The aim of this work is to verify whether water moss (Fontinalis antipyretica) could be used as a monitor of trace element contamination in lotic and lentic waters. The investigation was split up the into three sequential experimental trials. 1) Experiments have been set up in lab in order to evaluate the amount of trace elements (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu and Hg) released by moss during a period of 133 days, under controlled chemical-physical conditions. A release of 64% of Hg, 83% of Cr and 70% of Pb was found, whereas no re lease of Cd and Cu has been observed. 2) Clean moss has successively treated with running water at different pH and then treaded with Cu, Cr, Hg and Pb, in order to evaluate the dynamics of accumulation of trace elements in moss. Specifically, three basins containing 100 liters of Lake Maggiore water were equipped with three distinct pumps (15 l min-1 each) ensuring the water circulation into a glass tube were arranged. Afterwards, 105 thallus, equivalent to 4.5 g of Fontinalis antipyretica, were fixed into each glass tube. The accumulation dynamics was calculated by collecting moss and water at the beginning, after 1 h, 6 h, 1 day, 4, 9, 14 and 28 days of the experiment. Results showed that the metals accumulation was significant during the first hour. 3) Samples of clean moss were placed in situ. Nine sites in Lake Orta, characterized by high contents of elements due to the anthropic activities, the Toce River and other minor rivers, have been chosen in order to estimate the ability of moss to accumulate Cu, Cr, Pb and Hg from water, and to localize the metal pollution sources. In three sites the Cu average concentration in Fontinalis antipyretica increased from 167 mg kg-1 dry moss to 2100 mg kg-1 after 14 days and to 2900 mg kg-1 after 28 days. A marked accumulation of Hg was observed in Fontinalis antipyretica located in site no 6 (from an initial concentration of 0.2 mg kg-1 dry moss to 17.7 mg kg-1 after 14 days, and 24.6 mg kg-1 after 28 days). The results showed that Fontinalis antipyretica had the ability to accumulate great amounts of trace elements in a short time (a few days and/or a few weeks), whereas the release occurred more slowly (a few months). Therefore, it could be reasonable to stress that moss can be used to monitor water contamination and sources, and to characterize environments with different types of contaminated, such as industrial and urban areas.


To meet the personalized needs of customers in e-supermarket, an adaptive recommendation algorithm based on support vector machine was proposed in the paper. First, the commodities that user needed were classified as several categories through support vector machine, which ensured the recall of commodity recommendation. Then vector space model was used for content-based recommendation, specific commodities in several categories were obtained to ensure the precision. The algorithm had two advantages; the first was that it dealt with complex high dimensional data better, which obtained parameters directly form adaptive learning classifier. The second was that it had a better capability of classification. The algorithm was also used in personalized recommendation service system based on e-supermarket. The system could support e-commence better. The results manifested that the algorithm was effective


Unexpected behavior of thallium atoms, produced in a reaction of gold target with accelerated 3He ions, in liquid–liquid extraction with [Cnmim][NTf2] ionic liquids (n = 2, 4, 6–8, 10) was investigated. Contrary to the general expectations, a significant proportion of thallium produced in the nuclear reaction was found in a non-monovalent state upon dissolution of the KCl aerosol collector. This finding is critical for the design and evaluation of the forthcoming chemistry experiments with the superheavy element nihonium.


Objective. To determine whether the Patient Activity Scale-II (PAS-II) is a generic measure of disease activity by assessing whether the relationship of PAS-II with treatment decision (indicating disease activity) is invariant across disease. Methods. The Health Assessment Questionnaire-II (HAQ-II), a 10 cm visual analog scale for "pain," and another for "patient global assessment" were recorded from 1000 consecutive patients attending rheumatology outpatient clinics. Active disease was defined as treatment intensity increased and inactive disease was defined as treatment intensity unchanged or decreased. A logistic regression analysis was conducted with active disease as the dependent variable and the predictor variables were PAS-II, diagnostic category, and the interaction between diagnostic category and PAS-II. Results. PAS-II had a weak but statistically significant association with active disease that was independent of diagnosis. An increase of 1 point in PAS-II increased the odds of being in the active disease state by 1.19 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.37). The relationship between active disease state and PAS was not affected by diagnostic category. Conclusion. PAS-II can be used as a generic self-report indicator of active disease across different rheumatic disorders, and not just in rheumatoid arthritis. The strength of the relationship with disease activity is weak and physician-derived indicators remain very important.


Background: Retroperitoneal malignancies are a rare group of cancers with an annual incidence of 2.7 cases per 1 million. Due to their rare occurrence, the understanding of these malignancies is very poor. The prominent oil industry in West Texas is a potential source for both occupational and environmental exposures of chemical carcinogens. We suspect that chemical exposures in the local environment have led to an increased incidence of retroperitoneal neoplasms in the local population. Method: We reviewed a retrospective departmental database to examine all retroperitoneal neoplasms diagnosed in long-term residents of the region over a 4 year period. Occupational and potential exposure histories were documented. Results: There were nine cases of retroperitoneal neoplasms identified over 4 years. This represents a 278% increase over the expected incidence of 3.24 cases per 4 years. Six of the nine patients either worked in the oilfields themselves or had spouses that did so. The remaining three patients may have had passive chemical exposure due to close proximity to oil drilling and production. Conclusion: Taking the two other regional hospitals that service the area and the multiple tertiary care centers outside of the region into account, the retroperitoneal malignancy incidence rate in West Texas is most likely even higher than reported in this study. We recommend a 20 year temporal correlation for retroperitoneal malignancies and oil manufacturing, as well as any other malignancies that might be associated.


Geotrichum citri-aurantii (G. citri-aurantii) is one of the most important postharvest pathogens leading to a postharvest loss of citrus by causing sour rot. In this study, the antifungal activity of trans-2-hexenal, a natural component of essential oil, against G. citri-aurantii was evaluated. Trans-2-hexenal treatment inhibited the mycelia growth of G. citri-aurantii with a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of trans-2-hexenal at 0.50 and 1.00 μL/mL, respectively. Moreover, trans-2-hexenal efficiently reduced the incidence of sour rot of Satsuma fruit inoculated with G. citri-aurantii. Ultrastructural observations and Fourier transform infrared (FT−IR) results showed that trans-2-hexenal treatment affected the cell wall and cell membrane instructions of G. citri-aurantii. The content of β-1,3-glucan was significantly decreased after trans-2-hexenal treatment, but the cell wall permeability was not changed. The decrease in lipid and ergosterol contents might be responsible for this antifungal activity. Several important genes, FKS1, ERG1, ERG7, and ERG11, showed decreasing expression levels after trans-2-hexenal treatment. Molecule-docking results also indicated that trans-2-hexenal could join with the protein of FKS1, ERG1, ERG7, and ERG11 to impact enzyme activities. These results demonstrated that trans-2-hexenal is a promising fungicide for controlling sour rot of harvested citrus fruit by damaging the membrane integrity of G. citri-aurantii.


A new method, the stream surface strip element method, for simulating the three dimensional deformation of plate and strip rolling process was proposed. The rolling deformation zone was divided into a number of stream surface (curved surface) strip elements along metal flow traces, and the stream surface strip elements were mapped into the corresponding plane strip elements for analysis and computation. The longitudinal distributions of the lateral displacement and the altitudinal displacement of metal were respectively constructed to be a quartic curve and a quadratic curve, of which the lateral distributions were expressed as the third power spline function, and the altitudinal distributions were fitted in the quadratic curve. From the flow theory of plastic mechanics, the mathematical models of the three dimensional deformations and stresses of the deformation zone were constructed. Compared with the streamline strip element method proposed by the first author of this paper, the stream surface strip element method takes into account the uneven distributions of stresses and deformations along altitudinal direction, and realizes the precise three dimensional analysis and computation. The simulation example of continuous hot rolled strip indicates that the method and the model accord with facts and provide a new reliable engineering computation method for the three dimensional mechanics simulation of plate and strip rolling process.


Von Neumann-Morgenstern game theory is the multi-agent instantiation of individual rationality, and is the standard for decision-making in group settings. Individual rationality, however, requires each player to optimize its own performance, regardless of the effect so doing has on the other players. This feature limits the ability of game theory as a design paradigm for group behavior where coordination is required, since it cannot simultaneously accommodate both group and individual preferences. By replacing the demand for doing the best thing possible for the individual with a mathematically precise notion of being "good enough," satisficing game theory allows both group and individual interests to be simultaneously accommodated.


Ti3C2Tx MXene electrodes significantly enhanced actuation performance of ionic artificial muscles applied to soft robotic demonstrations. Existing ionic artificial muscles still require a technology breakthrough for much faster response speed, higher bending strain, and longer durability. Here, we report an MXene artificial muscle based on ionically cross-linked Ti3C2Tx with poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate), showing ultrafast rise time of within 1 s in DC responses, extremely large bending strain up to 1.37% in very low input voltage regime (0.1 to 1 V), long-term cyclic stability of 97% up to 18,000 cycles, markedly reduced phase delay, and very broad frequency bandwidth up to 20 Hz with good structural reliability without delamination under continuous electrical stimuli. These artificial muscles were successfully applied to make an origami-inspired narcissus flower robot as a wearable brooch and dancing butterflies and leaves on a tree as a kinetic art piece. These successful demonstrations elucidate the wide potential of MXene-based soft actuators for the next-generation soft robotic devices including wearable electronics and kinetic art pieces.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly invasive type of cancer. Metastasis is the leading cause of mortality of advanced HCC patients. In the metastasis cascade, cancer cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition resulting in the loss of cell‑to‑cell adhesion, migration and invasion into the stroma. Loss of E-cadherin expression is a key molecular event in epithelial-mesenchymal transition through several regulatory mechanisms including epigenetic modification, regulation by inhibitory transcriptional factors and deletion of chromosome 16q24 locus. C-terminal binding protein 1 (CtBP1) functions as a corepressor binding to several transcriptional factors and suppresses E-cadherin expression. We found that CtBP1 was upregulated in HCC when compared with paired normal liver tissues and was inversely correlated with E-cadherin expression in HCC by immunohistochemical assay using tissue array. Western blot analysis confirmed the results of the immunohistochemical assays. When CtBP1 was knocked down by siRNA in HepG2 cells (a human HCC cell line), E-cadherin was upregulated and the invasive ability of HepG2 cells was inhibited. In addition, following CtBP1 knockdown, the cell viability was decreased along with increased apoptosis rather than cell cycle arrest. These data suggest a pivotal role of CtBP1 in EMT of HCC, and its potential as a therapeutic target in human disease.


