Modern hip implants have a modular design. In case of wear or other damage it allows surgeons to change the tribological partners, i.e., the acetabular liner and femoral ball. In both revision and primary surgery, the secure joining of the implant components is important for the success of the operation. The two components, namely the ceramic liner and hip cup, are connected via a conical press connection and should be concentrically aligned to avoid chipping. Malseated liners can reduce the life span in situ. The amount of the joining force, which is usually applied via a hammer, depends on the surgeon. In this study, an alternative joining method for acetabular ceramic liners in hip cups was investigated, which intends to make the process more reproducible and thus safer. For this purpose, a handpiece was used to apply a defined force impulse of 4 kN. For the concentric alignment of a ceramic liner in the hip cup, an adapter was developed based on findings via a qualitative finite element (FE) analysis. Insertion and pushout tests of the acetabular cup–liner connection were performed in the laboratory with the new instrument (handpiece with the connected adapter) to evaluate the functionality of the instrument and the reproducibility of the new insertion method. For comparison, liners and acetabular cups were joined using a testing machine according to the standard. The presented results demonstrate the technical proof-of-concept of the new joining method under laboratory conditions. They meet the acceptance criteria of established manufacturers, which proves the equivalency to proven methods for joining modular implant components. To verify the improvement of the new joining method compared to the conventionally used joining method, an application-oriented study with different surgeons and the new joining instrument under clinical conditions is necessary.


Introduction: The omentum is the primary site of metastasis in both ovarian cancer models and clinical disease. It is composed predominantly of adipose studded with lymphoreticular organs (milky spots), distinguishing it from other peritoneal adipose. Milky spots are specialized for immune cell trafficking and peritoneal surveillance. We and others have shown that ovarian cancer cells exploit the physiologic function(s) of these structures for omental metastatic colonization. The purpose of this study was to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for ovarian cancer homing to and growth within milky spot structures. Experimental Procedures: Quantitative in vivo and ex vivo assays were used to evaluate human (SKOV3ip.1, HEYA8, and CaOV3) and murine (ID8) ovarian cancer cell localization to milky spots on the murine omental fat band. Assays were conducted using C57/Bl6 mice or those lacking B cells (Igh6 -/- ); T cells (Nude); B and T cells (Rag1 -/- ); or B, T, and NK cells (BN XID). In vitro assays were used to assess the migration-promoting activity of omentum- and macrophage-conditioned media. Standard approaches were used to assess protein expression, cell growth and viability, etc. Rationale: Milky spots provide resident tissue macrophages and lymphocytes needed for peritoneal homeostasis. Macrophages and stromal cells secrete chemokines promoting peritoneal lymphocyte homing to the omentum. In response to peritoneal irritants, activated CD11b + milky spot macrophages organize coordinated expansion of vascular and stromal compartments. The increase in both the number and size of milky spots is needed to process particulates, resolve infections, and encapsulate foreign bodies. Hypothesis: CD11b+ cells secrete homeostatic chemokines promoting G-protein-dependent migration of ovarian cancer cells to milky spots. Ovarian cancer cell binding to adhesion molecules on the milky spot surface activates CD11b+ cell-dependent tissue remodeling, creating a microenvironment promoting ovarian cancer growth. New Findings: Consistent with our hypothesis, in vivo assays showed that macrophage depletion prior to injection of ID8 and SKOV3ip.1 cells prevented microscopic metastasis formation. In vitro assays found that macrophages are required for ovarian cancer cell localization to milky spots. These data prompt the hypothesis that CD11b + cells produce a factor(s) responsible for the migration-promoting ability of omentum-conditioned media. To test this, media was conditioned by omental adipose isolated from mice after macrophage depletion. In support of our hypothesis, the migration-promoting activity of macrophage-depleted omentum-conditioned media was on a par with that of media conditioned by milky spot-deficient adipose. Further, media conditioned by CD11b + cells recapitulates the migration-promoting activity exhibited by omentum-conditioned media. In vitro and ex vivo assays were used to test whether ovarian cancer cells utilize mechanisms analogous to lymphocyte trafficking for milky spot homing. Specifically, cells were pretreated with pertussis toxin or vehicle alone, and then evaluated for migration in response to omentum-conditioned media and milky spot localization ex vivo. Consistent with data reported for lymphocyte homing, pertussis toxin pre-treatment caused a 40% to 50% reduction in ovarian cancer cell homing. Conclusions and Current Efforts: Our data support a model in which CD11b+ macrophages secrete one or more chemokines promoting G-protein receptor-dependent ovarian cancer cell migration, and potentially integrin activation, which mediate milky spot homing. Current experiments focus on identification of integrin-ligand interactions, CD11b+ cell activation, and defining the link between ovarian cancer cell growth and increase in milky spot size and number. Citation Format: Venkatesh Krishnan, Kelly Mitchell, Jason Miska, Sophia George, Patricia Shaw, Victoria Seewaldt, Maciej Lesniak, Marina Chekmareva, Lev Becker, Vinita Parkash, Cindy Miranti, Carrie Rinker-Schaeffer. Ovarian cancer cells hijack immune functions of omental milky spots for metastatic colonization. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research: Exploiting Vulnerabilities; Oct 17-20, 2015; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2016;22(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A82.


Internsipisenlightenmentandautomationofdoctorordentistwhois part of the mandatory placement of temporary, a maximum of 1 (one) year. Based on Law No. 20 of 2013 on Medical Education states that doctors and dentists must take internshipas a continuation of the program profession,meansthatin the aforementioned articlepassthe competency test alone will not suffice as a condition to practice independently as dental recent graduates will be requiredtofollowinternshipforoneyearinahospital or health center designated,willing or not,it seems internship in dental education has become a sure thing after discharge Permenkes No 39 year 2017 on the Implementation of the program internship Doctors and Dentists Indonesia. Internship is one of dedication to the people and help the government to equalization dentist in Indonesia, so that dentists who have passed are not many living in large cities. Not only that, internship also assist dentists in seeking experience of dealing with clients directly with the patient's condition varies according epidemiology, provides the opportunity for dentists who have recently graduated to enlight competencies acquired during their education, so be a mature dentist in proceed further competence. Internsip dentist should be supported by the infrastructure of adequate dental practice in accordance with the standards, and ensure the health and safety, and welfare of dentists who are placed in the corners of Indonesia. Internship mechanism less obvious cause internship doctor is confused. The possibility of back-log or buildup internship participantsalso need to be considered.


Polished enamel surfaces were etched with various commercial and experimental etching solutions and evaluated for changes in surface profile and topography. Enamel surfaces that were exposed to solutions of phosphoric acid in a concentration between 37% and 50% for a minute gave the most suitable surfaces for retention of the polymer. Enamel surfaces that were roughened with a diamond stone were not etched uniformly. Enamel that was exposed to acid etching solutions was better protected by a polycarboxylate cement than by either calcium hydroxide or zinc phosphate.


This research study explores the Cost efficiency of Indian banking sector by employing Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA). This paper empirically evaluated the impact of Information Technology (IT) on the Cost efficiency of the Indian banks .The present study is based on panel data over the period of 2009-2013. For this paper 77 banks of India are being considered. This paper identifies the average cost efficiency of Indian banks found to be 61 percent over the entire period of study. The findings of this paper suggest that to some extent IT impact the cost efficiency of Indian banks. There is significant difference among Indian banks on their cost inefficiency in bank-wise. There is no significant difference among Indian banks on their cost inefficiency in year-wise. The difference in cost inefficiency between the best and worst performance banks is significantly reduced by 78.8% for the study period by Information technology investments. Thus, Information Technology contributes to cost efficiency to Indian banking industry.


Abstract Background Study of molecular responses to central nervous system injury would be helpful for controlling the harmful pathways post-injury and triggering the useful pathways required for the treatment of injury. Objective To investigate the expression level of liver X receptor α (LXRα) which has anti-inflammatory effects and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) upon spinal cord injury (SCI). Design To induce SCI, transection was carried out at T9 level of male Wister rats. Approximately 8 mm of rostral, caudal, and epicenter tissues of injured sites in treated rats were chosen for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction at the 6, 24, and 72 hours, and 7 and 10 days post-surgery. Results Our results showed a complicated temporal and spatial pattern of alteration in LXRα and Bax mRNA expression levels after SCI. LXRα expression level followed a homologues pattern (additive and subtractive wave) with a difference in time at three areas of studied. Rostral, caudal, and epicenter expression patterns of Bax were dissimilar in these areas. Gradual increase in the expression of Bax without any decrease at the rostral area was observed, presumably indicating the active transcription process of this gene, regardless of its protein situation. Conclusion A time lapse significant change in Bax expression level was observed only in the epicenter of injury, emphasizing that apoptotic responses are limited to this area. Furthermore, an increase in LXRα transcription level was observed first in rostral area and then extended to epicentral and caudal areas, implying that inflammation responses extended from rostral to caudal areas.


Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on 12 healthy volunteers, comprising 6 smokers and 6 nonsmokers, of ages between 21 and 52 years. The aim was to define normal variability of certain biochemical, immunologic, enzymologic and ionic parameters. The smoking habit was observed to exert a significant influence on the recovery percentage of lavage effluents (with recovery less in smokers, 53 vs. 69%) and particularly on the concentration of immunoglobulins in the lavage liquids. In particular, the IgG increased by about 4 times in smokers (1.05 vs. 0.26 mg/100 ml) and the IgA by about 3 times (0.35 vs. 0.11 mg/100 ml). The other parameters studied (total proteins, albumins, IgM, alpha 1-AT, K, Ca and several enzyme activities) did not differ significantly from one group to the other. Rather than an alteration in the blood-alveolar barrier from smoking, these data suggest a real local overproduction of immunoglobulins of classes G and A induced by the smoking habit. Moreover, the relatively slight individual oscillation in the values of the parameters studied in the two groups supports the possibility of employing them for diagnostic purposes in bronchopneumopathies.


