PLX4032 is a potent inhibitor of V600E BRAF with response rates of up to 80% in patients with metastatic melanoma. However, drug resistance develops in most of patients leading to response durations of only several months. Immunotherapy for melanoma has induced low frequency, but highly durable tumor responses, which may last years. Therefore, the concept of a combined approach of BRAF inhibition and immunotherapy is very attractive. We have established a novel animal model which allows the testing of this concept in fully immunocompetent mice. An implantable murine melanoma cell line driven by the V600E BRAF oncogene (SM1) was established from a spontaneously arising murine melanoma in transgenic mice backcrossed to C57BL/6 and harboring the V600E BRAF mutation under the control of tyrosinase promoter. The in vitro IC50 of PLX4032 against SM1 was 14μM, which indicates partial resistance to the drug and therefore useful as a model for combined therapy. In vitro assays indicated that SM1 cells undergo apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase in the presence of the PLX4032. Mice implanted with tumors responded significantly with daily i.p. injection of PLX4032, confirming its efficacy in vivo, though there was no complete eradication of the tumor. Cultured primary murine T lymphocytes exposed to PLX4032 at different time points (24, 48 and 72h) with a broad range of concentration (0.1 to up to 100 μM) showed no evidence of cytotoxicity. In vivo real-time T cell tracking by luciferase bioluminescence imaging, as well as PET/CT, confirmed that PLX4032 did not adversarially affect the viability, engraftment or tumor infiltration of T cells in mice. We then tested the combination of PLX4032 and immunotherapy in vivo using two models of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) therapy. SM1 cells stably expressing the chicken ovalbumin (OVA) model antigen were implanted in C57BL6 mice. Daily i.p. PLX4032 combined with ACT of OVA-specific TCR transgenic cells (OTI) generated by retroviral transduction demonstrated superior effects of the combined treatment (tumor size at day 14 after ACT plus PLX4032: 114.9±23.6 mm2, PLX4032: 203.2±6.2, OTI ACT: 192.5±6.2, and vehicle control 241.3±3.1, p In conclusion, our data derived from two independent models combining BRAF targeted therapy and immunotherapy support the testing of such combinations in patients with V600E BRAF mutant metastatic melanoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 656. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-656


Concentration of the strongest transitions on the high-energy side of some emission, photoexcitation and Auger spectra of atoms is related to the existence of the additional selection rule for the number of vacancy-electron pairs.


Abstract : Sets of numerically generated noise exposure contours are available for the vicinity of most domestic Air Force bases and many civilian airports. For such bases, a simple method for manually predicting the change in area enclosed by a given noise exposure contour is described. Such predictions are used for determining whether or not a full scale computer rerun is necessary for a given set of operational changes. The method proposed involves first estimating the change in contour value for a given point and then using that change in contour value to estimate the change in area enclosed by a given contour. The results of several full scale computer runs using the USAF NOISEMAP computer program to test the proposed method are presented. (Author)


This letter addresses the problem of pushing manipulation with nonholonomic mobile robots. Pushing is a fundamental skill that enables robots to move unwieldy objects that cannot be grasped. We propose a stable pushing method that maintains stiff contact between the robot and the object to avoid consuming repositioning actions. We prove that a line contact, rather than a single point contact, is necessary for nonholonomic robots to achieve stable pushing. We also show that the stable pushing constraint and the nonholonomic constraint of the robot can be simplified as a concise linear motion constraint. Then the pushing planning problem can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem using nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC). According to the experiments, our NMPC-based planner outperforms a reactive pushing strategy in terms of efficiency, reducing the robot's traveled distance by 23.8% and time by 77.4%. Furthermore, our method requires four fewer hyperparameters and decision variables than the Linear Time-Varying (LTV) MPC approach, making it easier to implement. Real-world experiments are carried out to validate the proposed method with two differential-drive robots, Husky and Boxer, under different friction conditions.


We report a rare case of pseudotumor cerebri associated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). An 18-year-old male was admitted to our hospital complaining of palpitations and shortness of breath; he was found to have APL. The administration of ATRA and chemotherapy was started. After 23 days, he complained of nausea, headache and double vision. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed no intracranial abnormalities. Bilateral papilledema, a symptom of increased intracranial pressure, was noted. A diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri was made. Symptoms were improved by administration of glycerin and the discontinuation of ATRA. After 29 days, a complete remission was achieved.


Ingmar Bergman was the last and arguably the greatest of the old-style European auteurs and his influence across all areas of contemporary cinema has continued to be considerable since his death in July 2007. Drawing on interviews with collaborators and original research, this book puts Bergman's career into the context of his life and offers a new and revealing portrait of this great filmmaker. Geoffrey Macnab explores the often painfully autobiographical nature of his work, while also looking in detail at Bergman as a craftsman. He considers Bergman's working relationship with his actors (especially the actresses he helped make into international stars), his passion for theatre, literature and classical music and his obsession with death and cruelty. The book traces his traumatic childhood, asking how his experiences growing up as the son of a strict Lutheran pastor fed into his later writing and filmmaking. It also looks at his political life, chronicling his teenage flirtation with Nazism, his bitter spat in the mid-70s with the Swedish authorities over his tax affairs and his often vexed relationship with his fellow Swedes. Geoffrey Macnab also considers how Bergman's work was financed and distributed, his relationship with US agents and how close he came to working in Hollywood. 'When I was 10 years old I received my first rattling film projector with its chimney and lamp which went round and round and round. I found it both mystifying and fascinating' - Ingmar Bergman.


Texting while driving is a dangerous practice becoming increasingly common, especially among young people. This paper aims to understand the role of social marketing communication in affecting people's driving behaviors. The presented research compares the effectiveness of different social communication styles (traditional or shock), formats (text images, images, community initiatives and videos) and media (TV, radio, leaflet, poster, web, social networks) in influencing the use of a smartphone while driving. We found that shock advertising has a significant impact on drivers' intentions about whether or not to use portable communication devices (i.e. smartphones, tablets) while driving. We also found that this impact especially counts for women. Both risk self-assessment and risk propensity improve after exposure to social advertisement. The strongest impact on recipients is achieved through shock advertising when broadcasted through online videos. Video advertising campaigns are also more likely to be shared than others on social networks, especially in the shock style advertisement. Finally, advertising through television and social media appear to have the highest impact on drivers' behaviors. This paper offers some insights on how to design effective social communication strategies in order to affect drivers' behaviors.


A questionnaire survey found that women suffering from abnormal bowel movements have many skin problems such as a high frequency of dry skin. Although there are similarities between the structure and barrier function mechanism of the gut and skin, experimental data are insufficient to show an association between the intestinal environment and skin conditions. Phenols, for example phenol and p-cresol, as metabolites of aromatic amino acids produced by gut bacteria, are regarded as bioactive toxins and serum biomarkers of a disturbed gut environment. Recent studies have demonstrated that phenols disturb the differentiation of monolayer-cultured keratinocytes in vitro, and that phenols produced by gut bacteria accumulate in the skin via the circulation and disrupt keratinocyte differentiation in hairless mice. Human studies have demonstrated that restriction of probiotics elevated serum free p-cresol levels and harmed skin conditions (reduced skin hydration, disrupted keratinisation). In contrast, daily intake of the prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) restored serum free p-cresol levels and skin conditions in adult women. Moreover, a double-blind placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that the daily intake of fermented milk containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve strain Yakult and prebiotic GOS reduced serum total phenol levels and prevented skin dryness and disruption of keratinisation in healthy adult women. It is concluded that phenols produced by gut bacteria are one of the causes of skin problems. Probiotics and/or prebiotics, such as B. breve strain Yakult and/or GOS, are expected to help maintain a healthy skin by decreasing phenols production by gut microbiota. These findings support the hypothesis that probiotics and prebiotics provide health benefits to the skin as well as the gut.


In this study, we report an abortion outbreak in a ruminant herd consisting of goats, sheep, and cows, with scenarios in two consecutive years. In early 2017, abortions occurred in ∼70% of goats and 66% tested positive for Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) and 40% of goats were positive for Chlamydophila abortus (C. abortus). In February 2018, the same herd reported an abortion rate of 75%, with 55% positive for C. burnetii, 36% for C. abortus, and 22% for Toxoplasma gondii. Six goat milk samples were positive for C. burnetii by molecular analysis. Three family members were positive for C. burnetii. C. burnetii could be considered as the main cause of abortions in the first and second year. Animals that undergo an infection and abortion are prone to secondary infections. Vaccination or other rapid interventions should be initiated to protect animals and humans.


ABSTRACT Variational Bayes (VB) is rapidly becoming a popular tool for Bayesian inference in statistical modeling. However, the existing VB algorithms are restricted to cases where the likelihood is tractable, which precludes their use in many interesting situations such as in state--space models and in approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), where application of VB methods was previously impossible. This article extends the scope of application of VB to cases where the likelihood is intractable, but can be estimated unbiasedly. The proposed VB method therefore makes it possible to carry out Bayesian inference in many statistical applications, including state--space models and ABC. The method is generic in the sense that it can be applied to almost all statistical models without requiring too much model-based derivation, which is a drawback of many existing VB algorithms. We also show how the proposed method can be used to obtain highly accurate VB approximations of marginal posterior distributions. Supplementary material for this article is available online.


