Iron sulfur (Fe-S) proteins are found in a variety of organisms. They usually function in electron transport, but they may also be involved in other functions like gene regulation and Lewis acid catalysis. The structure and spectroscopic properties of Fe-S clusters holding one, two, three, or four iron atoms is known to a great extent. These 'common' clusters share some basic properties. Firstly, they contain not more than four iron atoms. Secondly, despite the fact that they may contain more than one iron atom, they exist in two (physiological) redox states only. Thirdly, they are characterized by a low electron spin, i.e. they are usually S = 1/2. However, there is a strong indication that Fe-S clusters exist which do not obey these general rules. These clusters may hold more than four iron atoms, they are usually high-spin (S ≥3/2), and they may exist in more than two redox states. Because of these properties these clusters are referred to as superclusters. When I started this research project, six potential systems were proposed to contain larger (≥4Fe) or uncommon (WFe3S4) Fe-S clusters. These enzymes are involved in (multi-electron) redox catalysis:1. Nitrogenase2. Fe-only hydrogenase3. Dissimilatory sulfite reductase4. carbonmonoxide dehydrogenase5. Prismane protein6. Pyrococcus furiosus aldehyde oxidoreductaseThe aim of my thesis is to study physical, chemical, and biological properties of multi- electron transferring enzymes, in a quest for possible new structures and functions of biological Fe-S clusters.Chapter 2 describes the purification and characterization of a dissimilatory sulfite reductase from Desulfosarcina variabilis. The enzyme belongs to the class of desulforubidins, as was deduced from its UV/vis absorption spectrum. It is a a 2β2γ2 hexamer of ≈208 kDa, and it was found to contain ≈15 Fe and ≈19 S 2- . The oxidized enzyme exhibited S = 9/2 Fe-S EPR signals (g = 16 ). Similar signals have previously been found in Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) desulfoviridin by Pierik and Hagen, who suggested the presence of a larger Fe-S cluster. With the finding of similar very high spin signals also in D. variabilis desulforubidin, it appears that the presence of a S = 9/2 Fe-S (super) cluster is common in all dissimilatory sulfite reductases. The sirohemes in D. variabilis desulforubidin were found to be fully metalated, and none of the Fe-S EPR signals gave indication for dipolar and/or exchange coupling with siroheme. These observations are interpreted as supportive evidence against the previously proposed model of a bridged cubane/siroheme as the active site for dissimilatory sulfite reductases.The extreme hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus contains a NiFe hydrogenase which not only reversibly oxidizes hydrogen but also reduces elemental sulfur (S 0 ) to H 2 S. The Archaeon was succesfully grown in a 200 l fermentor at 90°C on potato starch, and the hydrogenase could be purified aerobically without loss of activity. In contrast to previous reported data the enzyme was found to contain 17 Fe, 17 S 2- , and 0.74 Ni. Three EPR signals were found; a near-axial (g = 2.02, 1.95, 1.92) S = 1/2 signal ( E m,7.5 = - 303 mV) indicative of a [2Fe-2S] (2+;1+) cluster, a broad spectrum of unknown origin (g = 2.25, 1.89; E m,7.5 = -3 10 mV), and a novel rhombic S = 1/2 EPR signal (g = 2.07, 1.93, 1.89) reminiscent of a [4Fe-4S] (2+;1+) cluster. This rhombic signal appears with a reduction potential of E m,7.5 = -90 mV, and disappears at E m,7.5 = -328 mV. The latter observation suggested that this cluster is capable of taking up two electrons, and, therefore, that it is a supercluster. However, it is hypothesized that the disappearance of the signals at low potential is caused by magnetic interaction of the rhombic g = 2.07 signal with a third paramagnet, resulting in a broad interaction signal. Hence, there is no indication for the presence of a supercluster in P.furiosus NiFe hydrogenase (chapter 3).In the NiFe hydrogenases of several organisms as well as in the Fe-only hydrogenases of Megasphaera eldenii and Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) novel Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) detectable groups were found. The bands occur in the region of 2100-1800 cm -1 , which corresponds to stretching vibrations of polar triple bonds, metal hydrides, or asymetrically coupled vibrations of two adjacent double bonds. The position of these bands shifted upon oxidation and reduction of the enzymes. FTIR bands in this region were not detected in a large control group of Fe-S and/or nickel containing proteins including a metal-free hydrogenase. The FTIR groups in NiFe hydrogenases are assigned to the three unidentified small non-protein ligands that coordinate the Fe as observed in the X-ray structure of Desulfovibrio gigas NiFe hydrogenase. Thus far, the structural difference between NiFe- and Feonly hydrogenases had been thought to reside in the absence or presence, respectively, of a novel Fe-S cluster (H-cluster) which is proposed to be the site of hydrogen activation. The finding of similar FTIR groups in both Fe-only and NiFe-hydrogenases might suggest that the hydrogen-activating site of both classes of hydrogenases encompasses of a bimetallic center involving a low spin Fe ion with FTIR- detectable groups.During the purification of several proteins from Desulfovibrio vulgaris strain Hildenborough a yellowish fraction eluted from the first anion exchange column at high NaCl concentration. It was observed that this fraction absorbed strongly at 260 nm. Attempts were made to purify the protein. The protein turned out to be a ferredoxin, as concluded from its size (a homodimer of subunits, each of 7.5 kDa), its pi (3.9) and its EPR spectrum in the reduced state, indicating the presence of a [4Fe-4S] (2+;1+) cluster. The protein was associated with RNA having a typical size of 9-17 nucleotides. Hybridization experiments with extracted, radiolabeled RNA and digested D. vulgaris genomic DNA indicated that the ferredoxin binds either to total RNA or specifically to rRNA. The suggestion is made that D. vulgaris ferredoxin may not be a redox protein, but that it may have a regulatory function. This suggestion is supported by the unusually high standard reaction entropy of reduction of -230 J . K -1 . mol -1 . This would be the first prokaryotic Fe-S protein known to function in translation regulation.In chapter 6 an EPR/redox study is presented on the tungsten-containing aldehyde oxidoreductase (AOR) from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus. The enzyme had previously been suggested to hold a [WFe3S4] cluster. Highly active AOR could be obtained by rapid, anaerobic purification (i.e. within two days). Only active enzyme was used for this study. The fully reduced enzyme exhibited a mixture of S = 1/2 and S = 3/2 Fe-S EPR signals. Oxidized AOR afforded signals typical for W 5+ (g = 1.982, 1.953, 1.885). Shortly after this research project started the X-ray structure of P.furiosus AOR was elucidated by Chan et al., who showed that the enzyme contains one [4Fe-4S] cluster and one tungsten cofactor per subunit. Our data are in agreement with the crystal structure, which excluded the possibility of a [WFe3S4] cluster. Such a cluster would have been a completely novel Fe-S cluster. The W 5+ spectrum could be simulated using 183 W hyperfine splitting constants A xyz of 7.7, 4.5, and 4.2 mT. A reduction potential E m,7.5 = +180 mV was determined for the couple W 4+ /W 5+ . Given the low reduction potential of the substrate, it is suggested that the biologically relevant redox chemistry may not not be located on the tungsten, but rather on the pterin cofactor.The prismane proteins of Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 are proposed to contain a [6Fe-6S] cluster. A similar cluster has been proposed to be present in the active site of Fe-only hydrogenases. Unfortunately, crystallographic evidence for the presence of [6Fe-6S] clusters is still lacking. Several attempts were made to crystallize the D. vulgaris (H) protein in our lab, but these were all unsuccessful. Eventually, high quality crystals were obtained in Daresbury, U.K. in collaboration with prof Lindley. Crystals grew within four days, and grew to a maximum size of 0.7 mm within ten days. The resolution of the diffraction pattern extends to 1.7 A. The unit cell is orthorhombic, with spacegroup P2 1 2 1 2 1 . The unit cell will readily hold four molecules of molecular mass of 60 kDa, with a solvent content of approximately 48%.Generally, I looked for superclusters in the following multi-electron transferring enzymes: dissimilatory sulfite reductase, hydrogenase, and P.furiosus aldehyde oxidoreductase. For Desulfosarcina variabilis dissimilatory sulfite reductase I found indication for the presence of a supercluster, whereas for hydrogenases the finding of novel FTIR resonances suggest a unique metal structure to be part of the active site. No indication was found for the presence of a supercluster in Pyrococcus furiosus aldehyde oxidoreductase, but the enzyme showed to be an interesting case for the study of biological tungsten. An apparent supercluster in Pyrococcus furiosus NiFe hydrogenase turned out to be most likely a [4Fe-4S] cluster. An RNA-binding ferredoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (H) may be the first example of a prokaryotic, gene regulating Fe-S protein. Finally, elucidation of the crystal structure of the prismane protein from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) will be a major step towards the development of the concept of larger Fe-S clusters.


This project was designed to investigate the properties of the rare-earth phosphate glasses CeO{sub 2}-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3}-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} for potential use as radioactive waste glasses. The research involved determination of the glass-forming region, loading capacity, and optimum processing parameters of the glasses. Structural studies of the unloaded host glasses and glasses loaded with simulated waste elements were to be done using Raman, infrared and infrared reflection spectroscopy. Leach testing and spectroscopic studies of the corroded surfaces were also to be performed.