The web has become ubiquitous in modern lives. People go online to stay in contact with their friends or to manage their bank account. With lots of different sensitive information handled by web applications securing them naturally becomes important. In this thesis we analyze the state of the art in client-side web security, empirically study real-world deployments, analyze best practices and actively contribute to improve security of the web platform. We explore how password meters and password generators are included into web applications and how it should be done, in particular when external code is used. Next, we investigate if and how browser extensions and modify Content Security Policy HTTP headers (CSP) by analyzing a large set of real-world browser extensions. We implement a mechanism which allows web servers to react to CSP header modifications by browser extensions. Is CSP meant to prevent data exfiltration on the web? We discuss the different positions in the security community with respect to this question. Without choosing a side we show that the current CSP standard does in fact not prevent data exfiltration and provide possible solutions. With login pages as the points of authenticating to a web service their security is particularly relevant. In a large-scale empirical study we automatically identify and analyze login page security configurations on the web, and discuss measures to improve the security of login pages. Last, we analyze a standard proposal for Origin Manifest, a mechanism for origin-wide security configurations. We implement a mechanism to automatically generate such configurations, make extensions to the mechanism, implement a prototype and run several large-scale empirical studies to evaluate the standard proposal.


This letter describes efficient synthetic aperture radar raw data generation in the wavenumber domain using inverse processing. An exact form based on an inverse Omega-k algorithm and an approximate form based on an inverse Chirp Scaling algorithm are described, and examples are presented for a point scatterer. A methodology to incorporate the anisotropic behavior of an urban scene in a reflectivity map is also presented and demonstrated by means of a subaperture analysis.


The aim of this work was the comparison of selected immunological parameters in patients with chronic purulent and hypertrophic otorhinolaryngological diseases who were to be operated on. The patients were divided into two groups: 1-31 patients aged 17-58 with chronic purulent otorhinolaryngological diseases. The following immunological parameters were carried out: rheumatoid factor (RF), immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, IgA, proteinogram including the level of albumin, globulin alpha1, alpha2, beta and gamma. In chronic purulent otorhinolaryngological diseases the characteristic features are the reduction of the level of globulin alpha1 (67.7%) and gamma (35.5%), while in hypertrophic cases globulin alpha1, and beta--91.7% each.


"Electrical storm" (ES) has been adopted as the term used to describe a period of cardiac electrical instability manifested by recurrent malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The definition of ES and the clinical implications of an episode have evolved as our armamentarium of pharmacologic, device –based and interventional anti-arrhythmic therapies has broadened. Prior to the widespread use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), the most commonly accepted definition of arrhythmia storm or electrical storm was "recurrent hemodynamically destabilizing ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation occurring two or more times in a 24-hour period, and usually requiring electrical cardioversion or defibrillation". 1-8 An episode of electrical storm carried serious clinical consequences with an in-hospital mortality rate of up to 14% during the first 48 hours.3,6,7. The mortality rate for an out-of hospital episode of electrical storm can only be speculated but would of course be similar to the 80-90% mortality rate of an out of hospital cardiac arrest7-9. Because ICDs often terminate potentially life threatening ventricular arrhythmias before any signs or symptoms of hemodynamic instability develop, the definition of ES has been modified and continues to be the subject of debate 12,8,-13. Currently, the most widely accepted definition of ES in the literature and clinical practice is the occurrence of ≥ 3 distinct episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or ventricular fibrillation (VF) within a 24-hour period resulting in device intervention (anti-tachycardia pacing [ATP] and/or shock delivery)1,2,6,8,11-15. To qualify as electrical storm, the three episodes of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation cannot be continuous VT/VF in which device therapy is unsuccessful. Some authors have assigned an arbitrary time interval, generally 5-minutes between VT/VF episodes, as requisite in the definition of electrical storm11-15. Others have stated that incessant ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, in which device therapy results in the return of even one beat of native rhythm should be included in the scope of ES, representing the most serious form of ES 1,2,8,11-15.


Introduction Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common, but difficult to predict in patients with cirrhosis as lower baseline serum creatinine can mask significant chronic kidney dysfunction. Cystatin C is a biomarker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which may overcome this weakness. Quantifying proteinuria using the widely available protein:creatinine ratio (PCR) may better the degree of structural glomerular damage. Methods 34 patients with cirrhosis and mean (SD) age 51 (14) years and, median (range) Child-Pugh Turcotte (CPT) score 11 (9–11) were prospectively assessed for 10 days or until AKI, developed. Baseline iohexol clearance was performed to calculate GFR and urine underwent PCR analysis. Daily urine and serum samples were collected for determination of novel serum and urine biomarkers of kidney injury, including Cystatin C. Biomarkers were assessed by area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) for predicting AKI stage 1, renal replacement therapy (RRT) and death. Results 16 (47%) patients developed AKI defined by an increase of >26.4 umol/l from baseline serum creatinine (median 73 range (37–120 umol/l)). Estimated GFR overestimated GFR with median eGFR 95 (47–181) ml/min/1.73 m2 compared to a median iohexol derived GFR of 55 (20–115) mL/min/1.73 m2, p<0.0001. Median PCR was 55 (36–189) compared to 17 (13–29) in the AKI and Non-AKI groups, p<0.0005. Liver disease severity scores were not significantly different between AKI groups for both CTP (p=0.86) or model for end-stage liver disease (MELD, p=0.14). Plasma cystatin C at 48 h prior to AKI predicted its subsequent development with an AUROC of 0.82 (sensitivity 86%, specificity 75%, p=0.004, cut off 1.18 mg/l). A random urine PCR of >30 predicted AKI during that hospital admission with an AUROC of 0.72 (sensitivity, 77%, specificity 63%, p=0.001). Plasma cystatin C at 48 h prior to AKI predicted death with an AUROC of 0.88 (sensitivity 100%, specificity 76%, p≤0.0001, cut off 1.18 mg/l). PCR >49 predicted the need for RRT with an AUROC of 0.85 (sensitivity 73%, specificity 86%, p≤0.0001). Conclusion Estimated GFR using serum creatinine based equations overestimates GFR, therefore an accurate assessment requires a gold standard measure, like iohexol, in patients with advanced liver disease. Cystatin C and the widely available urine PCR measurement can be used to assess the risk of AKI. They both demonstrate potential for predicting AKI 48 h prior to onset, the need for RRT and hospital survival. Competing interests None declared. Reference 1. Slack A, Yeoman A, Wendon J. Renal dysfunction in chronic liver disease. Crit Care 2010;14:214.


Do Facebook profiles provide a reliable snapshot of the profile owner's health behavior? From the healthcare perspective, this study aimed at exploring the potential of Facebook as a screening tool for health behavior. This was done by exploring the relationship between health behavior references on student Facebook profiles and associated health behavior. The present study focused on a set of five health behavior topics, proven to be common problematic health behaviors in college student consumption and lifestyle patterns: alcohol use, illicit drug use, tobacco use, nutrition, and sports. Students Facebook profiles were taken into content analysis on references to these health behaviors and health risk behaviors and the found results were related to questionnaire results on alcohol use, drug use, tobacco use, nutrition patterns, sports behavior, and a set of ten additional health related implications. The results suggest that references to sports, tobacco and partially alcohol provide a valid reflection of associated health behavior and health risk behavior. Moreover, the results also provide evidence for direct relationships between the health behavior references on Facebook and related everyday implications such as hourly wages and sickness frequency, especially for the sports and alcohol topic. In sum, the results provide evidence for the use of Facebook profiles as a screening tool for students' health behavior. Moreover, the results support the potential of Facebook as screening tool for identifying students and subpopulations which may benefit from interventions on health-risk behaviors, and for identifying trends in the development of the health behavior risks, problems, and consequences on those health behavior topics. Since this research had exploratory intentions and several limitations from the sample and recruitment perspective, future research is recommended to further explore the health behavior risk screening potential of social network site profiles.


Videotaped interrater reliability was assessed with the K-SADS-III-R on 25 children with a mean age of 10:9. Kappa statistics were computed in syndromes with a frequency rate of at least 20%. The following mean kappas were obtained: major depression = 0.83; overanxious disorder = 0.85; separation anxiety = 0.85; simple phobic disorder = 0.64; oppositional disorder = 0.89; attention deficit disorder = 0.88. The mean kappa for mother derived diagnoses was 0.86; for child derived diagnoses 0.79; and, for all diagnoses combined 0.84. These reliability findings are comparable to reports with similar methodology in the child literature. The improved kappas for the anxiety disorders achieved a primary goal for this revision of the K-SADS. This study has shown that the K-SADS-III-R has sufficient reliability for research purposes.


The quantitative assay of mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity revealed a higher enzyme level in Explanatum explanatum than Gastrothylax crumenifer. The specific MAO inhibitors, chlorgyline, pargyline, deprenyl and nialamide produced different degrees of interspecific inhibition. The differential effects on enzyme activity of chlorgyline and deprenyl suggests the possible existence of polymorphic forms of the enzyme, MAO-A and MAO-B, in amphistomes. These specific inhibitors also had a differential influence on the in vitro motility of amphistomes, further indicating the involvement of different forms of MAO in the oxidative deamination of biogenic monoamines which might be partly responsible for neuromuscular coordination in amphistomes. The experimental procedures used in this study could be conveniently used for quick screening and evaluation of some of the qualitative effects of anthelmintic drugs under in vitro conditions.


