Introduction:Neurosarcoidosis accounts for approximately 5% of the sarcoidosis, which develops exclusively in the nervous system and is always difficult to diagnose. We describe a rare case of isolated neurosarcoidosis mimicking as multifocal meningiomas. A 27-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with a history of unconsciousness and convulsion 1 month ago, which was suspected as a seizure. The results showed no abnormalities in complete blood count; serum electrolytes; erythrocyte sedimentation rate and ultrasonography of the liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney and parotid gland, and so on. Chest radiograph and electroencephalogram were also normal. Serum-angiotensin-converting enzyme slightly increased. Normal opening pressure was shown in cerebrospinal fluid sampling, which includes 8/&mgr;L white blood cells, 0.93 g/L protein, and 3.03 mmol/L glucose. Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging revealed multifocal enhancement lesions, including left sphenoid wing region, left temporal and bilateral occipitoparietal region, which were suspected as multiple "meningioma". A left frontotemporal craniotomy was further performed. Both necrotizing and non-necrotizing granulomas were revealed in the pathological specimen, most of which were associated with multinucleated giant cells and macrophages. We could also see the fibrosis and inflammatory reaction in the sample composed of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and plasma cells. Histopathological examination showed that the cells were positive for human CD68 (KP1), CD68 (PGM1), and CD163; however, they were negative for the AF, epithelial membrane antigen, and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Tuberculosis-deoxyribonucleic acid test and special stains for acid-fast bacilli and fungi were negative. The diagnosis was finally made as isolated neurosarcoidosis. Then the patient was treated with additional corticosteroid therapy. Serial imaging examination 4 months later revealed that the lesions extremely decreased. Conclusion:The diagnosis of isolated central nervous system sarcoidosis was still difficult because of limitations of available diagnostic tests. So neurosarcoidosis in the clinical work should never be neglected.


A single case experimental design across behaviours was utilised to explore the effectiveness of Google Calendar text alerts delivered to a mobile phone as a memory aid. The participant was a 43-year-old man (JA) with severe memory problems and executive difficulties caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). JA was initially very unwilling to use any memory aid and so a detailed assessment of his beliefs about memory aids, his cognitive difficulties and his social context was performed and a set of specifications for an aid was produced collaboratively. Six weeks of baseline data and six weeks of intervention data were collected for three target memory behaviours and three control memory behaviours. Results were analysed using nonoverlap of all pairs (NAP) analysis which showed a reduction in forgetting in the three target behaviours and no change in two of the three control behaviours. A subjective measure (the revised Everyday Memory Questionnaire) also suggested improvement. This study illustrates that Google Calendar is a highly effective memory aid and emphasises the importance of choosing a memory aid to suit the person's lifestyle and beliefs.


Physalis ixocarpa Brot. is a native species that is consumed in many localities of the Cienega-Chapala in Mexico's Michoacan state. These fruits are cultivated and collected into traditional maize crops. The fruits are similar to P. Philadelphica, but the differences are in the fruit size and organoleptic properties (flavor, sweetness). According to antecedents of domestication that this zone represents in Mexico, is possible that P. ixocarpa shows incipient differentiation signals in genetic structure and metabolomic fingerprinting. Our objective was find evidences of genetic and metabolomic differentiation among populations of P. ixocarpa in the Cienega-Chapala. We used the sequencing of the chloroplast intergenic sequences psbJ – petA and trnL – rpL32, and the metabolomic fingerprinting by GC-MS. The results showed that exist genetic differentiation (FST) and signatures of selection (Fu's Fs' neutrality test) among populations. Moreover the metabolomic fingerprinting showed differences among populations and an increase of aldehydes, aromatic aldehydes, ester, and alcohols related with organoleptic properties of P. ixocarpa. We conclude that P. ixocarpa is an important genetic resource with signatures of differentiation in the Cienega-Chapala, Michoacan state, Mexico that eventually could be related with domestication signatures.


Gauge/gravity duality posits an equivalence between certain strongly coupled quantum field theories and theories of gravity with negative cosmological constant in a higher number of spacetime dimensions. The map between the degrees of freedom on the two sides is non-local and incompletely understood. I describe recent work towards characterizing this map using entanglement in the QFT, where near the dual AdS boundary, the classical energy density at a point in the bulk is stored in the relative entropies of boundary subregions whose homologous minimal surfaces pass through the bulk point. I also derive bulk classical energy conditions near the AdS boundary from entanglement inequalities in the CFT. This is based on the paper [1] with Matilde Marcolli, Hirosi Ooguri and Bogdan Stoica. More generally, in recent years, there has appeared some evidence that quantum entanglement is responsible for the emergence of spacetime. I review and comment on the state of these developments.


Two high-protein genotypes of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L), HPL 8 and HPL 40, were analysed for their nutritional quality characteristics, and the results were compared with those of normal-protein genotypes (C 11 and ICPL 211). The protein content of the high-protein genotypes was higher on average by nearly 20% but their starch content, the principal constituent of the seed, was lower by about 8%. The higher fraction (about 7%) of globulin, the major storage protein, was associated with a lower glutelin fraction in the high-protein genotypes. The amino acid composition (g per 100 g protein) of the high-protein genotypes was comparable with those of the normal-protein genotypes. However, the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine were noticeably higher (about 25%) in high-protein genotypes when results were expressed in g per 100 g sample. No large differences in true protein digestibility, biological value and net protein utilisation were observed between HP and NP genotypes. True protein digestibility was significantly increased by cooking in both whole-seed and dhal samples. The values for utilisable protein were considerably higher in high-protein genotypes, suggesting their superiority from the nutritional point of view.


In this study SAR interferometry technique has been applied over Kos Island (Hellenic Volcanic Arc) in order to detected pre-, coand post-seismic deformation and to compare with the deformation detected in Nisyros Island for the same period using the same interferometric pairs. The seismic unrest activity observed in Nisyros volcano (1996-1999) could produce crustal deformation in the adjacent island of Kos. The results of the interferometric processing show that coand post-seismic deformation was not possible to be detected due to the obtained low coherence. Contrary the results of the interferometric pair of the pre-seismic unrest period show two fringes of deformation in the southwest part of the island, the same amount of deformation was observed in Nisyros island.


Background Elevated blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Diet and lifestyle have a substantial impact on blood pressure, but the role of protein intake is not yet clear. This thesis focuses on total dietary protein, types of protein (i.e. plant and animal), protein from specific sources (i.e. dairy, meat, and grain), and specific amino acids in relation to blood pressure levels and incident hypertension. Methods The associations of dietary protein, protein types, and protein from specific sources with population blood pressure levels were cross sectionally examined in 20,820 Dutch adults aged 25 to 65 y (MORGEN Study). The relation with risk of hypertension was examined in 3,588 of these adults with 15 years of follow-up (Doetinchem Study) and in 2,241 older Dutch adults (≥55y) with 6 years of follow-up (Rotterdam Study). In the latter cohort we also examined the relation of specific amino acids (i.e. glutamic acid, arginine, lysine, cysteine, tyrosine, and essential amino acids) with blood pressure levels and risk of hypertension. As an ancillary Study, a fully controlled randomized cross over trial with different protein-rich diets was conducted to obtain objective biomarkers for dietary protein types that may be used in future epidemiological studies. Finally, we performed several meta-analyses to summarize our findings for dietary protein and protein types in relation to blood pressure and incident hypertension, combined with data from the literature. Results The epidemiological studies presented in this thesis and a meta analysis of observational studies showed no associations of total protein and animal protein with blood pressure or incident hypertension. A meta analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials, however, showed a pooled blood pressure effect of protein supplementation (weighed mean contrast in intake of 41 g/d) of 2.1 mmHg systolic (95%-CI: 2.9 to 1.4) when compared to carbohydrate intake. In the epidemiological studies in this thesis plant protein was significantly inversely associated to blood pressure levels ( 1.8/ 1.0 mmHg with 14 grams higher energy adjusted intake), but not with incident hypertension (all HR per SD ~1.00). Meta-analyses of cross sectional studies showed a small differential association of plant and animal protein with blood pressure (-0.52 mmHg per SD of dietary plant protein versus +0.03 mmHg per SD of animal protein), but this association was not present in meta-analyses of prospective studies and trials. The epidemiological analyses on meat protein and dairy protein in this thesis revealed no consistent associations with blood pressure or incident hypertension. Grain protein was inversely associated with diastolic (but not systolic) blood pressure, and with borderline significant lower risk of hypertension in a general Dutch population (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.73 to 1.00), but this association was absent in older adults. No associations with blood pressure or incident hypertension were found for amino acid intakes. Finally, we identified a combination of 3 urinary amino acids as a potential biomarker for meat protein intake and a combination of 7 plasma amino acids as a potential biomarker for grain protein intake Conclusion Results from this thesis suggest a small beneficial effect of protein on blood pressure if consumed instead of carbohydrates. Plant protein, e.g. from grain, may be more beneficial to blood pressure than animal protein but data are too limited to draw firm conclusions. After validation, future epidemiological studies could make use of biomarkers as more robust estimates for protein from specific sources and amino acid intakes. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to examine the blood pressure effect of specific types of protein, reflecting habitual intakes in western societies, compared to different types of carbohydrate. At present, a prudent diet for the prevention of hypertension with adequate amounts of dietary protein, preferable from plant sources, is recommended.