ABSTRACT Triploid watermelon is highly appreciated by the most demanding markets, and due to its small size, it is ideal for consumption by small families. With the growth in areas cultivated with seedless watermelon worldwide, there is a demand for the development of tetraploid germplasm to obtain triploid hybrids with better agronomic performance. This study performed two tests to induce polyploidy in the powdery mildew–resistant line developed by Embrapa Semi-Arid, LDRO, under different colchicine concentrations and application methods. In Experiment 1, the seeds were treated with colchicine (0.0%, 0.1%, and 0.2%) for 24 h and 48 h. In Experiment 2, 0.2% colchicine was applied by different methods: (a) directly on the seed (MDS) with and without scarification, (b) on seeds with radicle emission (MER), (c) at the insertion point between the hypocotyl and the root (MIHR), (d) at the seedling apex (MAP), and (e) in the inverted hypocotyl (MHI). Chromosome count (cytogenetic analysis), number of chloroplasts per pair of guard cells, number of stomata, seedling height, and hypocotyl diameter were measured. In the LDRO line, chromosomal duplication occurred in some plant cells, but it was not possible to obtain 100% tetraploid plants. Colchicine (0.2%) for 48 h without mechanical scarification induced chromosomal duplication in watermelon. The analysis of the number of chloroplasts identified the level of ploidy early, reducing the number of plants needed to be evaluated by cytogenetics, which allowed us to more accurately identify the different levels of ploidy of the plant.


Background/Objective To date, the clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported mainly based on cases in Wuhan. We aimed to report the clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 infections outside Wuhan. Methods We analyzed 325 SARS-COV-2 infection patients hospitalized in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. The epidemiological, demographic, and clinical data were compared between severe and non-severe cases. Results Of 325 patients, the median age was 51 years, 167 (51.4%) were men, and 107 (32.9%) had underlying diseases. 159 (48.9%) visited Wuhan or had contacted with people from Wuhan, but 57 (17.5%) had no clear epidemiological history. Compared with non-severe patients (n=299, 92%), severe patients (n=26, 8%) were older, had more common underlying disorder, more common lymphopenia, and higher D-dimer, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, procalcitonin, C-reactive-protein, and troponin I level. The common complications included secondary infection (12.3%), acute cardiac injury (9.2%), ARDS (5.5%), acute kidney injury (5.8%), and shock (4.9%). To Mar 12, 311 (95.7%) patients were discharged, 3 (0.9%) died, and 11 (3.4%) still hospitalized. Conclusions The severity rate and fatality rate were low if the measures (early isolation, early diagnosis and early management) were undertaken at the early time of the outbreak.


In the environment with partially-known information, the real time path planning can be steadily performed by using the grid method and genetic algorithm; one-dimensional coding problems can be simplified into Two-dimensional path coding problems, at the same time, the obstacle avoidance requirements and shortest paths requirements are integrated into a simple appropriate function. Simultaneously, insertion operator and deletion operator are set to guarantee the path continuity and conciseness. In the end, stimulations are conducted to compare the paths planned in varied environments, and it can that proved that algorithm has great applicability.


This study aims to examine the relationship between reading comprehension and lexical and grammatical knowledge among English as a foreign language students by using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). There were 825 test takers administered both a second-language reading test and a set of psychometrically validated grammar and vocabulary tests. Next, their reading, grammar, and vocabulary abilities were estimated by the Rasch model. A multilayer ANN was used to classify low- and high-ability readers based on their grammar and vocabulary measures. ANN accurately classified approximately 78% of readers with reference to their vocabulary and grammar knowledge. This finding is consistent with the cognitive theories of reading that treat the lexical and grammatical knowledge of learners as a major factor in distinguishing poor from competent readers. The study also confirmed previous research in finding that vocabulary knowledge was associated with reading comprehension more strongly than grammatical knowledge.


Purpose: The purpose of this research was to identify novel genes that can be targeted as diagnostic and clinical markers of differentiated thyroid tumors. Experimental Design: Gene expression analysis using microarray platform was performed on 6 pathologically normal thyroid samples and 12 primary follicular and papillary thyroid neoplasms. Microarrays containing probes for 5,760 human full-length cDNAs were used for hybridization with total RNA from normal and tumor thyroid samples labeled with Cy3-dUTP and Cy5-dUTP, respectively. Scanned array images were recorded, and data analysis was performed. Selected sets of differentially expressed genes were analyzed using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR for verification. Results: We identified 155 genes that differentiate histologically normal thyroid tissues from benign and malignant thyroid neoplasms. Of these 75 genes were differentiated between follicular neoplasms (adenoma and carcinoma) and the follicular variant of papillary carcinoma. Purely follicular neoplasms (adenomas and carcinomas) shared many genetic profiles, and only 43 genes were distinctly different between these tumors. Hierarchical cluster analysis also differentiated conventional papillary carcinoma from its follicular variant and follicular tumors. The differentially expressed genes were composed of members of cell differentiation, adhesion, immune response, and proliferation associated pathways. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis of selected genes corroborated the microarray expression results. Conclusions: Our study show the following: (1) differences in gene expression between tumor and nontumor bearing normal thyroid tissue can be identified, (2) a set of genes differentiate follicular neoplasm from follicular variant of papillary carcinoma, (3) follicular adenoma and carcinoma share many of the differentiated genes, and (4) gene expression differences identify conventional papillary carcinoma from the follicular variant.


Objective. No study has evaluated circulating chemokine C-X-C motif ligand (CXCL)11 in patients with "mixed cryoglobulinemia and chronic hepatitis C infection" (MC+HCV). We measured CXCL11, and correlated this measurement to the clinical phenotype. Methods. Serum CXCL11, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were assayed in 97 MC+HCV patients and in 97 sex- and age-matched controls. Results. MC+HCV patients showed significantly higher mean CXCL11 serum levels than controls (254 ± 295, 68 ± 16 pg/ml, respectively; p = 0.0002; ANOVA). CXCL11 was significantly increased in 36 cryoglobulinemic patients with compared to those without active vasculitis (303 ± 208 vs 179 ± 62 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.001; ANOVA). IFN-γ levels were significantly higher in MC+HCV than in controls [6.1 (range 0.8–114.5), 1.4 (range 0.7–2.4) pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.05; Mann-Whitney U test]. Serum TNF-α mean levels were significantly higher in MC+HCV than in controls [13.4 (range 1.8–369), 1.1 (range 0.7–3.2) pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.0001; Mann-Whitney U test]. A multiple regression analysis considering CXCL11 as a dependent variable, and age, alanine aminotransferase, IFN-γ, and TNF-α as independent variables, showed in MC+HCV patients a significant association only with IFN-γ (p < 0.0001). Conclusion. Our study demonstrates markedly high serum levels of CXCL11 in patients with MC+HCV compared to healthy controls overall in the presence of active vasculitis. A strong relationship between circulating IFN-γ and CXCL11 was shown, strongly supporting the role of a T helper 1 immune response in the pathogenesis of MC+HCV.


This study introduces three scenarios for water privatization in Korea and analyses them with multi-criteria decision-making techniques. The three scenarios are developed to provide the general directions in which the current Korean water industry is to be privatized. They are thus formulated on the basis of the current situation of the Korean water industry and foreign examples of privatization. The scenarios are called the British model, the French model and a mixed model since the first and second models are similar to the privatization processes that took place in the United Kingdom and France. In applying multi-criteria decision-making techniques for comparison of the three scenarios, this study classifies decision makers into four groups: the central government, local governments, consumers and employees of the water industry. Each group evaluates the scenarios with 25 criteria and the evaluation results of each group are compared. The analysis results indicate that the mixed model is the most favoured by all the groups. And it is also indicated that the most important factors for the success of privatization include strong commitment of and implementation by the central government and development of more programmes to induce more active participation of local governments and employees. Among the four groups, central government is found to favour privatization the most while the employees favour it least. In addition, this study proves that the multi-criteria decision-making techniques can be useful tools for analysing water management issues that are highly debated among various social groups and for providing a sound basis for compromise.


Mixed IPv4/IPv6 networks will continue to use mobility support over tunneling mechanisms for a long period of time until the establishment of IPv6 end-to-end connectivity. Encapsulating IPv6 traffi c within IPv4 increases the level of hiding internal contents. Thus, mobility in mixed IPv4/IPv6 networks introduces new security vulnerabilities. One of the most critical vulnerabilities associated with the IPv6 protocol is the routing header that potentially may be used by attackers to bypass the network security devices. This paper proposes an algorithm (V6HAPA) for protecting home agent clients from the routing header vulnerability, considering that the home agents reside behind an IPv4 Network Address Translation (NAT) router. The experimental results show that the V6HAPA provides enough confi dence to protect the home agent clients from attackers.