The strong global dependence on fossil fuels results from the intensive use and consumption of petroleum based derivatives. With regard to the risks of diminishing petroleum reserves and growing climate change, there is need for an ecological and political acting. A promising approach is the change-over from a fossil-based chemistry to a bio-based in order to ensure the sustainable supply with basic chemicals and energy. Implementing sustainable biorefinery concepts is thereby seen as a path with great prospects. Due to the multitude of possible raw materials, products, conversion pathways and combinations of technologies, the development and related optimization of sustainable biorefinery concepts turns out to be a major challenge. In the context of sustainability this is especially true for economic and environmental criteria. For this reason it is necessary to provide the process engineers with a robust assessment methodology already during the conceptual design of biorefineries.
Process simulation is a very powerful tool for the calculation of mass and energy balances of integrated flowsheets. Its application is especially well-suited during conceptual design. It allows the development and comparison of different flowsheets already at an early stage of process design. Details can be added to the flowsheets as soon as they become available in the course of the project development. On the other hand the different methodologies for sustainability assessment of a conceptual production site are based on inventory data of the needed material and energy input. For the assessment of running facilities, these can be taken from actual in and output balances. During conceptual design, the data can be effectively estimated by process simulation.
A methodology on how to integrate the process simulation with subsequent sustainability assessment was therefore developed. The economic assessment can be realized in an early stage of conceptual design by calculation of operational costs and in an advanced stage by dynamic investment calculation. The environmental assessment is conducted by life cycle assessment. Different impact assessment methods like ReCiPe 1.08, EC-RED and others have been used, depending on the aim of the study. Based on the results of these calculations key parameters of the biorefinery concepts can be identified and optimization approaches can be developed.
Possibilities for the application of the methodology in different biorefinery concepts will be presented. The products evaluated by the methodology are first and second generation biofuels, biokerosene and biochemicals. The methodology was developed, optimized and applied in different projects throughout the last 5 years. It has helped to identify and develop process configurations with improved sustainability regarding both economic and environmental criteria. The methodology can now be applied to further biorefinery concepts.


A harmonic match between power and revolutions is important to any vessel. It is known that some shortening of blade trailing edge can reduce propeller loading. In this paper, the trailing edge of two propeller models (A, B) with sections of NACA-66 mod. α=0.8 were cut off by 3%, 5%, 7% of the chord length. Then the variances of pitch and camber were calculated and open water tests were carried out. According to the results of full scale trials a simple method of incision was offered to improve the match between power and revolutions.


Abstract Early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer are the primary goals and most impactful strategies for the reduction of mortality from colorectal cancer. Distinguishing high-risk polyps from benign lesions is essential for proper management. This has become largely important with respect to the increase in pathology costs, in addition to the risk of procedural complications. Various technologies and techniques have been developed with the intent of direct visualization and better analysis of the targeted tissue. Optical biopsy has become a potential tool to allow in vivo polyp diagnosis, allowing for proper selection of those polyps that require resection and definitive diagnosis of resected polyps without histology. In this review, we will discuss enhancement technologies in colonoscopy, focusing on the "optical biopsy" methods. High-resolution and high-definition technologies enabled the development of such a myriad of methods. Diagnosis of early neoplastic changes in vivo during endoscopic procedures is currently possible owing to the "optical biopsy" technologies. One should still be careful when considering them as conclusive diagnoses because the criterion standard remains to be the pathology analysis. Despite its promising use, high cost and training are still significant challenges. In addition, further research is required regarding the analysis of cellular and molecular levels and the need for a more precise contrast. Although the indications for the use of these new technologies are still being established, the necessity of lowering costs and improving efficiency will likely counterweigh this new challenge.


Formal description method based on Petri net model is proposed. Model takes into account the real packet traffic parameters. Given analytical expressions describe the relations between the Petri net characteristics and traffic source parameters. Consistent patterns of Petri net parameters variations due to packet flow parameters are listed. It is shown that in case when average packet rate and packet rate at the current moment have common divisor, Petri net characteristics are defined with local minimum: if ratio of average packet rate and packet rate at the current moment is an integer number, packet flow becomes periodical and Petri net parameters gets minimal values. Packet flow and Petri net characteristics time diagrams for different service category packet flows are given as well. Ill.7, bibl.4 (in Lithuanian; summaries in Lithuanian, English, Russian).


Background: Tramadol is a drug used to control severe pain. Various side effects of this drug have been reported, one of the most important is seizures. The exact cause of tramadol-induced seizures is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of tramadol addiction on convulsion and related factors in 2018. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 216 patients with convulsion referred to Imam Hossain Hospital of Shahroud in 2018. After reviewing and stabilizing vital signs, a questionnaire containing demographic information, medical history, medication use (especially tramadol), and drugs was completed by patients. The association between recurrent convulsion and predictors were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Data were analyzed and compared using SPSS statistical software, version 16 and related statistical tests. The significant level was set at 0.05. Results: In this study from 216 participants, 154 (71.3%) of them were male and the rest were female. The mean age of the all patients was 44.8±18.2 years (17-72 years) that was no significant difference between the two groups. Recurrent convulsion was significantly associated with history of opium use (Pvalue<0.032) and tramadol using (Pvalue<0.001) and there was no significant relationship with other variables. Tramadol using cans double your chances of having a recurrent convulsion [OR=2 (95% CI: 1.752 – 2.689)]. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that taking tramadol in opium users can increase the incidence of recurrent convulsion, but more research is needed to fully confirm this. Key words: Tramadol, Convulsion, Side effects


The output error of the globoidal cam mechanism can be considered as a relevant indicator of mechanism performance, because it determines kinematic and dynamical behavior of mechanical transmission. Based on the differential geometry an d the rigid body transformations, the mathematical model of surface geometry of the globoidal cam is established. Then we present the analytical expression of the output error (includin g the transmission error and the displacement error along the output axis) by considering differe nt manufacture and assembly errors. The effects of the center distance error, the perpendicular err or between input and output axes and the rotational angle error of the globoidal cam on the output erro r are systematically analyzed. A globoidal cam mechanism which is widely used in automatic tool changer of CNC machines is applied for illustration. Our results show that the perpendicul ar error and the rotational angle error have little effects on the transmission error but have great ef fects on the displacement error along the output axis. This study plays an important role in the des ign, manufacture and assembly of the globoidal cam mechanism.


Management scientists state that for the purpose of surviving and developing, it is necessary to be engaged in learning forever. Learning can help' organizations with any changes, innovations, and creations. According to studies, the learning capacity in nationwide administrative organizations is rather low. In this article, first the concept and also the necessary characteristics for learning development are mentioned. Then in accordance with them, the characteristics of learning capacity in organizations are recognized. Second, the barriers of organizational learning are studied and considering them, the essential proposals for the developmt:nt of learning are offered


This study was conducted to investigate the condition of frying oil used for frying chicken nuggets in a deep fryer. The acidification of the frying oils used, soybean oil (SB), canola oil (CA), palm oil (PA), and lard (LA), were determined as peroxide value, acid value, and fatty acid composition, after chicken nuggets were fried in them for 101 times. The acid value and peroxide value obtained were 5.14 mg KOH/g and 66.03 meq/kg in SB, 4.47 mg KOH/g and 71.04 meq/kg in CA, 2.66 mg KOH/g and 15.48 meq/kg in PA, and 5.37 mg KOH/g and 62.92 meq/kg in LA, respectively. The ranges of the major fatty acid contents were palmitic acid, 8.91-45.84%; oleic acid, 34.74-58.68%; linoleic acid, 10.32-18.65%; and stearic acid, 2.28-10.86%.Used frying oils for food except animal products have a legal limit for the freshness standard, set by the Food Codex regulations (AV<2.5, POV<50). Therefore, this study could help develop a freshness standard for frying oils used for animal products such as chicken nuggets. Based on the quality limits associated with food regulations stated, we suggested that the estimated frying times before acceptable freshness was exceeded were 41 for SB, 38 for LA, 53 for CA, and 109 for PA. This data may be useful in determining food quality regulations for frying oil used for animal products.


Using airborne full-waveform LiDAR metrics derived by 3-D tree segmentation, this study estimated single tree's diameter at breast height (DBH) and stem volume (STV). Four regression models were used, including multilinear regression and three up-to-date regression models (i.e., least square boosting trees regression, random forest, and ε-support vector regression) from the machine learning field. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate these regression models in predicting DBH and STV at single-tree level and find some clues to regression model's selection. The study sites were located in the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, a mixed temperate mountain forest. Our comparisons were performed across different tree species types (coniferous and deciduous) and foliage conditions (leaf-on/leaf-off seasons). The importance of predictor variables was also examined. Experimental results revealed that the best accuracy from machine learning methods outperformed the multilinear model by 1.5 cm for DBH and 0.18 m3 for STV in terms of rmse. Through comparative analysis, our work provided some clues to the performance variation of regression models for extracting 3-D tree parameters.


Thyroid hormones exert an enormous range of effects on lipid metabolism. The composition and the transport of lipoproteins are seriously disturbed in thyroid diseases.The aim of this study is to look for a significant statistical correlation between thyroid hormones and levels of serum lipids in attempt to use such a correlation in the clinical diagnosis of thyroid disorders.Results: Significant elevated levels of total cholesterol, phospholipids and VLDL cholesterol were observed in hypothyroidism with a slight increase in the serum triglyceride. However in hyperthyroidism, an insignificant decrease of total cholesterol, phospholipids and VLDL cholesterol concentrations was observed as well as plasma triglycerides.Conclusion: The results of the present study suggests that the use of classical methods for the determination of lipid profile as a preliminary step in the diagnosis of thyroid disorder is to be of great importance, wherever radioimmunoassay assay kits of thyroid hormone are not available as in remoteurban medical sites or in unfavorable circumstances


We have developed a probabilistic model to simulate the fate and transport of nonconservative constituents in urban watersheds. The approach implemented here extends previous studies that rely on the geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph concept to include nonconservative constituents. This is implemented with a factor χ that affects the transfer functions and therefore accounts for the loss (gain) of mass associated with the constituent as it travels through the watershed. Using this framework, we developed an analytical solution for the dynamics of dissolved oxygen (DO) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in urban networks based on the Streeter and Phelps model. This model breaks down the catchment into a discreet number of possible flow paths through the system, requiring less data and implementation effort than well‐established deterministic models. Application of the model to one sewer catchment in the Chicago area with available BOD information proved its ability to predict the BOD concentration observed in the measurements. In addition, comparison of the model with a calibrated Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) of another sewer catchment from the Chicago area showed that the model predicted the BOD concentration as well as the widely accepted SWMM. The developed model proved to be a suitable alternative to simulate the fate and transport of constituents in urban catchments with limited and uncertain input data.