Both natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 and immunization with vaccines induce protective immunity. However, the extent to which such immune responses protect against emerging variants is of increasing importance. Such variants of concern (VOC) include isolates of lineage B.1.1.7, first identified in the UK, and B.1.351, first identified in South Africa. Our data confirm that VOC, particularly those with substitutions at residues 484 and 417, escape neutralization by antibodies directed to the ACE2-binding Class 1 and the adjacent Class 2 epitopes but are susceptible to neutralization by the generally less potent antibodies directed to Class 3 and 4 epitopes on the flanks of the receptor-binding domain. To address the potential threat posed by VOC, we sampled a SARS-CoV-2 uninfected UK cohort recently vaccinated with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech, two doses delivered 18-28 days apart), alongside a cohort sampled in the early convalescent stages after natural infection in the first wave of the pandemic in Spring 2020. We tested antibody and T cell responses against a reference isolate of the original circulating lineage, B, and the impact of sequence variation in the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 VOC. Neutralization of the VOC compared to B isolate was reduced, and this was most evident for the B.1.351 isolate. This reduction in antibody neutralization was less marked in post-boost vaccine-induced responses compared to naturally induced immune responses and could be largely explained by the potency of the homotypic antibody response. After a single vaccination, which induced only modestly neutralizing homotypic antibody titres, neutralization against the VOC was completely abrogated in the majority of vaccinees. Importantly, high magnitude T cell responses were generated after two vaccine doses, with the majority of the T cell response directed against epitopes that are conserved between the prototype isolate B and the VOC. These data indicate that VOC may evade protective neutralizing responses induced by prior infection, and to a lesser extent by immunization, particularly after a single vaccine dose, but the impact of the VOC on T cell responses appears less marked. The results emphasize the need to generate high potency immune responses through vaccination in order to provide protection against these and other emergent variants.


In present era, herbal extract succeeds inimitable place in pharmaceutical science. In view back the earliest extraction techniques are lost in the mists of history. As time went the plants have been processed by grinding, boiling or immersing. The systemic presentation of Ayurvedic extraction system has been first time familiarized by Acharya Charaka as Panchavidha Kashaya Kalpana (five basic primary dosage forms) and based upon these primary dosage forms, secondary dosage forms are developed by using different heating pattern for extraction of pharmacological active ingredients. The administration of these dosage forms is mainly dependent on the Bala (strength) of Vyadhi (disease) and Atura (patient). Due to increased demand of Ayurvedic medicines and industrialization, the transformation of classical dosage forms takes place by implanting a wide range of technologies with different methods of extraction include conventional techniques such as maceration, percolation, infusion, decoction, hot continuous extraction etc. and recently, alternative methods like ultrasound assisted solvent extraction (UASE), microwave assisted solvent extraction (MASE) and supercritical fluid extractions (SFE). The extract obtained by these procedure uses as a large source of therapeutic phyto-chemicals that may lead to the development of novel drugs. Essentially, the purpose behind this changing face in both the extraction systems are different but can say that it is a new insight from ancient essence.


Understanding bioaccessibility, defined as the fraction of an element that is soluble under gastrointestinal conditions, has become an important component of human health risk assessments. This study investigated the impact of humidity on the bioaccessibility of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co) and selenium (Se) in house dust. Three dust samples (two vacuum samples and NIST 2584 Indoor Dust) were weathered in an oxygenated humidity chamber for four months. Bioaccessibility was determined in original and weathered samples using a simulated gastric extraction followed by Inductively-Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and/or Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) as required. Exposure to humid conditions significantly increased bioaccessibility in all samples by 45–93% for Pb and by 21–65% for Zn. In contrast, bioaccessibility of Se was significantly decreased in all three weathered samples (by 75–93%), whereas bioaccessibility of Co displayed a variable response (16% increase; no significant change; 35% decrease respectively). Synchrotron XAS analysis of Pb speciation in the original and weathered dust samples determined that Pb transformed from less bioaccessible inorganic species towards more bioaccessible organic species under humid conditions. These results indicated that chemical transformations in damp microenvironments where house dust accumulates, such as window troughs or the base of carpets, may increase the bioaccessibility of particle-bound elements. Changes in bioaccessibility caused by weathering were shown to be significant in the context of the nationally representative Canadian House Dust Study (n = 1025). The national datasets indicated that bioaccessibility is element-dependent (median 59% for Pb; 67% for Zn; 33% for Co; and 13% for Se). Variations in the frequency distributions were attributed to site-specific differences in speciation and the varied bioaccessibility of individual species. The importance of speciation in determining overall bioaccessibility was further demonstrated by measurements of dozens of Pb, Zn and Co compounds that could feasibly occur in house dust. It was concluded that interactions between these elements and the organic matter content of house dust are key to understanding element bioaccessibility and accumulation behaviour in the indoor environment.


Objective: To quantify the availability of telehealth services at substance use treatment facilities in the U.S. at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and determine whether telehealth is available at facilities in counties with the greatest amount of social distancing. Methods: We merged county-level measures of social distancing through April 18, 2020 to detailed administrative data on substance use treatment facilities. We then calculated the number and share of treatment facilities that offered telehealth services by whether residents of the county social distanced or not. Finally, we estimated a logistic regression that predicted the offering of telehealth services using both county- and facility-level characteristics. Results: Approximately 27% of substance use facilities in the U.S. reported telehealth availability at the outset of the pandemic. Treatment facilities in counties with a greater social distancing were less likely to possess telemedicine capability. Similarly, nonopioid treatment programs that offered buprenorphine or vivitrol in counties with a greater burden of COVID-19 were less likely to offer telemedicine when compared to similar facilities in counties with a lower burden of COVID-19. Conclusions: Relatively few substance use treatment facilities offered telehealth services at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers and public health officials should do more to support facilities in offering telehealth services.


Background: Skilled traditional birth attendants as non-health workers (paraji) were risk factors for the incidence of maternal and perinatal mortality. Although the government has provided a birth insurance, rural communities still choose traditional birth attendant as their birth helper. The study aims at investigating women's perceptions and experiences of birth helped by midwife and traditional birth attendant. Method: The qualitative study with phenomenological approach were conducted through in-depth interviews using an interview guide. Data collection was conducted from June to July 2013 at Gajah Mekar Village, Kutawaringin District, Bandung Regency. Sampling was conductedusing purposive sampling technique. Total participants involved in this study were 12 women. Results: This study finds out that childbirth women distinguish maternity services provided by midwives and traditional birth attendants according to ages and appearances, beliefs/cultures, place of having birth, economic, delivery assistance, psychological and physical needs, post-natal care, and the danger/safety in childbirth. Conclusion: Strong culture in rural communities becomes an obstacle to equitable health care distribution. The government and related education institutions should collaborate in order to improve and enhance the quality of midwives and their services, so that birth assistances by traditional birth attendants can be suppressed.


Abstract. An accurate detection, classification, and tracking of vehicles are highly important for intelligent transport systems (ITS) and road maintenance. In recent years, the deep learning (DL)-based approach is highly regarded for real-time vehicle classification from surveillance cameras. However, the practical implementation of such an approach is affected by the adverse lighting conditions and positioning of the cameras. In this research, we develop a DL-based method for near real-time multi-vehicle counting, classifying, and tracking on individual lanes of the road. First, we train a DL network of the You Only Look Once (YOLO) family on a custom dataset that we have curated. The dataset consists of nearly 30000 training samples to classify the vehicles into seven classes, which is more than in the existing benchmark datasets. Second, we fine-tune the trained model into another small dataset collected from the surveillance cameras that are used during the implementation process. Third, we connect the trained model to a tracking algorithm that we have developed to produce a per-lane report with the calculation of the speed and mobility of the vehicles. We test the robustness of the system on different faces of the vehicles and in adverse lighting conditions. The overall accuracy (OA) of classification ranges from 91% to 99% in four faces of vehicles (back, front, driver side, and passenger side). Similarly, in an experiment on adverse lighting conditions, OA of 93.7% and 99.6% is observed in a noisy and clear lighting conditions respectively. The implications of these results will assist in road maintenance with spatial information management and sensing for intelligent transport planning.


Abstract Background: Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) are individually implemented harm reduction (HR) strategies to reduce the frequency or severity of risks associated with drug use. Existing scales measuring PBS for alcohol and cannabis suggest PBS are associated with reductions in associated problems. Despite many HR strategies related to opioid use, no PBS scale has been developed in the context of opioid use. To address this gap, this study aimed to test and validate a PBS scale for individuals using opioids (PBSO). Methods: An online survey utilized a 32-item PBS scale for individuals endorsing recent opioid use, and measured opioid use frequency, HR service use, and experience of opioid overdose. PBSO items were rated on a Likert scale ranging from "never" (0) to "always" (6), and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) examined factor structure. Results: In the current sample (n=499; 32% female), EFA suggested a 3-factor structure among the 28 items retained, accounting for 51% of total variance. Factor 1 reflected health-service seeking, Factor 2 reflected individually-implemented and dose-reduction strategies, Factor 3 reflected social strategies, and Factor 4 reflected strategies related to injection drug use. Endorsement of PBSO items were slightly above "occasional" (3). PBSO use appeared positively related to past-month HR service utilization and negatively related to opioid use frequency. Conclusions: Findings provide preliminary support for the PBSO scale as a valid and reliable measure. Further work is needed to test this scale in larger samples, and future work should explore the association between PBSO and relevant health outcomes, and whether factor scores differentially impact these outcomes.


In addition to earlier experiments on the determination of G that were carried out in the PTB, supplementary investigations of the electrostatic torque transmitter unit have been performed. We have identified a previously overlooked effect that is capable of reducing the deviation from other determinations by an order of magnitude. Additionally, the uncertainty associated with the former value has to be enlarged.


