down to r = Q 2 /2M, the hard core radius, covering all the three patches. Of particular interest is the patch below r . We begin with RN spacetime metric described by ds 2 = � 1 2M + Q 2


Civilian law:from occupational medicine to occupational event. Despite the growing importance of objective measurements, the health effects of many occupational risk factors are currently not fully quantified. Occupational noise, as a widespread risk factor, is illustrative in this regard; there is a strong body of evidence linking it to an important health outcome (hearing loss), but it is less decisively associated with others (such as psychological disorders). It is also distinct from environmental noise, and therefore falls under the responsibility of employers as well as individuals. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is, at present, incurable and irreversible. However, it is preventable, if effective and global hearing conservation programmes can be implemented. These programmes should not be isolated efforts, but should be integrated into the overall hazard prevention and control programme of the workplace. Belgian law encompasses a set of provisions for prevention and the protection of the health and safety of workers within the workplace, including aspects pertaining to the hygiene of the workplace and psychosocial aspects at work (stress, violence, bullying and sexual harassment, among others). In principle, combating environmental noise is fully addressed in this country. However, other levels of policy-making also play an important role in this regard. For example, the federal government is in charge of product standards, and therefore also of noise emission standards for products. The interpretation and enforcement of Belgian legislation on well-being at work converts European directives and international agreements on well-being at work into Belgian law.


Many problems of confounding and identifiability for polynomial models in an experimental design can be solved using methods of algebraic geometry. The theory of basis is used to characterize the design. In addition, a fractional factorial design can be uniquely represented by a polynomial indicator function. bases and indicator functions are powerful computational tools to deal with ideals of fractions based on each different theoretical aspects. The problem posed here is to give how to move from one representation to the other. For a given fractional factorial design, the indicator function can be computed from the generating equations in the basis. The theory is tested using some fractional factorial designs aided by a modern computational algebra package CoCoA.


We report a genome update for Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate SBW25. The updated genome assembly, which was derived from the original isolate, is based on PacBio long-read sequence data. It shows three minor differences, compared with the previously published genome sequence. Original annotations were merged with recent automated annotations to preserve information. ABSTRACT We report a genome update for Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate SBW25. The updated genome assembly, which was derived from the original isolate, is based on PacBio long-read sequence data. It shows three minor differences, compared with the previously published genome sequence. Original annotations were merged with recent automated annotations to preserve information.


INTRODUCTION
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) play a vital role in the human body and need to be taken through a regular diet. EFAs are susceptible to autoxidation, hence the stability of the EFAs and their products is a matter of concern.

METHODS
Margarine containing sunflower oil as a carrier of EFAs was prepared and the effects of water content, incorporation of EFAs, emulsifiers and antioxidants on the physical properties of margarine, that is, slipping point, dropping point and spreadability were studied. The oxidative stability of the formulated margarine was also evaluated after incorporation of EFAs and antioxidants.

RESULTS
The incorporation of EFAs in the form of sunflower oil resulted in improved physical properties especially spreadability. The study revealed that up to 45% sunflower oil can be incorporated using glycerol monostearate as an emulsifier with total fat to water ratio of 85:15. Lecithin imparted better spreadability and grainy structure but is known to be susceptible to microbial attack. The capsicum oleoresin showed good activity as an antioxidant. Further addition of kalonji seeds ethanol extract (KEE) as well as curcuminoids resulted in improved spreadability but showed a decrease in oxidation stability.

CONCLUSION
A stable and nutritional margarine was developed with the addition of natural antioxidants. Consumers can avail the benefits of both the EFAs and natural antioxidants in the margarine.


Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) involve an increased risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ASCVD is not well established. Our aims were to evaluate the frequency of ASCVD [ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular accident (CVA)] after IBD diagnosis and to identify the risk factors associated with its development.

 Observational, single-centre study which included all patients seen at the IBD Unit of the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (Spain) between May 2010 and April 2022. Cardiovascular risk factors and the development of ASCVD were prospectively assessed; in addition, this information was sought selectively prior to IBD diagnosis and patients' first visit to the unit. Regarding classical risk factors, we analysed hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes mellitus. As possible risk factors related to IBD, we analysed the presence of complex IBD which, in the case of Crohn's disease (CD), we defined as the presence of stricturing or penetrating behaviour or the need for bowel resection surgery, and, in the case of ulcerative colitis (UC), as an E3 extension or the need for colectomy. Finally, we analysed the coexistence of other IMIDs as a risk factor.

 A total of 2,153 patients were included (52% CD, 45% UC and 3% IBD-unclassified). Forty-nine percent were women and mean age at IBD diagnosis was 39 years. Twenty-four percent had hypertension, 14% dyslipidaemia and 8.6% diabetes; 59% were current or former smokers; 37% had an associated IMID (12% cutaneous and 7.9% joint). Prior to IBD diagnosis, 62 patients had presented with ASCVD (41 IHD and 21 CVA). After IBD diagnosis, 95 patients had at least one ASCVD (49 IHD and 46 CVA); after 31,516 patient-years of follow-up, the incidence of a first ASCVD was 0.31 per 100 patient-years (0.16 IHD and 0.15 CVA). The incidence of ASCVD was stable over time after IBD diagnosis. In the multivariate analysis (Table 1), age at IBD diagnosis >50 years (p<0.001), hypertension (p=0.006), dyslipidaemia (p=0.032), male sex (p=0.004) and a history of ASCVD prior to IBD diagnosis (p=0.011) were associated with an increased risk of ASCVD. With these variables, a Cox regression survival analysis was performed (Figure 1 and 2). Neither the type of IBD, the existence of complex IBD nor the coexistence of other IMIDs was associated with an increased risk of ASCVD.

 Table 1.

 Figure 1.

 Figure 2.

 The development of ASCVD in patients with IBD is associated with classical risk factors (hypertension and dyslipidaemia), as well as older age at diagnosis and male sex. The coexistence of other IMIDs does not increase the risk of ASCVD in these patients.


This article reexamines the thought of American Asia experts during the 1940s and early 1950s who directly or indirectly influenced u.s. policy toward post-surrender Japan. Revisionist scholars in the late 1960s and 1970s categorized Asianists in a binary manner as "conservatives" and "progressives," "Japan" and "China specialists," and "Cold Warriors" and "critics," but they all were in reality essentially modernization theorists and liberal internationalists of various kinds who agreed on the desirability of democratizing Japan and constructing a new order in the Asia-Pacific under American leadership. This new perspective exposes limitations in the revisionist narrative of the Allied Occupation of Japan informed by Marxian-populist criticisms of u.s. Cold War policy. Revisionists not only tended to stress differences over similarities in judging the ideas of Asia experts, but idealized "radical" reformers over more "moderate" ones. By arguing that the United States should have democratized Japan thoroughly, they held on to liberal internationalist ideology and unintentionally endorsed u.s. intervention in a foreign nation. This article shows how an objective assessment of the Occupation history requires transcending Cold War historiography and integrating a more global perspective.


Spectroscopic gas analysis for monitoring transient events in fast processes requires high spectrum acquisition rate with low uncertainty; however, so far high-speed spectroscopic gas detection with sufficient spectral resolution and spectral span is still challenging. Here, we propose an innovative method based on optical linear chirp chain (OLCC) for rapid acquisition of high-resolution gas spectra with a rate up to the order of MHz with 100% duty cycle, spectral resolution at 10-MHz level and spectral span > 20 GHz. The OLCC is generated by high-speed optical modulation driven by a digital arbitrary waveform generator in combination with a four-wave-mixing process, exhibiting a highly linear frequency chirp (linearity error of ~10-4) and low level of residual amplitude modulation (<1%). An image denoising method based on nonlocal means algorithm is exploited to reduce the high-frequency noise while guaranteeing the response time and spectral resolution. We demonstrate this method by monitoring a fast charging process of acetylene gas into a vacuumized gas cell, clearly unfolding gas pressure oscillations at μs time scale. Our proposed OLCC-based spectroscopic method opens up prospects for the development of high-speed spectrometers and optical sensors.


