Transhumant pastoralism, with its cultural, ecological, and socioeconomic significance, is an important livelihood strategy for mountain communities. Despite its importance, transhumant pastoralism is declining in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. This study examines the drivers of change experienced by transhumant herders in Bajhang, western Nepal, in order to understand future implications for transhumant pastoralism in the region. Here, animals are raised to transport goods to remote villages and to earn supplemental income through the sale of milk, meat, and livestock. The study found that herders are experiencing multiple drivers of changes—including socioeconomic, political, institutional, ecological, and climatic—which have both positive and negative implications for their livelihoods. Herders have responded to these changes by altering their transhumance routes and by reducing the variety and numbers of animals raised. The increasing market demand for meat from freely grazed animals and limited road access are current factors contributing to the perpetuation of transhumant herding in Bajhang. Meanwhile, the institutional mechanisms provisioned in the National Rangeland Policy are neither functional in the study area nor able to resolve issues of the herders. The study recommends developing an incentive-based mechanism involving herders and other stakeholders to address the challenges faced by herders.


Blood serum samples of ten healthy dogs and 12 dogs with lymphoma were evaluated by means of sodium dodecil sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. There was difference in total protein concentrations among healthy dogs, 7.68g/dL±0.46 and dogs with lymphoma, 7.93g/dL±2.49 values of immunoglobulins A and G presented no difference between groups. Serum proteins with molecular weights 142,000; 110,000; 52,000; 49,000; 24,000; and 18,000 Daltons presented increased concentrations in dogs with lymphoma. Dogs with lymphoma presented increased ceruloplasmin (43.95mg/dL±18.19) and haptoglobin (554mg/dL±449.51) values and lesser albumin concentration (2,908mg/dL±476.67) when compared to healthy dogs (ceruloplasmin: 3.42mg/dL±7.44; haptoglobin: 94.54mg/dL±59.50, and albumin: 4,207mg/dL±206.18). In conclusion, increased ceruloplasmin and haptoglobin and lesser albumin serum concentrations are possibly related to lymphoma in dogs.


Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that enhances the patient's and physician's understanding of prenatal care. According to a multisite study, use of ultrasound by primary care physicians appears to improve prenatal patient education and support early formation of the family unit. Other potential benefits include early detection of fetal abnormalities, savings in time and cost, and enhanced continuity of care. However, consultation with and referral to specialists, when appropriate, remain essential ingredients for state-of-the-art healthcare. Further studies defining the role and boundaries of ultrasound in primary care are needed.


Algorithmic processes that convert data into narrative news texts allow news rooms to publish stories with limited to no human intervention. The new trend creates many opportunities, but also raises significant legal questions. Aside from financial benefits, further refinement could make the smart algorithms capable of writing less standard, maybe even opinion, pieces. The responsible human merely needs to define clear questions about what the algorithm needs to discuss in the article and in what manner. But how does it square with the traditional rules of publishing and editorial control?This working paper analyses the question of authorship for algorithmic output and the liability issues that could arise when the algorithmic output includes inaccurate, harmful or even illegal content. The analysis of authorship and liability issues is performed by assessing the existing relevant Belgian legislation and case law regarding copyright and press liability. Furthermore, the paper answers the question as to how publishers should prevent the creation of inaccurate content by the algorithms they use. Parallels are drawn with the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in Delfi v. Estonia. The paper assesses whether an obligation of a responsible human to monitor all output of the automated journalist is feasible, or rather defeat the purpose of having the smart algorithms at his/her disposal.


BACKGROUND
Indirect evidence suggests that the antidepressant venlafaxine hydrochloride selectively inhibits serotonin (5-HT) uptake at low doses, whereas at high doses, it inhibits both 5-HT and norepinephrine (NE) uptake. We hypothesized that, in vivo, both high and low doses would inhibit the 5-HT uptake of platelets but that the higher dose would differentially blunt the pressor response to tyramine, a marker for NE uptake.

METHODS
Healthy male volunteers aged 18 to 45 years received either 75 mg or 375 mg of venlafaxine hydrochloride per day, the 5-HT uptake inhibitor sertraline hydrochloride (50 mg/d), or the NE uptake inhibitor maprotiline hydrochloride (150 mg/d) (n = 8 for each of 4 treatment groups). Changes in platelet 5-HT uptake and the pressor response to intravenous tyramine were assessed following the initial dose and after 1 and 2 weeks of drug administration.

RESULTS
Platelet 5-HT uptake was inhibited by venlafaxine across the dose range and by sertraline but not maprotiline. Inhibition was competitive, related to increases in affinity and not related to capacity. Steady-state drug levels were associated with a 5-HT uptake inhibition of 87% or more in subjects taking venlafaxine or sertraline. The pressor response to tyramine differentially distinguished maprotiline from sertraline and the low dose of venlafaxine but not from the high dose of venlafaxine.

CONCLUSION
This study provides the first in vivo evidence in healthy humans that both 5-HT uptake and NE uptake inhibition are mechanisms of action sequentially engaged by venlafaxine over its clinically relevant dose range.


Over the past few years, internet access and adoption in India has grown tremendously, giving Indians more access to the online information ecosystem than ever before. Today, India is one of the largest markets for technology platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. However, the adoption of these technology platforms has also enabled misinformation and disinformation to spread at scale in the country. This has resulted in the eruption of violence and even the deaths of dozens of people. This policy brief explores the false information ecosystem in India, highlighting the key players and approaches they have implemented to curb the spread of misinformation and disinformation. It also offers a set of recommendations for how these efforts can be improved going forward.


In the first part of the twentieth century, Americans increasingly embraced a more modern understanding of death and practices of dying. This modern attitude included three main characteristics. It assigned greater weight to the authoritative role of the medical professional; increased the emotional distance between the dying individual and surviving family members; and minimized the spiritual meaning of death. The American Catholic Church fervently deviated from this modern – and negatively self-labeled, "pagan" – view of death. More specifically, the Catholic popular press produced prescriptive literature – largely authored by priests – educating and advising lay readership about the Catholic, and proper, view of death and way of dying. This literature employed negative imagery and positive reinforcement to remind readers of their obligation to adhere to a Catholic understanding and experience of death, even as they came face to face with the modern trappings and secularized views of death. The literature warned Catholics of the material and spiritual dangers of the "pagan" view of death, while simultaneously highlighting the religious benefits of preparing their souls throughout life and at the hour of death.


We present an electronic circuit that allows to calibrate and troubleshoot scanning probe microscopy (SPM) controllers with respect to their noise performance. The control signal in an SPM is typically highly nonlinear-the tunneling current in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) varies exponentially with distance. The exponential current-versus-voltage characteristics of diodes allow to model the current dependence in STM. Additional inputs allow to simulate the effects of external perturbations and the reactions of the control electronics. We characterized the noise performance of the feedback controller using the apparent topography roughness of recorded images. For a comparison of different STM controllers, an optimal gain parameter was determined by exploring settling times through a rectangular perturbation signal. We used the circuit to directly compare the performance of two types of SPM controllers used in our laboratory.


Dividing the data into blocks and there by arranging the blocks in hierarchal order is termed as a linear hierarchical cipher approach for data .The encryption code, a access id code for each level based on the propagation code is generated in this technique. However the level propagation code and the access-id code of previous hierarchy level are matching with upper hierarchical level .The access-id code is set based on the time sensing key and a time seed, and the time seed updates with respect to the encryption pulse. By simply modifying and inversing the data security it is possible to decrease the number of key volume. GJCST Classification: E.4 LH-Cipher A Linear Hierarchical Cipher approach for Data Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of: LH-Cipher: A Linear Hierarchical Cipher approach for Data


Background We have shown the importance of microenvironments by displaying the restoration of dysfunctional natural killer (NK) cells9 antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo after a trial of CXCR4 inhibition combined with conventional chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Recently, the inhibition of programmed death-1(PD-1) /PD-ligand1 (PD-L1) axis in solid cancer has been regarded as a key factor to treating cancer by activating the suppressed immune cells. However, the significance of PD-1/PD-L1 expression in AML has yet to be established, even though PD-1/PD-L1 has already been targeted in clinical trials. Thus, our aim was to revitalize suppressed immune cells by utilizing CXCR4 blockade and anti-PD-L1 in combination with chemotherapy in an AML mouse model. Methods and Results The leukemic mouse model was induced by injecting C1498 (murine AML cell line) cells into C57/Bl-6 mice at D0, and leukemic blasts of the organs of several subgroups treated with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) (2 mg/kg, I.P.), plerixafor (2.5 mg/kg, S.C.), and anti-PD-L1 (200 ug/kg, I.P.) in one-by-one additive manners were examined (Fig. 1). Flow cytometric analyses at D+3, D+14, D+19, D+26 and histologic examination after sacrifice were performed to read the therapy-responsive changes of immune cell subsets and blasts reduction. Our data indicated noticeable benefits of this triple combinational treatment with plerixafor, anti-PD-L1, and Ara-C (AMP subgroup in Fig. 2 & Fig. 3) in removal of blasts in vivo; especially, survival rates of leukemic mice in the triple-combined treatment subgroup were higher than those in other subgroups. Moreover, in immune cell subsets in the peripheral blood, the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was significantly increased specifically early after completion of the treatment in the triple combinational subgroup with remarkable changes of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs) as well as regulatory T cells (Tregs), compared to that of other subgroups. Interestingly, in the triple combinational subgroup, Tregs and M-MDSCs were both significantly decreased while G-MDSCs were significantly increased in the bone marrow (BM) of leukemic mice that were sacrificed alive at D+26. In addition, the phenotypic levels of PD-1 both in the BM and the spleen were relatively low compared to those of other subgroups. These findings implied that the modulation of immune status by applying plerixafor and anti-PD-L1 with Ara-C could lead to a more efficient leukemic blasts ablation through the activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and possibly the suppression of Tregs and/or M-MDSCs in AML. Integrated responses of NK, NKT, and DC cells should be pursued in the future. Conclusion We demonstrated the impact of a strategic triple combinational therapy with anti-PD-L1 and plerixafor with Ara-C in AML. Our results suggest some clues and provide guidelines to developing therapeutic strategies for chemotherapy-resistant patients in clinic by the modulation of leukemic microenvironments. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Using model weights pretrained on a high-resource language as a warm start can reduce the need for data and compute to obtain high-quality language models in low-resource languages. To accommodate the new language, the pretrained vocabulary and embeddings need to be adapted. Previous work on embedding initialization for such adapted vocabularies has mostly focused on monolingual source models. In this paper, we investigate the multilingual source model setting and propose FOCUS - Fast Overlapping Token Combinations Using Sparsemax, a novel embedding initialization method that outperforms previous work when adapting XLM-R. FOCUS represents newly added tokens as combinations of tokens in the overlap of the pretrained and new vocabularies. The overlapping tokens are selected based on semantic similarity in an auxiliary token embedding space. Our implementation of FOCUS is publicly available on GitHub.


Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the second most common type of primary liver malignancy. The latest classification includes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, with the latter one further categorized into perihilar and distal cholangiocarcinoma. Although surgical resection is the preferred treatment for CCA, less than half of the patients are actually eligible for radical surgical resection. Interventional treatment, such as intra-arterial therapies, ablation, and brachytherapy (iodine-125 seed implantation), has become an acceptable palliative treatment for patients with unresectable CCA. For these patients, interventional treatment is helpful for locoregional control, symptom relief, and improving quality of life. Herein, in a timely and topical manner, we will review these advances and highlight future directions of research in this article.


s 89 blood volume ejected by the ventricle into the aorta up to time of peak pressure and blood flow into the aorta (corresponding to the rate of ventricular ejection) up to this point. Increased flow and volume accounted for 20.1 mmHg (52%) of the 39.0 mmHg difference in PP between the upper and lower tertiles of the hypertensive subjects 1. References 1. Vennin, S., Li, Y., Willemet, M., Fok, H., Gu, H., Charlton, P., Alastruey, J. and Chowienczyk, P. (2017). Identifying Hemodynamic Determinants of Pulse Pressure: A Combined Numerical and physiological Approach. Hypertension, 70(6), 1176e1182. Poster Session I e Hypertension II P34 DETERMINANTS OF PERIPHERALWAVE REFLECTION IN A LARGE TREATED HYPERTENSIVE POPULATION Luiz Bortolotto , Eva Kosa , Nadja Mendes , Valeria Costa-Hong 2 Hypertension Unity, InCor (Heart Institute), Hospital das Clinicas da FMUSP, Brazil Hypertension Unity, InCor (Heart Institute), Hospital das Clinicas FMUSP, Brazil Objective: To evaluate the determinants of the peripherial wave reflection measured by the second derivative of the fingertip photoplethysmogram (SDPTG) among known cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in a large treated hypertensive population. Population and Methods: We studied prospectively 316 hypertensive patients under treatment (154 male, mean age 54 yrs) by SDPTG automatically recorded from the second digit of the right hand (Fukuda FCP-3166 ). The SDPTG waveform consisted of a, b, c and d waves in systole and e wave in diastole. The heights of the a, b and d waves were measured from the baseline, and d/a and b/a ratio were calculated. Augmentation index (AUI) was defined as the ratio of the height of the late systolic peak to that of the early systolic peak; SDPTG aging index (AGI) was calculated as (b-c-d-e)/a. The CV risk factors analized were systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, heart rate (HR), left ventricule mass index (LVMI), creatinine, glycemia, cholesterol, triglycerides and body mass index (BMI). Results: In the multivariate analysis the most signicative associations were: AGI: age (+, p<0,001) and SBP (+, p < 0,05); b/a: age(+, p < 0,001), SBP(+, p < 0,01) and HR(-, p < 0,01 ); , d/a: BP (, p < 0,01); AUI:SBP( +, p < 0,001), HR( -, p < 0,001 ) and BMI( , p < 0,01). When compared according BP control (<140/90 mmHg), AUI, b/a and d/a ratio were significantly higher in the patients whose BP was not controlled. Conclusion: In treated hypertensives, changes in vascular wave reflection and stiffness were influenced by age, HR, and blood pressure control, most importantly SBP. P35 ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND CHRONIC STRESS: ROLE OF GENDER e RIGIDITÀ ARTERIOSA E STRESS CRONICO: RUOLO DEL GENERE Rachele Gherardini 1,2 AOUP, Pisa, Italia Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Aim: Evaluate whether exposure to chronic stress is associated with early vascular aging in hypertensive patients and possible gender differences in this relationship. Methods: Patients where recruited in a Hypertension outpatient clinic during a visit for the evaluation of subclinical organ damage. Aortic stiffness was measured as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) by applanation tonometry; common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and distensibility were evaluated by automated analysis of carotid ultrasound clips. Chronic stress was assessed using three different standardized scales: Perceived Stress Score 4 (PSS4), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and Chronic Stress Burden (CSB). Results: Data from 125 patients (age 56.7 12.5years) were analyzed. No significant differences were found between men and women in terms of PWV [8.90 (1.9) vs 8.55 (1.8) m/s, p Z 0.14], carotid distensibility (22.34 8.79 vs 21.17 8.74 kPa, p Z 0.545) and IMT (0.74 0.12 vs 0.70 0.13 mm, p Z 0.132). Women presented significantly higher scores of PSS4 (7(3) vs 5(3), p Z 0.007) and CSB (1.42 1.24 vs 0.59 0.85, p Z 0.004). In the linear multiple regression analysis, CBS was correlated with PWV in the general population (beta Z 0.37, p Z 0.050) being responsible for 4% of the variance of PWV, without significant gender differences. Among the components of CBS, difficulties in relationships with someone close to the participant were associated with increased PWV only in women (pZ0.01). In a multiple regression model, this variable tended to be an independent predictor of PWV (beta Z 0.37, p Z 0.057), responsible for 7% of the PWV variance. Conclusions: In hypertensive patients, chronic stress burden is associated with greater arterial stiffness; in particular, stress related to difficulties in relationships seems to be associated with greater vascular stiffness only in women. P36 PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (PWV) RESPONSES TO 3 MONTHS OF YOGA POSES AND RESPIRATORY CONTROL (UJJAYI PRANAYAMA) IN HYPERTENSIVE POST MENOPAUSE WOMEN: RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL Cláudia Fetter , Bruna Eibel , Liliana Boll , Eduardo Barbosa , Maria Cláudia Irigoyen 2 Instituto de Cardiologia/Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, (ARDI Group), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil Background: Non-pharmacological management of hypertension includes regular exercises. Yoga has been pointed as effective on treatment of hypertension. Its many aspects like yoga poses (asanas), respiratory control (pranayamas), meditation and others have not yet been assessed separately to understant its effects on cardiovascular issues. Thus, this study aims to partially clear the effects of yoga poses including exclusive muscle contraction known as bandhas (pelvic floor, core and throat), a specific respiratory technique ujjayi pranayama, whose translation is victory breath and active control group composed of stretching exercises on PWV. Methods: Randomized trial assessing carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) by Complior . Hypertensive post menopause women (HPMW) nonobese and non-smokers randomized in 4 groups (1yoga poses + ujjayi; 2yoga poses, 3stretching exercises + ujjayi, 4stretching exercises) attending 60 minutes assisted video classes twice a week (24 sessions). Data are presented as mean(M) standard error (SE). Generalized estimation equation (GEE) was used to data analysis, p 0,05. Results: 24 women recruited, randomized, 15 concluded study (1nZ3; 2nZ6; 3nZ4; 4nZ2). Group 1 showed cfPWV at 10, 0 0, 23 m/s; 28,9 0,29 m/s; 37.7 0,53 m/s; 48.8 0,24 m/s at baseline. Post intervention presented 1-1,8 0,31 m/s p Z 0,00; 2-0,43 0,25 m/s p Z 0,08; 3-1,4 0,27 m/s p Z 0,00; 41,4 0,99 m/s p Z 0,16. Conclusion: The present study has demonstrated an effect of respiratory control ujjayi pranayama on cfPWV after 3 months in HPMW. P37 PULSE WAVE VELOCITY: DEPENDENCE ON CONTEMPORANEOUS AND HISTORICAL BLOOD PRESSURE COMPONENTS Louise Keehn, Marina Cecelja, Phil Chowienczyk Kings College London, UK Background: Arterial stiffness as measured by PWV along the aorta is an important determinant of cardiovascular risk. PWV is known to be dependent on contemporaneous blood pressure (BP) but its dependence on longterm BP has not been established. Methods: Subjects from Twins UK who had tonometric measures of carotidfemoral PWV with previous longitudinal measures of blood pressure (nZ 2094) and, in a sub-sample, PWV (nZ956) were studied. Brachial artery pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were averaged over the period of longitudinal follow-up to obtain measures of historical PP and MAP (PPH and MAPH). The relationship of PWV to contemporaneous PP and MAP (PPC and MAPC) was compared with that to PPH and MAPH. Results: The average duration of blood pressure measurement was 14.0 4.3 years.PWV correlated strongly with PPC (r Z 0.542, p < 0.001), PPH (r Z 0.474,p < 0.001), MAPC (r Z 0.462, p < 0.001) and MAPH (r Z 0.360, p < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis incorporating


Abstract. The GEOVIDE cruise, a collaborative project within the framework of the
international GEOTRACES programme, was conducted along the French-led section
in the North Atlantic Ocean (Section GA01), between 15 May and 30 June 2014.
In this special issue (https://www.biogeosciences.net/special_issue900.html), results from GEOVIDE, including physical oceanography
and trace element and isotope cyclings, are presented among 18 articles. Here, the scientific context, project objectives, and scientific
strategy of GEOVIDE are provided, along with an overview of the main results
from the articles published in the special issue.


