Guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry is used to measure the kinetic energy dependent cross sections for reactions of the lanthanide metal gadolinium cation (Gd+) and GdO+ with O2 and for collision-induced dissociation (CID) of GdO2+ with Xe. Gd+ reacts with O2 in an exothermic and barrierless reaction to form GdO+ and O. GdO2+ is also formed in this reaction, but this product ion is formed in a sequential reaction, as verified by pressure dependent measurements and comparison with the results for the reaction of GdO+ with O2. The CID experiments of GdO2+ indicate the presence of two GdO2+ precursor ion populations, assigned to a weakly bound oxygen molecule adduct (Gd+-O2) and an inserted cyclic Gd+ dioxide species (O-Gd+-O). Analysis of the resulting product ion cross sections yields bond dissociation energies (BDEs, D0) for Gd+-O2 and OGd+-O, where the latter BDE is also independently measured in an exchange reaction between GdO+ and O2. The CID experiments also provide the energy of the barrier for the rearrangement of the Gd+-O2 adduct to the inserted O-Gd+-O structure (as identified by loss of a single oxygen atom). The thermochemistry measured here yields D0(OGd+-O) = 2.86 ± 0.08 eV, D0(Gd+-O2) = 0.75 ± 0.11 eV, and a barrier height relative to Gd+-O2 of 0.31 ± 0.07 eV. These data are sufficient to characterize in some detail the potential energy surface of the Gd+ reaction with O2 entirely from experiment. Theoretical calculations are performed for comparison with the experimental energetics and for further insight into the reaction mechanisms.


The analysis used the TRUMP computer code to evaluate the thermal fields for six repository scenarios that studied the effects of room ventilation, room backfill, and repository thermal diffusivity. The results for selected nodes are presented as plots showing the effect of temperature as a function of time. 15 figures, 6 tables.


ABSTRACT Secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) protects the mucosal surfaces against inhaled and ingested pathogens. Many pathogenic bacteria produce IgA1 proteases that cleave in the hinge of IgA1, thus separating the Fab region from the Fc region and making IgA ineffective. Here, we show that Haemophilus influenzae type 1 and Neisseria gonorrhoeae type 2 IgA1 proteases cleave the IgA1 hinge in the context of the constant region of IgA1 or IgA2m(1) but not in the context of IgG2. Both Cα2 and Cα3 but not Cα1 are required for the cleavage of the IgA1 hinge by H. influenzae and N. gonorrhoeae proteases. While there was no difference in the cleavage kinetics between wild-type IgA1 and IgA1 containing only the first GalNAc residue of the O-linked glycans, the absence of N-linked glycans in the Fc increased the ability of the N. gonorrhoeae protease to cleave the IgA1 hinge. Taken together, these results suggest that, in addition to the IgA1 hinge, structures in the Fc region of IgA are required for the recognition and cleavage of IgA1 by the H. influenzae and N. gonorrhoeae proteases.


A vacuum spark develops in the metallic vapor emitted by the electrodes. The plasma thus created experiences contractions and expansions and emits X-rays. We report an investigation into the initial dynamics of the arc. A fast 1-kJ generator was used for the experiments. The diagnostics employed include optical frame and streak photography, time-resolved filtered X-ray detection, and pinhole X-ray photography. The results obtained indicate that there is plasma column pinching, some of it producing X-radiation. The energy of the X-rays tends to be rather soft and seldom were characteristic lines detected, even when exchanging electrodes, which are made of dissimilar material. This demonstrates that radiative collapse is not attained at this level of energy and that from the point of view of X-ray emission, it is irrelevant what metallic vapors initiate the vacuum arc.


Production of extracellular polysaccharides is a complex process engaging proteins localized in different subcellular compartments, yet communicating with each other or even directly interacting in multicomponent complexes. Proteins involved in polymerization and transport of exopolysaccharide (EPS) in Rhizobium leguminosarum are encoded within the chromosomal Pss-I cluster. However, genes implicated in polysaccharide synthesis are common in rhizobia, with several homologues of pss genes identified in other regions of the R. leguminosarum genome. One such region is chromosomally located Pss-II encoding proteins homologous to known components of the Wzx/Wzy-dependent polysaccharide synthesis and transport systems. The pssP2 gene encodes a protein similar to polysaccharide co-polymerases involved in determination of the length of polysaccharide chains in capsule and O-antigen biosynthesis. In this work, a mutant with a disrupted pssP2 gene was constructed and its capabilities to produce EPS and enter into a symbiotic relationship with clover were studied. The pssP2 mutant, while not altered in lipopolysaccharide (LPS), displayed changes in molecular mass distribution profile of EPS. Lack of the full-length PssP2 protein resulted in a reduction of high molecular weight EPS, yet polymerized to a longer length than in the RtTA1 wild type. The mutant strain was also more efficient in symbiotic performance. The functional interrelation between PssP2 and proteins encoded within the Pss-I region was further supported by data from bacterial two-hybrid assays providing evidence for PssP2 interactions with PssT polymerase, as well as glycosyltransferase PssC. A possible role for PssP2 in a complex involved in EPS chain-length determination is discussed.


This invention relates to a new technology that enables administration of a vaporizable substance to patients for medical purposes. In one embodiment, this invention is a component of a system of technologies, processes and concepts that creates a new method of producing, delivering, administering and regulating the use of medical vaporizable substances.


This article describes how laboratory experiments are used by social psychologists and those in related fields to study conflict, negotiation, and mediation. In a laboratory experiment, the researcher experimentally controls one or more variables in controlled, artificial settings that induce processes likely to occur naturally. Laboratory experiments are the primary method used to establish cause-and-effect relationships among variables and to reduce alternative explanations; thus they are primarily concerned with validity of explanation. In this article, we describe several basic design features including conceptual replication, precise manipulation, and the use of a moderator variable, which all help assess the processes underlying a research finding. These design features foster conceptual internal validity, which describes the impact of one variable on another and the quality of such an explanation. Conceptual internal validity provides a basis for generalization of findings and thus new research. It also fosters strong inference, which helps build cumulative knowledge. Laboratory experiments are not well suited to answer all questions and problems – for example, they may not produce deep understanding of a particular historical event and must be supplemented by other methods, such as surveys and case studies.


In this paper we present a probabilistic method for source separation in the case here each source has a certain temporal structure. We tackle the problem of source separation by maximum pseudo-likelihood estimation, representing the latent function which characterizes the temporal structure of each source by a random process with a Gaussian prior. The resulting pseudo-likelihood of the data is Gaussian, determined by a mixing matrix as well as by the predictive mean and covariance matrix that can easily be computed by Gaussian process (GP) regression. Gradient-based optimization is applied to estimate the demixing matrix through maximizing the log-pseudo-likelihood of the data. umerical experiments confirm the useful behavior of our method, compared to existing source separation methods.


Introduction: Food-borne diseases (FBD) are the most widely spread public health problem worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to keep them under epidemiological surveillance in order to apply timely measures allowing their control and prevention. Objective: Expand the knowledge of food-borne diseases among students from the School of Health Technology in the province of Camagüey. Methods: An educational intervention experimental study was conducted at the School of Health Technology in the province of Camagüey from 31 December 2008 to 30 April 2009. In the first stage of the study, communication was established with the students, who gave their informed consent. The study universe was composed of 421 young adults, from whom a sample was selected (n = 110 students) by simple random sampling. A questionnaire was applied to all subjects in the sample. The information collected was kept under strict confidentiality. McNemar's analysis was used for the statistical validation of knowledge tables, with the purpose of showing the changes occurred before and after, with a statistical significance of p < 0,05. Results: There was a predominance of female sex and the 17-21 age range (53,5 %). Before the intervention, students had scant information about FBDs (47,2 %), their causal agents, and the measures to reduce or eradicate them. Conclusions: The educational intervention performed proved effective. Therefore, we recommend to extend the experience to health schools where food-borne diseases constitute a health risk for students and workers.


Despite being crucial to the conservation of batoids (skates and rays), assessments of fine-scale movements and habitat use of these taxa are lacking in the scientific literature. Here we used active acoustic telemetry to characterize habitat use and movement behavior of the stateprotected whitespotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA. Seven mature individuals (6 males and 1 female) were individually tracked for a total of 119.6 h. Brownian bridge movement models of ray distribution showed the importance of habitats with high anthropogenic activity (i.e. boat traffic) such as inlets and channels, as well as clam aquaculture lease sites close to shore. This was supported by the significantly lower rates of movement in these habitats relative to other regions (offshore, open lagoon). Rate of movement significantly increased with temperature, suggesting that rays are more active during warmer periods. No tidal patterns in ray habitat use or distribution were evident. On average, rays used the deeper portions of the lagoon during the day and shallower portions during the night. While more extensive tracking is required to elucidate long-term movement patterns, this study is the first to characterize fine-scale habitat use by the whitespotted eagle ray in Florida while also identifying areas of potential interactions between this species and multiple anthropogenic threats.


Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate if associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) could increase resection rates (RRs) compared with two-stage hepatectomy (TSH) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Background: Radical liver metastasis resection offers the only chance of a cure for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) and an insufficient future liver remnant (FLR) volume are traditionally treated with chemotherapy with portal vein embolization or ligation followed by hepatectomy (TSH). This treatment sometimes fails due to insufficient liver growth or tumor progression. Methods: A prospective, multicenter RCT was conducted between June 2014 and August 2016. It included 97 patients with CRLM and a standardized FLR (sFLR) of less than 30%. Primary outcome—RRs were measured as the percentages of patients completing both stages of the treatment. Secondary outcomes were complications, radicality, and 90-day mortality measured from the final intervention. Results: Baseline characteristics, besides body mass index, did not differ between the groups. The RR was 92% [95% confidence interval (CI) 84%–100%] (44/48) in the ALPPS arm compared with 57% (95% CI 43%–72%) (28/49) in the TSH arm [rate ratio 8.25 (95% CI 2.6–26.6); P < 0.0001]. No differences in complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥3a) [43% (19/44) vs 43% (12/28)] [1.01 (95% CI 0.4–2.6); P = 0.99], 90-day mortality [8.3% (4/48) vs 6.1% (3/49)] [1.39 [95% CI 0.3–6.6]; P = 0.68] or R0 RRs [77% (34/44) vs 57% (16/28)] [2.55 [95% CI 0.9–7.1]; P = 0.11)] were observed. Of the patients in the TSH arm that failed to reach an sFLR of 30%, 12 were successfully treated with ALPPS. Conclusion: ALPPS is superior to TSH in terms of RR, with comparable surgical margins, complications, and short-term mortality.


Background Tendon-to-bone healing is a difficult process in treatment of rotator cuff tear (RCT). In addition, diabetes is an important risk factor for poor tendon-to-bone healing. Therefore, we investigated the specific mechanisms through which diabetes affects tendon-to-bone healing by regulating the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR). Methods Tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) were extracted from rats after which their proliferative capacities were evaluated by the MTT assay. The expression levels of CFTR and tendon-related markers were determined by qRT-PCR. Then, bioinformatics analyses and dual luciferase reporter gene assays were used to identify miRNAs with the ability to bind CFTR mRNA. Finally, CFTR was overexpressed in TDSCs to validate the specific mechanisms through which the high glucose microenvironment inhibits tendon-to-bone healing. Results The high glucose microenvironment downregulated mRNA expression levels of tendon-related markers and CFTR in TDSCs cultured with different glucose concentrations. Additionally, bioinformatics analyses revealed that let-7b-5p may be regulated by the high glucose microenvironment and can regulate CFTR levels. Moreover, a dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to confirm that let-7b-5p targets and binds CFTR mRNA. Additional experiments also confirmed that overexpressed CFTR effectively reversed the negative effects of the hyperglycaemic microenvironment and upregulation of let-7b-5p on TDSC proliferation and differentiation. These findings imply that the hyperglycemic microenvironment inhibits CFTR transcription and, consequently, proliferation and differentiation of TDSCs in vitro by upregulating let-7b-5p. Conclusions A hyperglycemic microenvironment inhibits TDSC proliferation in vitro via the let-7b-5p/CFTR pathway, and this is a potential mechanism in diabetes-induced poor tendon-to-bone healing.


An electrochemically deposited composite film of poly(3-substituted thiophen) and insulating nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) was used as the emission layer of a polymer electroluminescence (EL) device. The composite film on an ITO substrate was uniform, and by using this film current leakage was prevented. The device with the composite film as the EL emission layer shows rectification properties, the emitted color depending on the substituent of thiophen units. By coating with NBR after the electrodeposition of a poly(3-substituted thiophen) film, EL characteristics were improved compared with the device with NBR coating performed before electropolymerization. Moreover, by using electropolymerized poly(3-n-octylthiophen) film as a hole transporting layer, the luminance of an organic EL device with a poly(N-vinylcarbazole) dip-coating layer was remarkably enhanced. The addition of the hole transporting layer reduced the turn-on bias voltage and increased the emission intensity to 700 cd m 2 .


We report the fabrication and characterization of an ultraviolet (370 nm) emitting AlInGaN-based micro-light- emitting diode (micro-LED) array integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor control electronics. This configuration allows an 8 × 8 array of micro-LED pixels, each of 72-mum diameter, to be individually addressed. The micro-LED pixels can be driven in direct current (dc), square wave, or pulsed operation, with linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) allowing the output of the micro-LED pixels to mimic that of an optical data transmitter. We present the optical output power versus drive current characteristics of an individual pixel, which show a micro-LED output power of up to 570 muW in dc operation. Representative optical pulse trains demonstrating the micro-LEDs driven in square wave and LFSR modes, and controlled optical pulsewidths from 300 ps to 40 ns are also presented.


Drought is a major environmental factor that significantly limits crop yield and quality worldwide. Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors have been reported to participate in the regulation of various abiotic stresses. In this study, a bHLH transcription factor in apple, MdbHLH130, which contains a highly conserved bHLH domain, was isolated and characterized. qRT-PCR and PMdbHLH130::GUS analyses showed that MdbHLH130 was notably induced in response to dehydration stress. Compared with the wild-type (WT), transgenic apple calli overexpressing MdbHLH130 displayed greater resistance to PEG6000 treatment. In contrast, the MdbHLH130-Anti lines were more sensitive to PEG6000 treatment than WT. Moreover, ectopic expression of MdbHLH130 in tobacco improved tolerance to water deficit stress, and plants exhibited higher germination rates and survival rates, longer roots, and lower ABA-induced stomatal closure and leaf water loss than the WT control. Furthermore, overexpression of MdbHLH130 in tobacco also led to lower electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde contents, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and upregulation of the expression of some ROS-scavenging and stress-responsive genes under water deficit stress. In addition, MdbHLH130 transgenic tobacco plants exhibited improved tolerance to oxidative stress compared with WT. In conclusion, these results indicate that MdbHLH130 acts as a positive regulator of water stress responses through modulating stomatal closure and ROS-scavenging in tobacco.


Author(s): Heidarzadeh, Bahareh | Advisor(s): Stewart, Jonathan P; Mylonakis, George | Abstract: Dynamic Stresses in Foundation Soils from Soil-Structure Interaction byBahareh HeidarzadehDepartment of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of California, Los Angeles, Fall 2015Professor Jonathan P. Stewart, ChairProfessor George Mylonakis, Co-ChairThis research concerns the impacts of Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) on the seismic stress demands in soil materials beneath the foundation, referred to as 'foundation soils'. Engineering procedures for evaluation of these stress demands are needed for a variety of applications including ground failure evaluation in foundation soils and possible impacts of SSI on buried structures such as pipelines. Conventional engineering practice typically ignores SSI during evaluation of the seismic stress demands in foundation soils based on the perception that this demand is dominated by wave propagation from site response. The goals of this study are to show how the presence of a structure affects wave propagation in the vicinity of the foundation due to SSI and to propose rigorous procedures by which to assess these demands due to vertical or horizontal point loads, line loads, or arbitrary combinations of these acting within a foundation area. Following an exhaustive literature review, I find that while integral transform methods exist to evaluate the response of foundation soils to surface loads, such approaches have two major limitations: (1) the resulting equations are so complex that closed form solutions for stresses produced by harmonic surface loads are absent in the literature, despite over a century of research in this subject; and (2) the resulting equations can be solved numerically, but only one such study has been conducted, and that work has limited practical applicability. Accordingly, I solve the governing equations numerically for harmonically applied surface loads (horizontal and vertical, point and line) acting on a visco-elastic halfspace using the Boundary Element Method via a well-verified software platform (ISoBEM). The results are interpreted within a framework derived from dimensional analysis considerations, specifically applying the Buckingham π theorem to determine the dimensionless fundamental parameters applicable to these problems. I demonstrate that induced stresses normalize using appropriate dimensionless variables, and that these normalized stresses have clear dependencies on dimensionless frequency, location within the soil, and soil Poisson's ratio. Moreover, I demonstrate that phase angle is associated with wave travel times from source to the point of interest in the foundation soil, and as such varies with aperture angle due to variations in body and surface wave radiation patterns from horizontal and vertical surface loads. Results for the amplitude and phase of all relevant stress components are presented in dimensionless graphical forms and the effects of fundamental parameters for each case are discussed. For the case of loads applied to rigid surface foundations, I evaluate the distribution of normal and shear stresses at the base of the foundations. Finally, for the flexible foundation case I have developed and verified a numerical code that applies superposition principles to combine soil stress demands associated with uniformly distributed surface loads.


Employability is one of the core concepts for the future career. Students' self-perceived employability is the concept that connects students' present context of education with their future professional engagement. Students' self-perceived employability is defined as the capacity to gain and keep employment in line with their future qualification level. Locus of control is a concept that explains where the person situates the causation of various life events. It is found that internal locus of control was related to different aspects of career success. Career ambition is regarded as a proxy for students' future career success. Both internal locus of control and ambition lead to proactive behaviors that are relevant for employability and consequently result in securing a sustainable job. The aim of this mixed-method study was to investigate the relations among locus of control, ambition and students' self-perceived employability. Firstly, we tested mediating role of career ambition in relation of internal locus of control and students' self-perceived employability, then we turned to qualitative analysis of students' career self-SWOT analyses in order to deepen and enrich quantitative findings. The sample consisted of 124 undergraduate psychology students that filled out Levenson's Internality subscale from IPC locus of control scale, Rothwell et al. (2008) Ambition subscale, and three items extracted from the Self-perceived employability subscale. Majority of the survey participants (N = 100) filled out personal career SWOT analysis. The mediation analysis showed that career ambition had a mediating role in the relation between the locus of control and employability. Students perceived personal capabilities and ambition as internal strengths and lack of ambition as a major internal weakness. As external opportunities students perceived various chances for developing professional skills, whereas as external threats they perceived limited opportunities in job market. In order to support university students to develop employability and future career success, university curricula should support developing future work skills that, in addition to functional competences and personal resources, entail career ambition, ways of utilizing external opportunities and dealing with job market threats.


