Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a major horticultural crop and a model species among eudicots, especially for traits related to reproductive development. Although considerable progress has been made since the tomato genome sequence project was completed, most of the genes identified remain predictions with an unknown or hypothetical function. This lack of functional characterization hampers the use of the huge amount of genomic information available to improve the quality and productivity of this crop. Reverse genetics strategies such as artificial mutagenesis and next-generation sequencing approaches build the perfect tandem for increasing knowledge on functional annotation of tomato genes. This work reports the phenotypic characterization of a tomato mutant collection generated from an EMS chemical mutagenesis program aimed to identify interesting agronomic mutants and novel gene functions. Tomato mutants were grouped into fourteen phenotypic classes, including vegetative and reproductive development traits, and the inheritance pattern of the identified mutations was studied. In addition, causal mutation of a selected mutant line was isolated through a mapping-by-sequencing approach as a proof of concept of this strategy's successful implementation. Results support tomato mutagenesis as an essential tool for functional genomics in this fleshy-fruited model species and a highly valuable resource for future breeding programs of this crop species aimed at the development of more productive and resilient new varieties under challenging climatic and production scenarios.


Despite its unequivocal advantages, breast feeding may be associated with undesired side-effects. Recently, we have shown an association between exposure via mother's milk to dioxins and developmental defects of the child's teeth. The present study was undertaken to analyze further the association between the duration of breast feeding and the occurrence of dental defects. For this purpose, 2 different populations were selected. The first population comprised 40 children who had mineralization defects in the permanent 1st molars, and their age-living area- and sex-matched controls. The median duration of breast feeding was 9 months in the affected children compared to 6 months in the controls. The defects were more extensive after prolonged breast feeding. The second population consisted of 97 children whose mothers had been encouraged to extensive and prolonged breast feeding. Of these children, 24 had mineralization defects. They all had been breastfed longer than 8 months. In both study populations mineralization defects were associated with the duration of breast feeding. The result suggests that long breast feeding may increase the risk of mineralization defects in healthy children, possibly because of environmental contaminants that interfere with tooth development.


Alkali metal salts of the 2-phosphaethynolate anion PCO− synthesized from reactions of CO with NaPH2 or K3P7 have recently become available in quantities for the synthesis of transition metal complexes of the potentially ambidentate PCO ligand (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2013, 38, 10064). This is exemplified by the recently reported rhenium carbonyl complex (triphos)Re(CO)2(PCO) (triphos = MeP(CH2PPh2)3). Density functional theory studies on the related manganese carbonyl complexes Mn(CO)n(PCO) (n = 5, 4, 3) and Mn2(CO)n(PCO)2 (n = 8, 7, 6, 5) are now reported. For the binuclear systems the low-energy Mn2(CO)8(PCO)2 structures are singlet spin state structures having two bridging P-bonded phosphaketenyl μ-PCO ligands without a direct Mn–Mn bond. Carbonyl loss from Mn2(CO)8(μ-PCO)2 is predicted to lead to migration of CO groups from phosphorus to manganese resulting in Mn2(CO)n+2(μ-P2) structures with bridging diphosphido groups as the lowest energy Mn2(CO)n(PCO)2 isomers (n = 7, 6, 5). Isomeric Mn2(CO)6(PCO)2 structures with dihapto bridging η2-μ-PCO ligands at ∼30 kcal mol−1 above the global minimum are also found representing intermediates in the migration of CO groups from phosphorus to manganese. For the mononuclear systems the P-bonded Mn(CO)n(PCO) (n = 5, 4) phosphaketenyl structures are found to lie 20 to 28 kcal mol−1 in energy below the isomeric O-bonded Mn(CO)n(PCO) phosphaethynoxy isomers consistent with previously reported results by Grutzmacher and coworkers on R3E(PCO)–R3E(OCP) systems (R = iPr, Ph; E = Si, Sn, Ge, Pb). The lowest energy structure for the tricarbonyl Mn(CO)3(PCO) is a singlet structure with an unusual trihapto η3-PCO ligand. However, higher energy isomeric Mn(CO)3(PCO) structures with P-bonded phosphaketenyl or O-bonded phosphaethynoxy ligands and tetrahedral Mn coordination are also found.


This research has two objectives. The first is to study the link between SMEs internationalizing at an early stage and the attitudes of their decision makers toward internationalization. The second is to analyze this relationship in an international context (India and France). We thus propose to contribute to a better understanding of the factors behind internationalization. To meet these objectives, we used an original methodology: decision makers' practices were studied using the scenario method. The assessment of attitudes toward internationalization was carried out using a new multidimensional scale of measurement. The measurement tool was distributed to decision makers in French and Indian SMEs. A database of 234 respondents was used. This research presents three main results: we found that the decision makers of SMEs with a very positive attitude towards internationalization are more conducive to internationalizing early than others but that the opposite is not always true. Contrary to our expectations, we observed that French decision makers are more favorable to internationalization than Indians. Finally, we identified that Indian decision makers are more likely to internationalize early than the French.


Objective: The aim of the present study was to identify differentially expressed genes that might be associated with the phenotype of superficial and invasive bladder cancer. Methods: Differential display reverse transcriptase PCR (DDRT-PCR) was used to compare the expression pattern between normal bladder tissue and 4 groups of transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder regarding clinical stage and grade. Results: We were able to identify 72 different transcripts, of which 57 (79%) showed homology to known genes, 12 (17%) to hypothetical proteins and 3 (4%) to human expressed sequence tags. Among the differentially expressed genes, SFRP1,CEP63 and EIF4G2 were further validated by quantitative RT-PCR in a series of 50 transitional cell carcinomas. Overall, the transcripts of these three genes were shown to be downregulated in the bladder tumors analyzed. In accordance with the DDRT-PCR results, the SFRP1 transcripts were shown to be downregulated in 90% (45/50) of the bladder tumors as compared with the normal bladder tissue. Although EIF4G2 and CEP63 transcripts exhibited three different expression patterns, downregulation was found in about 50% of the cases analyzed. In addition, downregulation of both CEP63 and EIF4G2 gene transcription was associated with invasive tumors. Conclusion: The use of DDRT-PCR analysis to compare expression patterns among different subgroups of bladder tumors allowed us to identify a significant number of genes implicated in different cellular pathways that, when up- or downregulated, might play a role in the tumorigenic process of the bladder.


We developed and implemented two highly optimized optimistic discrete event simulation techniques based on an efficient and scalable parallel heap data structure as a global event queue. The primary results are (i) the design of an optimistic simulation algorithm, namely SyncSim, which does not rely on traditional state and message saving data structures, but employs only one backup state per state variable, (ii) a demonstration, through implementation of SyncSim, of an optimistic technique which overcomes the two main mutually conflicting and unbounded overheads of the existing optimistic simulation algorithms: SyncSim bounds the additional space requirements to just one copy per state variable and drastically limits the number of rollbacks encountered. Furthermore, SyncSim beats the highly optimized traditional simulator simglobal on a wide variety of large networks on an Origin-2000 computer. The algorithm SyncSim could form a basis for a good parallelizing engine attachable relatively easily to an existing serial simulator.


This study evaluates the effects of various substrates on the adhesion forces of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and identifies the optimal antibody for EPC-capture stents. Single-cell micropipette aspiration (SCMA) is employed to measure the adhesion forces of single EPCs on various substrates, namely gelatin and antibodies CD34, VEGFR-2, and CD133. The adhesion forces of single EPCs on each substrate are compared with those of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Compared to HUVECs, our results show that EPCs exhibit better adhesion on gelatin, anti-CD34, and anti-CDI33. The adhesion forces of EPCs or HUVECs on surfaces coated with these three substances increases with the concentration of these three substances. The adhesion forces are cell-type- and substrate-dependent EPCs have stronger adhesion than HUVECs on surfaces coated with anti-CD34 or ant-CD 133. The adhesion forces of EPCs on an ant-CD133-coated surface are higher than those on anti-CD34-, anti-VEGFR-2-, and gelatin-coated surfaces. The findings suggest that using CD133 antibody to capture EPCs is more efficient than using CD34 antibody.


Problem: Should we use seeds from warmer locations to adapt forests to climate change ? We define assisted migration as the project to translocate populations to compensate for observed or future climate changes. It is justified since the pace of climate change is too rapid for most populations to track changing climates. The idea of assisted migration questions the current paradigm in forestry management, which is that local provenances are always the best first choice. The cases of Oak and Pine populations in France illustrate the timeliness but also the dangers of this idea.Method: A decision-making framework based on imprecises probabilities and multiple worldviews is used, which accounts for rationality and precaution. We represent the deep uncertainty on climate change by using worldviews on long term climate change based on simulations of 3 RCP scenarios and 3 climate models.Data: Experimental data from the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range's lodgepole pine provenance test, which consists of 140 populations tested at 62 sites, were used. An incomplete testing design tested 60 of the 140 populations at each site, so that each population was tested at 30–40 sites. Total height was measured at 43 of the 62 sites in autumn 2005, after 32 field growing seasons (35 growing seasons from seed).Conclusions: We find that assisted migration is already a policy issue. Our work illustrates a decision making criteria that is both rational and precautionary, by focusing on trades between two options instead of focusing on a choice considering each option in isolation . Canadian data was much easier to access and use than French. Early results points that assisted migration could be considered in higher latitute stations.Early results for assisted migration in higher latitude stations


The automatic synthesis of procedural textures for 3D surfaces using genetic programming is investigated. Genetic algorithms employ a search strategy inspired by Darwinian natural evolution. Genetic programming uses genetic algorithms on tree structures, which are interpretable as computer programs or mathematical formulae. We use a texture generation language as a target language for genetic programming, and then use it to evolve textures having particular characteristics of interest. The texture generation language used here includes operators useful for texture creation, for example, mathematical operators, and colour and noise functions. In order to be practical for 3D model rendering, the language includes primitives that access surface information for the point being rendered, such as coordinates values, normal vectors, and surface gradients. A variety of experiments successfully generated procedural textures that displayed visual characteristics similar to the target textures used during training.