Special Forces have long formed a central part of counter-revolutionary warfare. In the South African case, between 1974 and 1990, these were central to Pretoria's regional strategies. Serving as the primary tool for inflicting punishment on any Frontline State that allowed the ANC and its allies basing rights, the Special Forces conducted sabotage, raids, bombings and assassinations throughout the Frontline States, alongside the Special Tasks contra-mobilization programmes throughout the region and internally. When these tools proved insufficient - especially internally - the security forces turned to the medical Special Forces, who were at the centre of South Africa's chemical and biological warfare programme, for assistance in incapacitating and killing the state's opponents. Overall, these units worked under the banner of the state's 'Total Counter-Revolutionary Strategy' and in co-operation with the more covert elements of the security forces (such as the Civil Co-operation Bureau, the SAP's Koevoet and C1 counter-intelligence units, and the Directorate of Covert Collection) involved in the direct-targeting of the state's opponents.


Di-branched (Y-shaped) polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are considered more effective than linear molecules to enhance the efficacy of the conjugated drug. In the present study interferon α-2a was conjugated with three different 40 KDa di-branched PEGs. The results of this study show that length and/or the structure of linker between PEG and the protein is also involved in the synthesis, in vitro biological activity and stability of the conjugate. Three conjugates i.e., mPEG2L-IFN, mPEG2P-IFN and mPEG(2)M-IFN yielded 25%, 24% and 17%, with bioactivities 2.8 x 10(6) IU/mg, 3.95 x 10(6) IU/mg and 6.7 x 10(6) IU/mg, respectively. The order of bioactivity stability is mPEG2L-IFN > mPEG2P-IFN > mPEG2M-IFN > IFN (native). We report that although lengthy linkers are more reactive in terms of conjugation, they have opposite effect on the in vitro bioactivity of the conjugate. PEGylation as a whole increases the stability of the conjugate, and linkers also add in stability.


Deindustrialization and the decline of Fordism have undermined the economic complementarities that existed between skilled and semi-skilled workers. The result has everywhere been a decline in coordinated wage bargaining and unionization rates, and a notable rise in labor market inequality. Yet, the political responses have been very different. In some countries rising inequality has been exacerbated by complete deregulation of labor and product markets; in others regulations remain extensive while insider-outsider divisions have been allowed to grow deeper; in still others governments have compensated losers to a considerable extent through increased transfers and active labor market policies. This paper argues that the three paths of reforms reflect differences in underlying political coalitions, which can be analyzed in a two-dimensional policy space consisting of employment regulation and redistribution. Coalitional patterns are a function of the pre-existing industrial relations institutions and the party and electoral system. The argument helps explain the observed patterns of reforms and inequality across advanced democracies.


Abstract Prey remains of a nestling Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) over 15 months in eastern Amazon, Brazil included 11 two-toed sloths (Choloepus didactylus), 9 three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus), and 1 gray four-eyed opossum (Philander opossum). We found no evidence of predation on primates despite their abundance in the area and their importance to Harpy Eagles studied elsewhere. We observed no sloths in 605 km of line transects, a finding that suggests the inadequacy of transect data to estimate prey density for Harpy Eagles.


Recently, we have reported two cases with endothelin (ET)-secreting tumor presenting with hypertension and elevated plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels. The present study examines the histopathology of the ET-secreting tumor in one of these cases. The neoplasm was located in the skin and microscopically characterized as a malignant hemangioendothelioma by remarkable intravascular proliferations of atypical endothelium with the expression of Factor VIII-related antigen in the tumor cells. The tumor enlarged rapidly with rising ET-1 and blood pressure levels. The ET-1 content and its messenger RNA expression in the tumor extract were higher than those from normal parts of skin. ET-1 may play a pathophysiological role in patients with ET-secreting malignant hemangioendothelioma.


In the present study we investigated the specificity and sensitivity of the chemiluminescence (CL) dye and luminol analogue 8-amino-5-chloro-7-phenylpyrido[3,4-d]pyridazine-1,4-(2H,3H) dione (L-012) to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide, peroxynitrite and hydrogen peroxide in cell free systems as well as in isolated mitochondria. The results obtained by L-012 were compared with other CL substances such as luminol, lucigenin, coelenterazine and the fluorescence dye dihydroethidine. The results indicate that the L-012-derived chemiluminescence induced by superoxide from hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase (HX/XO) or by 3-morpholino sydnonimine (SIN-1)-derived peroxynitrite largely depends on the incubation time. Irrespective of the experimental conditions, L-012-derived CL in response to HX/XO and SIN-1 was 10–100 fold higher than with other CL dyes tested. In a cell-free system, authentic peroxynitrite yielded a higher L-012-enhanced CL signal than authentic superoxide and the superoxide-induced signal in cell-free as well as isolated mitochondria increased in the presence of equimolar concentrations of nitrogen monoxide (NO). The superoxide signal/background ratio detected by L-012-enhanced CL in isolated mitochondria with blocked respiration was 7 fold higher than that obtained by the superoxide sensitive fluorescence dye dihydroethidine. We conclude that L-012-derived CL may provide a sensitive and reliable tool to detect superoxide and peroxynitrite formation in mitochondrial suspensions.


Current ongoing experimentation aims to prepare the database of Effect of high temperature on variation in Tensile Properties of engine components. This is to meet future emission Euro V & above requirement along with its importance as ecofriendly material and 50% lightweight structure to improve fuel economy. Because in Euro V, to meet NOx level of 0.27g/kWh will require EGR rates of 35% at full load and 50% at partial load and for these EGR rates, the compressed air pressure and engine temperature at the outlet is too high for conventional materials of powertrain components like piston and exhaust system. For the experimentation, we have selected piston and exhaust system which are mainly subjected to high temperature condition and their performance at high temperature is crucial in terms of low emission and fuel economy. Most commonly used materials for piston (Al 6061) and for exhaust system (Austenitic Stainless Steel 316) is used for experimentation at high temperature and variation in their tensile properties and effect on respective component's performance were discussed. This investigation study carried out in such way that it will serve as basis for Development of material for euro v and above engines to withstand at high temperature to have optimum and desired performance.


Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have strong antibacterial properties, which may adversely affect biological wastewater treatment processes. To determine the overall effect, intact biofilm samples were collected from the rotating biological contactor at the local wastewater treatment plant and treated with 200 mg Ag/L Ag-NPs for 24 h. The biofilm uptake of Ag-NPs was monitored with transmission electron microscopy. Forty-five minutes after Ag-NP application, Ag-NPs were seen in the biofilm extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). After 24 h, Ag-NPs had entered certain microbial cells, while other cells contained no observable Ag-NPs. Some cells were dying after the uptake of Ag-NPs. However, there was no significant reduction in cultivable bacteria in the biofilms, based on heterotrophic plate counts (HPC). While this may indicate that wastewater biofilms are highly resistant to Ag-NPs, the HPC represents only a small portion of the total microbial population. To further investigate the effects of Ag-NPs, a GeoChip microarray was used to directly detect changes in the functional gene structure of the microbial community in the biofilm. A clear decrease (34.6% decreases in gene number) in gene diversity was evident in the GeoChip analysis. However, the complete loss of any specific gene was rare. Most gene families present in both treated and untreated biofilms. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that there was no change in these families. Signal intensity decreased in certain variants in each family while other variants increased to compensate the effects of Ag-NPs. The results indicate that Ag-NP treatment decreased microbial community diversity but did not significantly affect the microbial community function. This provides direct evidence for the functional redundancy of microbial community in engineered ecosystems such as wastewater biofilms.


Combination of online consumer review platforms Bazaarvoice and PowerReviews found to violate Clayton Act* Last week, the federal district court in San Francisco ruled that Bazaarvoice Inc.'s…


Philosophers in the Indian and Western traditions have developed and defended a range of sophisticated accounts of self-awareness. Here, four of these accounts are examined, and the arguments for them are assessed. Theories of self-awareness developed in the two traditions under consideration fall into two broad categories: reflectionist or other-illumination theories and reflexivist or self-illumination theories. Having assessed the main arguments for these theories, it is argued here that while neither reflectionist nor reflexivist theories are adequate as traditionally formulated and defended, the approaches examined here give important insights for the development of amore adequate contemporary account of self-awareness.


The study has evaluated production performance of oil well by using nodal analysis for entire production system. The goal of this study is to analysis one of the Sudanese oil field using nodal analysis and to review the field completion strategy for the respective field. The study starts by collecting the data from oil Company and takes the X Field as case study. The X field consist of 18 well and four of them were selected for theanalysis namely X NW-1, X NW-2, X NW-3 and X NW-4. Operating pressure for each well are 2409, 2455, 2550 and 2420 psia, and operating flow rate are 3925.4, 1110.4, 2255.7, and 1387.2 STB/D respectively. Wellfl modeling used for this task, which permits the production optimization of oil well using the concept of nodal analysis.
Several sensitivity analyses were conducted in order to get the production forecast. If assumed thatthe depletion in the pressure occur within 1 year, the pressure reduced to 2000 and 1000psia for each well; as can be seen, the production reduced rapidly inXNW-2 and XNW-4. However, 1000psia the production becomes zero for the four wells.