This study explores the impact of racial-ethnic socialization on adopted South Korean children and adolescents who attended a sleepaway Korean culture camp for one week. This camp provided racial-ethnic socialization experiences via exposure to camp counselors, staff, and teachers who were Korean Americans, Korean nationals, and Korean adult adoptees, and exposure to cultural activities and discussions. Using a pretest-posttest design to control for the lack of a comparison group (McCall & Green, ), 75 Korean adoptee children and adolescents (mean age = 12.96) completed both the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) surveys at pretest and posttest, and completed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) at posttest. Results indicated that adoptees reported lower levels of depression at the end of camp than at the beginning of camp, but little variance could be attributed to ethnic identity at posttest. The results of this study suggest that scholars investigate the possibility that adoptee culture camps may provide an adoption socialization experience that may be more salient for adoptees than the racial-ethnic socialization that was intended. Implications for research and practice are discussed.


For some classes of differential-algebraic equations (dae's) F (x, x, t) = 0, criteria for the asymptotic stability of solutions will be given. Since dae's represent differential equations on (implicitly given) manifolds, these properties are naturally connected with the related manifolds. Moreover, it is known that the underlying ode for x might show a completely different stability behavior than the dae itself and the differential equation on the manifold, respectively. Since one cannot expect that generic finite difference methods approximate the manifold precisely without profound information on the inner structure, one is faced with changes of the stability properties of finite difference methods compared to the case of explicit differential equations. For linear time-varying dae's, this is exemplified using BDFand IRK-methods.


Drinking water treatment facilities remove impurities from raw water sources using various chemicals. The by-product produced from the purification process is called water treatment residuals (WTR). If WTR contain residual chemicals from the purification process, soluble elements may be released potentially causing chemical imbalances in soil and groundwater systems. The study objectives were to: (i) examine Mn, Na, S, and total organic carbon (TOC) released from soil and deionized water leachate from a Norfolk soil (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kandiudult) incubated for 60 days with 0 (untreated) and 60 g kg 1 of three different WTR; and (ii) assess effects of oxidationreduction potential on Mn stability and solubility. The WTR were obtained from a North and South Carolina drinking water treatment facility that treated raw water nusing alum (Al2 (SO 4 ) 5], caustic soda (NaOH), and potassium permanganate (KMn0 4 ). During incubation, treatments were maintained between 5% and 10% moisture, and oxidation-reduction potential was measured using a Pt electrode. After 60 days, treatments were leached with 1.2-pore volumes of deionized water. Soils were then analyzed for Mn, Na, and 5, and leachates were analyzed for TOC and similar elements using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. At this time, WTR-treated soils were slightly acidic, moderately reduced, and enriched in extractable Mn, Na, and S concentrations. Water leachates from WTR-treated soil were also enriched with Mn, Na, S. and TOC. Divalent Mn was the dominant oxidation state, making Mn more susceptible to leaching. One WTR enriched with Mn caused Norfolk soil Mn concentrations to exceed crop sensitive stress threshold levels. It is recommended that a prescreening procedure should be used to determine if WTR applied to soil will release elements that may cause plant growth problems. (Soil Science 2007;172:992-1000)


We propose a new class of metamaterials called magneto-optical metamaterials that offer enhanced angle of rotation in polarization compared to bulk magneto-optical materials. In the proposed approach, the permittivity tensor of a magneto-optical material is tailored by embedded wire meshes behaving as artificial plasma. We have shown that the angle of rotation in the magneto-optical metamaterial can be enhanced up to 9 times compared to bulk magneto-optical material alone while the polarization extinction ratio remains below -20dB and insertion loss is less than 1.5dB.


Background: Histone methyltransferase (HMTase) G9a regulates the transcription of multiple genes by primarily catalyzing dimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me2), as well as several non-histone lysine sites. Recently, pharmacological and genetic targeting of the G9a was shown to be efficient in slowing down acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell proliferation in a mouse model and human AML cell lines thus making this HMTase potential target for epigenetic therapy of AML. Activation of adaptive mechanisms to drug plays a crucial role in drug resistance and relapse by allowing cell survival under stressful conditions. Therefore, inhibition of the adaptive response is considered as a prospective therapeutic strategy. The tolerance mechanism to HMTase regulation in leukemia cell is unclear yet. The PERK-eIF2α phosphorylation pathway is an important arm of the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is induced under conditions of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Recent previous studies showed that pro-survival ER stress is induced in cancer cells and contributes to development of drug resistance.
 Methods: We investigated the levels of apoptosis and ER stress by G9a inhibitor BIX-01294 in leukemia cell lines. U937, cytarabine-resistant U937 (U937/AR) and KG1 were used. U937/AR cell line was established in our laboratory by exposing parental U937 cells to stepwise increasing concentrations of cytarabine.
 Results: We initially examined the expression of G9a in leukemia cell lines and the primary AML cells obtained from a patient at the different time point. In U937/AR cells and primary AML cells obtained at relapse, G9a expression was increased compare to that in U937 cells and primary AML cells obtained at diagnosis, respectively. G9a expression was also increased in KG1 cells. In both of U937 and U937/AR, apoptotic cell death was induced by BIX-01294 in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, apoptotic cell death was minimal in KG1 cells which are enriched in cells expressing a leukemia stem cell phenotype (CD34+CD38-). To address the activation of ER stress response by BIX-01294 in leukemia cells, we examined the effect of BIX-01294 treatment on PERK and eIF2α protein expression and phosphorylation levels. We found that treatment of U937, U937/AR, KG1 cells with 3μM of BIX-01294 for 24h caused an upregulation of phosphorylated PERK and eIF2α. The upregulation of PERK phosphorylation was associated with a decrease in PERK protein levels after treatment. To further address the role of the PERK-eIF2α phosphorylation in BIX-01294 sensitivity, we examined whether PERK inhibition using small interfering RNA (siRNA) or specific inhibitor could sensitize cells to BIX-01294-mediated death. The siRNA against PERK effectively inhibited BIX-01294-mediated phosphorylation of PERK and eIF2α in U937 and U937/AR cells. The addition of PERK siRNA led to a significant increase in the extent of BIX-01294-induced apoptotic cell death in U937 (P = 0.0003) and U937/AR (P < 0.0001) as compared with that of BIX-01294 treatment alone. PERK inhibitor GSK260641 significantly increased BIX-01294-induced apoptotic cell death in U937 (P < 0.0001) and U937/AR (P = 0.006) cells. To our surprise, addition of PERK siRNA or GSK260641 increased the sensitivity of KG1 cells to BIX-01294-mediated death in a dose-dependent manner (P = 0.0003 for siRNA, P = 0.0053 for GSK260641).
 Conclusion: These data demonstrated that PERK-eIF2α activation has a pro-survival function to G9a inhibitor in leukemia cells and mediates resistance of AML stem cells to G9a inhibitor treatment. The PERK-eIF2α phosphorylation arm may represent a suitable target for combating resistance to G9a inhibitor in AML. The mechanisms underlying the increased sensitivity of AML cells with PERK inhibition to G9a inhibitor are unclear at present and are needed to define in further studies.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


BackgroundGastric carcinoma (GC) in one of the most common malignant tumors in the worldwide. Despite numerous studies, the molecular mechanism of is still unclear and the prognosis of GC remains poor.MethodsThe present study obtained expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The gene risk signature and lncRNA signature were constructed by performing the univariate cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis. The receive operator curve (ROC) analysis was applied to evaluated the specificity and sensitivity of risk signature. The potential pathway was performed by using the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA).ResultsIn total, 1641 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 985 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were obtained among GC samples. A 6 prognostic DEGs (DIRC1, IQCM, MATN3, SOX14, C5orf46 and CYP19A1) classifier and 9 prognostic DElncRNAs (AC007126.1, AC011352.1, AL356417.2, AP000695.1, LINC01210, LINC01614, VCAN-AS1, AC005165.1 and AC011586.2) classifier were identified using lasso-penalized multivariate survival modelling with 10 fold cross-validation. According to median risk score, patients were divided into high risk group and low risk group. The overall survival result for patients have a significant divergence between high rosk group and low risk group (p < 0.001). The 6 DEGs signature risk model and 9 DElncRNAs signature risk model was further verified that can served as an independent prognostic biomarkers for GC prediction among the clinical traits (P < 0.001). Moreover, two independent cohort GEO dataset (GSE13911 and GSE70800) was employed to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the prognostic gene and prognostic lncRNA. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) result for the risk model revealed that these gene involved in ECM receptor interaction pathway, ERBB signaling pathway, UBIQUITIN mediated proteolysis, cell adhesion molecules CAMS, ECM receptor interaction, focal adhesion, pathways in cancer and TGF beta signaling pathway, meaning that the prognostic gene risk model and lncRNAs risk model play an crucial role and have important prognostic values.ConclusionThese findings may have important significance in understanding the molecular mechanism of GC and potential therapeutic method for the GC patients.


Gold mining using the mercury amalgamation process continues to present serious community and occupational exposure problems throughout the world. It is now estimated that 30% of all processed gold is produced using mercury amalgamation with over 10 million people involved in artisanal and small scale gold mining. In Peru there has been a 400% increase in the ASGM activities and is ranked 5th in worldwide gold production. It is estimated that one out of 28 people in Peru are associated with artisanal gold mining with Madre de Dios, an Amazonian State in Peru, accounting for 70% of mined gold. worker paper presents the results of mercury vapour area air sampling during the amalgam burning processing step where Hg/Au amalgam is heated and the mercury driven off as a vapour phase. Small-scale artisanal gold miners often do not have the equipment to burn off the mercury from the amalgam and resort to local shops for this service. These Compra de Oro shops can be found in villages along the Interoceanic Highway traversing Madre de Dios. A total of 16 Gold Shops were sampled in 5 villages along the Interoceanic Highway in Madre de Dios. In almost all cases, the worker exposure levels exceeded internationally accepted health standards. Results of workplace sampling will be presented as well as a discussion of efforts and challenges in managing occupational health risks in small-scale artisanal enterprises in low and middle-income countries.


