Taylor AL, Hale J, Wiltschut J, Lehmann H, Dunstan JA, Prescott SL. Clin Exp Allergy. 2006;36:1227–1235 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. To determine if probiotic dietary supplementation in the first 6 months of life could modify allergen- and vaccine-specific immune responses. STUDY POPULATION. One hundred seventy-eight term infants born to women with a history of allergic disease and a positive prick-skin test result were enrolled in Australia between July 2002 and March 2005. METHODS. In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 3 × 109 colony-forming units of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LARVI-A1; Probiomics, Eveleigh, New South Wales, Australia) was administered daily to term infants for the first 6 months of life. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell cytokine responses to tetanus toxoid (TT), house dust mite (HDM), ovalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, Staphylococcus enterotoxin B, and phytohemagglutinin were measured at 6 months of age. RESULTS. Of the 178 infants who completed the study, blood samples were available from 118 children (60 placebo treated, 58 probiotic treated). Infants treated with probiotics had significantly lower interleukin 10 (IL-10) production to TT vaccine antigen than those in the placebo group (P = .03). Infants treated with probiotics had no significant differences in the levels of T-helper 1 and T-helper 2 cell responses to foods (ovalbumin or β-lactoglobulin) or inhalant allergens (HDM). However, the number of infants who had detectable tumor necrosis factor α and IL-10 responses to HDM were less than those who had received probiotics (P = .046 and 0.014, respectively). In addition, children who received probiotics had decreased productions of IL-5 and transforming growth factor β in response to Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (P = .044 and 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSIONS. Although there were no consistent effects on allergen-specific responses, children treated with probiotics may have immunomodulatory effects on TT responses. The clinical ramifications of this have yet to be determined. REVIEWER COMMENTS. It is interesting to note that the TT vaccine-specific responses in IL-10 were significant, whereas the allergen-specific responses were not. However, the clinical implication of this is not known. The authors pointed out that the types of probiotics selected and dosing regimen may be important in regard to immunologic outcomes. Some studies have shown a protective effect of probiotic supplementation on outcomes of atopic dermatitis (some have not), and the effect on allergen-specific responses, if any, remains unclear. This study began to tease out the allergen-specific outcomes. Although clinical atopic dermatitis evaluations were not made during this study, the immunologic effects of probiotics in infants with a maternal history of atopy are seemingly not allergen specific.


Summary The key 'statin trials' focussed on the beneficial effect of lowering the circulating concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). However, epidemiological surveys, mainly based on healthy populations, indicate that other lipid-related variables, such as high-density cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TG), dense LDL subfraction distribution, and possibly lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), are also predictors of vascular events. Furthermore, TG and HDL levels influenced outcome within some of the statin trials. Plasma fibrinogen levels have also been shown to be powerful predictors of vascular risk in healthy subjects and patients with established ischaemic heart disease. The fibrates exert beneficial effects on all these variables that predict vascular events. The results from recent trials, the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) study and the Veterans Administration HDL Intervention Trial (VA-HIT) have revived our interest in fibrates. These trials involved bezafibrate and gemfibrozil that have a relatively poor LDL-lowering capacity. Therefore, the benefits reported in BIP and VA-HIT must be attributed to actions on variables other than a reduction in LDL quantity. Ciprofibrate and fenofibrate have significantly greater LDL-lowering capacity than bezafibrate or gemfibrozil. This advantage may render them more effective, especially since they retain the additional beneficial actions associated with this class of lipidlowering drugs.


The holographic correspondence creates an interface between classical gravitational physics and the dynamics of strongly interacting quantum field theories. This chapter will relate the physics of charged, asymptotically Anti-de Sitter spacetimes to the phenomenology of low temperature critical phases of condensed matter. Common essential features will characterise both the gravitational and field theoretic systems. Firstly, an emergent scaling symmetry at the lowest energy scales appears as an emergent isometry in the interior, `near horizon' regime of the spacetime. Secondly, the field theoretic distinction between fractionalized and mesonic phases appears as the presence or absence of a charge-carrying horizon in the spacetime. A perspective grounded in these two characteristics allows a unified presentation of `holographic superconductors', `electron stars' and `charged dilatonic spacetimes'.


The goal of the study is to determine the extent of structural brain abnormalities in a multicenter sample of children and adolescents with a recent-onset first episode of psychosis (FEP), compared with a sample of healthy controls. Total brain and lobar volumes and those of gray matter (GM), white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in 92 patients with a FEP and in 94 controls, matched for age, gender, and years of education. Male patients (n = 64) showed several significant differences when compared with controls (n = 61). GM volume in male patients was reduced in the whole brain and in frontal and parietal lobes compared with controls. Total CSF volume and frontal, temporal, and right parietal CSF volumes were also increased in male patients. Within patients, those with a further diagnosis of "schizophrenia" or "other psychosis" showed a pattern similar to the group of all patients relative to controls. However, bipolar patients showed fewer differences relative to controls. In female patients, only the schizophrenia group showed differences relative to controls, in frontal CSF. GM deficit in male patients with a first episode correlated with negative symptoms. Our study suggests that at least part of the GM deficit in children and adolescent-onset schizophrenia and in other psychosis occurs before onset of the first positive symptoms and that, contrary to what has been shown in children-onset schizophrenia, frontal GM deficits are probably present from the first appearance of positive symptoms in children and adolescents.


Implementation of the amazing features of the human brain in an artificial system has long been considered. It seems that simulating the human nervous system is a recent development in applied mathematics and computer sciences. The objective of this research is to introduce an efficient iterative method based on artificial neural networks for numerically solving nonlinear algebraic systems of polynomial equations. The method first performs some simple algebraic manipulations to convert the origin system to an approximated unconstrained optimisation problem. Subsequently, the resulting nonlinear minimisation problem is solved iteratively using the neural networks approach. For this aim, a suitable five-layer feed-back neural architecture is formed and trained using a back-propagation supervised learning algorithm which is based on the gradient descent rule. Ultimately, some numerical examples with comparisons are given to demonstrate the high accuracy and the ease of implementation of the present technique over other classical methods.


Efforts to combine various herbal compounds are made in the wake of numerous cases of antibiotic resistance. Curcumin is an active compound found in herbal plants. It has an antimicrobial effect that can induce the expression of the mRNA Cathelidicin Antimicrobial Peptide (CAMP) gene and eradicate bacteria. Twenty-five adult BALB/c mice, aged 8–12 weeks and weighing 30–40 grams, were induced with Salmonella typhi at the intraperitoneal cavities. They were randomly allocated in equal blocks to receive CM200 (200 mg/kg of curcumin), CM400 (400 mg/kg of curcumin), CM200+vit D (200 mg/kg of curcumin with vitamin D), and positive control or negative control for 5 days. Mice were then maintained for 3 weeks to count the colonies in the post-intervention period and the level of the mRNA CAMP gene. Real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of the CAMP gene. The level of the mRNA CAMP gene expression significantly increased in CM200 (2.01±0.75) and CM400 (4.06±0.68), pdifference <0.0001. The highest increase of the CAMP gene expression was observed in CM200+vit D (5.47±0.53), pdifference <0.0001. Curcumin increased the expression of the mRNA CAMP gene.


The prognosis of breast cancer patients is closely associated with the response of tumor cells to chemotherapy agent. Doxorubicin is one of the primary chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of breast cancer. Resistance to chemotherapy is believed to cause treatment failure in cancer patients. Furthermore, long time exposure to chemotherapeutic agent induces cancer cells resistance. MCF-7 sensitive cells used as chemoresistance model have overexpression P-gp (P-glycoprotein). Chemoresistance was established by treating MCF-7 cells with 0.5 µg/ml doxorubicin-contained medium for a week. 50% inhibiting concentration (IC 50 ) doxorubicin on MCF-7 cells/DOX were determined using MTT assay. Western blot assay and immunocytochemistry assay was performed to determine the expression of P-gp. Morphological of MCF-7 cell/DOX was changing to become larger and have lamellapodia. IC 50 value of doxorubicin was 700 nM on MCF-7/DOX and 400 nM on sensitive MCF-7 cells. The MCF-7/DOX sensitivity to doxorubicin was decreased, shown by 1.5 fold higher IC 50 of doxorubicin on MCF-7/DOX compared to MCF-7 sensitive cells. Treatment doxorubicin to sensitive MCF-7 cells leads to the increasing P-gp expression. The P-gp level expression has strong correlation with the low sensitivity of MCF-7/DOX to doxorubicin. Keywords : doxorubicin, resistance cells, sensitive MCF-7 cell


Climate change, food security, and agricultural production interact in complex ways. A major challenge for scientists is to understand and assess the biological, economic, and ecological interdependencies in the context of climate change and food Security. More and better knowledge is necessary to aid politicians, stakeholders and farmers in their decisions. The Knowledge Hub FACCE MACSUR (Modelling European Agriculture with ClimateChange for Food Security) ( www.macsur.eu ) assembles the excellence of Research in Europe in crop, livestock and economic modelling. MACSUR cooperates with the AgMIP community ( www.agmip.org ) and particularly welcomes AgMIP contributions. The workshop will bring together researchers with interest in Integrated assessment approaches which are used to analyze agriculture, food security and climate change.  The event has four major goals: to critically discuss the state-of-the-art and future perspectives of Integrated assessment approaches  to study and assess examples of applied modelling approaches integrating crop, livestock, and economic models to foster international collaboration in the research areas of food security, climate change, and agrosystem modelling to plan and identify next steps to achieve TradeM contributions to MACSUR goals Keynote speakers: John Antle , Oregon State University, and co-leader of the Economics Team of AgMIP Josef Schmidhuber , FAO Eric Naevdal , Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research at the University of Oslo


- Bio-catalysis has attracted the special attention of industrial flavour producers in the production of valuable ester compounds. In this study, the synthesis of pentyl nonanoate ester (a short chain ester with fruity aroma) was carried out with a commercial immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor meihei Lipozyme (RMIM) as biocatalyst in the esterification reaction between nonanoic acid and pentanol. Various reaction parameters such as enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time in solvent-free system were screened to enhance the ester formation with the best yield. A maximum yield for pentyl nonanoate (86.08 %) in a solvent-free system was obtained within 150 min, at a reaction temperature of 45 OC, molar ratio of 1:9 M, amount of enzyme of 0.2 g, water addition of 0.2 % v/v and shaking speed of 150 rpm. This work suggests that pentyl nonanoate ester can be produced in a very high yield and in a short period by lipase-catalysed reactions of nonanoic acid and pentanol, using immobilized lipase from RMIM (lipase from Rhizomucor miehei immobilized on anionic exchange support).