Towards the end of his career, Pierre Schaeffer, the founder of musique concrete, stated his opinion that all music is 'DoReMi' - nothing is possible outside this system, the explorations in musical language in the 20th century were fruitless, and the 'way forward is behind us'. With this is mind, is there any evidence of DoReMi in his own compositions? Are there hidden, underlying pitch systems that can be revealed through careful spectral analysis? This etune is a creative reassessment of his 1971 version of his etude aux chemins de fer. Using Schaeffer's work as a template, I create a new work that draws frequencies and rhythms from the original - revealing the hidden tunes in this seminal work.


BACKGROUND
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is the prodrug of mycophenolic acid (MPA) which acts as an immunosuppressive agent. During the biotransformation of MMF to MPA, additional metabolites including MPA phenol glucuronide (MPAG), MPA acyl glucuronide (AcMPAG) and MPA phenol glucoside (MPG) are formed.

OBJECTIVE
To define the noncompartmental pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of three single doses of intravenous (i.v.) MMF and its downstream metabolites in healthy horses.

ANIMALS
Six healthy Standardbred mares.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Generic MMF (Par Pharmaceuticals; Chestnut Ridge, NY, USA) was reconstituted and administered as a single i.v. bolus at 1.0 mg/kg, 5.0 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg with an eight day washout between treatments. Blood samples were collected immediately before MMF administration and over 24 h. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay was developed following FDA guidance to determine plasma MMF, MPA, MPAG, AcMPAG and MPG concentrations. Plasma concentrations were analysed independently, followed by calculation of geometric mean and coefficient of variation.

RESULTS
Noncompartmental PK parameters were determined for MMF and all metabolites at all doses. MMF was rapidly converted to MPA in all horses. Each incremental dose of MMF resulted in increases in Cmax and AUCinf _obs for MPA and the three additional metabolites. Within the 10-fold dose range, the increase in Cmax and AUCinf _obs for MMF and its metabolites was nonlinear.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Horses biotransform MMF into MPA, MPAG, AcMPAG and MPG via the glucuronidation and glucosidation clearance pathways. Equine reference PK profiles for MPA and the metabolites, MPAG, AcMPAG and MPG were established.


In this paper we give a survey of some classical as well as most recent models of preferences based on pairwise comparison of alternatives. The underlying framework is fuzzy logic in which preferences can be expressed in a gradual way. Fuzzy preference structures, as a generalization of Boolean (2-valued) preference structures, are studied. A fuzzy preference structure is a triplet of fuzzy relations expressing strict preference, indifference and incomparability in terms of truth degrees. An important issue is the decomposition of a fuzzy preference relation into such a structure. An appropriate approach requires some effort and axiomatic consideration, because the straightforward formalism of the Boolean case gives undesirable results. We point out the essential role of the logical connectives behind fuzzy preferences through their axiomatic constructions and characterizations.


Nursery areas are critical to the survival of many marine species, and it is widely accepted that elasmobranch species use nursery areas where they improve species fitness. A 2007 review proposed an approach to identify elasmobranch nursery areas to help clarify their location and use. Here we examine progress towards defining elasmobranch nurseries in the intervening ≥10 years. Many studies have used these criteria, and some have tested their effectiveness, but it is apparent that there is still much to learn. Our current understanding of elasmobranch nurseries is biased towards tropical coastal shark species with few studies of temperate, pelagic, deep-water or batoid species. Recent research has used the criteria to more accurately identify nursery areas, determine that some species may not use them and, at times, improve conservation and management. Results are also revealing that some areas considered to be nurseries do not meet the criteria. Although we have learned a great deal about the location and use of elasmobranch nurseries, there are still several questions to be answered and species to be considered. Continued application of nursery criteria and improved knowledge of nursery areas will lead to improved conservation and management systems.


We report here the nucleotide (nt) sequence of a rat liver cDNA encoding Zn-alpha 2-glycoprotein (Zn-alpha 2-gp), a plasma protein with a high degree of sequence similarity to class-I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence contains the coding information for 293 aa residues and shows 60% identity with the aa sequence of human Zn-alpha 2-gp and 35% identity with that corresponding to the extracellular domains of RT1, a rat class-I MHC antigen. Northern blot analysis showed that rat Zn-alpha 2-gp is expressed in liver, but not in a wide number of tissues, including prostate, mammary gland, kidney, intestine, lung, pancreas, ovary, uterus, thyroid, placenta, spleen, brain and heart.


Abstract Rewilding is a strategy for the conservation of complete, self-sustaining ecosystems, primarily involving the protection and, where necessary, reintroduction, of populations of keystone species in large, connected reserve networks. A potential method of preserving ecosystem functions and biodiversity, it is now receiving a great deal of practical and political attention, particularly in North America. In Scotland, where many native species have been extirpated in the relatively recent past, rewilding has clear relevance and may provide an overarching set of objectives for current programmes of native woodland restoration and species reintroductions. Nevertheless, rewilding is not widely used as a term or strategy in Scottish conservation. This review considers the development of the concept and its possible application in Scotland, and identifies substantial scope for rewilding, in terms of the restoration and protection of large areas of wild land, and of the reintroduction of native species which have been driven to extinction by human activity. As the environmental, social and economic benefits which are likely to result from a programme of rewilding in Scotland outweigh the potential drawbacks, the adoption of rewilding is recommended as one aim of environmental policy.


The stable structures of the reconstructed rutile TiO2(011) surface are explored based on an evolutionary method. In addition to the well-known "brookite(001)-like" 2 × 1 reconstruction model, three 2 × 1 reconstruction structures are revealed for the first time, all being more stable in the high Ti-rich condition. Importantly, the predicted Ti4O4-2 × 1 surface model not only is in excellent agreement with the reconstructed metastable surface detected by Tao et al. [Nat. Chem. 3, 296 (2011)] from their STM experiment but also gives a consistent formation mechanism and electronic structures with the measured surface. The computed imaginary part of the dielectric function suggests that the newly predicted reconstructed surfaces are capable of optical absorption over the entire visible light spectrum, thereby offering high potential for photocatalytic applications.


The Chrysanthemum variety "Niu 9717" exhibits excellent characteristics as an ornamental plant and has good salt resistance. In this study, this plant was treated with 200 mM NaCl for 12 h followed by high-throughput sequencing of miRNA and degradome. Subsequently, the regulatory patterns of potential miRNAs and their target genes were searched to elucidate how Chrysanthemum miRNAs respond to salt. From the root and leaf samples, we identified a total of 201 known miRNAs belonging to 40 families; furthermore, we identified 79 new miRNAs, of which 18 were significantly differentially expressed (p < 0.05). The expressed miRNAs, which targeted a total of 144 mRNAs in the leaf and 215 mRNAs in the root, formed 144 and 226 miRNA–target pairs in roots and leaves, respectively. Combined with the miRNA expression profile, degradome and transcriptome data were then analyzed to understand the possible effects of the miRNA target genes and their pathways on salt stress. The identified genes were mostly located in pathways related to hormone signaling during plant growth and development. Overall, these findings suggest that conserved and novel miRNAs may improve salt tolerance through the regulation of hormone signal synthesis or expression of genes involved in hormone synthesis.


Among the byproducts from thermal power plant using coal combustion, fly ash as mineral admixture is widely utilized in concrete manufacturing for its engineering merits. However residuals including bottom ash are usually reclaimed. This study presents an evaluation of engineering properties in cement mortar with pond ash (PA). For this work, two types of pond ash (anthracite and bituminous coal) are selected from two reclamation sites. Cement mortar specimens considering two w/c (0.385 and 0.485) ratios and three replacement ratio of sand (0%, 30%, and 60%) are prepared and their workability, mechanical, and durability performance are evaluated. Anthracite pond ash has high absorption and smooth surface so that it shows reasonable workability, strength development, and durability performance since it has dense pore structure due to smooth surface and sufficient mixing water inside. Reuse of PA is expected to be feasible since PA cement mortar has reasonable engineering performance compared with normal cement mortar.


The most advanced technique to evaluate different solutions proposed for a field development plan consists of building a numerical model to simulate the production performance of each alternative. Fields covering hundreds of square kilometres frequently require a large number of wells. There are studies and software concerning optimal planning of vertical wells for the development of a field. However, only few studies cover planning of a large number of horizontal wells seeking full population on a regular pattern.
One of the criteria for horizontal well planning is selecting the well positions that have the best reservoir properties and certain standoffs from oil/water contact. The wells are then ranked according to their performances. Other criteria include the geometry and spacing of the wells. Placing hundreds of well individually according to these criteria is highly time consuming and can become impossible under time restraints. A method for planning a large number of horizontal wells in a regular pattern in a simulation model significantly reduces the time required for a reservoir production forecast using simulation software. The proposed method is implemented by a computer script and takes into account not only the aforementioned criteria, but also new well requirements concerning existing wells, development area boundaries, and reservoir geological structure features.
Some of the conclusions drawn from a study on this method are (1) the new method saves a significant amount of working hours and avoids human errors, especially when many development scenarios need to be considered; (2) a large reservoir with hundreds of wells may have infinite possible solutions, and this approach has the aim of giving the most significant one; and (3) a horizontal well planning module would be a useful tool for commercial simulation software to ease engineers' tasks.


With continued interest in scientific community and general public in exploration and travel of space to micro and zero gravity to interplanetary voyages, need of materials and processes which make it happen has increased many folds. Though technology exist, which is enabling transportation of equipment and tooling (payload) to low to high earth orbits, there is still a gap in meeting with extreme harsh environments when it comes to transporting human to space. Materials for various part of rockets to their tailoring to optimization to enabling techniques which can make use of established metallurgical unit operations to be applied on existing primary (ores) and secondary (scrap) resources to extract materials which may be used as alloying elements in making of alloys for space exploration and flight exists. However, no actual account exists to make use of these metallurgical principals to extract and make alloys for human space travel and flights. This symposium is aimed to address this gap. A series of studies will be presented which will make use of basic intuition, thermodynamics, kinetics, and rate processes to extract important elements such as rare earths and add them as alloying elements to make superior high temperature alloys which will make actual human space flight possible. From he platform of Eastern Engineering Solutions Inc., we remain.