The behavior of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I in lipoprotein (Lp) AI and LpAI:AII was studied in 11 postmenopausal females and 11 males matched for plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. Subjects consumed a baseline diet [35% fat (14% saturated, 15% monounsaturated, and 7% polyunsaturated), 15% protein, 49% carbohydrate, and 147 mg cholesterol/1000 kcal] for 6 weeks before the start of the kinetic study. At the end of the diet period, using a primed-constant infusion of [5,5,5-2H3]leucine, residence times (RT) and secretion rates (SR) of apoA-I were determined in 2 subpopulations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, LpAI and LpAI:AII. Plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations were similar in males and females. The mean plasma HDL cholesterol concentration in males (1.14 +/- 0.23 mmol/L; mean +/- SD) was lower than in females (1.42 +/- 0.18 mmol/L; P =. 0034). Similarly, the mean plasma concentration of apoA-I in males (130 +/- 21 mg/dL) was lower than that in females (150 +/- 19 mg/dL; P = .0421). The RT of apoA-I in either LpAI or LpAI:AII was similar between men and women. Despite the higher plasma apo A-I levels in female compared with male subjects, total apoA-I and apoA-I in LpAI and LpAI:AII pool sizes were similar between the two groups, attributable to the lower body weight of the female subjects. The mean SR of total apoA-I in males (8.5 +/- 2.7 mg.kg-1.d-1) was 22% lower than in females (10.9 +/- 2.3 mg.kg-1.d-1; P = .0389). The SR of both apoA-I in LpAI and LpAI:AII was lower in males than females, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. These data suggest that the difference observed in HDL cholesterol concentration between males and females is attributable to SR of apoA-I and not the catabolic rate.


This work aimed at improving the solubility of curcumin by the preparation of spray-dried ternary solid dispersions containing Gelucire®50/13-Aerosil® and quantifying the resulting in vivo oral bioavailability and anti-inflammatory activity. The solid dispersion containing 40% of curcumin was characterised by calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The solubility and dissolution rate of curcumin in aqueous HCl or phosphate buffer improved up to 3600- and 7.3-fold, respectively. Accelerated stability test demonstrated that the solid dispersion was stable for 9 months. The pharmacokinetic study showed a 5.5-fold increase in curcumin in rat blood plasma when compared to unprocessed curcumin. The solid dispersion also provided enhanced anti-inflammatory activity in rat paw oedema. Finally, the solid dispersion proposed here is a promising way to enhance curcumin bioavailability at an industrial pharmaceutical perspective, since its preparation applies the spray drying, which is an easy to scale up technique. The findings herein stimulate further in vivo evaluations and clinical tests as a cancer and Alzheimer chemoprevention agent.


This is the first case report of cicatrical pemphigoid from India. The patient was a 58 year old rnale who--developed tense, dome shaped vesicles in the oral mucosa, followed 18 months later by blisters on the skin which healed by scarring, Symblepharon developed in both the eyes 23 months after the onset. Histologically, the split was subepuermace and direct immunofluorescent; subepidermal test on the patient's serum for IgG antibodies is negative.


BACKGROUND
Medication errors are common, and while most such errors have little potential for harm they cause substantial extra work in hospitals. A small proportion do have the potential to cause injury, and some cause preventable adverse drug events.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of computerized physician order entry (POE) with decision support in reducing the number of medication errors.

DESIGN
Prospective time series analysis, with four periods.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
All patients admitted to three medical units were studied for seven to ten-week periods in four different years. The baseline period was before implementation of POE, and the remaining three were after. Sophistication of POE increased with each successive period.

INTERVENTION
Physician order entry with decision support features such as drug allergy and drug-drug interaction warnings.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Medication errors, excluding missed dose errors.

RESULTS
During the study, the non-missed-dose medication error rate fell 81 percent, from 142 per 1,000 patient-days in the baseline period to 26.6 per 1,000 patient-days in the final period (P < 0.0001). Non-intercepted serious medication errors (those with the potential to cause injury) fell 86 percent from baseline to period 3, the final period (P = 0.0003). Large differences were seen for all main types of medication errors: dose errors, frequency errors, route errors, substitution errors, and allergies. For example, in the baseline period there were ten allergy errors, but only two in the following three periods combined (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
Computerized POE substantially decreased the rate of non-missed-dose medication errors. A major reduction in errors was achieved with the initial version of the system, and further reductions were found with addition of decision support features.


This paper reports a new family of symmetries to the Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov, dissipative Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov, and Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equations. It also reports the details of the corresponding set of exact similarity solutions to the Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov equation, and the corresponding reduction of the dissipative Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov equation onto the generalized Burgers' equation, and implies that of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation onto a simpler equation. The bearing that the symmetries and exact solutions have on other work is discussed. The first non-trivial smooth global solutions to the Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov equation are presented, answering a conjecture as to the existence of such. The formation of line caustics is examined, using the exact solutions quasi-statically, giving new results.


The purpose of the present investigation consists of an economical valuation for natural resources of Vinales National Park (VNP), located in the Republic of Cuba, in agreement with the existing tourist potential. The valuation was carried out through the combined application of several techniques, firstly an analysis of the external and internal factors that provides to that the ecotourist product of the area may be in a situation where the weaknesses and opportunities prevail, was done, Later by means of the application of the Delphi Method the procedure to continue in the economic valuation and the different goods and environmental susceptible services of valuing is deeply proved. Through the application of requests to national visitors and foreigners that respond to the application of the contingent valuation method, the maximum willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of the environmental goods in the protected area is determined. In the case of the national visitors the willingness to pay depends on the age of people, being the group understood between 20-30 years the one with the most significance level, raising the value of $2.00 CUP (Cuban peso in national currency). On the other hand, the international visitors indicate that they can be willing to pay in more or smaller measure for a good or environmental service depending in the first place on their age, the distance to travel for arriving at the Vinales National Park, the earning that perceives and the main activity that they do. It is necessary to point out that more than 50% of the international visitors have a WTP of $3.00 CUC (Cuban peso in freely exchangeable currency).


This paper is an extension of the work of Dummit and Voight on modeling the 2-Selmer group of number fields. We extend their model to $S_n$-number fields of even degree and develop heuristics on the difference in the 2-ranks between the class group and narrow class group.


During the Renaissance, a profound transformation occurred in Western culture, fuelled in large part by the rediscovery of the mythological, pagan imagination. This large-format and highly illustrated book provides new perspectives on this phenomenon, demonstrating how the pagan revival permeated every aspect of Renaissance life and culture. Godwin explains how the European imagination was seduced by the pagan gods, and how people of wealth and leisure began to decorate their villas and palaces with images of them, write stories about them, and even produce music and dramatic pageants about them. He explores how the pagan imagination existed side-by-side - sometimes uneasily - with the official symbols and doctrines of the Church, and documents how pagan themes were used to enhance both public and private life. In its deepest and most vibrant form, we discover how the pagan dream of the Renaissance represented nostalgia for a classical world untroubled by sin and in no need of redemption.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the distressing impact of toxic leadership on the mental state of the subordinates and examine the unique coping mechanisms used by them to deal with such leaders. The paper also examined the relationship between psychological distress and coping strategy used by subordinates to deal with the toxic leader.

Design/methodology/approach
This study presents a validity testing of two scales. The first scale was designed to measure experienced psychological distress emanating from exposure to toxic leaders, and the second scale aims to assess the coping strategies utilized by subordinates to deal with the toxic leaders. Data were collected from 570 employees working in public as well as private organizations in India.

Findings
The results of this paper supported the theorized two three-dimensional tools to measure: psychological distress (loss of self-worth, withdrawal and agitated) and coping strategies to deal with toxic leaders (assertive coping, avoidance coping and adaptive coping). Reliability estimates and construct validity of both the tools were established. The results also suggest that the loss of self-worth was negatively related with assertive coping, avoidance coping and adaptive coping. However, withdrawal was positively related with assertive coping and avoidance coping. Finally, agitation was positively related with avoidance and adaptive coping.

Originality/value
To the authors' knowledge, this is one of the rare studies to examine together the phenomenon of both psychological distress experienced by subordinates and the coping strategies utilized by them to deal with toxic leaders.


Solid tumors are known to frequently metastasize to the bony structures with incidence varying strongly by tumor type and stage (1). Having bone metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis and a survival expectancy of several months. Bone metastases have a large impact on the quality of life as they cause severe and debilitating effects, like pain, spinal cord compression, hypercalcemia, pathologic fractures and neurologic deficits (1-3). Radiotherapy has an important role in the treatment of bone metastases. It is recognized for its low incidence of side effects and considered time efficient.


In the late 1980s, the East-West divide by birth control was identified in Europe as both parts differed by contraceptive practices and abortion rates. The aim of this chapter is to investigate changes in abortion behaviour and 'whether the East-West divide in abortion behaviour remained relevant by 2009'. As the large variation in terms of abortion rates and contraceptive patterns is still identified in Europe, we want to investigate 'to what extent it has reflected in the birth control patterns'. The main results could be summed up as follows: (1) the East-West divide in abortion behaviour was distorted, but not fully eliminated. Besides the former Eastern and Western abortion patterns, the new 'low abortion' pattern has emerged. (2) Within the EU countries, convergent trends towards lower abortion level were identified since 1990. However, as regards the structure of abortions, a pattern of divergence has been apparent due to differences in transition to modern contraception use. (3) The use of modern methods of contraception rather depends on structural macro-level factors and contextual incentives and barriers as the impact of individual characteristics on the use of contraception does not differ much between countries under study.