Trichomoniasis is a common and curable sexually transmitted disease worldwide. The rapid, convenient, and accurate diagnosis of trichomoniasis is an important link in the prevention and treatment of the disease. The current detection methods of Trichomonas vaginalis are mainly wet mount microscopy, culture, nested PCR, and loop‐mediated isothermal amplification. However, these detection methods have some shortcomings. In this study, a recombinant enzyme polymerase amplification (RPA) assay had been conducted to detect T. vaginalis. The target gene and the corresponding primers were screened, and the reaction system and conditions were optimized in the assay of RPA. The sensitivity and specificity of this detection method were analyzed. The detection efficiency of wet mount microscopy, culture, nested PCR, and RPA was compared by testing 53 clinical samples from vaginal secretions. By screening, the actin gene of T. vaginalis could be used as a target gene for RPA detection of T. vaginalis, and the optimum reaction condition to amplify the actin gene by RPA was at 39°C for 30 min. The detection limit of T. vaginalis DNA using RPA was 1 pg, corresponding to a sensitivity of approximately five trophozoites. The RPA assay demonstrated high specificity for T. vaginalis, and there was no cross‐reactivity with Giardia lamblia, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus, Toxoplasma gondii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Of the 53 clinical samples, the positive rates of T. vaginalis detected by wet mount microscopy, culture, nested PCR and RPA were 50.9 4% (27/53), 71.7% (38/53), 71.7% (38/53), and 69.81% (37/53), respectively. Compared with culture which was used as the gold standard for diagnosing trichomoniasis, testing clinical samples by wet mount microscopy showed 71.05% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and moderate diagnostic agreement with the culture (K = 0.581, Z = 4.661, p < 0.001). The nested PCR showed 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and excellent diagnostic agreement (K = 1, Z = 7.28, p < 0.001), while RPA displayed 97.37% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and excellent diagnostic agreement (K = 0.954, Z = 6.956, p < 0.001). At the present study, rapid amplification of actin gene by RPA could be used as a tool for detection of T. vaginalis. The detection method of RPA was more sensitive than wet mount microscopy and displayed excellent specificity. Moreover, RPA amplification of actin gene did not require a PCR instrument and the amplification time was shorter than that of ordinary PCR. Therefore, the RPA assay was proposed in this study as a point‐of‐care examination and a diagnostic method of T. vaginalis infection, which exhibited the potential value in the treatment and prevention of trichomoniasis.


The bacterial twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway has been recently described for PhoD of Bacillus subtilis, a phosphodiesterase containing a twin-arginine signal peptide. The expression of phoD is co-regulated with the expression of tatAd andtatCd genes localized downstream ofphoD. To characterize the specificity of PhoD transport further, translocation of PhoD was investigated in Escherichia coli. By using gene fusions, we analyzed the particular role of the signal peptide and the mature region of PhoD in canalizing the transport route. A hybrid protein consisting of the signal peptide of β-lactamase and mature PhoD was transported in a Sec-dependent manner indicating that the mature part of PhoD does not contain information canalizing the selected translocation route. Pre-PhoD, as well as a fusion protein consisting of the signal peptide of PhoD (SPPhoD) and β-galactosidase (LacZ), remained cytosolic in the E. coli. Thus, SPPhoD is not recognized by E. coli transport systems. Co-expression of B. subtilis tatAd /Cd genes resulted in the processing of SPPhoD-LacZ and periplasmic localization of LacZ illustrating a close substrate specificity of the TatAd/Cd transport system. While blockage of the Sec-dependent transport did not affect the localization of SPPhoD-LacZ, translocation and processing was dependent on the pH gradient of the cytosolic membrane. Thus, the minimal requirement of a functional Tat-dependent protein translocation system consists of a twin-arginine signal peptide-containing Tat substrate, its specific TatA/C proteins, and the pH gradient across the cytosolic membrane.


Growth and the type of surgical treatment of the hand play an important role in the results of surgery in children. 29 patients have been operated on because of syndactyly and symbrachydactyly and were controlled. The following parameters were assessed: kind of incision and skin graft, functional results, x-ray to examine the skeleton and the depth of the commissure, colour of the skin graft and use of the hand. After operation of syndactyly all patients were able to use their hands normally, although full extend of flexion and extension was achieved only in 20 of 22 hands. In 5 divided pairs of fingers there was recurrence of syndactyly. In all cases except one, a split thickness skin graft has been used. After operative treatment of symbrachydactyly and complex syndactyly, full extent of flexion was achieved in 13 of 19 hands, in 6 hands the range of flexion was incomplete because of skeleton abnormalities. Recurrence occurred in 9 divided pairs of fingers; in 7 cases, a split thickness skin graft had been used. Despite this, all patients were able to use their hands normally. The use of split thickness skin grafts resulted in a 60% recurrence rate, whereas the use of full thickness skin graft led merely to 7.5% recurrence rate. Our results show the advantage of the full thickness skin graft. As a consequence, full thickness skin graft should be used in all cases. Furthermore, the operation should be performed at an early age, if fingers of unequal length have to be separated. Zig-zag incision should be used in all cases.


This research attempt to develop a property forecasting procedure for the various Malaysian property markets to enable more informed decision-making by using local property experts' opinion. Data were collected from two sources using two methods: interviewing property players and conducting participant observation about self-directed learning of property players in the property investment practice. Unlike other research that heavily rely on the econometrics model to forecast the property markets, this research based on the perception which is also major contribution to the property market growth. The findings from this research provide a detailed depiction of the many facets of property forecasting, revealing in particular the nature and extent of the critical role performed by human judgement. This research study on the Malaysian property markets comprises office and retail space demand.


Although polycrosses have been used to test the potential of cross-combination of a large number of sugarcane parents, the male parent of the half-sib progenies produced is unknown. The present study aimed to integrate the molecular marker technology to the sugarcane polycross approach by the application of microsatellite markers to identify the male parent of 41 elite clones derived from polycross families. Ten microsatellite [single sequence repeats (SSRs)] primer pairs were used to identify the most likely male parent considering markers present in the selected clone but absent in the female parent. The number of alleles generated by the 10 microsatellite primer pairs ranged from 102 (cross-pollination lantern 4) to 120 (cross-pollination lantern 2) with an average of 113.25 alleles per SSR. The average genetic similarity among the involved parents in the polycrosses was 45.9%. The results of the analysis of the SSR markers absent in the female parent and present only in the selected clone as well as the genetic similarity values allowed the identification of the most likely male parent in 73% of the total clones evaluated and also to detect probable contaminations. The obtained results highlight the importance of using molecular marker technology in the identification and confirmation of the male parent of high-performance clones derived from polycrosses in the sugarcane breeding programs.


BACKGROUND
Acute bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency. Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment it continues to have a high case-fatality rate and high rates of long-term neurologic sequelae.

ETIOLOGY
Since the widespread use of the vaccine for Haemophilus influenzae type B, Streptococcus pneumoniae has replaced it as the most common cause of acute community-acquired bacterial meningitis in industrialized countries. The rising incidence of beta-lactam-resistant pneumococci has to be considered when choosing a regimen for empiric antibiotic therapy.

DIAGNOSIS
The clinical diagnosis remains difficult, as absent clinical meningeal signs do not exclude bacterial meningitis. If bacterial meningitis is considered a possible diagnosis, empiric antibiotic therapy should be initiated without any delay. Prior blood cultures and, if not contraindicated, a lumbar puncture should be performed. Based on new evidence, a screening cranial computed tomography to rule out raised intracranial pressure prior to lumbar puncture is recommended only for patients with defined risk factors (age > 60 years; preexisting immunodeficiency, immunosuppression, or neurologic diseases; recent seizures; any pathologic finding in the neurologic examination other than meningism).

TREATMENT
Empiric antibiotic therapy should be initiated before cranial computed tomography. Adjuvant dexamethasone therapy initiated with or prior to the antibiotic therapy reduces mortality and morbidity for patients with pneumococcal meningitis without increasing the rate of side effects.


MicroRNAs are interesting as cancer diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers because of their unique tissue expression profiles, higher stability in the blood in comparison to mRNAs, and the possibility for reliable quantification. In the case of prostate cancer (PCa), it is currently emphasized to explore new biomarkers, particularly from microRNAs which are freely available in the bloodstream. In this study, the gene expression omnibus database (GEO), a repository of microarray data for PCa circulating extracellular vesicle-free microRNAs profiling, was analyzed for differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRs). Top 20 most differentially expressed miRs with significant (adjusted p-value < 0.01) high expression (fold change) levels were extracted by the simultaneous application of different filtering criteria. Then, microRNA-gene networks were constructed for the two sets of positively (n=20) or negatively (n=20) regulated miRNAs. Gene ontology annotations of the target gene sets were also extracted and analyzed. Results indicated that human miR-1587, miR-223-3p, miR-3125, and miR-642b-3p are highly significant DE-miRs in PCa. In addition, human miR-4459, miR-1273g, miR 642a-3p, and miR-642b-3p were identified as top-ranked hubs in the relevant miRNA-gene networks. FOXK1, PML, CD24, ATN1, BAZ2A, CDKN1A, NUFIP2, and HARNPU were identified as microRNA target genes with significant dysregulation. miR-4459, miR-1273g-3p, miR-3135b, miR-5001-5p, and miR-1587 were proposed as novel microRNAs with the potential to be utilized as diagnostic biomarkers of prostate cancer among circulating vesicle-free miRNAs.


In severe cases of epiphyseolysis capitis femoris the high-grade dislocation of the epiphysis near the deformation is corrected by subcapital femoral neck osteotomy. In the period from 1976-1986 the subcapital femoral neck osteotomy was carried out ten times at the Department for Orthopaedic Surgery of Martin-Luther-University Halle. Our own operative procedures as well as the results achieved are represented.


The timing of the critical period and LH surge during the afternoon of proestrus was unchanged in female rats with degenerated retinal photoreceptors (Hunter and Royal College of Surgeons strains), when compared to female rats with intact retinae (Piebald Virol Glaxo and Wistar strains). Both RCS and Wistar strains responded to constant light (LL) exposure by attaining persistent vaginal cornification at the same rate. In addition, both RCS and Wistar strains regained normal estrous cycles when moved from LL to control lighting (LD). Therefore, an intact retinal photoreceptor layer is not essential for normal ovulatory function. In addition, these results show that the effects of LL on gonadotrophin secretion are mediated through the brain and are not the result of retinal degeneration. Measurements of retinal concentrations of dopamine (DA) and its metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (Dopac), in Wistar and RCS rats showed that concentrations of both compounds were reduced by LL, and then increased back to control values when animals were moved back into LD. Although the magnitude of the changes in retinal concentrations of DA and Dopac was greater in Wistar than in RCS rats (possibly related to the degeneration which occurs in Wistar but not RCS rats), these results suggest that dopaminergic cells, probably within the amacrine cell population of the retina, respond to different light regimes, perhaps by changes in activity.


