Service has become the most important factor in service companies. One of important part of service is service quality. Service quality is measure of how well the service level delivered matches customer expectations. IndiHome is telecommunication product of PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia. Tbk (Telkom Indonesia). Telkom Indonesia is telecommunication company and network service provider in Indonesia. IndiHome's customer in Bandung increasing every month with 10,007 in first 9 months. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of service quality towards customer satisfaction. An online survey has been published and 400 valid at of questionnaires has been analyzed. Quantitative-Descriptive analysis, causal study, and multiple regression analysis have been used during the study. This research found that service quality hassignificant positive impact to customer satisfaction partially, and Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy has significant positive impact to customer satisfaction simultaneously. The study also found that the value of Adjusted R square is 0.615. It means that 61.5% customer satisfaction is explained by the independent variable.


Substrate influence on ichthyofaunal composition in shallow areas of Barra de Navidad coastal lagoon, Mexico. Introduction: Coastal lagoons are important habitats for coastal fishes playing an essential role as nursery areas for many species. While the effects of salinity and temperature on fish abundance spatial and temporal variation have been well documented, research on the influence of substrate characteristics is scarce. Objective: To investigate the correlation of salinity, temperature and sediment characteristics with spatial and temporal variations of the ichthyofauna composition in Barra de Navidad coastal lagoon ́s shallow zones. Methods: Samples of ichthyofauna were taken with a beach purse seine along a period of two years in four sites. Water salinity and temperature were measured simultaneously with fish sampling operations. Sediment particle size and organic matter content were determined four times at each site during the sampling period. Multivariate methods were used for data analyses. Results: A total of 13 487 fish pertaining to 69 species were collected, but only five taxa (Eucinostomus currani, Mugil setosus, Anchoa sp., Diapterus brevirostris, Centropomus robalito) made up more than 80 % of the individuals. Significant differences among all sampling sites and between seasons were found for the ichthyofauna composition. Redundancy analysis showed that changes in ichthyofaunal composition were mainly related to the percentage of mud and organic matter in sediments expressing a spatial gradient. The influence of salinity and temperature was also significant, but these variables explained a smaller proportion of the observed variability and were related mainly to seasonal changes. Conclusions: Sediment particle size and organic matter content are the most important abiotic factors influencing spatial changes in shallow water ichthyofaunal composition. Seasonal changes were correlated with changes in salinity and temperature but could also be related to biological processes such as reproduction and recruitment.


Anticipation is the term given to the apparent occurrence of an inherited disorder at a progressively earlier age of onset in successive generations. A family of a mother and two children, a 17-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, all experienced migraine with affective psychosis. There is a strong genetic predisposition to the psychiatric disorder of affective psychosis along with a dominant pattern of migraine in the family, which suggests a genetic connection between migraine and affective psychosis.


The Canadian accident law system has been a microcosm of social experiments in legal reform. The chief concerns motivating any accident law system reform efforts in Canada have been the perennial issues that prompt accident law reform in any country: litigation cost containment, insurance cost containment, processing delay, and concerns about fraud. Many Canadian initiatives to address personal injury compensation processes have mirrored the recent Irish reform approaches, and with varying successes and failures. There are two important aspects about the comparative value in examining what both countries have separately done to address the issue of compensation for personal injury. The first lies in learning how different legal cultures, different national identities, and different political and industry pressure points lead to remarkably similar institutional creations. The second lies in how each country's failures and gains realised from these reform efforts may also track each other in parallel fashion. What does this mean?For Canada and for Ireland, it means that for realising gains in creating a fair, efficient accident law system, assessment of any reform efforts must proceed in a holistic and systemic fashion by keeping three distinct though not separate legal structures in mind: tort and liability law, insurance law and the law and behaviour surrounding civil litigation. Each of these structures must, in turn, somehow be tempered by a fourth overarching structure: justice. This chapter examines how accident law reform can most wisely proceed by adopting a reflexive approach to ensure reform accountability that considers the effects of any reform on liability law, insurance law, civil litigation, and justice concerns. It uses two common accident law reform mechanisms as examples of this approach: the damages limiter and the public dispute resolution mediary.