In the micro-grid, power storage converter is played as a interface between the battery pack and grid electricity storage device, to achieve a two- way exchange of energy. In this paper, the research and development of power storage converter can realize multiple sets of independent control of the battery, flexible configuration of the system capacity and flexible cutting of the battery pack. Structural design uses multi-level topology. It contains 15 non-isolated half-bridge parallel bi-directional DC / DC converter. Control strategy designed to be grid inverter adopts SVPWM control technology. DC / DC converter designed to improve the droop control strategy based on environmental design. The high-power energy storage converter product this paper designed have completed the charge and discharge related droop control and Full power grid experiment.


In the last decade acoustic noise has become more and more regarded as a problem. In cars, boats, trains and aircraft, low-frequency noise reduces comfort. Lightweight materials and more powerful engines are used in high-speed vehicles, resulting in a general increase in interior noise levels. Low-frequency noise is annoying and during periods of long exposure it causes fatigue and discomfort. The masking effect which low-frequency noise has on speech reduces speech intelligibility. Low-frequency noise is sought to be attenuated in a wide range of applications in order to improve comfort and speech intelligibility. The use of conventional passive methods to attenuate low-frequency noise is often impractical since considerable bulk and weight are required; in transportation large weight is associated with high fuel consumption. In order to overcome the problems of ineffective passive suppression of low-frequency noise, the technique of active noise control has become of considerable interest. The fundamental principle of active noise control is based on secondary sources producing ``anti-noise.'' Destructive interference between the generated and the primary sound fields results in noise attenuation. Active noise control systems significantly increase the capacity for attenuating low-frequency noise without major increase in volume and weight. This doctoral dissertation deals with the topic of active noise control within the passenger cabin in aircraft, and within headsets. The work focuses on methods, controller structures and adaptive algorithms for attenuating tonal low-frequency noise produced by synchronized or moderately synchronized propellers generating beating sound fields. The control algorithm is a central part of an active noise control system. A multiple-reference feedforward controller based on the novel actuator-individual normalized Filtered-X Least-Mean-Squares algorithm is introduced, yielding significant attenuation of such period noise. This algorithm is of the LMS-type, and owing to the novel normalization it can also be regarded as a Newton-type algorithm. The new algorithm combines low computational complexity with high performance. For that reason the algorithm is suitable for use in systems with a large number of control sources and control sensors in order to reduce the computional power required by the control system. The computational power of the DSP hardware is limited, and therefore algorithms with high computational complexity allow fewer control sources and sensors to be used, often with reduced noise attenuation as a result. In applications, such as controlling aircraft cabin noise, where a large multiple-channel system is needed to control the relative complex interior sound field, it is of great importance to keep down the computational complexity of the algorithm so that a large number of loudspeakers and microphones can be used. The dissertation presents theoretical work, off-line computer experiments and practical real-time experiments using the actuator-individual normalized algorithm. The computer experiments are principally based on real-life cabin noise data recorded during flight in a twin-engine propeller aircraft and in a helicopter. The practical experiments were carried out in a full-scale fuselage section from a propeller aircraft.


The life and work of Gerard Manley Hopkins resist easy classification. In terms of biography, the "Tractarian Hopkins" was a wilful undergraduate at Balliol College, Oxford who drank at the well of ritualism on his way to converting to Roman Catholicism. While the young Hopkins did describe himself as a "Tractarian," (1) historical hindsight might prefer "ritualist," or "early Anglo-Catholic," and contemporary opponents would have chosen "Romanist" or "Puseyite." Readers of Victorian literature, however, can observe in his poetry and his theory stylistic and intellectual traits which belong in the tradition of Keble and of Newman. Close examination of those traits comes up against the awkward chronology of Hopkins short life--he was born very shortly before what R. W. Church was to identify as the end of the Oxford Movement, and spent a few ardent if immature years as an Oxford high churchman before being received into the Roman Catholic Church at the age of twenty-two. The ritualistic Hopkins flourished in an Oxford which had changed by the 1860s, but critics have found aspects of his entire life and output which suggest the influence of people and ideas undoubtedly Tractarian. In contrast with much of the century after Hopkins' death, the last fifteen years or so have seen several substantial biographical studies of the poet. Discussions have been moved markedly forward by the examination of archival material, particularly in Oxford, which gives insight into the influence of many senior figures upon the young Hopkins, leading Tractarians among them. Moreover, whereas some interpretation of Hopkins had suffered from a tendency to see him as so very idiosyncratic a poet that his work bore little or no classificatory analysis or contextual study, a laudable desire to reverse this trend has seen Tractarianism, among other influences, assert itself as a major area within literary critical analyses. Both these strands of scholarship -biographical and literary--allow us to see strong theological links between Hopkins' work and the heavily patristic theology of Keble, Pusey, and Liddon (as well as the better established connection with Newman's work). They also serve to remind us that, for Hopkins, Tractarian and ritualistic alliegances were never less than controversial, and were indeed themselves a crucial stage on that journey of rebellion which would end with his conversion to Rome and his father's anguished question "O Gerard my darling boy, are you indeed gone from me?" (2) Both of the major biographies of Hopkins which appeared in the early 1990s gave proper attention to the importance of the high church movement in Hopkins' early Oxford career and his growth to intellectual maturity. (3) Following them, and concentrating closely on the early years, Jude V. Nixon's Gerard Manley Hopkins and His Contemporaries: Liddon, Newman, Darwin, and Pater moved further by introducing readers of Hopkins to valuable primary and secondary material which demonstrated that importance even more fully. Nixon's attentiveness to Henry Parry Liddon was particularly welcome, since the historical Liddon's dim figure--positioned so squarely in Pusey's shadow--could now be illuminated by his assiduously kept journals, in which the undergraduate Hopkins features frequently during the relevant years. In the year of his conversion, Hopkins attended Liddon's Bampton Lectures, and Nixon's careful reading identifies a number of connections between Christological themes in Hopkins' early poetry and Liddon's own teaching, connections which are echoed by scholars who have built on his work. The most specific and substantial study of Hopkins and Tractarian poetry was published by Margaret Johnson in 1997. Johnson offers a description of what she calls "early" Tractarian poetry and Keble's work in particular, and then devotes a chapter to each of Richard Watson Dixon, Digby Dolben, Christina Rossetti, and John Henry Newman. (Dixon, the teacher with whom Hopkins renewed contact later in life, initiating a celebrated correspondence, is not easily fitted into a Tractarian mold, and his affinities with Pre-Raphaelitism are discussed at some length. …


Objective: This research focused to analyze the pork content in beef meatball. Pork analysis in beef meatball using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. Methods: Beef meatball and pork meatball were determined by FTIR spectroscopy. The FTIR spectrum was used to detect pork in beef meatball combined with chemometrics method such as partial least square (PLS) and principal component analysis (PCA). Results: In this study, we developed FTIR spectroscopy using multivariate chemometrics. Chemometrics which is used is PLS to analyze pork in beef meatball, and PCA is used to classify pork and beef in meatball. The result PLS is linear regression equation which is a relationship between actual value and FTIR predicted value, y = 0.9984x + 0.0758 with a determination coefficient (R2) 0.9984. Root mean square error calibration (RMSEC) is 1.09%, root mean square external error calibration is 0.04%, and root mean square error external cross-validation is 0.48%. PCA successfully used to classify meatball in the market between beef meatball and pork meatball. Conclusion: Result of pork detection in meat meatballs using FTIR has determination coefficient of 0.9984 with RMSEC of 1.09%. Pork meatball and Beef meatballs can be distinguished using the chemometrics method.


Sulfur-bridged [1·n](2,5)thiophenophanes (n = 4—6) were prepared by cyclization of dibromo derivatives of the corresponding linear oligo(thio-2,5-thienylenes) (1) on reactions with Na2S. The best results were obtained by heating 1 and Na2S in the presence of Cs2CO3 in NMP (24% yield for n = 4, 16% for n = 5, and 10% for n = 6). The reactions gave less satisfactory results either in the presence of CuI (Cu2O) or in the absence of these additives. The results of the X-ray structural analyses of these three compounds are also reported.


Background People with disabilities are a large, disadvantaged minority, comprising approximately 12% of the population. The South African government has ratified international and regional disability treaties but deals with disability rights within general anti-discrimination legislation. There are no specific frameworks to monitor justice for people with disabilities. The study aims to inform further development of disability inclusive mechanisms relating to crises including pandemics. Objectives This study explored the perceptions of South Africans with disabilities, to understand their experiences during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), focussing on socioeconomic, well-being and human rights aspects. Method An online survey tool generated quantitative and qualitative data. Widespread publicity and broad recruitment were achieved through project partners networks. Participants responded via mobile phone and/or online platforms. Results Nearly 2000 people responded, representing different genders, impairments, races, socio-economic status, education and ages. Findings include: (1) negative economic and emotional impacts, (2) a lack of inclusive and accessible information, (3) reduced access to services, (4) uncertainty about government and non-government agencies' support and (5)exacerbation of pre-existing disadvantages. These findings echo international predictions of COVID-19 disproportionally impacting people with disabilities. Conclusion The evidence reveals that people with disabilities in South Africa experienced many negative impacts of the pandemic. Strategies to control the virus largely ignored attending to human rights and socioeconomic well-being of this marginalised group. Contribution The evidence will inform the development of the national monitoring framework, recognised by the South African Government and emphasised by the United Nations as necessary to ensure the realisation of the rights of people with disabilities during future crises including pandemics.