Cytochrome cH is the electron donor to the oxidase in methylotrophic bacteria. Its amino acid sequence suggests that it is a typical Class I cytochrome c, but some features of the sequence indicated that its structure might be of special interest. The structure of oxidized cytochrome cH has been solved to 2.0 Å resolution by X‐ray diffraction. It has the classical tertiary structure of the Class 1 cytochromes c but bears a closer gross resemblance to mitochondrial cytochrome c than to the bacterial cytochrome c2. The left‐hand side of the haem cleft is unique; in particular, it is highly hydrophobic, the usual water is absent, and the "conserved" Tyr67 is replaced by tryptophan. A number of features of the structure demonstrate that the usual hydrogen bonding network involving water in the haem channel is not essential and that other mechanisms may exist for modulation of redox potentials in this cytochrome.


Abstract This paper analyses the significance of the Botswana High Court and Court of Appeal judgments of a case in which the Manual Worker Union, a blue-collar public sector union, challenged the Botswana Government to reinstate dismissed workers with all their past benefits. I examine the role of public ethics and morality in Botswana as reflected in key notions used by High Court judges, such as "the duty to act fairly" and "legitimate expectations," and argue that legal anthropologists have neglected such ideas, despite their having become a bedrock of contemporary judicial reasoning. While anthropology has shown a renewed interest in ethics, issues of public ethics and morality remain relatively unexplored in contemporary legal anthropological debates. One has to go back to the work of Max Gluckman on reasonableness in judicial decision-making among the Barotse to find foundational anthropological insights into the morality and ethics of law in non-Western societies. In the legally plural context of Botswana, notions of equity and fairness, this paper argues, "permeate" the legal landscape.


The pattern of colorectal carcinoma, especially with respect to stage and tumor location, has changed noticeably over the past 25 years. During that time period, 1,959 patients came to Hahnemann University Hospital with colorectal cancer, 1,584 of whom were reviewed in this study. There was a significant relationship between extent of disease and date of diagnosis, with the trend being toward decreasing stage at the time of diagnosis. In addition, there has been a demonstrable "rightward shift" in tumor location, especially over the past 15 years. This has been accompanied by a slight increase in the detection of rectal lesions as well. The trend toward earlier and more proximal lesions is likely due in large part to the increasingly widespread use of surveillance colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy.


The purpose of this paper is to develop a new model-based approach for solving FDI (fault detection and isolation) problems in linear parameter-varying plants. The core element of the approach is that the model describing the monitored plant as well as the internal and external perturbations, results in an uncertain linear parameter time-varying model. To solve the problem, a new scheme based on the concept of linear parameter varying (LPV) filters is considered. The proposed method results in designing a LPV fault estimator. The FDI performances are formulated using the notion of quadratic H/sub /spl infin// performance. It is shown that the design problem reduces to solving a system of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). Experimental results performed on the secondary circuit of a French nuclear power plant demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.


Trials at a pilot plant were performed in order to develop new chemical compositions for the production of API grade X70 and X80 pipeline steels. The pilot hot rolling mill allows trials in a limited scale with the target strip thickness and strip widths between 100 mm and 500 mm. The mechanical properties of the X70 and X80 pipeline steels with thicknesses of 23 mm and 12.7 mm respectively were examined by tensile tests and charpy impact tests. In addition DWT tests were conducted for material with a thickness of 23 mm.Some of the trials were arranged to estimate the influence of 0.3% nickel and of 0.03% vanadium with and without the addition of titanium stoichiometrical to nitrogen on the basis of a chemical composition with a niobium content above 0.06%. For a selected composition submerged arc welding trials were performed in a welding laboratory.The results obtained in the small scale trials were used to derive chemical compositions for industrial scale trials including hot strip rolling and the production of helically welded pipes.This paper will deal with the pilot plant trials, the welding trials and the industrial scale trials. The attained mechanical properties will be presented and compared. Furthermore future trials to develop optimized chemical compositions for pipeline steels and the challenge to transfer results from limited to industrial scale will be discussed.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


It is difficult to determine the coefficients of groundwater flow from the data which were obtained from the
drawdown test in a multiaquifer system. In this paper, new methods of analyzing drawdown-tests are developed and illustrated with the example to determine aquifer coefficients. In a double-layered aquifer, the analytical solution of drawdown test, in which water is discharged from both layers, is derived. And also the theoretical solution to determine the coefficient of storage by using an index of elasticity of a confined aquifer is derived.
From these solutions, methods of determining the coefficient of transmissibility in a double-layered aquifer
and the coefficinent of storage in a confined aquifer are
got. The example analysis to determine aquifer coefficients
is shown. As a result, the characteristics which were
obtained by these methods are verified by the real drawdown
test data.


There is international recognition of the importance of high quality services for young children with a consensus that three pillars contribute to quality improvement: adult: child ratios, staff qualifications and group size. In Australia over the past 5 years, early childhood policy has attempted to drive improvements in early childhood service quality through national regulations for both adult: child ratios and qualifications. However, a review of early childhood history demonstrates that service quality in the past tended to depend more on the dedication of staff who were expected to be emotionally rewarded through their caring roles rather than from the pay and status associated with their work. The current political direction in Australia is now tending again towards this latter position. We review the literature associated with both positions in relation to quality improvement and flag our concerns for the future.


Paired scintigraphic and cine CT studies were performed on 29 patients to assess the accuracy of three scintigraphic methods currently available for determination of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). Following a bolus injection of 30 mCi f mTcjpertechnetate, a serial mode acquisition of the first transit through the heart was recorded. Processing was performed in three ways: beat-by-beat (fixed ROI), equilibrium multigated acquisition (MUGA) (variable ROI), and first-pass MUGA (variable ROI). RVEF values determined with the first-pass MUGA technique showed the best correlation with cine CT values, while those determined with the beat-by-beat or the equilibrium MUGA techniques consistently underestimated the RVEF. Thus, the scintigraphic technique using a first-pass gated format with variable ROI appears to be reliable by correlation with cine CT as an inexpensive, noninvasive method for evaluation of RV function.


In this article we analyse an institutional transformation of Swedish health care that is underway. We combine the recent work from the 'Governmentality'-tradition with contributions by John Meyer and associates. The latter is used to explain how these changes are rendered as necessary and natural. The main part of our analysis concerns how the institutional construction of rationalized agency is instrumented. To accomplish that, Dean's (1999) categories technologies of agency and technologies of performance are used to conceptualize some of the means and principles mobilized in the ongoing institutional transformation of Swedish health care. Firstly, we display the emergence of a complex landscape of new actors, arenas and new practices that regulate and coordinate medical practice. Secondly, various attempts to imbue agency into the patients are analysed as an example of a technology of agency put to use. The conclusions present a more comprehensive picture of governing through new forms of agency. Technologies of agency are closely intertwined with appeals to common goods, the formation of new arenas and forms of expertise.


The impulsive control method is developed to stabilize a class of neural networks with both time-varying and distributed delays. Some exponential stability criteria are obtained by using Lyapunov functionals, stability theory, and control by impulses. A numerical example is also provided to show the effectiveness and feasibility of the impulsive control method.


ABSTRACT Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a type of chronic disease of inflammation, and matrine has anti-inflammatory activity. However, it is unclear that whether matrine can alleviate UC. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of matrine on DSS-induced intestinal epithelial cell injury. Cell viability was performed by MTT assay. Then cell apoptosis was analyzed using the TUNEL assay and flow cytometry. The levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β were evaluated using qRT-PCR. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was detected using ELISA assay. Nitric oxide (NO) production was detected by the Griess reagent. Bax, cleaved caspase-3, Bcl-2, JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3, p-STAT3, STAT5, p-STAT5 levels were measured by Western blot. Bax (6A7) was asses using immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays. The results illustrated that cell viability was inhibited as the concentration of DSS increased. Matrine did not affect cell viability at the concentration of 0–2 mg/ml but inhibited cell viability in a time-independent manner. Matrine suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory factors, MPO activity, NO production, and apoptosis of DSS-stimulated cells. Furthermore, we found that matrine inhibited the levels of p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 but did not affect p-STAT5/STAT5. AG490 treatment further enhanced the effect of matrine on the apoptosis and pro-inflammatory factor levels in DSS-induced cells. In summary, matrine protected NCM460 cell against injury by inactivating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. These data suggested for the first time that matrine may effective in treating UC.