We present a halo-independent analysis of direct detection data on ``light WIMPs," i.e. weakly interacting massive particles with mass close to or below 10 GeV/c2. We include new results from silicon CDMS detectors (bounds and excess events), the latest CoGeNT acceptances, and recent measurements of low sodium quenching factors in NaI crystals. We focus on light WIMPs with spin-independent isospin-conserving and isospin-violating interactions with nucleons. For these dark matter candidates we find that a low quenching factor would make the DAMA modulation incompatible with a reasonable escape velocity for the dark matter halo, and that the tension among experimental data tightens in both the isospin-conserving and isospin-violating scenarios. We also find that a new although milder tension appears between the CoGeNT and DAMA annual modulations on one side and the silicon excess events on the other, in that it seems difficult to interpret them as the modulated and unmodulated aspects of the same WIMP dark matter signal.


The authors combine a social-constructionist perspective with a psychodynamic one in discussing the problem of trauma and its treatment. They argue that effective treatment of traumatic physical, sexual, and psychological abuse must do more than alleviate the pain of the sufferer. Factors that cause and perpetuate abuse must be addressed by the abused person in conjunction with other nontraumatized persons who may have been abusive or passive in the face of abuse. An argument is made for heterogeneous therapy groups as a context for this to occur.


To reduce the radiation hazard for manned missions to Mars and beyond, a high specific impulse-high thrust system is needed, with a nuclear bomb propulsion system the preferred candidate. The propulsion with small fission bombs is excluded because the critical mass requirement leads to extravagant small fission burn up rates. This leaves open the propulsion with non-fission ignited thermonuclear micro-explosions, with a compact fusion micro-explosion igniter (driver), and no large radiator. It should not depend on the rare He 3 isotope, and only require a small amount of tritium. This excludes lasers for ignition. With multi-mega-amperegigavolt proton beams and a small amount of tritium, cylindrical deuterium targets can be ignited. The proton beams are generated by discharging the entire spacecraft as a magnetically insulated gigavolt capacitor. To avoid a large radiator, needed to remove the heat from the absorption of the fast neutrons in the spacecraft, the micro-explosion is surrounded by a thick layer of liquid hydrogen, stopping the neutrons and heating the hydrogen to a temperature of ~ 10 5 K, which as a fully ionized plasma can be repelled from the spacecraft by a magnetic mirror.


Abstract American mink (Neovison vison) are an ecologically damaging invasive species where they have been introduced in Europe. Effectiveness of mink population control by trapping has been difficult to assess, without knowing how efficiently mink are caught by traps or detected by other methods. Use of track-recording rafts to detect mink and guide trapping effort has proved efficient and leads to a supposition that no detection indicates absence of mink. To draw this conclusion with any confidence requires a measure of detectability. We applied occupancy models to data from an earlier study to estimate detectability of individual American mink on track-recording rafts. Estimated detectability of individual mink, per raft, and 2-week check period varied between 0.4 in late summer and 0.6 in late autumn. By inference, risk of failing to detect a mink that was present would be <5% given 4–6 independent opportunities to detect it. These opportunities could be created either by using a raft spacing that ensured multiple detections of each mink or by monitoring rafts through a succession of check intervals. Within certain simple constraints, raft location did not contribute substantially to detection probability. These findings will allow field operators, strategists, and funders to assess with confidence the success of efforts to control mink density. We expect the estimation of individual detectability to be similarly valuable in population control or eradication of other species.


For determining trace amounts of iodine in geological samples (igneous and sedimentary rocks), applicabilities of instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analyses (NAA) using a short-lived nuclide 1281 were examined. Instrumental NAA using a TRIGA-type reactor and Cd metal or boron carbide as an absorbing filter of thermal neutron could be applied for the determination of iodine in ppm level in sedimentary rocks. Further, radiochemical NAA (RNAA) could lower the detection limit down to several ppb for igneous rock samples. Even though RNAA was employed, at least 6 samples could be routinely analyzed a day (6 h in reactor operation) using the analytical procedures reported in this work.


The non-financial foundation of family business performance is largely under-researched. More clarity is needed to identify the theoretic origin and outcomes of the familiness concept. This conceptual analysis explores the non-financial competitive advantage of familiness functioning optimally as familiness capital (FamCap). The notion of familiness is explored in terms of psychological capital (PsyCap) with FamCap as outcome variable. Family businesses seem to nurture familiness resources in the form of the PsyCap constructs of self-efficacy, hope, optimism and resilience. These resources could advance the optimal functioning of FamCap. The presence of FamCap should sustain a positive competitive advantage in a family firm.


We study the segregation of variants of a putative self-incompatibility gene in Arabidopsis lyrata. This gene encodes a sequence that is homologous to the protein encoded by the SRK gene involved in self-incompatibility in Brassica species. We show by diallel pollinations of plants in several full-sib families that seven different sequences of the gene in A. lyrata are linked to different S-alleles, and segregation analysis in further sibships shows that four other sequences behave as allelic to these. The family data on incompatibility provide evidence for dominance classes among the S-alleles, as expected for a sporophytic SI system. We observe no division into pollen-dominant and pollen-recessive classes of alleles as has been found in Brassica, but our alleles fall into at least three dominance classes in both pollen and stigma expression. The diversity among sequences of the A. lyrata putative S-alleles is greater than among the published Brassica SRK sequences, and, unlike Brassica, the alleles do not cluster into groups with similar dominance.


A new party led by politicians of immigrant background entered Dutch parliament with three seats after the March 2017 national elections. This article investigates the success of DENK—an immigrant party promoting a clear prodiversity agenda—and shows how this success is largely thanks to Dutch voters of Turkish and Moroccan background, using polling data by Ipsos and ScoRE. It also illustrates how these votes disproportionally increased with the number of residents of Turkish and Moroccan background in a neighborhood, using aggregate voting data from the statistical bureaus of Amsterdam and Rotterdam and the Dutch press agency ANP. That said, immigrant background does not fully explain the party's success; DENK voters' distinct ideological profile melds progressive and conservative attitudes in a combination thus far underrepresented among other parties' followers, which is illustrated by additional analyses of the polling data. Similar immigrant electorates exist elsewhere in Western Europe. Meanwhile, mainstream parties have turned sharply to the right on immigration, integration, and Islam, alienating substantial segments of this electorate. Whether these circumstances lead to the rise of more successful immigrant parties depends on how open political institutions are and how mainstream parties behave.


This paper presents symmetrical component frame power system models for smart grid application. The improvements in power system models are introduced by using dummy lines and dummy nodes in handling multi-phase feeders, incorporation of a centre-tapped transformer loads and the inclusion of weather-related DER models. The dummy lines and dummy nodes approach converted the two-phase and single-phase line segments into virtual three-phase lines and hence eliminate the need to use forward/backward method in handle multi-phase laterals. The DER models that have been considered are cogeneration, photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine generation (WTG). These improvements are suitable for steady-state analysis application with a more comprehensive modeling of ADS and smart grid. Sample testing of the models on fault analysis, load flow analysis and DER impact study is presented to illustrate the proposed models effectiveness and performance improvement.


In Brazil, about 80% of the 60 million hectares of pasture are in some state of degradation. Among the causes of this degradation is the lack of investment in liming and fertilization at the time of planting. Phosphorus is especially critical because it stimulates root growth in the establishment phase of forage growth. The objective of the study was to evaluate different sources of phosphorus in the formation of Marandu and Xaraes forages. An experimental design of randomized blocks in a factorial arrangement, 2 x 4, with 5 repetitions was used. Treatments consisted of two cultivars of Urochloa brizantha: Marandu and Xaraes and three sources of phosphorus: triple superphosphate (41% P2O5), natural reactive phosphate (28% P2O5) and organic mineral (4- 14-8) plus the absence of phosphate fertilizer (control). Plant height, stem diameter, chlorophyll A and B content and fresh and dry matter mass were evaluated 60 days after germination. Leaf content was also examined for the following mineral nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). The Marandu cultivar was superior to the Xaraes cultivar in terms of height. Among the sources of phosphorus examined, there were no significant differences among organic mineral, triple superphosphate and reactive phosphate, for any of the characteristics considered. All the sources, however, differed from the control. The maximum extraction of soil macronutrients by Urochloa brizantha was, in descending order: the macronutrients K>N>Ca>Mg>P>S and micronutrients Mn>Fe>Zn>Cu. These nutrients, thus, needed to be replaced as they were removed through grazing, to replenish the soil. The sources of phosphorus evaluated were not associated with differences in the leaf contents of Cu, Zn and S. The leaf content of the Xaraes cultivar had higher values of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Mn and Zn in relation to Marandu.

 Key words: Forage, degraded area, mineral nutrients, fertilization.