Over a third of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) are not effectively treated with current anti-seizure drugs, spurring the development of gene therapies. The injection of adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) into the brain has been shown to be a safe and viable approach. However, to date, AAV expression of therapeutic genes has not been regulated. Moreover, a common property of antiepileptic drugs is a narrow therapeutic window between seizure control and side effects. Therefore, a long-term goal is to develop drug-inducible gene therapies that can be regulated by clinically relevant drugs. In this study, a first-generation doxycycline-regulated gene therapy that delivered an engineered version of the leak potassium channel Kcnk2 (TREK-M) was injected into the hippocampus of male rats. Rats were electrically stimulated until kindled. EEG was monitored 24/7. Electrical kindling revealed an important side effect, as even low expression of TREK M in the absence of doxycycline was sufficient to cause rats to develop spontaneous recurring seizures. Treating the epileptic rats with doxycycline successfully reduced spontaneous seizures. Localization studies of infected neurons suggest seizures were caused by expression in GABAergic inhibitory neurons. In contrast, doxycycline increased the expression of TREK-M in excitatory neurons, thereby reducing seizures through net inhibition of firing. These studies demonstrate that drug-inducible gene therapies are effective in reducing spontaneous seizures and highlight the importance of testing for side effects with pro-epileptic stressors such as electrical kindling. These studies also show the importance of evaluating the location and spread of AAV-based gene therapies in preclinical studies.


Fbxo7 is the substrate-recognition subunit of an SCF-type ubiquitin E3 ligase complex. It has physiologically important functions in regulating mitophagy, proteasome activity and the cell cycle in multiple cell types, like neurons, lymphocytes and erythrocytes. Here we show that in addition to the previously-known Parkinsonian and haematopoietic phenotypes, Fbxo7-deficient male mice are completely sterile. In these males, despite successful meiosis, nuclear elongation and eviction of histones from chromatin, the developing spermatids are phagocytosed by Sertoli cells during late spermiogenesis, as the cells undergo cytoplasmic remodelling. Surprisingly, despite the loss of all germ cells, there was no evidence of the symplast formation and cell sloughing that is typically associated with spermatid death in other mouse sterility models, suggesting that novel cell death and/or cell disposal mechanisms may be engaged in Fbxo7-deficient males. Mutation of the Drosophila Fbxo7 orthologue, nutcracker (ntc) was previously shown to cause sterility at a similar stage of germ cell development, indicating that the requirement for Fbxo7 is conserved. The ntc phenotype was attributed to proteasome mis-regulation via an interaction with the proteasome regulator, DmPI31. Our data suggest rather that in mice, the requirement for Fbxo7 is either independent of its interaction with PI31, or relates specifically to cytoplasmic proteasome activity during spermiogenesis.


We consider the problem of energy-aware joint scheduling of tasks and messages with real-time constraints in wireless networked embedded systems specifically wireless sensor networks. We use the mixed tree coloring approach in order to model the constraints and show that k-coloring of a mixed tree can be mapped to a non-conflicting schedule consisting of k time slots. Also, we propose to conduct testbed evaluation to quantify the performance of combined implementation of energy management techniques such as Dynamic Modulation Scaling (DMS) along with Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS).


The paper is devoted to the problems of interaction between the divisions involved in operational-investigative activities and those carrying out preliminary investigation of crimes connected with illegal logging. The authors describe some ways to optimize and enhance the use of police units that conduct operational-investigative activity in order to obtain information that would help to solve crimes and find the culprits. The research is based on the method of statistical indicators and qualitative analysis of procedural materials acquired from Kemerovo police. The conclusions substantiate the proposals for improving the mechanism of procedural verification of crime reports according to the legal nature of the criminal proceedings participants. It introduces some ways to improve the activity of the police and those involved in verification of crimes reports.


Performance trade-offs between fast data access by local data replication and cache capacity maximization by global data sharing have been extensively studied for many-core Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs). Costly simulations over a wide spectrum of the design space are generally required to gain insight for a sound design. To lower the cost, we develop an abstract model for understanding the performance impact of data replication on CMP caches. To overcome the lack of real-time interactions among multiple cores in the model, we further develop an efficient single-pass stack simulation to study the performance of CMP cache organizations with various degrees of data replication. The global stack logically incorporates a shared stack and per-core private stacks; shared/private reuse (stack) distances can be collected in a single-pass simulation. With the reuse distances, one can calculate the performance of CMP cache organizations with various degrees of data replication. We verify both the model and the stack simulation against execution-driven simulations with commercial multithreaded workloads. The results show that the abstract model provides accurate information about performance trade-offs of data replication. The stack simulation accurately predicts the performance of various cache organizations with 2-9 percent error margins using only about 8 percent of the simulation time.


Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, is characterized by pain and cartilage damage; it usually exhibits gradual development. However, the pathogenesis of OA remains unclear. This study was undertaken to improve the understanding and treatment of OA. OA was induced in 7-week-old Wistar rats by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA); subsequently, the rats underwent oral administration of Bifidobacterium longum BORI (B. BORI). The effects of B. BORI were examined in chondrocytes and an MIA-induced OA rat model. In the rats, B. BORI-mediated effects on pain severity, cartilage destruction, and inflammation were recorded. Additional effects on mRNA and cytokine secretion were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Paw withdrawal threshold, paw withdrawal latency, and weight-bearing assessments revealed that pain severity in MIA-induced OA rats was decreased after B. BORI treatment. Histopathology analyses and three-dimensional surface renderings of rat femurs from micro-computed tomography images revealed cartilage protection and cartilage loss inhibition effects in B. BORI-treated OA rats. Immunohistochemical analyses of inflammatory cytokines and catabolic markers (e.g., matrix metalloproteinases) showed that the expression levels of both were reduced in tissue from B. BORI-treated OA rats. Furthermore, B. BORI treatment decreased the expression levels of the inflammatory cytokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and inflammatory gene factors (e.g., inflammatory cell death markers) in chondrocytes. The findings indicate that oral administration of B. BORI has therapeutic potential in terms of reducing pain, progression, and inflammation in OA.


Good astronomy pictures, like those of the HST, play an important and wellknown role in astronomy outreach, triggering curiosity and interest. This same aim can also be achieved by means of sounds. Here we present the use of astronomy-related sounds and data sonifications to be used in astronomy outreach. These sounds, which people are unlikely to hear in the normal course of things, are a good tool for stimulating interest when teaching astronomy. In our case, sounds are successfully used in ''The sounds of science,'' a weekend science-dissemination program heard on the principal national radio station, Radio Nacional de Espana (RNE). But teachers can also easily make use of these sounds in the classroom, since only a simple cassette player is needed. 18.


Uninfected Fischer rat cells were induced by anaerobic stress to transcribe high levels of endogenous type C leukemia virus RNA. Complete 35S virus RNA with attached polyadenylic acid sequences was found associated with polysomes, indicating functional mRNA. Since no mature virus was released under these conditions, the presence of a posttranscriptional block to complete virus synthesis is strongly indicated.


Services based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have emerged in various business environments. To enhance retailer's service quality and maximize benefits as well as provide seamless customer experience, this study applied IoT technology based on NFC, iBeacon and internet button for fine art gallery. Then we evaluated the best technology for omni channel service. To apply the IoT technology based on NFC, iBeacon and internet button and evaluate what technology is the best for management and user's convenience, we conducted action research in a gallery from April 2014 to December 2016, and the development and evaluation results are aligned to action research framework. At the first two phases, various problems and needs of the gallery were diagnosed through interview with practitioners and observation. Five service models based on IoT technology for offline channel and ten service models based on mobile application for online channel were designed for solving the problems. Service models were applied to the gallery by installing tags, beacons, and buttons at the third phase. At the fourth, NFC, iBeacon and internet button in the service models based on IoT were evaluated in technological perspectives.


Explant cultures were started from human papillomavirus (HPV)‐infected genital lesions in order to isolate and propagate abnormally differentiating cells from squamous intraepithelial neoplasia. A medium with high calcium concentration was used to induce terminal differentiation of cells from surrounding normal epithelium. Two cell lines with extended life‐spans were established. The UT‐DEC‐I cell line was derived from an HPV‐33‐positive mild vaginal dysplasia (VAIN I). In cultured UT‐DEC‐I cells, HPV 33 DNA was detected with Southern‐blot hybridization and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The restriction pattern of HPV 33 changed during early passages and flow cytometric analysis detected a decrease in chromosomal DNA content. HPV 33 RNA from the E6‐E7 region could be amplified by PCR at late passage. UT‐DEC‐2 cell line was derived from an HPV‐16‐positive moderate vaginal dysplasia (VAIN II). HPV 16 DNA was also detected in cultured cells by the PCR technique. The senescence of normal keratinocytes and growth selection in favor of aneuploid cells was observed by flow cytometric analysis at subsequent passages. Karyotype analysis showed clonal chromosomal abnormalities in both cell lines. To date, UT‐DEC‐1 cells have undergone 40 and UT‐DEC‐2 cells 25 passages. This study shows that the isolation of HPV‐infected dysplastic cells can be achieved by culturing the cells in a medium with high calcium concentration. The cell lines presented provide the opportunity of evaluating the early stages of squamous‐cell carcinogenesis. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Robotic gait therapy has become one of the most interesting topics in the robotics research field due to its effect on enhancing the efficiency of treatments in rehabilitation process of disabled individuals. According to this, in case of gait training, efforts have been made to propose walking assist mechanisms such as orthoses and exoskeletons, which have to provide a stable walking pattern for the individuals. We intend to develop a type of exoskeleton that is mounted on parallel bars to assist, control and improve the patients' walking pattern. Hence, in this paper, as the first step, this plan is modeled and its hybrid dynamics, including equations of motion during swing and stance phases, and impact map is derived. This plan is a simple planar 1-legged robot that composed of three links; an unactuated pelvis-link that slides unidirectionally on a supporting bar, and two rigid links connected to it. Since the prismatic joint connects the pelvis-link to the bar, the height of the robot remains constant during both stance and swing phases. Hence, there are constrained motions, and it is necessary to know the value of constraint forces to check the correct conditions of walking. We employ Maggi's equation to obtain the equations of motion as well as to evaluate the value of the constraint forces independently. A numerical simulation shows the validity of the proposed model, finally.