We combined solar wind observations from six different spacecraft: Helios 1 and Helios 2 (from 0.3 to 1 AU), ISEE 3 and IMP 8 (at about 1 AU), Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 (from 1.2 to 2.5 AU), to study the structure of the solar wind streams and the propagation of interplanetary shocks approaching solar maximum (cycle 21). Comparing the simultaneos in-situ observations at five different locations is possible to illuminate some aspects of these events such as their logitudinal extent, radial evolution, and local structure.


Recent investigations of physiological systems have demonstrated that even minor chemical constituents can play a major role in mediating physiological responses. Recognizing this, the investigator seeks to isolate or selectively quantify the concentration of a specific drug or hormone that is available to target tissue. Today, as drugs are developed which are more and more potent, greater demands are made on analytical methodology for ever more sensitive yet specific techniques of quanification. The techniques of vapor phase analysis such as gas chromatography, especially in combination with mass spectrometry, offer great promise to investigative pharmacology/toxicology. Some of the potentials and limitations of vapor phase analysis will be described. More detailed descriptions of basic gas chromatography (McNair and Bonelli, 1969; Ettre and McFadden, 1969) and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (McFadden, 1973) can be found elsewhere.


We present a new methodology, called "direct ab initio dynamics, " for calculations of thermal rate constants and related properties from first principles. The new method is based on full variational transition state theory plus multidimensional semiclassical tunneling transmission coefficients with the potential energy information to be calculated from an accurate level of ab initio electronic structure theory. To make this approach practical, we propose the use of a focusing technique to minimize the number of electronic structure calculations, while still preserving the accuracy of the dynamical results. We have applied this method to study detailed dynamics of the hydrogen abstraction reaction, CH,+H++CHs+H,, and obtained excellent agreement with the available experimental data for both the forward and reverse rate constants for a range of temperatures from 300 to 1500 K. In these calculations, the potential energy surface was calculated at the quadratic configuration interaction including single and double excitation (QCISD) level of theory using the triple-zeta plus polarizations 6-3 llG(d,p) basis set.


This paper presents plasma thermal jet simulations with substrate interaction. In this work, 2-D plasma thermal jet simulations will be presented using the ANSYS-CFX code with taking into account the interaction fluid-substrate during thermal spraying. Two models of turbulence are used such as the shear stress transport k-ω (SST-k-ω) and Re-normalization group (RNG-k-ε). The governing parameters of the problem under study are the plasma gas power, the nozzle exit temperature and velocity profiles, the plasma jet temperature and velocity fields and the substrate temperature. The experimental and numerical results are presented in order to carry out a comparison between these results. Moreover, transient simulations will be also treated for different x-positions and different values of time. The distribution of temperature of the substrate will be also presented.


Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease, mainly characterized by chronic progressive cholestasis. The root cause of PBC is the loss of immune tolerance to autoantigen E2 subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDC-E2). The unique immunobiological characteristics of intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells make it an active participant in the pathogenesis of PBC. In recent years, the detection rate of PBC has been increasing year by year, but the clinical situation of ursodeoxycholic acid monotherapy has not changed. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the immune pathogenesis of PBC will help clinicians better prevent and treat diseases.


Advanced silicon processing techniques developed for the Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) industry have been exploited in recent years to enable the production of micro-fabricated moving mechanical systems known as Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS). These devices offer advantages in terms of cost, scalability and robustness over their preceding equivalents. Cambridge University have worked for many years on the investigation of high temperature superconductors (HTS) in flywheel energy storage applications. This experience is now being used to research into superconducting Micro-Bearings for MEMS, whereby circular permanent magnet arrays are levitated and spun above a superconductor to produce bearings suitable for motors and other micron scale devices. The novelty in the device lies in the fact that the rotor is levitated into position by Meissner flux exclusion, whilst stability is provided by flux pinned within the body of the superconductor. This work includes: the investigation of the properties of various magnetic materials, their fabrication processes and their suitability for MEMS; finite element analysis to analyse the interaction between the magnetic materials and YBCO to determine the stiffness and height of levitation. Finally a micro-motor with the above principles is currently being fabricated within the group.


Aims The aims of this study were to evaluate the abductor function in moderate and severe slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), comparing the results of a corrective osteotomy at the base of the femoral neck and osteoplasty with 1) in situ epiphysiodesis for mild SCFE, 2) contralateral unaffected hips, and 3) hips from healthy individuals. Patients and Methods A total of 24 patients (mean age 14.9 years (sd 1.6); 17 male and seven female patients) with moderate or severe SCFE (28 hips) underwent base of neck osteotomy and osteoplasty between 2012 and 2015. In situ epiphysiodesis was performed in seven contralateral hips with mild slip. A control cohort was composed of 15 healthy individuals (mean age 16.5 years (sd 2.5); six male and nine female patients). The abductor function was assessed using isokinetic dynamometry and range of abduction, with a minimum one‐year follow‐up. Results We found no differences in mean peak abductor torque between the hips that underwent osteotomy and those that received in situ epiphysiodesis (p = 0.63), but the torque was inferior in comparison with contralateral hips without a slip (p < 0.01) and hips from control individuals (p < 0.001). The abduction strength was positively correlated with the range of hip abduction (R = 0.36; p < 0.001). Conclusion Although the abductor strength was not restored to normal levels, moderate and severe SCFE treated with osteotomy at the base of the femoral neck and osteoplasty showed abductor function similar to in situ epiphysiodesis in hips with less severe displacement. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100‐B:1524‐32.


This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of salvage endovascular septectomy in patients with abdominal chronic aortic dissection (CAD) after endovascular aneurysm repair. A study cohort comprising 6 patients with chronic abdominal aortic dissection after failed endovascular aortic repair [mean age 62.5 (36-69) years] were enrolled to undergo salvage endovascular septectomy. The procedure involved entering the false lumen via the intrinsic visceral entry to perform a confined septectomy using a 'Gigli wire' to merge the true and false lumens. The outcomes were assessed by Digital angiography and computed tomography angiography. All 6 patients were successfully operated on; the diameters of the visceral abdominal aorta and the infrarenal abdominal aorta were similar at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months compared with the baseline; the patency of the visceral branch arteries was also stable at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months compared with the baseline; no occlusion of the visceral branch arteries was noted; no major vascular adverse events or deaths were observed. In this preliminary study, it was proven that salvage endovascular septectomy is a potentially advantageous technique that is safe and effective in the treatment of patients with CAD after failed endovascular aortic repair.