This is a preliminary report on the efficacy and toxicity of the combination chemotherapy regimen with carboplatin and cytosine arabinoside in dacarbazine-resistant metastatic melanoma. Patients were considered eligible in the presence of measurable disease sites, an ECOG performance status of 2 or less, a life expectancy of at least 2 months, and prior dacarbazine treatment. The planned schedule consisted of cytosine arabinoside (150 mg/m2 intravenously plus 50 mg subcutaneously), followed by a rapid infusion of carboplatin (350 mg/m2 on day 1). Courses were administred every 3 weeks according to hematologic recovery. Twenty-one consecutive patients were evaluable for activity and toxicity, the response rate was 19% (95% confidence interval, 5-42%). There was no complete remission. Toxicity was tolerable being myelosuppression the main side effect. In conclusion, the combination of carboplatin and cytosine arabinoside has limited activity as a salvage treatment in melanoma patients failing on dacarbazine chemotherapy. Moreover, the regimen is well tolerated and easy to administer in an outpatient setting.


Cardiac substructure segmentation is a prerequisite for cardiac diagnosis and treatment, providing a basis for accurate calculation, modeling, and analysis of the entire cardiac structure. CT (computed tomography) imaging can be used for a noninvasive qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the cardiac anatomy and function. Cardiac substructures have diverse grayscales, fuzzy boundaries, irregular shapes, and variable locations. We designed a deep learning-based framework to improve the accuracy of the automatic segmentation of cardiac substructures. This framework integrates cardiac anatomical knowledge; it uses prior knowledge of the location, shape, and scale of cardiac substructures and separately processes the structures of different scales. Through two successive segmentation steps with a coarse-to-fine cascaded network, the more easily segmented substructures were coarsely segmented first; then, the more difficult substructures were finely segmented. The coarse segmentation result was used as prior information and combined with the original image as the input for the model. Anatomical knowledge of the large-scale substructures was embedded into the fine segmentation network to guide and train the small-scale substructures, achieving efficient and accurate segmentation of ten cardiac substructures. Sixty cardiac CT images and ten substructures manually delineated by experienced radiologists were retrospectively collected; the model was evaluated using the DSC (Dice similarity coefficient), Recall, Precision, and the Hausdorff distance. Compared with current mainstream segmentation models, our approach demonstrated significantly higher segmentation accuracy, with accurate segmentation of ten substructures of different shapes and sizes, indicating that the segmentation framework fused with prior anatomical knowledge has superior segmentation performance and can better segment small targets in multi-target segmentation tasks.


ABSTRACT The importance of the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) in extending the serum half-life of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is well demonstrated, and has led to the development of multiple engineering approaches designed to alter Fc interactions with FcRn. Recent reports have additionally highlighted the effect of nonspecific interactions on antibody pharmacokinetics (PK), suggesting an FcRn-independent mechanism for mAb clearance. In this report we examine a case study of 2 anti-interleukin-12/23 antibodies, ustekinumab and briakinumab, which share the same target and Fc, but differ in variable region sequences. Ustekinumab displayed near baseline signal in a wide range of early stage developability assays for undesirable protein/protein interactions, while briakinumab showed significant propensity for self- and cross-interactions. This phenotypic difference correlates with faster clearance rates for briakinumab in both human FcRn transgenic and FcRn knockout mice. These findings support a dominant contribution for FcRn-independent clearance for antibodies with high nonspecificity, and highlight a key role for early stage developability screening to eliminate clones with such high nonspecific disposition PK.


Hydrothermal processes modify the chemical and mineralogical composition of a rock. These modifications can be regarded as a form of information imposed on the rock by hydrothermal processes and may potentially be quantifiable. However, there are no existing single measures to quantify these effects, nor do we have a good notion of what such a parameter should measure precisely. In this presentation, concepts from information theory are used to provide new insights into the effect of hydrothermal processes on rock and they enable the measurement and quantification of it. The Shannon entropy was used to quantify the differences in chemical compositions and shortwave infrared spectral response between altered and unaltered rocks. The results showed that the Shannon entropy can capture these differences in compositions, where hydrothermally altered rocks have lower entropies compared to their precursors. A relationship was found between heat of a magma source and Shannon entropy, where the heat of a cooling subvolcanic intrusion drove fluid circulation in the hydrothermal system causing intense alteration of rock and a decrease in Shannon entropy. We show that the Shannon entropy has potential to be used as a proxy for parts of the thermodynamic entropy of hydrothermally altered environments. The insights from this study enable new directions of research on the relationships between hydrothermal processes, entropies, information and the effects on mineralized and early life environments.


Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a pre-hormone which is raised in bacterial infection. Aim of study: To evaluate the benefit of measuring PCT level in recognising bacterial from non bacterial COPD exacerbations. Method: We prospectively evaluated 24 COPD patients who were admitted with an exacerbation. They had PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC) measurements and a chest radiograph (CXR). Use of antibiotics were recorded. Results: 6 patients had CXR findings of consolidation and 5 of them had high PCT indicating bacterial infection. 1 patient had a moderately elevated PCT which could be due to early sampling. In 18 patients who had normal CXR findings, 3 had positive PCT and of these, 1 had high CRP and WBC indicating true bacterial infection. 1 had high CRP with normal WBC which could be due to atypical bacterial infection. 1 had normal CRP with high WBC which could be due to spuriously low CRP result. In 15 patients who had negative PCT, 7 had normal CRP and WBC indicating no bacterial infection. 2 of them had normal CRP but slightly raised WBC and we feel the raised WBC were due to preceding steroid treatment. 3 of them had raised CRP and normal WBC and 3 had both raised CRP and WBC. These may be due to bacterial infection, and the negative PCT represented early sampling. All patients had antibiotics on admission. Conclusion: Many patients with COPD exacerbation are treated with antibiotics without bacterial infection. High PCT level indicates bacterial infection in these patients. The converse is also true but this should be used in conjunction with CRP and WBC levels. When normal PCT level is associated with either raised CRP or WBC, a second late PCT level should be measured.


Free space microwave measurements are reported of a split ring and post type metamaterial that exhibits negative index of refraction in a frequency band near 13.5 GHz. Varying azimuthal angles and magnitudes are achieved by changing the polarization of the transmitter and receiver relative to each other and to the anisotropic material. The amplitude of the cross-polarized transmission has been measured at 50% of the co-polarization level. This polarization conversion is a significant loss mechanism


Optical fibre probe-based near-field optical tweezers overcomes the diffraction limit of conventional optical tweezers, utilizing strong mechanical forces and torque associated with highly enhanced electric fields to trap and manipulate nano-scale particles. Near-field evanescent wave generated at optical fibre probe decays rapidly with the distance that results a significant reduced trapping volume, thus it is necessary to analyze the near-field distribution of optical fibre probe. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is applied to characterize the near-field distribution of optical fibre probe. In terms of the distribution patterns, depolarization and polarization, the near-field distributions in longitudinal sections and cross-sections of tapered metal-coated optical fibre probe are calculated. The calculation results reveal that the incident polarized wave becomes depolarized after exiting from the nano-scale aperture of probe. The near-field distribution of the probe is unsymmetrical, and the near-field distribution in the cross-section vertical to the incident polarized wave is different from that in the cross-section parallel to the incident polarized wave. Moreover, the polarization of incident wave has a great impact on the light intensity distribution.


Abstract The assessment and management of aggression have become crucial components of psychiatric inpatient care and the focus of considerable research attention. This study examined the relationships between characteristics of psychiatric inpatients with aggressive behaviour in a forensic psychiatric hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics, patients' social behaviour, and histories of aggression and substance use were obtained for every patient admitted to the Thomas Embling Hospital, a secure forensic psychiatric hospital, during 2002. Of these patients, 110 completed an additional assessment of psychotic symptoms and a battery of psychological tests measuring anger expression and control, assertiveness, and impulsivity. Results indicated that a recent history of substance use, an entrenched history of aggression, recent antisocial behaviour, and symptoms of psychosis including thought disturbance, auditory hallucinations, and conceptual disorganisation contributed to aggression.


Why do young people choose to identify with a political party? While existing accounts emphasize the importance of political socialization, we propose that young people's self-perceptions also influence the adoption of partisan identities. Using survey data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we show that self-esteem plays an important role in the development of partisanship among young people, where those with higher self-esteem are more likely to adopt a partisan identity than those with low self-esteem. Using responses from the 2012–2013 American National Election Study, we further show that the effects of self-esteem are concentrated among young adults, promoting the adoption of partisan identities during one's impressionable years. By focusing on the inheritance of partisanship from one's parents, scholars have underestimated the importance of young people's traits in influencing the development of partisan identities.


The group contribution method UNIFAC has become very popular because of its large range of applicability and its reliable predictions of vapor−liquid equilibria. With the help of new data stored in the Dortmund Data Bank (DDB), many gaps in the existing UNIFAC parameter matrix have been filled, and many new main groups have been added to the parameter table. In this paper, the parameters for 46 group combinations are provided. Additionally, a new main group for sulfones is introduced, for which the group interaction parameters for eight main groups are fitted.


This study examines and compares the predictive performance of multiple default prediction models and assesses the ability of these models to correctly predict credit rating transitions. The set of default prediction models that is examined comprise the probit model, logit model, hazards model and neural networks model. The focus of this study is on US banks and the examined time period starts at 1987 and ends at 2008. The out-of-sample results show that the performances of the models are not very divergent and that all models perform very adequate in the prediction of defaults. Credit rating transitions, notwithstanding the fact that various financial ratios prove to contain valuable information regarding a bank's financial condition, are demonstrated to be more difficult to predict, since out-of-sample predictive performances deteriorated relative to the prediction of defaults. Argumentation for this result can be found in the presence of subjectivity in the credit rating process and the fact that the specification of the two credit events differs to some extent.