Elections, as one of the main pillars of modern democracies, are necessary but not sufficient condition for ideal form of representative democracy. John M. McCormick and Iris M. Young problematize the democracy understanding solely based on fair and competitive elections. While they both agree on the problem of modern democracies as executed by wealthy elites, there is a divergence in their proposed solutions. While McCormick sees the problem as inequalities between classes and proposes excluding the wealthy elites from dominating the political representation and decision making, Young proposes an inclusive approach that empowers marginalized groups. This article compares and contrasts these two theoretical approaches to reform democracy in a way that would deliver its promise as a system of comprehensive policy making process.


A bipartite graph is chordal bipartite if every cycle of length at least 6 has a chord in it. In this paper, we investigate the structure of $P_5$-free chordal bipartite graphs and show that these graphs have a Nested Neighborhood Ordering, a special ordering among its vertices. Further, using this ordering, we present polynomial-time algorithms for classical problems such as Hamiltonian cycle (path) and longest path. Two variants of Hamiltonian path include Steiner path and minimum leaf spanning tree, and we obtain polynomial-time algorithms for these problems as well restricted to $P_5$-free chordal bipartite graphs.


The phenomenon of information conflict at the moment is an actual research object of many social and humanitarian disciplines. On the other hand, there is a lack of fundamental theoretical, primarily philosophical and methodological, research on this issue. This is expressed, inter alia, in the absence of philosophical and methodological grounds for isolating an information conflict from the totality of all objectively observed communications, i.e. demarcation of the phenomenon. The problem of finding criteria for an information conflict is of key importance in the formation of the methodological foundations and categorical apparatus for studying this phenomenon. In this regard, the need to develop theoretical foundations for the demarcation of information conflict is an urgent research task. The object of this work is the phenomenon of information conflict as part of the communicative process. The subject of the research is the problem of demarcation of information conflicts from all aggregate communications. The purpose of the study is to describe and substantiate the existing object-oriented methodologies that allow for the demarcation procedure. The following tasks are adequately formulated for the purpose of the study: 1) describe the problem of demarcation; 2) identify the communicative grounds of the information conflict; 3) analyze and highlight the main approaches to the problem of demarcation of information conflict. The novelty of the work lies in the systematic description and structuring of methodological approaches to the problem of demarcation of information conflicts, as well as analysis of the boundaries of methodologies and approaches. In the course of the work, it was determined and proved that, relying solely on the theory of communication, it is impossible to adequately carry out the demarcation procedure; it is necessary to use additional, non-communicative demarcation criteria, which is due to the variety of demarcation approaches in various studies. In conclusion, conclusions are formulated about the limitations of object-oriented approaches for solving the problem of demarcation of information conflicts.


A comparison of morphological characteristics of transformations initiated by virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens and those initiated by RNA extracted from this bacterium was made This comparison revealed that plants injected with RNA from the virulent bacterium formed cellular transformations similar to those initiated by the intact bacterium.


We employ the concepts and tools of the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to encapsulate a body of previous research on efficiently analyzable phase-coded waveforms for use in ranging applications. This DWT perspective enables the direct synthesis of half-rate implementations which are suitable for high-speed applications. We introduce and study a set of sequences, based on a classical Welti construction, which are both DWT-decomposable and exhibit a zero autocorrelation zone property under cyclic extension. We propose a general extension technique which extends the zero correlation width while retaining the same simple receiver filter, and show that this technique is appropriate for many of the sequences in our construction. Fi- nally, we propose a transmit waveform construction which allows a further reduction of two in the receiver hardware complexity. We discuss the resulting tradeoffs between receiver complexity and transmit power.


Abstract This study examined university students′ epistemological beliefs as a function of their educational level and field of study. A stratified random sampling technique was used to assess the epistemological beliefs of 386 students at three universities in central Illinois. Confirming previous research, the results suggest that epistemological beliefs can be represented in terms of five factors: (a) certainty of knowledge, (b) omniscient authority, (c) orderly process, (d) innate ability, and (e) quick learning. Students who study in the "soft" fields (i.e., social science and arts/ humanities) have a stronger tendency to believe that knowledge is uncertain, are more reliant on their independent reasoning ability, and have a stronger feeling that learning is not an orderly process than students in "hard" fields (i.e., engineering and business). Graduate students showed a stronger tendency than undergraduate students to believe that knowledge is often uncertain, that learning is not usually an orderly process, and that knowledge is best acquired from independent reasoning. The results of this study suggest that students′ beliefs about learning are a product of the activity, the culture, and the context in which they are cultivated.


This paper outlines selected facets of environmental quality and strategic risks and control. In particular, an environmental games approach is emphasized and a "satisficing" solution is suggested. Such a concept is motivated by the complexity of environmental games, the partial information available and by a claim that in such circumstances, the traditional Nash equilibrium might not be appropriate. A specific application an environmental game, is used to demonstrate the approach we follow and draw some conclusions regarding the process of investment in technologies for policy abatement and environmental controls.


The epilepsies in childhood are classified as primary (or idiopathic) and secondary (or symptomatic). The primary epilepsies account for two thirds of all childhood epilepsies and are presumed to be genetically determined. In the remaining one third of cases, a neuropathologic lesion can be identified. This paper summarizes the etiologies of the symptomatic epilepsies. They are classified according to the pathologic processes; malformative, metabolic, neoplastic and phakomatoses, hypoxic-ischemic, infectious, and of unknown pathologic process. (J Child Neurol 1998;13:361-371).


: Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of caries and oral hygiene in a group of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP). Place and Duration: This study was conducted in Margalla Dental Hospital, Rawalpindi for one-year duration from August 2019 to August 2020. Methods: A total of 84 children with cleft (45 men and 39 women) were examined for caries and oral hygiene. Children were divided into two age groups; Group A with children from one to six years old and group B with children from seven to 14 years old. All children in both age groups had tooth decay. Results: The mean dmft score (decayed, missing and filled deciduous teeth) in children from group A was 10.54 (SD 4.59). In children from group B, the total mean DMFT / DMFT score (decayed, missing and filled deciduous and permanent teeth) was 10.92 (SD 4.90), respectively. No statistically significant (p> 0.05) difference was found between the mean DMFT / DMFT results depending on the age and sex of children with cleft. More than half (54.7%) of the children had poor oral hygiene. Conclusion: In conclusion; the incidence and severity of caries was high in children with clefts. Most of the children had poor oral hygiene.


The Ohmeda OAV 7750 ventilator is designed to be used in conjunction with an Ohmeda Excel Anaesthesia System only, and consists of a control and a drive unit as a matched pair. Rebreathing or non-rebreathing patient system cassettes can be used, the bellows of which are then linked to the pneumatically operated, electronically controlled drive unit. In both instances an Excel 410 anaesthetic machine was in use with a rebreathing cassette and a circle system. Routine machine' and circuit checks had been completed satisfactorily. After connection of the anaesthetic circuit the ventilator delivered three breaths to the first patient before the chest ceased to move, despite the ventilator cycling normally. Manual ventilation similarly failed to generate any positive pressure within the circuit. After connection of the second patient, the ventilator was again observed to cycle normally but failed to move the chest. However, this patient's lungs could be ventilated by hand. The patient system manometer was noted to read zero and did not move with either attempted mechanical or manual ventilation. The rebreathing cassette features a pneumatic circuit let into the patient connection of the cassette for monitoring patient system pressure. Part of this circuit, underneath the cassette and hidden from view, consists of a moisture filter and a 11 cm length of neoprene hose (5 mm ID, 9 mm OD, Fig. 1). In the first incident this short hose had become disconnected, opening the ventilator circuit to atmosphere and rendering it impossible to ventilate the lungs


A CHARMM molecular mechanics force field for lignin is derived. Parameterization is based on reproducing quantum mechanical data of model compounds. Partial atomic charges are derived using the RESP electrostatic potential fitting method supplemented by the examination of methoxybenzene:water interactions. Dihedral parameters are optimized by fitting to critical rotational potentials and bonded parameters are obtained by optimizing vibrational frequencies and normal modes. Finally, the force field is validated by performing a molecular dynamics simulation of a crystal of a lignin fragment molecule and comparing simulation‐derived structural features with experimental results. Together with the existing force field for polysaccharides, this lignin force field will enable full simulations of lignocellulose. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009


The learning performance of neural networks and fuzzy systems is compared. Results obtained using neural networks and fuzzy systems in three problems are presented predicting a chaotic time series, identifying a nonlinear dynamical system, and learning inverse kinematics in robot control. Simulations show that fuzzy systems can usually be trained several orders of magnitude faster than neural networks trained by the now-classical backpropagation method and that their performance equals, if not exceeds, that of neural networks.<<ETX>>


The increasing use of microprocessor technology in pacemaker devices results, by multiple programmability, in a more reliable follow-up of pacemaker systems and accounts for individual patient program settings. Rate-adaptive and AV-sequential pacing allows physiologic pacing. The implantation of dual-chamber pacemakers is no longer precluded in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias with the availability of pacemakers with automatic mode switching (DDD[R] to DDI[R]). The actual vast variability of pacemaker treatment modalities requires a careful evaluation of the indication for pacemaker implantation, with international guidelines being helpful in decision-making. Besides frequent pacemaker indications, the occasional patient with hypersensitive carotid sinus syndrome, neurocardiogenic syncope and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may benefit from pacemaker treatment. Temporary pacemaker functions with programmable stimulation extend the diagnostic and therapeutic horizon of various arrhythmia treatments.