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004

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Prostate cancer (CaP) metastases are a leading cause of cancer-related death in American men. Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) encodes a protein that inhibits Raf-1-mediated phosphorylation and thereby inhibits activation of MEK. RKIP is a metastasis suppressor gene in CaP and we investigated the prognostic role of RKIP in CaP. Several tissue microarrays (TMAs) containing non-neoplastic prostate, primary prostate tumors or prostate metastases from a total of 155 patients were subjected to immunohistochemistry staining for RKIP expression. Staining was scored as negative, weak, moderate or strong. RKIP protein staining was moderately to strongly expressed in 100% of the non-cancerous prostate tissue, approximately 55% of the primary CaP tissue and 5% of the metastatic tissue; whereas, RKIP protein staining was negative or weakly expressed in 45% of the primary CaP tissue and 95% of the metastatic tissue. There was a linear decrease of RKIP expression from non-cancerous prostate through metastatic CaP (Kruskal-Wallis test, P <0.0001). RKIP expression was strongly associated with standard pathology predictors of clinical outcome, including Gleason score ( P = 0.004), pathologic stage ( P = 0.03), and preoperative level of PSA ( P =0.01). Weak or negative RKIP staining was associated with high (58% (22/38)) PSA recurrence; whereas high RKIP expression was associated with low (2% (1/46)) PSA failure (log rank P <0.0001; Kaplan-Meier analysis). Multivariate Cox Regression analysis for the occurrence PSA failure post-prostatectomy was performed using the following variables: RKIP staining, Gleason score, tumor size, pathologic stage, digital rectal exam findings, PSA level at time of diagnosis and resected prostate weight. RKIP staining was the most statistically significant predictor of PSA failure after radical prostectomy (hazard ratio=0.033 and P =0.001); followed by PSA levels (hazard ratio=1.97; P = 0.08). This analysis demonstrated that RKIP staining was a greater predictor for PSA recurrence than Gleason score and preoperative level of PSA. Taken together, these data demonstrate that RKIP expression in CaP correlates inversely with patient prognosis. These data suggest that RKIP is a useful marker for prostate cancer prognosis.


This paper presents a smart power supply by using solar energy as the sources. It reduces the use of fuel in order to achieve maximize generation of electricity (during day time). The project equipped with solar tracker device which is absorbs the ultraviolet (UV) from the sun in maximum condition. The tracker operates with dual axis rotation where it can be rotating with 360° or which is 180° vertical/horizontals. This circuit is activated when light dependent resistor (LDR) detecting the light where four sensors are placed at east, west, north and south position. The solar panel is embedded with gear system to control the speed of the tracker and also obtain full charge of the 12V rechargeable lead acid battery. The charge controller is used to control the load for operating the system and recharge the battery, it also to protect the battery from over charge.


This study aims to produce nonviolent communication module as part of the School of Empathy module that can be applied to children in Indonesia along with required instruments. This study was a module development research with Educational Research and Development design. Participants of this study were elementary students and aged 9-10 years old. Instrument in this study was nonviolent communication – School of Empathy Indonesia developed by Stueck. In addition, to see response of participants from module implementation, we used observation guidelines and interview guidelines compiled by researchers. The study was conducted in 3 days, with a total of 8 training sessions. This study was carried out in accordance with stages in module development process. Based on result of the study, there were two important things to be discussed, namely suitability of the module with the stages of child development based on results of interview and observation, and assessment of child psychologist, also based on the findings during module test process took place to participants. Results and limitations of this study are discussed further in this article.


Regulatory role of the brain in energy expenditure, appetite, glucose metabolism, and central effects of insulin has been prominently studied. Certain neurons in the hypothalamus increase or decrease appetite via orexigenes and anorexigenes, regulating energy balance and food intake. Hypothalamus is the site of afferent and efferent stimuli between special nuclei and beta- and alpha cells, and it regulates induction/inhibition of glucose output from the liver. Incretines, produced in intestine and in certain brain cells (brain-gut hormones), link to special receptors in the hypothalamus. Central role of insulin has been proved both in animals and in humans. Insulin gets across the blood-brain barrier, links to special hypothalamic receptors, regulating peripheral glucose metabolism. Central glucose sensing, via "glucose-excited" and "glucose-inhibited" cells have outstanding role. Former are active in hyperglycaemia, latter in hypoglycaemia, via influencing beta- and alpha cells, independently of traditional metabolic pathways. Evidence of brain insulin resistance needs centrally acting drugs, paradigm changes in therapy and prevention of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular and oncological diseases.


We describe a novel method of enhancing image geometric features using the oriented wavelets introduced in our earlier work (see Yu-Ping Wang, IEEE Trans. Image Proc., vol.8, no.12, p.1757-71, 1999). The poor directional selectivity of the conventional 2D wavelet transform has been circumvented by using this class of oriented wavelets. By taking advantage of directional wavelet decomposition, both the directional and scale correlation information are utilized for enhancing salient structures in images. To remove phase dependence, a pair of quadrature filters are used. The proposed algorithm has been applied to chromosome image enhancement. Comparisons of this algorithm with other approaches are presented.


Due to the status quo of underground work and present problem of shield tunneling method,this paper gives common method that is Artificial Neural Network(ANN) and fuzz control theory in the prediction of deformation that intelligence control theory works in shield tunneling work system,analyse basis theory of this two methods,gets a very important result in actual work.


The presence of the BRAF c.1799T>A V600E mutation was recently described in cases of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) but not in other common lymphomas. However, many uncommon subtypes of lymphoma have not been studied. We designed a BRAF pyrosequencing assay specific for the V600E mutation, which has a sensitivity of 5% and is applicable to paraffin-embedded tissue. DNA was sequenced in 9 cases of HCL; 6 cases of variant HCL; 10 cases each of nodal marginal zone lymphoma (NMZL), extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (ENMZL), posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), and large granular lymphocyte (LGL) proliferations; 11 cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL); and 12 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). All (100%) cases of HCL were positive for BRAF mutations. No mutations were identified in variant HCL, NMZL, ENMZL, PTLD, PTCL, ALCL, or LGL proliferations. Among lymphoproliferative disorders, BRAF mutations are restricted to HCL.


Thought experiments are ubiquitous in science and especially prominent in domains in which experimental and observational evidence is scarce. One such domain is the causal analysis of singular events in history. A long‐standing tradition that goes back to Max Weber addresses the issue by means of 'what‐if' counterfactuals. In this paper I give a descriptive account of this widely used method and argue that historians following it examine difference makers rather than causes in the philosopher's sense. While difference making is neither necessary nor sufficient for causation, to establish difference makers is more consistent with the historians' more ultimate purposes.


Drawing on just-world theory and research into the suppression and justification of prejudice, we propose that the use of relative compared with absolute measures of an innocent victim's character enables observers to derogate the victim without transparently violating social norms or values proscribing derogation. In Study 1, we found that positive feelings expressed toward victims mirrored social norms proscribing negative reactions toward them. In Studies 2a, 2b, and 3, innocent victims were evaluated more negatively when ratings were made using relative (i.e., compared with evaluations of the average student or the self) versus absolute scales. In Study 4, this effect of scale type on derogation was stronger for people higher in the motivation to avoid prejudiced reactions to victims. Relative judgments seem to allow individuals to enact their counternormative motivation to derogate the victim under the cover of ambiguity and ostensibly rationally motivated social comparison processes.


We discuss the implications of the recent measurement of the B s − B s oscillation frequency ∆ M s on the parameter space of R-parity violating supersymmetry. For completeness, we also discuss the bounds coming from leptonic, semileptonic, and nonleptonic B decay modes, and point out some possibly interesting channels at LHC.


Given the rather modest clinical effects of cholinesterase inhibitors, an important question is: For how long should they be prescribed? The clinical trials that supported marketing of the drugs were only 3–6 months in duration. A couple of 12-month, placebo-controlled donepezil trials showed some advantage for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and maintaining a level of activities of daily living (ADL) function during that interval (Mohs et al., 2001; Winblad et al., 2001). The controversial AD2000 trial in the UK tended to show MMSE and ADL efficacy over at least two years (Courtney et al., 2004), but the authors questioned whether treatment was worthwhile or cost-effective.


U.S. public schools are responsible for educating large numbers of English language learners and students with disabilities. This book considers policies for including students with disabilities and English language learners in assessment programs. It also examines the research findings on testing accommodations and their effect on test performance. Keeping Score for All discusses the comparability of statesa (TM) policies with each other and with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) policies and explores the impact of these differences on the interpretations of NAEP results. The book presents a critical review of the research literature and makes suggestions for future research to evaluate the validity of test scores obtained under accommodated conditions. The book concludes by proposing a new framework for conceptualizing accommodations. This framework would be useful both for policymakers, test designers, and practitioners in determining appropriate accommodations for specific assessments and for researchers in planning validity studies.