Targeting pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) enzymes has emerged as a promising strategy to combat cancer. 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD), the third critical enzyme of the PPP, catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation of 6-phosphogluconate (6-PG) to produce ribulose-5-phosphate (Ru-5-P) and CO2. Overexpression of 6-PGD has been reported in multiple cancers and is recognized as a potential anticancer drug target. The current study is focused on the utilization of indispensable virtual screening tools for structure-based drug discovery. During the study, 17,000 natural compounds were screened against the 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG) binding site of 6-PGD through a molecular operating environment (MOE), which revealed 115 inhibitors with higher selectivity and binding affinity. Out of the 115 best-fit compounds within the 6-PGD binding cavity, 15 compounds were selected and optimized through stringent in silico ADMET assessment models that justified the desirable pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and physicochemical profiles of 5 ligands. Further protein–ligand stability assessment through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation illustrated three potential hits, secoisolariciresinol, syringaresinol and cleomiscosin A, with stable confirmation. Moreover, 6-PGD inhibitor validation was performed by an in vitro enzymatic assay using human erythrocytes purified 6-PGD protein and A549 cell lysate protein. The results of the in vitro assays supported the in silico findings. In order to gain insight into the anticancer activity of the aforementioned compounds, they were subjected to CLC-Pred, an in silico cytotoxicity browsing tool, which proved their anticancer activity against several cancer cell lines at Pa > 0.5. Additionally, a confirmation for in silico cytotoxicity was made by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for commercially available hits syringaresinol and cleomiscosin A against lung cancer (A549) cells. The results demonstrated that syringaresinol has an IC50 value of 36.9 μg/mL, while cleomiscosin A has an IC50 value of 133 μg/mL. After MTT, flow cytometry analysis confirmed that compounds induced apoptosis in A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This study suggested that the respective lignan compounds can serve as lead candidates for lung cancer therapy via 6-PGD inhibition. Furthermore, in vivo experiments need to be conducted to confirm their efficacy.


A dedicated Community Enuresis Clinic was established in 2004 in Cavan and Monaghan. The service was audited using ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence) guidelines. There were 106 males and 47 females, giving an M: F ratio of 2.3:1. Monosymptomatic Nocturnal Enuresis (MNE) accounted for 127 (83%). Adequate follow-up was available for 108 children with MNE and in this group Initial Success was 49% (ERIC target 50%). 71% were dry at 1 year. There was a dropout rate of 20% in the MNE group (ERIC minimum standard < 25%). We believe the structure of this community based clinic and its approach to MNE management has been successful.


Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) in Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTEAdvanced)
improves the cell-edge data rates and the network spectral efficiency
through base station coordination. In order to achieve high quality of service (QoS)
in CoMP network, resource allocation approach is one of the main challenges. The
resource allocation strategies of cells in CoMP network affect each other's
performance. Thus, the resource allocation approach should consider various
diversities offered in multiuser wireless networks, particularly in frequency, spatial
and time dimensions. The primary objective of this research is to develop resource
allocation strategy for CoMP network that can provide high QoS. The resource
allocation algorithm is developed through three phases, namely Low-Complexity
Resource Allocation (LRA), Optimized Resource Allocation (ORA) and Cross-Layer
Design of ORA (CLD-ORA). The LRA algorithm is a three-step resource allocation
scheme that consists of user selection module, subcarrier allocation module and
power allocation module which are performed sequentially in a multi-antenna CoMP
network. The proposed ORA algorithm enhances throughput in LRA while ensuring
fairness. ORA is formulated based on Lagrangian method and optimized using
Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The design of CLD-ORA algorithm is an
enhancement of the ORA algorithm with resource block (RB) scheduling scheme at
medium access control (MAC) layer. Simulation study shows that the ORA
algorithm improves the network sum-rate and fairness index up to 70% and 25%,
respectively and reduces the average transmit power by 41% in relative to LRA
algorithm. The CLD-ORA algorithm has further enhanced the LRA and ORA
algorithms with network sum-rate improvement of 77% and 33%, respectively. The
proposed resource allocation algorithm has been proven to provide a significant
improved performance for CoMP LTE-Advanced network and can be extended to
future 5G network.


The case of a recipient of a kidney transplant who developed pancreatitis, complicated by pancreatic pseudocyst subsequently infected by Candidi from an infected parenteral alimentation line, is reported. The case was further complicated by rupture of the cyst leading to Candida peritonitis and development of multiple fistulous tracts between the stomach, ileum, and colon. Despite the 50% mortality of acute pancreatitis in patients with transplants and the 50% mortality reported in Candida peritonitis, the patient was successfully treated by cystogastrostomy, peritoneal lavage, and amphotericin B in association with administration of mannitol and reduction of immunosuppression to a minimal level. After eight weeks of total parenteral alimentation, the fistulous tracts spontaneously closed and the patient was discharged with normal renal function.


Bill Kruer is both a major contributor to the development of the theory of laser plasma interactions and an excellent communicator of ideas. His working environment at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has provided him with an excellent background in which to develop a comprehensive understanding of his subject. The scale of both the theoretical and experimental research teams in laser-plasma interactions at LLNL is unmatched anywhere else in the world. His book gives an authoritative introduction to the theoretical basis of laser-plasma interactions both from the standpoint of analytical modelling and also using numerical particle-in-cell methods. There is sufficient material in the text to convey the essential ideas, and adequate referencing of research papers to guide those with a more detailed interest. He gives in addition a limited survey of experimental developments. The latter is necessarily somewhat sketchy in a text of only 180 pages, and understandably focuses somewhat on work at LLNL rather than elsewhere in the world. I recommend this book as essential reading for any newcomer to the field and I also think it should be on the bookshelf of more experienced researchers as a convenient reference source on a wide range of topics. There is no real competition from any other book in the coverage of this area of science and it gets the highest possible rating from me. M. H. KEY


ABSTRACT Inventory strategies are very necessary for supporting the production process. The strategy in the form of a model is proposed for redundant allocation of critical parts of a server system for minimizing additional costs. This model considers the occurrence of failure using downtime limits as the downtime on the server should be minimal. The rapid replacement of spare parts can be achieved through an onsite inventory or a redundant configuration. Furthermore, fast delivery would be an alternative when there is no inventory or redundancy. We considered four scenarios including a combination of stock, installation of redundant components, and fast deliveries. The model was solved using the Lagrangian relaxation method. No downtime in scenarios using redundancy resulted in a stable total cost over the last period, even though the penalty increased. The redundant module only had an additional cost in the initial period, so if the penalty value increased, there was a switching of scenario selection in the third or fourth scenario.


Adaptive decision feedback equalization (DFE) has recently been used to enable high-rate data transmission through shallow-water acoustic channels. This adaptive receiver successfully tracks and suppresses intersymbol interference due to a dispersive multipath channel. However, acoustic modems which are used for network applications must also contend with interference due to cochannel signals from proximal modems. In this work, we propose and evaluate a multiuser receiver with cochannel interference suppression. The advantages of this multiuser receiver in the presence of strong cochannel interference are shown by a performance comparison to a bank of the single-user DFEs described above. Conclusions are supported in part by the demodulation of experimental data for two simultaneous cochannel signals and by a steady-state performance analysis.


Human motion segmentation (HMS) aims to segment a long human action video into a bunch of short and meaningful action clips. Existing supervised learning approaches need a large amount of training data which may be costly in real-world scenario, while most unsupervised clustering methods cannot fully explore the temporal correlations among human motions and hard to achieve promising performances. In our paper, we design a novel unsupervised framework, called Velocity-Sensitive Dual-Side Auto-Encoder (VSDA), for HMS task. Specifically, a multi-neighbor auto-encoder (MNA) is proposed to extract informative temporal features, which fully explores the local temporal patterns of human motions. In addition, a long-short distance encoding (LSE) strategy is designed. It constrains the encoded representations of close (short-distance) frames becoming similar while the representations of far-away (long-distance) frames becoming distinctive. Similarly, this strategy is also deployed on the decoded outputs as the long-short distance decoding (LSD) module. The LSE/LSD guides the learning process explicitly and implicitly to achieve the dual-side structure. Moreover, we consider the energy variations during the human motion to propose the velocity-sensitive (VS) guidance mechanism for further model improvement. VSDA leverages the temporal characteristics of human motion and derives promising HMS performance. Comprehensive experiments on six real-world human motion datasets illustrate the effectiveness of our proposed model.


Steatocystoma multiplex is a rare, almost exclusively autosomal dominant disease of the sebaceous glands. The sites of predilection are the sternal region, upper back, axillae and proximal parts of the extremities. A 78‐year‐old woman developed multiple yellowish nodules only on the face over a few months. Histology revealed large cysts with a thin wall and connection to sebaceous glands. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the inner epithelial layer of the cysts was positive with calre‐tinin. With curettage and CO2 laser therapy, a good cosmetic result was achieved. This is the first case report in the German literature of a rare sporadic form of steatocystoma multiplex with late onset and exclusive localization in the face.


Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) is a standardized framework for achieving medical device interoperability. It utilizes high-level supervisory and medical apps and low-level communication middle-ware to coordinate medical devices to accomplish a shared clinical mission. With the potential to significantly improve healthcare productivity and reduce medical errors, the interoperability of medical devices also subjects ICE systems to unprecedented security threats. In this paper, we present a set of security attacks, namely interception, tampering, and replay attack, to the network level of ICE systems, which we identify through a threat modeling analysis on OpenICE, the best-known instantiation of ICE system. For these security attacks, we devise corresponding defense mechanisms on top of OpenICE. Our experiments demonstrate that these defense mechanisms can effectively protect OpenICE from the identified attacks with acceptable computational overhead.


The authors measured transthoracic impedance between 12.5 and 185 kHz in nine adults. They used a system with two impedance channels, both simultaneously detecting the real part of impedance at two different frequencies. They used only two electrodes in the midaxillary line, connecting both channels in parallel. The amplitude relation between the two channels was measured for different maneuvers and frequencies. Results show for normal breathing an increase of the signal of 20% and a decrease in motion artifacts from 12.5 to 185 kHz. It is concluded that, for the maneuvers studied, it is better to work at higher frequencies than the ones commonly used. Also, the authors suggest a method to further increase the signal-to-motion artifact ratio based on measurement at two frequencies.<<ETX>>


There is an increasing need to develop new neuropsychometric tools sensitive enough to detect subtle declines in cognitive performance during normal aging, as well as to distinguish between normal aging and the earliest stages of dementia. In this study, we report our findings regarding a new confrontational naming test, the Memory for Names test. We conducted evaluations utilizing a cohort of 234 elderly participants who comprised a spectrum of cognitive function ranging from normal for age (Uniform Data Set Overall Appraisal = 2, Clinical Dementia Rating = 0) to demented (Clinical Dementia Rating = 1-2, Mini Mental Status Examination Total Score <25). The Memory for Names test was found to measure the same cognitive construct as the Boston Naming Test. In conclusion, the Memory for Names test is a reliable and valid measure of age-related cognitive function that can discriminate between normal aging and mild cognitive impairment, and between mild cognitive impairment and dementia.


Community/university partnerships utilizing expressive arts therapy are in a unique position to offer social and emotional support adapted to the needs and varying situations of culturally diverse children living in distressed urban neighborhoods. This three-year community-based participatory research study investigated the impact of a community/university partnership on master-level counseling students, after-school teachers, and elementary school-age students. Findings suggest that a partnership between a university expressive arts social and emotional learning initiative and a community after-school program serving low-income children and families provides noteworthy benefits for both communities. Lessons learned from this partnership can serve as a model for culturally responsive and systemic community/ university collaborations.


Every country has its own traditional festivals, celebrated by all kinds of activities. In China, the most important festival is the Spring Festival, while in America, the most important festival is Christmas. Festival differences exist between China and America. With time elapsing, festival culture changes gradually and some new cultural phenomenon occurs.


WATCHMAN™ is a left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion device used to prevent thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. Endothelialization of the device is required to completely occlude the LAA. Prior to endothelialization, the device is thrombogenic. The duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy after device insertion is based on animal studies demonstrating endothelialization at 3 months. A 73-year-old man presented with symptomatic severe mitral regurgitation 3 years after the WATCHMAN device was implanted. During mitral valve repair, we found that the WATCHMAN device was not endothelialized. The device was removed and the LAA was ligated after repair of the mitral valve. The long-term incidence and clinical significance of incomplete endothelialization after LAA-occlusion must be investigated. Postimplantation and perioperative antiplatelet and anticoagulation protocols require re-evaluation. The potential role of thoracoscopic epicardial LAA clipping must be considered.


Prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms make a vital contribution to biogeochemical cycles by decomposing virtually all natural compounds and thereby exert a lasting effect on biosphere and climate. The rapidly growing number of metagenomic sequences together with revolutionary advances in bioinformatics and protein analyses have opened completely new horizons to investigate the molecular basis of such complex processes. Proteomics has contributed substantially to our understanding of individual organisms at the cellular level as it offers excellent possibilities to probe many protein functions and responses simultaneously. However, it has not yet been widely applied in microbial ecology, although most proteins have an intrinsic metabolic function which can be used to relate microbial activities to the identity of defined organisms in multispecies communities. Albeit still in its infancy, environmental proteomics enables simple protein cataloging, comparative and semi‐quantitative proteomics, analyses of protein localization, discovery of post‐translational modifications, and even determination of amino‐acid sequences and genotypes by strain‐resolved proteogenomics. This review traces the historical development of environmental proteomics and summarizes milestone publications in the field. In conclusion, we briefly discuss current limitations of microbial community proteomics but also the potential of emerging technologies to shape the future of metaproteome analyses.


Transplantation of fetal ventral mesencephalic (VM) neurons for Parkinson's disease (PD) is limited by poor survival and suboptimal integration of grafted tissue into the host brain. In a 6-OHDA rat model of PD we investigated the feasibility of simultaneous transplantation of rat fetal VM tissue and polymer-encapsulated C2C12 myoblasts genetically modified to produce glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor or mocktransfected myoblasts on graft function. Amphetamine-induced rotations were assessed prior and 2, 4, 6 and 9 weeks post-transplantation. We found that rats grafted with VM transplants and GDNF-capsules showed a significant functional recovery already 4 weeks after implantation. In contrast, rats from the VM transplant and mock-capsule group did not improve at any time point analyzed. Moreover, we detected a significantly higher number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) cells per graft (2 fold), a tendency for a larger graft volume and an overall higher TH-ir fiber outgrowth into the host brain (1.7 fold) in the group with VM transplants and GDNF-capsules as compared to the VM transplant and mock-capsule group. Most prominent was the TH-ir fiber outgrowth towards the capsule (9 fold). Grafting of GDNF pre-treated VM transplants in combination with the implantation of GDNF-capsules resulted in a tendency for a higher TH-ir fiber outgrowth into the host brain (1.7 fold) as compared to the group transplanted with untreated VM transplants and GDNF-capsules. No differences between groups were observed for the number of surviving TH-ir neurons or graft volume. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that simultaneous transplantation of fetal VM tissue and encapsulated GDNF-releasing cells is feasible and support the graft survival and function. Pre-treatment of donor tissue with GDNF may offer a way to further improve cell transplantation approaches for PD.


The paper presents three different projections of the future number of Sámi language users in Norway based on the contemporary number of children receiving instruction in Sámi in the Norwegian school system, either North, Lule or South Sámi. There exist three different curricula for the subject Sámi, one for first language pupils (Sámi 1), one for second language pupils (Sámi 2), and one for pupils with no previous knowledge of the language (Sámi 3). Depending on whether only Sámi 1 pupils become future language users, or also Sámi 2 or even Sámi 3 pupils do so, a sober, moderate, and optimistic prognosis can be made, respectively. The sober prognosis predicts a dramatic decrease for North Sámi and slight decrease for the other two varieties, whereas the moderate prognosis predicts stability for North Sámi and increase for Lule and South Sámi, and the optimistic prognosis predicts an increase for all three varieties. A number of factors that are likely to modulate the prognoses are brought to attention and discussed, unveiling that more information is needed regarding a number of issues that bear on how the future of the Sámi languages in Norway can be estimated.


Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are complex molecules, present in plants as free bases and N-oxides. They are known for their hepatotoxicity, and consequently there is a health risk associated with the use of medicinal herbs that contain PAs. Unfortunately, there is no international regulation of PAs in foods, unlike those for herbs and medicines: in particular, for herbal preparation or herbal extracts, the total PA content must not exceed 1 µg/kg or 1 µg/l, respectively. Borago officinalis seed oil is a source of γ-linolenic acid, and its use is increased in both pharmaceutical and health food industries. Even if studies based on gas chromatography and TLC methods showed that PAs are not co-extracted with oil, the development of a rapid and sensitive method able to evaluate the presence of PAs in commercially available products is surely of interest. The presence of PAs in a commercially available Borago officinalis seed oil was tested either in the oil sample diluted with tetrahydrofuran/methanol (MeOH)/H2 O (85/10/5 v:v:v) or after extraction with MeOH/H2 O (50/50 v:v) solution The samples were analysed by electrospray ionization in positive ion mode and in high mass resolution (60,000) conditions. In both cases to evaluate the effectiveness of the method, spiking experiments were performed adding known amount of two PA standards to the borage seed oil. A limit of detection in the order of 200 ppt was determined for these two compounds, strongly analogous to Borago officinalis seed oil PAs. Consequently, if present, PAs level in Borago officinalis seed oil must lower than 200 ppt.


Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a main determinant of global health and mortality. Despite significant advances in therapeutic options, many patients complain with persistent symptoms and/or signs of myocardial ischemia (ie, refractory angina). Main therapeutic strategies used in angina patients aim at either reducing the effects of coronary stenosis on coronary blood flow or at removing the coronary stenosis itself. However, obstructive coronary artery disease is not synonymous with IHD. Indeed, a number of other factors can precipitate myocardial ischemia, including microvascular dysfunction, focal or diffuse spasm, and altered mitochondrial metabolism. It is therefore not surprising that therapeutic strategies that target epicardial coronary stenosis are not effective in all IHD patients. When approaching a patient with angina, the multiple pathophysiology model should be adopted at all levels, including diagnostic and treatment strategies. Angina should be considered refractory once the underlying mechanism has been identified and the targeted treatment has failed to control symptoms. This attitude could help stratify risk and augment treatment strategies, in this way optimizing resource utilization and improving cardiovascular outcome in the individual patient. L Heart Metab. 2017;72:4-8


Herein we report the development of bimetallic Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) where gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) served as the seeds for continuous deposition of silver atoms on its surface. The core-shell structure and morphology were examined by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The core-shell NPs showed antibacterial activity against both gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and gram positive (Enterococcus faecalis and Pediococcus acidilactici) bacteria at low concentration of silver present in the shell, with more efficacy against gram negative bacteria. TEM and flow cytometric studies showed that the core-shell NPs attached to the bacterial surface and caused membrane damage leading to cell death. The enhanced antibacterial properties of Au@Ag core-shell NPs was possibly due to the more active silver atoms in the shell surrounding gold core due to high surface free energy of the surface Ag atoms owing to shell thinness in the bimetallic NP structure.