The authors report time resolved photoelectron spectra of the (1)B(2)((1)Sigma(u) (+)) state of CS(2) at pump wavelengths in the region of 200 nm. In contrast to previous studies, the authors find that the predissociation dynamics is not well described by a single exponential decay. Biexponential modeling of the authors' data reveals a rapid decay pathway (tau<50 fs), in addition to a longer lived channel (tau approximately 350-650 fs) that displays a marked change in apparent lifetime when the polarization of the pump laser is rotated with respect to that of the probe. Since the initially populated (1)B(2)((1)Sigma(u) (+)) state may decay to form either S((1)D) or S((3)P) products (the latter produced via a spin-orbit induced crossing from a singlet to a triplet electronic surface), this lifetime observation may be rationalized in terms of changes in the relative ionization cross section of these singlet and triplet states of CS(2) as a function of laser polarization geometry. The experimentally observed lifetime of the longer lived channel is therefore a superposition of these two pathways, both of which decay on very similar time scales.


Nowadays, the popularity of Internet usage is growing in all businesses, shopping is not excluded.  People have changed the way they shop from offline to online.  As such, consumer behavior should be explored since the technology especially the Internet has become the mainstream of people lives.  Therefore, the research was aimed to determine whether Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease Of Use (PEOU), and Perceived Risks (PR) has influenced online purchase intention of customers.  These three factors were considered when people would decide to shop online.  This descriptive research applied the survey method to collect data. A self-administered online questionnaire was voluntarily distributed to respondents via Google Docs and Line Application.  The respondents were recruited with the characteristics of being online shoppers.  The researchers used the screening question to ask whether they have a tendency or have experienced to shop online prior to proceed to the actual questionnaire.  Apparently, there were 111 valid data for analysis.  The Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was applied for hypothesis testing to explore whether Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease Of Use (PEOU), and Perceived Risks (PR) influence online purchase intention. The results revealed that all the three factors statistically significant influenced online purchase intention (R 2 = .46, Adjusted R 2 = 0.45, F = 30.53, p = .000).  To conclude, respondents felt that to make the online purchasing, the usefulness and ease of use are things to consider; even though there is a risk for them.


Hematite (α-Fe2O3) has been attracting attention for photoelectrochemical water oxidation due to its visible light photon absorption capacity and high chemical stability, but the short-diffusion length of holes and the large overpotential are still challenging to overcome. Here, in an effort to address these challenges, we develop a hierarchically nanostructured photoanode composed of iron-oxides; Ti-doped hematite nanorods are decorated with an undoped hematite underlayer and β-FeOOH nano-branches. The Ti-doped hematite nanorod array is prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, and this nanostructure offers enhanced separation of photogenerated charges. The underlayer not only increases the photocurrent density but also improves the onset potential. The photocurrent further increases by the epitaxially grown β-FeOOH nano-branches on the hematite, but the onset potential is positively shifted by the β-FeOOH due to increasing flat-band potential. The analyses of the photocurrent transients and electrochemical impedance spectra reveal that β-FeOOH improves the photocurrent by decreasing the resistance to charge transfer through the anode/electrolyte. This study demonstrates a new possibility for improving the efficiency of a hematite photoanode with the interface of other iron-oxides.


Intestinal perfusion methods with a nonabsorbable marker allow an exact quantitative determination of intestinal absorption and secretion provided that methodological pitfalls are avoided. A modified technique is applied to the simultaneous measurement of biliary and pancreatic secretion during and depending on emptying of a mixed test meal. A duodenal segment was perfused with an isotonic polyethyleneglycol solution (PEG). Reinjection of duodenal aspirates maintained a normal enterohepatic circulation of bile acids (interruption less than 10%). The perfusion was performed in healthy volonteers over a period of 12 to 24 hours, with three mixed formula meals containing 51CrCl3 as a marker ingested at conventional feeding hours. Influence of meal size was studied by means of a high caloric (40 Kcal/b. wt. per day) test meal. Patients with cholesterol gallstones and cirrhosis of the liver only received one formula test meal of 300 Kcal. Instead of concentrations output of trypsin, lipase, bile acids and cholesterol (the latter corrected for duodenal absorption) was calculated from the dilution of PEG in the duodenal juice and gastric emptying was determined by following quantitatively the flow of 51CrCl3. Gastric emptying can be expressed by a single exponential function over most of the time. Only the last 60-100 Kcals were expelled by the stomach at a faster rate. The daily biliary and pancreatic secretion depend indirectly on the amount of food ingested. But during the day light hours (with continuous meal flow), secretion was similar in high and low caloric subjects, while a significant difference became obvious during night hours corresponding to differences in gastric emptying time. Mean hourly output of bile acid, biliary cholesterol, trypsin and lipase is independent from meal size and secretion of pancreatic enzymes reaches the values close to those after maximal stimulation by i.v. CCK-PZ. Output of pancreatic enzymes does not differ in health and gallstone disease or cirrhosis of the liver respectively. Since during digestion in normals approximately one forth of the bile acid pool is secreted hourly into the gut, the number of daily enterohepatic cycles of bile acids can be calculated by 4-6. Patients with cholesterol gallstones maintain normal bile acid output by enhanced cycling of the small pool: An average of 50% of the pool passed the duodenum per hour. A decreased bile acid pool is also present in cases of advanced cirrhosis of the liver. However, hourly output of bile acids in these patients is significantly less than in mild cirrhosis (with normal bile acid pool) or normal controls. Therefore the hourly fraction of the pool secreted is similar to healthy subjects. These findings provide an important information to explain abnormalities in bile acid metabolism in cirrhosis.


Tyrocidine, a peptide antibiotic produced by Bacillus brevis (ATCC 8185), relaxes superhelical DNA in a biphasic manner and induces 'packaging' of the DNA at higher concentrations. This was concluded from studies using the sensitive 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen photobinding technique [Sinden, R. R., Carlson, J. O. & Pettijohn, D.-E. (1980) Cell 21, 773-783]. Relaxed DNA is not affected by tyrocidine whereas linearized molecules become packaged. The linear gramicidin synthesized by the same strain reverses the tyrocidine-induced relaxation as well as the packaging, an observation which might be of biological relevance.


We report on significant enhancements of the transport critical current densities Jc in (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10/Ag tapes at 77 K and higher magnetic fields after neutron irradiation. This enhancement is attributed to an improvement in the flux pinning capability of this material by the neutron‐induced defects. The angular dependence of Jc is still consistent with two‐dimensionality, i.e., flux pinning of pancake and/or Josephson vortices is directly confirmed by this transport measurement. Fast neutron irradiation also affects the weak links in a way which agrees with previous results on unaligned ceramics. However, there are some peculiarities which need further investigation.


Trends of chemical zoning in crystals of garnet, pyroxene, scheelite, and amphibole in 34 samples collected from the pluton9s contact updip to 500 m from the contact in the main ore horizon at the King Islnd scheelite (Dolphin) mine show systematic variations. Garnet cores up to 400 m from the contact are the most andradite rich, reaching values of 98 mole percent nearest the contact. Andradite values decrease systematically both for a particular part of the garnet crystals away from the contact and across individual grains to the outer edges. The mole percent andradite in core and outer core zones decreases to the 500-m mark while in the midsection and edge zones the values decrease to 400 m and then increase. A similar relationship occurs in pyroxenes, which nearest the contact contain hedenbergite values of 98 mole percent. Scheelite occurring as inclusions in garnet reach values of scheelite 65 powellites 34 for core zones nearest the pluton while scheelite interstitial to garnet have maximum values of scheelite 72 powellite 27 . Powellite contents decrease both toward the edges of individual grains and along the traverse to the 400-m mark where a reversal of trend occurs continuing to 500 m from the contact. Amphibole compositions show a linear decrease of the ratio Fe (super +2) /Fe (super +2) + Mg + Mn from 98 nearest the contact to 88 at 390 and then decreasing abruptly to 65 at 500 m.Fluid inclusion filling temperatures vary systematically in time and distance from the pluton, with a maximum near 800 degrees C for garnet midsections nearest the pluton to temperatures as low as 180 degrees C for interstitial calcite and quartz. The salinities decrease from near 65 weight percent total dissolved salts in the early formed minerals (i.e., garnet) nearest the pluton to less than 3 weight percent for later formed minerals farthest from the contact (i.e., calcite). These decreases occur out from the contact and progressively toward the end of the paragenetic sequence. Scheelite initially crystallized at higher temperatures, but interstitial scheelite precipitation occurred from a concentrated Na-K(-Ca)-Cl solution (approximately 10 molal, total dissolved salts) at temperatures of approximately 500 degrees C at the pluton9s contact to 300 degrees C at a distance of 500 m from the contact. Chemical variations of fluid compositions for all but garnet core zones beyond 400 m from the contact occurred due to mixing of solutions derived from the Northern Boundary fault. The interface between solutions which have permeated through and reacted with the developing skarn unit and those derived from the fault marks the maximum outward edge (from the pluton) of boiling of the solutions, the highest concentrations of W ore, reversals or inflection points in mineral composition profiles, and changes in the elemental ratios of constituents in the brine solutions.Hot saline solutions initially cooled to approximately 380 degrees C on entering the colder marble horizon. Flow along this horizon caused the loss of heat, dilution, and chemical change of the solution, this latter in response to both reactions with the marble and hornfelsic units as well as the precipitation of the skarn. Permeability was produced by the dissolution of CaCO 3 to produce CaCl (sub 2(aq)) and faulting. With time, thermal equilibrium was reached between the evolving fluid and the contact rocks until boiling of the solution occurred with the loss of a CO (sub 2-) -rich vapor. During this event the Northern Boundary fault was tectonically active so that primary fluid now entered the forming skarn both from the fault and the contact of the pluton. Mo-rich scheelite began to precipitate at the time of boiling. Subsequent to garnet + pyroxene crystallization, after the boiling event and contemporaneous with the crystallization of amphibole + some quartz, Mo-rich scheelite not "armored" in garnet was dissolved, redistributed, and redeposited as Mo-poor scheelite and molybdenite. This type of scheelite forms most of the ore being mined.