The innovation that Spanish productive SMEs make is essential to improve competitiveness and economic growth. Numerous quantitative studies related to SMEs that do Research, Technological Development and Technological Innovation (R&D&I) exist, but if a company decides to start innovating, there are no references on structures, organizations, performances, etc. available in companies that already innovate. It has a systematic self-analysis to study the Spanish productive SMEs performing R&D&I, focusing on factors of company projects and mixed, which is based on an interview for SME managers analysis of projects based on Binding Motivated Reports (BMR) and an assessment of the main data presented in the Trade Register. As justified in developing systematic, the analyzed entities have a common characteristic and it is that they have achieved at least one IMV in any of the annualities worked. In analyzing this set of companies and projects, it has been managed to characterize the sample of companies and projects, both at an univariate and a bivariate level.


Background Anxiety disorders are commonly treated with antidepressants and psychological treatments. Some patients may prefer alternative approaches such as exercise. Objective To investigate the treatment effects of exercise compared with other treatments for anxiety disorders. Data sources Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise interventions for anxiety disorders were identified by searching six online databases (July 2011). A number of journals were also hand searched. Main results Eight RCTs were included. For panic disorder: exercise appears to reduce anxiety symptoms but it is less effective than antidepressant medication (1 RCT); exercise combined with antidepressant medication improves the Clinical Global Impression outcomes (1 RCT, p<0.05); exercise combined with occupational therapy and lifestyle changes reduces Beck Anxiety Inventory outcomes (1 RCT, p=0.0002). For social phobias, added benefits of exercise when combined with group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) were shown (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise groups (1 RCT, p>0.1) with both seeming to reduce anxiety symptoms (1 RCT, p<0.001). It remains unclear as to which type of exercise; moderate to hard or very light to light, is more effective in anxiety reduction (2 RCTs). Conclusions Exercise seems to be effective as an adjunctive treatment for anxiety disorders but it is less effective compared with antidepressant treatment. Both aerobic and non-aerobic exercise seems to reduce anxiety symptoms. Social phobics may benefit from exercise when combined with group CBT. Further well-conducted RCTs are needed.


Foster care caseloads, an indicator of child maltreatment, are increasing. Children living in poverty are significantly more likely to be reported to the child welfare system and are overrepresented in foster care. Thus, it is critical to identify prevention strategies that can stem the flow of foster care entries, particularly among populations at higher risk. We used variations in the adoption and refund status of state-level Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a socioeconomic policy intended to reduce poverty, to examine their effect on foster care entry rates. Fixed-effects models, accounting for year- and state-fixed effects, demonstrated that a refundable EITC was associated with an 11% decrease in foster care entries compared to states without a state-level EITC after controlling for child poverty rate, racial/ethnic composition, education, and unemployment. Policies that strengthen economic supports for families may prevent child maltreatment and reduce foster care entries and associated costs.


Abstract:During the course of his long life, John Henry Newman made many friends—among them people to whom he was extremely devoted for decades. Maria Rosina Giberne was a family friend, whose friendship with Newman continued for over half a century. The present article looks at the development of this friendship as revealed in Newman's correspondence for a decade and a half.


The perturbation of the dielectric resonator coupled to a microstrip line has been utilized to measure the perturber electrical parameters by means of the resonant frequency shift in the presence of the perturber. Two identical dielectric resonator oscillators operating at 4.25GHz are designed. One of the oscillator is perturbed with a sample. The shift in the oscillation frequency with respect to the reference oscillator is measured and used to determine the electrical properties of the sample.


Background and the purpose of the study: As a novel drug in the treatment of cardiac diseases, dlpraeruptorin A (Pd-Ia) is the major active component of traditional herbal medicine Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn and is metabolized primarily via cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP) 3A1 and 3A2 in rats. In the present study, the influence of liver cirrhosis on pharmacokinetics of PdIa and hepatic mRNA expression of CYP3A1 and 3A2 in rats with experimental liver cirrhosis (LC rats) were evaluated. Methods: Pd-Ia was given intravenously (5 mg·kg -1 ) to LC rats induced by dimethylnitrosamine and pharmacokinetic variables were measured. Enzyme kinetic metabolism of Pd-Ia in rat hepatic microsomes was also investigated and hepatic mRNA expression of CYP3A1 and 3A2 were measured by real-time PCR. Results and major conclusion: After intravenous administration in LC rats, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC 0-∞ ) was significantly greater than that in control rats, which might be due to slower rate of the hepatic blood flow and be due to slower rate of the hepatic blood flow and due to slower rate of the hepatic blood flow and slower rate of the hepatic blood flow and rate of the hepatic blood flow and rate of the hepatic blood flow and of the hepatic blood flow and hepatic blood flow and flow and ow and significant slower hepatic intrinsic clearance (CL ficant slower hepatic intrinsic clearance (CL cant slower hepatic intrinsic clearance (CL hepatic intrinsic clearance (CL int ) in rats. The decreased metabolic clearance in rats. The decreased metabolic clearance The decreased metabolic clearance he decreased metabolic clearance metabolic clearance of Pd-Ia in LC rats might be at least partly caused by the decreased levels of CYP3A1 and 3A2 Pd-Ia in LC rats might be at least partly caused by the decreased levels of CYP3A1 and 3A2 LC rats might be at least partly caused by the decreased levels of CYP3A1 and 3A2 rats might be at least partly caused by the decreased levels of CYP3A1 and 3A2 the decreased levels of CYP3A1 and 3A2 responsible for Pd-Ia metabolism. These findings may provide new insights into the inter- and Pd-Ia metabolism. These findings may provide new insights into the inter- and metabolism. These findings may provide new insights into the inter- and intra-individual pharmacokinetic variability of Pd-Ia. Pd-Ia..


Dementia is a syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple fields of cognitive domains. One of etiology of dementia is cerebrovascular disease. This is a case of multi-infarct dementia(MID) patient with functional mental disorders. The patient was treated with scalp acupuncture. After treatment, improvement was seen in cognitive domains.


BACKGROUND
As little as a single episode of exposure of the developing brain to ethanol can result in developmental neuropathology and mental retardation. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), protein kinase B (PKB), and adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) are messenger molecules that play important roles in neuronal plasticity and survival. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of acute ethanol on ERK, PKB, and CREB activation in the brain.

METHODS
Immunoblot analysis was used to determine the effects of a 1-hr exposure of ethanol on levels of phospho-ERC in primary cortical cultures and in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of postnatal day 5 (PN5), postnatal day 21 (PN21), and adult rats.

RESULTS
In cortical cultures, ethanol (100 mM) significantly reduced activity-dependent activation of phospho-ERK, phospho-PKB, and phospho-CREB by approximately 50%. In PN5 rats, ethanol (3.5 g/kg) inhibited both phospho-ERK and phospho-PKB in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus but was without effect in the cerebellum. A similar brain region-specific inhibition of phospho-ERK was observed in PN21 rats, whereas in adult rats, ethanol inhibited phospho-ERK in all three brain regions. In contrast, ethanol had no effect on phospho-PKB in either PN21 or adult rats. Without exception, ethanol inhibited phospho-CREB in an identical brain region- and age-dependent manner as was observed for phospho-ERK. Finally, administration of the NMDA antagonist MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) to PN5 rats had no effect on phospho-ERK or phospho-PKB levels in any brain region.

CONCLUSION
The results demonstrate that acute ethanol inhibits ERK/PKB/CREB signaling in brain. This inhibition occurs in an age- and brain region-specific manner, with inhibition of PKB restricted to a time during the brain growth-spurt period. Furthermore, the lack of effect of MK-801 suggests that inhibition of NMDA receptors is unlikely to play a major role in binge ethanol inhibition of ERK/PKB/CREB signaling in vivo.