Image segmentation is an important step in many computer vision algorithms. The objective of segmentation is to obtained an optimal region of convergences (ROC). Error in this stage will impact all higher level activities. This paper focuses on a new efficient method denoted as Complex-Valued Artificial Neural Network with Complex Wavelet Transform (CWT-CVANN) for the segmentation of lung region on chest CT images. In this combined architecture is composed of two cascade stages: feature extraction with various levels of complex wavelet transform and segmentation with complex-valued artificial neural network. Here, 32 CT images of 6 female and 26 male patients were recorded from Baskent University Radiology Department. (This collection includes 10 images with benign nodules and 22 images with malign nodules. Averaged age of patients is 64. Each CT slice used in this study has dimensions of 752× 752 pixels with grey level) In only two seconds of processing time per each CT image, 99.79% averaged accuracy rate is obtained using 3 rd level CWT-CVANN for segmentation of the lung region. Thus, it is concluded that CWT-CVANN is a comprising method in lung region segmentation problem.


This paper proposes a new architecture for cooperative communication in wireless ad-hoc networks particularly suitable to emergency and safety applications. The proposed solution is characterized by the following relevant features: a) a wireless connection between each couple of network nodes is established via multiple relays; b) each source-to-destination link is characterized by a double string topology allowing the use of specific transmit diversity techniques for reliable communications; c) a novel utility-based and distributed routing algorithm providing a fair exploitation of the available resources is employed. Simulation results evidence that our solution offers substantial energy savings with respect to traditional ad-hoc architectures.


The regional diet of Manaus was nutritionally determined by means of chemical analysis ana as a percentage of recommended intakes, using the limits as given by the National Academy od Science (1989). The diet was elaborated using data obtained by Shrimpton & Giugliano (1979) for families earning up to two minimum salaries per month. The diets were prepared according to the methods of preparation used by the local population. The results obtained showed a calorie deficiency of 34,3%. for adult men and 13,4% for adult women. Of the 1906 total Kcal, carbohydrate contributed 60%, fate 20% and proteine 20%. Quantitatively, proteine were adequate. However, part of them may be being used as a source of energy. Of the minerale, calcium was most deficient, with an adequacy of about 50%. Iron was deficient for the adult women when compared with the recommended intakes. Regarding the retinol obtained from the B-carotene in the diet, the percentages were 12,6% and 15,8% for men and women, respectively. According to the data obtained, it can be concluded that the diet doee not meet the recommended intakes for the majority of the nutrientes studied.


ABSTRACT Energy conversion and storage are among the most important research topics of the modern age. Using earth-abundant elements in advanced energy systems is of considerable scientific interest. Boron possesses the second greatest heating value of any element that can be adopted as an alternative fuel. Concerning the extensive energy-related studies and applications on boron compounds with hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen; the information on the element's energetic aspects is minimal. In the current conditions, the potential energy of boron cannot be fully utilized due to the ignition resistance of boron particles which, hinders its use for any practical applications. This article reviews our current understanding of the combustion, hydrolysis, and fusion characteristics of boron. Current challenges in the oxidation of boron nanoparticles as a source of thermal energy, possible solutions for hydrogen production due to boron hydrolysis and, the developments in the radiation-less boron-proton fusion as a clean energy source are presented.


A boy aged 2 years and 5 months was re− ferred to our tertiary medical center due to recurrent melena, with a maximum fall in hemoglobin to 9.6 g/dl. Gastroduo− denoscopy and ileocolonoscopy failed to detect a bleeding source. Although a Meckel s scan was negative, laparoscopy was carried out, as there was a strong clinical suspicion of a Meckel s diverticu− lum. No abnormalities were seen, and the boy was admitted to hospital to undergo video capsule endoscopy. The capsule was introduced endoscopically with the patient under general anesthesia and passed uneventfully with the feces within 24 h. On CE, a purplish−blue lesion with a central depression was seen 196 min after passage of the pylorus (Figure 1). The le− sion was suspected to be a hemangioma. Laparoscopy was therefore carried out, demonstrating a hemangioma 2.2 cm long (Figure 2), which was subsequently resected (Figure 3).


Background and Objectives; This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and bone changes before and after intentional replantation (IR) for periodontally compromised teeth by using cone–beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods; Fourteen periodontally involved teeth were selected for IR. A preoperative orthodontic procedure was performed to apply luxation, and the tooth was then gently extracted. Retrograde filling of the root-end canal was performed. Once the tooth was repositioned in the socket, it was splinted with the adjacent tooth. After three months, prosthetic restoration was performed. Results; Clinical parameters and CBCT images were obtained before and after the IR procedure. The height of the alveolar bone was measured on the CBCT images by using software. Most preoperative symptoms, including pain, mobility, probing depth (PD) and bleeding on probing (BOP), significantly decreased after IR (pain: 4.71 to 1.00; mobility: 1.36 to 0.29; PD: 5.60 to 2.85; BOP: 3.50 to 0.79). CBCT analysis indicated an increase in bone height after IR (the amount of change: maxilla, 4.00; mandible, 1.95). Conclusions; A previous study reported that IR for periodontally involved teeth is quite limited. However, in this study, IR of periodontally compromised teeth showed favorable results in clinical and radiographic evaluations, suggesting that IR may be an alternative to extraction of teeth with periodontal disease.


Jacques Derrida believed that metaphysics in the West has involved installing hierarchies, orders, and binaries in which one party enjoys the presence of a feature that the other party wants. Every succession relies on the idea of originariness, and thus the identity of the latter depends upon the former, for the presence of one element takes priority to its absence. This is how a binary opposition comes to being. Although basing his ideas on Saussure's philosophy of language, Derrida objected to the latter's "binary opposition" on the grounds that the interpretations predicated on this thought were called into question because there is no true opposition between a pair of notions. This protest led him to create binary pairs. This article reveals the problems accompanying the conception of the binary pair and offer alternatives. The researcher does not mean to reject the binary pair itself; however, underlining this idea in a way that obstructs other paths will be questioned and some supplementary notions for the binary opposition and binary pair will be proposed.


Background: In Japan, the number of patients with aggressive hematological malignancies (PHMs) admitted at the palliative care unit (PCU) in their end-of-life (EOL) stage was fewer than that of patients with solid tumors due to several reasons. The assessment of patient characteristics and the methods of survival prediction among PHMs in the EOL stage are warranted. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the current medical status and the method of survival prediction among PHMs treated at the PCU. Setting/Subjects/Measurements: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 25 PHMs treated at our PCU between January 2017 and December 2020. The association between survival time and the palliative prognostic score (PAP) and palliative prognostic index (PPI) was analyzed. Results: The average age of the PHMs was higher than that of patients with lung cancer as a control. The median survival time of the PHMs was shorter than the control group. Most PHMs could not receive standard chemotherapy, and the most common cause of death was disease-related organ failure. Significant associations were observed between the survival time and each PAP/PPI value in patients with malignant lymphoma, but not in those with leukemia. Conclusion: The PHMs in the PCU had a lower median survival time than the control group. These results were induced by the result of patient selection to avoid treatment-related severe toxicity. The survival prediction using the PAP and PPI was less accurate in patients with leukemia.


BACKGROUND: In newly diagnosed AML, high remission rates are typically achieved with IC, but the response is often transient, and detectable residual disease in the bone marrow post-chemotherapy is predictive of early relapse. Emerging data show that the identification of ≥ 0.1% MRD by multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) in patients with AML in remission after IC is an important prognostic marker that may help guide treatment (Tx) decisions. CC-486 is an oral hypomethylating agent that allows for extended dosing schedules to prolong drug exposure over the Tx cycle. In the QUAZAR AML-001 Maintenance Trial, Tx with CC-486 300 mg QD for 14 days/28-day Tx cycle was associated with significantly improved overall (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) vs. placebo (PBO) in patients (pts) with AML in first remission after induction chemotherapy ± consolidation. Samples for MFC were obtained prior to randomization and serially throughout the study to assess the impact of MRD on OS and RFS, and to evaluate rates of conversion from MRD positivity (+) to negativity (-) in the CC-486 and PBO arms.
 METHODS: Eligible pts aged ≥ 55 years with AML were randomized 1:1 to CC-486 300 mg or PBO within 4 months of achieving first complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi). MFC assessments of bone marrow aspirates were performed centrally at screening; at cycles 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 30, and 36; and as clinically indicated. Samples were analyzed with a panel of 22 cell surface markers using an MRD+ cutoff of ≥ 0.1% (per ELN MRD guidelines). For pts MRD+ at baseline (BL; ie, at randomization), an MRD response was defined as achievement of MRD- for ≥ 2 consecutive assessments. MRD- duration was calculated from the time of randomization (for pts MRD- at BL) or from the first of ≥ 2 consecutive MRD- tests (for pts MRD+ at BL), until the last MRD- assessment (for pts who became MRD+) or Tx discontinuation. OS, RFS, and MRD- durations were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Multivariate (MV) Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of BL MRD status (MRD+ vs. MRD-) and randomized Tx arm (CC-486 vs. PBO) with OS and RFS.
 RESULTS: The MRD-evaluable cohort comprised 463/472 randomized pts (98.1%; CC-486, n=236; PBO, n=227) who had samples available for evaluation at BL and at ≥ 1 post-BL visit. At BL, 43% of pts (n=103) in the CC-486 arm and 50% (n=116) in the PBO arm were MRD+. Overall, BL characteristics were similar between MRD+ and MRD- pts: median ages were 69 (range 55-84) and 68 (55-86) years, respectively; 84% and 88% had intermediate-risk cytogenetics at diagnosis; 52% and 46% of pts had an ECOG PS of 0; and 79% and 82% received ≥ 1 cycle of consolidation after induction.
 CC-486 Tx resulted in improved OS from time of randomization compared with PBO in pts who were either MRD+ (median 14.6 vs. 10.4 mo, respectively; HR 0.69 [95%CI 0.51, 0.93]) or MRD- (median 30.1 vs. 24.3 mo; HR 0.81 [0.59, 1.12]) at BL. Median RFS was also extended with CC-486 vs. PBO for both MRD+ (7.1 vs. 2.7 mo, respectively; HR 0.58 [95%CI 0.43, 0.78]) and MRD- pts (13.4 vs. 7.8 mo; HR 0.71 [0.52, 0.98]). In MV analyses, BL MRD status (MRD+ vs. MRD-) was significantly associated with OS (HR 1.85; P < 0.0001) and RFS (HR 2.04; P < 0.0001), and CC-486 showed a significant Tx benefit vs. PBO on both OS (HR 0.74; P = 0.0067) and RFS (HR 0.63; P < 0.0001) independent of MRD status at BL (Figure).
 The median duration of MRD negativity was extended with CC-486 vs. PBO: 11.0 vs. 5.0 mo, respectively (HR 0.62 [95%CI 0.48, 0.78]). Tx with CC-486 also resulted in a higher rate of MRD response (MRD+ to MRD-) vs. PBO: 37% vs. 19%, respectively. Among MRD responders, 9/38 patients (24%) in the CC-486 arm achieved MRD negativity > 6 mo after randomization, compared with only 1/22 patients (5%) in the PBO arm.
 CONCLUSIONS: The QUAZAR AML-001 Maintenance Trial was the first prospective, randomized trial to include long-term longitudinal assessment of MRD in older patients with AML in remission. In both treatment arms, MRD+ status (≥ 0.1%) after induction ± consolidation was associated with significantly shorter OS and RFS compared with MRD- status. Approximately one-fourth of MRD responders treated with CC-486 achieved MRD negativity > 6 mo after study entry, suggesting that CC-486 could induce MRD negativity after prolonged MRD+ status. Maintenance Tx with CC-486 substantially improved OS and RFS independent of MRD status at BL.