The impact of water on the hydroxyl-terminated perfluoropolyether, Zdol, and the amorphous carbon overcoats commonly used on magnetic recording disks was investigated via computer modeling, kinetic experiments, and surface energy measurements. Water is shown to interact via hydrogen bonding with the hydroxyl end groups of Zdol and the polar, carbon–oxygen functionalities on the carbon overcoat. The interaction between water and the hydrophobic perfluorinated backbone is, however, repulsive. The corrosion susceptibility of Zdol lubricated magnetic recording disks was also studied. Reduced levels of corrosion were observed when the total Zdol thickness, and/or the bonded thickness, were increased. The results are consistent with a heterogeneous corrosion mechanism in which electron transfer from the polar functionalities on the carbon overcoat to the surface adsorbed water is the rate limiting step. The disk lubricant inhibits the electrochemical conductivity of the disk surface by; (a) a screening of the e...


Malaysia imported well over 2 million tonnes per annum of energy feed as corn in the last three years and another 1 million tonnes of protein supplement, mainly soyabean and fish meal. Well over 200 000 t of crude palm oil (CPO) were used in livestock feed. These feeds are essential items in the formulation of compound feed or ration for commercial livestock. Oil palm and palm oil industries provide several products and by-products which are suitable to be used as animal feed. They are available from the plantation, milling, crushing and refining. Livestock feed from palm products presents an excellent opportunity for replacing imported feed. Also it can be exported to regional and international markets.


Live advertising is on the rise, with many influencers, brands, and retailers investing in the format online. Drawing on liveness theory, this article deconstructs advertising media and illustrates what it means to "go live." Allowing for the synchronous production and consumption of media, a live advertisement typically offers a sociable atmosphere and, delivered interactively online, reduces the friction along the path to purchase. The typology here outlines how shoppable live advertising compares to other advertising media in terms of richness, temporal copresence, sociability, and shoppability.


Queensland real estate agents operate in a rapidly evolving and increasingly regulated legal environment. Now in its fifth edition, Real Estate Agency Law in Queensland has been fully updated to take account of the latest legal developments

New to this edition:
 - Analysis of the Property Occupations Act 2014 and Agents Financial Administration Act 2014 as they impact upon real estate agency practice from 1 December 2014;

 - Extensive explanation of the new disclosure regimes under the amended Land Sales Act 1984 and the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 in so far as they concern the obligations of real estate agents;

 - An introduction to the new regime established by amendments to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 in so far as this legislation affects foreign sellers;

 - Detailed explanation of the current standard REIQ Contracts of Sale for Residential Land, Community Title including contracts for the sale of all types of commercial real estate;

 - Introduction to electronic conveyancing in Queensland;
A decade of updating of all other statutes affecting agency practice including the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 and amendments to the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994;

Updated relevant case law to date of publication.

This book captures all significant legal issue affecting agency practice, thus making it an essential resource for anyone involved with the real estate industry in Queensland.


Procedures in the commercial production of animals involve stressful situations which lessen the animal's welfare. This study on Japanese quail evaluated whether an environmental enrichment manipulation can affect avian immune responses and if combined with a chronic stressor exposure can help to counteract the negative effects of stress on the immune system. Potential gender effects were also considered. After hatch, half of the birds were housed in non-enriched boxes and half were housed in environmentally enriched boxes. From day 33 to 42 of age, all birds within half of the non-enriched and enriched boxes remained undisturbed while the other half were daily exposed to a 15 min restraint stressor (chronic stressor). The inflammatory response (lymphoproliferation after phytohemagglutinin-p), percentage of lymphocytes, heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and primary antibody response against sheep red blood cells were assessed. The chronic stressor application and the enrichment procedure, respectively, either increased or reduced the four immunological parameters evaluated and always in opposite directions. Males consistently showed lower antibody titres than females and presented the highest H/L ratio in response to the stressor when reared in the non-enriched environment. The findings indicate that submitting these animals to an enriched environment can be effectively used to improve their immune response and to reduce the detrimental effects of a stressor exposure.


The present work catalogues, describes and discusses the production in print of vernacular poetry in Italy from the editio princeps of Petrarch's Canzoniere (1470), to Bernbo's Rime (1530). The chronoloqical span considered encompasses radical transformations which took place in the world of literature, and which regarded both questions of text-transmission (the passage from script to print and the establishment of a sound printing trade) and literary transformations stricto sensu : the birth of a vernacular Literature, of a vernacular Language and of vernacular literary genres. The thesis investigates the typographic development of the book of verse, to see how it affected the nature and contents or the texts carried and ultimately also the definition of the canzoniere genre as the privileged, "official" form of writing poetry. Attention is focused both on the letter and structure of the texts and on the bibliographical environment in which they travelled. The thesis is therefore divided into two parts: Part one Writing and printing vernacular verses: towards the definition of a literary genre , discusses the production of vernacular poetry in the fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century in its historical context and in the forms of its production. collection and publication. Part two: The book as a material object , deals more directly with bibliographical questions. A Short-title Catalogue of all the book of verse printed in Italy in Italian vernacular between 1470 and 1530 and a Descriptive Catalogue , providing the bibliographical descriptions of roughly half of the editions listed in the Short-title Catalogue appear at the end of Part one and Part two respectively. The work is completed by a Chronological index of the editions and by an Index of printers and printing centres .


Scholarly consensus is lacking for the risk stratification of patients who present with acute or subacute dermatologic conditions of the lower extremity, particularly cellulitis and its mimickers. This lack of consensus leads to overconsumption of hospital resources and may result in delayed recognition and treatment, adversely affecting patient outcomes. In this retrospective chart review, our aim was to test a set of clinical criteria-acute onset, erythema, pyrexia, history of associated trauma, tenderness, unilaterality (presence on 1 limb only), and leukocytosis-in patients with a known diagnosis of cellulitis or noncellulitis, as determined by dermatology consultation. We hope that these criteria can help clinicians better quantify risk based on history, physical examination, and risk factors, and thus help differentiate emergent and nonemergent dermatologic conditions of the lower extremity.


The effect of several collectors on the niobite synthetized under the condition of varying pH values and dosages were studied. The collecting property of several representative collectors was also investigated. The experimental result shows that diphosphonic acid is a good collector for niobite. Its recovery is about 84.24%-91.17% when the pH value of the pulp is less than 5.0 and the dosage of diphosphonic acid is 140mg/L. The sequences of the selectivity and collecting capacity of the collectors were compared. Infrared absorption spectrum (IAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to detect and analyze the adsorption mechanism of diphosphonic acid on the surface of niobite. The IAS result indicates that diphosphonic acid is indeed adsorbed on the surface of niobite, and the XPS result shows that the binding energy of P(subscript 2p) peak of niobite treated by diphosphonic acid has changed 2.85eV. It confirms that the adsorption belongs to a chemisorption type.


A study of the development of the Saturn launch vehicle that took Americans to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. The Saturn rocket was developed as a means of accomplishing President John F. Kennedy's goal for the United States to reach the moon before the end of the decade. Without the Saturn V rocket, and its capability of sending as payload the Apollo Command and Lunar Modules - along with support equipment and three astronauts - more than a quarter of a million miles from Earth, Kennedy's goal would have been unrealizable. This volume not only tells the story of the research and development of the Saturn rockets and the people who designed them but also recounts the stirring exploits of their operations from orbital missions around Earth testing Apollo equipment to their journeys to the moon and back. This history should be of interest to anyone seeking to understand the development of space flight in America and the course of modern technology. This reprint edition includes a new preface by the author providing a 21st-century perspective on the historic importance of the Saturn project.


In a 1926 article Wada Sei criticized the chronology of early Ming history given in the Ming T'ai-tsu shih-lu and other official sources. His conclusions have won general acceptance. Wada based his revisions on the Chi-shih-lu of Yu Pen, a lost work surviving only in fragmentary quotation. Recently, a more extensive text of the latter has come to light, and internal analysis of the longer text shows that its chronology is too confused for any of the Chi-shih-lu to be reliable as a corrective to the official sources. This removes the evidential basis for Wada's revised chronology, and requires the substitution for it of the order of events given in the Ming T'ai-tsu shih-lu.


In this paper we present a comparative study of the agglomeration process in silicon-on-insulator (SOI), silicon germanium-om-insulator (SGOI), and strained SOI (SSOI) thin layers under thermal annealing in ultrahigh vacuum. In particular, we provide the first evidence and characterization of agglomeration in SGOI and SSOI substrates. A common agglomeration dynamics is observed in all the substrates investigated, with the semiconductor-on-insulator layer thickness being the main parameter governing it. These findings provide a better understanding of the surface-energy-driven dewetting phenomenon in semiconductor layers and allow us to single out the influence of the surface and stress energies on the void formation and evolution, as well as on the size and density of the agglomerated islands.