Introduction/Background Incidence and mortality of cervical cancer are high in Poland. The screening for cervical cancer in Poland is based on smear tests examined under optical microscope. Identification of pathological changes in cytology is a key outcome in preventive programmes in primary healthcare (PHC). The aim of the study was to present data regarding to percentage of cervical cancer screening programme execution in a multicentre PHC organization in relation to the voivodships' average. Methodology Publicly funded cervical cancer screening programme was available for patients of Polish multicentre PHC organization located in Mazovian and Lublin Voivodships responsible for over 84,000 patients - Medical and Diagnostic Centre (CMD) in Siedlce, Poland. Data were collected by midwifes in respective PHC centres. Tests' results were reported to public database for prophylactic programs and additionally collected locally in MS Excel database. Results Participation in prophylactic programme in CMD is relatively high. For Mazovian voivodship 59,5% of eligible CMD patients participated in the programme vs. a mean of 18,0% for entire voivodship, and in Lublin voivodship 65,3% of eligible CMD patients participated in the programme vs. 23,0% for entire region. The percentage of abnormalities found was increasing in these years in which newly screened population was included (no cervical cancer screening for 5 years; new site opened). Among 2310 patients tested, abnormalities were found in 5,24% and 2,25% of all patients required further diagnostics. Conclusion Implementation of preventive programmes, especially in new populations is very important. In such populations and among non-compliance patients who do not attend a doctor for many years, the largest number of pathological changes can be found Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


The formation of family values in the younger generation begins at the earliest stages of personality formation within the family and continues in the socialization process in society. The value system associated with the institution of marriage and the family is transmitted through various channels, ranging from parenting to the virtual environment. The border areas, such as the Astrakhan Region, which are characterized by interfaith marriage unions, are a special environment, in which there are own mechanisms for preserving the institution of the family and special channels for transmitting family values. One of these mechanisms is the reconstruction of the traditional wedding ceremony. Within the framework of the present research, the authors studied archival documents containing information about the traditional wedding ceremonies of the peoples living in the Astrakhan Region. There was also a content analysis of ritual traditions related to the creation of a new family (matchmaking, wedding, etc.), in the reconstruction of which the modern cultural organizations of the region were involved. The research results show that the reconstructed wedding ceremony between partners, when one of them is a representative of another nationality and religion, is a kind of portal, through which the future spouse enters a new cultural environment for him or her and begins his or her adaptation already at the initial stage of creating a family union.


The quality of the ECMWF operational analyses is evaluated against independent upper-air sounding data collected during the Joint Air‐Sea Monsoon Interaction Experiment (JASMINE; April‐May 1999) and the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX; February‐March 1999). Statistics of the difference between observations and analyses are compiled for temperature, humidity, and wind speed. The results show that the analyzed temperature has a cold bias between 1000 and 750 hPa. However, in the upper troposphere, a warm bias occurs between 350 and 150 hPa, while a cold bias is seen above 150 hPa. Compared to the observations, the analyzed humidity is lower between 1000 and 950 hPa and higher between 950 and 750 hPa. The analyzed wind speeds are close to observations over much of the troposphere, except near the tropopause, where they are overestimated by 1‐2 m s21 in the analyses. The low-level (1000‐ 750 hPa) biases in moisture and temperature in the ECMWF analyses over the Indian Ocean are similar to those reported for the tropical Pacific Ocean in past studies. The occurrence of a cold and dry bias in the lowest 50 hPa indicates reduced convective available potential energy, which will render difficult the initiation and development of convection in numerical models initialized with these analyses. The moisture biases arise most likely because of the poor fit to humidity observations by the four-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme. This suggests that a better fit to humidity observations will yield an improved water vapor climatology over the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.


Partially replicated T4 DNA molecules (PRM) whose parental or progeny DNA was labeled with bromodeoxyuridine BUdR was analyzed by gradual shearing followed by CsCl banding of the sheared product. Analysis of PRM containing 18-μm replicated DNA showed that each replicated region was 3- to 6-μm long, indicating three to 6 replicative sites per molecule. Analysis of PRM containing 9-μm replicated DNA similarly indicated two to three replicated regions per molecule. DNA from the replicated regions of PRM containing 10-μm replicated DNA ("donor") was hybridized to DNA from mature phage ("recipient"), and the resulting hybrid was subjected to digestion with exonuclease I. The extent of protection of the recipient and more efficient self-annealing of progeny fragments from PRM indicated that the replicated regions represented 8 to 10 nonrandom locations of the genome. Possible significance of multiple sites for initiation of DNA replication is discussed.


The user requirements for an automated switch for computer terminals in a large establishment or laboratory environment are discussed. This is followed by an explanation of the design requirements, and finally by a description of the significant features of the digital data exchange (DDEX), a microprocessor-controlled usertransparent space-division digital data switch of modular design which is capable of connecting 512 to 2048 lines from various types of IBM terminals to different control units, thereby substantially saving interconnection resources.


Two experiments were conducted to determine the role of head constraint, whether present or absent and arm exposure type (terminal or continuous) on the production of intermanual transfer to two types of visual distortion. Experiment 1 investigated intermanual transfer to binocular, lateral prism displacement where the prism base orientation for both eyes was in the same direction. Experiment 2 determined whether intermanual transfer could be produced to squint prism viewing where the prism base orientation for each eye was in an opposite direction (base-out prisms). In both experiments transfer was produced when either head movement during prism exposure was unconstrained or when a terminal arm exposure was employed. Maximal transfer was produced when both of these conditions were employed.


An 18-year-old primigravida was referred to our high risk pregnancy (HRP) department at 34 weeks of gestation for birth panning as she has Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). Her history was significant for familial thrombophilia. She had portal hypertension manifestations. Her work-up revealed factor V Leiden gene mutation, hepatic and portal vein thrombosis. A multidisciplinary team of physicians from the gastroenterology and hepatology, haematology and HRP departments puts a management plan; it culminated into safe delivery of the patient at 36 weeks of gestation. The patient was referred to a specialised BCS centre where she had successful liver transplantation done.


The study was carried out to examine Principals' Transformational Leadership and Teacher Job Performance among public secondary schools in Onitsha North Local Government Area, Anambra State. A descriptive research design was used. The sample of the study was 155 teachers in the study area. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) was used to analyze the research questions. The results of the analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between principal transformational leadership style and teacher job performance. It also revealed that there was a significant relationship between Leadership skills of principal and Teachers' productivity. The results further showed that there was a relationship between communication and the performance of subordinates. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that: Government should work towards ensuring that competent Principals are appointed, according to their years of meritorious service. Furthermore, it was recommended that government should make arrangements for standard teachinglearning activities by recruiting based on merit in the various regions in Nigeria. By implication, qualified teachers would be available to fill the vacant spaces in schools. In SMCC Teacher Education Journal ISSN Print: 20080598 • ISSN Online: 2008-0601 Volume 1 • June 2019 DOI: SMCC Teacher Education Journal 2 addition, it was also recommended that it is imperative for the government to review its policies in a bid to attract more teachers to the profession in various states and Districts of the Federation. Finally, it is strongly recommended that continuous training in the country of principals and stakeholders in the education sector should be made available to effect any necessary changes and bone of contention in managing the educational system.


A 23-year-old female presented with redness, itchiness, tearing, and foreign body sensation in her right eye after spending her holiday in Egypt. Slit lamp examination revealed about 15 mobile, whitish maggots that were microbiologically classified as Oestrus ovis larvae. All parasites could be removed without subsequent complications.


Linear and metrical connections of a Riemannian space, whose indicatrices are ellipsoids, are established in the tangent bundle. lndicatrices of Finsler spaces are smooth, starshaped and convex hypersurfaces. They do not transform, in general, into each other by linear transformations, and thus they do not admit linear metrical connections in the tangent bundle. This necessitates the introduction of lineelements yielding the dependence of the geometric objects not only of points x but also of the direction y. Therefore, the apparatus (connections, covariant derivatives, curvatures, etc.) of Finsler geometry becomes inevitably a little more complicated. Nevertheless there are a number of problems which need no lineelements. Such are those, which concern the metric only (arc length, area, angle, geodesics, etc.) and also the investigation of those important special Finsler spaces, which allow linear metrical connections in the tangent bundle. In this paper we want to present results which use the tangent bundle T M only, and do not need TTA1 or VT AI or line-elements. These investigations often admit direct geometrical considerations. Longer proofs are only sketched or omitted. Received February 11, 2006. Revised July 17, 2006. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 53C60.


Liver cancer is one of those sneaky conditions that can disappoint a physician before the diagnosis is finally made. Thus far, the only definitive test for liver cancer is needle biopsy. In this paper, we present an unsupervised approach using Hopfield neural network for the segmentation of color images of liver tissues prepared and stained by standard staining method. We formulate the segmentation problem as a minimization of an energy function synonymous to that of Hopfield neural network for the optimization, with the addition of some conditions to reach a status close to the global minimum in a prespecified time of convergence. Then we extract the nuclei and their corresponding cytoplasm regions which are used as a base for formulating the diagnostic rules of a computer aided diagnosis system for liver cancer. In computer, each liver color image is represented in the R-G-B, H-S-V and H-L-S color spaces and the segmentation results are comparatively presented with discussion and physician comments. Most of the data base of liver color images that we have collected have been successfully segmented with the exception of some images which were not stained carefully.