This report describes the research carried out for the department Maintenance Material Planning at
DAF Trucks N.V. The task of this department is to ensure, at minimum costs, maximum availability
of spare parts used for both corrective as preventive maintenance for the entire production facility at
DAF Eindhoven. For that purpose there is a spare part inventory consisting of about 28.000 SKU's,
with a total value of 17.3 million Euro. The inventory is controlled with help of the ERP software
SAP. Once a week the inventory levels are checked with a MRP run and ordered up to a level
indicated by DAF as the safety stock. A safety stock as is normally used in inventory control is not
used at DAF.
DAF realized that supply chain collaboration could possible increase the efficiency of the inventory
control and initiated this assignment to research the possibilities. The research assignment that
followed from this is:
"Optimize spare parts inventory control at DAF Eindhoven by improving collaboration with suppliers
in the supply chain such that spare part inventory costs (consisting of order-, transportation-,
handling-, inventory carrying- and information-costs) decrease, while maintaining or improving the
item fill rate. Develop an implementation plan for one or more article groups / suppliers."
In this report an overview is given of the most common supply chain collaboration forms described in
literature and how DAF can use them in order to control its inventory in a more efficient way. Each of
these forms contributes to different objectives and has other characteristics, and so have the articles
that are suitable for each of these forms. In order to identify the right article for the right supply chain
collaboration form, an allocation framework is used which analyses the spare parts on the dimensions:
- Value: The purchase price of the article.
- Consumption: How often the article is used over a certain time period.
- Response time: The time that is allowed to replace an article that has broken down.
From this analysis follows if an article is suitable to be part of a supply chain collaboration, and if so,
if its fits best to vendor managed inventory, consignment inventory or supplier owned inventory.
From this data analysis it appeared that, based on consumption data over the last four years, half of
the SKU's in current inventory was never consumed during this period. Another noticeable factor is
that although the articles in the inventory are actually spare parts for corrective maintenance, they are
often also used for preventive maintenance in the same manner, without prior reservation of the SKU.
From the research appeared that supply chain collaboration for DAF can best be based on a dyadic
approach (collaboration with an immediate partner). Selecting a partner must be done carefully, where
the most important factor is that DAF already has a good relationship with that partner and also trusts
him. To make the collaboration most effective it is further important that the supplier with who will
be collaborated represents a large inventory value, must be a financial healthy company and finally
must be situated within 250 km from DAF. The supplier Scheib Elektrotechnik GmbH was with help
of these criteria selected as the partner for SCC. Scheib mainly delivers electrical- motors and
modules to DAF and with a total value of 1.14 million euro worth of articles in DAF's current
inventory, it is the largest supplier for DAF.
To successfully implement supply chain collaboration there are many pitfalls to be avoided. Therefore
DAF has to establish visibility in their inventory to the supplier, cooperate with them to achieve
higher efficiency throughout the whole supply chain and an important success factor is management
support for this collaboration. Before the supplier and DAF start with the collaboration they will have
to agree on ownership of transfer, payment terms, selection of eventually third party logistics
providers, service levels (fill rate), processes to be followed, lead times of delivery and
communication ways. All these issues (except for the last one) have to be stipulated in a contract. On
communication ways can be decided via informal agreements since research shows that how
information is exactly shared is not important. To encourage both partners to live upon the
agreements, penalty costs for underachieving must also be stated in the contract.
For calculating the potential savings of supply chain collaboration, order- and handling costs had yet
to be calculated since this figure was not available at DAF as such. From this it appeared that order
costs are € 105,- per order and handling costs are € 35,- per order line. Inventory carrying costs are
defined by DAF as being 10% and are also used as such in this report. Thereby are also the
transportation costs considered, which consists of three scenarios depending on the response time of
the article concerned. Further are the information cost considered in case the supply chain
collaboration form considered requires intensive information exchange.
A case study was performed to evaluate the potential savings that supply chain collaboration can
achieve. First a supplier has to be selected, which was the supplier Scheib. The articles of that supplier
were then analysed with the allocation framework and showed that about half of the number of SKU's
fulfilled the criteria for supply chain collaboration. Without considering the fee that the supplier will
charge for collaboration, it resulted that consignment inventory contributes to the biggest saving, 380
euro per order. Potential savings with vendor managed inventory are 60 euro per order, while supplier
owned inventory does not result in any savings. With supplier owned inventory costs per order
increase with 20 euro since this segment contains high value articles with high consumption rates that
are located at the suppliers' site, which results in high transportation costs. This can also be computed
with the decision support tool, with this insight in potential savings DAF can decide how much they
would pay to the supplier for supply chain collaboration. Since the potential savings strongly depend
on the articles, a second case study was conducted for the largest five suppliers. This confirmed that
consignment inventory is the most beneficial concerning the potential savings (220.000 euro
annually). But when the fees for the suppliers will be included, the savings will be probably only be
modest.
Although supply chain collaboration does not contribute to significant inventory cost savings for
DAF, they are advised to implement a consignment inventory collaboration with the supplier Scheib.
The possibility for DAF to make us of the knowledge and services of the supplier would be of great
help by improving the efficiency of the current inventory control at maintenance material planning,
especially for the articles with a low consumption rate which cause many difficulties at the moment
(such as having relatively many non-movers on stock). An implementation plan discussed in this
report helps to implement a consignment inventory collaboration with Scheib.


An interference model developed for arbitrary microcellular networks, based upon a parameter called the 'Interference to Noise Ratio' or INR, is used to derive interference and cell radius statistics for mobile stations in a microcellular network. The theoretical INR and cell radius statistics for simple interference environments show good agreement with numerical Monte Carlo simulations. For more complex environments, it is hypothesised that the Central Limit Theorem could be applied to approximate the behaviour of an interferer ensemble, enabling the cell radius statistics for a network to be expressed in terms of the system design parameters. Simulations of microcell ensembles that support this hypothesis are presented.


Application of the SEM-EDX technique for determination of elements in alum as well as chrome tanner leathers discussed in the article. These leathers are found in museum, library and archival collections. Alum tanner leathers are known since ancient period while chrome tanner leathers for 19th c. Examples of the use of leather samples examination and range possibilities created by the technique presented. Additional substances (not being tannins) to be found in leather structure ad surface such as auxiliary agents, decorative layers, contaminations, focused on. The SEM-EDX technique is useful not only for characterization of elements composition of leathers, but also contributes to preservation of cultural heritage by giving possibilities of planning conservation treatments and examining influence of conservation chemicals on leathers.


The use of photonic bandgap fibers (PBGF) for biomedical sensing has been demonstrated. The demonstrated PBGF has a blue wavelength shift of 280 nm in the falling photonic bandgap edge (PBE) when the ambient refractive indices inside the holey region change from 1.333 to 1.39, which agrees well with the analytical prediction. Combining this with the knowledge of immobilization techniques and biorecognition elements could open up a new class of PBGF-based label-free biosensors. A sensitivity on the order of 0.1 nmol/L could be achieved by consuming less than 1 microL of sample.


Terrorism has been conceptualized as an act of violent conflict, armed conflict, insurgency, bombing, kidnapping, assassination, sabotage and a series destructive activities leading to the use of physical force against another person or group aimed at either causing death, temporal or perpetual injury or drawing government's, groups' or individual attention for relevance and recognition.  The word terrorism did not, however, feature more prominently in the minds of people until after the US 9/11 World Trade Center bombings. These acts were not only to create panic, fear and anxiety but also to undermine security and political leadership of the country targeted. Since the September 11th, terrorism has continued to spread and have taken a new dimension across the globe and Nigeria was, thus, not an exception. The objective of this research is to examine the effects of terrorism and violence on development of democracy in Nigeria. The research employed primary and secondary data. 300 questionnaires were distributed, retrieved and analyzed using chi-square techniques. The findings revealed among other things that terrorism has consequent effects on the development of democracy in Nigeria. Finally, the research recommended that elections and its myriad of processes must be free, fair and transparent in addition to being devoid of violence and conflicts. The culture of stuffing ballot boxes with paper constitutes a serious challenge and the outcome in most situations contradict the choice of the electorate. Therefore, the electoral processes should be more fervently strengthened to avoid crises and their related consequences.


The scope of this work is to create different biologically active monolayers on gold thin film electrodes applying Self Assembled Monolayer (SAM) technology and to characterize them with electrochemical methods like Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Three monolayer structures applying different methods that are used to gain better probe orientation were created and compared according to hybridization with complementary target DNA chains in two different lengths. An electrocleaning protocol to gain high quality electrode surfaces without the need of chemical cleaning reagents and a procedure to qualitatively monitor bioreceptor surfaces with good reproducibility were investigated.