The lesions which produce dystonic symptoms are encountered in the brain stem, particularly in the basal ganglia. In an earlier study 1 an attempt was made to compare the sites of lesions forming the basis of the various types of abnormal involuntary movements in nervous diseases. The lesions observed at autopsy in the cases in which dystonic symptoms were exhibited reported up to the time of publication of that report are shown in the figure. It is clear that one is far from being able to predict the exact site of the lesion from any given pattern of involuntary motor activity. The present study, however, is concerned not so much with the site of the lesion as with the underlying pathologic process, since the peculiarity of the pathologic changes determines the type of onset and the course of the disease. According to the fundamental investigations of C. and O. Vogt,


While this is my 'new year' article, by the time this issue is in the reader's hands, we may be getting a glimpse of spring! So it is with hopeful anticipation that I focus on new developments in the life of our specialty society! As you will see from the masthead, this is the inaugural issue under the leadership of Louis-Philippe Boulet who has succeeded Peter Par e in the role of our Editor in Chief. We look forward to the achievement of Dr. Boulet's exciting vision for the journal which builds on the strong foundation established by Dr. Par e. Dr. Diane Lougheed has been appointed as Deputy Editor we are lucky to have this strong team at the helm of the journal, supported by our distinguished Editorial Board and Associate Editors. We anticipate indexing of the journal in 2019 and the establishment of an impact factor soon thereafter. On the CTS Board of Directors, we welcome Patrick Daigneault as Chair of the Education and Continuing Professional Development Committee, succeeding Michel Rouleau who served in this role for two terms. Patrick is a past Chair of the CTS Pediatric Assembly and is Director of Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine at Laval University. In other leadership news, we are also pleased to announce that François Maltais has agreed to Chair the 2019 CTS Scientific Program at the CHEST Annual Meeting in New Orleans. John Gjevre has ably led the development of this program for the past four years and will continue to represent CTS on the CHEST Program Committee. CTS membership is growing and while our goal is to recruit and retain a majority of respirologists as the core membership in keeping with our specialty society status, we also want to grow our constituencies of respiratory MESSAGE DE LA PR ESIDENTE


Combinatorial Auctions are preferable to traditional (sequential) auctions since they allow bidders to express complementarity and substitutability relationships between items, and hence may enhance economic efficiency. However, in such auctions, the problem of determining the optimal winning bids is \textitNP-hard in the general case. In a recent paper, Leyton-Brown et al. have proposed an algorithm for computing the winners in a multi-unit combinatorial auction. It is a branch and bound algorithm that makes use of a caching technique. In this note, we present a counterexample to show that caching, as described by the authors, may fail and the algorithm may eventually give a suboptimal solution. We discuss why it fails and propose how it could be fixed and properly used in a General (multi-unit) combinatorial auction.


Using Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurement, the hyperfine coupling coefficient of YFe12-xVx (x=2,3,4) was determined approximately Ā=14.85T/μB. The reasons of changes of the hyperfine parameters depending on the concentration of vanadium atom were also discussed.


Renewable energy regulations place a premium on both the use of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency improvements. One of the growing milestones in building construction is the invention of green cottages. Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) technologies have been proved to aid buildings that partially meet their energy demand as sustainable solar energy generating technologies throughout the previous decade. Curved facades provide a challenge for typical photovoltaics. This study designed, produced, and assessed elastic solar panels supported by flexible photovoltaic systems (FPVS) on a 1 m2 layer. The LabVIEW program recognizes and transmits online data on warm and dry climates. The fill factor was 88% and 84%, respectively, when installed on the silo and biogas surfaces. The annual energy output was 810 kWh on a flat surface, 960 kWh on a cylindrical surface, and 1000 kWh on a hemisphere surface. Economic analysis indicates that the NPV at Flat surface is $ 697.52, with an IRR of 34.81% and an 8.5-year capital return period. Cylindrical surfaces and hemispheres both get a $ 955.18 increase. For cylindrical and hemispheric buildings, the investment yield was 39.29% and 40.47%, respectively. A 20% increase in fixed investment boosted the IRR by 21.3% in the flat system. While the cylindrical system had a 25.59% raise, the hemisphere saw a 24.58% gain


Embryonic poly(A)-binding protein (EPAB) and poly(A)-binding protein, cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1) play critical roles in translational regulation of stored maternal mRNAs required for proper oocyte maturation and early embryo development in mammals. Superovulation is a commonly used technique to obtain a great number of oocytes in the same developmental stages in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and in clinical or experimental animal studies. Previous studies have convincingly indicated that superovulation alone can cause impaired oocyte maturation, delayed embryo development, decreased implantation rate and increased postimplantation loss. Although how superovulation results in these disturbances has not been clearly addressed yet, putative changes in genes related to oocyte and early embryo development seem to be potential risk factors. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of superovulation on Epab and Pabpc1 gene expression. To this end, low- (5IU) and high-dose (10IU) pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) were administered to female mice to induce superovulation, with naturally cycling female mice serving as controls. Epab and Pabpc1 gene expression in germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes, MII oocytes and 1- and 2-cell embryos collected from each group were quantified using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Superovulation with low or high doses of gonadotropins significantly altered Epab and Pabpc1 mRNA levels in GV oocytes, MII oocytes and 1- and 2-cell embryos compared with their respective controls (P<0.05). These changes most likely lead to variations in expression of EPAB- and PABPC1-regulated genes, which may adversely influence the quality of oocytes and early embryos retrieved using superovulation.


BACKGROUND
The APOE4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been associated with an accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain, which is produced through the sequential cleavage of the amyloid-β precursor protein (AβPP) by β - and γ-secretases. Alternatively, AβPP is also cleaved by α -secretases such as A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase Domain-containing Protein 10 (ADAM10).

OBJECTIVE
While several studies have investigated the impact of apoE on β- and γ-secretase, interactions between apoE and α-secretases have not been fully examined. We investigated the effect of each apoE isoform on ADAM10 in vitro and in human cortex samples.

METHOD
ADAM10 activity and kinetics was assessed in cell-free assays and the biological activity of ADAM10 further investigated in 7WCHO cells over-expressing wild type AβPP through ELISA. Finally, ADAM10 expression and activity was observed in the soluble fraction of both control and Alzheimer's Disease human cortex samples through ELISA.

RESULTS
In a cell free assay, ADAM10 activity was found to be significantly lower in apoE4 samples compared to apoE2. 7WCHO cells over expressing wild type AβPP exposed to apoE4 demonstrated reduced formation of sAβPPα compared to other apoE isoforms. We also identified APOE and AD dependent changes in ADAM10 activity and expression in the soluble brain fraction of human brain cortex.

CONCLUSION
Overall, our data demonstrates an apoE isoform-dependent effect on ADAM10 function and AβPP processing which may describe the elevated amyloid levels in the brains of AD subjects carrying the APOE4 allele.


The biodegradation of two light crude oils from lad and marine wells at Red Sea area by a bacteria enrichment culture was studied under different environmental factors. Enhanced oil biodegradation was observed with aeration or shaking, mesophilic temperature range and salinity between 3-7 percent. Preferential use of urea as nitrogen source resulted in 4-5 fold increase in oil consumption. Nitrogen/phosphorus molar ratios between 10:1 and 20:1 were optimal for oil degradation. Supplementation with iron stimulated biodegradation with optimal concentration of about 2.5 μ mol. Dramatic decrease in oil consumption was observed in absence of emulsifying agent. lnocula of increased optical densities resulted in increased oil consumption but not at the same magnitude. At optimal conditions, the bacterial culture consumed two thirds of the added oil in one week. Compositional variations with respect to C-, H-, N-, S-, Pcontents and C/H ratio of the recovered oil were observed. Four bacterial genera naturally inhabiting the crude oil were isolated and identified as Micrococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Corynebacterium sp. and Pseudomonas sp.


Septic loosening of cemented implants represents an unresolved long-term problem of total hip endoprostheses. Common treatments of infected prostheses involve the use of temporary antibiotic-loaded PMMA spacer-implants or antibiotic-loaded cements. The latter are either provided by a manufacturer or are obtained by simply mixing specific antibiotic powders according to a microbial sensitivity test with PMMA cement. This study is aimed to investigate the antibiotic release behavior and mechanical properties of novel modified PMMA cements, which were bioactivated by chemical modification of commercial cements with either 0.5% hydroxyethylmethacrylate-phosphate (HEMA-P) or 0.5% hydroxyethylmethacrylate-phosphate + calcium chloride and sodium carbonate as buffer. Tobramycin release experiments from the cements were performed statically by immersion of the drug-loaded samples in PBS buffer following liquid change after different periods of time or during cyclic mechanical loading of the cement samples. Cement modification did not significantly alter the mechanical properties of the cements, but affected the release rate from the matrix. While the unmodified cement released approximately 0.33 mg/cm2 tobramycin after 48 h independent of the testing regime, modification with both HEMA-P and salt buffer increased the antibiotic release to 37–50 mg/cm2 when tested under cyclical mechanical loading.


VDF-based polymers, such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers, are well-known ferroelectrics of interest for numerous applications, from energy storage to electrocaloric refrigeration. However, their often complex thermal phase behavior that typically leads to a low phase-stability can drastically affect the long-term dielectric properties of this materials family. Here, we demonstrate on the example of the terpolymer P(VDF-ter-TrFE-ter-CFE) (molar ratio: 64/29/7) that by limiting mass transport/segmental chain motion both during solidification and in the solid state, a drastically smaller "burn-in" in relative permittivity, εr, is observed. Indeed, εr decreases little over time and saturates rapidly at 96-97% of its initial value. Mass transport thereby is limited by using highly entangled systems via the selection of a suitable polymer solution concentration and molecular weight. In addition, rapid solvent extraction assists in reducing unwanted relaxation processes. Accordingly, increased control of the phase stability of P(VDF-ter-TrFE-ter-CFE) is gained. Moreover, pathways are opened to reliably identify processing routes for any given VDF-based polymer, with critical information being obtained from thermal analysis and rheometry data only, enabling rapid feedback to material design, including the prediction of required molecular weights without the need for complex characterization methodologies.


Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is common in the management of low back pain (LBP) and has been associated with changes in muscle activity, but evidence is conflicting. This study investigated the effect of SMT on trunk muscle activity in postural tasks in people with and without LBP. In 20 subjects (10 with LBP and 10 controls), EMG recordings were made with fine-wire electrodes inserted into transversus (TrA), obliquus internus (OI), and externus (OE) abdominis. Rectus abdominis (RA) and anterior deltoid EMG was recorded with surface electrodes. Standing subjects rapidly flexed an arm in response to a light, before and after a small amplitude end range rotational lumbar mobilization at L4-5. In controls, there was no change in trunk muscle EMG during the postural perturbation after SMT. In LBP subjects there was an increase in the postural response of OI and an overall increase in OE EMG. There was no change in TrA or RA EMG. These results indicate that SMT changes the functional activity of trunk muscles in people with LBP, but has no effect on control subjects. Importantly, SMT increased the activity of the oblique abdominal muscles with no change in the deep trunk muscle TrA, which is often the target of exercise interventions. Spinal muscle evaluation in healthy individuals and lowback-pain patients: a literature review, Demoulin C, Crielaard JM, Vanderthommen M. Joint Bone Spine. 2007 Jan;74(1):9-13. Epub 2006 Nov 13. Abstract: This article reviews available techniques for spinal muscle investigation, as well as data on spinal muscles in healthy individuals and in patients with low back pain. In patients with chronic low back pain, medical imaging studies show paraspinal muscle wasting with reductions in cross-sectional surface area and fiber density. In healthy individuals, the paraspinal muscles contain a high proportion of slow-twitch fibers (Type I), reflecting their role in maintaining posture. The proportion of Type I fibers is higher in females, leading to better adaptation to aerobic exertion compared to males. Abnormalities seen in paraspinal muscles from patients with chronic low back pain include marked Type II fiber atrophy, conversion of Type I to Type II fibers, and an increased number of nonspecific abnormalities. Limited data are available from magnetic resonance spectroscopy used to investigate muscle metabolism and from near infrared spectroscopy used to measure oxygen uptake by the paraspinal muscles. Surface electromyography in patients with chronic low back pain shows increased paraspinal muscle fatigability, often with abolition of the flexion-relaxation phenomenon. Comment: This study demonstrates that LBP usually correlates with demonstrable muscle changes(fatigue) that will most likely to produce weakness upon MMT. This article reviews available techniques for spinal muscle investigation, as well as data on spinal muscles in healthy individuals and in patients with low back pain. In patients with chronic low back pain, medical imaging studies show paraspinal muscle wasting with reductions in cross-sectional surface area and fiber density. In healthy individuals, the paraspinal muscles contain a high proportion of slow-twitch fibers (Type I), reflecting their role in maintaining posture. The proportion of Type I fibers is higher in females, leading to better adaptation to aerobic exertion compared to males. Abnormalities seen in paraspinal muscles from patients with chronic low back pain include marked Type II fiber atrophy, conversion of Type I to Type II fibers, and an increased number of nonspecific abnormalities. Limited data are available from magnetic resonance spectroscopy used to investigate muscle metabolism and from near infrared spectroscopy used to measure oxygen uptake by the paraspinal muscles. Surface electromyography in patients with chronic low back pain shows increased paraspinal muscle fatigability, often with abolition of the flexion-relaxation phenomenon. Comment: This study demonstrates that LBP usually correlates with demonstrable muscle changes(fatigue) that will most likely to produce weakness upon MMT.


Between September 2006 and February 2007, the galactic bina ry LS I +61 303 was monitored in the TeV band with VERITAS, a newly commissioned array of im aging Cherenkov telescopes. These observations confirm LS I +61 303 as a variable TeV gamma-ray s ource, with emission peaking between orbital phase 0.6 and 0.7. During this observational period , monitoring in the X-ray regime was also carried out using both the RXTE and Swift detectors, which of fered complementary coverage of the source. Outbursts in the 0.2-10 keV band were observed by bot h satellites at close to the same orbital phase as the TeV peak during the 2 orbital cycles covered simu ltaneously in both bands. While this source has been extensively studied in the X-ray band in the past, th i is the first observational campaign to utilize contemporaneous X-ray and TeV data on LS I +61 303.


The current study demonstrates that a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motif- (ADAMTS-) 5 is a key extracellular matrix protease and associated with cardiovascular diseases. However, the plasma ADAMTS-5 levels and relevance of coronary artery disease (CAD) remain largely unknown. This study is aimed at examining the relationship between the plasma ADAMTS-5 levels and the severity of coronary stenosis in patients with CAD. In the present study, the expression of ADAMTS-5 was analyzed in coronary artery samples and blood. The results showed that the plasma ADAMTS-5 levels were lower in the CAD group than in the control group. In addition, significantly higher matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 2 and MMP-9 levels were also observed in the patients with CAD, and the ADAMTS-5 levels were negatively correlated with the MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the Gensini score was negatively correlated with the ADAMTS-5 levels but was positively correlated with the MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that ADAMTS-5, MMP-2, and MMP-9 may have a certain diagnostic value in CAD and that the combination of all three metalloproteinases had a higher diagnostic value. The findings provided a better understanding of the role of ADAMTS-5 in the diagnosis of CAD.


Mesoionic 4-trifluoroacetyl-1,3-oxazolium-5-olates (1), obtained from the reaction of N-acyl-N-alkylglycines with trifluoroacetic anhydride, react with phosphorus ylides to give β-trifluoromethylpyrroles (2) in good yields. The novel ring transformations of 1 into 2 occur via an initial attack of the ylide anions on the C-2 position of the ring.


Aprototype mixer consisting of a trough, rotating shaft and blade mounted on a shaft and driven by a 2 horse power electric motor was designed, fabricated and its performance evaluated at 50% of its capacity by volume for mixing of different particle sizes of gari namely small (1.18 mm), medium (1.70mm)large (2.30mm)and locally sieved, mixed with soybean flour and paste respectively. Results show that power requirement for mixing of soy-gari increased with the particle size and was higher in the mixture of gari and soy-paste (SGP) than gari and soy-flour (SGF). Small particle sizes were found to mix faster than large ones for both SGFandSGP. It was observed that low speeds of rotation and low power requirement of the machine increased the mixing efficiency and throughput capacity. Water absorption capacity and least gelation concentration of all the samples decreased slightly with increasing particle sizes. On the other hand, bulk density and swelling index of all the samples consistently increased as the particle sizes became smaller. The results of Sensory analysis indicated that mixture of medium particle size of gari (1.70mm) with soy flour was rated as having the best quality and was therefore, recommended. Key word s: Design, Fabrication, Performance, Soy-gari, Mixing


After being introduced into China, the feminism theories and gender theories influenced the research methods and fields of Chinese women's studies. Based on the reprinted papers of women's studies (2003.1-2004.3), the status quo of local women's studies are outlined.


Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling is thought to have a role in the cancer progression and survival, and many carcinomas are known to overexpress IGF-1 receptor (IGF1R). Furthermore, it was clarified that IGF1R signaling contributes to EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC. IGF1R is thought to be a therapeutic target for cancer chemotherapy. Previously, we screened the combination effect of afatinib and various anticancer drugs on a panel of NSCLC cell lines including gefitinib-resistant and afatinib-resistant PC-9 cells which we established. As the result, the combination of afatinib and small molecule IGF1R-TKIs (BMS754807, NVP-ADW742) has shown the most cytotoxicity on wide variety cancer cells. However, these IGF1R-TKIs have cross-reactivity to insulin receptor and, as a result, are known to cause hyperglycemia. Moreover, a phase III trial of the combination chemotherapy between erlotinib and IGF1R specific antibody, figitumumab, in advanced nonadenocarcinoma NSCLC patients (ADVIGO 1018)was closed early because of futility and an increased incidence of serious adverse events. BI836845 is a humanized IGF ligand-neutralizing antibody which is neutralizing both IGF-1 and IGF-2. The proliferation of several cell lines was reported to be potently inhibited by BI 836845 with lower than 100 μg/ml EC50 values. This antibody is thought to be a substitute approach to inhibit IGF1R signaling pathway other than previous IGF1R-TKIs. We evaluated the combination effect of afatinib and BI836845 on the same NSCLC panel by MTS assay. BI836845 had only a limited cytotoxicity by itself. The combination of afatinib and BI836845 had additive or synergistic cytotoxicity on most of the NSCLC cell lines including EGFR-TKIs-resistant cells except the cells overexpressing c-Met or expressing K-ras mutation. This combination significantly inhibited both EGFR and IGF1R autophosphorylation and their downstream signaling, especially Akt/mTOR pathway, as compared with each singular usage. These combination effects were attenuated when BI836845 combined with erlotinib. Since BI836845 cross-react to rodent IGFs, we examined pharmacological activity of this combination using SCID mice xenograft mode. The mice bearing tumor were given 6 mg/kg afatinib (5 times/week, p.o.) and 200 mg/kg BI836845 (1 time/week, i.p.) for 8 weeks. This combination synergistically inhibited afatinib-resistant tumor (PC-9Afa1, PC-9Afa2) and gefitinib-resistant tumor (PC-9ZD, expressed T790M mutant EGFR). This BI836845 administration completely inhibited IGFs activity in the mice serum without alteration of blood sugar level and insulin concentration. Though growth rate of the treated mice was slightly reduced, body weight loss and other serious adverse events were not observed. From these observations, this combination chemotherapy is thought to be a potential therapeutic strategy for NSCLC. Citation Format: Tohru Ohmori, Toshimitsu Yamaoka, Satoru Arata, Motoi Ohba, Yasunori Murata, Yasunari Kishida, Sojiro Kusumoto, Masanao Nakashima, Takashi Hirose, Tsukasa Ohnishi, Kazuto Nishio. Combination effect of afatinib and BI836845, a humanized IGF ligand-neutralizing antibody, on EGFR-TKI-resistant NSCLC cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1208.


Liver resection for liver metastases goes with 30-40% five years survival. It is estimated that 10% of patients with liver metastases can be subjected to liver resection. In the Västra Götaland region, this number is not achieved. In the present material of 147 patients, the postoperative mortality was 2.7%. Five years survival was 33%. Preoperative chemotherapy and preoperative porta embolisation have extended the indication for liver resection. Reresection after recurrence limited to the liver should be considered in selected cases. Ablative measures are under development and should be evaluated in clinical trials. New chemotherapeutic drugs (oxaliplatin, irinotecan) with improved recurrence rate but with limited gain in survival might have an impact as adjuvant therapy. A surgeon with liver surgery competence should see patients with a presumably resectable cancer.