The article considers the use of handicraft sheepskin and leather clothes in the wedding ceremonies of the Middle Dnieper Ukrainians in the late 19th – early 20th century. It is established that they have performed important ritual and protective functions. In particular, the ritual function means that clothes served as ritual attributes. In gifting ceremonies, the sheepskin and leather clothes had both practical and special semantic meanings (for example, by giving boots to the bride's mother, the groom showed his respect and appreciation). The protective function is connected with ancient beliefs about the power of ritual attributes and magic acts. In particular, the leather in the culture of East Slavic people is associated with birth and renewal, while the sheepskin was the symbol of wealth and fertility. In wedding ceremonies, the sheepskin was associated with a cloud, while the wheat grains were thrown over the bridal couple as a symbol of rain and fertility. We may define pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding rituals with sheepskin and leather clothes. The most widespread pre-wedding ritual was gifting leather boots to the fiancee and sewing a flower into the fiance's sheepskin hat on the engagement day. A sheepskin coat turned inside out played an essential role in the Ukrainian traditional wedding. The highest level of concentration of various magical symbols is retraced in the ceremony of send-off and reception of a newly married couple. In post-wedding rituals, the sheepskin coat was used for costume games to introduce such characters as a bride and a groom, animals, gypsies, etc.


Plants have been used for water purification dating back to perhaps 2000 BC as noted in Egyptian inscriptions. Plant coagulants have the potential to serve as alternative water treatment agents especially in rural areas. Hence this study aimed to examine four promising plants and their uses as local coagulants for purification of turbid water in order to tackle rural quality water problems. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, market surveys, and observation were used to gather information from three rural areas. Jar test experiments were carried out for treatment of high (209 NTU), medium (63 NTU), and low level (26 NTU) turbidity with the flocculent dosages of 0.03 g/L of powdered plant material. The four plant species used for treatment of turbid water were Maerua subcordata (Gilg) DeWolf, Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufod., Sansevieria ehrenbergii Schweinf. ex Baker, and Sansevieria forskaliana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Hepper & J.R.I.Wood. The finding shows that societies in each study area still depend on plant species for purification of turbid surface water. Coagulation tests revealed that tubers of M. subcordata and seeds of M. stenopetala were able to remove turbidity up to 97% at high turbidity levels and performance was better than leaves of S. ehrenbergii and S. forskaliana. Complementing traditional water treatment knowledge with coagulation tests and purification of the specific protein coagulant could help to identify appropriate solutions for rural people with difficulty preparing purified water.


The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays a suppressive role in cecal carcinogenesis by CUL4B/AhR-mediated ubiquitylation and degradation of β-catenin, which is activated by xenobiotics and natural ligands. AhR-deficient (AhR(-)(/-)) mice develop cecal tumors with severe inflammation. To elucidate whether the tumors develop autonomously in AhR(-/-) mice due to impaired β-catenin degradation or in association with accelerated inflammation, we performed two kinds of experiments using germ-free (GF) AhR(-/-) mice and compound mutant mice lacking genes for AhR and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), which plays an essential role in caspase-1 activation in inflammasomes. Both GF AhR(-/-) and AhR(-/-)•ASC(-/-) mice showed considerably reduced tumor development compared with that in AhR(-/-) mice albeit in a 'cancer-prone' state with aberrant β-catenin accumulation. Blocking of the interleukin (IL)-1β signaling pathway by treatment with a caspase-1 inhibitor, YVAD, reduced cecal tumorigenesis in AhR(-/-) mice. Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation was detected in the cecal epithelium of the AhR(-/-) mice due to enhanced IL-6 production. An inhibitor of the STAT3 signaling pathway, AG490 suppressed the tumor formation. ASC-mediated inflammation was also found to play a critical role in tumor development in Apc(Min/+) mice, a mouse model of familial adenomatous polyposis. Collectively, these results revealed an important role of the bacteria-triggered or ASC-mediated inflammation signaling pathway in the intestinal tumorigenesis of mice and suggest a possible chemical therapeutic intervention, including AhR ligands and inhibitors of the inflammation pathway.


We argue that general context data distribution can be achieved by establishing a network of context managers. The context managers have a uniform core which is surrounded by the appropriate functionality to make it deployable in applications, user and organizational infrastructure, and on top of sensors. When access to the context manager is mediated and policed, we say that it is a context service, a publicly recognisable, addressable and tangible entity. Clients that wish to consult the context manager for updated context information, must turn to the service interface where they may face rejection for reasons of security, personal integrity or workload.


Filter paper types significantly affected the growth, development and differentiation of chrysanthemum and tobacco stem thin cell layers (TCLs) from in vitro plantlets. Three different filter paper types, normally with varied uses in plant biology, showed varying morphogenic-altering and antibiotic-buffering capacities. Advantec #2 and Whatman #1 significantly stimulated root, shoot and callus formation while Whatman #3 inhibited them, as compared to TCLs placed directly on agar. Filter paper buffered the phytotoxic effect of antibiotics kanamycin and cefotaxime, substances commonly used in genetic transformation experiments, up to as much as 50%, independent of species or genotype. In both 'Lineker' and 'Shuhou-no-chikara' chrysanthemum cultivars, Advantec #2 and Whatman #1 filter papers stimulated embryogenesis but in tobacco all three filter paper types significantly reduced embryogenesis and explant survival.


BackgroundThe task of recognizing species names in scientific articles is a quintessential step for a large number of applications in high-throughput text mining and data analytics, such as species-specific information collection, construction of species food networks and trophic relationship extraction. These tasks become even more important in fast-paced species-discovery areas such as entomology, where an impressive number of new arthropod species are discovered each year. This article explores the use of twocharacter n-grams (bigrams) in machine learning models for arthropod species name recognition. This particular method has been previously applied successfully to the task of language identification [1] but the application to species name identification had yet to be explored.ResultsArthropod species names, regular English words used in scientific publications and person names were collected from the public domain and bigrams were extracted and used as classifier features. A number of learning classifiers spanning 7 algorithmic categories (tree-based, rule-based, artificial neural network, Bayesian, boosting, lazy and kernel-based) were tested and the highest accuracies were consistently obtained with LIBLINEAR [2], Bayesian Logistic Regression [3], the Multilayer Perceptron [4], Random Forest [5], and the LIBSVM [6] classifiers. When compared with dictionary-based external software tools such as GNRD [7] and TaxonFinder [8], our top-3 classifiers were insensitive to words capitalization and were able to correctly classify novel species names that are absent in dictionary-based approaches with accuracies between 88.6% and 91.6%.ConclusionsOur results suggest that character bigram-based classification is a suitable method for distinguishing arthropod species names from regular English words and person names commonly found in scientific literature. Moreover, our method can also be used to reduce the number of false positives produced by dictionary-based methods.


The Adipose Organ by Saverio Cinti is an atlas providing a comprehensive overview of adipose tissue morphology from gross anatomy through histology to ultrastructure. This is a very timely book, because interest in adipose tissue biology has steadily increased over recent years. Adipose tissue has been recognised to be actively involved not only in overall energy metabolism, but also in many physiological networks central to the channelling and partitioning of nutrients. Having too much fat ultimately results in dysregulation of carbohydrate and fat metabolism, leading to the pathophysiological problems associated with obesity. However, having too little fat, as encountered in lipodystrophy syndromes, also results in severe metabolic complications tending to resemble those of obesity. This implies that adipose tissue is indeed important for normal physiological functions and metabolism, and not only as an energy reservoir for emergency situations. This book is called The Adipose Organ, a term which is not widely used. Cinti argues that the two main adipose tissue types, brown and white adipose tissue, collaborate in the partitioning of energy either towards storage (white fat) or thermogenesis (brown fat), thus fulfilling the definition of an organ. Although this can be debated, it is certain that adipose tissue is the organ with the greatest plasticity; it can increase in mass enormously, and in extreme obesity it can make up 50 % or more of total body weight. Furthermore, adipose tissue is known to secrete a number of factors such as leptin, tumour necrosis factor a, resistin and many others, with profound affects on other organs, tissues and overall metabolism. Thus, adipose tissue is sometimes even referred to as an 'endocrine organ'. In any case, I think that the adipose organ certainly deserves a book like this, exclusively dedicated to its morphology and structure. Saverio Cinti is today one of, if not the, leading expert in adipose tissue morphology, and in this book he assembles over ninety images, ranging from the gross anatomy of the adipose organ in mice to histology and ultrastructure using light and electron microscopy (both transmission and scanning). The book consists of seven chapters; the first chapter is dedicated to white and brown adipose tissue, adipocytes in various stages of differentiation, and various cell organelles. Additionally, it covers vascularization and innervation as well as other cell types present in adipose tissue. Also, the expression of key proteins and enzymes such as uncoupling protein 1 for brown fat and leptin for white fat is depicted using immunohistochemistry. The other chapters deal with adipose tissues in different physiological situations such as cold and warm acclimation, in obesity, fasting and lactation. The last chapter finally illustrates the fetal adipose organ. This atlas primarily provides images; the text is short and mainly explanatory of the images and details there. However, references to relevant publications are amply provided and, personally, I find the annotations quite sufficient for such an atlas. What is missing, however, is a list of the abbreviations. They are explained the first time they are used, but this is a book I would browse and consult for specific points rather than read through from beginning to end. Also, it should be noted that the book depicts exclusively rat and mouse adipose tissue, but within this scope it is truly exhaustive. This makes it a very valuable primary source for research, especially considering the growing number of transgenic mice displaying phenotypes of increased or reduced adiposity. Also, for teaching purposes this is a wonderful resource for the visualisation of important adipose features. I find this atlas very well structured, state-of-the-art techniques are employed and the images are of excellent quality. It is apparent that they have been selected and assembled with much care and attention. This book is not only informative but also aesthetically very pleasing, something rarely encountered in scientific literature. I certainly agree with Paul Trayhurn who describes it as a true 'labour of love' in his foreword to this atlas. I therefore recommend this book to everybody who has taken an interest in adipose tissue development, structure or functions. Nowadays, biomedical publications are rapidly outdated. However, I am sure that because of its uniqueness this book will remain a valuable resource for many years to come.