Dorytocus ornithorhynchus gen. et sp. n., based on nymphs of three different instars from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, represents a new family Dorytocidae fam. n., which is similar to Cretaceous Perforissidae in the unique structure of the pronotum and abdominal segments IX and X, but differs from it in the presence of a long (especially in late instars) head process, long rostrum, flattened fore and mid tibiae, asetigerous hind tibial pecten, and highly carinate abdomen. Structural features and relative abundance of Dorytocidae fam. n. imply that they dwelt on the bark of amber-producing trees. The new genus is the longest-snouted Mesozoic planthopper known so far – its slender head process is one-quarter as long as the body in the last instar nymph, and more than one-third as long in the adult (known to us from photos). These hoppers were likely thorn mimics, and their elaborate crypsis protected them from increased visual predation during the rise of modern-type birds in the mid-Cretaceous.


Bulletin 85-03 is entitled Motor-Operated Valve (MOV) Common Mode Failures During Plant Transients Due to Improper Switch Settings. The Bulletin requires that NRC licensees implement a detailed program to ensure that MOV operator switch settings are set properly in two particular safety-related systems per operating nuclear power plant. The proposal analyzed herein requires licensees to extend this detailed program to ensure proper MOV switch settings for all safety-related MOVs. A Value-Impact Analysis was performed, according to the guidelines in NUREG/CR-3568, ''A Handbook for Value-Impact Assessment,'' to determine the cost effectiveness of extending NRC Bulletin 85-03, consistent with providing protection of the public health and safety, to cover all safety-related MOVs. The results show that both a very favorable dose aversion and dollar savings can be realized if the proposed actions are implemented. Also, the proposed actions can be justified based on existing requirements. 37 refs., 5 figs., 12 tabs.


The appaloosa coat spotting pattern in horses is caused by a single incomplete dominant gene (LP). Homozygosity for LP (LP/LP) is directly associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses. LP maps to a 6-cM region on ECA1. We investigated the relative expression of two functional candidate genes located in this LP candidate region (TRPM1 and OCA2), as well as three other linked loci (TJP1, MTMR10, and OTUD7A) by quantitative real-time RT–PCR. No large differences were found for expression levels of TJP1, MTMR10, OTUD7A, and OCA2. However, TRPM1 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1) expression in the retina of homozygous appaloosa horses was 0.05% the level found in non-appaloosa horses (R = 0.0005). This constitutes a >1800-fold change (FC) decrease in TRPM1 gene expression in the retina (FC = −1870.637, P = 0.001) of CSNB-affected (LP/LP) horses. TRPM1 was also downregulated in LP/LP pigmented skin (R = 0.005, FC = −193.963, P = 0.001) and in LP/LP unpigmented skin (R = 0.003, FC = −288.686, P = 0.001) and was downregulated to a lesser extent in LP/lp unpigmented skin (R = 0.027, FC = −36.583, P = 0.001). TRP proteins are thought to have a role in controlling intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Decreased expression of TRPM1 in the eye and the skin may alter bipolar cell signaling as well as melanocyte function, thus causing both CSNB and LP in horses.


A recent taxonomic review of the Otariidae, based on morphometric techniques applied to skulls, revealed a number of specimens with cranial morphology divergent from typical otariid species. The specimen considered in this paper was a large adult male otariid with cranial morphology most similar to the California sea lion, Zalophus californianus, but differing from it in significantly greater condylobasal length and rostral and palatal structure. Discriminant function analyses were applied to compare the cranial morphology of the anomalous specimen with those of 7 otariid taxa: the Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus; the southern sea lion, Otaria byronia; the California sea lion, Z. californianus californianus; the Galapagos sea lion, Z. c. wollebaeki; and the presumed-extinct Japanese sea lion, Z. c. japonicus. Results suggest that the aberrant skull was that of a hybrid between Z. californianus and O. byronia.


A bursary of £600 is offered to members of the King's College Hospital Nurses' League who wish to undertake post registration training or attend professional conferences.


Trichloroacetic acid was used as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of coumarins from phenols and beta-ketoesters and in an efficient synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones through the condensation of 2-aminobenzamide with aldehydes or ketones under solvent-free conditions. The remarkable advantages offered by this method are short reaction times, simple procedure, and an easy work-up without using any chromatographic methods.


ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. microsatellites, simple sequence repeats, chloroplast sequence ABSTRACT. Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) is a common secondary forest species with a wide endemic distribution ranging from Nova Scotia south into Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Although planted in the United States for its valued lumber, black cherry is essentially a wild species with small fruit ≈6 to 10 mm in diameter. In contrast, in Mexico and Ecuador, domesticates of this species called Capulin, have much larger (2 to 2.5 cm in diameter) edible fruit. To date, no studies of th e genetic diversity within North American black cherry or the ancestral origin of the Capulin types have been conducted. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs, also termed microsatellites) would be the marker of choice for such genetic diversity studies due to their hypervariability; however, generation of these sequence-based markers is expensive. Therefore, our objective was to determine if markers already identified in other Prunus L. species would be informative in black cherry. The black cherry germplasm screened consisted of selections originating from Michigan, Mexico, and Ecuador. A chloroplast DNA marker, originally generated from sour cherry (P. cerasus L.), amplified three different sized products in black cherry. Four of the eight nuclear SSR markers tested from peach (P. persica L. Batsch (Peach Group)), sour cherry, and sweet cherry ( P. avium L.) also amplified and identified polymorphic markers. Together these four primer pairs resolved 54 putative alleles for the 66 black cherry accessions assayed. Success of the sweet cherry, peach, and sour cherry primers in identification of polymorphic markers in black cherry indicates it should be possible to use these markers for comprehensive molecular genetic studies in black cherry.


ABSTRACT As part of an investigation into the potential unintended ecological impacts of transgenic trees, invertebrates were sampled from a field trial of transgenic Pinus radiata D. Don carrying the expressed antibiotic resistance marker gene neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) along with other genes known to affect reproductive development in plants and from nontransformed control trees. Invertebrate species abundance, richness, diversity, and composition were measured and compared among trees of five different transclones and nontransformed isogenic control trees. Invertebrates were sampled at six-monthly intervals over a period of 2 yr. In total, 19,162 individuals were collected comprising 279 invertebrate recognizable taxonomic units. Total invertebrate populations as well as populations of herbivorous lepidopteran larvae and Hemiptera were compared among transgenic and control trees. The results show that the transclones had no significant unintended influence on species abundance, richness, diversity, or composition for all populations investigated.


AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO

Introduction: Hsp90 inhibitors have the potential for broad anti-cancer effects based on the spectrum of known client proteins and increased effect on mutations that drive malignant transformation and cancer growth. PF-04929113 (SNX5422; 113) is a novel, oral, non-antibiotic, selective Hsp90 inhibitor prodrug, with preclinical anti-tumor activity in multiple tumor models and is a potentially important cancer therapy. The objective of this analysis was to describe the PK of 113 and its active moiety (PF- 04928473 /SNX2112; 473) after oral administration in patients with refractory solid tumor malignancies. Methods: Twenty-two subjects were enrolled in a multi-center, Phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation study. Subjects were treated with113 QOD for 21 days at doses ranging from 4 to 56 mg/m2. Subjects at the 4 mg/m2 dose level received an additional single dose of 113, 7 days before beginning the 21-day cycle (PK from Day -7 in this cohort summarized with Day 1 data from other cohorts). Serial plasma concentrations of 113 and 473 were measured by LC-MS/MS after the first dose (Day 1) and after 11 doses (Day 21). PK parameters (mean ± standard deviation) were calculated using non-compartmental methods in WinNonLin (v.5.2, Pharsight, Mountain View, CA). Results: Concentrations of the prodrug (113) were <1 ng/ml at all timepoints. Concentrations of 473 were detectable immediately after administration (0.33 hr) and remained detectable through 48 h after administration. 473 reached maximal concentrations at a median of 2 h (range:0.33-6 h) after administration. . 473 terminal elimination half-life was 9.8 h on both Day 1 and Day 21 (±2.1 h and 1.5 h on Days 1 and 21, respectively). Area under the 473 plasma concentration versus time curve increased dose proportionally, with clearance estimated at 20 (±12) and 28 (±13) L/hr on Days 1 and 21, respectively. Maximal 473 concentrations did not display accumulation between Days 1 and 21, when normalized for dose, at 7.4 (±3.7) and 7.1 (±4.8) ng/mL/mg, respectively. Conclusions: The Hsp90 inhibitor prodrug 113 is orally bioavailable, rapidly converted to the active moiety (473), and displays linear PK. Maximal concentrations were observed 2 h after oral administration. The terminal elimination half-life was estimated at 9.8 h, consistent with the lack of significant drug accumulation after 21 days of QOD dosing.

Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5443.


AIM
Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is an algorithm that involves the optimization of Non-linear and Multidimensional problems to reach the best solutions with minimal parameterization. This metaheuristic model has frequently been used in the Pathological domain. This optimization model has been used in diverse forms while predicting Alzheimer's disease. It is a robust algorithm that works on linear and multi-modal data while predicting Alzheimer's disease. PSO techniques have been in action for quite some time for detecting various diseases and this paper systematically reviews the papers on various kinds of PSO techniques.

METHODS
To perform the systematic review, PRISMA guidelines were followed and a Boolean search ("particle swarm optimization" OR "PSO") AND Neuroimaging AND (Alzheimer's disease prediction OR classification OR diagnosis) were performed. The query was run in 4-reputed databases: Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and Wiley publications.

RESULTS
For the final analysis, 10 papers were incorporated for qualitative and quantitative synthesis. PSO has shown a dominant character while handling the uni-modal as well as the multi-modal data while predicting the conversion from MCI to Alzheimer's. It can be seen from the table that almost all the 10 reviewed papers had MRI-driven data. The accuracy rate was accentuated while adding other modalities or Neurocognitive measures.