In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration's approval of BiDil for use only in self-identified African Americans brought to the fore the longstanding debate about the use of race and ethnicity in medical research and practice. While this issue has received considerable attention in science and social science literature, thus far there has been little consideration about the legal and regulatory implications of "race-based medicine." This paper seeks to fill this gap by advocating the use of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in balancing the social and medical implications of race-based research. To assist them in this role, I propose a model to guide IRB approval of clinical trials based on the role of race or ethnicity in the study design. That is, whether a study includes racial and ethnic minorities (1) with no specific analyses of racial or ethnic variability (race-inclusive research); (2) for the purpose of studying potential differences between racial or ethnic groups (race-targeted research) or (3) for the purpose of studying specific racial or ethnic groups (race-exclusive research). Compliance with such a model could significantly improve the process for developing any future race-based drugs.


The purposes of this study were to determine physical education activity preferences of 9th grade students in a southern California school district and to compare preferences by ethnicity. Results indicated that basketball, football, bowling, softball/baseball, swimming, and volleyball were the most preferred activities. These preferences may be based on socio-economic status, racial stereotyping, perceived dominance of particular sports by a culture, and role modeling within a culture. There were significant differences for 13 of the 37 activities listed when responses were compared by ethnicity. Results suggest that, given the importance of curriculum design in engaging students, physical education teachers with diverse ethnic class compositions have a more challenging task than teachers of classes with more homogeneous ethnic groupings. It is recommended teachers survey students yearly for their activity preferences to identify units that appeal to a wide section of students. Physical education teachers are also encouraged to allow their students the choice to participate in units taught by other physical education teachers during the same class period. Further research should seek to identify why various students of various ethnic groups prefer specific physical education activities.


Activated macrophages kill several types of tumor cells in vitro, whereas non-activated macrophages lack this capacity. We, however, observed that non-activated macrophages efficiently kill F9 teratocarcinoma as well as other teratocarcinoma cell lines. Dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid known to prevent macrophage activation, did not perturb the killing of F9 teratocarcinoma cells. Neither tumor necrosis factor alpha, nor the reactive oxygen intermediates, i.e. hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radical, nor serine proteases participated in this killing, shown by employing various agents which interfere with their production, secretion, or function. Using acridine orange/ethidium bromide vitality staining, the F9 teratocarcinoma cells were shown to be phagocytized alive by macrophages and subsequently killed intracellularly. Intact lysosomal function is required for the killing of F9 cells, as the lysosomotropic drugs chloroquine and ammonium chloride markedly inhibited this killing without perturbing their engulfment. The signal transduction pathway induced in the macrophages upon interaction with F9 teratocarcinoma cells seems to differ from that induced by macrophage activation. Neither the protein kinase C inhibitors polymyxin B and H-7 [1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methyl piperazine] nor the protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate affected the killing of F9 cells. However, chlorpromazine (a powerful inhibitor of calmodulin), dibutyryl cAMP (a cAMP analog), and prostaglandin E2 inhibited the macrophage-mediated killing of F9 cells. In vivo studies indicate that an increased number of macrophages at the F9 tumor inoculation site (the peritoneal cavity) as a result of elicitation by thioglycollate prevents F9 tumor development. Our findings indicate that non-activated macrophages kill teratocarcinoma cells using a mechanism which differs from that employed by activated macrophages in the killing of other tumor cells.


Hydrogels are of great interest as a class of materials for tissue engineering, axonal regeneration, and controlled drug delivery, as they offer 3D interwoven scaffolds to support the growth of cells. Herein, we extend the family of the aromatic Fmoc-dipeptides with a library of new Fmoc-peptides, which include natural and synthetic amino acids with an aromatic nature. We describe the self-assembly of these Fmoc-peptides into various structures and characterize their distinctive molecular and physical properties. Moreover, we describe the fabrication of the bioactive RGD sequence into a hydrogel. This unique material offers new opportunities for developing cell-adhesive biomedical hydrogel scaffolds, as well as for establishing strategies to modify surfaces with bioactive materials.


In this study, composites of polypropylene (PP), as well as linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) thermoplastics filled with wood flour have been investigated to study the effect of size and amount of wood flour on their mechanical, thermal and aging properties. PP and LLDPE were mixed with five different types of wood flour, i.e., cedar, maple, oak, poplar, and select pine, by adding different percentages of wood flour at 30, 40 and 50 weight percentages. Mixing was done using a mini compounder at 180–210°C and dog-bone shape samples were produced by using a mini-injection molding machine. Two different sizes of wood flour labeled as thin (425–500 μm) and thick (600–710 μm) were compared for PP-wood and LLDPE-wood composites. Mechanical properties of blends were investigated by tensile testing and thermal behaviors of blends were characterized by using DSC analyses. Poplar and maple show better tensile results among other wood types with 543.7 MPa and 600.5 MPa Young's modulus and 21.05 MPa and 24.53 MPa tensile strength for LLDPE when comparing thick and thin wood flour blends, respectively. In the case of PP; poplar and select pine gave higher Young's modulus and tensile strength results. Samples were also aged in acid and water solution for 3 days, and their weight and dimensional changes were recorded and compared with neat polymer samples to show physical stability.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Abstract. Model simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM;
∼ 21 000 years before present) can aid the interpretation of
proxy records, can help to gain an improved mechanistic understanding of the LGM
climate system, and are valuable for the evaluation of model performance in
a different climate state. Ocean-ice only model configurations forced by
prescribed atmospheric data (referred to as "forced ocean models")
drastically reduce the computational cost of palaeoclimate modelling
compared to fully coupled model frameworks. While feedbacks between the
atmosphere and ocean and sea-ice compartments of the Earth system are not
present in such model configurations, many scientific questions can be
addressed with models of this type. Our dataset supports simulations of the
LGM in a forced ocean model set-up while still taking advantage of the
complexity of fully coupled model set-ups. The data presented here are
derived from fully coupled palaeoclimate simulations of the Palaeoclimate
Modelling Intercomparison Project phase 3 (PMIP3). The data are publicly
accessible at the National Infrastructure for Research Data (NIRD) Research Data Archive at
https://doi.org/10.11582/2020.00052 (Morée and Schwinger, 2020). They
consist of 2-D anomaly forcing fields suitable for use in ocean models that
employ a bulk forcing approach and are optimized for use with CORE forcing
fields. The data include specific humidity, downwelling long-wave and
short-wave radiation, precipitation, wind (v and u components), temperature,
and sea surface salinity (SSS). All fields are provided as climatological
mean anomalies between LGM and pre-industrial (PI) simulations. These anomaly
data can therefore be added to any pre-industrial ocean forcing dataset in
order to obtain forcing fields representative of LGM conditions as simulated
by PMIP3 models. Furthermore, the dataset can be easily updated to reflect
results from upcoming and future palaeo-model intercomparison activities.


Given is a wireless multihop network whose nodes are randomly distributed according to a homogeneous Poisson point process of density /spl rho/ (in nodes per unit area). The network employs Basagni's distributed mobility-adaptive clustering (DMAC) algorithm to achieve a self-organizing network structure. We show that the cluster density, i.e., the expected number of cluster- heads per unit area, is /spl rho//sub c/= /spl rho//spl divide/(1+/spl mu//spl divide/2), where /spl mu/ denotes the expected number of neighbors of a node. Consequently, a clusterhead is expected to incorporate half of its neighboring nodes into its cluster. This result also holds in a scenario with mobile nodes and serves as a bound for inhomogeneous spatial node distributions.


Unwanted pregnancies bother various groups in the US. Many pregnant teenagers want to be pregnant, even though the pregnancies are often not planned. A childbirth educator in Boston, Massachusetts, wonders who considers adolescent pregnancies as unwanted, the young mothers or the middle class, white, well-educated, and well-meaning adults. Adolescents want babies for the same reasons adults want babies. The difference is that adolescents do not have the same personal, financial, and community resources as adults. A child cannot rob teenagers of a future they do not have; a child provides some joy and hope. These teenagers tend not to see a better life in their future. Education can generate a vision of the future and provide a path out of poverty. Yet, educational opportunities are not always available or inviting. Teenagers need childcare, financial support, and supportive role models or mentors. Many people erroneously believe that poor women have children to be on welfare or to receive subsidized food. Yet, public assistance does no hand out enough money to sustain a family. Besides, it is unpleasant. Some states are starting to deal with the broader problems linked to poverty and lack of education. For example, the welfare system in Florida requires young women to be in high school, to prepare for the GED, or to undergo technical training. If they fail to comply, they lose benefits. Role models and financial, practical, and emotional support allow teen fathers to stay close to their children, to earn a living, and to be responsible. Poverty, immigration, transience, substance abuse, and distance from family result in insufficient support and poor parenting models for teenage mothers. They still are developing physically and emotionally. Teenage mothers need the same support, encouragement, and assistance that adult mothers need. Freedom of choice, education, and responsibility will result in healthier teen mothers and children.