Like most cities in the world, population in Indonesia continues to grow every year. Problems that can arise from this are the increasing amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) production and the growing demand for electricity. To deal with the problems, Indonesian government runs 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and WTE (Waste to Energy) Programs simultaneously. 3R program aims to reduce the number of waste, while WTE program aims to generate electricity as an alternative energy source. This study aims to find out the optimal proportion of MSW treated through the 3R and WTE programs. For the purpose, a goal programming model has been developed and solved using LINGO 11. The results showed that the optimal proportion of MSW through the 3R program is 49.90%, 12.37% through WTE program. This leaves 37.73% of waste untreated. The electricity generated from WTE program reached 1,229.695 GWh, total emissions that can be saved is 1,809,208.2 tons CO2 equivalent and total land-use for the programs is 4,036,239.1 m. This study was enriched by performing some scenarios, i.e. adding budget allocation of WTE program, tightening the limit of total emission from waste management and reducing the limit of land-use for waste treatment.


Functional Position Information System is an information system application that is indispensable in Pekanbaru City Personnel and Human Resources Development Agency. This information system has not been implemented so that it needs to be designed and developed to determine its success and effectiveness. This becomes something very interesting to be the object of research, using quantitative research methods and using primary and secondary data as samples. Primary data were taken from field surveys, namely carrying out observations, interviews, case studies of selected samples. Secondary data were taken from available data by carrying out a documentation study at the Pekanbaru City Personnel and Human Resources Development Agency as needed. The data obtained were then analyzed descriptively with the waterfall modeling method. The results of hypothesis testing indicate that the functional position information system has not yet been implemented as an effort to facilitate civil servants to obtain services and information related to functional positions. Hypothesis testing also shows that there is no difference in the acceptance of the information system based on the diversity of functional groups and the length of their service life. For this reason, every civil servant who holds a Functional Position is obliged to take care of a Decree application at the Human Resources Development Personnel Agency Office, abbreviated as BKPSDM Pekanbaru City and to facilitate this, is designed a system called the Functional Position Information System Using the framework Laravel so that the user can easily easy to understand and use the application in the form of a website.


A novel photonic network, MATRIX (for multi-wavelength all-optical transparent information exchange), is proposed in this paper. The all-optical multihop network supports wavelength continuity and provides a very high network capacity. Spatial reuse of wavelengths as well as the multiplicity of fibers in optical fiber cables are exploited and enable the interconnection of N/sup 2/ network nodes with merely N wavelengths. The node structure is simple since neither tunable devices nor wavelength converters are required. Packets are routed through the network by photonic fast packet switching as well as by wavelength and experience a maximum hop number of two. Multiple optical paths between any pair of nodes provide a good network survivability.


An experiment had been carried out on formation of Bi-2212 crystals with the self-flux method. Flux was used and derived from CuO and CaCO3. The process of synthesis was equipped with the melting process at temperature 890 °C with time variation of melting 35 minutes and 40 minutes, followed by slow cooling at a rate of 1°C/hour for 70 hours. The results were obtained and characterized by XRD test. This research aimed to produce superconducting materials with self-flux method, calculate the percentage of the value of the volume fraction, the percentage of oriented phase and impurities. Samples generated from XRD measurements were made to match with the XRD Strobell's pattern of the superconducting Bi-2212 standards. The results showed that the value of the volume fraction of 2212 phase and the phase of the highest oriented melting at 40 minutes were equal to 67.68% and 38.89%, while the smallest impurity phase of 32.32% were obtained at the same time melting.


We investigated advantages and drawbacks of wireless BAN (Body Area Network) systems using UWB (Ultra Wide Band) wireless technology that are expected robustness against interference, low power consumption, and little interference to a body for healthcare. Two types of low and high bands of radio frequency for UWB were examined using various sensors in hospital and home environments. The high band UWB BAN system with TDMA protocol in MAC worked well to prevent interference. The most serious drawbacks was shadowing problem due to a body. We verified most suitable routing to avoid the shadowing problem on the bed.


The role and responsibilities of the medical review officer are considered in relation to drug testing in the workplace. Knowledge of substance abuse disorders, pharmacology and toxicology, laboratory techniques for screening and confirmation, forensic collection techniques, and the relevant rules and regulations that govern drug testing is essential. The means for detecting adulterated urine samples are offered, and a procedure for the management of urine-testing results is provided.


Reset Middle East: Old Friends and New Allies: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, Iran, by Stephen Kinzer. London and New York: I.B. Tauris, 2010. 288 pages. $21.57 paper. In this book Stephen Kinzer argues that the US national interests would be served by a more rational and reasonable stance toward the Middle East. He argues that by "resetting" its relationships with four states - Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Iran - the US would help address several perilous challenges it faces domestically and internationally. However, Kinzer observes, the present dysfunctional US foreign policy stance in the greater Middle East is unlikely to be reset in the presence of two kinds of distorting factors. The first kind of distortion is directly tractable only within the United States itself: correcting a lack of knowledge about the modern histories of the Middle East and US policies in the region. In fact, addressing this historical ignorance is the prime focus of Kinzer's book. Hence the style is narrative, not foreign policy analysis and critique, much less grand strategizing while the purpose, exceedingly well achieved, is to engage and inform the general reader about the development of these four states since the early 20th century and the US influence, for good or ill, on them. Once this history is better understood by the US public, Kinzer believes, a more rational and reasonable US foreign policy can emerge - based on its interests, power, and values. The second kind of distortion is about less-than-helpful foreign policy stances taken by the countries on which he focuses attention: especially Israel and Iran. Although at opposite poles in US policy and public opinion, both states experience an isolation and reflect a self-perpetuating siege mentality that runs counter to their own as well as US long-run national interests.1 Kinzer's account shows how this isolation developed in each case, the US role in this process, and implicitly suggests ways out. US relations with Turkey have markedly soured in recent years. This change was marked above all by Turkey's refusal to act as a staging base for the US-led invasion of Iraq (2003) and has accelerated in the last two years, marked increasingly by Turkish support for Gaza's case against a continued Israeli blockade. Meanwhile, US relations with Iran in the sixty years since the CIA-MI6 overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953 may be known by a few specialists and scholars but the general public's perceptions have been distorted by US populist politics - most notably, the 1979-1980 hostage crisis that did so much to undermine Carter's presidency, followed by the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s, and the "dual containment" of the Clinton era. After addressing this intervening history of mutual alienation, Kinzer goes on to tell the story of the Iranian leadership's "Grand Bargain"2 offer to the US in 2002, and how this offer was met with concealment and contempt by a George W. Bush Administration more intent on pursuing its "axis of evil" strategy. In this offer, Iran had expressed the intention of putting everything on the table, including its nuclear plans and its covert assistance to dissident groups such as Hizbullah. Despite this lost opportunity, Kinzer is able to list ten core US national interests in the region that could still be advanced by such an arrangement with Iran (p. 208). In Kinzer's account, the rationale for a rapprochement is not confined to national interests but is also the matter of "values." If by the latter is meant a trend toward liberal democracy, then Turkey has moved well beyond all Islamic states in the region in that regard. …


Technological advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have improved radiologists' ability to evaluate wrist ligaments. MRI interpretation often guides clinical management. This article aims to review the normal and pathologic appearance of intrinsic and extrinsic wrist ligaments with a focus on MRI. Variant anatomy, imaging pearls, and clinical significance are also discussed. Special attention is paid to key wrist ligaments that play a role in carpal stability.


This review highlights recent advances in gastroenterology and hepatology, including new insights into the diagnosis, pathogenesis and the treatment of ulcerative colitis, of achalasia, of irritable bowel syndrome, of chronic hepatitis B and of eosinophilic esophagitis. These new developments will be summarized and discussed critically, with a particular emphasis on their potential implications for current and future clinical practice. The recent advances on treatment of chronic hepatitis C will be published in another summary this year.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

In male kidney, 4-hydroxy-estradiol has been shown to play a role in the carcinogenesis process. This metabolite is formed from estradiol and due to the hydroxylation activity of the cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) enzyme. Prior reports show polymorphisms of CYP1B1 to result in higher catalytic activity and thus, we hypothesize that single nucleotide polymorphisms of the CYP1B1 gene are involved in the malignant transformation of the renal cell. To test this hypothesis, the genetic distributions of four missense CYP1B1 polymorphisms were analyzed in 383 normal healthy subjects and 384 sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases by sequence-specific PCR and sequencing. All subjects were men and from a Caucasian population. The polymorphic sites evaluated were at codons 48 (ArgαGly, rs10012), 119 (AlaαSer, rs1056827), 432 (LeuαVal, rs1056836), and 453 (AsnαSer, rs1800440). Results of these experiments demonstrate a trend for the codon 119 Ser/Ser genotype to be a risk for RCC (χ2, P=0.09). Odds ratio for the Ser/Ser genotype was calculated as 1.85 with 95% confidence interval of 1.07-3.20 as compared to the Ala/Ala genotype. The Leu allele on codon 432 was also found to approach significance as a risk for RCC as compared to Val (χ2, P=0.09). Codons 119 and 432 were observed to be linked (R2=0.25) and haplotype analyses show Ala and Val, representing non-risk alleles at these sites, respectively, to be significantly reduced in RCC cases (P=0.06). No association was found however, when analyzing polymorphic sites with clinical stage of RCC. These results demonstrate missense polymorphisms of CYP1B1 to be associated with renal carcinogenesis and are of importance in understanding their role in the pathogenesis of RCC.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2640. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2640


CoVaR, defined as the change in the value at risk of the financial system conditional on an institution being under distress relative to its median state. Our estimates show that characteristics such as leverage, size, maturity mismatch, and asset price booms significantly predict CoVaR. We also provide out-of-sample forecasts of a countercyclical, forward-looking measure of systemic risk, and show that the 2006:IV value of this measure would have predicted more than one-third of realized CoVaR during the 2007-2009 financial crisis.