CONCLUSIONS
Through this algorithm, we are providing an opportunity to other researchers to compare this algorithm with other state-of-the-art algorithms, while seeing the classification accuracy, with the aim of early prediction and progression of MCI into Alzheimer's disease.


The article analyzes Russian open access scholarly journals in the context of improving the presentation of the results of scientific research of Russian scientists. The advantages and problems of supporting open access publications are considered, taking into account the analysis of the interests of the stakeholders of scientific publications, examples of state policy for supporting open access publications are presented, and options for adapting the open access model in Russia are formulated. The analysis of the representation of information on the terms of open access for Russian journals is carried out. The citation rate of open access journals was investigated in comparison with the citation rate of traditional subscription publications taking into account the types of open access and the country of the author of the publication. Proposals for adjusting the editorial policy in order to promote Russian journals, improve their quality and accessibility are presented. The final conclusions are made for the entire series of articles devoted to the forecast of the development of Russian journals.


Abstract The thermodilution method has been widely used to estimate cardiac output by injecting a cold solution into circulating blood. It is uncertain if radial heat transfer from the vascular/cardiac wall to circulating injectate can cause inaccurate results with this method. In this study, we have introduced a physical experimental model of the thermodilution method without recirculation of the cold solution. To test the accuracy of the thermodilution method, the experimental setup included an aluminum tube to allow radial heat transfer. Variations of the following parameters were conducted: (i) the real flow rate, (ii) the distance between injection point of cold solution and the temperature sensor, (iii) the volume of injectate, and (iv) the temperature of injectate. By following the above variations, we have calculated different correction factors eliminating the influence of radial heat transfer on the estimation of flow rate by the thermodilution method. The results indicate that changes in both injectate temperature and volume have no influence on the estimation of flow rates. The experimental variations, which can cause greater radial heat transfer, seem to be responsible for the result of the smaller estimation of the flow rate than the real value. These variations include (i) a decreased real flow rate and (ii) increased distances between the injection point of cold fluid and the thermosensor. Such an incorrect estimation could be eliminated by using correction factors. The correction factor seems to be a function of the area of the thermodilution curve, assuming no recirculation.


Since pilots generally avoid intense convective areas, ice crystals icing (ICI) is an aeronautical weather incident that mainly occurs in the anvil of tropical deep convective clouds. Samples of favorable conditions for the occurrence of ICI and data from the High Altitude Ice Crystals (HAIC) 2015 field campaign in French Guiana are investigated and compared with simulations of the French operational mesoscale forecast system Application of Research to Operations at Mesoscales (AROME). To this end, a contextualization of convective systems into convective, stratiform, and cirriform regions is employed for both observations and AROME. General features of the microphysics of deep tropical convective systems are identified. The number concentration of crystals larger than 125 μm and total water content (TWC) are strongly correlated at each temperature level, and both decrease with increasing distance from convective cores. AROME can reproduce the general behavior of the observed microphysics, especially TWC, but seems unable to simulate extreme ICI events. Reasons are sought in the assumptions performed in the microphysical scheme ICE3, and guidelines are proposed to enhance its skills in the context of ICI. In particular, the representation of the snow particle size distribution is adjusted across observations using a generalized gamma shape. This shape is found to outperform the usual Marshall–Palmer and gamma shapes. Additionally, a temperature and snow content dependence of generalized gamma parameters is found. These changes are found to significantly improve the snow concentration diagnostic of ICE3, and these modifications open the way for improvements in the ICE3 scheme.


: Accelerating urbanization and achieving total energy consumption control are two major tasks of China's current development. It is of great realistic significance to recognize the action path to achieve green and sustainable development. Based on Chinese provincial panel data from 1990 to 2016 and urban development theory and economic theory, the two- step system GMM method and the threshold regression model were used to construct the path of conduction factors from the perspective of direct and indirect effects and to test the potential threshold effects. The direct effect is the result of the dominant game between expansion effect and quality effect. The results show that urbanization has a significant expansion effect on energy consumption, but tends to weaken gradually. In the indirect transmission path, the energy- saving effect of the industrial structure change is remarkable. The urbanization accelerates technology agglomeration and spillover and accumulation of " human capital bonus, " which has reversed the positive direction of technology progress and human capital act on energy consumption in the direct effect. However, China ' s urbanization is still not divorced from the stage of high carbonization and fails to produce significant energy savings effect as expected. And population and economic growth are still important inducements for energy consumption to keep rising in the process of urbanization. Finally, this paper verifies the threshold effect of different conduction factors, that is, the influence of urbanization on energy consumption is different with the development level of each factor. Therefore, the government and enterprises should combine action path, direction and the threshold stage of different factor, take measures according to local conditions, pay attention to the input of science technology and manpower, reduce the consumption of exhausted energy, optimize the structure of energy consumption, enhance the quality effect, and realize the purpose of energy saving.


Hybrid multicore processors (HMPs) are poised to dominate the landscape of the next generation of computing on the desktop as well as on exascale systems. HMPs consist of general purpose CPU cores along with specialized coprocessors and can provide high performance for a wide spectrum of applications at significantly lower energy requirements per floating-point operations per second (FLOP). In this article, we develop parallel algorithms and software for constructing multiresolution synthetic aperture radar images on HMPs. We develop several load balancing algorithms for optimizing time performance and energy on HMPs. We also present a systematic approach for deriving the energy-time performance tradeoffs on HMPs in the presence of dynamic voltage frequency scaling. Pareto-optimal curves are presented on a system consisting of 24 traditional cores and a GPU.


To date, the Asia Cancer Forum has focused its efforts on creating a common concept for collaborative efforts in international cancer research with a focus on Asia, where cancer incidence is rising dramatically, and also sharing information and knowledge among cancer specialists about the importance of cancer as a global health agenda issue. The Eighth Asia Cancer Forum was held following the historic outcome of the High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases held in New York in September 2011, at which cancer was duly recognized as a global health agenda issue. Despite this significant development, however, the issue of cancer, one of the most intractable of all non-communicable diseases, still faces a variety of challenges if it is to be addressed on the global level. The Eighth Asia Cancer Forum sought to address these various issues, seeking ways to capitalize on the outcomes of the UN Meeting and take global collaborative studies and alliances in the field of cancer further. It was recognized that one of the main challenges for the Asia Cancer Forum is to formulate a proposal that demonstrates how middle-income countries can provide a good level of care using only their own limited medical resources. Given that the Asia Cancer Forum is one of the organizations that can provide assistance in working to further boost awareness about cancer research and the situation relating to cancer in Asian countries, discussion also focused on how to concretize activities in the future.


The up trend in the number of cores in cluster architectures underscores the need for scalable communication middleware on these systems. One of the strategies to take advantage of this increase in the available computational power is the use of efficient message-passing middleware for inter-node communications and thread-based shared memory transfers within each node. This paper presents a Java communication middleware that exploits hybrid shared/distributed memory architectures through the use of scalable Java NIO sockets for inter-node communications and multi-threading on shared memory. Thus, communication-intensive applications running on clusters of multi-core processors can take advantage of the use of this middleware. The performance of these codes generally relies on collective operations, such as broadcasting, scattering or gathering data, which have been optimized to make the most of these architectures. The evaluation of this middleware when relying on multi-core aware communication patterns has shown significant performance improvements both in collective operations and communication-intensive applications.


Purpose To evaluate the one-year efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept injection in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20 / 40 or better. Methods This was a multicenter retrospective study. The medical records of patients diagnosed with treatment-naïve PCV were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with an initial BCVA of 20 / 40 or better and who had undergone intravitreal aflibercept injection were included. Patients were treated with three consecutive monthly injections, followed by pro re nata regimen according to the clinician's discretion at variable interval visits. The proportions of eyes for which BCVA was maintained (≤ 0.2 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution change) or improved at 12 months were evaluated. The changes of BCVA, central subfield macular thickness (CSMT), pigment epithelial detachment, and subretinal fluid also were assessed. Results A total of 86 eyes were included. The mean number of injections for 12 months of treatment was 5.4 ± 1.7. BCVA was maintained or improved in 94.2% (81 / 86) of cases. Mean BCVA (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) had changed from the baseline (0.23 ± 0.09) at 3 months (0.21 ± 0.14), 6 months (0.24 ± 0.22), and 12 months (0.20 ± 0.18), but with no statistical significance. CSMT had improved significantly from the baseline (336.1 ± 97.3 μm) at 3 months (223.6 ± 47.22 μm), 6 months (239.6 ± 64.2 μm), and 12 months (223.8 ± 47.9 μm). Pigment epithelial detachment was observed in 93% of cases at the baseline, 72.1% at 3 months, and 69.8% at 12 months, showing a significant decrease at all observation points. Subretinal fluid was observed in 91.9% of cases at the baseline, 20.9% at 3 months, and 29.1% at 12 months, showing a significant decrease at all observation points. Conclusions In cases of PCV with good visual acuity, intravitreal aflibercept injections decreased CSMT and were effective in maintaining visual acuity.


The authors describe five years of experience of embolization in arteriovenous malformations and fistulas, aneurysms and tumours of the central nervous system and head and neck. Altogether 143 patients were embolized in 185 sessions. Polyvinyl alcohol particles and platinum fibre coils were used as embolic agents. Permanent complications were rare, e.g 5% in arteriovenous malformations of the brain. Embolizations were either complete or preoperatively incomplete and seemed to positively influence the final outcome for the patients. The authors advocate a policy which gives due consideration to the volume of patients who might benefit from this specialized neuroradiological activity.