The COVID-19 crisis has transformed the delivery of services and goods by public, private, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), with one of the largest impacts being in air transport systems. This paper focuses on related opportunities and challenges within air freight transport management, exploring sustainability in light of recent, heavy human and economic costs across the world. There is, in the resulting process of recovery, the potential to create changes in the airline industry and across a number of private and public partnerships that will improve long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability and stability. This paper also describes the impact of the current environment on air cargo operations to include the role of significantly reduced airline schedules on overall air cargo capacity. It considers the potential role of government in providing the infrastructure for collaboration between sectors, addressing the goals of sustainability, efficiency, effectiveness, and citizen responsiveness. NGOs provide a voice for community groups in ways that governments and corporations may not. Efficient markets link producers at various stages to consumers through global and local supply chains. Integrating key concepts from sustainable development and logistics, this paper explores short-run and long-run planning required by each of the three sectors to tackle the immediate shortfalls in global transportation by air. It then investigates urgent but longer-term environmental issues tied to air transport, such as global climate change, air pollution, and the nonrenewable nature of fossil fuels. Many of the infrastructural changes in the airline industry may offer solutions across public administration. With the tremendous impact of air transport on a number of other goods and services, carefully constructed solutions may have sustainability benefits across industries. As the tragedies of COVID-19 inevitably shake the foundations of organizational systems in all three sectors, this paper offers recommendations for advancing opportunities for a more efficient freight supply industry that minimize negative impacts through sustainable development.


In recent years, one of the most prominently investigated materials is hydroxyapatite (HA). It is because of its excellent properties for medical applications, essentially related to orthopedic. Also, the introduction of other materials to HA becomes another research focus of many leading scientists. In this present study, silicon with various concentrations was introduced, by means of solid state reaction route, to HA forming Si-HA. The crystal structure properties of the as-prepared samples were evaluated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopy data collection and analysis were done to investigate the functional groups within the samples. The microstructural characteristics as well as elemental mapping of the samples were captured by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Vickers hardness test was also conducted to investigate the hardness properties of the samples. Furthermore, in vitro characterization-based bio resorbability of the samples in a simulated body fluid were also described. This study revealed that Indonesian limestone can be utilized as the raw material for synthesizing HA. The silicon has been successfully incorporated into phosphate site of the HA crystal. Conclusively, the Si-HA reported in this study shows good bioresorbability characteristic.


The educational objectives for this self-assessment module are for the participant to exercise, self-assess, and improve his or her understanding of the imaging spectrum of pediatric foot alignment issues.


Abstract A single-pass flow-through experiment was conducted to induce serpentinization, and to relate serpentine mineralogy to reaction progress during open-system alteration of San Carlos olivine by air-saturated water. The fluid flowed at 300 °C and 300 bars for 1368 hours through crushed olivine contained in a tubular titanium reaction cell. Chemical analysis of the fluids indicated a steady-state composition with respect to Mg and pH after 550 hours, which was interpreted to reflect saturation with brucite and one or more serpentine-group minerals. The alteration products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Nucleation and growth characteristics of serpentine phases on the fracture surfaces of olivine were studied by TEM using platinum/carbon replica techniques. After reaction, olivine fragments displayed clear signs of dissolution, and growth of neoformed phases. Brucite and magnetite were distributed uniformly through the reaction cell, although magnetite was more abundant. There is, however, a distinct zonal distribution of the serpentine phases from the inlet to the outlet of the reaction cell. Lizardite is the dominant serpentine phase at the inlet, whereas fibrous serpentines are predominant near the outlet. Lizardite crystals are more numerous (but smaller) in the middle of the cell, and are topotactically aligned along a single preferential crystallographic orientation of the olivine. Cylindrical chrysotile formed predominantly on the surfaces of lizardite, conical or polygonal serpentine. The morphology and sorting of the serpentine phases through the reaction cell suggest that crystallization of lizardite was controlled by heterogeneous nucleation on olivine under supersaturated conditions, and crystallization of chrysotile by nucleation on lizardite at higher levels of supersaturation.


We previously described the capacity of RO7122290 (RO) - a FAP-targeted 4-1BB bispecific antibody - to induce CD8+ T cell infiltration and activation in the tumor (Moreno V. et al, SITC 2020). Aiming to compare pharmacodynamic (PD) changes in tumor nests and stroma, paired tumor biopsies from patients treated with RO (Part A) and RO + atezolizumab (Part B) were analysed by digital spatial profiling (DSP, Nanostring).Seven paired (baseline and on-treatment) FFPE tumor tissue biopsies (three from Part A, four from Part B) obtained from an ongoing Phase 1/1b trial (EUDRACT 2017-003961-83) were assessed for mRNA and protein expression. Biopsies were taken from six different tumor types at different RO doses. Up to twelve Regions of Interest (ROIs) were collected per slide and the morphology markers PanCK, CD8, CD3 and DAPI were applied. The ROIs were further annotated in tumor nests and stroma segments based on PanCK staining. The immune-oncology 58-plex protein and 78-plex mRNA expression panels (Nanostring) were used to profile all samples. Data were normalized according to Nanostring guidelines and filtered based on relevance (absolute log2 fold change > 1) and significance (FDR < 0.05, p-value).The level of CD8+ T cell infiltration measured by spatial profiling correlated with the level measured by IHC, in both tumor nests and stroma. The activation markers 4-1BB and PD-1 were upregulated, confirming the PD effect already measured by mRNA sequencing. We also identified novel protein markers - CD40, PD-L1 and IDO1 - being upregulated after treatment. Spatial regulation differed among the markers with 4-1BB, PD-1 and CD40 upregulated only in the stroma, PD-L1 and IDO1 upregulated in the tumor nests and in the stroma. IDO1 induction is particularly relevant, since this protein is known to attenuate 4-1BB-mediated effector responses. Conventional IHC analysis performed on 14 paired biopsies confirmed IDO1 being upregulated in 11 out of 14 cases and revealed dendritic cells, macrophages and stromal cells to express IDO1. Importantly, IDO1 upregulation was observed in both Part A (3 out of 3) and Part B (8 out of 11).Spatial profiling allowed us to identify key markers that are spatially regulated after treatment and to gain new insights on the MoA of RO. The induction of IDO1 by RO confirms the dual immunoregulatory nature of 4-1BB signaling and highlights IDO1 as a potential resistance mechanism for RO in the clinical setting, both as single agent and in combination with atezolizumab.EUDRACT Number: 2017-003961-83; Protocol Number: BP40087Moreno V. et al, Pharmacodynamic assessment of a novel FAP-targeted 4–1BB agonist, administered as single agent and in combination with atezolizumab to patients with advanced solid tumors, Nov 1 2020, Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, presented at SITC 2020


An intention-to-treat single-center cohort (n= 592) was re-evaluated for all patients in whom no reperfusion could be achieved (n = 63). Baseline characteristics were compared between patients with and without reperfusion failures. After qualitative review of all cases with reperfusion failures, a classification system was proposed and relative frequencies were reported. Reasons for reperfusion failure in stent-retriever thrombectomy are heterogeneous. The failure to establish intracranial or cervical access is almost as common as stent-retriever failure after establishing intracranial access. Systematic reporting standards of reasons may help to further estimate relative frequencies and thereby guide priorities. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In 5%–10% of patients with acute ischemic stroke with an intention to treat with mechanical thrombectomy, no reperfusion can be achieved (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score = 0/1). Purpose of this analysis was a systematic assessment of underlying reasons for reperfusion failures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An intention-to-treat single-center cohort (n = 592) was re-evaluated for all patients in whom no reperfusion could be achieved (n = 63). Baseline characteristics of patients were compared between patients with and without reperfusion failures. After qualitative review of all cases with reperfusion failures, a classification system was proposed and relative frequencies were reported. In a second step, occurrence of delayed recanalization at 24 hours after reperfusion failure and dependency on IV-tPA were evaluated. RESULTS: In 63/592 patients with an intention to perform stent-retriever thrombectomy, no reperfusion was achieved (TICI 0/1, 10.6%, 95% CI, 8.2%–13.1%). Older patients (adjusted OR per yr = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01–1.05) and patients with M2 occlusion (adjusted OR = 3.36; 95% CI, 1.82–6.21) were at higher risk for reperfusion failure. In most cases, no reperfusion was a consequence of technical difficulties (56/63, 88.9%). In one-third of these cases, reperfusion failures were due to the inability to reach the target occlusion (20/63, 31.7%), while "stent-retriever failure" occurred in 39.7% (25/63) of patients. Delayed recanalization was very rare (18.2%), without dependence on IV-tPA pretreatment status. CONCLUSIONS: Reasons for reperfusion failure in stent-retriever thrombectomy are heterogeneous. The failure to establish intracranial or cervical access is almost as common as stent-retriever failure after establishing intracranial access. Systematic reporting standards of reasons may help to further estimate relative frequencies and thereby guide priorities for technical development and scientific effort.


SimAULA is a European Lifelong Learning Programme project aimed at offering a virtual medium for initial and lifelong teacher training. The project's originality lies in the tool that its participants have designed, a simulation of the serious game variety which enables users (teachers in training, in this case) to put their skills into practice in an environment that faithfully recreates the reality of teaching. Additionally, as a simulation, SimAULA makes it possible to avoid the negative consequences that teachers' actions could have in the context of a real classroom. Possibilities for SimAULA's future development include enabling users to customise teaching scenarios, so that classroom activities can be steered towards work related to different values or ethical or social issues of interest within a given curriculum.