This study consisted of two experiments. In the first experiment, a survey of driver opinions concerning beam-pattern uniformity was conducted. The questions dealt with the uniformity of one's own low-beam pattern (from memory and after nighttime driving), the important areas of the beam pattern for uniformity, and the degree of prior attention paid to uniformity. A total of 48 respondents returned the questionnaire. The main results of this experiment are as follows: (1) Ratings of uniformity from memory were similar to those made after driving. (2) Foreground in one's own lane was rated as the most important area for uniformity. The second experiment involved a field evaluation of the uniformity of a U.S. and a European beam pattern, first from memory after experiencing the beam pattern without prior instructions about uniformity, and then during actual viewing. A total of 16 subjects (both younger and older) participated. The main results of this experiment are as follows: (1) Although there was a tendency to assign higher uniformity ratings during viewing than from memory, the difference was not statistically significant. (2) Uniformity ratings tended to be based on illumination in one's own lane. (3) The European beam pattern was rated as being more uniform than the U.S. beam pattern. (4) The uniformity of the ECE beam pattern was not significantly related to the areas that were considered important for uniformity. On the other hand, the uniformity of the U.S. beam pattern was positively related to the relative importance of the illumination in one's own lane of travel.


Cybercrime is a significant challenge to society, but it can be particularly harmful to the individuals who become victims. This chapter engages in a comprehensive and topical analysis of the cybercrimes that target individuals. It also examines the motivation of criminals that perpetrate such attacks and the key human factors and psychological aspects that help to make cybercriminals successful. Key areas assessed include social engineering (e.g., phishing, romance scams, catfishing), online harassment (e.g., cyberbullying, trolling, revenge porn, hate crimes), identity-related crimes (e.g., identity theft, doxing), hacking (e.g., malware, cryptojacking, account hacking), and denial-of-service crimes. As a part of its contribution, the chapter introduces a summary taxonomy of cybercrimes against individuals and a case for why they will continue to occur if concerted interdisciplinary efforts are not pursued.


Heart rate (HR) is an essential clinical measure for the assessment of cardiorespiratory instability. Since communities of color are disproportionately affected by both COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease, there is a pressing need to deploy contactless HR sensing solutions for high-quality telemedicine evaluations. Existing computer vision methods that estimate HR from facial videos exhibit biased performance against dark skin tones. We present a novel physics-driven algorithm that boosts performance on darker skin tones in our reported data. We assess the performance of our method through the creation of the first telemedicine-focused remote vital signs dataset, the VITAL dataset. 432 videos (~864 minutes) of 54 subjects with diverse skin tones are recorded under realistic scene conditions with corresponding vital sign data. Our method reduces errors due to lighting changes, shadows, and specular highlights and imparts unbiased performance gains across skin tones, setting the stage for making medically inclusive non-contact HR sensing technologies a viable reality for patients of all skin tones.


Background
Persons with prior sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at high risk for reinfection. No recent studies have examined frequency with which persons are diagnosed and reported with multiple bacterial STIs over time.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective, of confirmed syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infections reported to Massachusetts state surveillance system within a 2-year period, 28 July 2014-27 July 2016.

Results
Among Massachusetts population aged 13-65 years (4847510), 49142 (1.0%) were reported with ≥1 STIs; 6999 (14.2% of those with ≥1 STI) had ≥2 STIs, accounting for 27.7% of STIs. Of cases with ≥5 or more STIs (high-volume repeaters), 118 (74%) were men and 42 (26%) were women. Men spanned the age spectrum and were predominantly non-Hispanic white; 87% reported same-sex contacts. Women were younger, predominantly nonwhite, and without known same-sex contacts. Women were reinfected with gonorrhea and chlamydia or chlamydia alone; none had syphilis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. All men with syphilis also had gonorrhea and/or chlamydia; 35% were diagnosed with HIV before, during, or within 10 months after study period. The majority (56%) of high-volume repeaters were seen at more than 1 care site/system.

Conclusions
In Massachusetts, a large proportion of bacterial STIs are reported from a small subpopulation, many of whom have repeated infections and are likely to have higher impact on STI and HIV rates. Public health can play a crucial role in reaching high-volume repeaters whose STI histories may be hidden from clinicians due to fragmented care.


Abstract Improving productivity in the entertainment industry is a very challenging task as it heavily depends on generating attractive content for the consumers. The consumer-centric design (putting the consumers at the centre of the content development and production) focuses on ways in which businesses can design customized services and products which accurately reflect consumer preferences. We propose a new framework which allows to use data science to optimize content-generation in entertainment and test this framework for the motion picture industry. We use the natural language processing methodology combined with econometric analysis to explore whether and to what extent emotions shape consumer preferences for media and entertainment content, which, in turn, affect revenue streams. By analyzing 6,174 movie scripts, we generate the emotional trajectory of each motion picture. We then combine the obtained mappings into clusters which represent groupings of consumer emotional journeys. These clusters are then plugged into an econometric model to predict overall success parameters of the movies including box office revenues, viewer satisfaction levels (captured by IMDb ratings), awards, as well as the number of viewers' and critics' reviews. We find that emotional arcs in movies can be partitioned into 6 basic shapes. The highest box offices are associated with the Man in a Hole shape which is characterized by an emotional fall followed by an emotional rise. This U-shaped emotional arc results in financially successful movies irrespective of genre and production budget. Implications of this analysis for generating on-demand content and improving productivity in entertainment industries are discussed.


A preconcentration and determination methodology utilizing the cloud point phenomenon was developed for the determination of inorganic selenium species using UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The cloud point extraction method was based on the selective formation of a complex between selenium(IV) ions and 4,5-diamino-6-hydroxy-2-mercapto pyrimidine (DAHMP). Then, the formed stable complex was extracted to a nonionic surfactant phase of Triton X-114. After phase separation was carried out via decantation, the surfactant-rich phase was diluted with 20% ethanol solution and the absorbance signal was measured at 458 nm using an UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Under the optimized conditions, linear calibration curves were obtained over a range of 20–1500 ng mL−1 with detection and quantification limits of 6.06 ng mL−1 and 19.89 ng mL−1, respectively. The relative standard deviation was 2.80% for 5 replicate measurements at 250 μg L−1 concentration level. The proposed method is very versatile and economic as only a conventional spectrophotometer is used for the measurements. The method was validated by the analysis of two certified reference materials and a recovery test. Finally, the method was applied to the determination of the total Se amount in real samples including water samples and hen eggs containing selenium.


Legacy applications can be difficult and time-consuming to understand and update due to the lack of modern abstraction mechanisms in legacy languages, as well as the gradual deterioration of code due to repeated maintenance activities. We present an approach for reverse engineering process model abstractions from legacy code. Such a process model can provide a quick initial understanding of an application, and can be a useful starting point for further program exploration. Our approach takes as input a user specification of interesting events, and creates a representation (i.e., a process model) that concisely depicts the occurrences of the events and the possible control-flow among them. The key features of our approach are the use of a logical data model of the program for specifying the events, and graph-projection techniques for creating the process model.


The objective of this paper was to determine the phosphorus adsorption characteristics using the Langmuir isotherm and it is relation with some physical and chemical properties of soils. The study was carried out in the Soil and Plant Laboratory, of the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA), Brazil, with surface (0-20 cm) samples from eight soils of the Amazonas State. Ample variation of the maximum phosphorus capacity factor (MPAC), adsorption energy and maximum phosphorus capacity factor (PmCF) were observed. The Plinthite soil showed the highest values of the MPAC and PmCF and the Yellow Oxisol 1 (LAx-1) showed the highest adsorption energy. The MPAC ranged from 0.297 to 0.888 mg P g-1 of soil, the adsorption energy with which the phosphorus is sorbed was between 0,230 and 0,730 L mg-1, and the PmCF. ranged from 137 to 593 mL g-1. The PmCF decreased from Plinthite (FTa) > Yellow Oxisol (LAx-1) > Yellow Oxisol (LAx-3) > Yellow Oxisol (LAx-6) > Yellow Oxisol (LAx-2) > Yellow Oxisol (LAx 4) > Yellow Ultisol (PAd) > Yellow Oxisol (LAx-5). The MPAC and the PmCF were positively correlated with clay content (r = 0,948** e r = 0,962** ) and exchangeable Al3+ (r = 0,688* e r = 0,666* ), and negatively correlated with base saturation (r = - 0,667* e r = - 0,761*), respectively. The adsorption energy was positively correlated with clay content (r = 0,783*) and negatively with base saturation (r = - 0,775*).


A 61-year-old female presented with 4 years history of left-sided hemifacial spasm. Head MRI and angiography indicated left vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm which compressed ipsilateral cranial nerves Ⅶ and Ⅷ. Microvascular decompression was performed. The dissecting aneurysm was pushed apart and the distal part of the parent artery was adhered to the dura on the petrosum. The compressed nerves were totally decompressed. The symptom of facial spasm was completely resolved immediately after surgery and did not recur during 6 months of follow up.


The ultrafiltration of a single protein (β-lactoglobulin) solution was compared with a mixture of yeast extract and β-lactoglobulin to show that, even when all the compounds of a complex biological solution interfere with the results of filtration, it can estimate its performance just using some major assumptions connected to a mass-transfer model. Preliminary experiments based on these assumptions showed that the filtration of a single rejected protein like β-lactoglobulin builds a dynamic layer at the wall, the selectivity and resistance of control by the protein concentration and formation of this dynamic membrane. Adding yeast extract, a complex biological medium, can alter this layer. But at neutral pH, away from the protein isoelectric point, these modifications are weak and their effects more negligible than those arising from a modified concentration. Using these assumptions, a model based on the theory of thermodynamics of irreversible processes is proposed that provides the correct description of selectivity and flux during the filtration of such complex and badly known mixtures.


Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B cell disorder with a highly variable clinical outcome, where some patients remain asymptomatic, while others have significant symptoms and require therapeutic intervention. Clinical symptoms include infiltration of lymphoplasmacytic cells into the bone marrow, production of a monoclonal IgM protein, anemia, lymphadenopathy, and serum hyperviscosity. Despite the introduction of multiple chemotherapeutic regimens over the past several decades, WM remains an incurable disease.

2-cyano-3,12-dioxoolean-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) and its methyl ester derivative (CDDO-Me) and imidazolide derivative (CDDO-Im) are synthetic triterpenoids derived from oleanolic acid. These compounds have been shown to induce apoptosis of several tumor cell types including breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, osteosarcoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma cells. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential role of synthetic triterpenoids in WM.

Preliminary studies on malignant B cells indicated that CDDO-Im induced the greatest amount of cell death and we therefore used this derivative of CDDO for our studies. CD19+ CD138+ cells from bone marrow biopsy specimens obtained from WM patients were isolated by positive selection and were treated with varying concentrations of CDDO-Im (62.5 nM to 750 nM ) and cell viability was determined after 24 hours (n=3). Compared to the nil control 47% of the malignant cells remained viable at a CDDO-Im concentration of 62.5 nM and only 11% remained viable at 125 nM CDDO-Im. To determine if CDDO-Im had specific toxic effects on non-malignant cells, we cultured CD19- CD138- cells from WM patient bone marrows with CDDO-Im and found that non-malignant cells were less sensitive to the drug, 80% being viable at 62.5 nM and 65% being viable at 125 nM. Similarly, we found that normal peripheral blood B cells and CD19+ CD138+ bone marrow B cells from healthy donors were less sensitive to CDDO-Im. Compared to the nil control 93% of the CD19+ CD138+ bone marrow B cells and 70% of the peripheral blood B cells remained viable at a CDDO-Im concentration of 62.5 nM and 95% and 68% remained viable at 125 nM CDDO-Im respectively. We next examined the effect of CDDO-Im on WM cell proliferation and found that CDDO-Im inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Similar to the viability assays, there was a differential effect of CDDO-Im on malignant and non-malignant cells. Compared to the nil control, at 125 nM, there was a complete inhibition of malignant cell growth, while approximately 40% of the non-malignant cells remained proliferative. To determine the mechanism of cell death, CD19+ CD138+ cells were cultured in the presence or absence of various doses of CDDO-Im for 6 hours and cell lysates were examined for cleavage of PARP. There was evidence of PARP cleavage in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that CDDO-Im induced malignant cell death occurs through a caspase-dependent mechanism.

In summary, the synthetic triterpenoid CDDO-Im decreased the viability of WM B cells in a dose-dependent manner, and CDDO-Im had a greater effect on the viability of the malignant cells compared to non-malignant cells from the same WM patients. CDDO-Im also inhibited malignant cell growth in a dose-dependent manner and the mechanism of CDDO-Im mediated cell death appears to be a caspase-mediated event. Overall, our data indicate that CDDO-Im may have potential efficacy in WM patients.


Many different short-time features, using time windows of 10-30 ms, have been proposed for music segmentation, retrieval and genre classification. However, often the available time frame of the music to make the actual decision or comparison (the decision time horizon) is in the range of seconds instead of milliseconds. The problem of making new features on the larger time scale from the short-time features (feature integration) has received only little attention. The paper investigates different methods for feature integration and late information fusion for music genre classification. A new feature integration technique, the AR model, is proposed and seemingly outperforms the commonly used mean-variance features.


Artificial juxtacrine stimulation arises from the covalent attachment of growth factors onto biomaterials. Incorporation of growth factors onto cell culture substrates has been found to enhance the functionality of cells in vitro. In this study, we describe how the immobilization of Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) enhances the viability of hepatocarcinoma cell line, HepG2 up to 4 days. The biomaterial for immobilization of GRP was prepared using indium tin oxide (ITO) sputtered on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (3-APTES) on ITO was covalently attached to GRP. Characterization of the substrates before and after immobilization of GRP was carried out using contact angle measurements, FTIR and AFM techniques. HepG2 cells were cultured on immobilized GRPSAM-ITO substrate for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours and compared to cell viability of soluble GRP under similar conditions. The cell viability on immobilized GRP-SAM-ITO after 48 hours was less than that of soluble GRP by 19%. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) production after 48 hours was significantly reduced by 44% for immobilized GRP when compared to that with soluble GRP. After 96 hours, cell viability increased and cytotoxicity decreased for HepG2 cells on GRP-SAM-ITO substrates, suggesting viability was successfully extended. A similar experiment (LDH assay) with immobilized epidermal growth facor (EGF), obtained by covalent attachment of EGF shows that the cell viability can be extended to 5 days. These data may provide insight towards the development of bioreactors for drug toxicity screening.


Plasmas are as rich as any other state of matter in terms of distinct processes and interactions and they encompass distinguishable scales ranging from the atomic to the galactic. Opportunities in plasma science and technology reflect this breadth in phenomena and scales. New and emerging technologies enable significant qualitative and quantitative advances in experiments. For example, new microfabrication techniques make possible sophisticated particle and field probes with spatial resolution better than a Debye length in some laboratory plasmas. Indeed, certain plasma systems provide the most accessible physical systems where both the computational modeiing and relevant physical measurements are possible at all scale lengths; micro-, meso-, to macroscale.


This paper describes the design, calibration, and deployment of a fast-rotating shadowband radiometer (FRSR) that accurately decomposes downward shortwave (solar) irradiance into direct-beam and diffuse components from a moving platform, such as a ship on the ocean. The FRSR has seven channels, one broad-band silicone detector, and six 10-nm-wide channels at 415, 500, 610, 660, 860, and 940 nm. The shadowband technique produces estimates of the direct-beam normal irradiance, the diffuse irradiance (sky component), and the total irradiance. The direct-beam normal irradiances produce time series of aerosol optical thickness. A proven ability to derive meaningful at-sea estimates of aerosol optical depth from an economical, automated, and reliable instrument opens the way to a distributed network of such measurements from volunteer observing ships in all areas of the World Ocean. The processing algorithms are key to the instrument's ability to derive direct-normal beam irradiance without gimbals and a gyro-stabilized table. At-sea Langley plots were produced during the Aerosols99 cruise of the R/V Ronald H. Brownfrom Norfolk, Virginia, to Cape Town, South Africa. A Langley calibration of the instrument at the Mauna Loa Observatory confirmed prior calibrations and demonstrated that the calibration was stable over the duration of the cruise. The standard deviation in all plots was of the order 2% for all channels.


A multilaboratory study designed to determine the in vitro susceptibility criteria and quality control parameters for ofloxacin against Neisseria gonorrhoeae was conducted according to the guidelines of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Proposed susceptibility breakpoints are MICs of less than or equal to 0.25 microgram/ml for the agar dilution test and greater than or equal to 31 mm for the disk diffusion test. A category for resistance could not be defined. Proposed acceptable quality control MICs for N. gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 range from 0.004 to 0.03 microgram/ml and 0.25 to 1.0 microgram/ml, respectively. With 5-micrograms ofloxacin disks, acceptable inhibitory zone diameters for S. aureus ATCC 25923 and the N. gonorrhoeae control strains range from 22 to 27 mm and 43 to 51 mm, respectively.


Based on resource-oriented Petri net models of automated manufacturing systems (AMS), and Wu's previous work (1999) on a necessary and sufficient condition for deadlock-free operation, this paper proposes a new control policy such that deadlock is completely avoided, starvation and blocking situations are reduced and sometimes eliminated. It attempts to release an appropriate number of jobs into the system and control the order of resource usage based on state information in the net model. The theoretical results for the correctness of this policy are presented. A simple AMS is used to demonstrate its great potential to high utilization and productivity.


Prosocial behavior is a form of behavior that emerge in social contacts, so that prosocial behavior is an action taken or planned to help others , caring about the motives of the helper . Helping action is fully motivated by their own interests without expecting anything. Prosocial action is more demanding on the high sacrifice of the doer and voluntary or shown to benefit others rather than getting material orsocial rewards. Prosocial behavior is influenced by many variables , in this study , the researcher linking prosocial behavior with religiosity and empathy . This study aims to determine whether there is a correlation between prosocial behavior with religi osity and empathy. The results of this study are expected to provide information for Assembly GKT Hosana Bumi Permai to develop prosocial behavior congregation. Having receached to 64 people of GKT Hosana Bumi Permai shows that together religiosity variabl es and empathy has a significant corelation with prosocial variables. Religiosity variables have no correlation with Prosocial , whereas empathy variables have significant association with Prosocial variables


For many years foresters have been using statistical probability density functions to describe and characterise stand structure. Predicting the current and future yields of a stand is essential for successful stand and timber management. Implicit prediction of current yield is accomplished by using diameter distribution methods. All diameter distribution yield systems predict the number of trees per unit area by diameter class. In this study, the normal, lognormal and the three-parameter Weibull probability density function were compared to characterise the diameter distributions of Sal (Shorea robusta) plantations grown at Tilagarh Eco-park, Bangladesh. Data from 70 plots, established in three plantations, were used for this study. The Weibull parameters were estimated by the maximum likelihood and moments estimator methods. A one-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used for the goodness of fit for all models. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test results showed that both lognormal and Weibull distributions were suitable to characterise the diameter distributions of Sal plantations in the study area and may be applicable for other Sal forests in Bangladesh.