Introduction and Objectives: Apaziquone is a novel bioreductive alkylating agent in development for intravesical therapy of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. The standard dose of apaziquone in all ongoing clinical studies is 4 mg/ 40 mL (0.1mg/mL). The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of varying concentrations of apaziquone versus placebo in an animal model of bladder cancer. Methods: A total of 1×105 MB49 cells were instilled into the bladder of C57BL/6 mice after electrocauterization to establish the tumor model. Mice bearing orthotopic tumors were administered varying concentrations of apaziquone (0.05, 0.1, 0.4, and 0.8 mg/mL) or placebo (0.85% saline) via intravesical instillation (0.1 mL) one week after tumor implantation. Instillations were continued once a week for 4 weeks. Tumor incidence, overall and median survival is reported. Results: At the end of the observation period (80 days), all animals in the control (0.85% saline) and 0.05 mg/mL groups had died (fig. 1). The median survival of mice receiving apaziquone at concentrations of 0.1 mg/mL (42.5 days); 0.4 mg/mL (40.5 days) and 0.8 mg/mL (49 days) was longer than that of mice treated with 0.05 mg/mL (30 days) and 0.85% saline (27 days). Statistically significant differences in survival were observed in control vs apaziquone-treated groups [0.1 mg/ml(P The median survival of the 0.1, 0.4 and 0.8 mg/mL treated groups did not differ, but 33.3% in the 0.1 mg/mL cohort, and 14.3% in the 0.4 mg/mL cohort were long-term survivors (>80 days). All other animals (n = 37) had died of cancer by the end of the observation period. Three mice did not survive anesthesia. At necropsy all mice had advanced local disease with deep invasion of the muscularis propria, and usually with multiple lung metastases. Conclusion: Apaziquone at the 0.1 mg/mL concentration demonstrates excellent antitumor activity compared to placebo or 0.05 mg/mL solutions. In this model there was no significant difference in the median survival between 0.1 mg/mL and higher concentrations of apaziquone (0.4 and 0.8 mg/mL) supporting continued development with the current clinical dose (0.1mg/mL). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A220.


This letter examines the effect of the prior elimination of strong changes on the results of change detection in bitemporal multispectral images using the previously published iteratively reweighted multivariate alteration detection (IR-MAD) method. An initial change mask is calculated by identifying strong changes between two images. By using the mask and hence eliminating the strong changes from the analysis, the IR-MAD method is able to identify a better no-change background. This effect is demonstrated on a multitemporal Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus data set from an agricultural region in Germany with substantial improvement in the results even for the scenes which have a large number of changes.


Background What cheaper alternative breast screening procedures are available to younger women in addition to clinical breast examination (CBE) in Sub-Saharan countries? In 2009, we first described BreastLight for screening and reported high sensitivity at detecting breast cancer. Due to limitations of BreastLight, we have since 2014 been using the more technologically advanced Breast-i to screen 2204 women to find cheaper screening alternatives. Methodology First, the participant lies down for CBE and then, in a darkened room, Breast-i was placed underneath each breast and trained personnel confirm vein pattern and look out for dark spot(s) to ascertain the presence of suspicious angiogenic lesion(s). Results CBE detected 153 palpable breast masses and Breast-i, which detects angiogenesis, confirmed 136. However, Breast-i detected 22 more cases of which 7 had angiogenesis but were not palpable and 15 were missed by CBE due to large breast size. Overall confirmed cases were 26, with Breast-i detecting 7 cases missed by CBE. Breast-i and CBE gave sensitivities of 92.3% and 73%, respectively. Conclusion Breast-i with its high sensitivity to angiogenesis, reliability, and affordability will be an effective adjunct detection device that can be used effectively to increase early detection in younger women, thereby increasing treatment success.


Since the switchable spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric materials endows it with many useful properties such as a large pyroelectric coefficient, switchable spontaneous polarization, and semiconductor, it has a wide range of application prospects, and the research of high-performance molecular ferroelectric materials has become a hot spot. We obtained a 0D organic-inorganic hybrid ferroelectric [(CH3)3NCH2CH2CH3]2FeCl4 (1) with well-defined ferroelectric domains and excellent domain inversion and exhibited a relatively large spontaneous polarization (Ps = 9 μC/m-2) and a Curie temperature (Tc) of 394 K. Furthermore, compound 1 belongs to the non-centrosymmetrical space group Cmc21 and has a strong second-harmonic generation signal. Interestingly, we also performed magnetic tests on 1, which confirmed that it is a magnetic material. This work provides clues for exploring the application of high-performance molecular ferroelectric materials in future multifunctional smart devices.


Prostaglandin (PG) endoperoxide synthetase was purified until homogeneity had been attained. The pure enzyme displays both cyclooxygenase and peroxidase activity, in accordance with the work of MIYAMOTO et al. (J. biol. Chem. 252, 2629--2636 (1976)). This enzyme therefore converts arachidonic acid into PGH2. Glutathione S-transferases, in the presence of glutathione, convert PGH2 into a mixture of PGF2alpha, PGE2 and PGD2. A new transferase in sheep lung gives mainly PGF2alpha and PGD2. Isolation and properties of these enzymes will be discussed. Finally, progress will be reported on the isolation of a soluble enzyme from various rat organs such as lung and spleen, which forms almost exclusively prostaglandin D.


The purpose of this study was to assess frequency of disabling conditions in feature films and the general quality of these films (as judged by professional film critics reviews and movie going consumer ratings) over an 11-year span. 'Psychiatric disorder' were most frequently depicted. Professional film critics were markedly more negative in their reviews than ratings made by movie going consumers.


To investigate the gene function of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), several attempts have been made to generate genetically transformed radish. However, no efficient and relatively simple method for the genetic transformation of radish has been developed to date. In this study, we established an Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation method using the hypocotyl-derived explants of radish cultivar "Pirabikku". Primarily based on the Brassica transformation procedure, we optimized it for radish transformation. Using this system, the transformation efficiency of radish hypocotyl explants by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 harboring pIG121-Hm was 13.3%. The copy number of transfer DNA integrated into the genome was either one or two in the four independent transgenic plants. Two of the four plants exhibited male sterility and did not produce self-pollinated seeds. Examination of the expression of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene in T1 plants from fertile T0 plants showed that the GUS genes were inherited. The improvement in the genetic transformation in this study might pave the way for accelerated molecular breeding and genetic analysis of radish.


In order to improve the rheological behavior of the nanosilica composite no-flow underfill, a filler surface treatment using silane coupling agents was investigated to reduce the filler-filler interaction and to achieve monodispersity of the nanosilica in the underfill resin. The experimental conditions of the surface treatment were investigated in a design of experiment (DOE) in terms of the pre-treatment methods, coupling agent types, concentrations, and treatment durations. The particle dispersion after treatment was evaluated by laser particle analyzer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A monodispersed nanosilica solution in the polar medium was achieved using optimal conditions. The surface chemistry of the nanosilica was studied using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The wettability of underfill resin and water on the silane treated glass slides was studied using a goniometer. Based on the investigations, the silane-treated nanosilica fillers were incorporated into an underfill resin to formulate a nanocomposite no-flow underfill. It was found that the proper filler treatment could significantly reduce the viscosity of the nanocomposite.


The research tackles lexicographical phenomenon as it is considered to be one of the characteristics of Arabic calligraphy. Ancient and modern scholars differ about its origin between saying that its status was related to the status of Arabic letters or viewing it as a modern phenomenon. The research uncovers both views and discusses arguments and evidently reaches upon transferred, concrete and mental evidences, some firstly presented, that lexicographical dot is a subject that is part of Calligraphy and it is one of the defining characteristics of it.


This paper discusses complexities and challenges of managing boil off gas (BOG) in LNG liquefaction plants. Most publications in the past have focused on regasification terminals and have not addressed the area of liquefaction plants. The paper discusses the generation and management of BOG and the associated networks and machinery to manage it. BOG Options available for both greenfield plants and in debottlenecking situations are covered. The advantages and disadvantages of different options and compressor systems are covered and the concept of dynamic simulation as an analysis tool is addressed.© 2014 ASME