The medico-legal guidelines and recommendations published by the FFLM are for general information only. Appropriate specific advice should be sought from your medical defence organisation or professional association. The FFLM has one or more senior representatives of the MDOs on its Board, but for the avoidance of doubt, endorsement of the medico-legal guidelines or recommendations published by the FFLM has not been sought from any of the medical defence organisations.


One of the greatest triumph of condensed matter physics in the past ten years is the classification of materials by the principle of topology. The existence of topological protected dissipationless surface state makes topological insulators great potential for applications and hotly studied. However, compared with the prosperity of strong topological insulators, theoretical predicted candidate materials and experimental confirmation of weak topological insulators (WTI) are both extremely rare. In this work, by combining systematic first principles calculation and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements, we have studied the electronic structure of the dark surface of the WTI candidate Zintl Ba3Cd2Sb4 and another related material Ba3Cd2As4. The existence of two Dirac surface states (SSs) on specific side surfaces predicted by theoretical calculations and the observed two band inversions in the Brillouin zone give strong evidence to prove that the Ba3Cd2Sb4 is a WTI. The spectroscopic characterization of this Zintl Ba3Cd2N4 (N = As and Sb) family materials will facilitate the application of their novel topological properties.


National and international comparisons in Rockwell hardness tests show significant differences. Uncertainties in the geometry of the Rockwell diamond indenters are largely responsible for these differences. By using a stylus instrument, with a series of calibration and check standards, and calibration and uncertainty calculation procedures, we have calibrated the microform geometric parameters of Rockwell diamond indenters. These calibrations are traceable to fundamental standards. The expanded uncertainties (95 % level of confidence) are ±0.3 μm for the least-squares radius; ±0.01° for the cone angle; and ±0.025° for the holder axis alignment calibrations. Under ISO and NIST guidelines for expressing measurement uncertainties, the calibration and uncertainty calculation procedure, error sources, and uncertainty components are described, and the expanded uncertainties are calculated. The instrumentation and calibration procedure also allows the measurement of profile deviation from the least-squares radius and cone flank straightness. The surface roughness and the shape of the spherical tip of the diamond indenter can also be explored and quantified. Our calibration approach makes it possible to quantify the uncertainty, uniformity, and reproducibility of Rockwell diamond indenter microform geometry, as well as to unify the Rockwell hardness standards, through fundamental measurements rather than by performance comparisons.


The greatest promise of international human rights law is in stimulating thoughtful self-examination by those who strive to do what is right. Perhaps more than any other instrument, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC; 1989) offers the opportunity to use a global moral consensus to transform life at the neighborhood level in order to promote "the full and harmonious development of...[the child's] personality" (CRC, 1989, preamble). The CRC also presents a normative framework to guide psychologists' advocacy on behalf of children.


This paper is dedicated to out-of-plane waviness defect detection within composite materials by ultrasonic testing. We present here an in-house experimental database of ultrasonic data built on composite pieces with/without elaborated defects. Using this dataset, we have developed several defect detection methods using the C-scan representation, where the defect is clearly observable. We compare here the defect detection performance of unsupervised, classical machine learning methods and deep learning approaches. In particular, we have investigated the use of semantic segmentation networks that provides a classification of the data at the "pixel level", hence at each C-scan measure. This technique is used to classify if a defect is detected, and to produce a precise localization of the defect within the material. The results we obtained with the various detection methods are compared, and we discuss the drawbacks and advantages of each method.


INTRODUCTION
Previous reports indicate urologic surgeries are associated with high rates of hospital re-admission. This study aims to identify factors associated with emergency room (ER) encounters following urologic outpatient surgery.

METHODS
All outpatient surgeries performed at The Ottawa Hospital between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2018 by urology, general surgery, gynecology, and thoracic surgery were identified. All ER encounters within 90 days of surgery were captured. Rates of ER encounters by surgical service and procedure type were determined. Patient and surgical factors associated with ER encounters were identified. Factors included age, sex, marital status, presence of primary care provider, procedure, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score.

RESULTS
A total of 38 377 outpatient surgeries by the included surgical services were performed during the study period, of which urology performed 16 552 (43.1%). Overall, 5641 (14.7%) ER encounters were identified within 90 days of surgery, including 2681 (47.5%) after urologic surgery. On multivariable analysis, higher ASA score IV vs. I was associated with higher risk of ER encounter (relative risk [RR] 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46-2.5) and being married was associated with a lower risk of ER encounter (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.93). Urologic surgeries with the highest risk of ER encounters, compared to the lowest risk procedure (circumcision), were greenlight laser photo vaporization of the prostate (PVP) (RR 3.2, 95% CI 1.8-5.61), ureteroscopy (RR 3.2, 95% CI 1.9-5.4), and ureteric stent insertion (RR 3.1, 95% CI 1.8-5.5).

CONCLUSIONS
ER encounters following outpatient surgery are common. This study identifies risk factors to recognize patients that may benefit from additional support to reduce ER care needs.


In this paper, we measure and evaluate the real parity of the Moroccan dirham during the period 1980-2020. The objective is to highlight the evolution of the real exchange rate of the dirham, and in particular to show if whether it has been overvalued against currencies of the main trading partners and competitors of Morocco. Contrary to many studies which used a simple method to calculate the real parity which consisted of assigning each country of the main trading partners a relative weight equivalent to its share in Morocco's external trade, we calculate the weights by combining both bilateral import weights and a double weighting for export to reflect both importance of each country in Morocco's import and export as well as the degree of competition of exporters in usual third markets. Calculation of real parity of the dirham reveals three main periods: a strong depreciation during 1980-1990; an appreciation during the period 1991-2000; and a resumption of a weaker depreciation for the last period (2001-2020). These trends are related to both changes in nominal effective exchange rate and in relative prices. Results obtained in the present paper are generally close to those calculated by the International Monetary Fund for Morocco and are strongly correlated with them and the trends in both remain the same.


Occlusal splint therapy has been used for many years for the diagnosis and treatment of various disorders of the masticatory system. This article will familiarize the reader with basic splint designs and explain how to use these effectively.


Traditionally, the Early Bronze Age (EBA) has been described as the first urban society in the southern Levant. In comparison to many other regions of the world, such as ancient Mesoamerica, North America, Europe, East Asia, and Mesopotamia, EBA society does not pass the 'urban litmus test'. In this paper I argue that ultimately the EBA evidence does not fit standard definitions of urbanism because it lacks three key elements: scale of differentiation, increased localized diversity and coherence of identity, and a rural and urban dichotomy in lifeways. Instead, I suggest that we need to analyze and reconstruct EBA society in terms of its own regional, economic, political, and social context, and work to build new ways of understanding EBA society. From the standpoint of an anthropological archaeologist, I believe that people in the EBA were working towards a societal project, a cultural endeavor, that involved population aggregation, the founding of fortified communities, intensification of agricultural and pastoral production, innovative water management and irrigation technologies, and increasingly regionalized expression of EBA (material) culture—but that this project was not an urbanizing cultural transformation. I focus on mortuary practices at two major, well-published EBA walled communities, Jericho and Bab adh-Dhra`, in order to demonstrate the lack of coherence, degree of diverse material practices, and absence of pronounced differentiation in EBA society.


In the study, colorless cubic crystals of "green" cyclodextrin (CD)-based assemblies were synthesized and their potential to load bio-active molecules such as drugs and, separately, enzymes were investigated. Busulfan (Bu), an anti-cancer drug widely used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), was used as a test drug while trypsin and lipase were used as model enzymes. These porous CD-K+ ion assemblies were prepared by dissolving alkali metal salts and γ-CD in water followed by vapor diffusion in varying solvents for several days. Crystals were activated via dichloromethane dispersion and in vacuo drying. Slow vapor diffusion with ethanol was found to give the highest yield and fastest crystallization time among all the solvents used. The materials synthesized using ethanol were characterized to be cubic crystals with sizes ranging from 100–1000 µm that are stable up to 250 °C. Loading of Bu (%S) onto the CD-K+ ion assemblies and co-crystallization with trypsin (%N) were both successful, as confirmed by elemental analysis. Loading studies of Bu performed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed about 5 wt% loading in the porous materials.