In Bangladesh groundnut shelling is done manually which is laborious, time consuming and costly. Shelling of groundnut pod with the help of mechanical power can be a probable solution of this problem. A power groundnut sheller was designed and fabricated in Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering (FMPE) Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur during 2011-13. The sheller was made of Mild Steel (MS) angle bar, MS flat bar, MS rod, MS sheet, MS sieve, rubber pad etc. The shelling capacities of power groundnut sheller were 110 and 115 kg/h for Dhaka-1 and BARI Badam-8, respectively. Average breakage of groundnut kernel was 2% at 7.5% moisture content (wb). The maximum and minimum unshelled pods were about12.4% and 9.18% for Dhaka -1 and BARI Badam-8, respectively. The shelling efficiency of the power groundnut sheller for Dhaka-1 and BARI Badam-8 were 86.6 and 88.82% respectively at 11.5% moisture content (wb). Winnowing efficiency was found to be 99% in the power groundnut sheller. The use of power groundnut sheller can reduce the cost of shelling by 76% over the manual groundnut sheller. This power groundnut sheller is recommended for shelling of groundnut at farm level and small industry level in Bangladesh.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 43(4): 631-645, December 2018


Sensory circumventricular organs contain the subfornical organ, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), and area postrema. Here, immunostaining for GLUT3 in the murine brain selectively labeled the sobfornical organ and OVLT. The immunoreactive neural tract of the subfornical organ formed into thin bundles and extended ventro-rostrally over the anterior commissure. After turning over the commissure, the neural tract passed through the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) and reached the OVLT; thus, a continuous neural tract expressing GLUT3 connected the subfornical organ, MnPO, and OVLT in the lamina terminalis. In the OVLT, GLUT3-immunoreactive fibers gathered in both the dorsal cap and lateral periventricular zone. Electron microscopically, the immunoreactive structures in the subfornical organ corresponded to nerve fibers or nerve terminals containing many small clear vesicles. The area postrema, another sensory organ, was immunonegative for GLUT3. This study not only presented a useful marker tracing the neural tract in the sensory sites of the lamina terminalis but also suggested a unique system for sensing and determining the metabolism of circulating glucose in the circumventricular organs.


Textural data of 60 samples of bottom sediments, from 20 transects (approximately 0.5 km apart) collected from the Vellar estuary, indicate that sand is predominant at the head of the estuary with silt and clay as subordinate constituents. The proportion of sand decreases towards the confluence. The silt content is comparatively lower than the clay content in the downstream direction. However, the central part of the estuary shows a decreasing trend of sand and an increasing trend of clay content. The log-probability plots suggest that all the three segments (i.e. the northern, central and southern sides), of the estuary show an average of one traction population, three saltation and four suspension populations. The variations in textural characters suggest that tidal activity has significantly affected the sediment population and the minor disturbances of other transporting agencies might have affected the depositional process which are marked in the deposited sediments.


The necessity to increase collaboration in nowadays supply chains is emphasized both by academics and practitioners, but most of the supply chains are still managed through cascades of classical MRP/MRP2 systems. Interviews in the aeronautical sector have shown us the existence of many hidden practices aiming at satisfying local constraints which would be better addressed through collaborative processes. We suggest in this communication to define a "collaborative MRP" which would not only provide a better global performance than purely local planning, but take into account the autonomy of the involved partners which is not always respected by centralized approaches using APS (Advanced Planning Systems).


Abstract Parkinson's Disease (PD) is one of the most frequent disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). PD is an age-related disease in that morbidity increases with age. The main symptoms of it are motor symptoms like bradykinesia, rigidity and resting tremor. These symptoms diminish the comfort of the patient's life and may lead to immobility. Hence, rapid diagnosis and start of treatment are very important. The pharmacotherapy of PD is difficult. PD involves an imbalance between the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems. Therefore, the mechanisms of action of currently available drugs are highly connected with the pathology of PD, and follow dopaminergic or anticholinergic control strategies. However, long-term use of many PD medications comes with serious side effects. Therefore, the search for new, more effective drugs involving different strategies to that current and having different targets is still on-going.


In his fiction, journalism and letters, Dostoevsky recurrently mentions ethnicity of his protagonists. Russians, Poles, Englishmen, Germans, Turks, Greeks etc. never act as individuals with their personal life but rather as 'carriers' of some national idea. Amidst the nations represented in Dostoevsky's oeuvre, there are some Jews. The fashion of how Dostoevsky portraits them was questionable even at the writer's lifespan. Arkadii Kovner's and Sophia Lurie's letters to Dostoevsky are quite known as well as their direct indictment of the writer in Anti-Semitism. After 1920s, Dostoevsky's attitude toward Jews turns into a difficult topic of Dostoevsky Studies. In the article, we trace how Dostoevsky uses words which traditionally refer to Jews and show their semantics as highly dispersed. We find the writer's affinity to use words 'a Jew', 'a Hebrew' and even 'an Yid' with dubious or even without any links to real Jews. Based on private letters of Dostoevsky and his journalism, we derive two Jewish images – positive and negative – which are quite constant in the writer's texts. Dostoevsky bindingly connects Jews with Judaism, i.e. its practises, traditions and rituals. Thus, he is mostly sympathetic to 'serious Jews' – traditionalists. Vice versa, he is rigorously critical to the secular ones. Dostoevsky looks at the polemics of the traditionalists and the 'maskilim' and perceives it as a parallel to Russian debates around the Westernization. In the both conflicts, Dostoevsky's sympathies are with people who keep traditions while he perceives those who decline a 'national body' as his own ideological 'foes'.


Dear Editor, On December 2019, new cases of COVID-19 pneumonia were reported from Wuhan city of China that were consequences of 2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2 infection (1). Very soon this disease spread around the world and till now over than 3,000,000 person have been infected with this new virus. The most common clinical presentations of these patients were fever, dry cough, malaise, fatigue, myalgia, headache, shortness of breath, chest pain, ageusia, anosmia, gastrointestinal, cerebrovascular and dermatologic presentations (2-4). Since COVID-19 is a new disease, there isn't any approved treatment regimen. Till now many drugs have been studied under clinical trials projects such as (hydroxyl)chloroquine, azithromycin, ribavirin, lopinavir/ritonavir, atazanavir, umofenovir, favipiravir, remdesivir, interferon alpha, tocilizumab, etc (5). Also many supportive therapies have been considered such as convalescent plasma therapy (6), high dose intravenous vitamin C therapy (7), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), etc. (8). Severe cases of COVID-19, have accompanied tachypnea, shortness of breath, oxygen saturation levels of less than 90%, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, septic shock and multi-organ failure (especially heart, kidney and liver damage).


On the basis of the finite element solution to elasto dynamic problems, we propose a new method of finite element elastic wave migration. The finite element elastic wave migration takes advantage of its flexibility in finite element space discretization of complex geological and stratigraphic structures, including lateral inhomogeneity.The method has been successfully tested for a layered model. Downward continuation of both the reflected P and converted S simultaneously is stable. The wave forms of both the reflected wave P and the converted wave S are preserved. The results are satisfactory.


Optical photoresponse of quantum wells in the nonperturbative regime has been studied by high-power and ultrafast-oscillating free-electron laser (FEL) experiments, which revealed a profound deviation of the nonlinear power from conventional perturbative multiple photon absorption processes. By combining the experimental and theoretical works we have shown that the nonperturbative solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation is essential to understand the experimental observations. Optical transitions of electrons are dynamic. One photon is absorbed or emitted when an electron transits from one electron state to the other. The rates of absorption and emission are proportional to the time interval in the femtosecond time scale. In the picosecond time scale, multiphoton processes emerge. The strong and fast-oscillating FEL source intensifies the dynamic photon absorption and emission processes in the quantum wells, resulting in a much enhanced nonlinearity in the photoresponse spectrum.


Along the general run of the vacuum chamber synchrotron radiation strikes the wall at a glancing angle of about 5.6/sup 0/. The heat source is well-approximated by a ribbon of uniform power density having a small vertical height and an infinite azimuthal length. The heat transfer problem reduces to one in two-dimensions and it has been considered in a previous note. At the corner of a beam port the angle of incidence becomes 90/sup 0/, so the temperature rises much higher than elsewhere. Since the power density at the corner is not uniform in its azimuthal dependence, but is strongly peaked at the point of normal incidence, two-dimensional heat flow is not a good approximation. The rectangular 3d problem is considered. This is easily solved and yields a good first estimate of the temperature rise at the corner.


GEOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW. River Conservation in the United States and Canada (J. Karr, et al.). River Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean (C. Pringle, et al.). River Conservation in the European Community, Including Scandinavia (T. Iversen, et al.). River Conservation in central and eastern Europe (incorporating the European parts of the Russian Federation) (P.A. Khaiter et al) River Conservation in North Africa and the Middle East (M.J. Wishart et al) River Conservation in Central and Tropical Africa (N. Pacini et al) River Conservation in the Countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) (B.R. Davies et al) River Conservation in Madagascar (J. Benstead, et al.). River Conservation in the Indian sub-continent (B. Gopal et al) River Conservation in Central and Eastern Asia (L.Li et al) River Conservation in South-East Asia (D. Dudgeon, et al.). River Conservation in Australia and New Zealand (N. Schofield, et al.). CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS. Introduction: Conservation, Ecosystem Use and Sustainability (J. Gardiner N. Perala-Gardiner). Geographical Settings: Global Disparities in River Conservation: 'First World' values and 'Third World' Realities (M.J. Wishart et al) River Conservation in Tropical Versus Temperate Latitudes (C. Pringle). Special Problems of Urban River Conservation: The Encroaching Megalopolis (K.E. Baer and C.M. Pringle) Key Constraints: River Size as a Factor in Conservation (E. Stanley A. Boulton). Problems and Constraints in Managing Rivers with Variable Flow Regimes (A.J. Boulton et al) A Biogeographical Approach to Interbasin Water Transfers: Implications for River Conservation (B.R. Davies et al) Conservation in Practice: The Role of Classification in the Conservation of Rivers (J.H. O'Keefe and M. Uys) Popular Participation in River Conservation (K.B. Showers) The Role of Legislation in River Conservation (C.G. Palmer et al) River Restoration in Developed Economies (G. Petts, et al.). Integrated Watershed Management for River Conservation: Perspectives from Experiences in Australia and the United States (B. Hooper R. Margerum). Indexes.