Background Up to 30-40% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience their onset prior to adulthood or at over 50 years of age. Patients with juvenile-onset SLE (JSLE) frequently present with severe organ involvement and higher disease activity at the onset of disease. In contrast, patients with late-onset SLE (LSLE) tend to show more insidious onset and mild initial clinical manifestations. However, few studies have investigated differences in clinical manifestations with disease onset in Asian lupus patients. Objectives Thus, we investigated whether SLE patients could be distinguished based on the time of disease onset and, if so, whether the groups differed in their clinical and laboratory features in ethnically homogeneous Korean patients. Methods We enrolled 201 SLE patients (mean age 34.1±12.7, 184 women) with available clinical data at the time of onset of SLE from the lupus cohort at Chonnam National University Hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data, including autoantibodies, and concomitant diseases were found at the time of diagnosis of SLE by reviewing the patient charts. We divided SLE patients according to age at SLE diagnosis into three groups: JSLE (diagnosed at ≤18 years), adult-onset SLE (ASLE, diagnosed at 19-50 years), and LSLE (diagnosed at >50 years), and compared baseline demographic, clinical, and relevant laboratory findings. Data were analyzed using the chi-squared test for categorical variables and one-way ANOVA test for continuous variables. Results Of the 210 patients, 27 (14.4%), 149 (74.1%), and 25 (12.4%) were JSLE, ASLE, and LSLE patients, respectively. Fever, oral ulcer, nephritis, anemia, and thrombocytopenia were more common in JSLE patients than ASLE or LSLE patients (p<0.05, p<0.05, p=0.001, p<0.05, and p<0.05, respectively). On the other hand, Sjögren's syndrome was found more frequently in LSLE patients than JSLE or ASLE patients (p<0.05). SLEDAI-2000 scores at the onset of SLE were 14.6±7.1 in JSLE, 11.1±6.1 in ASLE, and 6.6±2.7 in LSLE, and disease activity was significantly higher in JSLE patients than in ASLE or LSLE patients (p<0.001). Anti-dsDNA and anti-nucleosome antibodies were found more frequently in JSLE patients and less frequently in LSLE patients (p<0.05, p=0.005) and decreased complement levels (C3, C4, and CH50) were more common in JSLE patients and less common in LSLE patients (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.05, respectively). Conclusions Our results showed that SLE patients present with different clinical and serological manifestations according to age at disease onset. JSLE patients have severe disease activity and more frequent renal involvement and LSLE patients have mild disease activity, more commonly accompanied by Sjögren's syndrome, at disease onset. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.2686


This thesis addresses the problem of automatically generating solutions to robotics tasks that are specified at a high level. In particular, we consider the problems of robot motion planning and the planning of sensor placements.
These problems are made difficult by a number of inherent factors. Foremost among these are uncertainty and geometric complexity. Uncertainty arises from the fact that the actions of robots are subject to error. Geometric complexity reflects the fact that real-world task environments are often complex. If we want robot strategies that are both practical and robust, we must develop algorithms that successfully deal with uncertainty and complex geometry.
Much of the previous work in the area of task-level planning for robots fails to address at least one of these issues. Many theoretical approaches are algorithmically sophisticated, but do not handle uncertainty, and may be unimplementable in practice. On the other hand, real robot systems often employ simplistic strategies that do not take into account complex geometric interactions. This thesis seeks to bridge the gap between these two extremes. We present efficient planning algorithms for motion and sensing that are both practical and algorithmically sophisticated.
Our motion planning algorithm computes one-step motion strategies that guarantee reaching a specified goal in the plane. To deal with uncertainty in robot control, we employ a control model that allows the robot to slide along obstacle surfaces, or comply with the environment. Our analysis of this algorithm yields a precise characterization of the complexity of one-step compliant motion planning with uncertainty.
Sensors are needed within autonomous systems to provide execution-time feedback. In this thesis we develop a framework for planning sensing strategies in a principled way. In particular, we present algorithms for computing the set of placements from which a sensor can monitor a region within a task environment. This work has many applications in the areas of assembly planning, cooperating robots, and robot surveillance. We have demonstrated the practicality of our approach by building a system of robot surveillance with mobile robots employing our strategies for sensor planning.


Background The primary aim of the retrospective study was to study whether the number of births in women (primipara, multipara and grand multipara women) the long term after deliveries has an impact on the development of Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods Our study population is composed of patients who are referred with suspicion of CTS. Four hundred and fifty female patients (150 primara, 150 multipara and 150 grand multipara women) referred to the electrophsiology laboratory with clinical suspicion CTS were included into the descriptive and retrospective study between November 2016 and June 2018. Primiparity, multiparity and grand multiparity were defined as women having 1, 2 – 5 and 6 - 9 deliveries, respectively. Patients who passed 2 years after their last birth were included in the study. All of the patients were assessed and compared in terms of electrophysiological CTS presence and degree of CTS. Also BMI was calculated for each patient and it compared among groups. Results The disease has not been changed with the number of births (p > 0.05). The mean BMI of the primipara, multipara and grand multipara women were 28,06 ± 1,12 kg / m2, 27,59 ± 3,72 kg / m2 and 27,82 ± 3,11 kg / m2, respectively. There was no significant statistically difference in BMI among groups (p > 0.05). However, the severity of the disease varies according to BMI (p < 0.05). It was calculated that as the BMI increases, the severity of the disease increases. Conclusions Number of pregnancies in women (primipara, multipara and grand multipara women) concerning the long term after deliveries has not impact on the development of CTS. Other risk factors such as BMI may play a significant role in the development of CTS in these patients.


