Inverse-dispersion techniques allow inference of a gas emission rate Q from measured air concentration. In "ideal surface layer problems," where Monin–Obukhov similarity theory (MOST) describes the winds transporting the gas, the application of the technique can be straightforward. This study examines the accuracy of an ideal MOST-based inference, but in a nonideal setting. From a6m 6 m synthetic area source surrounded by a 20 m 20 m square border of a windbreak fence (1.25 m tall), Q is estimated. Open-path lasers gave line-averaged concentration CL at positions downwind of the source, and an idealized backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) dispersion model was used to infer QbLS. Despite the disturbance of the mean wind and turbulence caused by the fence, the QbLS estimates were accurate when ambient winds (measured upwind of the plot) were assumed in the bLS model. In the worst cases, with CL measured adjacent to a plot fence, QbLS overestimated Q by an average of 50%. However, if these near-fence locations are eliminated, QbLS averaged within 2% of the true Q over 61 fifteen-minute observations (with a standard deviation Q/Q 0.20). Poorer accuracy occurred when in-plot wind measurements were used in the bLS model. The results show that when an inverse-dispersion technique is applied to disturbed flows without accounting for the disturbance, the outcome may still be of acceptable accuracy if judgment is applied in the placement of the concentration detector.


This research examined teachers' opinions on the forms, causes, and consequences of deviant behavior among senior school students in Ilorin South Local Government Area in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive form of survey research. The study population consisted of teachers of public senior secondary schools in Ilorin South; the study group was comprised of 322 teachers selected from 23 schools in the area using the purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire designed by the researcher with 28 items using a four-point Likert scale was used to elicit the necessary data from the respondents. The tool was checked for content validity and the split-half method revealed a reliability index of 0.68. A descriptive statistical method of percentages was used to answer the research question. The findings revealed that lateness, truancy, disrespect of the school authority, and examination malpractice were some of the forms of deviant behavior prevalent among the students. Also, access to illicit drugs and over- or under-pampering of children were considered some of the causes of deviant behavior, while academic failure, increased dropout rates, increased social vices, and an inconducive teaching and learning environment were thought to be the consequences of deviant behavior. Therefore, the provision of adequate facilities, monitoring of students' activities at all times, and professional counselling are possible solutions to the problem of deviant behavior among the students.


Forest degradation reduces ecosystem services provided by forest and could lead to change in composition of species. In North Korea, there has been significant forest degradation due to conversion of forest into terrace fields for food production and cut-down of forest for fuel woods. This studyanalyzed the phenological changes in North Korea, in terms of vegetation and moisture in soil and vegetation, from March to Octorber 2013, using MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) images and indexes including NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDSI (Normalized Difference Soil Index), and NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index). In addition, marginal farmland was derived using elevation data. Lastly, degraded terrace fields of 16 degree was analyzed using NDVI, NDSI, and NDWI indexes, and marginal farmland characteristics with slope variable. The accuracy value of land cover classification, which shows the difference between the observation and analyzed value, was 84.9% and Kappa value was 0.82. The highest accuracy value was from agricultural (paddy, field) and forest area. Terrace fields were easily identified using slope data form agricultural field. Use of NDVI, NDSI, and NDWI is more effective in distinguishing deforested terrace field from agricultural area. NDVI only shows vegetation difference whereas NDSI classifies soil moisture values and NDWI classifies abandoned agricultural fields based on moisture values. The method used in this study allowed more effective identification of deforested terrace fields, which visually illustrates forest degradation problem in North Korea.


Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) is a tumor and metastasis suppressor in cancer cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to play a vital role in tumor initiation and progression by negatively regulating oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Quite recently, studies have identified some miRNAs operating to promote or suppress tumor invasion or metastasis via regulating metastasis-related genes, providing potential therapeutic targets on antimetastasis strategy. In this study, we found that the expression of RKIP and miR-98 in glioma tissues were significantly lower than that in normal brain tissues. Overexpression of RKIP upregulated miR-98 expression and inhibited glioma cell invasion and miR-98 target gene HMGA2 but had no effect in glioma cell proliferation. Moreover, forced expression of miR-98 accelerated the inhibition of glioma cell invasion and the expression of HMGA2 also had no effect in glioma cell proliferation. Our findings newly described RKIP/miR-98 to HMGA2 link and provided a potential mechanism for glioma cell invasion. RKIP and miR-98 may illustrate the potential therapeutic utility of signaling pathway signatures.


Sandbank morphology is a longshore corridor with fast morphological changes. To analyze its changes, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is the preferred effective and flexible data collection platform, which can collect very high resolution images. UAV campaigns along corridor areas require well-distributed ground control points (GCP) and accurate geotagged image positions to avoid misalignment errors of generated digital surface models (DSMs). However, a sandy terrain can make the measurement of GCPs difficult or even impossible. Furthermore, UAVs are often equipped with consumer-grade devices (onboard GNSS and nonmetric cameras), which, therefore, cannot provide accurate image positions and lead to geometric distortions of the image network due to inappropriate lens distortion corrections. This article proposes a strategy to calibrate the used camera and co-register multitemporal images without the need for accurate geotagged information on the whole datasets and well-distributed GCPs. The proposed strategy includes two improvements. First, we performed semi-on-the-job self-calibration (semi-OTJSC) using UAV images with favor orientations and flight altitudes to precalibrate interior orientation parameters (IOPs) and additional lens distortion parameters. This was then followed by another OTJSC of IOPs involving images with accurate geotagged positions. Second, a "transferred aerial-triangulation (Trans-AT)" strategy is proposed to co-register two consecutive UAV datasets through AT procedure similar to GNSS-supported AT within a strip image block. The experimental results revealed that the proposed method provides the best-fit camera parameters and generates high-accuracy co-registered DSMs. This strategy contributes significantly to multitemporal camera calibration and co-registration procedures for determining morphological changes in corridor mapping.


The paper extends the work of Deller et al (2001) by introducing a spatial component in a structural growth model to capture the role of spatially distributed variables using county-level data. The premise of the analysis is that what is true at a national level may provide a partial or misleading picture when we look at particular areas. Additionally, data available at the state level can often provide richer, more precise information than what is found at the national level, so we try to explore in more depth the role of spatially distributed amenities in economic development by examining, for instance the valuable Alabama countryside features such as natural habitats, scenic landscapes and warm weather amidst a poverty of infrastructure. The estimated results demonstrate a strong relationship between quality of life amenities and economic growth; with most conforming to theory and expectations while others exhibit unexpected relationship.


The paper deals with the action of light pressure on a double-Λ system in case of four travelling optical waves. We find that light pressure effects are completely determined by the relative phase Φ of exciting fields. The time evolution of the velocity distribution for different values of Φ is obtained. The dependence of the transversal temperature of the double-Λ-atom beam on the phase Φ is calculated and it is shown that under certain conditions T can reach ~ 3 μK.


In control theory, a semipermeable surface is an (in general nonsmooth) oriented surface that, on one hand, contains solutions (the so-called barrier solutions) of the controlled system and, on the other hand, may be crossed by the solutions of this system in only one direction. Without making any assumption on the regularity of the boundary of the semipermeable surface, we show that the barrier solutions contained in this semipermeable surface satisfy the Pontryagin principle, that this surface is a Lipschitz manifold, and that it is, locally, the graph of a semiconcave function. Applying these results to the optimal exit-time function from a given open set yields, without any controllability assumption at the boundary of the open set, that this function is semiconcave on an open dense subset of its domain.


ABSTRACT Work-family conflict among underground coal miners not only leads their mental disorders but also may cause coal accidents. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between Work-family conflict (WFC) and mental health, testing the Psychological capital (PsyCap) plays a moderating role in this relationship. The cross-sectional survey was performed in Shanxi Province, China during the August to October 2017. 986 miners from five coal mines were recruited in this study. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the moderating role of psychological capital. The result showed that Work-family conflict was positively related to Anxiety Symptoms and Depressive Symptoms. Psychological capital (PsyCap) moderated the relationship between WFC and Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms. The findings illustrate that psychological capital was an important way to improve miners' mental health. Managers should promote organization support and investment in PsyCap to improve miners' mental health.


LiFePO4 crystals were synthesized in a novel system of ethylene glycol/water (EG/W), in which dodecyl benzene sulphonic acid sodium (SDBS) was used as soft template to control the particle morphology. The obtained sample displays an interesting hierarchical nanostructure (i.e. nanodendrites) which was constructed by nanorods of 3-5 μ in length and ~50 nm in diameter. The EG/W ratio, amount of SDBS added, hydrothermal temperature and duration played the important roles in the assembly of the nanodendrites. It is proposed that the nanodendrites form by the end-to-end self-assembly of nanorods.


In this paper, we propose a scheduling framework and related algorithms for processing large-scale, computation-intensive divisible loads. The framework is organized into a two-level tree architecture. Based on this framework, admission test and load partitioning and distribution algorithms are designed to ensure that the multi-dimensional QoS requirements, i.e. processing deadline, security and reliability, of admitted loads can be satisfied. We take a novel approach to incorporate resource reservation and time step-size adaptive scheduling schemes into the optimal solution that makes computation nodes finish computing at the same time instant. We provide an implementation of the framework a top of a distributed communication middleware extended with QoS-aware resource management facilities. Prototype implementation and preliminary experimental results demonstrate the engineering feasibility and good performance of the proposed framework and algorithms.