A model for the stochastic evolution of a linear paramagnetic system in contact with a thermal bath and subjected to variations in time of an external magnetic field, H, is presented. Changes in the Hamiltonian of this system, , defined through the relation , are considered for the special case in which the external field is varied from an initial to a final value in discontinuous successive steps. Distribution functions of , and , corresponding to switching on and switching off processes, respectively, are explicitly calculated. To study the relaxation process, it is assumed that in between successive variations of the external field, the system follows a linear Langevin dynamics in the presence of a constant field. The dependences of and on the number of steps in which the external field changes from initial to final values as well as on the time rate of the processes are presented. These distributions are used to estimate free energy differences between two equilibrium states via the relations of Jarzynski and Crooks, and it is verified that these relations yield correct estimations of the free energy difference. Results of the model are illustrated firstly, for a system of independent two-level spins in the thermodynamic limit. Finally, a comparison is also performed with distributions of in the two-dimensional Ising model obtained independently from numerical simulations, carried out in the paramagnetic phase and restricted to perturbations that produce a linear response. A good agreement is found between simulations and the present calculations.


Psoriasis is a chronic, debilitating, relapsing, inflammatory dermatosis, which affects approximately 2-3% of the population. The burgeoning research on pathogenesis of psoriasis has opened up new directions in management of this common condition. The introduction of biologics has given additional elements to the arsenal of psoriatic disease treatments. TNF-α inhibitors, IL-12/23 inhibitors, IL-17 inhibitors, CD-6 inhibitor proved highly efficient and have a good safety profile in numerous clinical trials. Biosimilar drugs are structurally almost similar to their reference biologic and are also made from living organism. Long-term follow-up and post-marketing surveillance are required to understand, long-term efficacy, adverse events of these powerful potent molecules.


This article examines the underlying aims of denationalization of criminal offenders by framing the discussion within citizenship theory. It argues that such citizenship revocation policies exclude individuals who are perceived as non-ideal citizens under a complex vision of citizenship that combines communitarian and liberal undertones, which has significant consequences for detecting those with weak claims to membership. To develop this argument, the article advances in the following way. I first argue that the 'protective' function of citizenship, which has so far shielded domestic offenders from expulsion, has been eroding due to increasing reliance on denationalization. I then show, by employing an original study of European policies, that the 'protective' function of citizenship is eroding not only in general terms, but that it furthermore targets citizens of a particular profile that is continuously changing. Finally, I argue that recent revocation policies that are premised on security concerns, promote a complex vision of citizenship that combines elements of communitarian and liberal conceptions of belonging and works to exclude citizens of foreign descent who, at the same time, repudiate liberal values. Consequently, the status of the criminal rather than non-citizen, gains prominence in determining those at risk of exclusion from the polity.


Chiral transition metal complexes not only have large nonlinear optical (NLO) response but also meet the non-centrosymmetric requirement of second-order NLO materials. Therefore, chiral transition metal complexes become very active in the NLO area. Recently, the second-order NLO response of chiral dinuclear Re(i) complex 2 has been found to be 1.5 times larger than that of KH2PO4 (KDP) based on experimental measurement. However, its NLO origin has not been determined and a structure-property relationship has not been established at the microscopic level, which are very important to further improve the performance. It is found that charge transfer from metal to ligand is mainly responsible for its NLO origin. Based on complex 2, the designed complexes have remarkably large second-order NLO activity. For instance, the designed complex 9 has a very large second-order NLO response value (115.81 × 10(-30) esu), which is about 668 times larger than the organic molecule urea. Moreover, time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations have been used to investigate their UV-Vis/CD spectra. The simulated circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the complex 2 are in good agreement with the experimental ones, which can be used to assign the absolute configurations (ACs) of chiral dinuclear Re(i) complexes with high confidence. The electronic absorption wavelengths, electron transition properties, and the second-order NLO responses strongly depend on the nature of substituent, different ligands (pyridine and isoquinoline) and their combinations. Based on NBO analysis, the interactions between [Re(CO)3Cl] fragments and ligands are of n →σ* character.


In the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Chicago from Oct. 1, 1934, until April 1, 1940, we have had the opportunity of examining at autopsy more than 2,500 fetuses and infants of varying gestational age and extra-uterine age up to 1 year. This has in part been made possible by the cooperation of Dr. Herman Bundesen, president of the Chicago Board of Health. The present report is based on 2,000 autopsies which comprise the entire group with the exclusion of the fetuses classed as abortions,1the infants over 1 month of age and those in which adequate maternal and infant histories were unavailable. Six hundred and eight of the fetuses and infants were born and died at the Chicago Lying-in Hospital, 895 were sent to us for autopsy, and 497 were examined at autopsy elsewhere by Dr. Aaron Gunther for the Chicago Board of Health and tissues sent to us for microscopic examination. In each case a complete autopsy including examination of the head was performed and tissues were subjected to microscopic study.


We consider a sinusoidal undulation of a straight, linear polymer embedded in a flat membrane exposed to a lateral tension. We determine the shape of the membrane and compute the elastic energy associated with the undulation of the polymer. Analysing this energy at different wavelengths of the undulation, we find the criteria of stability of the straight shape of the polymer, and show them to be controlled by the difference of moduli of Gaussian curvature, Δκ, of the polymerized and unpolymerized membrane. We also discuss formal analogies and differences between the behaviour of a polymer embedded into a membrane and a charged bilayer membrane immersed in a solution of electrolyte.


752Background: Biomarkers to select mRCC patients most likely to benefit to immune-checkpoint inhibitors are still needed. The ongoing retrospective multicentre Meet-URO 15 (I-BIO-REC) study evalua...


We address the problem of scalable content-based search in large collections of music documents. Music content is highly complex and versatile and presents multiple facets that can be considered independently or in combination. Moreover, music documents can be digitally encoded in many ways. We propose a general framework for building a scalable search engine, based on (i) a music description language that represents music content independently from a specific encoding, (ii) an extendible list of feature-extraction functions, and (iii) indexing, searching, and ranking procedures designed to be integrated into the standard architecture of a text-oriented search engine. As a proof of concept, we also detail an actual implementation of the framework for searching in large collections of XML-encoded music scores, based on the popular ElasticSearch system. It is released as open-source in GitHub, and available as a ready-to-use Docker image for communities that manage large collections of digitized music documents.


Abstract. In our country, orthophoto products are used by the public and private sectors for engineering services and infrastructure projects, Orthophotos are particularly preferred due to faster and are more economical production according to vector digital photogrammetric production. Today, digital orthophotos provide an expected accuracy for engineering and infrastructure projects. In this study, the accuracy of orthophotos using pixel sizes with different sampling intervals are tested for the expectations of engineering and infrastructure projects.


CONTEXT
Patients with hypopituitarism have reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of glucocorticoid (GC) replacement on BMD before and after 2 years of GH therapy in hypopituitary patients. The main hypothesis was that patients on GC replacement demonstrate greater improvement in BMD when treated with GH.

DESIGN
This was a post hoc analysis of data from a prospective single-center study.

PATIENTS
Data on 175 adult patients with hypopituitarism and verified GH deficiency due to nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma were analyzed. Ninety-eight (56%) were GC insufficient, receiving a mean ± SD hydrocortisone equivalent dose of 20.9 ± 5.0 mg/d.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
BMD before and after 2 years of GH replacement therapy was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

RESULTS
BMD at baseline did not differ between GC-sufficient and -insufficient patients, neither at lumbar spine nor femur neck. After 2 years on GH replacement, BMD increased in both groups. After adjustment for weight, age, gender, free T4 concentrations, change in IGF-I levels, and sex hormone treatment, GC sufficiency was associated with a greater increase in BMD at the femur neck (ΔT-score in GC insufficient patients 0.09 ± 0.46, in GC sufficient patients 0.19 ± 0.43; P < .05) but not at the lumbar spine.

CONCLUSIONS
GH replacement therapy for 2 years increased BMD in hypopituitary patients. In contrast to our hypothesis, GC-insufficient patients receiving near physiological doses of hydrocortisone do not show a greater therapeutic response to GH therapy than their GC-sufficient counterparts.


The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic value of spontaneous portosystemic shunting and liver function for survival and spontaneous hepatic encephalopathy after end‐to‐side portacaval shunt in cirrhotic patients. One hundred ninety‐eight patients with variceal hemorrhage as shown by endoscopy were evaluated. Forty‐five were excluded because of uncontrollable hemorrhage; 84 were rejected because they were poor operative risk, had portal vein thrombosis or had been previously treated with β‐blockers, sclerotherapy or surgery. The remaining 69 patients were enrolled in this prospective study. There were 43 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, 23 with cryptogenic cirrhosis and three with primary biliary cirrhosis. The severity of liver disease was assessed according to the Pugh classification: 37 patients (54%) had Pugh's score 5 to 7, 26 (38%) had 8 to 10 and six (8%) had 11 to 12. Indocyanine green intrinsic clearance was used as a probe of preoperative liver function and lidocaine systemic availability as an index of spontaneous preoperative shunting. All the patients underwent an elective end‐to‐side portacaval shunt. The length of minimal follow‐up was 40 months. One‐year survival was 76% and 5‐year survival was 46%. During follow‐up, 25 patients died from their liver disease and 11 patients died from various causes unrelated to their liver disease. Spontaneous chronic encephalopathy occurred in 16 patients (23%). Age, Pugh's score, active alcoholism, indocyanine green intrinsic clearance and lidocaine systemic availability were tested as prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis. A stepwise analysis using the Cox proportional hazard demonstrated that, in this population of cirrhotic patients, the Pugh score was the only variable significantly related to survival (β = 0.3; S.E. = 0.12, p < 0.05). A stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis showed that none of the studied parameters was significantly related to the onset of postoperative spontaneous encephalopathy. These findings suggest that in this population of cirrhotic patients the Pugh score remains the best predictive variable for survival and that pharmacokinetic parameters have no role in the prediction of postoperative outcome after end‐to‐side portacaval shunt.


The diagnosis of forging process for large problems, the use of advanced expert system for diagnosis of large forging process, forging process design of a large diagnostic expert system structure is discussed in detail the working principle and function of each module, and to the knowledge representation and reasoning mechanism of the development of key technologies such as policy, practice shows that the expert system can solve large-scale forging process design and diagnosis of problems in the field, in large forging process improvement theory and techniques to improve the forging process with large modules scientific, intelligent with significance.