ABSTRACT Li, D.-L., 2019. Development of intelligent marine traffic service application software for Haikou Bay. In: Gong, D.; Zhu, H., and Liu, R. (eds.), Selected Topics in Coastal Research: Engineering, Industry, Economy, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 94, pp. 490–494. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Intelligent maritime traffic management platform can greatly improve the service efficiency and the shipping security of maritime transport industries. In fact, it is more significant for the development of maritime traffic industry. This paper devises an intelligent and integrated VTS information platform for marine transport service in Haikou Bay based on the traditional VTS system, builds a GIS-T-based VTS architecture, and proposes an intelligent VTS ship traffic prediction algorithm based on the grey system theory adaptive GM (1,1) model. The findings show that, in relation to the traditional VTS, the GIS-T-based VTS architecture has a better effect in spatial data management and analysis, and the algorithm based on GM (1,1) model renders a higher prediction precision, thereby effectively improving the marine transport intelligence level in Haikou Bay. This study has borne another one theoretical and practical fruit for the intelligent marine transport services and has a certain application value.


Abstract: The Late Devonian Svalbardian event relates to the final activity in the Caledonian Orogen, and affected Devonian strata in Spitsbergen by major folding, oblique thrusting and basement uplift. In southern Spitsbergen, the Devonian deformation and the complementary, presumed Mid-Carboniferous Adriabukta event deformation caused uplift of the Sørkapp–Hornsund basement high or horst. This high is fault-bounded by Devonian sandstones and a questionably aged Early or Mid-Carboniferous mudstone unit (Adriabukta Formation). The Adriabukta Formation at Hornsund occurs in the core of a major syncline, with underlying Devonian strata in the west limb, all truncated in the footwall by a steep, east-side-up oblique-reverse fault. Mid- to Late Carboniferous rifting reversed the motion and produced rift-fill deposits, and these strata overlie the deformed Devonian rocks and the Adriabukta Formation with an angular unconformity. A similar basin architecture and major syncline bounded by a reverse fault with lateral movement characterize the Svalbardian deformation in the Mimerdalen–Pyramiden area at Billefjorden farther north. Similarity also exists between a Late Devonian unit (Plantekløfta Formation) at Mimerdalen and the Adriabukta Formation at Hornsund, and we question the previous interpretation of the Adriabukta Formation as Carboniferous. Rather, we suggest that the Adriabukta and Svalbardian deformation events may have been part of the same event.


Polycrystalline niobium-doped molybdenum and tungsten diselenides were synthesized in silica tubes sealed under secondary vacuum. They were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, chemical composition and EDX analyses. The morphology of niobium-doped molybdenum solid solutions was shown to depend strongly on the conditions of synthesis, whereas the structural characterization did not. KEY WORDS: Polycrystalline niobium-doped molybdenum and tungsten diselenide solid solutions, Doped powders diselenides, Mo 1-x Nb x Se 2 , W 1-x Nb x Se 2 , SEM, X-ray diffraction, Electron diffraction Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2008 , 22(2), 225-236.


Abstract The experiments performed in this study are the first of their kind as they report the significance of nonequilibrium on gas-oil multicontact miscible (MCM) process prediction and the influence of lenses' heterogeneities on MCM injection. This was achieved using a combination of well-characterized laboratory experiments and detailed numerical simulation. Particularly, the aims were to (a) quantify the recovery efficiency of MCM displacements conducted at different flow conditions, (b) provide a set of benchmark experimental data for MCM displacements performed within lensed, porous media, and (c) validate conventional compositional simulation of MCM displacements. The novel experimental studies were conducted in specially designed lenses visual models packed with unconsolidated glass beads and used a two-phase, three-component (Isopropyl alcohol [IPA]/water/cyclohexene) liquid system that exhibits an upper critical point at ambient conditions. First contact miscible (FCM), immiscible, and MCM displacements were performed under different flow conditions. They were then simulated using a commercial compositional simulator without using history matching. The produced oil and gas in the experiments were found not to be in compositional equilibrium. Consequently, the oil recoveries and gas cuts predicted by compositional simulation for MCM displacements differed significantly from the experimental results, although an excellent match was obtained for the FCM and immiscible displacements.