Acquired resistance through genetic mutations is a common phenomenon in several cancer therapies using molecularly targeted drugs, best exemplified by the BCR-ABL inhibitor imatinib in treating chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Overcoming acquired resistance is a daunting therapeutic challenge, and little is known about how these mutations evolve. To facilitate understanding the resistance mechanisms, we developed a novel culture model for CML acquired resistance in which the CML cell line KCL-22, following initial response to imatinib, develops resistant T315I BCR-ABL mutation. We demonstrate that the emergence of BCR-ABL mutations do not require pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations derived from the original patient as the subclones of KCL-22 cells can form various BCR-ABL mutations upon imatinib treatment. BCR-ABL mutation rates vary from cell clone to clone and passages, in contrast to the relatively stable mutation rate of the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene. Strikingly, development of BCR-ABL mutations depends on its gene expression because BCR-ABL knockdown completely blocks KCL-22 cell relapse on imatinib and acquisition of mutations. We further show that the endogenous BCR-ABL locus has significantly higher mutagenesis potential than the transduced randomly integrated BCR-ABL cDNA. Our study suggests important roles of BCR-ABL gene expression and its native chromosomal locus for acquisition of BCR-ABL mutations and provides a new tool for further studying resistance mechanisms.


Outcomes of clinical trials need to be communicated effectively to make decisions that save lives. We investigated whether framing can bias these decisions and if risk preferences shift depending on the number of patients. Hypothetical information about two medicines used in clinical trials having a sure or a risky outcome was presented in either a gain frame (people would be saved) or a loss frame (people would die). The number of patients who signed up for the clinical trials was manipulated in both frames in all the experiments. Using an unnamed disease, lay participants (experiment 1) and would-be medical professionals (experiment 2) were asked to choose which medicine they would have administered. For COVID-19, lay participants were asked which medicine should medical professionals (experiment 3), artificially intelligent software (experiment 4), and they themselves (experiment 5) favour to be administered. Broadly consistent with prospect theory, people were more risk-seeking in the loss frames than the gain frames. However, risk-aversion in gain frames was sensitive to the number of lives with risk-neutrality at low magnitudes and risk-aversion at high magnitudes. In the loss frame, participants were mostly risk-seeking. This pattern was consistent across laypersons and medical professionals, further extended to preferences for choices that medical professionals and artificial intelligence programmes should make in the context of COVID-19. These results underscore how medical decisions can be impacted by the number of lives at stake while revealing inconsistent risk preferences for clinical trials during a real pandemic.


Abstract : Data from presumed explosions in Kazakhstan recorded by NRDC/SAS stations were analyzed to model the crustal structure of the region and to examine the use of arrival times of secondary P phases in event location. Data from 20 events were modeled using a reflectivity algorithm. A good fit to the first five seconds of the P wave was obtained in the epicentral distance range of 100 to 300 km. The best fitting crustal model has a velocity in the upper crust increasing from 4.5 km/sec near the surface to over 6 km/sec at 10 km depth and a mid-crustal velocity of 6.5 km/sec at 15 km depth increasing to 6.95 km/sec at 40 km depth. The model is similar to previous estimates of P velocity structure in the region, though with a gentler gradient in the upper crust and steeper gradient in the lower crust. We used the derived crustal model and the primary and secondary P wave arrival times to relocate events in the region. Utilizing the phase PmP substantially decreases the focal depth uncertainty for many events. Virtually all of the events analyzed are concluded to be surface explosions.


This approach paper is prepared as part of the inclusive cities programmatic approach, a multi-year initiative launched by the social, urban, rural, and resilience global practice (GSURR) in October 2013. In line with the World Bank's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity, the programmatic approach aims to assist the Bank, development partners, and client countries to identify and design more effective policies and programs for promoting inclusive city development. The approach paper primarily targets an internal audience with an aim to guide Bank staff to initiate dialogues, promote further analyses, and support operations in the direction of a multi-dimensional approach to inclusive cities. Four background notes were commissioned under the inclusive cities programmatic approach which also influenced the paper: (i) access to affordable land and housing, infrastructure, basic services; (ii) economic opportunities for all; (iii) engagement of excluded groups in inclusive cities; and (iv) lessons learnt from Brazil's experience. The approach paper concludes with an update on ongoing activities and next steps.


The first part of the paper contains the results of a study into the change in the energy parameters of earthmoving machines during manipulation tasks. The results of the research show that during certain operations of manipulation tasks, in the stop phase, the required energy of the machines has negative values. Modern earthmoving machines have hydrostatic drive systems that accumulate potential negative energy by recuperation and, if necessary, return it to the drive system of the machine for use in other operations of a manipulation task. In the second part of the paper, the analysis of the concepts of hydrostatic drive systems of earthmoving machines that enable energy recuperation is performed in detail.


Abstract Cognitive impairment occurs in 40–65% of persons with multiple sclerosis and may be related to alterations in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine how glutamatergic and GABAergic changes relate to cognitive functioning in multiple sclerosis in vivo. Sixty persons with multiple sclerosis (mean age 45.5 ± 9.6 years, 48 females, 51 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis) and 22 age-matched healthy controls (45.6 ± 22.0 years, 17 females) underwent neuropsychological testing and MRI. Persons with multiple sclerosis were classified as cognitively impaired when scoring at least 1.5 standard deviations below normative scores on ≥30% of tests. Glutamate and GABA concentrations were determined in the right hippocampus and bilateral thalamus using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. GABA-receptor density was assessed using quantitative [11C]flumazenil positron emission tomography in a subset of participants. Positron emission tomography outcome measures were the influx rate constant (a measure predominantly reflecting perfusion) and volume of distribution, which is a measure of GABA-receptor density. Twenty persons with multiple sclerosis (33%) fulfilled the criteria for cognitive impairment. No differences were observed in glutamate or GABA concentrations between persons with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls, or between cognitively preserved, impaired and healthy control groups. Twenty-two persons with multiple sclerosis (12 cognitively preserved and 10 impaired) and 10 healthy controls successfully underwent [11C]flumazenil positron emission tomography. Persons with multiple sclerosis showed a lower influx rate constant in the thalamus, indicating lower perfusion. For the volume of distribution, persons with multiple sclerosis showed higher values than controls in deep grey matter, reflecting increased GABA-receptor density. When comparing cognitively impaired and preserved patients to controls, the preserved group showed a significantly higher volume of distribution in cortical and deep grey matter and hippocampus. Positive correlations were observed between both positron emission tomography measures and information processing speed in the multiple sclerosis group only. Whereas concentrations of glutamate and GABA did not differ between multiple sclerosis and control nor between cognitively impaired, preserved and control groups, increased GABA-receptor density was observed in preserved persons with multiple sclerosis that was not seen in cognitively impaired patients. In addition, GABA-receptor density correlated to cognition, in particular with information processing speed. This could indicate that GABA-receptor density is upregulated in the cognitively preserved phase of multiple sclerosis as a means to regulate neurotransmission and potentially preserve cognitive functioning.


A prototype sampling system for measuring respirator workplace protection factors (WPFs) was developed. Methods for measuring the concentration of contaminants inside respirators have previously been described; however, these studies have typically involved continuous sampling of aerosols. Our work focuses on developing an intermittent sampling system designed to measure the concentration of gases and vapors during inspiration. This approach addresses two potential problems associated with continuous sampling: biased results due to lower contaminant concentrations and high humidity in exhaled air. The system consists of a pressure transducer circuit designed to activate a pair of personal sampling pumps during inspiration based on differential pressure inside the respirator. One pump draws air from inside the respirator while the second samples the ambient air. Solid granular adsorbent tubes are used to trap the contaminants, making the approach applicable to a large number of gases and vapors. Laboratory testing was performed using a respirator mounted on a headform connected to a breathing machine producing a sinusoidal flow pattern with an average flow rate of 20 L/min and a period of 3 seconds. The sampling system was adjusted to activate the pumps when the pressure inside the respirator was less than -0.1 inch H(2)O. Quantitative fit-tests using human subjects were conducted to evaluate the effect of the sampling system on respirator performance. A total of 299 fit-tests were completed for two different types of respirators (half- and full-facepiece) from two different manufacturers (MSA and North). Statistical tests showed no significant differences between mean fit factors for respirators equipped with the sampling system versus unmodified respirators. Field testing of the prototype sampling system was performed in livestock production facilities and estimates of WPFs for ammonia were obtained. Results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and will be used in developing improved instrumentation for measuring WPFs.


A plus maze arrangement was set at the Rodent Control Centre, Morogoro, Tanzania to investigate the rat behavior when subjected to maize seeds dressed with crude extracts of Lantana camara leaves (200 g), Ricinus communis seeds (150 g) and Euphorbia candelabrum latex (300 ml). The choice and no-choice test were set using a group of ten rats (5M+ 5F) in five plastic buckets. Each plastic bucket was fixed with RECONIX camera trap on top for picture capturing. Animals were provided with drinking water at the center bucket. In each experiment observation was made for four consecutive days where maize damaged seed, rat activities type (feeding, walking, resting, playing, sentry, grooming, biting others and approaching food) data were daily recorded. Results revealed that there was significant difference (p=0.00001) in maize damaged seed between treatments. With regards to nocturnal behavior, significant difference between treated and control on L. camara leaf (p=0.01301) and R. communis seed (p less than 0.00001) with no significant effect on E. candelabrum latex (p=0.93254) was observed.
"Authors are grateful to the financial support provided by the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), Tanzania that enabled accomplishment of this work."
No significant difference between treatments on the proportion of rat pictures approaching food (p=0.64821), biting each other (p = 0.91205), grooming (p=0.59964), feeding (p=0.27042), playing (p=0.36140), sentry (p=0.819821) and walking (p=0.06749). However, there was a significant difference on resting (p=0.02998). In general, this study recommends the use of R. communis for management of M. natalensis in maize farming system due low number of maize damaged seeds. However, several key questions remain, the most urgent being to extract the active compounds responsible for efficacy against rodent pest.