 Roboz: Otsuka: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Orsenix: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Argenx: Consultancy; Actinium: Consultancy; Sandoz: Consultancy; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Eisai: Consultancy; Celltrion: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Helsinn: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy; Jasper Therapeutics: Consultancy; Cellectis: Research Funding; Trovagene: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Astex: Consultancy; Amphivena: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Array BioPharma: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy. Ravandi:Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Xencor: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; Macrogenics: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Orsenix: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Wei:Pfizer: Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria; Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research: Patents & Royalties: AW is eligible for royalty payments related to venetoclax; Roche: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Macrogenics: Honoraria; Astra Zeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding. Dombret:Menarini: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Cellectis: Consultancy; Shire-Baxalta: Consultancy; Immunogen: Consultancy; Otsuka: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy; Servier: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sunesis: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy; Nova: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding. Döhner:Astex: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AROG: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; GEMoaB: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Oxford Biomedicals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sunesis: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Jazz: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Helsinn: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Thol:Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astellas: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Daiichi Sankyo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Voso:Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Porkka:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding. La Torre:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Skikne:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. Kumar:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Dong:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Beach:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Risueño:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Patents & Royalties: Named in BMS (before Celgene) patent filings related to predictive patient response biomarkers in hematological malignancies. Lopes de Menezes:Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ossenkoppele:Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy; J&J: Consultancy, Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Daiichi Sayko: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy.


Encephalartos spp. establish symbioses with nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria that contribute to soil nutrition and improve plant growth. Despite the Encephalartos mutualistic symbioses with N-fixing bacteria, the identity of other bacteria and their contribution to soil fertility and ecosystem functioning is not well understood. Due to Encephalartos spp. being threatened in the wild, this limited information presents a challenge in developing comprehensive conservation and management strategies for these cycad species. Therefore, this study identified the nutrient-cycling bacteria in Encephalartos natalensis coralloid roots, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils. Additionally, the soil characteristics and soil enzyme activities of the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils were assayed. The coralloid roots, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils of E. natalensis were collected from a population of >500 E. natalensis in a disturbed savanna woodland at Edendale in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) for nutrient analysis, bacterial identification, and enzyme activity assays. Nutrient-cycling bacteria such as Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus; Paraburkholderia sabiae, and Novosphingobium barchaimii were identified in the coralloid roots, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils of E. natalensis. Phosphorus (P) cycling (alkaline and acid phosphatase) and N cycling (β-(D)-Glucosaminidase and nitrate reductase) enzyme activities showed a positive correlation with soil extractable P and total N concentrations in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of E. natalensis. The positive correlation between soil enzymes and soil nutrients demonstrates that the identified nutrient-cycling bacteria in E. natalensis coralloid roots, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils and associated enzymes assayed may contribute to soil nutrient bioavailability of E. natalensis plants growing in acidic and nutrient-poor savanna woodland ecosystems.


facial feature localisation. The work here uses a basic graph model (three vertices and three arcs) to locate the inner eye corners and the nose tip simultaneously. We intend to extend this to a larger set of the eleven features that exist in our ground truth of the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC) database. We apply the structural matching algorithm " relaxation by elimination " using a simple " distance to local plane " node property and a " Euclidean distance " arc property. After the graph matching process has eliminated unlikely candidates, the most likely feature combination (left eye, right eye and nose tip) is selected, by exhaustive search, as the minimum Mahalanobis distance over a six dimensional space, corresponding to three node variables and three arc variables. Our results on the 3D FRGC database are presented and discussed.


Identifying phase transitions is one of the key challenges in quantum many-body physics. Recently, machine learning methods have been shown to be an alternative way of localising phase boundaries from noisy and imperfect data without the knowledge of the order parameter. Here, we apply different unsupervised machine learning techniques, including anomaly detection and influence functions, to experimental data from ultracold atoms. In this way, we obtain the topological phase diagram of the Haldane model in a completely unbiased fashion. We show that these methods can successfully be applied to experimental data at finite temperatures and to the data of Floquet systems when post-processing the data to a single micromotion phase. Our work provides a benchmark for the unsupervised detection of new exotic phases in complex many-body systems.


The profound importance of the time scale of a radiation detection process is discussed in an analysis of limitations in energy resolution and timing, with emphasis on semiconductor detectors used for x-ray detection. The "basic event detection time" involves stopping of the particle and creating a distribution of free electrons and holes containing all desired information (energy, time position) about the particle or quantum, in a time 10-12 s. The process of extracting this information usually involves a much longer time because the signal is generated in the relatively slow process of charge collection, and further prolongation may be caused by signal processing required to depress noise for improving energy resolution. This is a common situation for conventional semiconductor detectors with external amplifiers where time constants of 10-5 - 10-4 s may be optimum, primarily because of amplifier noise. A different situation applies to the avalanche detector where internal amplification helps in suppressing noise without expanding the time scale of detection, resulting in an optimum time of 10-9 - 10-8 s. These two cases are illustrated by plotting energy resolution vs. time constant, for different magnitudes of the parallel and series type noise sources. The effects of the inherent energy spread (due to statistics) and spatial inhomogeneities are also discussed to illustrate the potential of these two approaches for energy and time determination. Two constructional approaches for avalanche detectors are briefly compared, viz. the deep Ga diffused and the Read-diode type design and their respective merits are pointed out. The similar use of internal gain in other types of detectors (gas ionization, scintillation counters) is compared. Although the noise analysis is done for nuclear radiation events, it applies also to the detection of bursts of optical photons such as are encountered in pulsed laser, radar, or high-speed digital optical communications.


Spiroid gears are used to transfer heavy loads with a significant reduction in input speed. Like most toothed gears, they are lubricated with oil whose physical properties change with temperature fluctuations, affecting the durability and reliability of the gear. Bearing this in mind, gear designers plan systems for measuring oil temperature during gear operation at the design stage. The authors of this paper are of the opinion that, in the case of spiroid gears, it may be insufficient to measure only oil temperature during gear operation. It seems that the working temperature of a pair of mating wheels has a decisive impact on the durability and reliability of the gear. The measurement of oil temperature in a tested gear should be treated as a supplementary measurement with the measurement of temperature on the toothed wheels as the basic measurement. Taking into consideration the above, an innovative test bench was designed and built, making it possible to observe how working parameters of the gear (torque and rotational speed) affect the temperature of the lubricating oil, but most of all, the working temperature of the pair of mating wheels. This paper presents, among others, the results of research on the impact of the rotational speed of the input shaft and load on the distribution of temperature on the toothed rim of the face gear.


The t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation is present in about 85% of follicular lymphomas (FL) and can be identified using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In the diagnostic laboratory setting, the cytologic archival material consists of stained slides, and only rarely is material saved for molecular testing. The authors proposed FISH for FL using Papanicolaou‐stained archival cytology material as a practical ancillary technique for diagnosing FL.