Bacteria were completely eliminated from rice seeds following immersion in household bleach solutions (50% bleach and 2.6% NaOCl) adjusted to pH 7.0 in 0.5 M potassium phosphate, while fungi were eliminated at pH 5.0 and below. Mercuric chloride was used to disinfest non-dormant rice seeds in order to test the direct effect of sodium hypochlorite on rice seedling growth apart from an indirect effect related to elimination of microbial contaminants. Seeds were immersed for 2 h in each solution or water in each of the following treatments: (i) sterilewater followed by sterile water, (ii) HgCl2 (1,000 μg/ml) followed by sterile water, (iii) HgCl2 followed by KH2PO4 (0.3 M), (iv) HgCl2 followed by NaOCl, and (v) NaOCl followed by sterile water. Sodium hypochlorite solutions were prepared in 0.3 M potassium phosphate, which gave a final pH of 7.3. Seedling growth in treatments in which seeds were treated with HgCl2 followed by NaOCl, and NaOCl followed by sterile water, was significantly greater than those treatments in which seeds were treated with sterile water followed by sterile water, HgCl2 followed by sterile water, and HgCl2 followed by KH2PO4. Sodium hypochlorite stimulated rice seedling growth directly, as opposed to an indirect effect related to elimination of microbial contaminants or alleviation of dormancy.


Based on the process model CRISP-DM, this paper has solved E-marketing problems like network customer prediction and market segmentation. Each phase of this model was described firstly, and then its application in E-marketing was presented, which provides a complete description of all the steps, from understanding the problem domain to using the discovered knowledge. Finally a KDDM procedure of network marketing is discussed thoroughly, and a simple operating and easy understanding process model is provided to marketing people who have difficulties to make marketing decisions.


The legal sale of cannabis-enriched foods and beverages for medical or recreational purposes is increasing in many states and countries, especially in North America and Europe. These food-based cannabis delivery systems vary considerably in their compositions and structures, ranging from low-viscosity watery beverages to solid fatty chocolates. The rate and extent of release of the bioactive components in cannabis within the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) affect their health and psychoactive effects. Studies with other types of hydrophobic bioactives, such as nutraceuticals and vitamins, have shown that food composition and structure have a major impact on their bioaccessibility, transformation, and absorption within the GIT, thereby influencing their bioavailability and bioactivity. This review outlines how insights on the bioavailability of other lipophilic bioactives can be used to facilitate the design of more efficacious and consistent cannabis-enriched products intended for oral consumption. In particular, the importance of food-matrix composition (such as fat type and level) and structural organization (such as fat domain dimensions) are discussed. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 11 is March 25, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


Unification and generalization are operations on two terms computing respectively their greatest lower bound and least upper bound when the terms are quasi-ordered by subsumption up to variable renaming (i.e., $t_1\preceq t_2$ iff $t_1 = t_2\sigma$ for some variable substitution $\sigma$). When term signatures are such that distinct functor symbols may be related with a fuzzy equivalence (called a similarity), these operations can be formally extended to tolerate mismatches on functor names and/or arity or argument order. We reformulate and extend previous work with a declarative approach defining unification and generalization as sets of axioms and rules forming a complete constraint-normalization proof system. These include the Reynolds-Plotkin term-generalization procedures, Maria Sessa's "weak" unification with partially fuzzy signatures and its corresponding generalization, as well as novel extensions of such operations to fully fuzzy signatures (i.e., similar functors with possibly different arities). One advantage of this approach is that it requires no modification of the conventional data structures for terms and substitutions. This and the fact that these declarative specifications are efficiently executable conditional Horn-clauses offers great practical potential for fuzzy information-handling applications.


ABSTRACT To obtain a nuanced understanding of body transgendering, I draw on a Bourdieusian theory of practice to examine the interplay between habitus and capital, which enables a focus on both the conscious aspects of capital accumulation and the unconscious aspects of the class habitus that underpin passing practices. Specifically, I propose a place-sensitive approach to examine how the making of transgender space embodies the broader socio-spatial polarization which offers different possibilities for transgender individuals in different social locations. Based on an ethnographic study conducted from 2012 to 2018, I focus on Chinese cross-dressers' place-making in Hong Kong and its fundamental relation with transgender embodiment and practices. Independent of the use of hormone replacement and surgeries, the passing practices of these cross-dressers demonstrate creativity and reflexivity in the development of body techniques and appropriation of city space. I argue that attention to the roles of place and class habitus complicates our theoretical understanding of gender passing by highlighting the complex processes of negotiation and investment, as well as the materiality and spatiality of particular passing practices.


According to Global Terrorism Index of 2017, Turkey is ranked as the ninth in the group of countries most affected by the terrorist activities. Indeed, the effect on various macroeconomic variables of terrorism in Turkey has been the subject to many studies. In this study, the effect of terrorism on the budget deficit will be discussed. In this context, relationship between the numbers of terrorist incidents and budget deficit in the period of 1984-2016 were tested by using Granger Causality Test and Cointegration Analysis. As a result of the study, it has been shown that there is cointegration between terrorism and budget deficit. Also there is a unidirectional causality relationship from terrorism to budget deficit. In this context, it can be said that the increasing terrorist incidents affects the budget deficit by increasing defense spending. Key Words: Budget Deficit, Terrorism, Time Series Analysis.


Abstract. Management of water resources requires an appreciation for how climate change, in particular changes in rainfall, affects the volume of water available in runoff. While there are many studies that use hydrological models for this purpose, comparisons of predictions appear much less commonly in the literature. This paper aims to contribute to this discussion by proposing methods for evaluating the effect on daily runoff projections of rainfall-runoff models when historical daily rainfall inputs are scaled by factors that increase and decrease the rainfall. Considered are the widely used lumped conceptual model SIMHYD and a selection of time series models which feature lagged runoff and rainfall terms. In particular these are AutoRegressive with eXogenous input (ARX), a variant containing nonlinear autoregressive runoff terms (NARX), a model for the log transform of runoff, a finite impulse response model (FIR) and a two regime threshold autoregressive model with exogenous input (TARX). Results show that SIMHYD and the single regime time series models considered have very different behaviour under scaled input rainfall. Reasons for the discrepancy are discussed. The amplification of the rainfall change observed for SIMHYD is consistent with claims that a 1% change in rainfall leads to a 2–3% change in runoff in the Murray-Darling Basin.


Abstract. The importance of single trees and the determination of related parameters has been recognized in recent years, e.g. for forest inventories or management. For urban areas an increasing interest in the data acquisition of trees can be observed concerning aspects like urban climate, CO2 balance, and environmental protection. Urban trees differ significantly from natural systems with regard to the site conditions (e.g. technogenic soils, contaminants, lower groundwater level, regular disturbance), climate (increased temperature, reduced humidity) and species composition and arrangement (habitus and health status) and therefore allometric relations cannot be transferred from natural sites to urban areas. To overcome this problem an extended approach was developed for a fast and non-destructive extraction of branch volume, DBH (diameter at breast height) and height of single trees from point clouds of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). For data acquisition, the trees were scanned with highest scan resolution from several (up to five) positions located around the tree. The resulting point clouds (20 to 60 million points) are analysed with an algorithm based on voxel (volume elements) structure, leading to an appropriate data reduction. In a first step, two kinds of noise reduction are carried out: the elimination of isolated voxels as well as voxels with marginal point density. To obtain correct volume estimates, the voxels inside the stem and branches (interior voxels) where voxels contain no laser points must be regarded. For this filling process, an easy and robust approach was developed based on a layer-wise (horizontal layers of the voxel structure) intersection of four orthogonal viewing directions. However, this procedure also generates several erroneous "phantom" voxels, which have to be eliminated. For this purpose the previous approach was extended by a special region growing algorithm. In a final step the volume is determined layer-wise based on the extracted branch areas Ai of this horizontal cross-section multiplied by the thickness of the voxel layer. A significant improvement of this method could be obtained by a reasonable determination of the threshold for excluding sparsely filled voxels for noise reduction which can be defined based on the function change of filled voxels. Field measurements were used to validate this method. For a quality assessment nine deciduous trees were selected for control and were scanned before felling and weighing. The results are in good accordance to the control trees within a range of only -5.1% to +14.3%. The determined DBH values show only minor deviations, while the heights of trees are systematically underestimated, mainly due to field measurements. Possible error sources including gaps in surface voxels, influence of thin twigs and others are discussed in detail and several improvements of this approach are suggested. The advantages of the algorithm are the robustness and simple structure as well as the quality of the results obtained. The drawbacks are the high effort both in data acquisition and analysis, even if a remarkable data reduction can be obtained by the voxel structure.


I present an original model in judgment aggregation theory that demonstrates the general impossibility of consistently describing decision-making purely at the group level. Only a type of unanimity rule can guarantee a group decision is consistent with supporting reasons, and even this possibility is limited to a small class of reasoning methods. The key innovation is that this result holds when individuals can reason in different ways, an allowance not previously considered in the literature. This generalizes judgment aggregation to subjective decision situations, implying that the discursive dilemma persists without individual agreement on the logical constraints. Notably, the model mirrors the typical method of choosing political representatives, and thus suggests that no voting procedure other than unanimity rule can guarantee representation that reflects electorate opinion. Finally, I apply the results to a normative argument for unanimity rule in contract theory and juries, as well as to problems posed for deliberative democratic theory and the concept of representation.


Nonlamellar lipid arrangements, including cubosomes, appear in unhealthy cells, e.g., when they are subject to stress, starvation, or viral infection. The bioactivity of cubosomes—nanoscale particles exhibiting bicontinuous cubic structures—versus more common vesicles is an unexplored area due to lack of suitable model systems. Here, glycodendrimercubosomes (GDCs)—sugar-presenting cubosomes assembled from Janus glycodendrimers by simple injection into buffer—are proposed as mimics of biological cubic membranes. The bicontinuous cubic GDC architecture has been demonstrated by electron tomography. The stability of these GDCs in buffer enabled studies on lectin-dependent agglutination, revealing significant differences compared with the vesicular glycodendrimersome (GDS) counterpart. In particular, GDCs showed an increased activity toward concanavalin A, as well as an increased sensitivity and selectivity toward two variants of banana lectins, a wild-type and a genetically modified variant, which is not exhibited by GDSs. These results suggest that cells may adapt under unhealthy conditions by undergoing a transformation from lamellar to cubic membranes as a method of defense.