Abstract 2339

In mice, loss-of-function studies have identified that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation mediates the massive red blood cell expansion occurring following stress challenges. This effect involves generation of stress-specific erythroid precursors expressing KIT (the receptor for SCF), CD71 (the transferrin receptor co-expressed in human erythroblasts with CD36) and TER119 (Glycophorin A) that are blocked in maturation and induced into a self-replication state.

Studies in culture indicate that GR activation increases also the generation of human erythroid cells. In fact, human CD34poscells from adult (AB) or cord (CB) blood give rise to great numbers of erythroblasts within 14–18 days when cultured with SCF, IL-3, EPO and the GR agonist dexamethasone (DXM) (fold increase: 691±257 vs 396±187 from AB or CB). Whether the effects of GR on human erythropoiesis are mediated by stress-specific erythroid precursors phenotypically and functionally similar to those observed in mice remains to be demonstrated.

In this study, the phenotype and properties (proliferation potential and proteomic profile) of erythroid precursors present at day 10 in cultures of AB- and CB-derived CD34poscells in the presence of DXM were compared. The phosphoproteomic profile was evaluated by Reverse-phase Protein MicroArray (RPMA) technology, using a broad library of 170 antibodies against signaling proteins representative of the main pathways controlling proliferation, survival, migration and adhesion using appropriate cell lines as array calibrators.

![Figure][1]

By day 10, AB- and CB-derived cultures contained equal numbers (50–70%) of erythroid precursors with the phenotype CD34neg/CD117pos/CD36pos/CD235alow similar to that expressed by murine stress-specific erythroid precursors. AB-derived precursors expressed two-times more CD117 than the CB-derived ones [MFI=1,200 vs 722] and could be sequentially purified and re-cultured every two-days for at least three times generating both additional CD34neg/CD117pos/CD36pos/CD235alow precursors and mature erythroblasts (CD235apos). By contrast, CB-derived precursors generated additional precursors and mature erythroblasts for only one passage generating only erythroid precursors from the second passage on (Fig. 1A).

Unsupervised hierarchical clustering and non-parametric statistical analysis comparing the activation status of a first set of 120 signaling proteins in day 10 erythroid precursors from 3 CB and 3 AB was performed. The phospho-proteomic profile of cells derived from the 3 AB was remarkably similar, as was that of cells derived from the 3 CB. Among those 120 proteins, 25 proteins were differently activated ( p =0.049) in dexamethasone treated precursors derived from AB or CB. AB-derived cells expressed activated levels of KIT (both in terms of amount and of levels of phosphorylation at tyrosine Y719 and Y703), PDGFR beta and Bcl-2 while CB-derived erythroid precursors expressed activated levels of mTOR, p70S6K, Src and PKC delta among others, and increased expression of RANKL.

In conclusion, these data indicate that DXM sustains massive erythroid expansion of both CB- and AB-derived erythroblasts by inducing the generation of erythroid precursors similar in phenotype to the stress-specific erythroid precursors identified in mice. However, the biological properties of the erythroid precursors derived from AB and CB are different. The self-renewal state of AB-derived precursors does not impairs maturation potential and is probably driven by receptor tyrosine kinases (KIT and PDGFR) while the self-renewal potential of the CB-derived precusors is associated with loss of maturation potential which may occur through a cytoplasmic signaling network activation involving mTOR and Src.

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

 [1]: pending:yes


The Coorong and Lower Murray Lakes in South Australia have long been recognised under the Ramsar Convention for their natural heritage values. Less well known is the fact that this area also has high social and cultural values, encompassing the traditional lands and waters (ruwe) of the Ngarrindjeri Nation. This unique ecosystem is currently teetering on the verge of collapse, a situation arguably brought about by prolonged drought after decades of unsustainable management practices. While at the federal level there have been moves to better integrate typically disparate 'cultural' and 'natural' heritage management regimes - thereby supporting Indigenous groups in their attempts to gain a greater voice in how their traditional country is managed - the distance has not yet been bridged in the Coorong. Here, current management planning continues to emphasise natural heritage values, with limited practical integration of cultural values or Ngarrindjeri viewpoints. As the future of the Coorong and Lower Murray Lakes is being debated, we suggest decision makers would do well to look to the Ngarrindjeri for guidance on the integration of natural and cultural values in management regimes as a vital step towards securing the long-term ecological viability of this iconic part of Australia.