A computationally attractive optimal solution to the discrete-time linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) dual control problem in the absence of plant noise is presented. Convex vector parametric uncertainties are allowed and no a priori information is assumed save that the uncertain vector is an element of a known compact subset of Rp. It is shown that game theoretic techniques are useful provided an incremental quadratic loss function is chosen. The suboptimal solution is easily implemented since it is an average of a finite number of LQG controllers weighted by easily generated likelihood ratios. Furthermore, the structure lends itself easily to approximate solutions to the time-varying parameter case. However, further research is required to simplify the current cumbersome design procedure.


We describe the role of Lucas Bunt at the start of the teaching of probability and statistics in the last two years of Dutch secondary schools in the early 1950s. Together with his co-authors, Bunt developed an experimental text which, from the mid-1950s on, became a regular textbook. We situate this in relation to Bunt's other – mostly international – activities with respect to the curriculum reform movement initiated at the Royaumont Seminar in 1959. Bunt's experimental approach can be seen as one of the initiatives related to this reform. Finally, we present what happened with statistics education in the Netherlands "after Bunt".


Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA

The American Cancer Society predicts 62,980 new cases of thyroid cancer and 1,890 deaths due to the disease in 2014, making thyroid cancer the most prevalent endocrine malignancy. This is particularly concerning for women who have an approximately three-fold higher incidence of thyroid cancer than men. Significant research has been done to elucidate the role of estrogen as a driver of thyroid cancer. Taking the reverse approach, that men have a much lower incidence of thyroid cancer, led us to hypothesize that androgens and/or androgen receptors play a protective role and that PTC represents the escape from androgen-mediated cell regulation. Analysis of AR expression in 24 PTC patient tissue samples indicated a 2.7 fold reduction in AR expression compared to matched normal tissue (P<0.005). This suggests that the reduction of AR levels in the neoplastic process of thyroid tissue may be one mechanism of escape from androgen regulation. To more fully understand the function of androgen/AR in thyroid cells, the AR was stably transfected into 8505C anaplastic/PTC cells. Addition of DHT to the 8505C-transfected clone, 84E7, resulted in AR translocation into the nucleus and a 70% reduction in proliferation, as well as a shift in the cell cycle toward G1 arrest. Transcription profiling using RNA-Seq and gene ontology analysis revealed significant changes in genes associated with proliferation, cell cycle, and cell cycle regulation confirming the proliferation assay and cell cycle analysis above. Further, when we examined G1 associated cell cycle proteins, we found significant decreases in cell cycle progression proteins cdc25a, CDK6, CDK4, and CDK2 as well as significant increases in the inhibitors p27 and p21. Thus, protein, RNA and cell cycle analysis data are concordant and demonstrate an accumulation of cells in G1 when treated with DHT. Together these data demonstrate that expression of androgen/AR in normal thyroid cells may play a protective, anti-proliferative role that is lost in PTC resulting in dysregulation of genes normally under AR control. The differential expression of androgen/AR in males verses females may provide new insight into the different clinical presentations and outcomes between women and men.

Citation Format: Melanie Elizabeth Jones, Timmy O'Connell, Anvita Gupta, Hong Zhao, Codrin Iacob, Augustine Moscatello, Edward Shin, Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz, Raj K. Tiwari, Jan Geliebter. Androgen receptor activation inhibits papillary thyroid carcinoma cell cycle progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 708. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-708


Dopamine-induced inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase has been suggested to play a role in the regulation of Na(+) absorption at the intestinal level, and these effects were mediated by dopamine D(1)-like receptors. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the activation of the D(1)-like receptors on the activity of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE) in the rat intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-6. The presence of D(1) receptors was confirmed by immunoblotting. The dopamine D(1)-like receptor agonist SKF-38393 produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of NHE activity and stimulation of adenylyl cyclase (AC), this being antagonized by the D(1) selective antagonist SKF-83566. Effects of SKF-38393 on NHE and AC activities were maximal at 5 min of exposure to the agonist and rapidly diminished with no effect at 25 min. Exposure of cells for 25 min to dibutyryl-cAMP (0.5 mM) or to the AC activator forskolin (3 microM) effectively inhibited NHE activity. Pretreatment of cells with heparin (1 microM), a nonselective G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) inhibitor, prevented the loss of effects on NHE activity after 25 min exposure to SKF-38393. The presence of GRK4, GRK6A, and GRK6B was confirmed by immunoblotting. Overnight treatment with the anti-GRK4-6 antibody complexed with Lipofectin was also effective in preventing loss of the effects of SKF-38393 on NHE and AC activities. It is concluded that dopamine D(1) receptors in IEC-6 rapidly desensitize to D(1)-like agonist stimulation and GRK4 and 6 appear to be involved in agonist-mediated responsiveness and desensitization.


ABSTRACT: Developing a tool for the visually impaired people is not a recently emerged problem. But developing a computer aided tool is a still developing area. The aim of all these systems is to help the user in navigation without the help of a second person. There are several works using computer vision techniques. But there is no existing method that help to solve the all basic needs of blind person .All existing systems are designed only for a specific purpose. In this paper, we propose new theoretical framework which combines the key aspects of some use full methods and added some extra capabilities for assisting the blind person. This new system may solve some of major problems of blind persons that are still existing. Also, we give a comparison and analysis of the current use full navigation methods, and identify some challenges which require further research and development.


Drug interactions occur when the pharmacologic profile of one drug is altered by the administration of another drug. These interactions may be due to changes in absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion. NSAIDs are associated with drug interactions but only a proportion are clinically relevant. Many are due to displacement of a drug from its plasma protein binding sites by NSAIDs which are tightly protein-bound. They may not occur with all NSAIDs but might be selective: most NSAIDs do not have clinically important interactions with oral hypoglycemic agents whereas phenylbutazone, azaprozone & aspirin prolong their half-life. Similarly phenylbutazone and azaprozone prolong coumadin's half-life. Lithium clearance may be decreased by indomethacin, piroxicam, phenylbutazone and diclofenac. Methotrexate (MTX) may be displaced from its binding protein sites by NSAIDs. This is generally not clinically relevant with low doses of MTX as utilized in rheumatoid arthritis patients with normal renal function. NSAIDs also may reduce renal blood flow, tubular excretion of drugs & renal prostaglandin production and may attenuate the effect of anti-hypertensive drugs. Renal failure & hyperkalemia have been reported in patients receiving triamterene & indomethacin. The clinician should be aware of important drug-drug interactions prior to prescribing NSAIDs. Continued scrutiny of these effects are indicated to increase the safety profile.


Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) are a family of receptors expressed on natural killer (NK) and T-cell subsets. KIR3DL1 is a highly polymorphic receptor that binds to groups of HLAA and HLA-B allotypes that express the Bw4 epitope. The variation in KIR3DL1 allotypes manifests at a number of levels. Most dramatically, a common allelic variant encodes an activating rather than an inhibitory receptor (KIR3DS1). In addition, sequence variants can affect both the frequency of expression within the NK cell population and the intensity of expression on a given cell. KIR3DL1 polymorphism also influences the interaction with HLA-Bw4 molecules, due to contacts with the HLA molecule itself and sensitivity to the presented peptide. A body of evidence from genetic association studies supports the biological significance not only of the interaction of KIR3DL1 with HLA-Bw4 but also the functional variation seen with different KIR3DL1 and HLA allotypes. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of KIR3DL1 function and our recent insights from the structure of the KIR3DL1 in complex with HLA. In addition, we will summarize our current understanding of KIR3DS1, including its ligand specificity and its role in immune responses.


Objectives: To study the influence of the presence of water on the dermal absorption of 2-butoxyethanol (BE) in volunteers. Methods: Six male volunteers were dermally exposed to 50%, 90% or neat w/w BE for 4 h on the volar forearm over an area of 40 cm. An inhalation exposure with a known input rate and duration served as a reference dosage. The dermal absorption parameters were calculated from 24-h excretion of total (free + conjugated) butoxyacetic acid (BAA) in urine and BE in blood, measured after both inhalation and dermal exposure. Results: The dermal absorption of BE from aqueous solutions was markedly higher than that of neat BE. The time-weighted average dermal fluxes were calculated from the urine and blood data and expressed in milligrammes per square centimetre per hour. The dermal fluxes obtained from cumulative 24-h excretion of BAA amounted to 1.34 0.49, 0.92 0.60 and 0.26 0.17 mg cm" h" for 50%, 90% and neat BE, respectively. The dermal fluxes calculated from the BE blood data amounted to 0.92 0.34 and 0.74 0.25 mg cnrï IT for 50% and 90% BE, respectively. The permeation rates into the blood reached a plateau between 60 and 120 min after the start of exposure, indicating achievement of steadystate permeation. The apparent permeability coefficient Kp, was 1.75 0.53-10~ and 0.88 0.42-10~ cm h" for 50% and 90% BE, respectively. Conclusion: The percutaneous absorption of BE from aqueous solution increased markedly when compared with neat BE. Even water content as low as 10% led to an approximate fourfold increase in the permeation rates. These findings are important for the health risk assessment of occupational exposure to BE, since BE is commonly used in mixtures that contain water. Exposure to aqueous solutions of 50% and 90% of BE may result in substantial skin absorption: if a 60-min skin contact of 1000 cm is assumed, dermal uptake would be fourtimes higher than the pulmonary uptake of an 8-h occupational exposure at a TLV of 100 mg m". This clearly justifies the skin notation for BE. For the purpose of biological monitoring, both BE in blood and BAA in urine were shown to be reliable indicators of exposure.


Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the known major health problems across the globe, and is sixth ranked among all cancer, due to its high mortality rate. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an important role in the formation of a cell membrane, along with the fluidity of the membrane and proteins. Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) is member of the ω -6 family of PUFAs and converts into the arachidonic acid via a series of elongation and desaturation reactions. The aim of the current investigation was to scrutinize the effect of GLA on mitochondrial mediated apoptosis and anti-inflammatory pathway against diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced HCC. Materials and methods: Chemical carcinogenesis in Wistar rats was introduced by an intraperitoneal dose of DEN (200 mg/kg). The rats received the various doses of GLA for 22 weeks. The progressions of serum biomarkers and histopathology components of hepatic tissue were used to access the prophylactic effects. The antioxidant parameters, cancer preventive agent status, and apoptosis mechanism were reviewed to scrutinize the possible mechanism. Results: Dose-dependent treatment of GLA significantly ( P , − 0.001) modulated the hepatic nodules, hepatic, body weight, antioxidant, and non-hepatic parameters. Curiously, the Real-time poly-merase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunoblotting showed the GLA altered reduced the hypoxic microenvironment, mitochondrial mediated death apoptosis, and anti-inflammsatory pathways. Conclusion: On the basis of the above results, we can conclude that the GLA exhibited a chemoprotective effect against DEN induced HCC that might be due to the altered hypoxic microenvironment, mitochondrial mediated death apoptosis, and anti-inflammatory pathway, respectively.


The paper presents a comprehensive experimental study on emulsion (oil-inwater) fluid flow through curved diffusers. The experimental setup was designed and constructed in the fluid mechanics laboratory of the faculty of engineering, Menoufiya University to perform the measurements which have been carried out on five models of curved diffusers. The measurements of pressure distributions along the outer and inner walls of the curved diffuser were performed for different area ratios, different curvature ratios (ratio of centerline arc radius to inlet width), different inflow Reynolds numbers and different emulsion holdup (ratio of oil volume to emulsion volume), while the oil concentration was varied from 0 to 20 % by volume. The experimental work was carried out using two sets of oil-in-water emulsions; the first is stabilized oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion using Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) emulsifier and the second is unstable o/w emulsion at different holdup values. The energy-loss coefficients for each model are based on detailed measurements of the wall pressure distributions along walls of the curved-diffuser models including long upstream and downstream tangents. The energy-loss coefficient data were plotted as a function of Reynolds number for the tested models at different concentrations. New results on energy-loss coefficient during flow of destabilized and stabilized oil-in-water emulsions through curved diffusers are reported in the present paper. The diffuser energy-loss coefficient is strongly affected by the geometrical parameters of diffuser, Reynolds number and emulsion holdup. Generally for the flow in curved diffusers, the resistance coefficients for stable and unstable (oil-in-water) emulsions were higher than that of pure-water flow. It is also noticed that the unstable o/w emulsion exhibits lower values in loss coefficient compared with that given for stable o/w emulsion. General correlation of the loss coefficient (not previously considered) for the present cases exploring the ranges of geometrical parameters, inflow condition and Reynolds number conditions is extracted from the present experimental study.


Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of non melanoma skin cancers. Because of less exposure to ultraviolet light in perianal and genital regions, BCC is seen rarely in these areas. It is rarely seen in perianal and genital regions where non U.V. exposed areas. In this case report a fifty years old patient who had an ulcerated lesion on his left perianal region for nearly ten years was evaluated. After BCC is diagnosed with incisional biopsy, the lesion was excised with 5mm surgical margins under general anesthesia. The excision material was reported as BCC with clean surgical margins. Neither recurrence nor metastasis was observed in postoperative twelve months follow-up. Differential diagnosis of ulcerated lesions of perianal and genital regions include sexually transmitted diseases (e.g. Syphilis, HSV), pyoderma gangrenosum, Behcet's disease, thrombosed haemorrhoid, fistula secondary to inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal malignancies. Even it is very rare, BCC must be kept in mind in differential diagnosis of ul cerated perianal and genital lesions.


Recent years have brought increasing interest in the use of the electrocardiogram as a means of understanding the damage to the heart muscle wrought by disease. Since Einthoven's discovery of the string galvanometer, this instrument has been used in the study of the direction, amplitude and time relations of the electrical currents produced by the contraction of the heart muscle. For over sixty years this was done only as a scientific procedure, with little clinical application. In recent years, however, more and more interest has been focused on the clinical value of such a study, until its merit has become definitely established. Three standard leads have been used, and these have yielded a great deal of information. However, it was thought that still more information could be gained if the technic was modified. Wolferth and Wood 1 in 1932 reintroduced and made popular a fourth lead, or so-called chest lead.


Studies on the reproductive biology of freshwater mussels have contributed to conservation of this group, but methods to study early reproductive stages are either lethal (e.g., histological technique) or useful for only qualitative assessments (e.g., nonlethal syringe technique). Using 2 common mussels (Quadrula apiculata and Quadrula verrucosa) and 2 rare mussels (Quadrula petrina and Quadrula houstonensis) distributed across 3 sites in the Navasota River and San Saba River, Texas, we validated the effectiveness of the syringe technique to quantify gamete production by examining: 1) if estimates of gamete traits (sperm concentration, egg size, and egg concentration) obtained with the syringe technique were correlated to estimates of gamete traits (sperm density, egg size, and egg density) obtained with a histological technique; and 2) if survival, growth, and body condition of individual mussels sampled with the syringe technique were negatively affected in a 2-y mark–recapture field experiment. Pearson's correlation analysis of gamete production measured over the 1st year of the study indicated sperm concentration and density and egg sizes were correlated between the 2 techniques; however, egg concentration and density were correlated in only some cases. Joint analysis of live and dead encounters from the mark–recapture experiment indicated the syringe technique had little to no effect on survival probability of mussels, and mixed models of shell growth and Fulton's K body condition index failed to detect sublethal effects of the syringe technique on mussels. The syringe technique is relatively accurate and noninvasive and can be used to study the reproductive biology of threatened and endangered mussels quantitatively. In addition, it can provide the large sample sizes often needed to study the reproductive ecology of mussels.


for the electromagnetic field and matter. Chapter 5 develops the mathematical apparatus of tensor analysis required to deal with curved space-time. The notion of parallel displacement is introduced analytically by discussing the change under coordinate transformation of the curvilinear components of a vector in a flat space and the idea of a geodesic introduced later. Some readers will perhaps prefer the variational approach to a geodesic which is relegated to one of the exercises. The final chapter gives a good account of Einstein's theory of gravitation and the predictions involved in the three crucial tests are obtained directly and clearly. At the end of each chapter there ape useful and instructive exercises which the reader will find helpful. The book is well written and the presentation of the argument is economical without being incomprehensible. I t can be strongly recommended for the reader who already has a little familiarity with what the Michelson-Morley experiment was all about.


A new corrosion monitoring technique based on the generation and propagation of highly nonlinear solitary waves in 1D granular crystals has been developed recently. In this method, a monoperiodic array of spherical particles, interacting via Hertzian contact forces, is in point contact with the structure or material to be inspected. The array is part of a wireless unit used to induce the wave in the chain and record the solitary waveform remotely. Compared to classical NDE techniques used for thickness monitoring, the developed method is low cost, portable, and simple. This study presents a numerical and an experimental investigation of the sensitivity of solitary waves to localized corrosion. In the experimental study, a corroding steel plate was monitored using solitary waves to examine the effect of corrosion in the plate on the solitary waves interacting with the plate. Furthermore, a discrete element model was coupled with a finite element model to numerically predict the effect of localized corrosion on the delay and the amplitude of the reflected solitary waves formed at the chain-plate interface. The plate was studied in both pristine and corroded conditions. Furthermore, the study investigated customizing the granular chain design to achieve solitary wave-based sensors that can be used in high-temperature environments with maximum sensitivity to corrosion. The numerical results were in good agreement with experimental results and showed that the reflected solitary waves are affected by the presence and the propagation of corrosion in the plate. It was also shown that the sensitivity of the method increases for thinner plates or when the depth of corrosion exceeds half of the plate thickness.


This paper will explore the ways in which the feminine, in particular the hysterical feminine, is invoked in media representations of violent women in order to contain the threat they pose. I shall draw on a number of mainstream German newspapers, both leftwing, liberal "quality" journals, such as Der Spiegel and, to a lesser extent, Stern, and more reactionary papers, such as Bild and Die Welt. It is my contention that although these journals may seem to be of different quality, the same paradigms are being mobilized with regard to the violent female terrorist: paradigms that are firmly anchored in the German popular imagination of the 1970s.


In the presence of acidic catalysts based on the Sibunit-4 material the effects of mechanical activation and a lignin impurities on both the reactivity of cellulose and yields of products (monosaccharides and furfurals) being achieved during the hydrolysis of the polysaccharide isolated by hydrotropic cooking of miscanthus, wheat straw, and fruit shells of oats were studied. Activation was shown to significantly increase the reactivity of all substrates and the yields of the target products. Impurities of lignin led to decreasing product yields .


Aortic replacement is the treatment of choice and improves the natural history of dissections involving the ascending aorta. Forty patients (23 male), aged 49.4 years, have been operated at the hospital Clínico de la Universidad Católica. Twenty six presented with acute dissections. Angiography conformed the dissection in 63.3% and computed axial tomography in 84.6% of patients; lately, transesophageal echocardiography has become the most sensitive diagnostic method. Twenty three patients (57.5%) were subjected to emergency operations and 17 to semielective procedures. In 24 patients (60%) ascending aorta was replaced and in 16 a composite graft was used. Operative mortality was 27.5%. Univariate analysis showed that the period in which the operation was performed and the presence of limb ischemia were the only independent predictors of operative mortality. Long term follow up was achieved in 26 patients (89.6%). Actuarial 5 year survival without considering operative mortality was 87.9%. It is concluded that patients with acute dissections involving the ascending aorta should be operated as soon as the imaging diagnosis is complete and, since this is a palliative procedure, a close follow up is required for early detection of complications.