Alginate scaffolds show good promise for bone tissue engineering using stem cells. This is due to the fact that alginate is biocompatible, non-immunogenic, and in addition may direct differentiation of stem cells into a given phenotype. Finally, due to their ability to gel at physiological conditions, living and functional tissue are easily encapsulated into alginate beads. Alginate beads can be modified in a range of ways, not only to enhance the matrix stiffness and stability, but also to promote cell adhesion and direct differentiation towards a given phenotype. A method currently used to encourage bone growth is to mineralize the alginate beads, thus mimicking the structure of bone in vivo. Recently, Xie et al. (2011) demonstrated that enzymatic mineralization of alginate beads serves as a potent method for mineralizing beads as lower concentrations of CaCl2 is needed, which is beneficial for cell viability. In addition, the enzymatic method produces alginate beads with a uniformly distribution of calcium phosphate (CP) and stiffer mechanical properties. Mesenchymal Stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into a variety of tissues, including cartilage, adipose, muscle and bone. MSCs extracted from bone marrow seem to possess the greatest potential for bone tissue engineering, as they are more easily differentiated into osteogenic phenotypes when compared with MSCs from e.g. adipose tissue. The main objective in the present study was to encapsulate MSCs into alginate beads mineralized with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and study cell survival, as well as their potential to differentiate into mature osteoblasts inside the beads. To mineralize beads (ALP) was added to the alginate solution, whilst the precursors were added to the growth medium. The mineralization medium was changed every 3 hours (12 hours over night) for the first 2 days post encapsulation. Cell viability was surveyed by live/dead assay and imaging by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), and metabolic activity by Alamar Blue (AB) and colorimetric techniques. Examination of cell morphology was accomplished by phalloidin/DRAQ5 staining. Moreover, to investigate cell differentiation, PCR analysis on selected RNA candidates was performed. Quantification of mineral content was accomplished by running Alizarin Red-S (ARS-S) assay. ALP activity was determined using ALP assay. Finally, further investigation of cell- and alginate matrix structure was accomplished using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To study capsule properties and cell survival, osteosarcoma cells were utilized as model cells. The main objective was to study bead stability, and how the beads and the cells within were affected by the enzymatic mineralization method. Alginate beads proved to be unstable and needed addition of CaCl2 for stabilization purposes. Furthermore, in order to recover cells, citrate was added to the cell/bead suspension. Initially, results were unsatisfactory, as little, or no, RNA was recovered. After optimizing the citrate treatment it was discovered that a sequential method needed to be utilized. Results demonstrated a successful recovery of cells, and RNA of excellent quality. Enzymatic mineralization of alginate beads was found to be a cell friendly way of mineralizing alginate beads. Mineralization of beads was observed in the light microscope, by visual inspection, as well as by SEM. Cell viability remained high when using a concentration of 0.25mg/ml ALP. The osteosarcoma cells proved to be good for optimizing the enzymatic mineralization method, but behaved differently compared with mesenchymal stem cells in terms of viability, and mineralization activity. Furthermore, mineralization of beads by addition of 0.25 mg/mL ALP compared with 0.5mg/mL appeared to be beneficial as image acquisition on CLSM was facilitated and slightly higher viability of cells was observed. In the second part of the present study, human MSCs were encapsulated into alginate beads. After initial experiments the optimal condition for cell survival, and bead stability was determined. Consequently, in the final experiment 16 million MSCs were encapsulated in beads containing 0.25mg/mL ALP, together with a sample without addition of ALP. At day 2 post encapsulation both samples were divided into two batches, one cultured in regular medium, and one in differentiation medium. All samples were stabilized with 7.5 mM of CaCl2. Observations in both light microscope and CLSM revealed that only beads given ALP were mineralized before reaching day 21. At day 21 the sample receiving no ALP, cultured in differentiation medium also appeared mineralized. Mesenchymal stem cells receiving differentiation medium were observed to differentiate into mature osteoblasts in the beads. This was verified by gene expression analysis, cell morphology studies, the presence of collagen in beads seen by SEM and analysis of ALP activity. Metabolic activity measurements confirmed little cell proliferation, nor cell death. However, an increased metabolic activity was observed for encapsulated cells cultured in regular medium relative to cells in differentiation medium. Cell morphology in differentiated samples was recognized by showing elongated actin filaments, compared with the ones cultured in regular medium, which appeared round in shape. The elongated filaments suggest that the cells are able to interact with the alginate matrix and/or minerals. The occurrence of collagen fibers in SEM images further confirmed presence of mature osteoblasts. Samples cultured in regular medium with or without added ALP both showed an increase in osterix expression until day 21 when the study was ended. This was surprising, as it inferred that the alginate matrix itself might influence differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts, and that the minerals have little effect on differentiation. Runx2 expression was detected in all samples, including unencapsulated hMSCs. The expression of runx2 was at its maximum on day 21, when the study was ended. Encapsulating mesenchymal stem cells into alginate beads mineralized by the enzymatic method is cell friendly, and allows the cells to differentiate into mature osteoblasts when cultured in differentiation medium. Alginate without minerals seems to influence differentiation to a certain extent, suggesting that minerals are not needed for differentiation to occur. The minerals do, nonetheless, speed up the continuing mineralization process.


We present metric-E3, a provably near-optimal algorithm for reinforcement learning in Markov decision processes in which there is a natural metric on the state space that allows the construction of accurate local models. The algorithm is a generalization of the E3 algorithm of Kearns and Singh, and assumes a black box for approximate planning. Unlike the original E3, metric-E 3 finds a near optimal policy in an amount of time that does not directly depend on the size of the state space, but instead depends on the covering number of the state space. Informally, the covering number is the number of neighborhoods required for accurate local modeling.


In this paper we examine the magnetic polarity for Pacific Basin seamounts exclusive of the Hawaiian Ridge. On Pacific crust older than 65 Ma, seamounts of normal polarity predominate. On crust younger than 65 Ma, seamounts exhibit normal and reversed polarity as well as mixed polarity. We show that viscous components do not dominate seamount magnetization, and we suggest that a large number of normal seamounts were formed during a major magmatic event postulated for the period 110–70 Ma. This period overlaps with the long Cretaceous normal period (118–84 Ma) and corresponds to 85% normal polarity for Earth9s magnetic field. The correspondence of a period of high magmatic activity with a long period of normal polarity supports the possible correlation between those processes responsible for magma production and for magnetic field generation.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

Syrbactins belong to a new class of proteasome inhibitors which include syringolins and glidobactins. These small molecules are structurally distinct from other, well-established proteasome inhibitors, and bind the eukaryotic 20S proteasome by a novel mechanism. In this study, we examined the effects of syringolin A (SylA) and glidobactin A (GlbA) as well as two synthetic SylA-analogs (SylA-PEG and SylA-LIP) in human neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH), human multiple myeloma (MM1.S, MM1.RL, and U266), and human ovarian cancer (SKOV3) cells. While all four syrbactins inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, GlbA was most potent in both dexamethasone-sensitive MM1.S cells (IC50: 0.004 µM) and dexamethasone-resistant MM1.RL cells (IC50: 0.005 µM). Syrbactins also inhibited the chymotrypsin-like proteasome activity in a dose-dependent fashion, and GlbA was most effective in SK-N-SH cells (IC50: 0.015 µM). The GlbA-promoted inhibition of proteasomal activity in SK-N-SH cells resulted in the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins and tumor suppressor protein p53, and led to apoptotic cell death. Strikingly, GlbA treatment also promoted the activation of Akt/PKB via phosphorylation at residue Ser473 and induced autophagy as judged by the presence of the lipidated form of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and autophagosomes. Collectively, our data suggest that syrbactins belong to a new and effective proteasome inhibitor class which promotes cell death. Proteasome inhibition is a promising strategy for targeted anticancer therapy and syrbactins are a new class of inhibitors which provide a structural platform for the development of novel, proteasome inhibitor-based drug therapeutics.

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 2632.


Objectives: Adolescence is a time during which health behaviors and attitudes that significantly affect the quality of life are formed. The aim of this study was to analyze data from a large national survey to determine the effect of health behaviors and the DMFT index as well as oral and general health behavior patterns on oral health in adolescents. Methods: Data from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to analyze the association between health behaviors and the DMFT index in Korean adolescents. The data were analyzed using SAS version 19.3. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the variables, and 95% confidence intervals were computed. Results: Sex, age, private medical insurance coverage, usage of oral-hygiene-assistance products, lack of dental treatment, and the status of self-recognition of oral health were the factors that had a significant influence on oral health among adolescents. Conclusions: The study findings provided further evidence supporting the promotion of school-based oral health programs and highlighting the need of oral health education for adolescents.


Katz, Edward (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N. J.), Clarence R. Waldron, and Mary Lou Meloni. Role of valine and isoleucine as regulators of actinomycin peptide formation by Streptomyces chrysomallus. J. Bacteriol. 82:600–608. 1961—d-Valine is an effective inhibitor of actinomycin synthesis by Streptomyces chrysomallus; l-valine stimulates actinomycin production and reverses the inhibition due to the d-enantiomorph. The incorporation of l-valine into the medium results, particularly, in a marked increase in actinomycin IV formation. In studies with various isoleucine isomers it was shown that l-isoleucine enhances actinomycin VII production; the principal effect of d-alloisoleucine and, especially, d-isoleucine, is to bring about synthesis of two new actinomycins which contain N-methylisoleucine. Both l- and d-threonine were observed to have an effect similar to that obtained with l-isoleucine. An interpretation of these findings has been discussed.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to obtain cloned lambs by somatic cell nuclear transfer. In vitro matured oocytes were enucleated and injected with serum-starved cumulus cells. After electrofusion and ionomycin treatments, reconstructed oocytes were activated by 10 m g/ml cycloheximide (CHX) for 5 h or 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 3 h and cultured in vitro in SOF medium at 38.5°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO 2 , 5% O 2 and 90% N 2 . Cleavage rates were 18.1% (26/144) in CHX and 46.5% (140/301) in 6-DMAP groups; 11.4% of embryos developed to the morula stage in the 6-DMAP group. To investigate the developmental capacity of the embryos to become live young, early cleavage stage embryos (n= 69) were transferred to the oviducts of synchronized recipients. Five out of eight ewes (62.5%) were diagnosed as pregnant at Day 18 according to progesterone assays, and two ewes (25.0%) were diagnosed as pregnant after 45 days according to ultrasound examinations. Two healthy lambs were born by Cesarean section. In conclusion, although by using different activation protocols blastocyst stage embryos were not obtained after in vitro culture of the somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos, live young that were born after transfer of early stage embryos showed that these embryos possess developmental capacity. Key Words: sheep, somatic cell nuclear transfer, early transfer


ABSTRACT Between the First World War and the end of the Cold War, Germany and Austria, whose legal cultures were highly interdependent in terms of persons, conceptions, and institutions, saw eleven or twelve fundamentally different regimes, depending on the interpretation of Austria's status from 1938-45. Lawyers often ensured the legal functioning of these regimes and legitimized their existence. This again affected their notions of law, legality, and justice, and of the principles underlying these concepts, as well as their personal preferences and societal roles. Based on the analysis of about two hundred biographical sketches of Austrian and German lawyers, mostly from the field of public (international) law, of about 2,500 contributions to the leading "(Österreichische) Zeitschrift für öffentliches Recht" from 1914 to 1945, and of the respective legal history-literature, this contribution analyzes the relation of Austrian and German lawyers to their respective states and regimes, and outlines the typical patterns of how they were affected by regime changes and how they reacted to them. Proceeding from this analysis, in the second part of this study, the relation between lawyers and the state until the end of the cold war will be illustrated and it will be shown that some typical patterns in the lawyers' reaction to regime changes can be identified. Also the impact the state-lawyers-relation had on the development of Austria and Germany to stable, functioning democracies will be outlined.