A sensitivity analysis of a particle distribution at the outlet of a 2D-channel is presented. A convection-diffusion equation is used to represent the distribution of particles in a flow. The flow is governed by the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The particles follow the medium to the outlet, where the goal is to obtain uniform distribution of the particles. A goal function for the particle distribution at the outlet is presented, and the gradient of the goal function with respect to the normal motion of the surface is calculated. The calculation of the gradient is performed by applying the so-called adjoint method. For this, the adjoint scalar transport equation and the relevant adjoint RANS equations are implemented. The calculation cost of the entire sensitivity field is roughly twice the cost of a standard convection-diffusion particle simulation. This results in computationally cheap gradients compared to traditional methods. The results are validated by comparing the gradients calculated using the adjoint method to gradients obtained using numerical differentiation.


Traditional EAs lose diversity fairly quickly due to the strong selection pressures used to achieve good optimization performance, and thus have diiculty with non-stationary environments ((tness landscapes) unless significant algorithmic changes are made. Decentralized and spatially distributed EAs intuitively appear to be more robust in their ability to perform well in both stationary and non-stationary problem domains. We explore this hypothesis with a set of empirical studies that, although preliminary in nature, supports this claim and provides some additional insights into properties of spatially distributed EAs.


Context: Metastatic disease is responsible for the majority of endocrine cancer deaths. New therapeutic targets are urgently needed to improve patient survival rates. Objective: The proto-oncogene PTTG1-binding factor (PBF/PTTG1IP) is overexpressed in multiple endocrine cancers and circumstantially associated with tumor aggressiveness. This study aimed to understand the role of PBF in tumor cell invasion and identify possible routes to inhibit its action. Design, Setting, Patients, and Interventions: Thyroid, breast, and colorectal cells were transfected with PBF and cultured for in vitro analysis. PBF and cortactin (CTTN) expression was determined in differentiated thyroid cancer and The Cancer Genome Atlas RNA-seq data. Primary Outcome Measure: Pro-invasive effects of PBF were evaluated by 2D Boyden chamber, 3D organotypic, and proximity ligation assays. Results: Our study identified that PBF and CTTN physically interact and co-localize, and that this occurs at the cell periphery, particularly at the leading edge of migrating cancer cells. Critically, PBF induces potent cellular invasion and migration in thyroid and breast cancer cells, which is entirely abrogated in the absence of CTTN. Importantly, we found that CTTN is over-expressed in differentiated thyroid cancer, particularly in patients with regional lymph node metastasis, which significantly correlates with elevated PBF expression. Mutation of PBF (Y174A) or pharmacological intervention modulates the PBF: CTTN interaction and attenuates the invasive properties of cancer cells. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a unique role for PBF in regulating CTTN function to promote endocrine cell invasion and migration, as well as identify a new targetable interaction to block tumor cell movement.


The aim of this research study was to trace the relationship between media presentations and public priorities. To trace the media and public relationship for media influence on the public through agenda-setting, four issues Pak-US relations, energy crises, and national reconciliation ordinance were studied on two leading news cable channels, The Express and The Geo News Randomly selected news shows and bulletins for a period of one year have been examined to gauge the media agenda while a survey to cable television viewers of two news channels has been conducted separately to check the audience's agenda on these issues. 156 news bulletins and the same number of prime time talk shows were analyzed through agenda-setting and framing models to gauge media agenda. Results confirmed strong connections between media's issues salience and the audience's issue priorities on four understudied issues. Correlations were measured from r +0.66 to r +0.90 with a p-value of less than .001. H1 and H2 have confirmed the strong media influence on the public priorities in ranking the understudied issues.


We examine quantitatively the solute-size dependences of the effective interactions between nonpolar solutes in water and in a simple liquid. The potential w(r) of mean force and the osmotic second virial coefficients B are calculated with high accuracy from molecular dynamics simulations. As the solute diameter increases from methane's to C60's with the solute-solute and solute-solvent attractive interaction parameters fixed to those for the methane-methane and methane-water interactions, the first minimum of w(r) lowers from -1.1 to -4.7 in units of the thermal energy kT. Correspondingly, the magnitude of B (<0) increases proportional to σα with some power close to 6 or 7, which reinforces the solute-size dependence of B found earlier for a smaller range of σ [H. Naito, R. Okamoto, T. Sumi and K. Koga, J. Chem. Phys., 2022, 156, 221104]. We also demonstrate that the strength of the attractive interactions between solute and solvent molecules can qualitatively change the characteristics of the effective pair interaction between solute particles, both in water and in a simple liquid. If the solute-solvent attractive force is set to be weaker (stronger) than a threshold, the effective interaction becomes increasingly attractive (repulsive) with increasing solute size.