In many languages, tone (i.e., pitch patterns) is part of the phonological system; two words with the same sequences of segments can differ only in tone. Tone does not distinguish word meanings in English, so English-learning infants can ignore tone when learning words, but do they? We examined the encoding of tonal detail in word learning by monolingual English-learning 14and 17-month-olds. Infants were habituated to a novel word with a Mandarin tone (/ka/) paired with a novel object. Test trials alternated between the same pairing (Same), and the same object paired with the word with a different tone (/ka/, Switch). Longer looks to the unfamiliar mapping indicate infants noticed the switch and attended to tone contrasts. Overall, neither age group discriminated the tone contrast; however, infants with larger vocabularies looked longer to the novel mapping (r=.32, p=.007), suggesting a common underlying mechanism between general word learning and tone sensitivity.


This paper is concerned with the various non-standard entropic measures (so-called f-entropies) for the probabilistic uncertainty of a stochastical object. We present the mathematical definitions of the f-entropies and discuss their possible use in physics. We also propose various non-standard measures of the degree of organization in probabilistic systems.


Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by fixed airflow obstruction and accelerated decline of forced expired volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ). Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic cause of COPD and associated with more rapid decline in lung function, even in some never smokers (NS) but the potential for individualized assessment to reveal differences when compared to group analyses has rarely been considered. Methods: We analyzed decline in post-bronchodilator FEV 1 and gas transfer (% predicted) over at least 3 years (mean = 6.11, 95% CI 5.80–6.41) in our unique data set of 482 patients with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZ) to determine individual rates of decline, implications for prognosis, and potential clinical management. Findings: There was a marked variation in individual rates of FEV 1 decline from levels consistent with normal aging (observed in 23.5% of patients with established COPD, 57.5% of those without) to those of rapidly declining COPD. Gas transfer did not decline in 12.8% of NS and 20.7% of ex-smokers with established COPD (33.3% and 25.0%, respectively, for those without COPD). There was no correlation between decline in gas transfer and FEV 1 for those with COPD, although a weak relationship existed for those without ( r = 0.218; P , 0.025). Conclusion: These data confirm differing individual rates of lung function decline in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, indicating the importance of comprehensive physiological assessment and a personalized approach to patient management.


We present our submission to the Semeval 2018 task on emoji prediction. We used a random forest, with an ensemble of bag-of-words, sentiment and psycholinguistic features. Although we performed well on the trial dataset (attaining a macro f-score of 63.185 for English and 81.381 for Spanish), our approach did not perform as well on the test data. We describe our features and classi cation protocol, as well as initial experiments, concluding with a discussion of the discrepancy between our trial and test results.


Transport current AC losses of superconducting cables of the (6+1) configuration (6 AC superconducting multifilamentary strands bundled around a CuNi center wire) and the single strand composing the cable were measured in an AC external magnetic field. The measured AC loss data of the cables of different twist pitches and directions were compared with those of the strand. It was shown that the transport current AC losses of the cables were affected by the twist directions and pitches of the cables. A theoretical model to evaluate the AC loss due to transport current was derived. In the model, the effect of the longitudinal magnetic field subjected to the strands and the current density vs. electric field characteristics of the strand were taken into consideration. Our theoretical model well explains the measured characteristics of the cable.


It is demonstrated that a method for multiscale historymatching can be used to improve efficiency and/or quality of the solution when achieving a fine-scale match as compared to history-matching directly on the fine scale. Starting from a given fine-scale realization, coarser models are generated using a global upscaling technique where the coarse models are "history-matched" with respect to the solution at the fine scale. Conditioning to dynamic data is done by historymatching a coarse model, and this model is then successively refined using a combination of downscaling and history matching until a model matching dynamic data is obtained at the finest scale. The advantage of this procedure is that the large-scale corrections are obtained using fast models, which combined with proper downscaling procedures provide a better initial model for the final adjustment on the fine scale. The coarse-scale history-matching also provides a regularization of the fine-scale match making the process less dependent on a correct prior model. With the proposed methodology, a series of models of different degree of complexity, all being consistent with both static and dynamic data, may be generated without additional cost. Effects of using a priori information and different initial downscaling techniques, such as sampling or block kriging with sequential Gaussian simulation are investigated using 2 synthetic reservoir models.


When faced with a complex task, is it better to be systematic or to proceed by making random adjustments? We study aspects of this problem in the context of generating random elements of a finite group. For example, suppose we want to fill n empty spaces with zeros and ones such that the probability of configuration x = (x1, . . . , xn) is θ n−|x|(1− θ)|x|, with |x| the number of ones in x. A systematic scan approach works left to right, filling each successive place with a θ coin toss. A random scan approach picks places at random, and a given site may be hit many times before all sites are hit. The systematic approach takes order n steps and the random approach takes order 1 4n log n steps. Realistic versions of this toy problem arise in image analysis and Ising-like simulations, where one must generate a random array by a Monte Carlo Markov chain. Systematic updating and random updating are competing algorithms that are discussed in detail in Section 2. There are some successful analyses for random scan algorithms, but the intuitively appealing systematic scan algorithms have resisted analysis. Our main results show that the binary problem just described is exceptional; for the examples analyzed in this paper, systematic and random scans converge in about the same number of steps. Let W be a finite Coxeter group generated by simple reflections s1, s2, . . . , sn, where s2 i = id. For example, W may be the permutation group Sn+1 with si = (i, i + 1). The length function `(w) is the smallest k such that w = si1si2 · · · sik . Fix 0 < θ ≤ 1 and define a probability distribution on W by π(w) = θ −`(w) PW (θ−1) , where PW(θ −1) = ∑


BACKGROUND
The classification of digestive neuroendocrine tumors is difficult due to their heterogeneity and rareness.

AIMS
Reclassify the digestive neuroendocrine tumors according  to  the  WHO-2010 classification .  Methods: A retrospective study included   26 patients having digestive neuroendocrine     tumors ,  is achieved  in our  Pathology  Laboratory  of the Military Hospital of  Tunis between 2000 and 2013.

RESULTS
The mean age of patients was 49.64 years. The Sex ratio was  1.36. It was 6 gastric tumors, 5 small intestine tumors , 5 pancreatic tumors, 5  appendix tumors , one hypatic tumor, one  gall bladder  tumor , one rectal tumor and one colon tumor. According to the WHO -2000 classification, tumors are categorised into 11 well differentiated  endocrine tumors, 13 well differentiated  endocrine carcinoma  and 2 poorly differentiated carcinoma . According to the WHO -2010 classification, tumors were re-evaluated as  16 neuroendocrine tumors grade 1, 6 neuroendocrine tumors grade 2 and 4 neuroendocrine carcinoma .

CONCLUSION
There was a concordance between the two classifications in 93% of cases. The WHO -2010 classification may allow a  better classification for the digestive neuroendocrine tumors, however there are some histological categories that remained difficult to classify.


Using data from the 2000 U.S. census and the 2010 to 2014 waves of the American Community Survey, we examine the importance of occupational niches in explaining earnings disparities between U.S.-born blacks and black immigrants in the United States. Our results show that, relative to U.S.-born blacks, most black immigrant subgroups have similar or greater representation in occupational niches. Employment in a niche occupation has a small but positive association with earnings, and the returns to niche employment are greater for black immigrants, particularly black immigrant women. Niche employment does not, however, explain earnings disparities between U.S.-born and immigrant blacks.


We start out by demonstrating that an elementary learning task, corresponding to the training of a single linear neuron in a convolutional neural network, can be solved for feature spaces of very high dimensionality. In a second step, acknowledging that such high-dimensional learning tasks typically benefit from some form of regularization and arguing that the problem of scale has not been taken care of in a very satisfactory manner, we come to a combined resolution of both of these shortcomings by proposing a form of scale regularization. Moreover, using variational method, this regularization problem can also be solved rather efficiently and we demonstrate, on an artificial filter learning problem, the capabilities of our basic linear neuron. From a more general standpoint, we see this work as prime example of how learning and variational methods could, or even should work to their mutual benefit.


The aim of this paper is to highlight the effect of gate bias switches and charge pumping (CP) on oxide trap and interface-state recovery. In general, variations in gate bias correspond to shifts of the Fermi level (E F) across the silicon band gap and trigger carrier exchange between stress-induced oxide traps and the silicon substrate. Our measurements strongly indicate that interface-state recovery is accelerated by the CP measurement itself, whereas oxide-trap occupation can be controlled more efficiently by slow Fermi level switches. Oxide-trap neutralization/charging by electron/hole capture works similarly to interface states but with larger time constants indicating inelastic carrier tunneling between the silicon substrate and stress-induced donorlike oxide traps. In a combined study, we compare threshold-voltage shifts and recovery of identically processed NMOS and PMOS devices which allows us to gain access to the full silicon band gap by appropriate gate biasing. Additional CP measurements on identically stressed reference devices allow us furthermore to differentiate quantitatively between interface-state and oxide-trap contributions. Finally, by referring oxide-trap-dependent V TH shifts after stress to certain gate voltages during recovery, energetic profiling of oxide traps with respect to the Fermi level position becomes possible.