Over the past few years, great concern has been raised about the impact of commercial aviation on the environment. In a Business As Usual approach, the expected growth in air traffic is going to affect climate change even more unless mitigation policies are devised and implemented. Although there is a tendency to focus on long-term technological solutions and breakthroughs, short-term improvements applicable to existing aircraft/engine configurations are also very important to fully realise the benefits of new technologies. Aircraft trajectory optimisation presents the opportunity to effectively reduce fuel consumption and pollutants emitted providing a feasible short-term strategy to be applied to the existing aircraft fleet. The present study focuses on preliminary results obtained using a multi-disciplinary aircraft trajectory optimisation simulation framework. Three in-house computational models are implemented in the framework to model the aircraft and engine performance, as well as to predict the level of gaseous emissions produced. A commercially available optimiser is integrated within the framework to analyse and optimise single flight path elements (e.g., climb), as well as the entire flight profile. For the purpose of this study, the climb and the whole flight profile are divided in four and eight segments respectively. Trajectory optimisation processes are then carried out in order to minimise three different objective functions: flight time, fuel burned, and mass of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emitted. The results of the trajectory optimisation processes performed confirm the validity, effectiveness, and flexibility of the methodology proposed. In future, it is expected that these types of approaches are utilised to efficiently compute complete, optimum and 'greener' aircraft trajectories, which help to minimise the impact of commercial aviation on the environment. Other computational models that simulate several other aspects such as aircraft and engine noise, weather conditions and contrails formation, among others, need to be also included in the optimisation processes.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


Background Primary sex-determination is the developmental process that results in the sex determination of the gonads. Vertebrate sex determination is generally considered to follow the model based on the mammalian system, where a sex-specific master regulatory gene activates one of the two different gene networks that underlie testis and ovary differentiation. Summary It is now known that, while many of the molecular components of these pathways are conserved across different vertebrates, a wide variety of different trigger factors are utilised to initiate primary sex determination. In birds, the male is the homogametic sex (ZZ), and significant differences exist between the avian system of sex determination and that of mammals. For example, DMRT1, FOXL2 and estrogen are key factors in gonadogenesis in birds, but none are essential for primary sex determination in mammals. Key Message Gonadal sex determination in birds is thought to depend on a dosage-based mechanism involving expression of the Z-linked DMRT1 gene, and it may be that this 'mechanism' is simply an extension of the cell autonomous sex identity (CASI) associated with avian tissues, with no sex-specific trigger required.


Abstract Increasing concerns about pesticide use and a steadily increasing conversion to organic farming have been major factors driving research in physical and cultural weed control methods in Europe. This article reviews some of the major results achieved with nonchemical methods and strategies, especially adapted for row crops (e.g., corn, sugar beet, onion, leek, and carrot) and small-grain cereals (e.g., barley and wheat). In row crops, intrarow weeds constitute a major challenge, and research has mainly aimed at replacing laborious hand-weeding with mechanization. A number of investigations have focused on optimizing the use of thermal and mechanical weeding methods against intrarow weeds, such as flaming, harrowing, brush weeding, hoeing, torsion weeding, and finger weeding. And new methods are now under investigation such as robotic weeding for row crops with abundant spacing between individual plants and band-steaming for row crops developing dense crop stands. The strategic use of mechanical weed control methods in small-grain cereals has been another area of considerable interest. Weed harrowing and interrow hoeing provide promising results when they are part of a strategy that also involves cultural methods such as fertilizer placement, seed vigor, seed rate, and competitive varieties. Although research in preventive, cultural, and physical methods have improved weed control in row crops and small-grain cereals, effective long-term weed management in low external input and organic systems can only be achieved by tackling the problem in a wider context, i.e., at the cropping system level. Basic principles of this approach, examples of cover crop and intercropping use for weed suppression, and an application in a 2-yr rotation are presented and discussed. Nomenclature: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L.; carrot, Daucus carota L.; corn, Zea mays L.; leek, Allium porrum L.; onion, Allium cepa L.; sugar beet, Beta vulgaris L.; wheat, Triticum aestivum L.


Leiomyoma is the most frequent benign neoplasia of the esophagus. It is generally diagnosed, accidentally during a radiologic examination (filling defect with clear and regular margins) or endoscopically (sessile, hemispheric, covered by pink mucosa). Recently, to the above conventional exams, endoscopic ultrasonography has been added allowing to identify the single layers of the esophageal wall, thus furnishing useful informations on the morpho-structural characteristics of the leiomyoma. From October '94 to May '96, at the Endoscopy Service of the Institute of Oncology of the University of Messina, 12 patients, 8 males and 4 females, ranging from 39 to 69 years of age (median age 55.4) underwent EUS for suspect leiomyoma. An Olympus EU-M20 echoendoscope was used with a radial scan transducer of 12 Mhz. In 8 patients the leiomyoma was located in the III mid-esophagus, while in 4 patients the III inferior portion was interested. The Authors observed lesions ranging in size from 0.5 to 2.5 cm. In their experience, a suspect of leiomyoma represents a good indication for an endoscopic ultrasonography, which shows high sensitivity and specificity.


The thesis involves three topics. In the first part, the various values of the difference between the first and second oxidation potentials (ΔEox) for non-metalated meso-tetraphenylporphyrins (H2TPP) are determined by positions of the substituents on the meso-phenyl group. If a substituent is present only at the para position of the meso-phenyl group, ΔEox is generally significantly smaller than those of the H2TPPs with bulky o,o'-substituents on the phenyl group.
The second part is concerned with unusual spectral and electrochemical properties of azobenzene-substituted porphyrins. The Q bands intensity ratio (ea/eb) has been reversed by imidazole ligation for zinc porphyrin. Azobenzene causes the anodic shift for the first oxidation potential but cathodic shift for the second oxidation potential for porphyrin free base.
These electrochemical and spectroscopic behaviors of porphyrins were elucidated with theoretical calculations and attributed to the extent o f intramolecular ?-conjugation between the central porphyrin rings and the meso-substituents.
The third topic is about the ionic hydrogen bonding formation through electrooxidation of a series of phenylenediamines and their interaction with pyridines and alcohols through different patterns. The digital simulation was carried out to fit and understand these experimental voltammograms.


Despite the extensive use of next-generation sequencing of RNA, simultaneous sequencing and quantitative mapping of multiple RNA modifications remain challenging. Herein, we develop MLC-Seq, a mass spectrometry-based direct sequencing method allowing for simultaneously unravelling the RNA sequences and quantitatively mapping different tRNA nucleotide modifications site-specifically. Importantly, MLC-Seq reveals the stoichiometric changes of tRNA modifications upon treatment with the dealkylating enzyme AlkB, and led to the discovery of new nucleotide modifications.


A wide knowledge base regarding the ecological preferences of benthic macroinvertebrates is synthesized in public databases. This knowledge can assist in disentangling the influence of multiple environmental factors on the probability of occurrence of macroinvertebrates and in identifying anthropogenic impacts on the macroinvertebrate assemblage. We aimed to examine and extend current knowledge on ecological preferences by confronting it with independent biomonitoring datasets and to assess how the taxonomic resolution of datasets and the prevalence of taxa affects our ability to do so. We used a habitat suitability-based multi-species distribution model (HS-MSDM) and applied Bayesian inference to confront current knowledge (formalized as prior probability distributions) against independent biomonitoring data across rivers in Switzerland. Shifts in the resulting posterior probability distributions relative to the priors indicate a disagreement with the current knowledge of ecological preferences. Ecological preferences for temperature and organic matter had the highest influence on the predicted occurrence of macroinvertebrates in the model, followed by flow velocity, insecticide pollution, and substratum. Three-fold cross-validation tests demonstrated that the HS-MSDM predicted the distribution of taxa with a relative frequency of occurrence between 0.2 and 0.8 considerably better than a model without consideration of environmental factors. However, it was less able to predict the distribution of taxa with a frequency of occurrence <0.1 or >0.9. Nine taxa with a frequency of occurrence between 0.4 and 0.8 were identified as potentially useful bioindicators, given their strong association with the environmental factors in the model. We also identified 29 taxa for which part of the ecological preference data, particularly temperature and flow-velocity preferences, should be re-examined. For river morphology, 18 sensitive and 10 insensitive taxa were identified, although direct and uniquely linked prior knowledge regarding morphology was lacking for all taxa. Phylogenetically derived information on ecological preferences could be integrated and updated to fill gaps in ecological preference databases. However, the taxonomic resolution of the biomonitoring and ecological preference data plays an important role, as we show by identifying families comprising species that respond differently to environmental factors. These results demonstrate the value of conducting biomonitoring at the most detailed taxonomic level possible.


This article will help clarify the value in implementing an effective continuous quality improvement program in a compounding pharmacy and how a program like this can be critical to long-term success. Discussed in this article are: the key elements associated with every continuous quality improvement program, how using a systematic approach to implementation can add tremendous value, and the roles and responsibilities of the individuals that need to be involved with the implementation and management of a successful continuous quality improvement program. When implemented properly, continuous quality improvement can be transformative to an organization by minimizing risks, lowering costs, and growing their business.


At onset of egg-laying in the chicken, plasma levels of apolipoprotein VLDL-II (apoII) increase dramatically, suggesting a function of apoII in yolk deposition of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Thus, the possibility that this female-specific homodimeric protein (Mr of subunit, 9500) is recognized by the oocyte receptor for low and very low density lipoproteins was investigated. ApoII was purified from very low density lipoproteins by a novel, rapid procedure and reconstituted with egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) by detergent-dialysis. The resulting discoidal apoII/PC lipoprotein particles contained 3 mg of apoII per mg of PC and had a buoyant density of 1.062 g/ml. The ability of apoII/PC, as well as of physiological particles containing apoII but devoid of apolipoprotein B (apoB), namely high density lipoproteins (HDL) from laying hens, to interact with the oocyte receptor was tested. Both of these ligands failed to show saturable high affinity binding, in contrast to the apoB-containing ligands, low and very low density lipoproteins. Furthermore, neither laying-hen HDL which contain apoII and apoA-I nor apoII/PC were able to displace receptor-bound apoB-containing lipoproteins, as shown in competitive binding assays as well as by ligand blotting. Thus, we conclude that apoB, but not apoII, participates in binding and uptake of very low density lipoproteins via receptor-mediated endocytosis by growing chicken oocytes.


Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is traditionally considered the subtype with the worst prognosis, despite recent improvements in long-term survival brought about by the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) such as imatinib or dasatinib. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (aSCT) remains the most effective curative post-remission therapy in adults but appears to be less critical in children, indicating a substantial clinical and biological heterogeneity within the subgroup of Ph+ ALL. The ability to segregate Ph+ ALL into subgroups with different prognosis on the basis of reductions of BCR-ABL1 transcript levels during therapy lends further support to the heterogeneity of this type of leukemia, for which the genetic basis is not known. Microarray-based genome-wide profiling studies conducted predominantly in pediatric ALL patients have recently revealed novel recurrent submicroscopic aberrations of genes involved in B-cell development and cell cycle regulation, such as CDKN2A/B, IKZF1, PAX5, ETV6, RB1, BTG1 and EBF1. Deletions of IKZF1, CDKN2A/B and PAX genes have received the most attention due to their high frequency particularly in BCR-ABL1-positive ALL and their association with an inferior prognosis in the setting of combined TKI and chemotherapy. Their prognostic relevance in the setting of allogeneic SCT for adult or pediatric high risk BCP-ALL is not known. We therefore examined whether the negative prognostic role of IKZF1 aberrations and other frequent microdeletions of genes associated with B-cell development can be overcome by allogeneic SCT in CR1. A total of 137 newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL pts. (median age 42 years, range 18-64y, 79 male 58 female) treated within the prospective multicenter GMALL study 07/03 were analyzed. 96 of these patients underwent aSCT in first complete remission (CR), 8 pts. were primary refractory, 12 CR pts. did not undergo aSCT and relapsed, 11 pts. died during induction. Genome-wide copy number analysis in search for acquired copy number alterations (CNA) was performed with Affymetrix SNP 6.0 arrays with anonymous references. Copy number polymorphisms were excluded from the data by comparison with known copy number polymorphisms registered in the UCSC genome browser http://genome.ucsc.edu/, (hg-18). Putatively acquired CNAs were validated by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and germline matched SNP array analysis of n=20 samples within the study. Of the 96 pts. transplanted in CR1, 48 remain in CR (CCR), 30 pts. relapsed after aSCT and 7 died of treatment related causes, survival data only are available for one patient. CDKN2A/B genomic alterations were identified in 41% (40/97) of patients, deletions of IKZF1 and PAX5 were observed in 61% (59/97) and 39% (38/97) of pts., respectively. Univariate analysis of the complete cohort revealed that deletion of CDKN2A/B was the only aberration with a statistically significant negative effect on overall survival (OS) (p=0.003). Among patients transplanted in CR1, IKZF1-deletions were associated with inferior median time to relapse after SCT (56 mos vs. n.r., p=0.01), DFS from SCT (15.6 mos. vs. n.r.; p=0.024) and OS (median 40 mos. vs. not reached (n.r.) p=0.04) compared with the IKZF1 wildtype cohort. Similarly, the prognosis of pts. with CDKN2A/B deletions was inferior in terms of DFS (median 10.6 mos. vs. n.r.; p=0.022) and OS (median 25 mos. vs. n.r.; p=0.01), but not of remission duration from SCT. PAX5 (p=0.07) but not the combination of all three lesions (p=0.14) showed a trend to a worse prognosis. Of the more uncommon genetic aberrations BTLA, EBF1, ETV6, RB1 and BTG1, only the latter was associated with a lower probability of remaining in CR (0% vs. 67% at 5 years; p=0.012) or DFS (0% vs. 52% at 5 years; p=0.043), with a trend towards shorter OS (median 35 mos. vs. 87 mos; p=0.078). In conclusion, genomic lesions of IKZF1, CDKN2 and PAX5 identify a subgroup of Ph+ ALL pts. who have an inferior survival despite undergoing aSCT in CR1. Their poor outcome is attributable primarily to a high relapse rate after SCT, emphasizing the need to introduce additional treatment elements prior to and after aSCT. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Dryland regions account for above 70% of total nation's farmland in China. These dryland are vital contributors to the total national production of grains, cash crops and animal products. However, the development of dryland farming is constrained by harsh climate, bad economic situation and poor knowledge on land management. Even though the conservation tillage research and application in dryland regions of China has been actively promoted since 1980s, the conventional tillage is still prevalent in these regions. The bottleneck for sustainable agriculture in China is still the lack of knowledge amongst both farmers and extension organizations about practices pertained to sustainable land management. In this paper, we analyzed the regional characteristics and regional adaptation of conservation tillage systems in China's dryland regions; reviewed the research conducted on conservation tillage in China, and discussed the problems faced with the introduction and application of conservation tillage practices in order to gain a better perception of the role of soil conservation tillage and promote application of practical technologies for dryland farming systems in China. To ensure a wider adoption of conservation tillage, several actions should be strengthened. These include: 1) strengthen the on-the ground, pilot field activates and further intensify the demonstration 2) optimize information, instruction, support and guidance of the farmer 3) enact specific legislation for the development, adoption and implementation of conservation agriculture.


Background Neuroblastoma is the third-most common cancer in children. The high rate of tumor recurrence accounts for a low survival rate in high risk neuroblastoma. Therefore it is clinically of extreme importance to find an effective biomarker for alerting disease recurrence.Methods Total 116 high risk neuroblastoma patients were recruited in Beijing Children's Hospital from February, 2015 to December, 2017. All patients had received multiple-disciplinary treatment, then went into maintenance treatment phase after evaluation. Blood samples were collected to quantify plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) at time points of the beginning of maintenance treatment, every three months afterwards, and diagnosis of recurrence.Results Results showed that 36 high risk neuroblastoma patients developed recurrence during maintenance treatment. The plasma cfDNA concentration was significantly higher in recurrence than in event-free patients (29.34 ng/ml VS 10.32 ng/ml). The time span of cfDNA level higher than 29 ng/ml was consistently detected ahead of recurrence at mean of 0.55 months. The ROC analysis showed that AUC was 0.825, optimal sensitivity and specificity of 80.6% and 71.3% respectively, at cfDNA level of 12.93 ng/ml.Conclusions We concluded that high level of plasma cfDNA could serve as a promising molecular marker to alert recurrence disease in high risk neuroblastoma children.


Schuh S, Dick PT, Stephens D, et al. Pediatrics. 2006;118:644–650 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. To evaluate whether there is a significant difference in the degree of impairment in forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1) in children with mild-to-moderate acute asthma treated with either inhaled fluticasone or oral prednisolone. STUDY POPULATION. Sixty-nine children aged 5 to 17 years with a previous history of wheezing who presented to a tertiary care pediatric emergency department (ED) with acute asthma and an FEV1 between 50% and 79% predicted. METHODS. This randomized, double-blind, double-dummy trial randomly assigned patients to receive either 2 mg of fluticasone via metered-dose inhaler (MDI) in the ED along with 500 μg of fluticasone via Diskus twice daily for 5 days (n = 35) or 2 mg/kg oral prednisolone in the ED along with 1 mg/kg prednisolone once daily for 5 days (n = 34). All children received scheduled, nebulized albuterol and ipratropium bromide in the ED and were given scheduled salmeterol and rescue albuterol on ED discharge. FEV1 was measured at baseline, 4 hours, and 48 hours. RESULTS. At 4 hours, the patients in the prednisolone group had a significantly greater increase in FEV1 (29.8% ± 15.5%) compared with those in the fluticasone group (19.1% ± 12.7%; P = .001). By 48 hours, the difference in FEV1 between the groups was no longer statistically significant. In addition, the number of unscheduled asthma visits by 48 hours after ED discharge was significantly greater in the fluticasone group (4 of 32) than the prednisolone group (0 of 34). CONCLUSIONS. Children with mild-to-moderate acute asthma improve faster on oral prednisolone than inhaled fluticasone. REVIEWER COMMENTS. Systemic corticosteroids are both historically and currently the mainstay treatment for acute asthma, given their ability to reduce hospitalizations, decrease relapses, regain asthma control, and improve lung function. However, the risks associated with the frequent use of oral corticosteroids have led researchers to search for an alternative treatment for acute asthma. Although previous studies have shown oral corticosteroids to be superior to inhaled steroids in severe acute asthma, the question remains as to whether inhaled corticosteroids could be used in mild and moderate asthma exacerbations. This study addressed this question and determined that oral corticosteroids are superior to inhaled steroids, even for mild exacerbations of asthma, in regard to relapse rate and time to FEV1 improvement. These findings support the current use of oral steroids for treatment of mild-to-moderate acute asthma.


. R.W.K. Odoni showed that the Galois group of the n -th iterate of the generic monic polynomial of degree d ≥ 2 in fields of characteristic zero is the n -folded iterated wreath product of the symmetric group S d . This result was extended to the fields of positive characteristic by Juul. Let F q be a finite field with q elements and q be a power of a prime p > 2, k = F q , be an algebraic closure of F q . We prove that, given F ( t,x ) ∈ k [ t ][ x ], an irreducible monic polynomial in x of degree n > 0, which is separable over k ( t ) and a generic monic polynomial Φ( a 0 , . . . , a d − 1 , t ) in t of degree d ≥ 2, with algebraically independent coefficients a = ( a 0 , . . . , a d − 1 ), the Galois group of the m -th iterate of the composite polynomial F ( t, Φ( a , t )) over k ( a 0 , . . . , a d − 1 ) is the m folded iterated wreath product of the symmetric group S nd . This result when applied to an explicit form of Chebotarev density theorem over function fields resembles, the polynomial analogue of the Bateman-Horn conjecture and the Chowla's conjecture on the autocorrelation of the M¨obius function, in the limit of a large finite field. These are presented here.