The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of Permendagri No. 13/2014 in supporting the development and empowerment of village communities starting from planning, implementation, administration, reporting, and accountability of village finances in Bontomanai Village in 2017-2018. The results showed that the planning stage was still oriented to physical development. The implementation phase is carried out by the activity management (TPK) but the realization of village development and community empowerment has not been carried out optimally. The administration phase has used the Village Financial System Application (SISKEUDES). In the reporting phase, Bontomanai village head has reported the realization of the use of the budget to the Regent of  Gowa. In the accountability stage, the head of Bontomanai village has socialized the use of the village budget to the local government (Bupati), Dewan Musyawarah Desa, and community leaders.


The complex network of malfunctioning pathways occurring in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) represents a huge hurdle in the development of new effective drugs to be used in therapy. In this context, redox reactions act as crucial regulators in the maintenance of neuronal microenvironment homeostasis. Particularly, their imbalance results in the severe compromising of organism's natural defense systems and subsequently, in the instauration of deleterious OS, that plays a fundamental role in the insurgence and progress of NDDs. Despite the huge efforts in drug discovery programs, the identification process of new therapeutic agents able to counteract the relentless progress of neurodegenerative processes has produced low or no effective therapies. Consequently, a paradigm-shift in the drug discovery approach for these diseases is gradually occurring, paving the way for innovative therapeutical approaches, such as polypharmacology. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the main pharmacological features of most promising nature-based scaffolds for a possible application in drug discovery, especially for NDDs, highlighting their multifaceted effects against OS and neuronal disorders.


Bambusa arundinacea family Graminae, is one of the precious plant resources of the earth. It has played a significant role in human civilization since ancient times. It is tall sized tree growing throughout India, moist parts of India. It also occurs in Sri Lanka, Malaya, Peru and Myanmar. The different parts of this plant contain silica, cholin, betain, cynogenetic glycosides, albuminoids, oxalic acid, reducing sugar, resins, waxes, benzoic acid, arginine, cysteine, histidine, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, protein, gluteline, contains lysine, methionine, betain, cholin, proteolytic enzyme, nuclease, urease. Various parts of this plant such as leaf, root, shoot and seed possess anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, anthelmintic, antifertility, antibacterial, insectisidal, antiarthritic, vessele protection etc. This review mainly focuses on the traditional, phytochemical and pharmacological information of Bambusa arundinacea.


Previous work has shown tha t while typhus r ickettsiae grow freely in the yolk sacs of embryona ted eggs incubated a t 34 ° or 37.5°C., their growth is a lmost complete ly inhibited when the temperature of incubat ion is raised to 40°C. (1). The introduct ion of potass ium cyanide in low concentrations, however, resul ted in excellent growth of r ickettsiae in eggs incubated a t 40°C. This work suggested tha t the determining factor might be the rate of intracellular respirat ion, ra ther than the tempera ture of incubat ion per se (2). In view of evidence tha t certain small viruses, in contrast to rickettsiae, grow best when the rate of intracel lular metabol ism is re la t ively high (3) i t seemed tha t a s tudy of the influenza virus, by methods previously used for typhus r icket ts iae (1, 2, 4), might lead to results of interest . When this s tudy was begun, i t was believed tha t the hemagglut inat ion t i t re could be used as an index of the ra te of mult ipl icat ion of the virus. I t was thought necessary, however, in the init ial experiments, to check the t i t re of hemagglut inat ion b y the more laborious process of infect ivi ty t i t rat ion. This s tudy has brought out anomalous relationships between the hemagglut inat ion and infect ivi ty t i t re curves. Material and Methods


Brand communication specialists are paying increasing attention to new unconventional methods of communicating messages. One such method is ambient communication; a complex form of communication that uses elements of public spaces to convey messages designed to increase customer engagement in corporate objectives. Health communication experts agree that these methods are potentially capable of increasing both an individual's engagement with health communication and the chances that preventive information become part of peers' discourses. However little research has been done to assess the condition under which these new, alternative methods can effectively communicate health promotion messages. This article is based on the preliminary results of a qualitative study aimed at assessing the effectiveness conditions of ambient communication to prevent unsafe practices. The study considers an ambient initiative recently promoted in Brescia (Italy) by the public institutions to reduce drink-driving by young people. It is important to study the influence of the actual risk context on the effectiveness of a health preventive message. Although the findings of the study indicate the potential ability of ambient communication to sensitise young people towards safe conducts. However, the communication actually had little impact on perceptions of the dangers of drink-driving. To be more effective preventive ambient communication needs to be both part of a more complex and articulated communication mix and designed according to a deep and ecological understanding of real social contexts especially the ways in which young people use public spaces.


A combination of low-resolution and high-resolution techniques was applied to establish the composition, crystallography and distribution of small inclusions, average diameters ∼1 μm, dispersed within large synthetic diamonds. Both metallic and silicate phases were present among included bodies, often lying adjacent in the same cavity within the diamond matrix. Monochromatic X-ray microradiography, achieving 1 μm resolution with Cu Kα radiation, demonstrated that transition-metal phases constituted a minor fraction of the total volume of inclusions present. In a specimen rich in dispersed inclusions, the sizes of 1483 inclusions were individually measured. In aggregate they occupied ∼4 x 10 -4 of the diamond volume. High local inclusion concentrations were associated with high local concentrations of substitutional nitrogen impurity in the diamond matrix. The electron-microscopic techniques included convergent-beam electron diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. Detailed crystallographic identifications of individual particles included a b.c.c. Fe-Co alloy (a 0 ≃ 2.86A), a garnet of andradite variety [a 0 = 11.95 (5) A] and a clinopyroxene with composition corresponding to that in the augite-ferroaugite division of pyroxenes.


In this paper, several novel functions for accurately estimating the correlation and the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capacity of combined spatial and true polarization diversity (TPD) schemes are proposed for the first time. Minimum error estimation of the correlation for a hybrid spatial-TPD linear scheme previously reported cannot be obtained by simple nonlinear least-square estimators, and the use of genetic algorithms (GAs) provides an accurate solution. Channel matrix coefficients and MIMO capacities are analyzed for the diverse optimization strategies employed, which aim to identify the best prediction of MIMO performance. The novel functions are used with previously reported results and validated for Rayleigh fading scenarios with isotropic scattering using a multimode-stirred chamber (MIMO Analyzer). An accurate prediction of high correlation values is concluded to be of extreme importance for the final MIMO performance estimation. This has been found to be particularly important for estimating MIMO capacity with achieved prediction accuracies of 1.1% at SNR = 15 dB. In contrast, the accurate prediction of low correlation values has been found to have a less-important effect on the final capacity-predicting performance.


This study explores the dynamics of an unstable jet of two-dimensional, incompressible fluid on the beta-plane. In the inviscid limit, standard weakly nonlinear theory fails to give a low-order description of this problem, partly because the simple shape of the unstable normal mode is insufficient to capture the structure of the forming pattern. That pattern takes the form of 'cat's eyes' in the vorticity distribution which develop inside the modal critical layers (slender regions to either side of the jet's axis surrounding the levels where the modal wave speed matches the mean flow). Asymptotic expansions furnish a reduced model which is a version of what is known as the single-wave model in plasma physics. The reduced model predicts that the amplitude of the unstable mode saturates at a relatively low level and is not steady. Rather, the amplitude evolves aperiodically about the saturation level, a result with implications for Lagrangian transport theories. The aperiodic amplitude 'bounces' are intimately connected with sporadic deformations of the vortices within the cat's eyes. The theory is compared with numerical simulations of the original governing equations. Slightly asymmetrical jets are also studied. In this case the neutral modes along the stability boundary become singular; an extension of the weakly nonlinear theory is presented for these modes.


Purpose: Metal rods are frequently used to stabilize the spine in patients with metastatic disease. The high Z material causes imaging artifacts in the surrounding tissue in CT scans, which introduces dosimetric uncertainty when inhomogeneity correction is enabled for radiation treatment planning. The purpose of this study is to quantify the dosimetric deviations caused by the imaging artifacts and to evaluate the effectiveness of using Hounsfield units (HU) overwriting to reduce dosimetric uncertainties. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed treatment plans for 4 patients with metal implants who received stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) for metastatic disease to the spine on Tomotherapy HiArt. For all four patients, the region of imaging artifact surrounding the metal implants was contoured and the pixel HU's were overwritten to be water equivalent. We then generated adaptive treatment plans for these patients using the MVCT pretreatment set up images and batched beamlets in the original treatment plans. The dosimetry deviation between the adaptive and original plans were compared and quantitatively analyzed. Results: For three out of four patient, the major OAR (spinal cord) dose (0.35cc or 10% according to protocols and fractionation) increased (2.7%, 5.5%, 0%, 3.9%, mean=3.0±2.3%, p=0.04), and the PTV dose (D90 or D95 asmore » per prescription) increased for all four patients ( 2%, 5%, 0.7%, 3.6%, mean=2.8±1.9%, p=0.03) in the adaptive plan with HU overwriting. The average point dose deviation of the Tomotherapy DQA for the same patients was −1.0±1.0%. For plans without HU overwriting, the dose deviation from the treatment plan will increase. Conclusion: The metal implant and the imaging artifacts may cause a significant dosimetric impact on radiation treatment plans for spinal disease. The dose to the PTV and the spinal cord was under-calculated in treatment plans without considering the imaging artifacts. HU overwriting can reduce the dosimetry un-certainty.« less


This paper examines Real Exchange Rate (RER) volatility in Kenya by using Generalized Autoregressive Condition of Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) and computation of the unconditional standard deviation of the changes for the period of January 1993 to December 2009. Data for the study was collected from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Central Bank of Kenya and International Monetary Fund Data Base by taking monthly frequency. Thus, 204 data values were analysed, which assisted in evaluating the extent of the trade Kenya had with different countries and used in the construction of the Real Exchange Rate (RER). The study found that RER was very volatility for the entire study period. Kenya's RER generally exhibited a appreciating and volatility trend, implying that in general, the country's international competitiveness deteriorated over the study period. The RER Volatility reflect negative effect on economic growth of Kenya.