Advancements in flexible circuit interconnects are critical for widespread adoption of flexible electronics. Non-toxic liquid-metals offer a viable solution for flexible electrodes due to deformability and low bulk resistivity. However, fabrication processes utilizing liquid-metals suffer from high complexity, low throughput, and significant production cost. Our team utilized an inexpensive spray-on stencil technique to deposit liquid-metal Galinstan electrodes in top-gated graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs). The electrode stencils were patterned using an automated vinyl cutter and positioned directly onto chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene transferred to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. Our spray-on method exhibited a throughput of 28 transistors in under five minutes on the same graphene sample, with a 96% yield for all devices down to a channel length of 50 μm. The fabricated transistors possess hole and electron mobilities of 663.5 cm2/(V·s) and 689.9 cm2/(V·s), respectively, and support a simple and effective method of developing high-yield flexible electronics.


Cultural geography might benefit from consideration of radical behaviourism and from interpretation and application of the concepts of behaviour analysis. The basic concept is that of operant conditioning, referring to the environment reinforcing behaviours that are most adaptive and effective in achieving reinforcers and avoiding aversive stimuli. The concept of rule-governed behaviour facilitates incorporation of cognition into behaviour analyses, accommodating the fact that many consequences are delayed. These concepts are applied in an analysis of nineteenth-century Mormon settlement in the American West. This argument for an objectivist approach is laden with social scientific baggage not favoured in contemporary cultural geography.


Background: Since introduction of regional pharmacovigilance centers in Korea, the number of domestic adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported is rapidly increasing. However, there have been only a few reports on reporting and clinical features of ADRs in Korea. This study was designed to investigate the reporting and clinical features of ADRs reported from a single university hospital. Methods: We included the patients with ADRs reported from a regional pharmacovigilance center of Chonnam National University Hospital between June 2009 and December 2009. ADRs were identified by both voluntary and automated computerized surveillance systems. Additional information was retrospectively collected from electronic medical records and then reporting and clinical features of ADRs were analyzed. Results: Six hundred eighty four ADRs were reported in 446 patients based on both Naranjo's scale and WHO-UMC criteria. Voluntary reporting consisted of 61.0% of ADRs. Most of ADRs (85.5%) were reported by doctors. Females consisted of 60.4% of patients. The most common clinical manifestations of ADRs were skin symptoms (47.7%), followed by neuropsychiatric (15.5%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (11.5%). The most common offending drugs were anti-infective drugs (30.0%), followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (18.1%) and central nervous system agent (12.0%). Conclusion: Doctors can easily report ADRs in our computerized surveillance system. Although it is well known that skin is frequently involved in ADRs and anti-infective drugs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs induce ADRs, neuropsychiatric symptoms and central nervous system agents should be considered as common manifestations and causative drugs of ADRs, respectively. (Korean J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol 2011;31:184-191) 󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏


A new technique for the position and orientation calibration of robots is presented. Three digital dial gauges are employed as sensors to determine the position of three points on the robot end-effector and the robot position errors. The orientation errors of the robot end-effector is calculated subsequently with the use of the position data collected. The repeatability of robots is also easily evaluated by using this measurement set-up. The experimental results show that the measurement set-up design is successful. This system represents an effective, low cost and feasible technique for industrial robot calibration in laboratory projects and industrial environments.


Introduction It is known that cognitive impairment is linked to aging and neurobiological, psychological, and social factors. Recently, however, mastication and the number of teeth has also attracted attention, with a previous case control study reporting a correlation between the loss of teeth and Alzheimer's disease. Objective To investigate possible relationships between cognitive function and various demographic variables, stress, medical history, and number of natural teeth in a specified female population. Materials & Methods A sample of the Saudi female population, 40–65 years of age, who visited the King Khalid University College of Dentistry (Abha, Saudi Arabia), was studied. Education, occupation, perceived stress, and medical history, along with the number of remaining teeth, were assessed. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive performance and the results were statistically analyzed. Results Subjects were divided into those with mild, moderate, and severe impairment based on MMSE score; the association between age, education, occupation, medical history, and cognitive function demonstrated statistically significant results. Fifty percent of subjects with 0–16 teeth exhibited severe cognitive impairment. Of the cognitive abilities, attention, recall, and language skills were linked to the number of remaining teeth. When subjects were categorized into only high and low cognitive impairment based on MMSE score, regression analysis did not reveal a significant correlation between any of the studied variables and cognitive impairment. Conclusion Results of the present study add to the recent data and head towards the theory of likely connection between the number of teeth and hippocampus-dependent cognitive functioning. Results of regression analysis revealed an absence of conclusive relation in the latter part of study. Longitudinal analyses including comprehensive clinical dental data with brain-imaging will shed further light on probable causal relationship(s).


This study is about compulsory commitment to hospital (against one's will or without consent) of abusive drug user adults (drug addicted). The problem under research consists of evaluating, from the legal viewpoint, the legitimacy or not of impose such measure, and further to analyze the requisites and assumptions concerning the exceptional application thereof. The investigation was based on Constitutionalization of Private Law, doctrine, legislation and case law. Discusses the conflict or tension between formal freedom and paternalism to justify or reject interfering on the existential sphere in the situation under analysis. Based on Michel Foucault's lessons, the investigation highlights the inappropriate confusion of concepts such as capacity-personality, disease-interdiction, madness-danger, drug abuse-incapacity, commitment to hospital-interdiction, which leads to distorting the rationale for commitment to hospital. Upon revisiting and disentangling those categories, aims at demonstrating the limits of the traditional dogma of the incapacities' system to face the topic. Thus, points out that committing someone to hospital neither depends on nor results from a process of interdiction. The research sustains that caring for health of a person with abusive drug use is the only constitutionally admissible option for his compulsory commitment to hospital, considering that any other function such as punishment, segregation or isolation are unconstitutional. Drug abuse affects mainly a person's self-determination (self-control), but not necessarily the ability to understand and to express oneself (legal capacity). Furthermore, the classification of "habitual drinkers and drug addicts", as relatively incapable is discussed. The thesis is not in favor of compulsory commitment to hospital; however, it does not completely exclude it either. It should be a subsidiary, temporary action which presupposes that there is not enough non-hospital mechanisms (outpatient) and the need to protect the person to be committed.


A novel spectral-domain method combined with a sampling theorem is applied to the rigorous analysis of this quasi-two-dimensional problem. The accuracy and convergence of the method are examined numerically taking into account errors in comparison with extrapolated values, errors in the power relation, and the duality relationship. It is found that the numerical results exhibit good convergence. Another formulation related to Babinet's principle is discussed, and a relationship between the fields of an original and its complementary gratings is demonstrated. Numerical calculations are carried out showing that the method provides precise numerical results not only for the far fields, such as transmitted and reflected powers, but also for the near fields, such as surface current distribution on a strip and electric field intensity in a slit. Some numerical results related to the dual problem are provided. >


A study was carried out with the objective of determining the haematological and blood biochemical parameters in sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen for a period of 42 days. This was to indicate the possible influence of plastic bags in the rumen on blood parameters. 16, one-year old castrate Dorper sheep with a mean body weight of 26.8 kg (± 0.3 kg) and 16 one-year old castrate small East African goats with a mean weight of 24.5 kg (± 0.3 kg) were used for the study. The 16 sheep and 16 goats were divided into 4 groups of 4 animals each (n = 4). Three groups of each species were implanted with 129 g, 258 g and 387 g of plastic bags, respectively, in the rumen through rumenotomy and the fourth group of each species was control on which rumenotomy was done but with no implanting of plastic bags. Blood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture from all sheep and goats every 2 weeks for analysis. The only haematological parameter that had significant change was platelets, which significantly ( p < 0.05) increased in both sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen. However, mean values of erythrocytes, packed cell volume, haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume decreased but not significantly in the sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen. The sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen had hyponatraemmia, hypochloridaemia and decreased aspartate aminotransferase enzyme activity. The changes observed in haematological and biochemical parameters could be an indication of adverse effects on the production and well-being of sheep and goats that ingest these plastic bags. These finding may be of diagnostic importance in cases of rumen impaction with indigestible foreign bodies, particularly, plastic bags.


Cluster indices describe extremal behaviour of stationary time series. We consider their sliding blocks estimators. Using a modern theory of multivariate, regularly varying time series, we obtain central limit theorems under conditions that can be easily verified for a large class of models. In particular, we show that in the Peak over Threshold framework, sliding and disjoint blocks estimators have the same limiting variance.


Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biodegradable polymer produced by many bacteria. It can be used as an alternative to petroleum-based commercial plastics as they can be easily degraded by the soil microorganisms. The present work focuses on screening a potential bacterium for PHB production. In this study, 50 bacterial colonies from the soil samples were isolated and screened for PHB production. They were grown in basally-defined M9 medium (DM9 medium) and screened for biosynthesis of PHB using Sudan Black B stain. 20 were found to be able to produce PHB and among them, isolate 3 showed highest productions of 1.0g/l PHB from 1.92g/l DCW (dry cell weight). Isolate 3 was characterized as Bacillus tequilensis NCS-3 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. This isolate was selected to optimize its culture conditions using different carbon sources, nitrogen sources, pH and temperatures. After optimization, the isolate yielded maximum amount of 1.75g/l PHB from 2.01g/l DCW at pH 6 and incubation temperature of 300C using fructose and tryptone as carbon and nitrogen sources. PHB production increases from 52% to 87% after optimization, which indicates that Bacillus tequilensis NCS-3 was a potent PHB producer.