OBJECTIVES--To determine whether blood neutrophils from healthy individuals and blood and synovial fluid neutrophils from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) responded differently to priming agonists and stimuli of the oxidative burst and, if so, whether this was a property of a subpopulation of neutrophils. METHODS--Continuous flow electrophoresis was used to separate neutrophils into subpopulations based upon quantitative differences in net negative surface charge. The generation of superoxide anion (O2-) was used as a measure of oxidative activity using 10(-7) mol/l N-formyl-methionylleucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) as the stimulating agonist and 10(-8) mol/l platelet activating factor (PAF) as the priming agent. RESULTS--The production of O2- by blood and synovial fluid neutrophils from RA patients in response to FMLP was greater than that observed with control blood neutrophils (p < 0.001). Priming of normal blood neutrophils with PAF increased their FMLP induced oxidative burst (p < 0.001), but PAF treatment had no effect on rheumatoid neutrophils. Neutrophils from synovial fluid of RA patients were less electronegative than paired blood samples and exposure of blood neutrophils to FMLP but not PAF reduced their surface charge. Continuous flow electrophoresis isolated three neutrophil subpopulations: cells of least surface electronegativity were ascribed to pool P1 and cells of greatest surface electro-negativity to P3. Normal blood neutrophils from P3, but not P1, showed increased oxidative activity after PAF priming (twofold increase; p < 0.01), whereas the responsiveness of rheumatoid blood and synovial fluid neutrophils from P1 and P3 was not modified by PAF treatment under the same conditions. CONCLUSION--It is suggested that most of the circulating neutrophils in RA are already in a state of readiness to generate O2- upon activation by an inflammatory stimulus. This is in contrast to normal blood neutrophils, which have both responsive and non-responsive subpopulations with respect to priming agonists.


Abstract Emergency contraception (EC) is used post-coitally and offers women an important second chance to prevent pregnancy. Approximately 10 years ago, Mexico became one of the earliest countries working to expand EC access. Partners came together to pursue a synergistic four-pronged strategy, including product registration, health care provider training and orientation, awareness raising among the general public, and policy change. By 2006, five EC products were registered and sold in Mexico, EC was widely available through pharmacies and included in the public sector contraceptive options, and knowledge of the method had increased substantially.


I am very pleased to participate in the Finance Forum 2002. As a former banker and current bank supervisor, I would like to focus my remarks on the process of building a strong system of financial supervision and regulation. Generally speaking, I believe a sound supervisory framework must be dynamic and must closely mirror the realities of the financial sector for which it is created. As such, though best practices in industrial countries are an important starting point for thinking about enhancing supervisory frameworks, one also should bear in mind that a single framework very rarely fits all types of banking organizations or banking systems.


In this work, predictive model for a bio-inspired broadband frequency sensor is developed. Broadband frequency sensing is essential in many domains of science and technology. One great example of such sensor is human cochlea, where it senses a frequency band of 20 Hz to 20 KHz. Developing broadband sensor adopting the physics of human cochlea has found tremendous interest in recent years. Although few experimental studies have been reported, a true predictive model to design such sensors is missing. A predictive model is utmost necessary for accurate design of selective broadband sensors that are capable of sensing very selective band of frequencies. Hence, in this study, we proposed a novel predictive model for the cochlea-inspired broadband sensor, aiming to select the frequency band and model parameters predictively. Tapered plate geometry is considered mimicking the real shape of the basilar membrane in the human cochlea. The predictive model is intended to develop flexible enough that can be employed in a wide variety of scientific domains. To do that, the predictive model is developed in such a way that, it can not only handle homogeneous but also any functionally graded model parameters. Additionally, the predictive model is capable of managing various types of boundary conditions. It has been found that, using the homogeneous model parameters, it is possible to sense a specific frequency band from a specific portion (B) of the model length (L). It is also possible to alter the attributes of 'B' using functionally graded model parameters, which confirms the predictive frequency selection ability of the developed model.


To deal effectively with the understanding, description and classification of mental morbid conditions, we must address the intricate concept of disease, illness or disorder in mental health. To do so, one needs to consider biological, psychological and social frameworks. These levels of analysis can offer avenues for greater understanding of the bases of illness as well as better ways of formulating its description and classification. Conceptual, epistemological and empirical data analyses are relevant and necessary. All these efforts should be aimed at serving and advancing the main purposes of classification and diagnosis, the chief encompassing one being enhancement of clinical care and public health. Although no definition of mental disorder may strictly embrace every condition of concern, some flexible definitional guidelines within a biopsychosocial framework may be helpful for advancing psychiatric nosology.


In higher plants, a cis-acting element, DRE/CRT, is involved in gene expression responsive to drought and low-temperature stress. To understand signal transduction pathways from the cold stress signal to gene expression, we characterized a gene family for DRE/CRT-binding proteins DREB1A and CBF1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. DREB1A and CBF1 were shown to be involved in low-temperature-responsive gene expression. We screened an Arabidopsis genomic DNA library with the cDNA fragment of DREB1A as a probe and isolated DREB1A and 2 related genes, DREB1B (= CBF1) and DREB1C. These were arrayed in the order B, A, C in an 8.7 kb region of Arabidopsis chromosome 4. Northern blot analysis using gene-specific probes showed that the 3 DREB1 genes are induced mainly by cold stress but not by osmotic stress in leaves, roots, and stems. Several conserved sequences were found in the promoter regions of all 3 genes. The beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene driven by the DREB1 promoters was induced at transcriptional level by low temperature in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.


BACKGROUND
Chronic lateral ankle instability occurs in 10% to 20% of people after an acute ankle sprain. The initial form of treatment is conservative but if this fails and ligament laxity is present, surgical intervention is considered.

OBJECTIVES
To compare different treatments, both conservative and surgical, for chronic lateral ankle instability.

SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialized Register (to July 2005), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2005, Issue 3), and MEDLINE (1966 to April 2006), EMBASE (1980 to April 2006), CINAHL (1982 to April 2006) and reference lists of articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA
All randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials of interventions for chronic lateral ankle instability were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently assessed methodological quality and extracted data. Where appropriate, results of comparable studies were pooled.

MAIN RESULTS
Seven randomised trials were included and divided into three groups: surgical interventions; rehabilitation programs after surgical interventions; and conservative interventions. None of the studies were methodologically flawless. Only one study described an adequate randomisation procedure. Only two studies, both about rehabilitation programs after surgery, had a moderate risk of bias; all other studies had a high risk of bias. Due to clinical and methodological diversity, extensive pooling of the data was not possible. Surgical interventions (four studies): one study showed more complications after the Chrisman-Snook procedure compared to an anatomical reconstruction, whereas another study showed greater mean talar tilt after an anatomical reconstruction. Subjective instability and hindfoot inversion was greater after a dynamic than after a static tenodesis in a third study. The fourth study showed that the operating time for anatomical reconstructions was shorter for the reinsertion technique than for the imbrication method. Rehabilitation after surgical interventions (two studies): both studies provided evidence that early functional mobilization leads to an earlier return to work and sports than immobilisation. Conservative interventions: the only study in this group showed better proprioception and functional outcome with the bi-directional than with the uni-directional pedal technique on a cyclo-ergometer.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
In view of the low quality methodology of almost all the studies, this review does not provide sufficient evidence to support any specific surgical or conservative intervention for chronic ankle instability. However, after surgical reconstruction, early functional rehabilitation was shown to be superior to six weeks immobilisation regarding time to return to work and sports.


Small arrays of VCSELs have emerging applications in free-space optical communications for a plethora of gadgets from smartphones to appliances to sensing systems within the realm of the Internet-of-Things. For data communication we require eye-safe line-of-sight beams or cones of light radiation that can reliably and inexpensively send data (as across optical fiber) from device-to-device or serve as an illumination source or both. Via our simplified VCSEL epitaxial designs [1] we investigate various configurations of top-emitting single 980 nm VCSELs and VCSEL arrays with varying VCSEL-to-VCSEL spacing, mesa shapes, and emitting diameters. We report record combinations of small-signal modulation bandwidth (f3dB) and optical output power (L) for an electrically-parallel compact VCSEL array with 7 VCSELs in a hexagonal configuration. The VCSELs in the array are identical with oxide aperture diameters estimated to be ϕ ∼3.5 μm ± 0.5 μm. We summarize key room temperature (RT) performance figures-of-merit in Fig. 1. We achieve an f3dB of 20 GHz at a bias of about I ∼35 mA with an operating L exceeding 25 mW. The f3dB is as high as 24.8 GHz with L ∼50 mW when I ∼65 mA. The maximum wall plug efficiency (WPE) is 0.32 at I ∼16 mA. We anticipate increased WPE and optical output power for a given I with heat sinking, advanced packaging, and substrate-emitting array designs. Previous best array results include an f3dB of 7.5 GHz at L = 120 mW for a 28-element 850 nm array [2] and an f3dB of 23 GHz at L = 25 mW for a single 980 nm VCSEL. In our presentation we include additional experimental results on our large ϕ single VCSELs and on our triple, septuple, and novemdecuple VCSEL arrays from RT to 85 °C.


Ten swimmers had rhinomanometry, mucociliary clearance time and lung function tests performed pre and post swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool. No evidence of nasal irritation or adverse effects on nasal function were obtained.


Unilateral coronal suture stenosis provokes a shortening of the orbital roof of one side. It is argued that the effectiveness of the superior oblique muscle is reduced because of reduced length of its unreflected part and because of the increased angle between the reflected part of the tendon and ocular axis. This condition causes a clinical picture of superior oblique palsy, with ocular torticollis. We report four cases of this newly described clinical entity with various degrees of involvement of ocular motility.