Pearl millet is an important grain of Indian Diet, a vast variety of pearl millet is cultivated in various parts of the country, every variety has specific taste and according to that specific taste a particular variety is sold in much greater quantity in various geographical locations of the country. But which variety is liked more than other variety of Sorghum in every state of India is a matter of research, by finding the data of the variety of millet which is in high demand, it will become more convenient to produce the variety that is in the great demand. Thus, the current research puts light on finding the consumption of different varieties of pearl millet in various state of India and opens the future perspective to conduct more research on the connection of different varieties of cereals and pulses and average consumption of that specific variety in a particular state.


It is well-known that the synchronization of diffusively-coupled systems on networks strongly depends on the network topology. In particular, the so-called algebraic connectivity $\mu_{N-1}$, or the smallest non-zero eigenvalue of the discrete Laplacian operator plays a crucial role on synchronization, graph partitioning, and network robustness. In our study, synchronization is placed in the general context of networks-of-networks, where single network models are replaced by a more realistic hierarchy of interdependent networks. The present work shows, analytically and numerically, how the algebraic connectivity experiences sharp transitions after the addition of sufficient links among interdependent networks.


Gastric carcinomas had various pathological features. Based on patterns of growth and invasiveness, however, they fell into two types; expanding type and infiltrative type. These types were readily recognizable histologically: expanding carcinomas grew en masse and by expansion, resulting in the formation of discrete tumor nodules, whereas in infiltrative carcinoma tumor cells invaded individuality. Both types showed varying degrees of cell maturation, but glands were much more common in expanding carcinoma. The difference in growth pattern was reflected partly by gross appearance of the tumors. These two types of carcinoma appeared to be different in their histogenetic origins. Intestinal metaplasia probably played a role in the development of expanding, but not infiltrative, carcinoma. There were differences also in the sex and age of the patients, survival rate, and epidemiological distribution. Thus, this classification provided a simple basis for evaluation of various aspects of gastric cancer.


Thirteen one-dimensional consolidation tests with step loading were performed on dredged clays reconstituted at different initial water contents. Both vertical deformation and pore pressure were measured during primary consolidation, which refers to the time-dependent compression process associated with the dissipation of pore pressure. The pore pressure changes were investigated by considering the maximum and the residual values. The development of compression during pore pressure dissipation was analysed to identify the change patterns in volumetric strain–time curves. Three types of change patterns were found during the primary consolidation, and the remoulded yield stress was found to be the key factor in classifying the change patterns. The inflexion point is absent for types 1 and 2, indicating that the end of primary consolidation cannot be determined by the commonly used Taylor and Casagrande methods. Type 3 shows an inverse 'S' shape, suggesting that the end of primary consolidation determined ba...


Simulations of molecular systems using electronic structure methods are still not feasible for many systems of biological importance. As a result, empirical methods such as force fields (FF) have become an established tool for the simulation of large and complex molecular systems. The parametrization of FF is, however, time-consuming and has traditionally been based on experimental data. Recent years have therefore seen increasing efforts to automatize FF parametrization or to replace FF with machine-learning (ML) based potentials. Here, we propose an alternative strategy to parametrize FF, which makes use of ML and gradient-descent based optimization while retaining a functional form founded in physics. Using a predefined functional form is shown to enable interpretability, robustness, and efficient simulations of large systems over long time scales. To demonstrate the strength of the proposed method, a fixed-charge and a polarizable model are trained on ab initio potential-energy surfaces. Given only information about the constituting elements, the molecular topology, and reference potential energies, the models successfully learn to assign atom types and corresponding FF parameters from scratch. The resulting models and parameters are validated on a wide range of experimentally and computationally derived properties of systems including dimers, pure liquids, and molecular crystals.


Detritus derived from the filamentous cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limnetica was fed to Daphnia galeata. Detritus supported growth and reproduction comparable to that on the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus. The live filaments of O.limnetica were, however, of lower food quality. Biochemical parameters of these food types, thought to be important in Daphnia nutrition, were also determined. It is concluded that detritus can be a good quality food for Daphnia, making eutrophic lakes better food environments than generally assumed. [KEYWORDS: Fresh-water; humic lake; zooplankton; cladocerans; phosphorus; bacteria; copepods; algal; discrimination; decomposition]


Background

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) plays a crucial role in the treatment of breast cancer (BC) with not only the possibility to increase the breast conservative surgery but also to monitor in vivo the response of the primary tumor. It is well established that conventional radiological assessment (mammography, breast/axilla ultrasound) are unable to evaluate accurately NAC response. New metabolic methods of imaging must be identified to select non responder patients (pts), in order to change early the therapeutic strategy.