Background: CTCs represent a heterogeneous population of cells with different phenotypes and biological values. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) gives rise to cells with stem cell-like properties with increased resistance to chemotherapy that may be under detected by currently approved assays. The aim of this study was to characterize CTCs based on the expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers in primary breast cancer (BC) and to correlate them with patients9/tumor characteristics. Methods: This prospective translational study included 422 patients with primary BC enrolled from March 2012 to February 2015. Blood for CTC detection was drawn before surgery (422 patients), before 1st cycle (95 patients) and before 2nd cycle (53 patients) of adjuvant therapy. Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were depleted of cells of hematopoietic origin (CD45+) using RossetteSep kit (StemCell Technologies) negative selection with anti-CD45 antibody. RNA extracted from CD45-depleted (CD45) PBMC was interrogated for expression of EMT-inducing transcription factors (TWIST1, SNAIL1, SLUG, ZEB1) and epithelial (CK19) gene transcripts by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Expressions of gene transcripts in CD45- PBMC from patients were compared to those of CD45- PBMC of 60 healthy donors. Results: Totally, CTCs were detected in 116/422 (27.5%) patients before surgery, in 21/95 (22.1%) patients after surgery and before 1st cycle and in 19/53 (35.8%) of patients before 2nd cycle of adjuvant therapy. Before surgery, CTCs exhibited only epithelial markers in 38 (9.0%) patients, only EMT markers in 68 (16.1%) of patients, while in 10 (2.4%) patients CTCs with both epithelial and EMT markers were detected. Epithelial CTCs were more often detected before surgery compared to after surgery (11.4% vs. 2.1%; p = 0.003), while mesenchymal CTCs were more often detected after the 1st cycle of chemotherapy as opposed to detection before surgery (30.2% vs. 18.2%; p = 0.05). Patients with N2-3 disease had more often detectable CTCs compared to patients with N0-1 disease (41.4% vs. 24.9%, p = 0.01) and this was mainly driven by mesenchymal CTCs (31.0% for N2-3 vs. 16.0% for N0-1; p = 0.007). Similarly, patients that lacked p53 expression (wild type TP53 ) in primary tumor had more often CTCs with EMT phenotype opposite to patients with p53 expression (p = 0.02). Presence of epithelial CTCs was significantly associated with lower absolute lymphocyte (p = 0.02) and neutrophil (p = 0.02) counts in peripheral blood. Conclusions: Our results support the concept of CTCs phenotypic heterogeneity in breast cancer patients. These results support the role of EMT in cancer pathogenesis and suggest that CTCs with EMT phenotype are involved in tumor dissemination while their increase after chemotherapy might be a mechanism of treatment resistance. Moreover, these data suggest inverse relationship between immune cells and epithelial CTCs which stress the role of immune cells in tumor dissemination. Citation Format: Mego M, Jurisova S, Karaba M, Minarik G, Benca J, Sedlackova T, Manasova D, Malejcikova M, Sieberova G, Macuch J, Gronesova P, Sufliarsky J, Pindak D, Cristofanilli M, Reuben JN, Mardiak J. Distinct clinical and biological values of subpopulations of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in primary breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-02-04.


Regulatory T (Treg) cells represent a specialized CD4+ T cell lineage with essential anti-inflammatory functions. Recent studies of the adaptations of Treg cells to non-lymphoid tissues which enable their specialized immunosuppressive and tissue supportive functions raise questions about the underlying mechanisms of these adaptations and whether they represent stable differentiation or reversible activation states. Using novel genetic tools, we characterized the transcriptional programs of distinct colonic effector Treg cell types. We found that attenuated T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and acquisition of substantial TCR independent functionality appears to facilitate the terminal differentiation of a population of colonic effector Treg cells distinguished by stable expression of immunomodulatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). Functional studies revealed that this subset of effector Treg cells, but not their expression of IL-10, was indispensable for colonic health. These findings suggest core features of terminal differentiation of effector Treg cells in non-lymphoid tissues and their function therein.


The interaction of plasma clotting factors with vascular endothelial cells was investigated. Human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells generated tissue factor activity after treatment with various stimulators including IL-1. Cycloheximide inhibited production of the tissue factor in the cells, but did not affect the expression of the tissue factor activity on the surface of endothelial cells. Endotoxin-treated vascular endothelial cells activated Factor X in the presence of Factor VII and calcium ion. Activation of Factor X by endothelial cells with Factor VII was enhanced by the presence of both Factors VIII and IX. Binding study revealed that endotoxin-treated endothelial cells bound Factor IX. These data suggest that perturbed vascular endothelium expresses tissue factor activity on the cell surface, binds factor IX and in the presence of Factor VII, activates not only factor X but also Factor IX.


Tensor harmonics are a useful mathematical tool for finding solutions to differential equations which transform under a particular representation of the rotation group [Formula: see text]. The aim of this work is to make use of this tool also in the setting of Finsler geometry, or more general geometries on the tangent bundle, where the objects of relevance are d-tensors on the tangent bundle, or tensors in a pullback bundle, instead of ordinary tensors. For this purpose, we construct a set of d-tensor harmonics for spherical symmetry and show how these can be used for calculations in Finsler geometry.


Excessive, chronic alcohol consumption can lead to alcoholic liver disease. The etiology of alcoholic liver disease is multifactorial and is influenced by alterations in gene expression and changes in fatty acid metabolism, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. These events can lead to steatosis, fibrosis, and eventually to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Many of these functions are regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Thus, it is not surprising that PPARs can modulate the mechanisms that cause alcoholic liver disease. While the roles of PPARα and PPARγ are clearer, the role of PPARβ/δ in alcoholic liver disease requires further clarification. This review summarizes the current understanding based on recent studies that indicate that PPARβ/δ can likely be targeted for the treatment and/or the prevention of alcoholic liver disease.


The distribution of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) was examined in the upper thoracic segment of the spinal cord in rat. Under the light microscope, NADPH-d positive cell bodies and fibers were readily detected in the following areas: 1) the dorsal horn; 2) the dorsolateral funiculus and lateral spinal neurons; 3) spinal autonomic region, consisting of the nucl. intermediolaterialis pars funicularis, nucl. intermediolateralis pars principalis, nucl. intercalatus spinalis and nucl. intercalatus pars paraependymalis; and 4) in the white matter lateral to the nucl. intermediolateralis pars funicularis. In the nucl. intermediolateralis pars principalis, the positive dendrites, running in bundles, were directed medially in the gray matter towards the central canal as well as laterally in the white matter towards the pia mater. The medially-directed positive dendrites fomed a subependymal plexus around the central canal. A dense bundle of NADPH-d positive fibers were also observed running longitudinally. Combined retrograde tracing with fluorogold and NADPH-d histochemistry study revealed that some of the NADPH-d positive neurons, due to their fluorescence labelling, were sympathetic preganglionic neurons that innervated the superior cervical ganglion. Under the electron microscope, the reaction products in the neurons of the nucl. intermediolateralis pars principalis were deposited in their nuclear envelope, rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. In the neuropil, three types of synaptic configurations were observed: between NADPH-d negative axon terminals and NADPH-d positive dendrites, between NADPH-d positive axon terminals and NADPH-d negative dendrites, and between NADPH-d positive axons terminals and NADPH-d positive dendrites. These synaptic configurations suggest that the neurons are regulated by nitric oxide released from both pre- and post-synaptic elements. The sources of the NADPH-d positive axon terminals associated with the neurons remain unclear although the possibility of their being derived from supraspinal origins has to be considered. The ultrastructural demonstration of NADPH-d reaction product in the three major types of glial cells suggests that nitric oxide might be produced by these cells, but its functional significance awaits further investigation.


The spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is highly expressed in a subset of KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines. This prompted our interest in investigating SYK as a candidate therapeutic target in PDAC cell lines. Here, we use a selective SYK kinase inhibitor (PRT-062607) in pharmacologic and mechanistic studies of SYK kinase signaling in PDAC cell lines. SYK kinase inhibition causes dose-dependent decreases in cell proliferation of "SYK-high" PDAC cell lines YAPC and DAN-G. Furthermore, combined SYK and MEK inhibition causes additive effects on reducing cell proliferation. Mechanistically, SYK inhibition causes reduced S6K and rpS6 phosphorylation, which is independent of MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling. Therefore, SYK activates mTORC1 activity through an unknown mechanism. The mTORC1 complex is a key activator of the macroautophagy pathway (autophagy), which is implicated as a driver of PDAC progression. However, autophagy can cause tumor suppression in some contexts. We demonstrate that SYK inhibition or shRNA-mediated depletion results in increased autolysosomal biogenesis and autophagic flux that occur with latency following treatment of cells with the SYK inhibitor. These effects are partly mediated by the nuclear localization and activation of MITF, which is a key transcriptional regulator of genes that control lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy. Taken together, our results demonstrate that SYK is a positive regulator of mTORC1 activity in a subset of PDAC cell lines. SYK kinase inhibition or shRNA-mediated depletion causes a strong reduction in mTORC1 activity and subsequent MITF activation and nuclear localization. The net effect is increased autolysosomal biogenesis and autophagic flux in YAPC and DAN-G PDAC cell lines. Therefore, SYK inhibition in combination with KRAS pathway inhibitors may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy to perturb autophagy pathway homeostasis and pancreatic cancer cell survival. Citation Format: Kevin L. Hua, Michelle Pan, Minoo Rafati, Anurag Singh. SYK kinase inhibition causes autophagy pathway activation via suppression of mTORC1 in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting PI3K/mTOR Signaling; 2018 Nov 30-Dec 8; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(10_Suppl):Abstract nr A02.