An insightful, thought provoking work about the
nfused situation of things in the country. A
t te where corruption and bribery have eaten so
ep into the blood system of the natio~ that the
uthor is frequently exclaiming "something must
b wrong!"
"Something must be wrong" is also the title of the work, and when something is wrong, then solution is sought to put things right. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Nigeria. We em to have landed ourselves in a state where
the rats found themselves as they searched for a
way of controlling one of their greatest enemies - the cat. One solution was agreed by all the rats and that is, to bell the cat. But one rat asked, who will bell the tat? At this point, all the rats took to
their holes for none was ready to volunteer to bell
the cat. Cats remain the greatest enemy of rats till
ate. Have we landed ourselves in the same situation the rats found themselves?
vii
Titles like "The Logic of Self-destruction",
"The manslaughter of Education", "Chief-Omego-
Syndrome", "The Patriots of Doom", "The Holy
Thieves and the God of Bandits", "The Banks of
Bankruptcy", reflect the situation we described
above.
The last two chapters, however, insist that
Nigerians as whole' should join hands to fight
undignified, dishonourable and disrespectful life
style. This is simply put by the author in this way,
"Nigerians repent"!"
This work is an eye-opener and is written
for all. It is simply presented in a way that even
elementary five pupils can understand. Other
attractive aspect of the work is that the author
makes use of stories and films we all know. He is,
simply put, an honest writer who does not take
hi r aders for granted; he tells us the source of
hi in piration.
Read and find out for yourself.
Anthony C. Okeke
Enugu, December 1996


Lainey et al. (2012), by re-analyzing long-baseline astrometry of Saturn's moons, have found that the moons' tidal evolution is much faster than previously thought, implying an order of magnitude stronger tidal dissipation within Saturn. This result is controversial and implies recent formation of at least some of the mid-sized icy moons of Saturn. Here we show that this more intensive tidal dissipation is in full agreement with the evolved state of the Titan-Hyperion resonance. This resonance was previously thought to be non-tidal in origin, as the amount of tidal evolution required for its assembly is beyond what is possible in models that assume that all the major moons are primordial. We find that the survival of the Titan-Hyperion resonance is in agreement with a past Titan-Iapetus 5:1 resonance, but not with unbroken tidal evolution of Rhea from the rings to its current distance.


Objective : In diabetes, chronic hyperglycemia causes damage (glucose toxicity) on some cells leading to micro and macro vascular complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of antidiabetic plants extracts in high glucose concentration in vitro . Methods: Phyllanthus amarus (whole plant), Vitex doniana (leaves), Tectona grandis (leaves and trunk bark) and Plumeria alba (roots) hydroalcoholic extract (at the concentrations of 6.25, 25, 75, 125, 250 and 500 µg/ml) were tested for their possible cytotoxicity using the 3-(4,5-dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay on neuroblastoma cells lines in standard condition (extract alone) and high glucose concentration (extract+50 mM glucose). Results: At concentrations of 6.25 and 25µg/ml, T. grandis bark and leaves and P. amarus induced a significant decrease ( p<0.01; p<0.001 ) on cell viability as compared to controls. The decrease on cell viability was very pronounced in the presence of the extracts plus glucose 50 mM. P. amarus extract becomes increasingly toxic as the concentration of extract increased in the presence of glucose. With P. amarus at 125 µg/ml and glucose at 50 mM, there is no more viable cells in the medium. By contrast, T. grandis bark extract induced a significant reduction of the cytotoxicity in the presence of glucose compared to standard condition. Conclusion : It appears that, only hydroalcoholic extract of T. grandis bark possesses neuroprotective activity in high glucose concentration.


There are usually two Holocene terraces along the watercourses of the eastern Maghreb. Ther lower Prehistoric Holocene terrace is present from the humid part of the Mediterranean climate to the lower Saharan zone. This feature is equivalent to the 'remblaiement holocene principal' as found in the southern French Alps. This terrace formed during a climatic period of greater humidity which lasted from the beginning of the lower Holocene (Boreal - 8300 BP) to the end of the Climatic Opitum (Atlantic - 5000 BP), or even perhaps the beginning of the Subboreal (3700 BP). In the Maghreb, the Pleniglacial period was generally arid and was followed by an increase in humidity during the Late glacial. The lower Prehistoric Holocene terrace developped during more humid conditions following the Late glacial period.
The very low Historical Holocene terrace is not found in the Saharan part of the eastern Maghreb. Its sediments began to accumulate from the 2nd century AD and commonly ceased formation in about the 6th century (1470 to 1350 BP). The sedimentological characteristics of these terraced sediments indicate deposition under similar conditions to the modern fluvial environment. As a result of the nature of human settlement and land use, the rate at which aggradation and incision took place was generally greater at this time than during the development of the lower terrace. The evidence suggests that only slight climatic variation resulted in alluviation because of the slope instability created by human activity. A second very low terrace developped locally after the High Islamic era (600 BP). River terraces of similar age have been noted from several locations around the Mediterranean Basin, in particular in the Lower Provence region of France.


Summary

1. We studied the vertical distributions of Cyclops cf. sibiricus in Lake Toya, a north temperate oligotrophic lake. During the winter circulation period, their distribution was vertically homogeneous both day and night. During the summer stratification period, C. cf. sibiricus stayed below the thermocline. Diel vertical migration (DVM) was pronounced in advanced developmental stages, although the upper limit of the migration became deeper as the thermocline gradually descended. This seasonal change was observed throughout the 4-year study period, implying that thermal structure is the primary determinant of C. cf. sibiricus distribution.

2. In a field experiment, C. cf. sibiricus incubated in the summer epilimnion, which most of the population never experience, developed faster and grew better than in their original habitat. We consider that trans-thermocline DVM would not have evolved because of possible disadvantages such as the cost of migration offset the benefit observed in the field experiment. The rapid temperature change at the thermocline may act as a swimming-cost estimator for the copepod.

3. Low food availability in deep water during the summer stratification period seemed to determine the lower limit of C. cf. sibiricus distribution, and the copepod minimised the risks of predation by fish via DVM. These results suggest that C. cf. sibiricus modified their distribution seasonally to obtain maximum benefit in terms of individual fitness.


PURPOSE
Intraocular lens (IOL) haptic position in 35 eyes that had undergone cataract surgery was examined with ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM).

METHODS
In a prospective randomized study the patients were operated by phacoemulsification using continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) (group I) or by extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) using linear capsulotomy (group II). Ultrasound biomicroscopy was used to localize both haptics of the implanted intraocular lenses and to measure anterior chamber depth (ACD), iris thickness and anterior chamber angle. The inflammatory reaction in the anterior chamber was assessed with laser flare photometry. Slit lamp examination was performed.

RESULTS
Both IOL haptics were found in the lens capsule in all 18 eyes in group I. In group II one of the haptics was located out of the capsule in 7 of 17 eyes (41%). The difference is statistically significant (p=0.01). Postoperatively mean ACD measured with the UBM was 4.06+/-0.30 mm in group I and 3.64+/-0.24 mm in group II (p=0.00025).

CONCLUSION
The UBM examinations indicate that phacoemulsification with continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis is a more reliable technique than ECCE with linear capsulotomy to achieve implantation of the intraocular lens haptics in the capsular bag.


This article will describe an environment for developing digital artworks, named Field, that has underpinned some of the most technically challenging real-time artworks made to date. This new tool was recently released by the author under an open source license. Created to specifically support exploratory and improvisory code writing, this environment, which hybridizes text-based programming with dynamic visual metaphors, stands in contrast with the dominant tools available to digital artists today—either the graphical data-flow programming systems or the more recent interest in "live" code-based tools. Field creates an environment where the boundaries between design, development, debugging, and deployment are explicitly porous and ready to shift as the process of forming the artwork out of its formal algorithmic conception demands. This article will articulate the philosophy of this tool by comparison with programming systems, old and new, and describe in detail the ways in which code can be written in it. Examples showing how the fusion of graphical and text-based programming representations can foster specifically the practices demanded by large collaborative artworks will be drawn from the recent work of the OpenEnded Group, spanning real-time graphics, interactive performance, music, and print media.


The asphalt pavements which are designed for 15-years usage are often highly damaged in the early period. In order to eliminate this phenomenon, researches have been carried out in many aspects, but the situation of asphalt pavement damage cannot be essentially changed. In the view of reliability, the frequent early stage damage phenomenon of asphalt pavements means that nowadays process of asphalt pavements must have not sufficient reliability, and just it leads the asphalt pavements can not reach the design purpose. Based on the basic engineering reliability theory, the reliability of the asphalt pavement design, from the determination of effect actions to selection of material parameters and the calculative model about pavement, has been analyzed; meanwhile the reliability of construction process has been analyzed too. The analysis on the reliability of asphalt pavement shows that the determination of design parameters makes the actual material is weaker than design; the construction process of the asphalt pavement makes the asphalt mixture greatly different anticipations and makes the layer condition deviated the ideal bonding condition. It is just these various uncertainties in design and construction that causes the asphalt pavement damage in early stage. So in order to change the situation of early damage in asphalt pavement, the effective measures are to focus on the reliability of design and constructions.


Portal venous system evaluation is required in many clinical circumstances, as substantial morbidity and mortality can be associated with a spectrum of portal vein abnormalities. Portal venous system pathologies can be congenital or acquired, and the knowledge of their imaging appearances will allow for a confident diagnosis and appropriate treatment options. In addition, a firm understanding of anatomical variants is important for planning surgical procedures and percutaneous interventions of the liver. This article will review various imaging appearances of portal venous systems abnormalities.