Intuitively, the state may be regarded as a kind of information storage or memory or accumulation of past causes. We must, of course, demand that the set of internal states be sufficiently rich to carry all information about the past history of to predict the effect of the past upon the future. We do not insist, however, that the state is the least such information although this is often a convenient assumption. This chapter describes how the feedback of a system's state can be used to shape the local behavior of a system. The concept of reachability is introduced and used to investigate how to design the dynamics of a system through assignment of its eigenvalues. In particular, it will be shown that under certain conditions it is possible to assign the system eigenvalues arbitrarily by appropriate feedback of the system state. One of the fundamental properties of a control system is what set of points in the state space can be reached through the choice of a control input. It turns out that the property of reachability is also fundamental in understanding the extent to which feedback can be used to design the dynamics of a system. Definition of Reachability We begin by disregarding the output measurements of the system and focusing on the evolution of the state, given by dx dt = Ax + Bu, (6.1) where x ∈ R n , u ∈ R, A is an n × n matrix and B a column vector. A fundamental question is whether it is possible to find control signals so that any point in the state space can be reached through some choice of input. To study this, we define the reachable set R(x 0 , ≤ T) as the set of all points x f such that there exists an input u(t), 0 ≤ t ≤ T that steers the system from x(0) = x 0 to x(T) = x f , as illustrated in Figure 6.1a. Definition 6.1 (Reachability). A linear system is reachable if for any x 0 , x f ∈ R n there exists a T > 0 and u : [0, T ] → R such that the corresponding solution satisfies x(0) = x 0 and x(T) = x f .


Failed ankle arthrodesis represents a significant challenge to the orthopaedist today. The complexity of this problem is further increased when associated with additional complications, such as osteomyelitis, leg length discrepancy, or concomitant foot deformity. In many instances, the only viable salvage alternative is amputation. The authors report 21 cases of complex distal tibial pathology or failed ankle arthrodesis treated with the Ilizarov external fixator. Of the 20 cases available for follow-up evaluation, 16 (80%) achieved good results with solid ankle arthrodesis and resolution of associated pathology. The Ilizarov fixator may be a viable clinical tool in these difficult cases in which amputation is the alternative.


A recent study in the US showed that abortion was achieved in 171/178 women aged 18 to 47 with pregnancies of 63 days or less duration through the administration of an intramuscular injection of methotrexate (a drug used to treat cancer) followed five to seven days later with a dose of misoprostol (used to treat ulcers). The report of this study prompted the founder of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue to threaten the report's author with being "hunted down and tried for genocide" should abortion ever be made illegal. While the National Abortion Rights Action League urged that the procedure be judged on medical not political terms, a spokesperson for the National Right to Life Committee expressed concern for the reproductive and psychological health of women undergoing medical abortions. The Population Council is currently completing clinical trials of the regimen which employs RU-486 to achieve medical abortion and expects to file a new drug application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996. The methotrexate/misoprostol combination would be much less expensive than RU-486 (approximately $10 compared to $250 at current prices), and a pharmaceutical company is currently attempting to raise the six million dollars necessary to fund the large-scale clinical trials which must precede FDA approval. While the availability of medical abortions would make the procedure much more accessible and private for women, proper counseling must be given to the women to avoid unwanted side effects and so that the women know what to expect.


In this paper, Analysis of parameters effecting on the derailment factor was conducted in odor to deduce technical requisites have to be reflected in design of Track and rolling-stocks because it is important to grasp the risk of derailment quantitatively. And then go far toward becoming practical study with that select two section of sharp curved track of actual train in service, incheon Metro Line 1 and make field research in condition of vehicles and track and analysis. As a result of parameter study, the following conclusions were obtained. The radius of curve and Cant is in inverse proportion to the derailment factor, but as train operation velocity, standard deviation of alignment irregularity and the ratio lateral force: wheel load of the inside track increase, the derailment factor rise. In the investigation for the derailment safety of incheon Metro Line 1, the derailment factor was below 0.43 in both section R=200 and R=300, so that it proved safe compare with allowance limits 0.8, but it appeared that risk of the derailment in second transition curve is the highest among the entire curve.


: Clinical observation of biliary stone formation on framed transhepatic tubular drainage into intestinal lumen followed by a stone migration resulting in intestinal obturation. Routine laboratory, clinical, biochemical investigations, sonographic examination, magnetic resonance cholangiography, ultrasound controlled transcutaneous transhepaticcholangistomy, roentgenoscopy examination of organs of abdomen cavity were used. Clinical observation of patient G., 63 years old, who hospitalyse with cholelithiasis for planned surgery presented. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was perfomed with iatrogenic injury of wall of common bile duct followed by its suturing and formation of stricture of common bile duct followed by Ru hepaticojejunostomy on fraimed transhepatic drainage with formation biliary stone on it followed by migration of the stone along intestinal tract leading to enteric obstruction. Data of formation of biliary stone on framed transhepatic drainage followed by a stone avulsion of the stone along intestinal tract leading to enteric obstruction were presented. Rare clinical case of framed transhepatic drainage fouling with biliary stone (photo) followed by avulsion of stone to enteric lumen leading to enteric obturation.


Observations are reviewed from experiments performed to study the role of endogenous thiols in the radiation response of cells using a glutathione-deficient and a related glutathione-proficient cell strain. The effect of glutathione in the initial radical reactions was considered and the yield of single-strand DNA breaks was the end-point of the response. The rejoining of breaks and clonogenic survival were chosen as end-points when, in addition, the role of glutathione in the subsequent biochemical processes was studied. The results were interpreted to indicate that glutathione plays a role in both the radical and the biochemical reactions which follow irradiation. In the former case, it functions as a damage-restituting reactant, in general agreement with the 'competition model'. Some biochemical repair processes, in particular those concerned with the rejoining of breaks induced by radiation in the presence of oxygen or misonidazole, appear also to be critically dependent on glutathione. Due, probably, to its particular spatial distribution, endogenous glutathione is specific in the radical processes, and exogenous thiols cannot be substituted for it. No such specificity was indicated in the biochemical processes related to strand break rejoining.


With the development of the internet the security of the TR-069 protocol becomes more and more important.The SSL/TLS protocol satisfies the requirement of the security in the TR-069.The TR-069 protocol and SSL/TLS protocol are introduced and the handshake process during the secure Session in the TR-069 is also described.


famous to this day. In the end, one is left with the sense of a tremendous waste of talent and effort, all to little or no real purpose. The case of Helga M. Novak blurs the lines between victim and perpetrator, since her work for the Stasi happened under duress, was of short duration, and was followed by many years of harassment and vindictiveness on the part of the Stasi. Among other things, the Stasi was clearly a male chauvinist, sexist organization that sometimes behaved in abominable ways to women—for instance by trying to use Novak as a "honey trap" for western men. One comes away from the book feeling a good deal of sympathy with Novak. The case of Maja Wiens is more complicated and problematic, since she clearly harmed some of the people she was spying on and showed little remorse about it before she ultimately turned against the Stasi, and the East German regime itself. The book is well written and quite readable—in fact, it is a bit of a page turner. One wishes that the copy editor had been more careful, as there are occasional typos and lapses. For instance, one important anthology of innovative East German literature that appeared in the mid-1980s, co-edited by Sascha Anderson and Elke Erb, receives different titles: Berührung war eine Randerscheinung (163) and Berührung ist eine Randerscheinung (181). In fact the correct title is Berührung ist nur eine Randerscheinung: Neue Literatur aus der DDR. Occasionally one wishes that the author would take a step back from her case studies and ask larger questions about the role of literature in East Germany and its relationship to the Stasi or about the effectiveness of secret organizations in modern societies more generally. But that is not really what the book is about—it is primarily about the case studies, and these are eminently worth reading.


The effects of hydrolysis on the degree of polymerization during metallo-organic solution deposition of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films have been investigated. The reaction of lead 2-ethylhexanoate, zirconium n-tetrapropoxide, and titanium tetrabutoxide in isopropanol with water were studied using thermogravimetry, specular reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and optical and electron microscopy. Films prepared from coating solutions having varying amounts of water exhibited dramatic differences in morphology. The films were spin-coated on platinum coated fused silica substrates and annealed at 525/sup 0/C for 30 minutes. Unhydrolyzed coating solutions and solutions with a mole ratio of water to total metal of 0.5 yielded perovskite films with 0.5 to 5 ..mu..m grains. A mole ratio of 1.5 (the amount of water required to completely hydrolyze the metallo-organics in the solution) formed amorphous, porous films. The stability of the prepolymerized films inhibits crystallization and densification at moderate temperatures.


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged by the end of 2019 and spread as pandemic on March 2020 worldwide. Subsequently, it has universally disturbed the medical education and health systems. It leads to lethal circumstances, which become encounters for medical education. Therefore, there is a need to ensure the integrity and firmness of the medical education process and safe lecture delivery. Also, it is essential to re-examine structuring the workforce capacity with the condition of the swiftly altering healthcare system globally and worldwide requirements. A narrative review was conducted to reveal the critical aspects of medical education that need to be reinforced during the post-COVID-19, focusing on building an effective healthcare workforce. It included and examined the relevant papers using search terms in PubMed and Web of Science. The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has unlocked a creative horizon in accepting an appropriate educational methodology to convey safe health professionals, with the human-centered ethical value of professional skill and expertise embedded with humane behavior. A direct, hands-on scientific practice should be sustained with the usual methods to develop graduates' skills and experience and ensure the quality of medical education. However, to combat the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools and other health profession education institutions globally must adjust their curriculum and educational strategies through innovative distant learning modes, including extended reality technology, e-learning tools, and simulation amenities. From experience gained through a pandemic, medical schools should perform best practices for a dynamic shift to blended learning and assessment. Moreover, medical educators should develop practical guidelines or protective actions to conduct clinical teaching without negotiating safety, health, and quality of medical education.