Transparency is generally defined by political scientists as the principle of allowing the public to obtain information about the operations and structures of a given entity (Etzioni, 2014). Transparency symbolizes a mechanism for promoting good governance and public confidence in a modern and democratic public administration (Jashari and Pepaj, 2018). The theory of open public administration gives the individual a greater role in the adoption of the executive regulations and greater transparency in the operations of the public administration (Bugaric, 2004). A fully transparent administration, either at central level or at local level, involves informing and participating citizens in the decision-making process, becoming an indispensable principle of the rule of law. On the other hand, democratic citizenship involves obtaining information about the problems that affect you and working with others to influence how society will solve those problems (Portelli and Solomon, 2001). The objectives of the study are: (1) Identification of the degree of knowledge of the concept of decision-making transparency in public administration; (2) Analysis of the perception regarding the degree of decision-making transparency and communication of the local and central public administrations in the context of the crisis generated by the Covid-19 pandemic; (3) Analysis of the degree of confidence the crisis management generated by the new Coronavirus by public institutions. The questionnaire, which included 10 items, was applied, on a sample consisting of 200 students and graduates of the Faculty of Law and Administrative Sciences - "Ovidius" University of Constanța (Romania, European Union). The period of application of the questionnaire was April 4-10, 2020. Of these, 80.77% are female, and 19.23% are male, with an average age of 27.5 years. Most of the respondents (56.41%) are undergraduate students, and the remaining 43.59% are study participants are graduates or masters of the same Faculty. At the same time, 71.79% of the study participants come from urban areas, and 28.21% from rural areas.


Purpose: This study was done to investigate oncology nurses' perception, attitude, knowledge and practice of CAT and to describe nurses' needs for education on CAT. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. A total of 270 oncology nurses working at four medical centers in Seoul and Kyungki participated in this study. They completed the questionnaire between December 2005 and February 2006. Results: Oncology nurses perceived CAT as possible nursing interventions, but felt that there was no conclusive evidence on effectiveness/safety. Of the participants 44.4% have used CAT for themselves, and 73.9% of them were satisfied after using CAT, Two biggest reasons for CAT use were symptom control and emotional support. However, 80.8% of the participants had not had any training related to CAT. Both nurses who have used CAT and those who have been trained to practice CAT represented a more positive perception toward CAT (p=.000). The biggest perceived obstacles to the practice of CAT were concerns about side effects (71.2%) and lack of knowledge and skill (69.6%). The most favorable CAT modalities in both practice and training were mind-body medicine. Conclusion: Overall oncology nurses' perception toward CAT was encouraging. However a high number of the nurses reported lack of knowledge and skill in CAT. Education and training strategy for CAT need to be developed.


Deaths due to the mechanical forces applied to the neck are frequently encountered in forensic medicine practice. Among these, hanging accounts for the majority of the forensic cases. Strangulation cases are also seen though not common. The present study was performed to determine the prevalence of neck findings in the hanging and strangulation cases that are frequently encountered by the forensic medicine specialists, as well as to discuss the results in the light of the literature. The records of the autopsies performed at Forensic Medicine Institution Adana Group Authority Morgue Specialty Office between the years 2008 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. One hundred and seventy cases (6.2%) that were assessed to have died due to a neck pressure (hanging or strangulation) were included in the study out of2726 cases. Of the cases, 159 have died of hanging and 11 have died of strangulation. It was determined that 104 (61.2%) of the cases were male and 66 were female, hanging accounted for 93.5% and strangulation accounted for 6.5%, all of the hangings were suicidal, whereas the strangulations were murder. Ages of the cases ranged between 4 and 86 years; the majority of the cases (n=37, 21.7%) were between 21 and 30 years of age, whereas 32 cases were between 11 and 20 years of age. It was determined that there were two girls between the ages 0 and 10 years and have died of strangulation. It was observed that 121 of the hanging cases were typical (the node was behind the neck), whereas 38 were atypical. Thyroid cartilage fracture was determined in 43 (25.3%) cases died of hanging and strangulation, whereas hyoid bone fracture was determined in 25(14.7%) cases and both thyroid cartilage fracture and hyoid bone fracture were determined in 11(6.5%) cases. Fracture or dislocation in cervical vertebra was observed in 7 cases. Totally 86 (50.6%) cases had thyroid cartilage, hyoid bone and cervical vertebra findings.Key words: Hanging, strangulation, neck pressure, autopsy, forensic medicine.


Since the late 1990s various consortia have published papers and reports seeking to establish a systemic public film education in Britain. Despite the time and effort taken by colleagues in organizations such as the British Film Institute (BFI), who have been involved in the production of these papers since at least Making Movies Matter in 1999, it is observable that each policy initiative has eventually fallen away. This article seeks to explore the discourse that these reports, taken together, present and how this might impact the development of a future public film pedagogy, as well as affect students who seek to study film and television production at later stages. This research was finalized shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when the film and television industries in Britain were demonstrating huge fiscal successes; however, the fate of the talent that will shape the future of these industries is still very much hanging in the balance.


The goal of the paper was to identify which tools and methods were used by teachers for classes conducted in the remote mode during the pandemic. The study was conducted with the application of a survey questionnaire distributed among students and teachers. The survey for students aimed to find out about their perception of their teachers' involvement and competence in using e-learning tools, as well as students' preferences regarding individual tools and their usefulness. Teachers answered the questions on how they see their e-learning competence and which tools they found helpful or insufficient. By comparing both perspectives in findings of the surveys we were able to identify similarities and differences in preferences as to tools and methods used in remote learning. On this basis we selected the tools and methods with the highest potential for further, in-depth study. Element determining the proper and effective implementation of online classes is lecturers' involvement. As the result of the teachers' positive attitude, the problems that emerged during remote education could be overcome. It turned out that it was possible to master the principles of the use of platforms, both those dedicated by the university and others that the students found useful, even in the highly accelerated mode, where a shift from classroom to virtual teaching took only a few days.


Age and time-specific incidence rates are highly relevant to epidemiologists. Due to the mathematical relationship between incidence and prevalence, several methods have been developed to obtain incidence based on prevalence. The present study didactically describes a method to estimate age and time incidence, based on: repeated measurements of prevalence for an event; events related to the individual's age; and events with the characteristics of a chronic disease. The method was used to analyze literacy in the Brazilian population, using prevalence by age obtained from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) for 1981, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1995, and 2001, and allowed obtaining literacy incidence estimates for ages 5 to 20 years, for the years 1960 through 2001. The method adjusts incidence parameters for age and time with the help of a generalized linear model for categorical data and uses the EM algorithm to obtain non-observed data.


INTRODUCTION
Bacteria of the genus Proteus are a common cause of urinary tract infections. The O-polysaccharide chain of their LPS (O-antigen) defines the serological specificity of these bacteria. Based on the immunospecificity of the O-antigens, two species, P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris, were classified into 49 O-serogroups, and more O-serogroups for strains of these species and P. penneri have been subsequently proposed.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The lipopolysaccharide of P.mirabilis CCUG 19011 from serogroup O19 was degraded under mildly acidic and mildly alkaline conditions. Polysaccharides thus obtained were studied by chemical methods, including O -deacetylation, sugar and methylation analyses, and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Antisera were obtained by immunization of New Zealand white rabbits with heat-killed bacteria. In serological studies, enzyme immunosorbent assay, passive hemolysis test, and inhibition of passive hemolysis were used.

RESULTS
The following structure of the O-polysaccharide repeating unit was established:-->3)- beta-D-GlcrhoNAc-(1-->3)- alpha-D-GalrhoNAc4,6(R-Pyr)-(1-->4)- a-D-GalrhoA-(1-->3) alpha-L-Rhap2Ac-(1-->where R-Pyr is (R)-1-carboxyethylidene (an acetal-linked pyruvic acid). This structure is significantly different from the O-polysaccharide structures of P. vulgaris, P.hauseri and P. penneri strains from the same Proteus serogroup O19.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on immunochemical studies of the lipopolysaccharides, it is suggested 1) to keep P. vulgaris CCUG 4654 and P. penneri 31 in serogroup O19 as two subgroups, 2) to reclassify P. mirabilis CCUG 19011 into a new Proteus serogroup, O51, and 3) to classify serologically related strains, including P. vulgaris ATCC 49990, P. hauseri> 1732-80 and 1086-80, P. penneri 15, and some other P. penneri strains, in yet another Proteus serogroup, O52.


Disconnector switching operations in large gas- insulated switchgear (GIS) systems may cause very fast transients oscillations (VFTO). These VFTO surges produce dielectric stress to other apparatus of the substation. This paper describes the test technique for measuring VFTO waves straight at the high voltage entry of a 550 kV/ 840 MVA generator step- up transformer. Additionally, the signal processing for elimination the test circuit transfer effect is explained. Repetitive tests identify the reliability of test circuit and test equipment. The characteristics of recorded VFTO impulses confirm the state-of- the art experience of other publications. Different case studies are applied for identifying the worst case configuration of busbar system regarding the effective VFTO stress for the generator transformer. Operating the closest disconnector while all busbar systems are interconnected causes the highest dielectric stress for the transformer entry.


Designing advanced controllers for motor neural prosthesis applications requires appropriate models for electrically stimulated muscle. A nonlinear nonisometric muscle model based on a Hill-type structure is presented. Estimation algorithms were derived to parameterize the passive force-length, the passive force-velocity, the active force-length, and the active force-velocity properties, the isometric recruitment curve, and the linear contraction dynamics of the model. All parameters were based on experimental measurements rather than on values taken from the literature. The estimation methods were validated experimentally using isolated hind-limb muscles in two acute animal model preparations. The results demonstrated that the parameterized model is capable of predicting force output with reasonable accuracy for a wide range of simultaneously varying kinematic and stimulation inputs.<<ETX>>


IgG4 is the least potent human IgG subclass for the FcγR-mediated antibody effector function. Paradoxically, IgG4 is also the dominant IgG subclass of pathogenic autoantibodies in IgG4-mediated diseases. Here, we show that the IgG subclass and Fc-FcγR interaction have a distinct impact on the pathogenic function of autoantibodies in different IgG4-mediated diseases in mouse models. While IgG4 and its weak Fc-FcγR interaction have an ameliorative role in the pathogenicity of anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies isolated from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) patients, they have an unexpected exacerbating effect on anti-Dsg1 autoantibody pathogenicity in pemphigus foliaceus (PF) models. Strikingly, a non-pathogenic anti-Dsg1 antibody variant optimized for FcγR-mediated effector function can attenuate the skin lesions induced by pathogenic anti-Dsg1 antibodies by promoting the clearance of dead keratinocytes. These studies suggest that IgG effector function contributes to the clearance of autoantibody-Ag complexes, which is harmful in TTP, but beneficial in PF and may provide new therapeutic opportunity.