Although Florida's community colleges have consistently been the primary access to college and post-secondary education for state residents and are uniquely suited to help dependent individuals gain the skills necessary to become self-sufficient, state funding to the colleges has consistently been reduced. Income per student from the state has been reduced from 50% more to 227. less than that provided to public K through 12 schools, and the passage of Proposition 2 severely restricts spending by the 1995 legislature. This threatens t) colleges' ability to carry au' their mission, but cost of supporting dependent individuals is high. In Dade County, for example, one in six residents were living in poverty as of the 1990 census, while the County's 1993 expenditures for food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children alone amounted to $479,706,672. Moreover, a correlation can be drawn between a person's level of education and the likelihood of engaging in crime (the cost of maintaining Florida's 44,000 prisoners is $1 billion over the term of their incarceration). Education is even more important in the Information Age, but statewide 54% of students entering community colleges test as academically underprepared. The state's community colleges provide an essential bridge to independence for residents, leading to further educational opportunities, employment, and higher salaries. Although the colleges represent a bargain compared to the costs of maintaining dependent residents, the state has abandoned its commitment to the colleges and is, in effect, starving the solution to Florida's most serious


The sharper instrumental profile of the multipassed Fabry-Perot etalon introduces distortions to Brillouin spectra which may differ considerably from those introduced by the single-pass etalon. The half-width at half-height of the observed profile is calculated for five-pass and three-pass spectrometers. Phonon spectral widths may be extracted from the graphs and appropriate relationships are presented. These calculations are valid for well aligned etalons when the phonon lineshape is Lorentzian and cover a wide range of instrumental and phonon spectral widths.


Objective To examine the relationship between tobacco cigarette brand recognition, and e-cigarette use in adolescents. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Setting High schools in Scotland. Participants Questionnaires were administered to pupils in Secondary 2 (S2 mean age: 14.0 years) and Secondary 4 (S4 mean age: 15.9 years) across 4 communities in Scotland. An 86% response rate with a total sample of 1404 pupils was achieved. Main outcome measures Self-reported previous use of e-cigarettes and self-reported intention to try e-cigarettes in the next 6 months. Results 75% (1029/1377) of respondents had heard of e-cigarettes (69.5% S2, 81.1% S4), and of these, 17.3% (10.6% S2, 24.3% S4 n=1020) had ever tried an e-cigarette. 6.8% (3.7% S2, 10.0% S4 n=1019) reported that they intended to try an e-cigarette in the next 6 months. Recognition of more cigarette brands was associated with greater probability of previous e-cigarette use (OR 1.20, 99% CI 1.05 to 1.38) as was having a best friend who smoked (OR 3.17, 99% CI 1.42 to 7.09). Intention to try e-cigarettes was related to higher cigarette brand recognition (OR 1.41, 99% CI 1.07 to 1.87), hanging around in the street or park more than once a week (OR 3.78, 99% CI 1.93 to 7.39) and living in areas of high tobacco retail density (OR 1.20, 99% CI 1.08 to 1.34). Never having smoked was a protective factor for both future intention to try, and past e-cigarette use (OR 0.07, 99% CI 0.02 to 0.25; and OR 0.10, 99% CI 0.07 to 0.16, respectively). Conclusions Higher cigarette brand recognition was associated with increased probability of previous use and of intention to use e-cigarettes. The impact of tobacco control measures such as restricting point-of-sale displays on the uptake of e-cigarettes in young people should be evaluated.


In this article we investigate the consequences of the phenomenon of social exclusion on the development of environmental concern. We use the concept of social exclusion in order to describe situations where least privileged groups of the population experience a combination of problems, undermining their ability to fully participate in society and to access basic social infrastructures. Our research revealed that certain aspects of social exclusion could be considered significant determinants for the development of environmentally friendly attitudes of four cultural population groups (Roma people, immigrants from ex-USSR countries, Greek citizens of Muslim religion and general population), living in the urban area of Thessaloniki, Greece (n=545). A consistent pattern of factors across groups was shown, predicting environmental attitudes. The important conclusion of this survey is that "social exclusion constraints" effects and not cultural or ethnic effects dictate concern for the environment. When these constraints are not present, environmental attitudes are improved.


clearly of special interest to the Irish reader. One of the criticisms of Irish psychiatry has been that it has tended to lack much in the way of a research output. However, this textbook is rich in references to Irish psychiatric research. This reviewer counted no less than 143 references to work done in Ireland by various Irish researchers. Given this Irish flavour the textbook is particularly strong, where it covers, as appropriate, aspects of psychiatry in Ireland. The history of Irish psychiatry is described rather well, and the mental health legislation is dealt with in a very clear and concise fashion. There are also neat thumb-nail sketches of such Irish psychiatrist as John Dunne and Tom Lynch. With this Irish dimension the textbook in therefore uniquely useful to anyone practicing psychiatry in Ireland. This book is a gem and for the Irish reader a collector's item. It deserves to be marketed throughout the English speaking world, as it undoubtedly would have wide appeal. My congratulations to its authors.


Research fellowship programs help medical graduates acquire research skills for an academic career. While our institution employed a large number of research fellows, it did not offer them a formal training program. This study aimed to assess the views of fellows and their mentors regarding the current research fellowship program, and to seek their suggestions for a formal training program at our medical center. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using both focus group discussions and individual interviews with research fellows, and individual interviews with their mentors. We recruited all eligible participants by email. We collected data in person and analyzed it thematically. We followed the consolidated criteria for reporting of qualitative research (COREQ) checklist. A total of 17 research fellows and 17 mentors participated in the study. Participants described the current non-formal program and proposed suggestions for a formal training program. The identification of available vacant positions and the recruitment process followed an unstructured approach, through networking with mentors and previous fellows. Although there is a formal contract, there is no job description, and no definition of roles, responsibilities and rights. Some fellows get the opportunity of being involved in all aspects of research and benefit from a favorable mentor-mentee relationship. Conversely, others struggle with authorship and with the projects allocated to them, some being "non-research" related. Not all fellows end up publishing their projects. Participants provided suggestions to shift into a formal training, including measures to improve on the recruitment process of fellows, defining roles and exposure to all aspects of research. Research fellows are eager to learn, but the currently available program is unstructured. They need a formal training program that meets their expectations, one that offers equitable learning opportunities and benefits to all.


PURPOSE
To compare the efficacy of topical 1.5% and 0.5% levofloxacin (LVFX) for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP) keratitis in rabbits.

METHODS
In a rabbit eye, we produced an MDRP keratitis model by excising a 2-mm circular disc of the cornea up to a depth of one-half of the stromal layer and inoculated an MDRP strain into the corneal concavity. Nine hours after inoculation and after confirming that MDRP keratitis had developed, we treated the eyes topically with 0.5% levofloxacin, 1.5% levofloxacin, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) every 6 h until 57 h postinfection. The infected eyes were evaluated by clinical score, histopathological examination, and viable bacterial count (colony forming units).

RESULTS
In the MDRP keratitis model, clinical score was significantly lower in 0.5% and 1.5% levofloxacin-treated groups than in PBS-treated group and was the lowest in 1.5% levofloxacin-treated group. Histopathological examination showed maintenance of corneal translucency and little influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in 1.5% levofloxacin-treated group. Viable bacterial count in the infected cornea was significantly lower in 0.5% levofloxacin-treated group compared with PBS-treated group, while no viable bacteria were detected in 1.5% levofloxacin-treated group.

CONCLUSIONS
Using our MDRP keratitis model, we showed that topical 0.5% levofloxacin is not adequately effective, while 1.5% levofloxacin is efficacious in controlling MDRP keratitis.


Despite breakthroughs in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy, not all human cancers respond to ICI immunotherapy and only fraction of patients with responsive tumors have a durable response to current ICI immunotherapy. This clinical conundrum suggests that additional immune checkpoints may exist, particularly in cancers resistant to current ICI immunotherapy, such as colorectal cancer. We report here that interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) deficiency led to impairment of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activation in a peptide vaccine model and allowed allograft transplant tumor tolerance. These effects were associated with upregulation of the CTL surface marker CD44. However, analysis of chimeric mice with competitive reconstitution of wild type and IRF8 KO bone marrow cells as well as mice with IRF8 deficiency only in T cells indicated that IRF8 plays no intrinsic role in CTL activation. Instead, IRF8 functioned as a repressor of osteopontin (OPN), the physiological ligand for CD44 on T cells, in CD11b+Ly6CloLy6G+ myeloid cells and OPN acted as a potent T cell suppressor. In vitro stimulation of CTLs in the presence of OPN resulted in decreased expression of activation markers CD69 and CD25 and inhibited proliferation and interferon gamma (IFNg) secretion. Expression of OPN was found to be upregulated in both myeloid cells and colon epithelial cells following silencing of IRF8 expression. IRF8 bound to the Spp1 promoter, which encodes OPN, to repress OPN expression in colon epithelial cells. Correspondingly, human colon carcinoma cells exhibited decreased IRF8 and increased OPN expression. These increased OPN levels inhibited human PBMC proliferation and IFNg secretion. The elevated expression of OPN in human colon carcinoma was correlated with decreased patient survival. Our data indicates that myeloid and tumor cell-expressed OPN acts as a novel immune checkpoint to suppress T cell activation and confer host tumor immune tolerance. Blockade of this checkpoint may expand the pool of patients who may benefit from ICI immunotherapy. Citation Format: John D. Klement, Amy V. Paschall, Priscilla S. Redd, Mohammed L. Ibrahim, Chunwan Lu, Dafeng Yang, Esteban Celis, Scott I. Abrams, Keiko Ozato, Kebin Liu. The IRF8-osteopontin-CD44 axis functions as an immune checkpoint to control CD8+ T cell activation and tumor immune evasion [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3226.