[18F]FLT is a new tracer that visualises cellular proliferation and [18F]FLT-PET/CT uptake could reflect the tumour cell proliferation rate.

Objective

The aim of this exploratory study was to analyze the diagnostic role of pre-operative [18F]FLT-PET/CT in early prediction of response in pts with BC treated with NAC.

Patients and methods

Fifteen pts with diagnosis of operable or locally advanced BC were evaluated; pts with inflammatory BC were not eligible. After clinical and radiological diagnosis of BC [18F]FLT-PET/CT was performed; histological diagnosis by core-needle was subsequently done.

After baseline, [18F]FLT-PET/CT was repeated then the first cycle of NAC and before surgery. Conventional assessments were performed at the same points. Clinical examinations were done before each cycle of NAC. All pts received an anthracycline-taxane based regimen for 6-8 cycles; trastuzumab were administered in HER2+ BC (5/15). Type of surgery was defined according to initial stage and residual disease.

Results

All but one pts have completed NAC, surgery was performed in all pts and pathological response was available in 15/15.

2/15 obtained pCR and non invasive BC was detected in one patient. This data were strictly related with a metabolic response predicted by [18F]FLT-PET/CT at the first assessment and before surgery. However, metabolic responses, even if not complete, were closely associated to the histopathologic result. 12/15 with positive post-chemotherapy [18F]FLT-PET/CT had residual disease. Minor or no change of uptake, early detected after the first cycle of NAC was subsequently confirmed at the end of the therapy.

The only patient that progressed during NAC, had an initial metabolic response and subsequent clinical suspicious of tumor progression was confirmed by an increased [18F]FLT-PET/CT uptake.

Conclusion

[18F]FLT-PET/CT seems to be a powerful diagnostic tool to evaluate the effectiveness of NAC and it seems to be possible to predict the preoperative histological response after the first cycle of chemotherapy and before surgery.

On the basis of the results of this exploratory experience [18F]FLT-PET/CT should be recommended for an extended application to monitor and to early predict the response/non response to anticancer treatment.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-01-10.


This study examined cultural differences in advance care planning (ACP) and various strategies that social workers use to initiate conversations on ACP. We conducted qualitative interviews with 12 social workers in South Korea and the US and a thematic content analysis of the transcribed data. Our findings show that different cultural norms and generational viewpoints surrounding death and health-related decision-making influence how people prepare for end-of-life care (EOLC). Whereas principles of self-determination and autonomy guide ACP practices in the US, decisions regarding EOLC are more often made in consultation with family members in Korean and Korean-American communities. Nevertheless, social workers in both countries identified relationship-building, empowerment, and individualized approaches as common strategies in initiating discussions on ACP.


Early detection strategies for lung cancer may be improved by using valid risk prediction models to identify persons at highest risk for the disease. However, external validation of lung cancer risk prediction models has been limited. We sought to externally validate the PLCOM2012 model, which predicts the probability of lung cancer within six years on the basis of age, race, education, body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, personal history of cancer, family history of lung cancer, and smoking status, quantity, duration, and quit years, in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health (RPGEH) cohort. To increase comparability to the populations of smokers used to initially develop and validate the PLCOM2012 model, we restricted our analysis to the 28,757 ever smokers ages 55 to 74 with no history of lung cancer, no history of other non-melanoma skin cancers in the prior five years, and complete data on all model predictors. For each person, the predicted probability of lung cancer risk was estimated with data ascertained from the RPGEH survey on all predictors except quit years, which was ascertained from electronic health records. Using KPNC Cancer Registry data, we identified 672 diagnosed with lung cancer within six years post-survey. Both calibration and discrimination were examined to assess model performance. Calibration was assessed by determining the mean absolute difference in observed and predicted probabilities of lung cancer for each decile of predicted risk. Discrimination was assessed by estimating the area under curve (AUC). The absolute difference in observed and predicted probabilities of lung cancer risk was generally small: Citation Format: Lori C. Sakoda, Laurel A. Habel, Khanh K. Thai, Charles P. Quesenberry, Jr. External validation of a risk prediction model for lung cancer among smokers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Improving Cancer Risk Prediction for Prevention and Early Detection; Nov 16-19, 2016; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(5 Suppl):Abstract nr PR13.