This paper suggested a shift control algorithm for improving the shift quality(SQ) by modeling a dual clutch transmission(DCT)-type 2-speed transmission system for an electric vehicle(EV). In 2-speed transmission system, the driving comfort decreased when the driveshaft torque of the vehicle fluctuated by shifting gear, unlike with the existing single-gear ratio EV. To improve this, a shift control algorithm was proposed that controlled two units of shift actuators and a unit of a driving motor for the subject DCT. To evaluate the proposed shift control algorithm, a shift performance simulator based on MATLAB/Simulink that consisted of a motor, DCT, actuator, and vehicle model was developed by modeling a DCT-type EV with 2-speed transmission system. The SQ improvement was verified by reducing the overshoot torque of the driveshaft during inertia phase.


We study hard core bosons on a two-leg ladder lattice under the orbital effect of a uniform magnetic field. At densities which are incommensurate with flux, the ground state is a Meissner state, or a vortex state, depending on the strength of the flux. When the density is commensurate with the flux, analytical arguments predict the possibility to stabilize a ground state of central charge c = 1, which is a precursor of the two-dimensional Laughlin state at nu = 1/2. This differs from the coupled wire construction of the Laughlin state in that there exists a nonzero backscattering term in the edge Hamiltonian. By using a combination of bosonization and density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations, we construct a phase diagram versus density and flux from local observables and central charge. We delimit the region where the finite-size ground state displays signatures compatible with this precursor to the Laughlin state. We show how bipartite charge fluctuations allow access to the Luttinger parameter for the edge Luttinger liquid corresponding to the precursor Laughlin state. The properties studied with local observables are confirmed by the long distance behavior of correlation functions. Our findings are consistent with an exact-diagonalization calculation of the many body ground state transverse conductivity in a thin torus geometry for parameters corresponding to the precursor Laughlin state. The model considered is simple enough such that the precursor to the Laughlin state could be realized in current ultracold atom, Josephson junction array, and quantum circuit experiments.


Ss were trained on letter pairs or letter strings in an artificial grammar learning paradigm to determine the extent to which implicit learning is driven by simple associative knowledge. Learning on strings resulted in sensitivity to violations of grammaticality and in transfer to a changed letter set. Learning on letter pairs resulted in less sensitivity and no transfer. Discrepancies in performance were later reduced, but not eliminated, by equating the task demands of the conditions during learning. A direct test of associative knowledge showed that training on letter pairs resulted in knowledge of legal bigrams, but this knowledge was only weakly related to violation sensitivity. The experiments demonstrate that knowledge of isolated associations is sufficient to support some learning, but this knowledge cannot explain the more abstract knowledge that results from learning on complete exemplars.


Using agarose gel electrophoresis, we have measured the yields of DN A single- and double-strand breaks (SSBs and DSBs) for plasmid DNA irradiated in aerobic aqueous solution with either 137Cs gamma rays or 4He ions with a mean LET of 94 or 150 keV micron-1. The presence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) resulted in a decrease in the yields of both SSBs and DSBs, with a greater decrease being apparent for gamma irradiation than for 4He-ion irradiation. Irradiation by 4He ions in the presence of N-(2-thioethyl)- 1,3-diaminopropane (WR-1065) resulted in a decrease in the yield of SSBs and a slightly larger decrease in the yield of DSBs. Together with results obtained previously, these observations suggest a substantial contribution to the formation of SSBs and DSBs by 4He ions by species containing at least two radicals and more than two radicals, respectively.


Summary and Conclusions Exposure of ovaries to x-rays causes the development of tumors of different sorts. Five types have been transplanted in series: granulosa tumors, luteomas, tubular adenomas, sarcomas, and angioendotheliomas. The granulosa tumors occur in such a wide range of morphological forms and simulate so many different types of neoplasms that their identification on a morphological basis alone is often not possible. Common to all granulosa growths is the ability to produce or initiate production of estrogens and plethorins (a substance that raises blood volume) although not all tumor-bearing hosts show effects of these substances. Manifestations of estrogen and plethorin stimulations can occur independently, although both are related to activities of granulosa cells. No evidence was found to indicate that any cell other than a variant of the granulosa cells secretes estrogens. Well-developed granulosa tumors did not change into luteomas. After a few transplantations each strain had certain morphological features that remained true through numerous subpassages. All transplantable luteomas studied produced secondary changes indicative of progestin production. The tubular adenomas are derivatives of the germinal epithelium. Those transplanted were benign and of exceedingly slow growth. In the course of subpassages sooner or later most of them either changed into or were overgrown by granulosa cells. Male hosts are more susceptible to grafts of tubular adenoma and of granulosa tumors than females. This sex influence does not seem to be due to a gonadal hormone since it is usually magnified by gonadectomy. Spleen and liver are better soils for granulosa grafts than the subcutaneous tissue; the success of splenic grafts is not necessarily due to inactivation of estrogens in the liver. In the genesis of these tumors two major forces are postulated; direct and delayed x-ray effect, and a hormonal "imbalance." Both require a more precise analysis to unravel the complex sequence of events initiated by irradiation of ovaries. The exposure to x-rays may last only for seconds but the chain of events which follows covers the entire life span of the animal.


All over Europe a number of countries have national curricula: France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom. In the majority of these countries common guidelines for conceiving a core curriculum – subject curricula, syllabuses, and textbooks – are followed. Science Education for Development of European Citizenship European project tried to offer an interesting and necessary perspective of approaching Science education in schools. The present Project intends to present a new approach of this topic where the pupils` opinions and teachers` perceptions matter, specialists in pure Science, researchers in Science field and in the education field as well, museums educators and Science teachers being working together. In the third working group within SEDEC Project – the Teaching Materials working group (TM) – we try to conceive educational materials starting from the teachers` perceptions about teaching Science in order to develop their pupils` behaviors as European citizens. In the following we will show in which way we tried to reach to teachers` perceptions and what are our plans in terms of concrete categories of educational materials that can be developed starting from teachers` perceptions. To fulfill this goal two teachers` debates were organized in two countries of the SEDEC – France (with primary education teachers) and Romania (with secondary education teachers) so far. To understand French and Romanian teachers` points of view about Science lessons and their activity with students within classrooms, as debate results, in the following we will make a short insert on these two education systems in terms of curriculum organization.


Ferrocenyl carbodiimide (FCDI) was allowed to react with thymine or guanine bases of single stranded DNA in borate buffer (pH 9.5) at 37 degrees C for a short period of time. The reactivity of FCDI with the guanine bases was smaller than that with the thymine ones and the prolongation of the reaction time resulted in a lower yield. The reactivity for double stranded oligonucleotide was extremely decreased from that for the single stranded one. One base mismatched double stranded oligonucleotides could react with FCDI, albeit slowly. These results suggested that the reactivity of FCDI was variable depending on the kind of bases and the oligonucleotide structure.


OBJECTIVE
The authors reviewed research on medication compliance in psychiatric treatment and compared compliance rates with compliance rates in treatment of physical disorders.

METHODS
MEDLINE was used to locate reports in the literature on medication compliance in psychiatric treatment for the years 1975 through 1996. These reports and studies cited in the reports were reviewed to determine the methods used to assess compliance and the compliance rates reported. Ten reports describing assessment methods and including medication compliance rates for antidepressant medication and 24 reports for antipsychotic medication were selected. They were compared with 12 reports that used microelectronic monitoring to assess medication compliance of patients with a range of nonpsychiatric disorders.

RESULTS
Studies of psychiatric patients used various methods of estimating medication compliance, including interviews with patients, clinicians' judgment, and pill counts, but overall showed low rates of compliance. Patients receiving antipsychotics took an average of 58 percent of the recommended amount of the medications, with a range from 24 to 90 percent. Patients receiving antidepressants took 65 percent of the recommended amount, with a range from 40 to 90 percent. The mean compliance rate for patients with physical disorders was 76 percent, with a range from 60 to 92 percent, although the microelectronic monitoring showed frequent omission of doses and discontinuation of medication.

CONCLUSIONS
Compliance with medication regimens among patients with psychiatric disorders may be lower than among patients with physical disorders. However, the difference may be largely attributable to the methods used for estimating compliance. The findings suggest the need for new and improved methods for monitoring compliance and increasing patients' compliance with pharmacotherapy.


Pegunungan Bintang Regency is an autonomous region which was formed in 2001 with great potential of natural resources in mining, including coal, oil, and gas. Mineral is a non-renewable natural resource the management of which may pose positive impacts or negative impacts. Therefore, the management of mineral must be done wisely in order to give optimum benefits to the regional development and the people residing in the vicinity of the mine. In connection with the foregoing, the study aimed at analyzing the impact of mining activities on regional development, among others, economic growth, community development, and suitability of space utilization. The analysis results showed that mining activities contributed greatly to regional development, as reflected in the structure of regional economy.