Since medicine treatment is one of the most major and effective cure methods, many patients take medicine every day. On the other hand, patients sometimes have serious accidents because some of them do not follow correct medicine dosing method (i.e. taking medicine without enough quantity of water). Though it may result serious accidents, in general, their doctors cannot notice the above-mentioned facts. In this paper, we propose a sensor-embedded intelligent cup that provides instructions for correct dosing and a medicine instruction support system using it. The proposed cup is the dual structure of a tumbler equipped with water level and acceleration sensors. The cup can detect if enough quantity of water is in it before a user takes medicine by using the water level sensor. We developed a calibration method for the water level sensor and implement it so that the quantity of water can be measured on any temperature. The cup can also detect if a user has taken medicine with the enough quantity of water from the cup by SVM (Support Vector Machine) using data of the acceleration sensor. Furthermore, the cup can also detect the quantity of water left in the cup using the acceleration sensor. The system will also provide the dosing history (i.e. when the dosing has conducted) to a user's caregivers (care giver and family in distant) through web interface. We conducted experiments and confirmed the positive effect of the proposed intelligent medicine cup.


Purpose of review This review aimed to gather recent studies that could identify the specificities in the relationship between urbanization and alcohol use epidemiology in the current century. Recent findings Although we find lower rates of alcohol use among adolescents in urban environments than in rural ones, this difference tends to diminish until it disappears by the time they reach adulthood. In addition to excessive marketing and increased accessibility, several urban environment characteristics have been related to alcohol use. First, problematic alcohol use is linked to stress and mental health problems like depression and anxiety, which are common in metropolitan areas. Second, alcohol use behaviors are influenced by homelessness, loneliness, and deprivation in megacities, where female and male individuals have presented more similar alcohol use behaviors (i.e. gender convergence). Third, treatment levels for alcohol use disorders are very low. Summary There is a new epidemiological wave of alcohol consumption in large urban centers, largely influenced by advertisement and marketing. Social and psychological risk factors and subpopulations of interest were identified for preventive interventions in large urban centers (i.e. advertisement regulation). In addition, increasing the availability of treatment, including specific medications for alcohol use disorder, should be strongly encouraged.


Rice cultivation is fundamental to Brazil's economy, which is the largest grain-producing country outside the Asian continent. However, several factors harm sustainable rice production, including diseases incidence. The blast is the major rice disease, and annually, losses caused by this disease would be sufficient to feed millions of people. Due to the complexity in rice blast management, fungicide application has been most used by rice growers, however, despite the high number of registered fungicides, is questioned the real efficiency in field conditions. This work aimed to analyze the effectiveness of fungicides in rice blast control and grain yield maintenance in irrigated rice. Experiments were carried out in a randomized block design, with four replications, in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 crop seasons, at the Rio Grande do Sul Rice Experiment Station located in Cachoeirinha city, RS, Brazil. We tested the efficiency of nine fungicides registered in Brazil with different target sites for rice blast control. The analyzed variables were the Area Under the Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC) in leaves; neck blast incidence; panicle blast severity and grain yield. In general, only the tricyclazole and trifloxystrobin + tebuconazole fungicides were effective in rice blast control with direct reflection on grain yield.


Tritium labeled leucine was used to investigate the effect of sodium intake on renin biosynthesis. This labeled amino acid was incubated with renal cortical slices from mice which were fed on low, basal and high sodium diets and its incorporation into the renin molecule was investigated. Renin was extracted from the incubated slices and then precipitated with rabbit anti-mouse submaxillary renin serum followed by the addition of goat anti-rabbit IgG serum. The radioactivity incorporated into the renin was 0.07 to 0.22% of that found in the soluble protein. The radioactivity incorporated into renin was increased with incubation time at nearly linear rate and it was decreased by the addition of puromycin or of large amount of unlabeled leucine into the incubation medium. The specific activities of radioactive renin in slices from both mice fed a low sodium and high sodium diet were the same. However, the total radioactivity in renin of the slices from mice fed with low sodium diet was higher than that from mice fed with high sodium diet. This indicates that the production of renin in the mice on low sodium diet was accelerated as compared to that in mice on high sodium diet. The results suggest that change of sodium balance affects the biosynthesis of renin which can lead to changes of renal renin content and its release from the kidney.


SUMMARY We propose a novel method for knowledge consolidation based on a knowledge graph as a next step in relation extraction from text. The knowledge consolidation method consists of entity consolidation and relation consolidation. During the entity consolidation process, identical entities are found and merged using both name similarity and relation sim- ilarity measures. In the relation consolidation process, incorrect relations are removed using cardinality properties, temporal information and relation weight in given graph structure. In our experiment, we could generate com-pact and clean knowledge graphs where number of entities and relations are reduced by 6.1% and by 17.4% respectively with increasing relation accuracy from 77.0% to 85.5%.


Increasing numbers of adoptees are searching for and finding their biological parents. This article is an attempt to alert counselors to the particular emotional state of adoptees postreunion. The theory presented is drawn from the author's personal experience and integrated with her perspective as a professional counselor. From these two vantage points, the author has concluded that there are four postreunion emotional stages: paralysis, eruption, loss and grief, and empowerment. Three factors have a direct bearing on the four stages: definition of reunion success, when reunion occurs, and the "female factor."


The crystal structure of cloxacillin sodium monohydrate has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional techniques. Cloxacillin sodium monohydrate crystallizes in space group P212121 (#19) with a = 7.989 36(12), b = 10.918 09(10), c = 25.559 3(6) Å, V = 2229.50(5) Å3, and Z = 4. The crystal structure is characterized by corner-sharing chains of irregular NaO5 polyhedra along the a-axis. The carboxylate group chelates to the Na and bridges two Na cations. The coordination sphere is completed by the water molecule and a carbonyl group. The Na–O bonds are mostly ionic but have some covalent character. The bond valence sum of the Na is 1.14. The water molecule acts as a donor to the carboxylate group and a carbonyl oxygen. It is an acceptor in C–H⋯O hydrogen bonds from a methyl group and a ring carbon. The crystal structure of cloxacillin sodium monohydrate is very similar to that of the fluorinated derivative (CSD Refcode BEBCAM), reflecting the similarity of the lattice parameters. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™.


The Norwegian discourse about definition and use of core concepts, pedagogy of religious education (RE) and religion didactics will be discussed in an international perspective. A comparison of RE in Belgium, France and Scotland will be part of the analysis, together with a discussion of what the increasing numbers who tick the box "no religion" in European censuses means for the field, before I return to the question: what is pedagogy of religious education? Keywords: pedagogy of religious education, secularity, plurality, globalisation, Norwegian debate Nokkelord: Religionspedagogikk, sekularitet, flertall, globalisering, norsk debatt


Models of heterogeneous beliefs can generate rich implications for trading and asset pricing (see Suleyman Basak 2005 for a recent survey). When studying such models, aggregation often leads to difficulty in computing equilibrium outcomes. In this paper, we introduce a flexible framework to model heterogeneous beliefs in the economy, which we refer to as "affine'' disagreement about fundamentals. Affine processes (see Darrel Duffie, Jun Pan, and Kenneth Singleton 2000) are appealing as they provide a large degree of flexibility in modeling the conditional means, volatilities, and jumps for various quantities of interest while remaining analytically tractable. Our affine heterogeneous beliefs framework allows further for stochastic disagreement among agents about growth rates, volatility dynamics, as well as the likelihood of jumps and the distribution of jump sizes. Disagreement about rare disasters provides an interesting case study for our framework. Research by Thomas A. Rietz (1988), Francis Longstaff and Monika Piazzesi (2004), Robert J. Barro (2006) and others show that the possible occurrence of rare disasters that result in severe losses in consumption can have large impact on asset prices. However, the relatively short sample period and lack of historical precedents of disaster events (at least in the United States) make it difficult to precisely measure the frequencies of disasters or the size of their Asset Pricing: new risk chAnnels †