For arable stockless farming systems, the integration of catch crops (CC) during the fallow period might be a key for closing the nitrogen (N) cycle, reducing N leaching and increasing the transfer of N to the subsequent crop. However, despite considerable research efforts, the fate of N in such integrated systems remains unclear. To address this, a two-year field experiment was carried out in northern Germany with different CC, including frost-tolerant and frost-killed CC. The experiment started following a two-year ryegrass/red clover ley, which was subsequently sown with a cereal (CE) or a grain legume (field pea, PE). This provided two contrasting systems with high residual N in autumn. The results showed high N uptake of the CC, ranging from 84 to 136 kg N ha−1 with PE as the pre-crop, and from 33 to 110 kg N ha−1 with CE. All CC reduced N leaching compared with the control, a bare fallow over autumn/winter. Of the various CC, the frost-killed CC showed higher leaching compared with the other CCs, indicating mineralisation of the CC residue in the later autumn/winter period. The process based APSIM (Agricultural Production SIMulator) model was used to simulate N cycling for a cereal grain legume rotation, including a frost-killed and a frost resistant CC. While the model simulated the biomass and the N uptake by the crops, as well as the reduction of N leaching with the use of CC well, it under-estimated N leaching from the frost-killed CC. The study showed that all CC were affective at reducing N leaching, but winter hard catch crops should be preferred, as there is a risk of increased leaching following the mineralisation of residues from frost-killed CC.


T cell-engaging bispecific antibodies (TCBs) represent a highly potent modality to direct the activity of cytotoxic T cells to tumors. TCBs are designed to bind both a surface tumor antigen and the CD3e subunit of the T cell receptor, thereby enabling T cells to kill tumor cells. Because T cell bispecifics bypass TCR antigen recognition and co-stimulatory requirements for T cell activation, they obviate the need for tumor-specific immunity and overcome many impediments faced by T cells in the tumor-microenvironment. TCBs have shown clinical activity in hematologic malignancies as evidenced by the recent approval of blinatumomab for the treatment of relapsed refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia based on its ability to direct T cells against CD19+ cells. Development of TCBs for non-hematologic cancers is proving more challenging, however, due to the high potency of the modality and its inability to discriminate between cells expressing target antigen in the tumor and those in healthy tissue. Because antigens with highly restricted tumor expression are rare, toxicity directed against healthy tissues has limited the therapeutic utility of TCBs for most solid tumor targets. In addition, because TCBs are administered at very low doses, preferential distribution to circulating T cells or to healthy tissues can limit drug exposure in tumors. Therefore new methods are needed that enable the potent anti-tumor activity of TCBs without on-target damage to normal tissues. Here we describe a T cell-engaging Bispecific Probody therapeutic (TCBP) targeting CD3 and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). Probody therapeutics are recombinant, proteolytically-activated antibody prodrugs designed to widen therapeutic window by minimizing interaction with normal tissues and maximizing interactions with tumors. A Probody therapeutic is an antibody in which the antigen-binding site is blocked by a masking peptide extension from the amino terminus of the light chain. The peptide mask, joined to the antibody by a protease-cleavable linker, can be removed by proteases that are more active in the tumor microenvironment than in normal tissue, allowing for tumor-localized activity. We have previously demonstrated that an EGFR-targeted Probody therapeutic limits interaction with EGFR-expressing tissue while preserving anti-tumor activity. To demonstrate that Probody technology can address the limitations of bispecific antibodies, we compared CD3-EGFR TCBPs to the corresponding unmasked TCB for their ability to direct T cell-mediated cytotoxicity of EGFR+ tumor cells in vitro. While the unmasked CD3-EGFR TCB demonstrated potent T cell- and EGFR-dependent killing at single-digit pM concentrations, the CD3-EGFR TCBP exhibited reduced targeted cytotoxicity by up to 3000-fold. In a tumor model utilizing engraftment of human T cells in NSG mice, both TCB Probody therapeutic and its parental TCB effectively eliminated established EGFR+ HT-29 colorectal tumors at equivalent doses. In contrast, an ongoing study in non-human primates has shown at least a 10-fold higher maximum tolerated dose for the CD3-EGFR TCBP relative to its corresponding CD3-EGFR TCB. As a result, Probody technology has the potential to increase therapeutic window and may enable potent bispecific therapies for solid tumors that are limited by on-target toxicities in healthy tissue. Citation Format: Sherry L. LaPorte, Daniel R. Hostetter, Laurie Wong, Jennifer Razo, Linnea Diep, Clayton W. White, Jennifer H. Richardson, W. Michael Kavanaugh, Bryan A. Irving. CD3-EGFR bispecific Probody™ therapeutics induced tumor regressions and increased therapeutic window in preclinical studies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr A203.


: The identification of communities is imperative in the understanding of network structures and functions. Using community detection algorithms in biological networks, the community structure of biological networks can be determined, which is helpful in analyzing the topological structures and predicting the behaviors of biological networks. In this paper, we analyze the diseasome network using a new method called disease-gene network detecting algorithm based on principal component analysis, which can be used to investigate the connection between nodes within the same group. Experimental results on real-world networks have demonstrated that our algorithm is more efficient in detecting community structures when compared with other well-known results.


Purpose – The purpose of the study is the evaluation of the efficiencies of a group of small Italian airports and the comparison with a set of transport heliports to show the difference in the productivity of the two types of infrastructures. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used for the evaluation is the data envelopment analysis (DEA). Findings – The better performance of the heliports compared to the small inefficient airports. Research limitations/implications – This research is limited by the field of application and the weaknesses of the DEA methodology. However, it could be the first step for further works that will include more accurate models. Practical implications – The study suggests the conversion of the small inefficient airports into heliports feeding traffic towards the major hubs. The use of helicopters to reach poor accessible areas represents an alternative mode of transport. Originality/value – This is the first case of application of the DEA methodology to a group of heli...


Since well before the U.S. presidential election of 2020, voter identification laws have been a topic of discussion amongst politicians, voters, the news media, and scholars. Many have questioned the focus and true reason for their creation, their implementation, their effects and potential unintended consequences. Specifically, many have argued that voter identification laws pose too great a barrier to potential voters to be worth the benefits gained in election security. Since the election of 2020, those discussions seemed to magnify. For example, in a May 2021 speech, President Biden repeated similar assertions made in the past by scholars and activists (Amwine and Smeal 2013), but in a much higher-profile fashion. Currently, thirty-five of the fifty U.S. states have voter identification laws, and it is the changes to some of these laws that have received criticism. States like Georgia and Texas have taken steps to further revise their voter identification laws which have resulted in the filing of numerous lawsuits. The recent developments and changes to current voter identification laws have led to a new unanswered question: do these laws adversely affect the turnout of women voters more than men? According to the US Census Bureau, we know that women turn out to vote at higher levels than men. But does the turnout gender gap decrease when voter identification laws are implemented and increase in level of strictness? If so, this could suggest that voter identification laws do adversely affect turnout of women more than men. This is the research question I aim to answer here. To answer my hypothesis, I created a dataset using voter turnout data from the U.S. Census Bureau for presidential election years 2000-2020. I then created an index to measure the strictness levels of voter identification laws in all 50 states. I also created a competitiveness scale to measure the competitiveness of the presidential and senate races for the same election years and collected numerous control variables thought to affect voter turnout. After collecting that data and applying advanced statistical techniques and multivariate regression models using both random and fixed effects, I found that the evidence was largely null and suggestive at best that voter identification laws do adversely affect turnout of women more than men. The descriptive models initially revealed indicative evidence to support the theory; however, after running the advanced regression models that initial evidence did not replicate, as they revealed no statistically significant differences in the turnout gender gap as the voter ID index increased.


This research was performed for examining the differences of experience of sex education and the awareness of sexual abuse according to child's sex and economic background. Also the differences of sex knowledge and sexual consciousness were analyzed according to child's sex, economic background and sex education. Subjects were 425 children from two elementary schools and 10 community child centers in H city, Gyeonggi-do. The results were as follows. First, more girls thought the desirable place for sex education was home and more girls consulted sexual problems with their parents. Children from low economic backgrounds experienced sex education at school and community child centers rather than at home. Second, both boys and girls replied that sexual abuse was due to the attacker's fault but more girls than boys attributed the fault to themselves. Third, girls' sex knowledge grade was higher than boys. Fourth, boys showed a more open attitude toward heterosexual dating, and children with a low economic background showed a higher sex drive. Fifth, a high sex drive was related to low sexual knowledge, openness in dating and high sexual ethics.