Phenotype and gene frequencies of two blood group and four red cell enzyme systems were examined in a Konda Kapu tribal sample of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, South India. The gene frequencies for these systems in Konda Kapus indicate the middle range values for Andhra Pradesh tribal populations, excepting the ADA and Rh(D) systems, where extreme range values are found. Further, gene flow is indicated between the Konda Kapus under study and Plain Kapus, a neighbouring caste population by calculation of Fi estimates.


The complete basis set (CBS) extrapolation model chemistry of Petersson and co-workers was used to explore the potential energy surface of the ammonia inversion mode. The CBS-QCI theoretical energies were calculated using 41 points along the inversion surface at the MP2/6-311++G** geometries. A variety of techniques were explored to model the potential surface. Subsequent numerical solution of the one-dimensional Schrodinger equation produced energy levels for ammonia isotopomers in good agreement with experimental transitions. Accounting for the variable nature of the reduced mass with inversion coordinate is shown to be of significance. This study is an important first step in producing reliable methods for making ab initio thermodynamic corrections from ΔE(0 K) to ΔG(298 K) in other nitrogen-containing systems. Because no experimental methods generate data at 0 K, these corrections provide a crucial link between experimental thermochemical energies and ab initio theory.


Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) continues to rapidly increase worldwide. With an estimated 1.5 million adults with ACHD in the USA alone, there is a growing need for better education in the management of these complex patients and multiple knowledge gaps exist. This manuscript comprehensively reviewed the recent (2020) updated European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the management of ACHD created by the Task Force for the management of adult congenital heart disease of the European Society of Cardiology, with perioperative implications for the adult cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist who may be called upon to manage these complex patients.


" Persantin " SIR,-The recent correspondence on "persantin" prompts me to quote the results obtained by my colleagues and myself during a two-year trial of this drug, undertaken at the request of the manufacturers. Some of our results have already been given at the recent meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kreislaufforschung in Bad Nauheim. Our results are being published in full in an early number of the ScottiIsh Medical Journal. Firstly, we have confirmed by coronary sinus catheterization that intravenous injection of persantin produces an increase in the coronary blood-flow in cases of mitral stenosis with presumably normal coronary arteries. Our best result was an increase of 36 % in the volume of the coronary flow, two minutes after an intravenous dose of 0.27 mg. per kg. body-weight in a resting patient; the coronary flow was still 14% above its resting value eight minutes later when the investigation was terminated. Patients who had been exercised a short time beforehand showed smaller increases in the coronary flow. Turning to cases of coronary artery disease, we were unable to influence the cardiographic pattern with doses of 0.24 mg. per kg. body-weight or less. We did observe alterations in the cardiogram with doses of 0.27-0.30 mg. per kg. body-weight, and in one such case inverted T waves in lead V4 became upright from the 10th until the 30th minute after the injection. In cases of cardiac infarction, repeated doses of 10 mg. intravenously led to disappearance of T-wave inversion for the fourth or fifth day in 11 out of 41 patients. On changing from intravenous to oral therapy, the T-wave inversion invariably recurred. In cases of angina of effort we have so far failed to prevent the development of an ischaemic pattern after exercise, by intravenous injection of persantin before the test. It is clear that persantin, given intravenously in adequate dosage, does have some influence in cardiac ischaemia and cardiac infarction, but it remains to be secn whether this will affect the ultimate outcome in these cases. I deliberately refrain from commenting on the effect of persantin on pain, in view of the fact that pain in these cases is so readily influenced by a placebo, as has been well shown in the various double-blind trials which have been carried out, not only with persantin but with other drugs.-I am, etc.,


Diagnostic findings of mediastinal metastasis are an important factor for the prognosis of and therapy for lung cancer. In this retrospective study we examined the role of endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS) and mediastinoscopy (MS) in patients with confirmed lung cancer. Between 01/2009 and 07/2011 we performed 111 EBUS procedures [partly in combination with transoesophageal endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA)] and 88 mediastinoscopies. The diagnostic accuracy of EBUS (94%) was superior to that of MS (86%) (p < 0.05). The negative predictive value of EBUS and MS was 83% for both, the sensitivity was 94% vs. 58%, the prevalence of N2 /N3 was 84% vs. 32% and the rate of complications was 0% vs. 3%. Due to the at least similar accuracy the EBUS should be the first diagnostic procedure for histological staging of the mediastinum in patients with lung cancer.


OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to clarify the cause of shoulder pain using sonography and to evaluate the relationship between the sonographic findings and the motor recovery stages in stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Between March 2005 and January 2007, 71 consecutive stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain underwent shoulder sonography. For comparison, bilateral shoulder joints were evaluated in 20 of the 71 patients. The interpretations of the sonographic findings were based on the findings of previously published studies. Whether a correlation existed between the sonographic findings and the motor recovery stages was determined.

RESULTS
Subacromial-subdeltoid (SA-SD) bursal effusion (n = 36) was the most common abnormality seen on sonography. Tendinosis of the supraspinatus tendon (n = 7), partial-thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon (n = 6), and full-thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon (n = 2) were also noted. Biceps tendon sheath effusion (n = 39) and normal findings without any biceps tendon sheath effusion (n = 13) were detected. Clinicians managed each patient's shoulder pain on the basis of the sonographic findings. No statistically significant correlation was found between the grade of sonographic findings and Brunnstrom stage (p = 0.183). A shoulder with hemiplegia had a higher number of abnormal sonographic findings than a noninvolved shoulder (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSION
The cause of shoulder pain was variable and there was no correlation between the stages of motor recovery and the grades of sonographic findings in patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain.


We present a field-theoretic renormalization group analysis of a polymer chain immersed in a binary good solvent close to its critical demixing point. We first show that this problem can be mapped on a bicritical field theory, i.e. a (Φ2)2-model with a mass anisotropy. This implies that the end-to-end distance of the polymer is now controlled by a new critical exponent νB related to the quadratic mass anisotropy operator B. To show this, we solve the RG equation and calculate explicitly the exponents and the mean end-to-end length of the chain.


[Objective] This work was aimed to explore the mechanism of Hg2+ toxicity on plants.[Method]Activities of peroxidase(POD),catalase(CAT)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)were investigated in wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)seedlings under Hg2+ stress at different concentrations.[Result]① There were no obvious effects on the growth of seedlings when the concentration of Hg2+ was lower than 0.10 mmol/L.However,toxic effects on the growth of seedling were observed when the concentration of Hg2+ was higher than 0.10 mmol/L.② Different tissues showed different resistant ability in response to Hg2+ stress.The leaves and roots of wheat seedlings were more insensitive to Hg2+ toxicity.③ CAT was more sensitive to Hg2+ stress compared to POD and SOD.[Conclusion]The toxic effect was related to the concentration of Hg2+(0.10 mmol/L).The higher concentration of Hg2+ could affect the expression of POD,CAT,and SOD isozymes in the leaves,roots of wheat seedlings and germinated seeds,which further affect the normal metabolism of membrane lipid and inhibit the growth of wheat seedlings at last.


Primidone has been a valuable drug in the treatment of epilepsy since the early 1950's. It is akin to phenobarbitone (see Fig.) in which the carbon atom at the 'two' position in the pyrimidine ring has two hydrogens instead of a carbonyl oxygen. Bogue and Carrington developed the drug in 1949, and reported on its effectiveness in experimental animals (Bogue and Carrington, 1953). Clinical trials were conducted in England from 1950 to 1952, and were reported by Handley and Stewart (1952). Primidone was found to be safe and effective in the treatment of recurrent grand mal seizures, and later by Whitty (1953) and many others in the treatment of focal motor and psychomotor epilepsy.


The growing global population and the increasing demand for food have led to a pressing need for sustainable agricultural practices. To address this challenge, we present an AI-Based Precision and Intelligent Farming System that leverages state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to optimize resource utilization and crop yields. This study demonstrates the integration of various data sources such as satellite imagery, IoT sensors, and historical data to develop a comprehensive and adaptive system for precision agriculture. Our approach employs deep learning models, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, to analyze and predict crop health, growth, and potential yield. Furthermore, we propose a reinforcement learning-based decision-making module for effective irrigation, fertilization, and pest control management. The proposed system is extensively evaluated on real-world datasets, showing significant improvements in crop yield, water efficiency, and overall sustainability compared to traditional farming methods. Our findings suggest that the AI-Based Precision and Intelligent Farming System has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and contribute to global food security while minimizing environmental impacts.


This article analyses historic models of the susceptibility to tuberculosis among American Jews and African Americans. Both medical and anthropological accounts from the period studied (1850-1920) reflect a very low TB rate among Jews, while attributing a very high disease rate to African Americans. Explanations for this difference between the two ethnic groups varied over the passing decades, reflecting changing conceptions of the 'anthropological nature' of Jews and African Americans. This article attempts to show the extent to which the medical and anthropological disciplines were interconnected and mutually influential. Firstly, Jews and African Americans were considered to be 'other' because they exhibited specific nosological behaviour. In addition, white Gentile doctors attributed different disease susceptibilities to these groups because they appeared to constitute a 'peculiar type'.


OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the prevalence of potential pathogenic bacteria in nasopharyngeal samples from healthy individuals, and the influence on the carrier rate of age, season of the year, and type of child day care.

DESIGN
Nasopharyngeal swab samples obtained in routine medical care from individuals with no sign of infection were studied in 159 pre-school children aged below 7 years, 198 schoolchildren aged 7-15 years, and 261 adults (.16 years).

RESULTS
The prevalence of pathogenic bacteria in healthy individuals decreased with age. The overall isolation frequencies for pre-schoolchildren, schoolchildren, and adults, respectively, were: Moraxella catarrhalis (27%, 4% and 2%); Streptococcus pneumoniae (19%, 6% and 0.8%); Haemophilus influenzae (13%, 6% and 3%). The prevalence of S. pneumoniae in children 7-15 years was higher during the summer than in the winter. We could not confirm any variation in the carrier rate due to the type of child day care.