In an effort to deal with population growth, it is necessary to have good food security from a country. How can a country have good food security if the agricultural industry sector alone does not have human resources and good use of technology? For this reason, it is necessary to have certain stakeholders who take part in efforts to improve the welfare of farmers in order to improve resources and ensure the sustainability of the agricultural industry sector. PT Bank Mandiri through its Corporate Social Responsibility activitiy, PT. Mitra Desa Pamarican play a role as stakeholders in efforts to improve the welfare of farmers and businesses in Pamarican Village, Ciamis Regency. This article will explain how the PT Mitra Desa Pamarican program has succeeded in improving the welfare of farmers and through increasing village-owned business activities, as well as improving the quality of agricultural products through the use of technology. This article uses a qualitative descriptive method through literature study using secondary data in obtaining the data. The purpose of this article is to explore structurally how the Corporate Social Responsibility program can provide benefits for both the company and the recipient community.

Keywords: Welfare of farmers, agricultural industry, corporate social responsibility


This review discusses features of the standard protocols currently used in bacterial mutation assays which can have a critical effect upon the test outcome. Such features if not strictly controlled may affect the results qualitatively as well as quantitatively. These include the dose-intervals of the test compound used; the number of bacterial cells exposed to the test compound; the phase of growth such cells are in during exposure; and the length of time that the cells are exposed prior to the addition of soft agar (in the Salmonella/plate incorporation assay). The following possible modulating effects will also be discussed: the nature of the solvent used; the nature and quantity of the exogenous metabolizing system (usually liver S9-fraction) and the quantity of amino-acid (e.g. histidine) within the test system being that either deliberately added or present unavoidably within the test sample (e.g. biological fluids). If bacterial mutagenicity assays are to realize their full potential for the detection of genotoxic carcinogens, the use of rigid protocols should be discouraged. Where possible, consideration of the compound's structure should lead to the employment of the optimal protocol for the detection of genotoxic carcinogens within that chemical class. The relative speed and low cost of bacterial assays should be exploited in this way to avoid the generation of false negative results during the primary screening of novel compounds.


Introduction: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is characterized by an apparent geographical distribution in incidence, being more common in North Africa than other parts of the world. Despite the rapid growth of immigrants to the United States from Arab nations, because a racial category is rarely appropriated for this group, little is known about disease patterns among Arab Americans. The aim of this study was to describe the proportion of IBC among different racial groups, including Arab Americans from the Detroit, New Jersey and California Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries.

Methods: We utilized a validated Arab surname algorithm to identify women of Arab descent from the SEER registries. Differences in the proportion of IBC out of all breast cancer and IBC characteristics by race and menopausal status were evaluated using chi-square tests for categorical variables, t-tests and ANOVA tests for continuous variables, and log-rank tests for survival data. We modeled the association between race and IBC among all women with breast cancer using hierarchical logistic regression models, adjusting for individual and county-level variables.

Results: Statistically significant differences in the proportion of IBC out of all breast cancers by race were evident. In a hierarchical model, adjusting for age, estrogen and progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth receptor 2, registry and county-level socioeconomic position, Arab-Americans (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.2,1.9), Hispanics (OR=1.2, 95% CI=1.1,1.3), Non-Hispanic Blacks (OR=1.3, 95% CI=1.2, 1.4), and American Indians/Alaskans (OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.1, 3.4) had increased odds of IBC, while Asians had decreased odds of IBC as compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (OR=0.6, 95% CI=0.6, 0.7).

Conclusions: IBC may be more common among certain minority groups, including Arab American women. Understanding the descriptive epidemiology of IBC by race may generate hypotheses about risk factors for this aggressive disease. Future research should focus on etiologic factors that may explain these differences.

Citation Format: Kelly A. Hirko, Amr S. Soliman, Mousumi Banerjee, Julie Ruterbusch, Joe B. Harford, Robert Chamberlain, Jon J. Graff, Sofia D. Merajver, Kendra Schwartz. Characterizing inflammatory breast cancer among Arab Americans in the California, Detroit, and New Jersey Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries (1988-2008). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A61.


Bell's palsy is a peripheral facial palsy of unknown etiology. During pregnancy, there is an increased incidence of idiopathic facial paralysis (Bell's palsy). Nevertheless, bilateral facial paralysis in pregnant woman is a rare phenomenon with only a few case reports in medical literature. We report on a patient with bilateral facial paralysis in pregnancy, with a review of the literature and possible etiologic factors. The patient was treated conservatively and the left facial palsy resolved completely, whereas on the right side there was a residual lesion of facial function. The etiology, treatment and prognosis of Bell's palsy in pregnancy remain controversial.


Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic gastrointestinal conditions with great impact on patient's social and professional life. Information, education and empowerment will help to optimize and ameliorate disease outcomes. In this process IBD nurses play a key role. They support the patient and facilitate prompt recognition of symptoms. In this way, IBD nurses can accomplish better compliance, more early intervention during flares and as a consequence, improve patient outcomes. We prospectively investigated the effect of IBD nurses on improvement of quality of patient's care.
Methods: In Sep 2016, a second IBD nurse joined the multidisciplinary IBD team in our tertiary referral center. In order to standardize assessments and measurements, all contacts (phone, e-mail and personal contacts) were prospectively collected and in detail by using a standard record. Patient characteristics, type of contact and interventions performed by the IBD nurse were categorized in the record and outcomes were reported.
Results: During Sep and Oct 2016, 703 patient contacts were recorded by the two IBD-nurses (43% male, median age 35 years, 77% Crohn's disease; 65% of patients on biologicals). The vast majority of nurse-patient contacts were phone calls (64%), a minority involved personal contacts (28%) and e-mails (9%). Most of the contacts of the IBD nurse were assigned to providing disease information (24%), to the planning of procedures and consultations (21%), to administration (12%) and to the follow-up on medication (11%). In addition 11% of the patients contacted the IBD nurses for flare management, 9% for psychosocial support, 7% for the start of new therapy and 6% for education on therapy. Most of the interventions performed by the nurses involved comforting patients (22%), calling patients for follow-up (19%), for blood or stool sampling (15%) and planning an urgent outpatient visit (9%). Beside, information brochures were provided during 5% of the contacts, medication was initiated for 5% of the patients and 4% of the patients were referred to the general practitioner. By planning 75 urgent outpatient visits, the IBD nurses intervened earlier during a flare and as a result 17 emergency room visits could be avoided in this 2-month period only. Another 92 outpatient appointments could be avoided through counseling by phone and for 10 patients education and follow-up on therapy resulted in better compliance.
Conclusions: Standardized measurement of outcomes is a "hot topic" in today's clinical practice. Prospective and standardized reporting of each nurse-patient contact allows us to measure important patient outcomes. In this way variability in reporting can be reduced, and the care can rapidly be monitored and improved.


This study examines the phonetic characteristics of Korean word-medial stops in two morphological contexts - compound and simple nouns - and probes the realization of compound tensification, a process whereby plain medial stops surface as tense consonants. Using utterances extracted from a large-scale Korean conversational corpus to see what speakers actually do, phone duration, F0, and spectral tilt were measured. These were used to investigate the differences in the phonetic patterns of plain and tense stops, described to be categorically distinct regardless of morphological context. However, the results show that morphological context does play a role. Specifically, the plain medial stops in compound nouns exhibit phonetic characteristics in the direction expected for tense stops, while the compound tense medial stops exhibit the characteristics in the direction expected for plain stops. The results call into question the assumption that compound tensification results in categorically distinctive tense consonants.