Embodiments are disclosed that relate to implementing semiconductor device cooling systems that leverage awareness of regional voltage and temperature reliability risk considerations. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of implementing a cooling system configured to cool an integrated circuit. The method involves first determining a heat dissipation factor that would reduce each region of the integrated circuit to a reduced temperature in order to maintain an overall failure rate. An analysis is then performed, using an insight about the relative reliability risk of elevated voltage and temperatures, to identify a region of the integrated circuit whose temperature can be permitted to rise without exceeding the overall failure rate, thereby permitting implementation of a cooling system with a reduced heat dissipation factor.


Jacob Christian Schäffer was the first to appreciate the morphological complexity of the microscopic crustacean Daphnia. His investigations, published in 1755, provide an excellent example of the difficulties facing those who, for the first time, attempted to elucidate the structure of extremely complicated animals of small size, of which there were no familiar counterparts. Nevertheless he not only revealed many hitherto unsuspected anatomical features but attempted, with some success, to explain their function. Most notably he showed that Daphnia produces a current of water that draws suspended particles into its complex food-handling machinery. An earlier suggestion of how it feeds was completely erroneous and misleading. A pioneer of the comparative method, Schäffer provided an excellent example of how it helped him to understand, if not entirely to resolve, a complicated mechanism. That reproduction can be either parthenogenetic or sexual presented problems that were not resolved for more than another century. Unaware that males exist, and on the basis of seemingly sound, but misleading, observations, he concluded that Daphnia is a hermaphrodite.


The universal attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (UATR-FTIR) equipped with a ZnSe—Diamond composite crystal was used to analyze contaminated cotton fibers. Cotton samples were selected based on their high speed stickiness detector readings and sugar content as determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Trehalulose (dominant sugar in whitefly honeydew) was identified at 3280, 1622, and 1018 cm—1. Integrated intensities I3280, I1622, and I1018 showed high correlations with the trehalulose content on the contaminated lint. Principal component analysis of the FTIR spectra showed that it is possible to discriminate between contaminated and non-contaminated cotton and indicated that FTIR spectra of cotton lint fall into different clusters corresponding to different levels of contamination. The results obtained showed that the ZnSe—Diamond composite crystal FTIR accessory could be used as a fast and precise nondestructive method to discriminate between contaminated and non-contaminated cotton.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between oncoprotein c-erbB2 over-expression and prognosis of primary breast tumor patients, and find if it can be used as a prognostic indicator.

METHODS
Eighty-five cases of paraffin-embedded specimens were used for immunohistochemical study.

RESULTS
Over-expression of c-erbB2 was observed in none of the 7 benign breast tumors. Twenty-three out of 78 cases of breast cancer showed over-expression with a positive rate of 29.4%. Over-expressed c-erbB2 oncoprotein was not detected in 80% of patients with negative lymph node. In clinical stage III patients, 71% of them over-expressed c-erbB2. The expression of c-erbB2 and estrogen receptor(ER) was inversely correlated in 67% of breast cancer patients. Oncoprotein c-erbB2 over-expression had no correlation with lymph node status(P > 0.05), but was closely correlated to clinical staging(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Patients with over-expression of c-erbB2 oncoprotein showed poor prognosis. The c-erbB2 may be used for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients.


Twelve buffalo heifers were divided into two groups. Group 1 served as control and group 2 was exposed at 40°C in a climatic chamber to investigate the effect of thermal stress on feed intake, physiological responses, enzymes and blood biochemicals. Dry matter intake was significantly lower in group 2 than in group 1. There was no significant change in RR, PR and RT in group 1 and group 2 on day 21, 14 and 7 before exposure to thermal stress. The values of physiological responses increased significantly in group 2 than in group 1 after exposure to thermal stress for 4 h daily. Glucose, total cholesterol decreased significantly, whereas total protein increased significantly in group 2. SGOT increased significantly in group 2 but variation in SGPT concentration between groups was non significant. The alkaline phosphatase activity decreased significantly following the thermal stress whereas acid phosphatase activity was comparable between the groups. The significant changes in blood parameters may serve as an indicator of stress in buffalo heifers.


Abstract Plant growth promoting microorganisms, such as mycorrhizal fungi, have been widely used in agriculture because they help plants in the absorption of nutrients and water, influencing their growth. The objective of this work was to verify the effect of the mycorrhizal association of Glomus clarum and Glomus etunicatum on the initial growth of the rootstocks Rangpur lime, Swingle citrumelo and Sunki mandarin. The experimental design was completely randomized with a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement, with five replications, corresponding to three rootstocks, four managements: mineral fertilization, inoculation with G. clarum (IGC), inoculation with G. etunicatum (IGE) and Control. The seedlings were produced in greenhouse, using as substrate the vermicompost earthworm, distributed in polyethylene bags, depositing three seeds of each rootstock / bag. The inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi was carried out at the time of sowing (45 spores of each species / bag). The mineral fertilization was divided into two phases: phosphorus application before sowing (40g of single superphosphate / bag); nitrogen application (1.7 g dissolved in 40 ml of water), divided in eight applications of 5 ml of the solution, via irrigation water, manually and weekly; and micronutrients (B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn), sprayed manually every two weeks. The following parameters were evaluated: height, stem diameter, number of leaves, shoot dry mass, colonization and mycorrhizal dependence. There was a significant interaction between the rootstocks and treatments applied in this study for most of the evaluated variables. Rangpur lime and Swingle citrumelo obtained higher height and the management that conferred higher height to the rootstocks was the mineral fertilization and IGE. The largest diameter of the stem was reached by Swingle citrumelo and the management that provided the largest diameter was the inoculation with G. etunicatum. Rangpur lime presented moderate mycorrhizal dependence for G. clarum and marginal for G. etunicatum. Mycorrhizal colonization did not show a significant interaction between rootstocks and the management with inoculation. The mycorrhizal association of G. clarum and G. etunicatum was not presented as the best management for the growth of Rangpur lime, Swingle citrumelo and Sunki mandarin, when compared to the mineral fertilization. However, the inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi provided a positive effect on the uptake of some nutrients by the rootstocks, especially K, Mg, N and P.


Hereditary eosinophil peroxidase deficiency is a genetic abnormality characterized by a decrease or absence of peroxidase activity and a reduction of the granule matrix volume. Recently, we identified two mutations associated with eosinophil peroxidase deficiency in a subject and his siblings, i.e. a base insertion causing the appearance of a premature stop codon and a base transition causing the replacement of an Arg at codon 286 with a His (R286H). In this article we report the stable expression of both the recombinant wild-type and the R286H eosinophil peroxidase precursor in the K-562 cell line, and the effects of the R286H substitution on the structure and function of the eosinophil peroxidase precursor. Heme group incorporation into both the recombinant wild-type and the recombinant R286H eosinophil peroxidase precursor was comparable, as was the stability of both proteins. Instead, the recombinant R286H eosinophil peroxidase precursor exhibited marked alterations of the catalytic properties and an increased sensitivity to four peroxidase inhibitors with respect to both the recombinant wild-type eosinophil peroxidase precursor and the native enzyme. In addition, the recombinant wild-type, but not the R286H, eosinophil peroxidase precursor was immunoprecipitated by two anti-(eosinophil peroxidase) mAbs. Altogether, our results suggest a protein misfolding of the R286H eosinophil peroxidase precursor which might account for its altered catalytic properties and the absence of expression of some epitopes.


The results of an experimental study of two compound parabolic reflector antennas are reported. The reflectors were designed to have equal beamwidths at two separate frequency bands. The inner region of the reflector was formed as a conducting metallic surface; the outer region was a frequency-selective surface designed to be highly reflecting at the lower frequency band, and transmitting at the higher band. The performance of the compound reflector is compared with that of an equivalent wholly metallic paraboloid.


INTRODUCTION
Comparatively to open repair, endovascular aneurysm repair has reduced transfusion rates but thereâs no recommendation about number of red blood cells units to be crossmatched preoperatively. Our aim is contribute to the analysis of red blood cells units needs in endovascular and hybrid aortic aneurysm repair and developing a protocol for maximum surgical blood orders schedule.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed our prospective database of elective endovascular aneurysm repair from 2001 to 2012. We analyzed patients' age, gender, ASA classification, maximum surgical blood orders schedule, red blood cells units transfused and timings, types of endoprosthesis, red blood cells units consumption/endoprosthesis' type ratio, crossmatch to transfusion ratio, conversion to open repair, hemoglobin concentrations before surgery and discharge.

RESULTS
We selected 187 patients, 90% men, mean age 73.1, ASA mode III. The endoprosthesis were aorto-bi-iliac in 71%, aorto-uni-iliac in 23% and thoracic in 6%. Of these, 72,6% of the patients did not require blood transfusion. We transfused 171 red blood cells units. Crossmatch to transfusion ratio was 10.1 until 2010 and 7.3 after. The ratio of red blood cells units consumption/endoprosthesis in the first 24 hours was 0.21 red blood cells units/aorto-bi-iliac, 0.46 red blood cells units/aorto-uni-iliac, 0.8 red blood cells units/thoracic, 1.3 red blood cells units/hybrid-thoracic and 2 red blood cells units/hybrid-aorto-bi-iliac. A statistical correlation was observed between red blood cells units transfused postoperatively and type of endoprosthesis (p < 0.001) and between ASA classification and red blood cells units transfused after 24 hours (p < 0.01).

DISCUSSION
Guidelines from the British Society of Haematology are based on a crossmatch to transfusion ratio of 2:1. Our crossmatch to transfusion ratio was 10.1 until 2010 and 7.3 from 2011 to 2012.

CONCLUSION
These results changed our policy of maximum surgical blood orders schedule for endovascular aneurysm repair. We now type and screen aorto-bi-iliac and aorto-uni-iliac. We crossmatch two red blood cells units for thoracic, three red blood cells units for hybrid thoracic and four red blood cells units for hybrid abdominal procedures. This may lead to financial savings, improved efficiency and reduce workload in hematology department.