CONCLUSION
Potentially pathogenic bacteria are often present in nasopharyngeal samples taken from healthy pre-school children, but rarely from people > or = 16 years of age. This means that the use of nasopharyngeal samples to discriminate between bacterial and viral respiratory tract infection needs to be evaluated further in patients < 16 years. The importance of the seasonal variation in the prevalence of potential pathogenic bacteria in the nasopharynx needs further study.


Juvenile albino, gene symbol ja , is a spontaneous virescent mutant, first observed in 'Dixielee' and an F 2 population of 'G17AB' ( msms) x 'Dixielee' in 1992. Hypocotyls, new young leaves, shoot tips, tendrils and flowers on the main shoot of the ja mutant are all albino during early spring. The interior portions of albino leaves gradually become green, while the margins remain albino. Fruit rind color of the mutant is variegated. Growth of the ja mutant is severely impaired in the early spring. However, the mutant grows at a rate comparable to wild-type in the summer, and produces fruit of almost normal size. Genetic analysis of F 1 , F 2 , and BC 1 populations derived from the ja mutant showed that the gene for the ja mutant is inherited as a single, recessive, nuclear gene. Segregation ratios in the F 2 and BC 1 progenies derived from the cross between the previously reported delayed green virescent mutant and the ja mutant indicate independent inheritance of the genes dg and ja. Temperature and red/far-red light had no differential effect on mutant and the wild-type plants. An increase of daylength from 8 to 15 hours increased fresh weight and chlorophyll content more in the ja mutant than in the wild-type. The mutant had a higher chlorophyll a : b ratio than the wild-type under long days. Chlorophyll synthesis or accumulation in the mutant is severely impaired under short days. This is the only virescent mutant in the family Cucurbitaceae whose expression is regulated by daylength.


Isothermal vapor–liquid equilibrium data are presented for the 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethylene and 1,1,2,3,3,3-hexafluoroprop-1-ene binary system at (248.14, 263.01, and 282.89) K, with pressures ranging from (0.12 to 2.35) MPa. An apparatus based on the "static–analytic" method, equipped with a movable rapid online sampler–injector (ROLSI), was used to undertake the measurements. The combined expanded uncertainties are estimated at 0.11 K, 4 kPa, and 0.012 and 0.009 for the temperature, pressure, and the equilibrium liquid and vapor mole fractions, respectively. The experimental data were correlated with the Peng–Robinson equation of state using the Mathias–Copeman α function, together with the Wong–Sandler mixing rule utilizing the nonrandom two-liquid activity coefficient model.


Screening programs for the evaluation of nanomaterial value and safety rely on in vitro tests. The exceptional physicochemical properties of metallic nanoparticles (NPs), such as large surface area and chemically active surface, may provoke their interference with in vitro methods and analytical techniques used for evaluation of biocompatibility or toxicity of NPs. This study aimed to determine if such interference could be predicted on the basis of the surface characteristics of metallic NPs by investigating the effect of different surface coatings of silver (AgNPs) and maghemite NPs (γ-Fe2O3NPs) on common in vitro assays scoring two of the main cytotoxic endpoints: cell viability and oxidative stress response. We examined optical, adsorptive and chemically reactive types of NP interference with cell viability assays (MTT, MTS, and WST-8) and assays employing fluorescent dyes as markers for production of reactive oxygen species (DCFH-DA and DHE) or glutathione level (MBCl). Each type of tested NPs affected all of the six investigated assays leading to false interpretation of obtained results. The extent and type of interference were dependent on the type and surface coating of NPs as well as on their stability in biological media. The results have shown that interference was concentration-, particle type- and assay type-dependent. This study demonstrated that common in vitro assays, without appropriate cause-and-effect analysis and adaptation or modification, are ineffective in the evaluation of biological effects of metallic NPs due to their interaction with optical readouts and assay components. A comprehensive and feasible experimental setup has been proposed to gain a reproducible and reliable in vitro evaluation as the first step in the health assessment of metallic NPs.


International health institutions have implemented protocols and nutritional health policies in the promotion of health and brain development. However, these policies do not usually extend to preschool age, being a stage of important changes and very dynamic development. Therefore the objective of this work is to carry out a review of the information available about nutritional needs throughout the process of human development, emphasizing the main micronutrients, their role in development and what the evidence tells us about the effects of it lack. A review of scientific evidence and recommendations of international scientific societies has been carried out Different nutrients are required for different parts of a baby's development, including Vitamin D and calcium for bone development, DHA and choline for brain development as well as iron, zinc, vitamins A, D, B12 and folate, which meet different important roles and whose deficiencies lead to serious health disorders. Childhood is a critical period in which the foundations for future well-being are laid. A good nutritional status during childhood and adolescence is vital for normal growth and development. However, studies in Spanish pediatric populations indicate a lack of micronutrients (especially vitamin D, E, folate, calcium, and magnesium) in the diet of more than half of participating children. There may be situations of risk of suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Appropriate supplementation can provide nutrients during periods of increased physical and mental exertion, illness, and when dietary intake is not optimal.


The development of a theoretical model capable of simulating centrifugal compressor transient performance (including compressor surge) is detailed. Simulation results from a Fortran computer program are compared with measured compressor transient data. Good simulation of compressor transients between stable operating points, and compressor presurge flow oscillations has been obtained. General application criteria are presented for the geometric distribution of model elements within a compressor system. Model applications and future work are outlined.


Chronic administration of antidepressant neuroleptics chlorprothixene (CPX) and levomepromazine (LMZ) increases the sensitivity of one kind of serotonergic receptors in CNS-5-HT2 receptors (which are involved in such behavioral responses as head-twitches and hyperthermia in heat adapted rats), but do not change 5-HT1 receptor population (responsible for the rate of serotonin synthesis). These results confirm once more the hypothesis about the existence of at least two types of serotonin receptors in the CNS. They also indicate that antidepressant neuroleptics, which are potent serotonin 5-HT2 and alpha 1-adrenergic blocking agents, after chronic administration affect the serotonin system in a manner similar to that produced by chronic treatment with classical antidepressant drugs.


A study has been made of the toxicity, absorption and metabolism of fenitrothion [O,Odimethyl O-(3-methyl-4-nitrophenyl)phosphorothioate; Sumithion] in tiger shrimp Penaeus japonicus, as the first step to elucidate the cause for the occurrence of its high toxicity to the shrimp. The 24-h LC50 value of fenitrothion for tiger shrimp was about 1 ppb, while that for fish was roughly 6ppm. After 0.5-24h exposure to 0.5 ppb [14C] fenitrothion, [14C]fenitrothion and its metabolites accumulated in the shrimp were extracted with benzene and separated by thin-layer co-chromatography with non-radioactive fenitrothion and its authentic metabolites. After 4-h ex posure, the concentration of fenitrothion was almost equilibrated at a level of ca. 6.5pmol/g shrimp, which corresponded to a bioconcentration ratio of 3.6, whereas the concentrations of its me tabolites, especially 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, increased with exposure time. At 24-h exposure, the amounts of fenitrothion, fenitrooxon, desmethylfenitrothion, desmethylfenitrooxon and 3-methyl4-nitrophenol accumulated in the shrimp were 6.3, 2.9, 3.6, 6.2 and 74.3 pmol/g, respectively. The amounts of the conjugated 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol extracted with ethyl ether after benzeneextraction increased with exposure time and reached 104pmol/g at 24-h exposure, which was almost the same level of the benzene-extract.


Purpose
The number of research articles aimed at identifying neuroimaging biomarkers for predicting recovery from aphasia continues to grow. Although the clinical use of these biomarkers to determine prognosis has been proposed, there has been little discussion of how this would be accomplished. This is an important issue because the best translational science occurs when translation is considered early in the research process. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to present a framework to guide the discussion of how neuroimaging biomarkers for recovery from aphasia could be implemented clinically.

Method
The genomics literature reveals that implementing genetic testing in the real-world poses both opportunities and challenges. There is much similarity between these opportunities and challenges and those related to implementing neuroimaging testing to predict recovery in aphasia. Therefore, the Center for Disease Control's model list of questions aimed at guiding the review of genetic testing has been adapted to guide the discussion of using neuroimaging biomarkers as predictors of recovery in aphasia.

Conclusion
The adapted model list presented here is a first and useful step toward initiating a discussion of how neuroimaging biomarkers of recovery could be employed clinically to provide improved quality of care for individuals with aphasia.


In this paper we analyze the possibility of detecting nontrivial quantum phenomena in observations of the temperature anisotropy of the cosmic background radiation (CBR), for example, if the Universe could be found in a coherent superposition of two states corresponding to different CBR temperature self-correlations. Such observations are sensitive to scalar primordial fluctuations but insensitive to tensor fluctuations, which are therefore converted into an environment for the former. Even for a free inflaton field minimally coupled to gravity, scalar-tensor interactions induce enough decoherence among histories of the scalar fluctuations as to render them classical under any realistic probe of their amplitudes.


In this paper we discuss the design, acquisition and preprocessing of a Czech audio-visual speech corpus. The corpus is intended for training and testing of existing audio-visual speech recognition system. The name of the database is UWB-07-ICAVR, where ICAVR stands for Impaired Condition Audio Visual speech Recognition. The corpus consist of 10000 utterances of continuous speech obtained from 50 speakers. The total length of the database is 25 hours. Each utterance is stored as a separate sentence. The corpus extends existing databases by covering condition of variable illumination. We acquired 50 speakers, where half of them were men and half of them were women. Recording was done by two cameras and two microphones. Database introduced in this paper can be used for testing of visual parameterization in audio-visual speech recognition (AVSR). Corpus can be easily split into training and testing part. Each speaker pronounced 200 sentences: first 50 were the same for all, the rest of them were different. Six types of illumination were covered. Session for one speaker can fit on one DVD disk. All files are accompanied by visual labels. Labels specify region of interest (mouth and area around them specified by bounding box). Actual pronunciation of each sentence is transcribed into the text file.