Background: Perinatal mortality rate is very high in North Eastern Nigeria mainly due to a large number of still births. The causes and factors related need to be identified so as to proffer solutions with a view to improving obstetric practice and perinatal survival. Objectives : To identify the causes and factors related to stillbirths in Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe state. Methodology : A prospective study that was both hospital and community based, in which parturients were recruited in their last trimester and followed up till delivery. The fetal outcome was recorded and still birth rate calculated. Results : Five hundred and two parturient mothers were recruited. They delivered a total of 520 babies, amongst whom were eighteen sets of twins; five hundred of these were live births. There were 20 still births, giving a stillbirth rate of 38.5/1000. Causes of stillbirth include unbooked and early pregnanacies as well as deliveries unattended to by trained health personnel. Conclusion: Lack of antenatal Care, home delivery and teenage pregnancy were important factors contributing to high still birth rate in Dukku LGA of Gombe State. Key Words : Stillbirth, Perinatal, Mortality,


MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that silence gene expression. In animal cells, miRNAs bind to the 3′ untranslated regions of specific mRNAs and inhibit their translation. The correct regulation of mRNA expression by miRNAs is believed to be important for oocyte maturation, early development and implantation. We examined the expression of 25 mRNAs involved in the microRNA processing pathway in a nonhuman primate oocyte and embryo model. We observed that mRNAs related to miRNA splicing are downregulated during oocyte maturation while those related to miRNA processing are upregulated, indicating that there may exist a temporal difference in their activities related to transcriptional activity in germinal vesicle stage oocytes. We also observed that the vast majority of mRNAs examined were insensitive to α‐amanitin at the 8–16 cell stage. The expression data did not reveal a major impact of embryo culture, and hormonal stimulation protocol affected only a small number of mRNAs, suggesting that the components of the pathway may be accumulated in the oocyte during oogenesis and resistant to exogenous insults. In comparison to published mouse array data, we observed species differences and similarities in the temporal expression patterns of some genes, suggesting that miRNA processing may be regulated differently. These data extend our understanding of the potential roles of miRNA during primate embryogenesis. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 255–269, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The identification and study of autoimmune diseases has taught us that recognition of self-antigens can have devastating consequences. Yet there is a paradox to autoreactivity: when correctly balanced, it is at the heart of robust self-tolerance. This concept gives rise to several questions. Can this balance be manipulated? And if so, by what means and through which mechanisms? What are the rules that govern this opportunity to restore homeostasis?

Studies in a variety of animal models, which act as replicas of the major chronic inflammatory diseases that affect humans, have offered many answers to these questions. One of the clearer outcomes is that delivery of autoantigens, administered at different disease stages via a variety of routes, can provide robust, sustained health and protection from inflammatory autoimmune disease. The most appealing element to this approach, termed antigen-specific immunotherapy (ASI), has been that it not only provides an effective means of controlling the autoimmune response via induction or restoration of β-cell–specific tolerance, but that it may achieve these goals without major concerns over safety and certainly without the specter of immune suppression. Yet significant questions remain. Are we doing enough to realize the potential of this sacred cow? How do we move from concept to reality?

In this article, we provide an update on the mechanisms through which ASI is currently thought to operate. We discuss why, despite this body of knowledge, alternative, non-ASI approaches have emerged as the current vogue. We argue that more should be done to counter this trend and realize the potential of ASI, including strategies that combine its strengths with those of other complementary ways forward.

### Mechanisms of therapeutic effect including evidence from human trials.

Predicting the outcome of immunization with islet antigens is complex. The resulting immune response depends not only on …


BACKGROUND
Coronary flow velocity varies widely between individuals, even at rest. Because of this variation, indices with less apparent deviation, such as the ratio of hyperemic to resting velocity (coronary flow reserve), have been more commonly studied. We tested the hypothesis that the flow continuity principle could be used to model resting coronary flow, and we examined the resulting velocity relationship.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We studied coronary velocity in 59 patients using a Doppler wire to measure resting and hyperemic average peak velocities in the left anterior descending artery. Quantitative techniques were used to calculate lumen cross-sectional area and the lengths of all distal coronary branches. Branch lengths were used to estimate regional left ventricular mass. We then calculated the ratio of lumen area to regional mass (A/m). Regional perfusion was estimated from the double product of heart rate and systolic blood pressure. Resting velocity (V) varied inversely with A/m ratio [V=46.5/(A/m); r=0.68, P<0.001]. Disease in the left anterior descending artery was categorized as none or luminal irregularities only (n=22), mild (n=15), or moderate (n=22). The A/m ratio declined across these groups (8.7+/-4.0, 8.5+/-6.2, and 5. 6+/-3.0 mm(2)/100 g, respectively; P<0.04), and the resting average peak velocity increased (27+/-16, 33+/-11, and 37+/-20 cm/s, respectively; P=0.06).

CONCLUSIONS
Resting coronary artery flow velocity is inversely related to the ratio of lumen area to regional left ventricular mass. Higher resting velocities are found when insufficient lumen size exists for the distal myocardial bed, as occurs with diffuse mild or moderate coronary atherosclerosis.


A controlled breeding program was used to collect baboon embryos of known insemination ages. Serial sections of the palatine region of 37 embryos and fetuses from 30 to 64 days (d) (estimated fertilization age) werestudied microscopically and by graphic or wax reconstruction. One 100-day fetuswas partially dissected. Nasal placodes appeared in Stage XIV (30 d, 4.3–6.0 mm).By Stage XVI (33–36 d, 6.9–9.0 mm) nasal pits developed. The primary palate and palatine processes were present at Stage XVII (36 d, 11.3–11.6 mm). Subsequent development produced rostrodorsal and vertical lengthening of the palatine processes. Rostrally they slanted caudomedially toward the base of the tongue, and dorsally they remained vertically oriented lateral to the tongue in Stage XXI (43–45 d, 18.3–19.6 mm). In Stage XXII (47 d, 22–24 mm) the midpalatine processesbegan to rotate to a horizontal position. By Stage XXIII (45–50 d, 25.8–28.0 mm)the rostral two-thirds of the palatine processes were horizontally oriented cranialto the tongue. They were fusing to each other and to the nasal septum. The dorsalone-third of the palatine processes were assuming a horizontal position by medialprojection. In the 53-d fetuses (39.6–48.0 mm) the hard and soft palates wereformed except for the uvula, which remained divided until sometime after 64 d(63.0 mm). Epithelial remnants were not formed in the soft palate, suggestingthat this area was formed by mesenchymal merging without epithelial fusion.


Explainability in machine learning is crucial for iterative model development, compliance with regulation, and providing operational nuance to model predictions. Shapley values provide a general framework for explainability by attributing a model's output prediction to its input features in a mathematically principled and model-agnostic way. However, practical implementations of the Shapley framework make an untenable assumption: that the model's input features are uncorrelated. In this work, we articulate the dangers of this assumption and introduce two solutions for computing Shapley explanations that respect the data manifold. One solution, based on generative modelling, provides flexible access to on-manifold data imputations, while the other directly learns the Shapley value function in a supervised way, providing performance and stability at the cost of flexibility. While the commonly used ``off-manifold'' Shapley values can (i) break symmetries in the data, (ii) give rise to misleading wrong-sign explanations, and (iii) lead to uninterpretable explanations in high-dimensional data, our approach to on-manifold explainability demonstrably overcomes each of these problems.


The goals of this research are to develop the capability to monitor and predict the dispersion of post-eruptive plumes of volcanic aerosol as they originate from the Pu'u'O'o vent of Kilauea Volcano, and to mitigate the impact of these aerosols on respiratory health and general aviation. A combination of satellite remote sensing, aircraft and ground-based observations were used to validate model concentration and dispersion results. The objective of the modeling component is to produce an accurate regional forecast of the concentration and dispersion of volcanic aerosol. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HY-SPLIT) model was used for this purpose (Draxler and Hess 1998). The wind fields and thermal data from the non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Spectral Model (MSM) were used as input for the HYSPLIT model (Juang 2000). The HY-SPLIT model shows skill in reproducing the plume shape, orientation and concentration gradient as deduced from SeaWiF satellite imagery processed to show aerosol optical depth. Comparison of the model simulations and MICROTOPS II sun photometer data indicate that the model is able to forecast maximum and minimum plume concentrations. These results are promising for future operational applications of the HY-SPLIT model in vog forecasting.


Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by an inflammatory reaction. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein and interleukin (IL)-33 are damage-associated molecular pattern molecules and have many characteristics similar to pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, the role of IL-33 and HMGB1 in AR remains unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the role of HMGB1 and IL-33 in AR. Methods: Twenty patients with AR (AR group) and 10 normal controls (normal group) were enrolled in this study. HMGB1 and IL-33 expression were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in epithelial cells of the inferior turbinate mucosa samples. Then, the human nasal mucosa epithelial cells (HNECs) were cultured in vitro, and the house dust mite allergen (Derp1) was used to stimulate the cells. Quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA assay were performed to detect HMGB1 and IL-33 expression in HNECs. Results: The expression of HMGB1 and IL-33 in the nasal mucosa was higher in the AR group than in the normal group, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). In HNECs of AR, the expression of both HMGB1 and IL-33 in stimulated groups was higher than that in non-stimulated groups. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). In addition, they increased gradually with the prolonging time and the concentration of the added Derp1. Conclusions: The expression of HMGB1 and IL-33 were both increased in AR. HMGB1 and IL-33 may have a close relationship in AR.


Training is widely acknowledged as a fundamental ingredient to success. Training is gained both through formal means, such as classroom education, or informal means, what we call experience. On the surface, business education for an engineer and manager may not appear to be related. However, common concepts, as described in this paper, link business education to both the engineer and manager.