The weight of the full cecum was determined in normal-born, mother-fed, germ-free and conventional rats during the lactation period and shortly thereafter. Compared to conventional rats of the same age, the germfree animals showed an increase in cecal weight which started during the 2nd week of life. Even with mother's milk as a sole source of nourishment up to 25 days of age, the cecum of the germ-free animals at that time already had reached the degree of distention seen in older germ-free rats. Germ-free rats fed semisynthetic and practical diets in general show a five- to sevenfold increase in cecal weight, compared to conventional animals. It is concluded that the absence of stimulation by a microbial flora, rather than a nutritional deficiency due to sterilization of the diet is the prime etiological factor in this phenomenon.


Purpose: The aim of this review study is to outline rheumatoid arthritis and VEGF participation in rheumatoid arthritis disease development and also to help future researchers in this field.
Study Design: A Review Study.
Subjects and Methods: A number of research articles were systematically reviewed. More sixty research studies related to rheumatoid arthritis and the role of VEGF Gene were examined. The results of these studies are highlighted and compared.
Results: Rheumatoid Arthritis is capable of causing joint damage, moreover, lead to long term disability in severe cases. Mutation in VEGF due to the involvement of multiple factors (environmental, genetic factors etc) lead to severity in RA patients as it has a role in certain inflammatory processes, angiogenesis etc. Further research needs to be done in this field because many of the factors involve in pathogenesis of RA such as factors that cause loss of tolerance and inflammation in joints, are still unclear.
Conclusion: Although old diagnostic techniques are optimized, we further need to improve the diagnostic and treatment techniques in order to diagnose the patients at early stage. This will pacify patients' disease severity and provide certain preventive measure that will assist in preventing the aggravation of disease in family members.


Narrow pencil beamforming is a key enabling technique for millimeter wave (mmWave) systems to achieve high link quality. Employing highly directional narrow beam antennas will deliver unique requirements on mmWave channel modeling. In this paper, we propose a low complexity mmWave channel model to analyze the performance of line of sight (LOS) and non-line of sight (NLOS) directional outdoor links in several reference cases. This ray tracing based model integrates the antenna geometry of a highly directional antenna in 3D plane. The effects of specific attenuation and foliage losses are also incorporated to enhance the model accuracy. Simulation results show that the deterministic channel fading gain varies as a function of antenna location, height and beamwidth in addition to its variations against distance. The model is validated against standard channel models and measurements, at frequencies and deployment scenarios reported in the literature. Furthermore, link budget estimates and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) results are evaluated. The proposed model, unlike many other models, describes the channel for any mmWave frequency, antenna beamwidth, transmitter/receiver height and location by just changing these parameters in the simulator. The study highlights the need to integrate directional antenna effects and deployment parameters in the channel model to have accurate performance predictions.


Background Doubling the genome contribution of haploid plants has accelerated breeding in most cultivated crop species. Although plant doubled haploids are isogenic in nature, they frequently display unpredictable phenotypes, thus limiting the potential of this technology. Therefore, being able to predict the factors implicated in this phenotypic variability could accelerate the generation of desirable genomic combinations and ultimately plant breeding. Results We use computational analysis to assess the transcriptional and epigenetic dynamics taking place during doubled haploids generation in the genome of Brassica oleracea. We observe that doubled haploid lines display unexpected levels of transcriptional and epigenetic variation, and that this variation is largely due to imbalanced contribution of parental genomes. We reveal that epigenetic modification of transposon-related sequences during DH breeding contributes to the generation of unpredictable yet heritable transcriptional states. Targeted epigenetic manipulation of these elements using dCas9-hsTET3 confirms their role in transcriptional regulation. We have uncovered a hitherto unknown role for parental genome balance in the transcriptional and epigenetic stability of doubled haploids. Conclusions This is the first study that demonstrates the importance of parental genome balance in the transcriptional and epigenetic stability of doubled haploids, thus enabling predictive models to improve doubled haploid-assisted plant breeding.


The economic value of type traits in cattle is often seen in their effect on improvement of functional stability of cows. The relationship of various type traits obtained from a linear scoring system with the length of productive life of dairy cows of the Austrian Simmental breed was examined. A Cox survival model was used including the time-dependent effects of year-season, stage of lactation, level of milk yield, fat percent and protein percent relative to herd mates and, alternatively, one of the time-independent effects of 24 type traits. Type traits a were corrected for effects like classifier, stage of lactation and herd and fit as regressions with a linear and quadratic component. The data set consisted of a total of 5360 individuals. Of the 24 type traits, 12 showed a significant positive linear effect on length of productive life, one trait, muscularity of the front part of the body showed a significant negative effect. The largest positive effect was found for udder score. Quadratic terms were significant 6 times, and the signs of the quadratic regression coefficients indicated in all instances that more extreme expressions of a type trait have a negative effect on longevity. Results on the effect of type traits on longevity have to be viewed with caution because in many instances it might not be functional deficiencies but instead voluntary culling by the farmer for type that reduces the lifetime of cows.


Abstract Background iCCA is a genomically diverse disease where various genomic alterations have been identified. FGFR2 fusions are present in up to 15% of iCCA tumors and are drivers that result in activation of the FGFR pathway. While early studies implicate their potential as a therapeutic target, thier impact on the natural course of the disease is unknown. Herein, we describe the natural history iCCA FGFR2 fusions, its prognostic role and utility for FGFR-targeted therapy. Methods A multi-center, retrospective analysis was performed, where we identified pts with advanced iCCA. FGFR2 fusions were detected by using a CLIA certified next generation sequencing panel or fluorescence in situ hybridization. We assessed pt outcomes with advanced iCCA whose tumors were identified as having FGFR2 fusions compared to those that did not exhibit FGFR2 fusions. Univariate Cox regression model was used to determine the association between gene alterations with progression free survival (PFS) and (OS). Results One hundred thirty-five pts with advanced iCCA were identified, with forty-five having FGFR2 fusions. In patients with iCCA, FGF2R fusions appeared to occur at a younger age (55 v 58 yrs; p = 0.1919) compared to the control but was not signficant. Ethnicity (p = 0.5162), gender (p = 0.4967), differentiation (p = 0.7754) were evaluated and were not significantly different between groups iCCA FGFR2 fusions pts were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease, stage IIIB or greater (p = 0.0016). No significant differences in PFS were observed from gemcitabine-platinum based chemotherapy in pts whose tumors exhibited FGFR2 fusions (0.5 v 0.5 yrs, HR 1.19, P = 0.36). An significant median OS was observed in pts whose tumors exhibited FGFR2 fusions compared to those that were WT for FGFR2 fusions (2.7 vs 1.3 yrs, HR 0.44, p = 0.002). Conclusions Somatic FGFR2 fusions were associated with a significant survival advantage in pts with advanced iCCA. FGFR2 fusions may also be prognostic to chemotherapy response. FGFR is a therapeutic target of interest, where future prospective studies will be necessary to validate the predictive, prognostic utility and its relevance in pt outcomes in iCCA. Legal entity responsible for the study Daniel Ahn. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


This article examines the emergence of a new materiality in Israeli architecture in the 1950s. I refer here to two distinct but interrelated senses of the word materiality. The first is predicated on the socioeconomic and geopolitical conditions in which architecture, like all fields of artistic production, takes shape; the second reflects the use, handling, and finishing of materials in construction. I show how several key figures in architectural circles in the recently founded State of Israel expressed this new materiality by developing a new style, characterised by restrained formal gestures, abstention from material extravagance, the use and exposure of local materials, an emphasis on the legibility of structure, and an appeal to rational building procedures. This style was a product of both pressing objective material constraints, which were acute in the postwar welfare state and its austerity regime, and ideological frameworks from the interwar period, the foundations of which were cultural as well as disciplinary.


Objectives To ascertain the knowledge of young people aged 16 to 19 of early brain development and their attitudes towards the care of babies and preschool children. Design Cross-sectional, school- and college-based survey including all sixth form students present on the days of data collection. The survey instrument comprised forced-choice questions in four sections: Demographics, Perceptions and Understanding of Early Childhood Development, Parental Behaviors to Support Early Brain development, and Resource Needs and Usage. Setting Two sixth form schools and one sixth form college in three towns of varying affluence in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom. Method The survey was mounted online and completed by 905 students who returned it directly to the researcher. Results Most students knew that tobacco, alcohol, and drugs are hazardous in pregnancy, and many recognized the impact of maternal stress on fetal brain development. Many believed that babies can be "spoiled" and did not appreciate the importance of reading to babies and of the relationship between play and early brain development. A significant minority thought that physical activity and a healthy diet have little impact on young children's development. Respondents said they would turn firstly to their parents for advice on baby care rather than professionals. Conclusion Young people need educating about parenting activities that support the all-round healthy development of infants. The importance of a healthy diet, physical activity, reading, and play should be included in sixth form curricula and antenatal classes. Consideration should be given to educating grandparents because of their influence on new parents.


We present the spot size and incident angle dependence of filtering characteristics of dielectric multilayer thin-film filters. Experimental results on amplitude responses and dispersion characteristics of narrow pass-band (50GHz) SiO2/Ta2O5 filters are presented, which are in good agreement with theory. Although noticeable deterioration on amplitude filter responses has been seen, the chromatic dispersion is reduced with decreasing the spot size of input light.