The goal of this research was to create a self-report measure of relational boredom using a prototype approach. In the first study, 2 samples (participants in dating relationships and in marital relationships) generated features of the concept of relational boredom. In Study 2, these features were rated for prototypicality by 2 samples (dating and married). A Relational Boredom Scale was constructed by selecting those features (items) that were rated as most central to the construct. In Study 3, the reliability and validity of the scale were assessed, again with participants in dating and marital relationships. There was evidence that the Relational Boredom Scale is a psychometrically sound measurement instrument.


The predispersal mortality of floral buds and fruits in the grey mangrove (A vicennia marina) was examined over a range of populations for 3 years. The average survival of floral buds to anthesis was 34%. Moth larvae (subtribe Phycitina) attack and consume the contents of variable numbers of flower buds, but their activities did not influence bud survival, as exper- imental exclusion of larvae did not increase the number of buds surviving to anthesis. Fruit mortality is initially high with an average of 21% of floral buds surviving to immature fruit. Subsequent mortality is lower until on average 2.9% of floral buds survive to become viable propagules. Several cohorts of the phycitine moth larvae feed throughout the development of the fruit, and up to 62% of mature fruit show signs of larval attack. Experimental exclusion of moth larvae doubled the survival of fruits. However more than 75% of fruit mortality may be attributed to maternal regulation. Hail storms can also cause fruit mortality. The potential fecundity (number of ovules) of A. marina was measured over a range of age-size classes of trees and the realized fecundity (viable propagules) was estimated from average predispersal mortality. These estimates were subsequently verified in the field. A fecundity schedule was constructed with assumptions on reproductive frequency and reproductive life. The average annual supply of propagules over a lifetime is estimated to be about 247 viable propagules per tree.


Recent research has identified a substantial increase in Indigenous mainstream employment since the mid-1990s, but there has been relatively little regional analysis of such employment. The aim of this article is to build on this previous research using the 2006 and 2011 censuses to provide a more disaggregated descriptive analysis of changes in the character of labour market outcomes for Indigenous Australians aged 15–64 years. One of the new findings in the article is that the employment of Indigenous youth (i.e. those aged 15–24 years) in remote areas is different from that of Indigenous youth in non-remote areas, but older Indigenous residents of such areas are not very different in employment terms. Policy-makers thus need to pay particular attention to Indigenous youth employment in remote areas because the failure to address these differentials may lead to a foreclosure of future labour market options. Policy also needs to facilitate Indigenous engagement in the mainstream economy by assisting Indigenous people to be work-ready, especially in ensuring that Indigenous skills are matched with employer demands, and expediting employment by informing businesses on how to provide an Indigenous-friendly workplace.


Solutions are obtained for the large plastic deformations of a cylindrical membrane with rigid end closures subjected to an internal pressure loading. A plastic linearly hardening material obeying Tresca's yield criterion and the associated flow rule is considered. It is found that, in general, a shell passes through three stages of deformation, finally assuming a spherical shape. The instability pressure (maximum pressure) may be reached in amy of the stages depending on the length/diameter ratio of the shell and the hardening modulus of the material. Although numerical integration is required to obtain solutions for shells in the first stages of deformation, the solution in the final state is given in closed form. (auth)


In mammals body size determines the energy requests, the amount of food can be gathered, the vulnerability to predators, and male reproductive success. Alpine ibex ( Capra ibex ) is an ungulate characterised by an evident dimorphism between sexes and among males of different ages. Hence, it is an ideal study case to shed light on the effects of body size. While foraging, larger males were less selective than younger and smaller ones, thus suggesting that large body provides to males the possibility to use a poorer quality food, which is more available in the environment. Moreover, larger males were less sensible to predation risk. As a result they had more time for feeding (they were less vigilante) and they fed higher-quality forage (they used riskier and food-rich meadows). However, after wolf recolonization male ibex changed their habitat use in favour of safer low-quality meadows. Finally, old males had higher reproductive success. This was particularly true during rut seasons with abundant snow, when only the tactic successfully used by large males ( tending ) was adopted. Adult males substantially reduced food intake during the rut having more time to invest in mating activities. In conclusion, the findings of this study showed that the evolution of a large body in male ibex is probably to be favoured because it increases, directly and indirectly, their reproductive success.


Historical evidence tells us that the first pressure sensitive tapes found their way into museums and onto Valuable artifacts soon after they became available in the late 1920's. Tape quickly became a ready tool used by those charged with the care and study of cultural treasures worldwide. Curators, librarians, archivists, archaeologists, collectors and art dealers applied tape to books, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, metal objects, archaeological finds, paper artifacts, textiles, glass and even unlikely materials such as mineral specimens and birds eggs. Tapes were used for repair, identification, and protection on an astounding array of museum collections. A~ conservative estimate of museum objects affected by tape must certainly number in the hundreds of thousands. One aspect of the situation is very clear--many individuals who cared for such valuable objects placed an enormous amount of faith in tape as the solution to a multitude of problems.


In order to meet the tomato color sorting system with the requirements of multi-channel data acquisition and real-time processing, [ ]firstly, a multi-channel color digital acquisition and processing technique program based on FPGA were proposed . Then, a multi-channel data acquisition and real-time parallel processing system was built. The RGB color sensors were slected as detection components and the FPGA chip EP1C3T144C8 was slected as a core of data acquisition and processing. Meanwhile, ports of signal acquisition and the solenoid valve control were adopted a two-way analog switch HC4051 for saving I/O ports of FPGA. Thirdly, under the modular design and module reuse principles, we developed all modules with VHDL Language in QuartusII development environment. Finally, RTL and time sequence simulation for the system were done. The results showed that the connections between the modules accord with control logics. [²»´ó¶Ô accorded ¹ýȥʽ] The performance of system time sequencev are good, which can meet with the requirements of real-time processing of tomato color sorting. On these bases, we also conducted a tomato sorting test verification. The results showed that the average accuracy of sorting is 98.70% and coefficient of variation is 0.01. This results can meet requirements of production.


Ossifying fibroma is a fibro-osseous benign lesion which usually occurs in mandible and maxilla but particularly mandible. When involving the maxilla or the paranasal sinuses , they show a very aggressive pattern. We report a case of 53 yr old female patient presenting with ossifying fibroma in the right upper posterior region of the maxilla , but clinically it had the appearance of pyogenic granuloma.


HIST1H1T encodes H1T, a testicular variant of histone H1, which is expressed during spermatogenesis especially in primary spermatocytes and facilitates histone to protamine exchanges during maturation of spermatozoa. The goal of the conducted research was to evaluate four genetic variations of HIST1H1T in men with nonobstructive azoospermia. This case–control study was conducted among a total number of 200 men, including 100 nonobstructive azoospermic (NOA) infertile men. In this study, three single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, including c.‐54C>T (rs72834678), c.‐912A>C (rs707892) and c.‐947A>G (rs74293938) in regulatory region as well as one SNP c.40G>C (rs198844) in coding region were identified using PCR sequencing. According to statistical analysis, none of those SNPs in regulatory regions showed significant differences in case and control groups. For SNP (c.40G>C), a significantly higher frequency of C allele in the case group was observed compared to the control group (p‐value: .044). In conclusion, according to statistical analysis it seems that the polymorphism of c.40G>C is not associated with nonobstructive azoospermia.