ABSTRACT Imidaclopride is an insecticide widely used for pest control in agriculture around the world. It acts on the central nervous system of insects, while posing lower toxicity to mammals. This is an organic material made of Pyridinium, Dihydroimidazol and Nitramide. This structure poses a threat to the environment and humans. Until now, different types of methods have been used for elimination of this organic pollution. Recently, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are presented as a proposed method to remove this organic pollution. Photocatalytic degradation is also used as an efficient method for destruction of organic structures. In this study, the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle as a photocatalyst activated by UV irradiation is investigated. The new design of the reactor was prepared with coaxial cylinders in which the inner cylinder is rotated at a constant speed. The reactor worked in two batch and continuous modes. The results show that the UV irradiation is more effective than activated TiO2 nanoparticle, as the designed reactor with UV irradiation eliminated Imidaclopride in less than 2 hours.


Abstract. Tropical cyclones have devastating impacts on the environment, economies, and societies, and may intensify in the coming decades due to climate change. Stable water isotopes serve as tracers of the hydrological cycle, as the fractionation process may leave distinct precipitation isotopic signatures. Here we present a record of daily precipitation isotope measurements from March 2014 to October 2015 for Metropolitan Manila, which is a first of a kind dataset for the Philippines and Southeast Asia, and analyze if there is an isotopic response to tropical cyclones. The most negative shift in δ18O value (−13.84 ‰) leading to a clear isotopic signal was caused by Typhoon Rammasun, which directly hit Metropolitan Manila. The average δ18O value of precipitation associated with tropical cyclones is −10.24 ‰, whereas the mean isotopic value for rainfall associated with non-cyclone events is −5.29 ‰. Further, the closer the storm track to the sampling site, the more negative the isotopic values, indicating that in-situ isotope measurements can provide a direct linkage between isotopes and typhoon activities in the Philippines.


Electrochemical potential measurements of materials in waste tanks are important in determining if the materials have a propensity for stress corrosion cracking and pitting. Potential measurement requires a reference electrode, but the effect of radiation on the potential generated by the reference electrode has been an unknown quantity. To determine the significance of the radiation effect, Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted studies of five types of electrodes under gamma radiation at room temperature. The subjects were two types of silver/silver chloride reference electrodes (Fisher and Lazaran), a mercury/calomel reference electrode, a platinum ``flag,`` and a piece of A-537 carbon steel; the electrodes were exposed to a simulated caustic tank environment. The Fisher silver/silver chloride and mercury/calomel reference electrodes showed essentially no radiation effects up to a flux of 2.1E6 R/h and fluence of 9.4E8 R, indicating they would be useful reference electrodes for in-tank studies. The Lazaran{reg_sign} silver/silver chloride electrode showed serious potential deviations at fluences of 2.E8 R, but it would be the electrode of choice in many situations because it is simple to maintain. Radiation affected the open circuit potential of both the platinum and carbon steel electrodes. This effect indicates that corrosion studies without radiation may not duplicatemore » the corrosion processes expected in a waste tank. Mixed-potential theory was used to explain the radiation effects.« less


The biotechnological application of microorganisms for rhizoremediation of contaminated sites requires the development of plant-microbe symbionts capable of plant growth promotion and hydrocarbon degradation. Studies focusing on microbial consortia are often difficult to reproduce, thereby necessitating the need for culturable single bacterial species for biotechnological applications. Through genomic analyses and plant growth experiments, we examined the synergistic interactions of Medicago sativa L. and Paraburkholderia tropica for enhanced remediation of diesel fuel-contaminated soils. Comparative genomics revealed strong potential of P. tropica for plant growth-promotion, chemotaxis and motility, root nodulation and colonization, and diesel fuel degradation. Plant growth experiments confirmed that P. tropica thrived in the contaminated soils and effectively enhanced M. sativa growth. Geochemical analysis showed that the M. sativa + P. tropica treatment resulted in an efficient degradation of diesel fuel hydrocarbons within two months, offering great prospects for enhanced biodegradation of organic pollutants.


Trichoderma brevicompactum IBT 40841 produces trichodermin, a trichothecene-type toxin that shares most of the steps of its biosynthesis with harzianum A, another trichothecene produced by several Trichoderma species. The first specific step in the trichothecene biosynthesis is carried out by a terpene cylcase, trichodiene synthase, that catalyzes the conversion of farnesyl pyrophosphate to trichodiene and that is encoded by the tri5 gene. Overexpression of tri5 resulted in increased levels of trichodermin production, but also in an increase in tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol production, two antioxidant compounds that may play a regulatory role in trichothecene biosynthesis, and also in a higher expression of three trichothecene genes, tri4, tri6 and tri10, and of the erg1 gene, which participates in the synthesis of triterpenes. The effect of tri5 overexpression on tomato seedling disease response was also studied.


After a short general description of the Norwegian Coastal Current, some recent investigations concerning its variability are reviewed. The variability caused by meteorological effects and fresh water fluxes is shown to be the dominant feature. The coastal current not only responds to local wind-forcing but is also a signal channel of sea-level variations in the North Sea as a whole. The variability at times manifests itself as mesoscale waves and eddies. The subsurface frontal region is characterized by interleaving of coastal and Atlantic water, and strong mixing. Lateral and longitudinal frontal motions are dealt with in relation to plumes of brackish water from the fjords and outbreaks of brackish and/or warm water masses from the Skagerrak. The inflow of Atlantic water through the Norwegian Trench, and the formation of deep and bottom water in Skagerrak are discussed.


MDM2, the most prominent natural inhibitor of the p53 tumor suppressor pathway, and BCL2, an anti-apoptotic regulator and important player in preventing induction of apoptosis in tumor cells, both play a pivotal role in leukemia cell survival and response to therapy in the clinic. The principal objectives of this study were to assess a synergistic antitumor effect by combining the clinical stage compounds RG7388, a MDM2 antagonist reactivating p53, and the BCL2 selective inhibitor GDC-0199 and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action. Further insight into the biological rationale for this potential therapeutic strategy may pave the path for clinical combination studies in AML patients. We first investigated the effect of co-treatment with RG7388 and GDC-0199 on the viability and induction of apoptosis in AML tumor cell lines followed by high-resolution cell cycle kinetic analysis using BrdU-Hoechst quenching technology in-vitro. Cell viability assays demonstrated synergistic potency of combined RG7388 and GDC-0199 treatment with low nM IC50 values. Subsequent annexin binding assays confirmed the efficacy and revealed different kinetics of apoptosis induction. To further explain the mode of action, high-resolution cell cycle compartment analysis of consecutive cell cycles was performed. Mechanistically, RG7388 induces G1 arrest and preferentially causes nuclear fragmentation in G1 phase of the second cycle. The BCL2 inhibitor GDC-0199 mainly causes apoptosis in G1 compartments and hence cells transiently protected from apoptosis by RG7388 induced G1 arrest are hit by GDC-0199. In addition we analyzed changes in expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes and proteins upon combined treatment using qRT-PCR, Western Blot and Luminex technology. We identified down-modulation of MCL-1 levels, a known GDC-0199 resistance factor, as one potential mechanism for the synergistic efficacy and confirmed this finding by shRNA experiments in-vitro. Furthermore, the efficacy of the compounds was assessed in subcutaneous and orthotopic AML tumor cell line based xenograft models in-vivo, confirming the synergy observed in-vitro. Taken together, our study demonstrates that combined treatment with RG7388 and GDC-0199 shows a synergistic anticancer effect on AML cells. This indicates that activating the p53 tumor suppressor pathway and inhibiting a key anti-apoptosis target simultaneously induces a more than additive inhibitory effect by modulating the levels of key pro-survival proteins, such as Mcl-1, thereby further lowering the apoptotic threshold level for tumor cell death. Based on the observations from our study, the combined administration of RG7388 and GDC-0199 might offer a promising new therapeutic regimen for treating AML patients. Citation Format: Markus Dangl, Yuchen Chien, Christian Lehmann, Thomas Friess. Synergistic anticancer activity of clinical stage, non-genotoxic apoptosis inducing agents RG7388 (MDM2 antagonist) and ABT-199 (GDC-0199, BCL2 inhibitor) in p53 wild-type AML tumor models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5505. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5505


Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), including heterogenous populations with phenotypic and functional diversity that coordinate bridging innate and adaptive immunity. Signal transducer and activator of transcriptions (STAT) factors as key proteins in cytokine signaling were shown to play distinct roles in the maturation and antigen presentation of DCs and play a pivotal role in modulating immune responses mediated by DCs such as differentiation of T cells to T helper (Th) 1, Th2 or regulatory T (Treg) cells. This review sheds light on the importance of STAT transcription factors' signaling pathways in different subtypes of DCs and highlights their targeting potential usages for improving DC-based immunotherapies for patients who suffer from cancer or diverse autoimmune conditions according to the type of the STAT transcription factor and its specific activating or inhibitory agent.


Fundamental knowledge of radiologic anatomy and physiology is critical for medical physicists. Many physicists are exposed to this topic only in graduate school, and knowledge is seldom formally evaluated or assessed after Part I of the ABR exam. Successful interactions with clinicians, including surgeons, radiologists, and oncologists requires that the medical physicist possess this knowledge. This course presents a review of radiologic anatomy and physiology as it applies to projection radiography, fluoroscopy, CT, MRI, U/S, and nuclear medicine. We will review structural anatomy, manipulation of tissue contrast, the marriage between anatomy and physiology, and explore how medical imaging exploits normal and pathological processes in the body to generate contrast.
Learning Objectives:
1.
Review radiologic anatomy.
2.
Examine techniques to manipulate tissue contrast in radiology.
3.
Integrate anatomy and physiology in molecular imaging.