Henry James (1843-1916) has had many biographers but Michael Gorra has taken an original approach to this great American progenitor of the modern novel, combining elements of biography, criticism and travelogue in re-creating the dramatic backstory of James's masterpiece, Portrait of a Lady (1881).?Gorra shows how this scandalous story came to be written. Travelling to Italy, France and England, he sheds new light on James's family, the European literary circles of George Eliot, Flaubert and Turgenev in which James made his name, and the psychological forces that enabled him to create the most memorable female protagonist. A piercing detective story, Portrait of a Novel provides a brilliant account of the greatest American novel of expatriate life ever written.


Wireline cable sticking is most frequently experienced during formation fluid sampling. In this situation, if the cable cannot be freed, strip-over fishing is the only remedy; this is a cost and risk-intensive activity which may extend the logging job by several days and result in further inefficiencies such as wiper trips or pipe-conveyed logging to fully satisfy the formation evaluation objectives. In this paper, the authors outline a proven engineering approach that permits the systematic identification of high-risk wells for cable sticking, where the deployment of wireline standoffs (WLSOs) may facilitate safe and efficient sampling on wireline.
 The precursor of all cable sticking is slot cutting into mud-cake or formation. The slot is generated by sustained lateral pressure from the moving (tensioned) logging cable, referred to hereafter as "cable thrusts". A sophisticated 3D cable force model evaluates the cable contact zones and thrusts along the open hole section under analysis. For differential sticking, a cable contact and sticking limit in mud-cake is computed, having adjusted the pore pressures to offset data. For keyseating, the well is benchmarked against wells with similar trajectories, gained from a global study on cable sticking. Sticking-linkage is also assessed, whereby overpulls from tool sticking may induce cable sticking, via amplified cable thrusts against mud-cake or formation. To reduce cable sticking risks to an acceptably low level an array of WLSOs may be deployed, combined with optimised logging procedures and winch techniques.
 Operators are now employing this approach on a regular basis as an important risk management tool, from the well planning stage through to completion. WLSOs have been successfully deployed for 40 sampling runs on 25 wells, in fields with a history of severe cable sticking or fishing. Prior signs of sticking have largely been eliminated, resulting in significantly reduced well costs, whilst avoiding pipe-conveyed logging or LWD, and without consideration to the value of lost data or samples. Well Engineering may now use this approach to design and optimize ambitious well trajectories, potentially saving a hole section, in the full knowledge that future wireline fluid sampling can be performed within the bounds of acceptable risk. Real-time risk assessments have proven invaluable, to track the risk trend as the well is drilled, leading to a final decision on the requirement for WLSOs, with additional optimisation of the sampling procedures if needed.
 Operational best practices and lessons learned are summarized, as well as an outline for future R&D to understand and reduce wireline conveyance risks even further.


Presents the results of one of the first experiments in a research program aimed at systematically investigating manipulation schemes for spatial input, from a human factors point of view. A 3D design space model is proposed as a framework for such investigations, and four options within this model are tested in a six degree-of-freedom target acquisition task within a virtual environment. Experimental results indicate strong performance advantages for isometric sensing combined with rate control and for isotonic sensing combined with position control. A strong interaction between sensing mode and mapping function is found. The findings are discussed in relation to the literature on spatial manipulation.<<ETX>>


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Little is known about comorbidities in children who have elevated periodic limb movement index (PLMI) during overnight polysomnogram (PSG). The aim of this study is to identify comorbidities in children with elevated PLMI (PLMI >5) versus children with PLMI <5 presenting to a pediatric sleep center.

METHODS
This study was a retrospective review of all clinically indicated PSGs obtained consecutively from 3/2017-3/2019 at Seattle Children's Sleep Disorders Center. Data collected included: demographics, clinical presentation, medications, medical history, family history specifically for restless legs syndrome (RLS), ferritin levels, and PSG metrics. Characteristics between those with (cases) elevated PLMI (AASM criteria) and without (controls) were summarized.

RESULTS
We identified 148 subjects with elevated PLMI (67% male, mean age 7.95 years, range 1-20), yielding a PLMI > 5 prevalence of 5%. There were 188 controls included (58% male, mean age 8.0 years, range 1-19). Neither sex (Chi-square=2.8, NS) nor age (Mann-Whitney U=1339.5, NS) differed between groups. Case subjects had a higher prevalence of RLS, snoring, insomnia, mood disorders, behavioral problems, morning headaches, chronic kidney disease, epilepsy, and chronic heart disease. Similarly, the use of antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-seizure medication, and other medications was statistically more frequent in children with elevated PLMS. The prevalence of PLMI>5 was 5% and the prevalence of periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) was 0.3% in children referred to polysomnography. Ferritin levels did not differ.

CONCLUSION
We identified the prevalence of PLMD in a sleep medicine referred population. We have also identified comorbidities and medications associated with elevated PLMI in children.


Heterosis is the increase or decrease in vigor of F1 over its mid or better parental value. One of the objectives of present study was to estimate the extent of heterosis for various characters and to isolate promising hybrids over standard check hybrids for seed yield and oil content for commercial exploitation. The development of new high yielding and stable sunflower hybrids were based on hybridization which requires information on the heterotic effects for agronomically important traits in the F1 generation. Heterotic effects for seed yield and it's attributing traits viz., plant height and head diameter, number of seeds per head, seed filling (%), 100 seed weight (g), 100 seed kernel weight (g), volume weight (g/100cc), hull content (%), oil content (%) and oil yield (kg/ha) were studied in the sunflower hybrids developed by the line x tester method. There are significant differences among the sunflower genotypes (inbred lines and F1 hybrids) we tested with regard to the mean values of all the traits involved. The male restorer inbred with good combining abilities were used as lines in the form of fertility restorers and CMS lines as Testers. There are significant differences among the sunflower genotypes (inbred lines and F1 hybrids) we tested with regard to the mean values of all the traits involved indicating considerable amount of heterosis foe most of the traits except hull content (%), oil content and seed filling per cent. Most of the crosses exhibited high heterosis especially for number of seeds per head seed yield (kg/ha) and oil yield (kg/ha). However, mean heterosis was comparatively low for hull and oil contents. The study on heterosis in sunflower showed that the crosses with favorable characteristics such as oil and seed yields, oil and hull contents could be bred from correctly selected parents. The cross CMS-853A X EC-623027 reached the breeding aim mentioned above, especially for high vigor in seed and oil yields. CMS-103A X EC-601878 and PET-89-1A X EC-601878 showed the negative heterosis for thin hull rate and high oil content.

Under present study, the genotypes, EC-601878 and EC-601751 with regard to all measured traits, CMS-852 A, CMS-103A and P-89-1A for seed yield, oil content and low hull rate could be used for increasing hybrid vigor in future sunflower breeding programs sunflower as well as the genotypes, viz., CMS 852A, CMS-853A and EC-623027, EC-623023 appeared to possess high concentration of additive genes for seed yield and component traits and, therefore, these parents can be considered as the good combiners for heterosis breeding programme for seed and oil yield improvement in sunflower.


OBJECTIVE
The goals of this report were to outline the clinical presentation, radiological characteristics, surgical techniques, postoperative morbidity, and long-term follow-up results for cystic jugular foramen (JF) schwannomas and to describe their differences, compared with solid schwannomas involving the JF.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis of radiological studies and surgical records identified five primarily cystic tumors among 21 cases of JF schwannomas that had been surgically treated at our institution.

RESULTS
Two types of cystic JF schwannomas were observed, i.e., Type 1 lesions, which are single large cysts with thin ring-like enhancement of the tumor wall, and Type 2 lesions, which are multiple cysts with very irregular, thick enhancement of the cyst wall. The most common symptoms were hearing loss, ataxia, and headaches. Total surgical removal could be performed in all cases. The immediate postoperative findings indicated hearing improvement in three cases. No deterioration of lower cranial nerve function was observed. All patients were independent in the immediate postoperative period and in the long-term follow-up period (Karnofsky Performance Scale score, 90).

CONCLUSION
Surgical treatment of cystic JF schwannomas can be very demanding because of generally stronger adhesion of the tumor capsule to the surrounding structures, fragile tumor capsules, and difficulty in identification of the arachnoidal planes in some cases. Early identification of the arachnoidal planes without opening of the cyst and sharp dissection may be useful. Careful intradural opening of the JF should be performed to achieve total removal of the last tumor portion within the JF. A comparison of these lesions with solid schwannomas involving the JF indicated that cystic tumors affected a younger population, with less preoperative swallowing impairment (P < 0.05). The immediate postoperative course in both types of cystic JF schwannomas was usually better than for solid lesions, because of minor postoperative cranial nerve morbidity, especially involving lower cranial nerve function, in the latter cases. Long-term follow-up data failed to demonstrate any significant differences in final patient outcomes, however.


Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-obligate precursor to invasive breast cancer (IBC). Studies have indicated differences in DCIS outcome based on race or ethnicity, but molecular differences have not been investigated. We examined the molecular profile of DCIS by self-reported race (SRR) and outcome groups in Black (n=99) and White (n=191) women with DCIS in a large DCIS case-control cohort with longitudinal follow up. Gene expression and pathway analyses indicated that different genes and pathways are involved in ipsilateral breast outcome (DCIS or IBC) after DCIS treatment in White versus Black women. We identified differences in ER and HER2 expression, tumor microenvironment composition, and copy number variations by SRR and outcome groups. Our results suggest that different molecular mechanisms drive subsequent ipsilateral breast events in Black versus White women.