Background Studies on the efficacy of acupuncture and auricular acupressure on sleep disturbances in cancer patients have been growing, but there is no specific and comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and auricular acupressure on sleep disturbances in cancer survivors based on existing randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Methods Four English-language and four Chinese-language biomedical databases were searched for RCTs published from database inception to July 30, 2021. RCTs comparing acupuncture and auricular acupressure with sham control, drug therapy, behavior therapy, or usual care for managing cancer were included. The quality of RCTs was appraised with the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias (ROB) tool. Mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the effect sizes. Results Thirteen RCTs with 961 patients were included. The risk of performance bias or reporting bias for most of the included trials was high or unclear. Evidence was not found for short-term effects on sleep scales compared to sham control (MD, 1.98; 95% CI, 0.33–3.64; p = 0.02; I2 = 36%), wait list control (MD, 0.40; 95% CI, −0.87–1.68; p = 0.54; I2 = 49%), drug therapy (MD, 1.18; 95% CI, −3.09–5.46; p = 0.59; I2 = 98%). For long-term effect, two sham-controlled RCTs showed no significance of acupuncture on insomnia scale scores (MD, 1.71; 95% CI, −2.38–5.81; p = 0.41; I2 = 89%). Subgroup analyses suggested no evidence that auricular acupressure (MD, 3.14; 95% CI=1.52, 4.76; p = 0.0001; I2 = 0%) or acupuncture (MD, 0.54; 95% CI=−1.27, 2.34; p = 0.56; I2 = 0%) was associated with the reduction in insomnia scale scores. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence about acupuncture or auricular acupressure in the improvement of sleep disturbances in cancer survivors in terms of short- or long-term effect. Adverse events were minor. The finding was inconsistent with previous research and suggested that more well-designed and large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to identify the efficacy of acupuncture and auricular acupressure for sleep disturbances in cancer survivors. Systematic Review Registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, CRD42020171612.


In the first part of the paper the problem of toxicological testing of medical plastics is discussed. Particularly attention was given to the biological testing of extracts of plastics. The results of own investigations on the toxicological testing of extracts in water for injection of three types of polyester vascular prostheses, two types of technical rubber and one type of silicon caouthouc are presented. The author presents a proposal of a new testing method for the toxicological evaluation of extracts in water of medical grade plastics utilizing diluted fresh bull's sperm. The results of the preliminary investigations on different materials proved the bull's spermatozoons to be sensitive to even small qualities of toxic substances composed in various medical grade plastic fabrics. In the author's estimation, there is a good reason to ascertain, that the presented method will be a new biololgical test destined to the preliminary evaluation and the current check-up of plastic medical materials.


In this paper, we focus on the research and development on how to construct a virtual experiment system, with the assisting of a graphic engine irrlicht. Furthermore by referring to the real -world teaching activities, we design series of virtual experiments like grating diffraction and complete their implementations. Here we take the dummy grating diffraction as example to explain the method of virtual experiment construction and the primary techniques, which is consist of the principal of design, the modules construction Etc.


BACKGROUND
Sophisticated methods of cardiac imaging have the potential to revolutionize the care of patients with cardiovascular disease. The benefits of these state-of-the art imaging techniques can be enhanced by their use in combination with new cardiac biomarkers. This review addresses potentially useful interactions between imaging and biomarkers.

CONTENT
Areas were defined in which the combined use of novel imaging techniques and biomarkers would be most beneficial. This review addresses multiple cardiovascular conditions for which the useful aspects of imaging and biomarkers are likely to be positively synergistic, including acute and chronic ischemic heart disease, heart failure, myocarditis, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONS
The synergistic use of imaging techniques and biomarkers will enhance the investigation of many key issues and questions and will be an important resource in the future.


This study aims to understand the organization of psychosocial work in a mediumsized town. To this end, we developed a qualitative research, based on constructivist paradigm and supported by theoretical productions in the field of public health and mental health. The methodological strategies were focus groups, in-depth interviews and documentary research. Eighty subjects participated, represented by Family Health Strategy (FHS) professionals, the Nucleus of Support to Family Health and Psychosocial Attention Center (CAPS), as well as by users of the latter. Paradoxes and production dilemmas were identified by the scarcity of resources, by the place that CAPS takes on psychosocial care in the city and by incorporating national policy on mental health critical of dissociated from critical reflections, the history and conceptual construct that produced it. CAPS takes a place of reference and confidence for patients, but remains isolated and is held responsible for social mandate on insanity and the insane. In FHS, patients are identified by signs of dangerousness and need, while the medicine takes on the function of appeasement agent, constituting the main therapeutic strategy. Immersed in the imaginary of precariousness, the network studied illuminates several risks to consolidating the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform.


The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a regular consumption of yogurt on the composition and metabolism of the human intestinal microbiota. Adult subjects were selected on the basis of daily food records and divided into two groups: yogurt consumers (at least 200 g yogurt consumed per d, n 30); non-consumers (no yogurt, n 21). Their faecal microbiota was analysed using molecular methods (in situ hybridisation and PCR amplification combined with separation by denaturing gel electrophoresis) and its metabolic characteristics were assessed by measuring glycosidase, β-glucuronidase and reductase activities and profiling SCFA, neutral sterols and bile acids. The yogurt starter Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (identity confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing) was detected in 73 % of faecal samples from fermented milk consumers v. 28 % from non-consumers (P = 0·003). In yogurt consumers, the level of Enterobacteriaceae was significantly lower (P = 0·006) and β-galactosidase activity was significantly increased (P = 0·048). In addition, within this group, β-galactosidase activity and the Bifidobacterium population were both positively correlated with the amount of fermented milk ingested (r 0·66, P < 0·0001 and r 0·43, P = 0·018, respectively). Apart from these effects, which can be considered beneficial to the host, no other major differences could be detected regarding the composition and metabolic activity of intestinal microbiota.


The Research News article by Faye Flam about the 1993 physics Nobel Prize ("A prize for patient listening," 22 Oct., p. 507), awarded to Joseph Taylor and Russell Hulse for the discovery of a binary pulsar, incorrectly attributed key observations. The measurements implying that the pulsar is emitting gravitational waves were made by Taylor in collaboration with Joel Weisberg, Lee Fowler, and Peter McCulloch, not by Taylor and Hulse.


For nearly ten years the Colombian government has systematically debriefed men and women who have left the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other violent extremist organizations. Today, the Colombian government maintains a database of more than 15,000 digitized interview transcripts—the largest of its kind in the world. With the proper enhancements and analysis, the database can provide critical insights into topics such as extremist recruitment, motivation, information operations, intelligence activities, leadership, and tactical and operational adaptation and innovation. Although Colombia's political violence is unique in many respects, further research using the database contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of insurgency in other regions. Ultimately, this research could enhance efforts to prevent recruitment into, and encourage current members to exit from violent non-state groups, such as gangs, terrorist groups, militias, and drug trafficking organizations.


Background: Neuroinflammation is a key feature shared by most, if not all, neuropathologies. It involves complex biological processes that act as a protective mechanism to fight against the injurious stimuli, but it can lead to tissue damage if self-perpetuating. In this context, microglia, the main cellular actor of neuroinflammation in the brain, are seen as a double-edged sword. By phagocyting neuronal debris, these cells can not only provide tissue repair but can also contribute to neuronal damage by releasing harmful substances, including inflammatory cytokines. The mechanisms guiding these apparent opposing actions are poorly known. The endocannabinoid system modulates the release of inflammatory factors such as cytokines and could represent a functional link between microglia and neuroinflammatory processes. According to transcriptomic databases and in vitro studies, microglia, the main source of cytokines in pathological conditions, express the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R). Methods: We thus developed a conditional mouse model of CB1R deletion specifically in microglia, which was subjected to an immune challenge (peripheral lipopolysaccharide injection). Results: Our results reveal that microglial CB1R differentially controls sickness behavior in males and females. Conclusion: These findings add to the comprehension of neuroinflammatory processes and might be of great interest for future studies aimed at developing therapeutic strategies for brain disorders with higher prevalence in men.


The authors of the article propose a method of convective dehydration of fish products, which has an intermittent nature of implementation. The dehydration process consists of the continuous initial phase and following combined periods consisting of phases of drying and relaxation of dehydrated surface layer of the raw material. The necessity of applying relaxation is due to the fact that during the drying process the surface layers that have lost some of the moisture are significantly densified. The size of the capillaries for moisture passing through the surface layers is reduced. Near the surface a layer is formed, which lacks the significant mass of moisture and has low diffusion properties. As a result, the dehydration process of the entire sample slows down. The rational use of relaxation leads to restoring the moisture-conducting properties of the surface layer of fish. The supply of electrical energy to the heating elements is stopped during the relaxation. The minimum circulation rate of the drying agent is maintained in the drying installation. Fresh air with a lower temperature and higher relative humidity than the drying agent is supplied to the drying agent. The conditions in the drying installation restrain external mass transfer and facilitate to the relaxation of the dehydrated surface layer, that is, to the redistribution of moisture in the thickness of the fish. The proposed method of dehydration of fish raw material reduces the cost of electric energy in the production of dried products and provides more rational coolant usage. The final fish products have more attractive appearance due to reduction of tissue deformation as a result of applying the relaxation of dehydrated surface layer.


The demand for mobile service increase many service providers which they start finding solutions for integrating third and fourth generation networks and to develop mobility protocols. This article introduces the macromobility, micromobility, and ad hoc routing protocols the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has discussed. The aim is to familiarize readers with various mobility protocols, point out differences, and generate interest to pursue research. Cellular IP can perform handoffs in a number of ways, and it uses an efficient paging technique. To achieve this, it uses two mappings: paging cache (PC) and routing cache (RC). PCs are used only to search for (mobile node) MNs while RCs are used to route data to the MNs. Micromobility protocols complement MIP by reducing signaling overheads and enabling faster handoffs for seamless connectivity. These protocols handle local movements of MN without any interaction with MIP. It reduces the bandwidth consumption and another advantage of reducing signaling overheads is that it helps to conserve the power reserves of MNs.