To calculate the noise emanating from a turbulent flow (such as a jet flow) using Lighthill's analogy, knowledge concerning the unsteady characteristics of the turbulence is required. Specifically, the form of the turbulent correlation tensor together with various time and length-scales and convection velocities are needed. However, if we are using a RANS calculation then we obtain only steady characteristics of the flow and it is then necessary to model the unsteady behaviour in some way. While there has been considerable attention given to the correct way to model the form of the correlation tensor (or equivalently the spectral density), less attention has been given to underlying physics that dictate the proper choice of timescale. In early studies various authors tended to assume that the acoustic timescale was proportional to the turbulent dissipation rate but later studies have revealed that a frequency dependent relationship gives better results. In this paper we recognise that there are several time dependent processes occurring within a turbulent flow and propose a new way of defining an acoustic timescale. An isothermal single-flow M0.75 jet has been chosen for the present study and essential fluid dynamic information and turbulent parameters have been obtained using a modified k-e method. The jet noise prediction at 90 deg is found using Lighthill's analogy and directivity is estimated using an asymptotic solution of Lilley's formulation. Predictions reveal good agreement between the noise predictions and observations. Furthermore, the new time-scale has an inherent frequency dependency that arises naturally from the underlying physics thus avoiding supplementary mathematical enhancements to the model.


This article involves the work of four language educators/researchers collaborating on an ongoing longitudinal multilingual participatory action research (PAR) project in a Bachelor of Arts (BA) language teaching program in Oaxaca, Mexico. Overall, this PAR project aims at the co-construction of social justice in ELT in Mexico. In particular, it explores an approach that would encourage learners to make full(er) use of their language resources to challenge the colonial othering discourses of inferiority, disability, and backwardness inherent in ELT in Mexico. The analyses reported in this article zooms in on the English learning experiences of three Indigenous background, low-socioeconomic status, female undergraduate students, and their alleged struggle with speaking English in teaching–learning and assessment activities. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how a local English teacher co-constructed social justice with these three students. To fulfill this purpose, we succinctly present the focal students life stories and address three emergent themes: (i) unveiling alienating practices in the classroom; (ii) carving out spaces for multilingualism in the English classroom; and (iii) authoring assessment as a way to enact social justice.


Since 2004, Ethiopian economy had been continually facing unprecedented and double digit inflation growth. Using annual data over the past three decades (1980 to 2012), the study identified short run and long run dynamic interactions among key macroeconomic indicators involving structural and or domestic, monetary and external factors. The empirical strategy combines two separate estimations: the VECM and a multi factor single-equation model. The study found that the effect of supply side, monetary and external factors are highly significant to explain price inflation through their long run co-integrating (equilibriums) relationships. In the short run, changes in inflation are highly sensitive to the change in money growth, the cost of capital, exchange rate and inertia. Policies that geared towards concurrently maximizing agricultural growth, and flourishing structural rigidities on the one hand and pursuing monetary tightening and stable exchange rate polices on the other hand would enable to ensure stable inflation. Keywords: Inertia, Agricultural Goods Market, Money Market, Exchange rate, Structural rigidities, and VECM


Author(s): FENG, JUN | Advisor(s): Sun, Ren | Abstract: Gammaherpesviruses are clinically important human pathogens associated with multiple types of tumors. The life cycle of gammaherpesviruses consists of two distinct phases, latency and lytic replication, both of which are important for the viral-associated pathogenesis. Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) has been used as a model to study virus-host interactions of human gammaherpesviruses because of its genomic and biological similarities. During the course of MHV-68 lytic infection, the virus is highly dependent on cellular machinery to facilitate its replication. Host cells, on the other hand, develop mechanisms to sense and restrict virus replication. Here, we present an integrative systems approach to elucidate the interactions between MHV-68 and its host. Our previous yeast-two-hybrid analysis and genome-wide expression profiling implicated hundreds of cellular factors mediating virus-host interactions. Among the cellular factors identified, those involved in kinase- and transcription factor- regulated signaling are the most highly enriched. Therefore, high-throughput screens of cellular kinome and transcription factors cDNA and siRNA libraries were carried out, which uncovered 125 MHV-68 dependency factors and 213 restriction factors. We found that many cellular factors affect MHV-68 replication by regulating RTA transcription. Characterization of this subset of genes showed they also play roles in KSHV latency maintenance and reactivation. Furthermore, cellular factors regulating later steps of viral replication, such as viral late gene expression and egress, were also identified and validated. Finally we compared the viral restriction factors to the results of a kinome siRNA screen designed to identify cellular regulators of innate immune response to cytosolic DNA. Remarkably, 23 genes were found among the top 10% of the hits of both screens. The MHV-68 restriction factor RIOK3 was confirmed to play a role in IRF3 activation and type I interferon induction mediated by both cytosolic DNA and RNA. RIOK3 is required for cellular antiviral response to both DNA virus (MHV-68) and RNA virus (Influenza A), suggesting a central role in innate immunity. Further analysis revealed that RIOK3 complexes with TBK1 and IRF3, bridging the activity between the two. Collectively, this multilayered approach unfolded a comprehensive map of gammaherpesvirus-host interactions which will provide basis for developing new anti-viral therapies.


Anthracyclines are drugs with widespread applications on the chemotherapy of cancer. Cardiotoxicity is an important side effect of these drugs, well known for doxorubicin, the most representative of this group of drugs. Dysrhythmias and heart failure are the most important among the toxic effects of anthracyclines and are dependent on cumulative doses reason why WHO established maximal doses for the different anthracyclines. Pathogenic hypothesis about the mechanism of the myocardial lesion induced by anthracyclines include the production of free oxygen radicals, alterations of energetic metabolism and disturbances of calcium and sodium exchange at membrane level. Early detection of the toxicity of these drugs is of utmost importance. Electrocardiography has low sensitivity and specificity. Echocardiography gives specific information about previous cardiac pathology and enables the detection of complication of the basic neoplastic disease. However, detection of early changes of left ventricular function is not accomplished so well, as it is with equilibrium radionuclide angiography. Left ventricular ejection fraction is the method of choice in the early detection of cardiotoxicity of these drugs, and its frequent evaluation enables to individualize the doses in each patient, and so, a most accurate use of the therapeutic potential of the anthracyclines. Radionuclide angiography has some important indications on the selection of patients for treatment with anthracyclines, namely: to identify patients that must be excluded from the treatment; select patients at risk of congestive heart failure; to decide the appropriate moment to stop the drugs; change the therapeutic schema, etc.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A suspension vehicle near rollover is controlled by nonlinear model predictive control method (NMPC), in which the continuation/generalized minimal residual (C/GMRES) is used to solve an optimal control problem in real time. The suspension vehicle near rollover can be represented by a double inverted pendulum with suspension. This kind of double inverted pendulum consists of two pendulums connected together by a nonlinear spring, which represents the axle and the body of the suspension vehicle. The terminal cost is given by a solution to the algebraic Riccati equation to make the tuning process in performance index easier. The input force to make the vehicle tip up is determined based on the surface friction coefficient and the location of the vehicle's center of gravity. The results obtained from simulation indicated that NMPC with C/GMRES could swing up and stabilize the system successfully in real time.


In this study we demonstrate the feasibility of generation of the electric charge and electric current in systems with rapidly varying parameters. It is shown that the electric current is excited spontaneously in the systems where electric resistance of their elements changes. Remarkably, effective damping resistance of the layered conductors may become negative, although ohmic resistance of its layers grows. Similar effects occur in electric circuits with different conductors connected in parallel. The effective resistance of such a system can decrease in spite of the increase of the ohmic resistance of the conductors.


The structural members subjected to severe thermal environments are generally encountered in high speed flows. The optimization of these structural members needs a coupled Fluid -Thermo-Structural analysis. As a first step towards a coupled Fluid -Thermo-Structural analysis, an unsteady 3-D Thermo-Structural analysis is attempted in the present work. As finite volume method is the most popular method for fluid flow analysis. The same methodology is adopted for thermo-structural analysis in the present work. An implicit time stepping is adapted to achieve uniform time stepping while solving heat conduction and structural dynamics equation. The implementation of implicit scheme results in a system algebraic equations and are solved using Bi-Conjugate Gradient Stabilized (Bi-CGStab) method. The space discretization is carried out using arbitrarily oriented tetrahedral elements and a new least square based methodology is used for the evaluation of derivatives avoiding the reconstruction of variables at the nodes. As a first step, an unstructured finite volume code for the solution of 3-D unsteady heat conduction equation is developed. The code has been validated for various Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions. The results are compared with the analytical solution available for semi-infinite body heat conduction and are found to be in good agreement. Then the code is further extended for the unsteady structural dynamics equations and an integrated linear elastic Thermo- Structural analysis was carried out for the case of internally heated hollow sphere. The unstructured finite volume method in conjunction with Bi-CGStab solver results in an efficient unsteady Thermo-Structural solver and can be easily extended for an integrated Fluid-Thermo-Structural analysis.


By using a double electron probe the electron density and electron temperature were measured during the low temperature plasma (LTP) treatment of wool fabrics. The dependences of the electron density upon the power, pressure and the plasma-treating time was studied. The effects on the wool fabrics' shrinkage were studied. The results showed that the angle of the double electrostatic probe and the area of the treated fabrics had a strong impact on the density measurement. The felt-proof property of wool fabrics treated with an argon plasma was better than that with a nitrogen plasma. The gas, power and pressure of the LTP treatment all affected the electron density. The electron density increased with the increase in power and pressure. The electron density did not change significantly with treating time, in a certain range of both power and pressure of the LTP treatment.