A method for performing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) analyses using in-core fuel management (ICFM) calculations has been developed and validated as described in this paper. Parameters such as decay heat, neutron source rates and photon spectra of discharged LWR fuel assemblies are calculated on the basis of ICFM core tracking data. This approach offers highly automated and accurate SNF analyses and eliminates the need for special fuel irradiation calculations to obtain the radiation source terms. This new SNF method has been validated against LWR spent fuel isotopic measurements, by comparisons with ORIGEN-ARP calculations and comparisons with a decay heat standard. A further validation effort against experimental decay heat data from a Swedish fuel storage facility is underway.


The outcomes of Mucopexy-Recto Anal Lifting (MuRAL) in hemorrhoid surgery were compared with ligation and excision (LE), and aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid sclerotherapy (ALTA). In this study, we conducted a 3-year follow-up study of MuRAL (380 cases) and compared it with LE (1417 cases) and ALTA (541 cases) performed at the same period. Operative time, mean hospital stay, postoperative pain, postoperative complications, and recurrence were compared and examined retrospectively. The mean operative time was the longest for MuRAL, followed by LE, and then ALTA at 29.1, 21.5, and 12.4 minutes, and the mean length of hospital stay was 6.2, 10.6, and 1.3, days, respectively. Based on the frequency of injectable analgesic use, postoperative pain was clearly milder in MuRAL and ALTA than in LE. The recurrence rates were 3.2% with MuRAL, 1.1% with LE, and 12.4% with ALTA. Early postoperative low-grade fever and bowel movement urgency were observed in all surgeries, but these were minor and did not pose a safety problem. LE is painful and requires prolonged hospitalization but is the most curative; ALTA is simple and can be performed as a day surgery but has a high recurrence rate. MuRAL was less painful than LE and had a lower recurrence rate than ALTA. In recent years, there have been various innovations in the surgical treatment of hemorrhoids, and choosing a technique that is appropriate for the condition of the hemorrhoid and patient's needs is necessary. MuRAL can be one of the options for hemorrhoid treatment as a "cure without cutting" method.


PURPOSE
The objective of our study was to compare T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2WI), combined T2-weighted and dynamic imaging (Dynamic), and combined T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the identification of the site of prostate cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Before radical prostatectomy, 85 patients with prostate cancer underwent magnetic resonance imaging using a 1.5-T endorectal coil; we excluded 3 patients treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. The sites of prostate cancer in 82 patients were predicted by T2WI alone, T2WI + Dynamic, and T2WI + DWI, and the results were compared with the step-section analysis of radical prostatectomy specimens. The peripheral zone (PZ) and the transition zone (TZ) of the prostate were divided into left and right halves. Only tumors with a diameter of more than 5 mm were considered significant.

RESULTS
The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (Az) for the prediction of the site of prostate cancer in the PZ of the prostate were as follows: 42%, 94%, 93%, and 0.76 for T2WI alone; 48%, 96%, 96%, and 0.78 for T2WI + Dynamic; and 50%, 96%, 96%, and 0.81 for T2WI + DWI. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and Az for the prediction of the site of prostate cancer in the TZ of the prostate were as follows: 31%, 92%, 76%, and 0.66 for T2WI alone; 46%, 82%, 67%, and 0.65 for T2WI + Dynamic; and 48%, 94%, 85%, and 0.71 for T2WI + DWI.

CONCLUSION
The Az value for the prediction of prostate cancer in the PZ and those in the TZ of the prostate was the highest for the combined T2WI and DWI approach.


Kawasaki disease (KD) is a syndrome of systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology that is complicated by coronary artery lesions (CAL), leading occasionally to cardiac ischemic sequelae. To examine whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is responsible for CAL in KD, we determined serum VEGF levels by ELISA and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and neutrophil VEGF expression by immunoblot analysis. Significantly increased levels of VEGF were demonstrated in acute KD as well as in other vasculitis syndromes (p < 0.0001). In the 10 KD patients with CAL, serum VEGF levels were maximal approximately 2 wk postonset when CAL generally develops and were significantly higher than in 20 patients without CAL (mean, 474 and 241 pg/mL, respectively;p = 0.00015). During the same period, immunoblot analysis revealed maximal VEGF expression in PBMC, corresponding to serum VEGF levels in most patients and being particularly marked in patients with CAL (p < 0.01). Neutrophils expressed VEGF only in the early stage of acute KD and declined rapidly in the majority of KD patients regardless of the presence of CAL, showing a strikingly different expression pattern than that for PBMC. Predominant VEGF expression by PBMC was also demonstrated in patients with other vasculitis syndromes and only faintly in normal controls. The results suggest that VEGF is generated dynamically in KD, presumably reflecting its disease activity. Neutrophil-derived VEGF may play a role in regulating early vascular responses, whereas PBMC-derived VEGF may contribute to later vascular injury and remodeling.


A geodetic earth reference model is defined as a self-gravitating body of given mass and rotational rate whose surface is an equipotential ellipsoid of revolution of specified dimensions. Over the course of this century, the International Association of Geodesy has sanctioned three such models as recommended standards for both scientific and practical applications. The most recent model was approved in December 1979, replacing one chosen in 1967, which in turn supplanted another originally adopted four decades earlier.

One of the chief scientific aims of geodesy is the determination of the size and shape of the earth. Therefore, much of the energy expended by geodesists has focused on finding a model (defined by both geometrical and physical parameters) that can serve as a suitable reference surface for further geodetic and geophysical investigations. 'Suitable' is a flexible term. In the 19th century, it may have inferred accuracy to one part in 104 . Nowadays, it signifies better than one part in 106.


In this paper, a comparative study has been performed between the Meshless Lagrangian and Coupled Lagrangian-Eulerian schemes, to evaluate their overall efficiency and effectiveness for analyzing fluid-structure interactive systems. Soft body impact events onto composite laminates representing primary and secondary aircraft structures have been studied. Several cases with different bird velocities have been simulated to observe the non-linier behavior of soft body impact, along with the shortcomings of the modeling methodologies applied. The Meshless Lagrangian model produced a higher initial peak force, whereas the Coupled LagrangianEulerian approach captured the impact window more smoothly with less obvious spikes. These schemes have also been compared with the conventional Lagrangian approach, which proved to be less accurate due to high mesh distortion and loss of mass from erosion. The study was further extended to analyze birdstrike on a composite wing leading-edge. With validation from experimental results, the developed modeling methodology was also used to analyze other fluid-structure interactive systems such as structural damage caused by aircraft ditching over water.


Rationale: Strongyloidiasis is a chronic parasitic infection caused by Strongyloides stercoralis and is recognized as "neglected tropical disease". Therefore, diagnosis of the infection may become problematic in non-endemic areas of the globalized society. Because severe strongyloidiasis often involves pulmonary manifestations, we reason that pulmonary manifestations are noteworthy characteristics in the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis. Here, we present observations of pulmonary manifestations in cases of severe strongyloidiasis.

Methods: Our retrospective study included all patients with severe strongyloidiasis diagnosed in Ryukyu University Hospital and affiliated hospitals in Okinawa, Japan, from January 2004 to December 2014. All diagnoses were confirmed by the microscopic identification of S. stercoralis larvae. Severe infection was defined as 1) the identification of S. stercoralis from extra gastrointestinal specimens, 2) sepsis, 3) meningitis, 4) acute respiratory failure or 5) respiratory tract hemorrhage. Medical records were reviewed to extract related clinical features.

Results: In total 17 severe Strongyloidiasis cases were collected. The mean age of patients was 74.9 years. Sixteen cases had pulmonary manifestations, 8 with bacterial pneumonia, 8 with ARDS and 5 with respiratory hemorrhage. Chest CT was performed in 5 cases and all findings showed bilateral ground glass opacities and consolidation with interlobular septal thickening.

Conclusion: Severe strongyloidiasis tends to develop some type of pulmonary manifestation; bacterial pneumonia, ARDS and respiratory hemorrhage are common. CT findings from all cases showed same pattern regardless of their pulmonary manifestations.


Background Huntington's disease (HD) is a fully penetrant dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease. The aim of this study was to identify sensitive and reliable biomarkers in clinically premanifest HD gene carriers and early HD patients. Methods TRACK-HD is a multinational longitudinal observational study that uses an extensive battery of assessments including 3-T MR imaging, clinical, cognitive, quantitative motor, oculomotor and neuropsychiatric measures. Blinded analysis was performed on the baseline cross-sectional data which included 366 subjects (123 controls, 123 early HD, 120 premanifest subjects). Results Cross-sectional analysis identified significant changes in whole-brain volume, regional grey and white matter, impairment in a range of voluntary motor physiology and oculomotor tasks, cognitive and neuropsychiatric dysfunction in premanifest HD gene carriers through to early clinical stage II disease. Conclusions Our results provide evidence for quantifiable biological and clinical alterations in HD expansion carriers compared to age-matched controls. Many parameters differ from age-matched controls in a graded fashion showing changes of increasing magnitude covering two decades of disease development from pre-HD up to ∼16 years from predicted onset through to HD stage II. These findings help to define novel quantifiable endpoints and methods for rapid and reliable multisite data acquisition that form the essential foundation to design therapeutic trials.


In three recent articles Warren and Draeger, 1 Warren 2 and Draeger and Warren 3 respectively described the occurrence of petechial hemorrhages and thrombopenia in the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and in the animals which were tested at Bikini. Allen and Jacobson 4 found that hyperheparinemia and hemorrhagic manifestations occurred in animals after acute exposure of the whole body to high ionizing irradiations in the midlethal range. The increase of heparin in the circulation, thrombopenia and petechiae were the outstanding abnormalities noted in irradiated dogs. Copley and Robb 5 have demonstrated that heparin produces thrombopenia in vivo and a decrease of single platelets in vitro. Copley and Houlihan 6 were able to explain this by showing that isolated platelets are agglutinated when incubated with heparin plasma. Thus heparin, although highly active as an anticoagulant, not only does not inhibit platelet agglutination, but induces it. This accounts for the thrombopenia.