Freud's pre-analytic concept of seduction trauma was interwoven with the emerging concepts of an unconscious pathogenic past, repression, and reconstruction. The formulation of this theory of neurosogenesis involved important current, as well as past, determinants. Freud was psychologically seduced by Fliess and unwittingly colluded in the nearly fatal surgery Fliess performed on Emma Eckstein. The formulation and subsequent repudiation of the seduction theory approximated the period from the traumatic experience of Freud with his patient Emma Eckstein to her apparent recovery. Freud's seduction theory, with its focus on childhood sexual abuse, simultaneously defended against both aggression and the current traumatic situation. Defenses against aggression were intensified in an atmosphere of virulent anti-Semitism. The seduction theory is relevant to contemporary issues concerning psychic trauma, psychic reality and objective reality, memory, and reconstruction.


Active implantable medical devices have been developed for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of large variety of neural disorders. Since the mechanical properties of these devices need to be matched to the tissue, soft materials, such as polymers are often preferred as a substrate. Parylene is a good candidate, as it is highly biocompatible and it can be deposited/etched using standard Integrated Circuit (IC) fabrication methods/processes. Further, the implantable devices should be smart, a goal that can be accomplished by including ICs. These ICs, often come in the form of additional pre-packaged components that are assembled on the implant in a heterogenous process. Such a hybrid integration, however, does not allow for size minimization, which is so critical in these applications, as otherwise the implants can cause severe damage to the tissue. On the other hand, it is essential that all components are properly packaged to prevent early failure due to moisture penetration. In this work we use a previously developed semi-flexible platform technology based on a Parylene substrate and Pt metallization, which allows integration of electronic components with a flexible substrate in a monolithic process. We use an IC fabrication-based platform that allows for the fabrication of several rigid regions including Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and other components connected to each other by means of flexible interconnects. According to Fig. 1, we aim to add more functionality to this technology and thereby extend it to a platform for a variety of medical applications. An example of such functionality is integrating Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for optogenetic stimulation or integrating Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasound Transducers (CMUTs) for ultrasound stimulation or ultrasound wireless power transfer. Since the long-term reliability is critical for implantable devices, we intend to reinforce our implant with an extra Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) encapsulation layer that relies on the low viscosity of the uncured rubber to flow in every detail of the surface to prevent void formation. Therefore, this work also focuses on enhancing the adhesion of PDMS to Parylene, as it must remain strong for the required lifetime of the device.


Since customers increasingly base purchase decisions on online reviews, tourism has to constantly manage and evaluate the whole service chain from the guests' perspective. Service design as a contemporary approach provides methods to analyze and visualize service chains in a holistic and usercentered manner. A customer journey map visualizes a sequence of direct and indirect touchpoints. Touchpoints are moments in which customers encounter a certain brand or destination from their first online search, their evaluation through social media, and the booking process, as well as the travel and stay itself and writing subsequent online reviews. The intentional design of service systems through the eyes of customers is becoming fundamental to compete for customer's satisfaction. Service design builds on ethnographic research of real-life customers. However, quantitative and classic ethnographic research methods tend to fail when applied on the spacial scope and temporal extension of customer journeys in the field of tourism. In consequence, the innovative approach of mobile ethnography was developed to overcome this problem through integrating tourists as active investigators using smartphones. Mobile ethnography contrasts with other quantitative and qualitative research methods through its open approach. It is the guests who decide what is a touchpoint during their individual customer journey. This article reports on an EU-funded pilot study applying mobile ethnography in seven European tourism destinations. The findings of the study in St. Anton, Austria demonstrate the research design of mobile ethnographic research for tourism destinations and indicate its potential to iteratively improve the customer experience in a destination.


The rodent family Sciuridae (squirrels) presents an ideal system for examining the morphological, behavioural and ecological correlates of locomotor novelty. Ancestrally, sciurids were arboreal, a condition retained by modern tree squirrels. Two major transitions from the arboreal condition are hypothesized to have occurred in the sciurid clade: (1) flying squirrels evolved gliding from arboreal leaping (parachuting) and (2) chipmunks and ground squirrels became semiarboreal/terrestrial. This study examines morphology, locomotor behaviour and microhabitat use under controlled laboratory conditions in three North American sciurids: eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus, red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus and southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans. Multivariate space was defined using a series of morphological measurements and by continuously sampling individuals moving under identical conditions in a naturalistic enclosure, controlling for the proximate effects of microhabitat structure. Morphospace was characterized by a contrast between proximal and distal limb elements – flying squirrels exhibited elongated forelimbs and shanks and shortened forefeet and hindfeet, while chipmunks exhibited the opposite pattern. Ethospace was characterized by a contrast between aerial locomotion in flying squirrels and ground-based locomotion in chipmunks. In both instances, red squirrels occupied intermediate positions, as predicted on the basis of retention of ancestral features. Despite significant differences among species at morphological and behavioural levels, ecospace was characterized by overlap between flying squirrels and red squirrels in the use of high supports, and between flying squirrels and chipmunks in the use of large-diameter supports. The lack of concordance at the ecological level underscores the difficulty in making predictions based solely upon organismal design.


For the enzymatic digestion of a 25-mer phosphorothioate (PS) oligonucleotide, the reaction kinetics was previously determined to be the sum of two parallel processes: a fast and a very slow phase of digestion suggesting a two-exponential model. A characteristic metabolite profile was observed both in vitro and in vivo. This behavior is shown to be the result of the stereoselective cleavage of chiral R-configuration and S-configuration PS internucleotide linkages by 3'-exonucleases. The stereoselective nature of 3'-exonuclease action was analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC. The separation of eight diastereomers of the tetramer TTCT (5'-3') was used to follow the stereoselective course of exonuclease hydrolysis of PS internucleotide linkages. Degradation of the 25-mer parent compound having a 3' S-terminal internucleotide linkage was calculated to be more than 300 times slower than an analog with a 3'-terminal R-configuration. These results support an approach for protecting antisense oligonucleotides based on the chirality of only the 3'-end internucleotide linkage.


In this paper, a new algorithm for sensitivity analysis of discrete hidden Markov models (HMMs) is proposed. Sensitivity analysis is a general technique for investigating the robustness of the output of a system model. Sensitivity analysis of probabilistic networks has recently been studied extensively. This has resulted in the development of mathematical relations between a parameter and an output probability of interest and also methods for establishing the effects of parameter variations on decisions. Sensitivity analysis in HMMs has usually been performed by taking small perturbations in parameter values and re-computing the output probability of interest. As recent studies show, the sensitivity analysis of an HMM can be performed using a functional relationship that describes how an output probability varies as the network's parameters of interest change. To derive this sensitivity function, existing Bayesian network algorithms have been employed for HMMs. These algorithms are computationally inefficient as the length of the observation sequence and the number of parameters increases. In this study, a simplified efficient matrix-based algorithm for computing the coefficients of the sensitivity function for all hidden states and all time steps is proposed and an example is presented.


Purpose of Study: To investigate the role of the Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) in angiogenesis and regulation by Wnt-signaling pathway in osteosarcoma (OS) cell lines. Methods: In vitro tube formation assay using HUVEC cells to examine the effect of Frzb, WIF1, and DKK3 on angiogenesis. Microarray and real-time PCR to assess the mRNA level of NRP-1 in SaOS-2 cells transfected with Dominant Negative LRP5 (DNLRP5) and PcDNA vector control. Western blots were performed to evaluate the expression of NRP-1 in 8 OS cell lines and normal osteoblast (NHOst), as well as the effect of Wnt inhibitors (DNLPR5, Frzb, WIF-1, DKK3) on NRP-1 expression in OS cell lines (LM7, 143B, and 143.98.2) Results: In order to develop a new therapeutic target for OS, the most common primary malignant bone tumor, we examined the expression of NRP-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 8 established OS cell lines, as well as NHOst. Both VEGF and NRP-1 (a co-receptor of VEGF) were up-regulated in most OS cell lines compared with normal osteoblast, suggesting that VEGF and NRP-1 may be responsible for the excessive blood vessel formation in OS. Given our previous report that Wnt inhibitors Frzb, WIF1, DKK3, and DNLRP5, inhibited tumor growth and metastasis of OS, we hypothesize that one of the potential mechanisms may be through inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. When HUVEC assay was examined, DKK3, Frzb, WIF-1 condition medium significantly inhibited tube formation compared with control, suggesting that these Wnt inhibitors suppressed angiogenesis. Further microarray assay, real time PCR and western blots indicated that these Wnt inhibitors (DKK3, Frzb, WIF-1 and DNLRP5) dramatically down-regulated the expression of NRP-1, but VEGF level remained unchanged. These results show that inhibition of angiogenesis by Wnt signaling may be mediated by down-regulation of NRP-1 instead of VEGF. Discussion and Conclusions: Our study suggests that the Wnt-signaling reduces tumor growth and metastasis by inhibiting angiogenesis and by down-regulating NRP-1 expression in OS. We are further studying the role of NRP-1 in osteosarcoma by knockdown of NRP1 expression in OS cells to assess tumor proliferation, metastases and angiogenesis. This may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3963.


Inter- and intra-batch variability in heat and mass transfer during the drying phase of lyophilization is well recognized. Heat transfer variability between individual vials in the same batch arise from both different positions in the vial array and from variations in the bottom contour of the vials, both effects contributing roughly equally to variations in the effective heat transfer coefficient of the vials, Kv. Both effects can be measured in the laboratory, and variations in average Kv values as a function of vial position in the array for lab and production can be calculated by use of the simple steady-state heat and mass transfer theory. Typically, in the laboratory dryer, vials on the edge of the array, "edge vials," run 2–4°C warmer than "center vials," but differences between laboratory and manufacturing temperatures are modest. The variability in mass transfer can be assigned to major variations in ice nucleation temperature (both intra-batch and inter-batch), including major differences between laboratory and manufacturing. The net effect of all random variations, for each class of vial, can be evaluated by a simple statistical model-propagation of error, which then allows prediction of the distribution in product temperatures and drying times, and therefore prediction of percent of vials dry and percent of vials collapsed and proximity to the edge of failure for a given process. Good agreement between theoretical and experimentally determined maximum temperatures in primary drying and percent collapsed product demonstrates the calculations have useful accuracy.