Ectotherms are not able to internally regulate their body temperature; instead, their body temperature is reliant among external sources. However, ectotherms have metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy used by an animal to keep its body functioning properly. We hypothesized that as the temperature increased so would the metabolic rate and activity of the Grmphadorhina portentosa (Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches). We came up with this hypothesis because ectotherms try to move around to regulate their body temperatures by moving to shaded or sunny areas. As we led to this, we presumed that this would correlate with the CO 2 production. In this experiment, we tested the relationship of the metabolic rate and activity of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches in varying temperature chambers of cold, warm, and room temperature. We had three separate trials using one cockroach per trial. We manipulated the temperature for each chamber in five-minute intervals. While the temperature was manipulated in the chambers, the CO 2 production and activity was collected. Our data varied between the CO 2 production and activity. They were in fact proportionate, and we concluded that as the temperature increased CO 2 production and activity decreased. This would suggest that the cockroaches used different behavioral mechanisms to increase body temperature (Crouse 2017).


The relationship of race/ethnicity to community integration and other variables was assessed in a sample of 164 adults who had lived with spinal cord injury for 2 to 47 years. Compared with blacks and Hispanics, whites were older, better educated, better off financially, less likely to have a violent etiology, less severely impaired, more physically independent, better able to access their community, and involved in more productive activities. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that after controlling for other demographic and injury-related variables, the amount of variance in mobility and productivity accounted for by race/ethnicity was substantially reduced.


Background Photovoice is a powerful qualitative method for community-based participatory research (CBPR), identifying violence and related risk behaviors that affect community safety through the eyes of residents, including youth. A systematic literature review was conducted to explore how photovoice has been applied to violence and related studies among youth. Methods A protocol was developed to specify the search strategies, inclusion criteria and data extraction methods. Then, a search including three concepts (photovoice, youth and violence-related topics) was conducted across five databases: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science, resulting in 254 records. After the removal of duplicates in EndNote, 150 records were screened on the titles and abstracts. Then full texts of eligible studies were screened for a second-round assessment. Results A total of 19 articles were identified, of which, 14 studies used qualitative design while others used mixed-methods design. Most studies had no more than 20 participants (n=10). Moreover, 13 articles described the use of the SHOWeD method to facilitate their group discussion or photo explanation and 9 studies addressed the methods of dissemination: Photo exhibits (n=7), video (n=2), PowerPoint presentation (n=2), colored newsletter (n=1). Of the 19 articles, 13 addressed their reasons of using photovoice to youth: 1) photovoice is a powerful tool in youth participatory action research (YPAR) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) by capturing community-level information through the eyes of youth (n=7); 2) photovoice allows youth, especially vulnerable youth to express their opinions, identify issues important to them and develop their critical thinking for social action (n=7); 3) photovoice is not constrained by languages and therefore more attuned to youth culture (n=1). Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review of photovoice in violence and related topics. It provides the evidence and rationale of using photovoice to youth participants.


Abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) predominantly expressed in endothelial cells. Recent studies have shown that VEGFR1 is also expressed in several types of human cancer cells, and its expression correlates with cancer progression. Moreover, higher VEGFR1 expression worsened the outcome of lung cancers, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer patients following cancer treatment. A new mode of signal transduction mediated by RTK is through internationalization of ligand-bound receptor rather than through activation of intracellular signaling cascades by the interaction of ligand and receptor on the cell surface. Epidermal growth factor receptor is the prototype for such new mode of action. One previous study has shown that VEGFR1 was colocalized with nuclear STAT1 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells treated with VEGF-A, indicating a possible role for VEGFR-1 in the nucleus. Consistent with the notion, we found that the intracellular domain of VEGFR1 behaved as a transcriptional activator in yeast two-hybrid system. Second, VEGFR1 could shuttle between cytosol and nucleus following VEGF-A treatment in endothelial cells. Third, nuclear and cytosolic fractionation indicated the presence of VEGFR1 in the nuclear compartment of oral cancer and human endothelial cells. We thus hypothesized that VEGFR1 might harbor a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the protein. Using a cytosolic protein pyruvate kinase fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the putative NLS derived from VEGFR1 together with serial deletions and fluorescence microscopy, we were able to alter the subcellular location of pyruvate kinase fusion protein. Moreover, mutations of crucial arginine or lysine residues in the putative NLS significantly reduced the nuclear presence of VEGFR1 in the transfected cells. More studies are needed to address the molecules involved in nuclear transport of VEGFR1 and the target DNA sequence recognized by nuclear VEGFR1. The functional consequence of VEGFR1 localization in different subcellular compartments will be also studied by the use of oral cancer cells as a model. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2385.


Background and Purpose— Stroke type in the young may influence the outcome and may have a dramatic impact on the quality of life in survivors. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and prognosis of first-ever stroke in the young and to make comparisons with older patients within a well-defined population. Methods— All first-ever strokes occurring in the L'Aquila district, central Italy, were traced by active monitoring of inpatient and outpatient health services. Incidence rates were standardized to the 1996 European population according to the direct method. Long-term survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method; outcome in survivors was evaluated by the modified Rankin scale. Results— Of 4353 patients who had a first-ever stroke, 89 patients <45 years of age (55 men and 34 women) (2%) were identified in a 5-year period. Mean age±SD was 36.1±8.1 years. Twenty patients (22.5%) had a subarachnoid hemorrhage, 18 (20.2%) an intracerebral hemorrhage, and 51 (57.3%) a cerebral infarction. The corresponding proportions in patients >45 years of age were 2.4%, 13.3%, and 83.1%. Neuroimaging studies of the brain detected 14 intracranial aneurysms and 6 arteriovenous malformations in 20 of 38 patients (52.6%) with either subarachnoid (n=17) or intracerebral (n=3) hemorrhage. The crude annual incidence rate was 10.18/100 000 (95% CI, 8.14 to 12.57) and 10.23/100 000 when standardized to the 1996 European population. The 30-day case-fatality rate was 11.2% (95% CI, 6.2 to 19.4). Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage had the highest proportion of good recovery (60%), patients with intracerebral hemorrhage had the highest mortality (44%), and patients with cerebral infarction had the highest proportion of severe disability (47%). Conclusions— Stroke patients <45 years of age showed a disproportionate cumulative high prevalence (42.7%) of subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage with respect to older patients (15.7%), mainly (52.6%) due to aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations. Therefore, screening procedures and preventive strategies in the young should also be addressed to subjects at risk of subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage.


In the present paper, we introduce the notions of (1, 2)∗-fuzzy soft b-separated sets, (1, 2)∗-fuzzy soft b-connectedness and (1, 2)∗-fuzzy soft b-compactness in fuzzy soft bitopological spaces. Then, some basic topological properties of these notions are investigated. Also, some illustrative examples are given to show the importance of the obtained theorems.


This paper proposes an algorithm for separating monaural audio signals by non-negative tensor factorisation of modulation spectrograms. The modulation spectrogram is able to represent redundant patterns across frequency with similar features, and the tensor factorisation is able to isolate these patterns in an unsupervised way. The method overcomes the limitation of conventional non-negative matrix factorisation algorithms to utilise the redundancy of sounds in frequency. In the proposed method, separated sounds are synthesised by filtering the mixture signal with a Wiener-like filter generated from the estimated tensor factors. The proposed method was compared to conventional algorithms in unsupervised separation of mixtures of speech and music. Improved signal to distortion ratios were obtained compared to standard non-negative matrix factorisation and non-negative matrix deconvolution.


Transalar encephaloceles are rare lesions that do not fit the standard classification of basal encephaloceles. Typically, these lesions present in adulthood, with nonspecific symptoms. We report here a case of a patient with Wegener disease in whom a large transalar encephalocele posterior to the sinus was noted when he was preoperative for left maxillary sinus surgery. The encephalocele demonstrated irregular peripheral enhancement along the margin--a very uncommon finding--as well as contrast enhancement of the basal meninges, which can be seen occasionally with Wegener granulomatosis.