Catastrophic events, though rare, do occur and when they occur, they have devastating effects. It is, therefore, of utmost importance to understand the complexity of the underlying dynamics and signatures of catastrophic events, such as market crashes. For deeper understanding, we choose the US and Japanese markets from 1985 onward, and study the evolution of the cross-correlation structures of stock return matrices and their eigenspectra over different short time-intervals or "epochs". A slight non-linear distortion is applied to the correlation matrix computed for any epoch, leading to the emerging spectrum of eigenvalues. The statistical properties of the emerging spectrum display: (i) the shape of the emerging spectrum reflects the market instability, (ii) the smallest eigenvalue may be able to statistically distinguish the nature of a market turbulence or crisis -- internal instability or external shock, and (iii) the time-lagged smallest eigenvalue has a statistically significant correlation with the mean market cross-correlation. The smallest eigenvalue seems to indicate that the financial market has become more turbulent in a similar way as the mean does. Yet we show features of the smallest eigenvalue of the emerging spectrum that distinguish different types of market instabilities related to internal or external causes. Based on the paradigmatic character of financial time series for other complex systems, the capacity of the emerging spectrum to understand the nature of instability may be a new feature, which can be broadly applied.


Defensive architecture in the Ziz and Todhra valleys in MoroccoThe earthen architecture of the Todhra and Ziz Valleys in Southern Morocco takes us back to the basic and archetypal forms of building in the Mediterranean. Architectural typology and language together form a cultural background that is strongly rooted in the territory and its inhabitants: the Berbers. The architectures, fragile and in constant decay, represent a treatise of living architecture in which the shapes, proportions and decorations are repeated over time with continuity.This research tries to verify, with data coming from direct and instrumental surveys, the quality and diffusion of the architectures that dot the valleys of the Todhra and the Ziz which, at same time, host the population and defend the most precious asset: water.  Along the valleys, united by the same language, we find: igherm, fortified citadels; tighremt, fortress houses.


1Valley Laser Eye Centre, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 3R1, Canada; 2Sengi, Penniac, NB, E3A 8X8, Canada Purpose: To evaluate clinical outcomes of a toric IOL using digital tracking (DT) and intraoperative aberrometry (IA). Methods: This was a retrospective, single surgeon study examining 151 eyes of 106 patients. Inclusion criteria were subjects who presented with visually significant cataracts (or as a candidate for clear lens extraction) and were implanted with a toric intraocular lens. Spherical equivalent prediction errors for IA and preoperative planning were calculated and compared. Preoperative and postoperative refractive data and monocular uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were also collected at 3 months postoperatively. Results: Postoperative actual residual refractive astigmatism with IA was 0.50 D or less in 140 eyes (92.8%) and was 0.50 D or less in 88 eyes (58.3%) with back-calculations based on preoperative planning. The absolute spherical equivalent prediction error was 0.50 D or less in 135 eyes (89.4%) for IA compared to 123 eyes (85.4%) for preoperative planning. Postoperative monocular UDVA was 0.10 logMAR or better in 124 eyes (82.1%) and 0.00 logMAR or better in 90 eyes (59.6%). Postoperative CDVA was 0.10 logMAR or better in 147 eyes (97.4%) and 134 eyes (88.7%) were 0.00 logMAR or better. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that toric implantation with DT and IA can provide excellent refractive and visual outcomes.


PurposeThis study aims to conduct an experimental study and finite element model (FEM) to investigate the flexural behavior of heat-damaged beams strengthened/repaired by hybrid fiber-reinforced polymers (HFRP).Design/methodology/approachTwo groups of beams of (150 × 250 × 1,200) mm were cast, strengthened and repaired using different configurations of HFRP and tested under four-point loadings. The first group was kept at room temperature, while the second group was exposed to a temperature of 400°C.FindingsIt was found that using multiple layers of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) enhanced the strength more than a single layer. Also, the order of two layers of FRP showed no effect on flexural behavior of beams. Using a three-layer scheme (attaching the GFRP first and followed by two layers of CFRP) exhibited increase in ultimate load more than the scheme attached by CFRP first. Furthermore, the scheme HGC (heated beam repaired with glass and carbon, in sequence) allowed to achieve residual flexural capacity of specimen exposed to 400°C. Typical flexural failure was observed in control and heat-damaged beams, whereas the strengthened/repaired beams failed by cover separation and FRP debonding, however, specimen repaired with two layers of GFRP failed by FRP rupture. The FEM results showed good agreement with experimental results.Originality/valueFew researchers have studied the effects of HFRP on strengthening and repair of heated, damaged reinforced concrete (RC) beams. This paper investigates, both experimentally and analytically, the performance of externally strengthened and repaired RC beams, in flexure, with different FRP configurations of CFRP and GFRP.


During the summer of 2010 (July-August), the Volpe Center collected baseline acoustical data at Wupatki National Monument (WUPA) at two sites deployed for approximately 30 days at each site. The baseline data collected during this period will help park managers and planners estimate the effects of future noise impacts and will help to inform future park planning objectives such as creating soundscape management plans, as well as the development of an Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP), which provides for the regulation of commercial air tours. The sound sources of concern at WUPA include developments near park boundaries, air tours, commercial and private aircraft activities, and requests for special use permits for noisy activities. This document summarizes the results of the noise measurement study.


Recognition of anionic species plays a fundamental role in many essential chemical, biological, and environmental processes. Numerous monographs and review papers on molecular recognition of anions by synthetic receptors reflect the continuing and growing interest in this area of supramolecular chemistry. However, despite the enormous progress made over the last 20 years in the design of these molecules, the design of receptors for chiral anions is much less developed. Chiral recognition is one of the most subtle types of selectivity, and it requires very precise spatial organization of the receptor framework. At the same time, this phenomenon commonly occurs in many processes present in nature, often being their fundamental step. For these reasons, research directed toward understanding the chiral anion recognition phenomenon may lead to the identification of structural patterns that enable increasingly efficient receptor design. In this review, we present the recent progress made in the area of synthetic receptors for biologically relevant chiral carboxylates.


This article describes the International Radiation Monitoring Information System (IRMIS) which was developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with the goal to provide Competent Authorities, the IAEA and other international organizations with a client server based web application to share and visualize large quantities of radiation monitoring data. The data maps the areas of potential impact that can assist countries to take appropriate protective actions in an emergency. Ever since the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in April of 19861 European Community (EC) has worked towards collecting routine environmental radiological monitoring data from national networked monitoring systems. European Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP) was created in 19952 to that end – to provide radiation monitoring data from most European countries reported in nearly real-time. During the response operations for the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident (March 2011) the IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) managed, harmonized and shared the large amount of data that was being generated from different organizations. This task underscored the need for a system which allows sharing large volumes of radiation monitoring data in an emergency. In 2014 EURDEP started the submission of the European radiological data to the International Radiation Monitoring Information System (IRMIS) as a European Regional HUB for IRMIS. IRMIS supports the implementation of the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident by providing a web application for the reporting, sharing, visualizing and analysing of large quantities of environmental radiation monitoring data during nuclear or radiological emergencies. IRMIS is not an early warning system that automatically reports when there are significant deviations in radiation levels or when values are detected above certain levels. However, the configuration of the visualization features offered by IRMIS may help Member States to determine where elevated gamma dose rate measurements during a radiological or nuclear emergency indicate that actions to protect the public are necessary. The data can be used to assist emergency responders determine where and when to take necessary actions to protect the public. This new web online tool supports the IAEA's Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE)3, an online tool where competent authorities can access information about all emergency situations, ranging from a lost radioactive source to a full-scale nuclear emergency.


ABSTRACT Plk2 (Snk) is a polo-like kinase expressed at G1 in cultured cells and mainly in the hippocampal neurons in the brains of adult rodents, but its function is poorly understood. We have generated mice deficient in Plk2 by gene targeting. Although Plk2 is not required for postnatal growth, Plk2−/− embryos show retarded growth and skeletal development late in gestation. The labyrinthine zone of the placenta is diminished in Plk2−/− embryos due to decreased cell proliferation. Cultured Plk2−/− embryonic fibroblasts grow more slowly than normal cells and show delayed entry into S phase. These data suggest a role for Plk2 in the cell cycle.


In this paper, we study the impact of acquiring equity shares in intermediaries on ex- port performance. We develop a trade model with vertically linked industries where the decisions to export and to own its intermediary are endogenous that we test on French data at the firm level. We show that: forward acquisition enables manufacturers to man- age the double marginalization problem and to enjoy lower costs to foreign market access, so that the probability of exporting and export sales are higher for a firm with a par- ticipation in intermediaries. In addition, vertical ownership creates a market externality among manufacturers due to a reallocation of market shares from small firms to large firms forcing some low-productivity firms to exit from foreign markets.


The Neotropical cicada genus Taphura Stal, 1862 is redescribed. Taphura attiguclava n. sp., Taphura cernuunca n. sp., Taphura crispula n. sp., Taphura demissa n. sp., Taphura dolabella n. sp., Taphura lanceola n. sp., and Taphura maccagnani n. sp. are described and illustrated. A summary of the 17 current species of Taphura along with the synonymic history and distribution of each species is provided. The first records of T. boulardi Sanborn, 2011 for Surinam, T. hastifera (Walker, 1858) for Bolivia and Ecuador, T. misella (Stal, 1854) for Bolivia and French Guiana, T. nitida (Degeer, 1773) for French Guiana, and T. sauliensis Boulard, 1971 for Ecuador and Trinidad & Tobago are provided. Finally, a key to the known species is provided.


An experimental investigation of the dependence of thermal impedance on a variety of typical design dependencies is discussed. Various thermal impedance formulations at the board, regional, and component levels are applied to the analysis of data derived from a simulated circuit pack array in an air-cooled enclosure. The utility of these measures for performance comparison, data analysis, modeling, and design extrapolation is illustrated. A component-level energy balance which is used to predict measured changes in peak component temperature as a function of power level and location of neighboring components is proposed. Neighboring component effects can increase effective component thermal impedance by more than 25%. Measured heat transfer coefficients are compared to literature values. The design issues of correcting for neighboring component effects and utilizing the concept of regional thermal impedances are explored.<<ETX>>