Some commentators argue that increased chief executive officer (CEO) compensation may lead to increased company performance, while others argue that increased CEO compensation does not necessarily lead to increased company performance. These different opinions led to several pay-performance studies to identify and analyse the relationship, if any, between CEO compensation and company performance. The motivation for the present study was to determine whether different performance measurements in a pay-performance study would provide different results, as well as to determine whether certain firms' performance measurements correlate better to compensation than those of other firms. The main finding of the research was that there is a substantial difference in the correlational relationships identified between CEO compensation and company performance, depending on the performance measurement used. In this study earnings per share reported the strongest positive correlation at 0.89 and return on assets reported the strongest negative correlation at  -0.79 to CEO compensation. The findings suggest that researchers should carefully consider what performance measurement to use when conducting pay-performance studies as very different results could be delivered. In addition, stakeholders should take note of the specific performance measurement that they should apply if they want to negotiate a performance-based compensation system.


Efficiently searchable and easily deployable encryption schemes enable an untrusted, legacy service such as a relational database engine to perform searches over encrypted data. The ease with which such schemes can be deployed on top of existing services makes them especially appealing in operational environments where encryption is needed but it is not feasible to replace large infrastructure components like databases or document management systems. Unfortunately all previously known approaches for efficiently searchable and easily deployable encryption are vulnerable to inference attacks where an adversary can use knowledge of the distribution of the data to recover the plaintext with high probability. We present a new efficiently searchable, easily deployable database encryption scheme that is provably secure against inference attacks even when used with real, low-entropy data. We implemented our constructions in Haskell and tested databases up to 10 million records showing our construction properly balances security, deployability and performance.


Data acquisition and processing in cyber-physical system for remote monitoring of the human functional state have been considered in the paper. The data processing steps, strategies for multi-step forecasting evaluation metrics and machine learning algorithms to be implemented have been analysed and described. What is important, this way it will be possible to track the condition of the sick and response to the health changes in advance.


SCOPE
Punicalagin (PCG) is one of the most abundant phytochemicals found in pomegranates. The effects and mechanistic action of PCG on obesity and obesity-induced inflammatory and oxidant responses were investigated in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS AND RESULTS
The effect of PCG on adipogenesis was examined using Oil red O staining. The effects and mechanism of action of PCG on inflammatory responses were determined in adipocyte-conditioned medium (ACM)-cultured macrophages, a cell-to-cell contact system, and a transwell system. The effects of PCG on obesity and obesity-induced inflammatory/oxidant responses were examined in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. PCG effectively suppressed lipid accumulation in adipocytes and adipocyte-induced inflammatory responses in adipocyte-macrophage co-culture systems. siRNA transfection indicated that the PCG-mediated anti-inflammatory effect was exerted via the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway. PCG administration resulted in a significant reduction in body and white adipose tissue (WAT) weights. PCG favorably regulated pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, downregulating NF-κB. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis demonstrated that PCG differentially modulated the distribution of CD11c and CD206. PCG regulated the level of antioxidant and oxidant molecules by activating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling.

CONCLUSIONS
PCG ameliorated obesity and obesity-induced inflammatory responses via activation of Nrf2/Keap1 signaling, suggesting that PCG has potential as an oral agent to control obesity-mediated diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


UNLABELLED
Recurrent hepatitis C is often treated with an interferon and ribavirin combination therapy, but the results have been disappointing. Given the promising results reported with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for hepatitis C, we were interested in evaluating the effectiveness of this treatment in liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C (HCV).

METHODS
Between November 2001 and September 2002, patients with recurrent HCV were screened to determine if they were eligible for treatment. Liver function tests, HCV-RNA, and liver biopsies were performed on all patients prior to treatment. HCV-RNA was repeated at 3 months, the end of treatment (EOT), and 6 months after EOT for patients who were HCV-RNA negative at EOT. Patients were prospectively followed after starting weekly pegylated interferon alfa-2b 1.5 mcg/kg per week and ribavirin 800 mg per day (Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, NJ, USA) with folic acid 1 mg per day.

RESULTS
Thirty-nine patients eligible for treatment displayed a median age of 50.4 years. Eighteen patients completed treatment, 4 remain on treatment, and 17 were intolerant. Sustained HCV-RNA eradication occurred in 66.7% of patients who completed treatment. Side effects led to treatment withdrawal in 17 patients (43.6%) In an intention-to treat analysis, sustained HCV-RNA eradication occurred in 30.8% of patients.

CONCLUSION
Side effects are an important limiting factor in the treatment of recurrent HCV with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. However, these results are encouraging as sustained HCV eradication occurred in at least 66.7% of patients who completed treatment. Prospective randomized trials are required to assess the effectiveness of this treatment and its impact on quality of life and histology.


This study examines support for ethnic profiling in the United States as a counterterrorism tactic. It first compares support for counterterrorism profiling with support for profiling Black motorists. Then, it investigates whether the status of the profilee as a U.S. citizen of Arab or Middle Eastern appearance or as an immigrant alters either support for profiling or the determinants of that support. In both sets of analyses, the study investigates how competing ideas about the meaning of American identity shape opinions about profiling. Particular attention is paid to liberalism's emphasis on the rights of citizenship and ethnoculturalism's emphasis on the ascriptive boundaries of American identity. The results show that support for counterterrorism profiling is higher than support for profiling Black motorists, that people are more supportive of profiling immigrants than they are of profiling U.S. citizens, and that how people define what it means to be American is a powerful predictor of such support. The perspective promoted by the increasing number of radical activists on issues related to immigration—that being American means being a White European Christian—is the most powerful predictor of support for profiling. A liberal understanding of being American can offset some, but not all, of that support. The implications of these findings for future opinions and activism on post-9/11 issues are discussed.


Sociology students are interested in having meaningful careers that use their sociological knowledge and skills, and higher education institutions are under pressure to show that their graduates achieve career success. A one-credit-hour course focused on careers, professional development, and resources for sociology majors can increase students' confidence that multiple options exist for them in their postbaccalaureate lives. Sociology faculty can design a course that increases students' ability to locate and apply for relevant jobs and graduate programs and to practice skills that employers say that want to see in college graduates. Detailed examples of assignments, readings, and class activities are presented that can readily be tailored to the unique circumstances of different institutions and their students.


UNLABELLED
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of various forms of the surgical treatment of the patients presenting with chronic odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (COMS) with special reference to its long-term

RESULTS
The secondary objective was to assess the quality of life of such patients during the postoperative period. The study included 107 patients divided into two groups. The patients of group 1 (n=32) underwent radical operation on the maxillary sinuses (MS) as described by Caldwell and Luc. The patients of group 2 (n=75) were treated with the use of endoscopic surgery on maxillary sinuses. The results of the study suggest that endoscopic surgery on maxillary sinuses can be employed for the minimally invasive revision of the maxillary sinuses; it thereby ensures a smoother course of the postoperative period and improves the quality of life of the treated patients.


Background The aim of the study is to evaluate the overall accuracy of the surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) workflow through a comprehensive commissioning and quality assurance procedures and assess the potential benefits of deep-inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) radiotherapy as a cardiac and lung dose reduction approach for left-sided breast cancer irradiation. Materials and methods Accuracy and reproducibility of the optical surface scanner used for DIBH treatment were evaluated using different phantoms. Patient positioning accuracy and reproducibility of DIBH treatment were evaluated. Twenty patients were studied for treatment plan quality in target dose coverage and healthy organ sparing for the two different treatment techniques. Results Reproducibility tests for the surface scanner showed good stability within 1 mm in all directions. The maximum position variation between applied shifts on the couch and the scanner measured offsets is 1 mm in all directions. The clinical study of 200 fractions showed good agreement between the surface scanner and portal imaging with the isocenter position deviation of less than 3 mm in each lateral, longitudinal, and vertical direction. The standard deviation of the DIBH level showed a value of < 2 mm during all evaluated DIBHs. Compared to the free breathing (FB) technique, DIBH showed significant reduction of 48% for heart mean dose, 43% for heart V25, and 20% for ipsilateral lung V20. Conclusion Surface-guided radiotherapy can be regarded as an accurate tool for patient positioning and monitoring in breast radiotherapy. DIBH treatment are considered to be effective techniques in heart and ipsilateral lung dose reductions for left breast radiotherapy.


Authenticating spontaneous interactions between devices and users is challenging for several reasons: the wireless (and therefore invisible) nature of device communication, the heterogeneous nature of devices, and lack of appropriate user interfaces in mobile devices, and the requirement for unobtrusive user interaction. The most promising approach that has been proposed in literature involves the exploitation of the so-called auxiliary channels for authentication to bridge the gap between usability and security. This concept has spawned the independent development of various authentication methods and research prototypes, that, unfortunately, remain hard to compare and interchange and are rarely available to potential application developers. We present a novel, unified cryptographic authentication protocol framework (UACAP) to unify these approaches on using auxiliary channels and analyze its security properties. This protocol and a selection of auxiliary channels aimed at authentication of mobile devices has been implemented and released in an open-source ubiquitous authentication toolkit (OpenUAT). We also present an initial user study evaluating four of these channels.