Functionally graded materials (FGM) are advanced composite materials whose mechanical properties vary continuously from one surface to another at macro level. Thick walled annular structures are widely used in industry as nuclear reactors, long pipes used for carrying gases/oil, pressure vessels etc. Elastic analysis of FG thick-walled cylindrical and spherical pressure vessels subjected to internal pressure alone are studied. The material properties, Young' s modulus-Poisson' s ratio, are assumed to obey a graduation with the power-law function through the wall thickness. Under these assumptions, the governing equations of the vessels become a two-point boundary value problem. The analytical solution of such an equation cannot be obtained except for simple grading functions. Complementary Functions Method is performed to solve governing equation in order to obtain displacement and stress distributions depending on inhomogeneity parameters.


To clarify the flow mechanism of the fluidic gas flowmeter, two-dimensional velocity vectors in the flowmeter were measured under four different conditions using a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). The measurements were carried out at 50 points using the phase locking technique to demonstrate flow oscillating patterns. Experiments with Reynolds numbers of 291, 826, 1210 and 2160, calculated using the nozzle width as the representative diameter, have revealed quite similar flow vector oscillation patterns regardless of Reynolds number. Flow measurement by LDV enabled row visualization in the flowmeter and clarified the relation between pressure variation and flow pattern changes. This relation precisely represents the oscillating mechanism. As a simple approximation, assuming the flow in the meter to be a perfect fluid, using Euler's equation we have proven the meter's fundamental flow characteristic, that the Reynolds number is proportional to the oscillation frequency.


Numerous direct-acting drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are in development, offering the potential for substantial improvement over current interferon alfa-based therapy and the possibility of effective interferon alfa-sparing regimens in achieving cure of HCV infection. Drugs furthest along in clinical development include HCV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) protease inhibitors (eg, telaprevir, boceprevir), which have potent anti-HCV activity but low barriers to resistance and considerable likelihood of cross-resistance. Nucleoside analogue nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) polymerase inhibitors exhibit a high barrier to resistance and cross-HCV genotype and subtype activity. Nonnucleoside analogue polymerase inhibitors have a low barrier to resistance and are characterized by a substantial frequency of preexisting resistance mutations. The initial use of direct-acting drugs will be as add-on treatment to interferon alfa and ribavirin regimens. The success of interferon alfa-sparing regimens will depend on presenting a sufficiently high barrier to resistance with direct-acting drugs and whether the immunomodulatory effects of interferon alfa are needed for cure of HCV infection.


David Fitzpatrick, Barrister describes work to establish the detailed arrangements regulating the ties between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the sovereign power, the People's Republic of China, including mutual legal assistance. Published in the Letter from … section of Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London.


WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQT), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for unmet needs in immune-mediated dermatological diseases and conditions, or immuno-dermatology, announced today that The Journal of Drugs in Dermatology has published positive results from a Phase 1/2a trial of its investigational drug topical roflumilast cream for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis. The article has been published in the August 2020 issue of the journal. These results demonstrate that ARQ-151 (roflumilast cream) was safe and highly effective at doses of 0.5% and 0.15%, and represents a potential novel once-daily topical therapy for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis.


Herein, we report the fabrication and application of Li-ion anodes for utilisation within Li-ion batteries, which are fabricated via additive manufacturing/3D printing (fused deposition modelling) using a bespoke graphene/polylactic acid (PLA) filament, where the graphene content can be readily tailored and controlled over the range 1 – 40 wt . %. We demonstrate that a graphene content of 20 wt . % exhibits sufficient conductivity and critically, effective 3D printability for the rapid manufacturing of 3D printed freestanding anodes (3DAs); simplifying the components of the Li-ion battery negating the need for a copper current collector. The 3DAs are physicochemically and electrochemically characterised and possess sufficient conductivity for electrochemical studies. Critically it is found that if the 3DAs are used in Li-ion batteries the specific capacity is very poor but can be significantly improved through the use of a chemical pre-treatment. Such treatment induces an increased porosity, which results in a 200 -fold increase (after anode stabilisation) of the specific capacity ( ca . 500 mAh g -1 at a current density of 40 mA g -1 ). This work significantly enhances the field of additive manufacturing/3D printed graphene based energy storage devices demonstrating that useful 3D printable batteries can be realised.


Stilling basins are the most important energy dissipating structures placed at the end of spillways and any source of supercritical flow to control the hydraulic jump. Due to its importance and high construction costs, modeling of stilling basins are necessary prior to construction. Physical modeling of stilling basins are time consuming and costly, therefore attempts have been made so far to relate the hydraulic jump characteristics such as the jump length, energy loss, etc., to some hydraulic parameters like Froude number, divergence and the bed slope. In this study hydraulic jump characteristics such as the jump length and energy loss in divergent rectangular sections on inverse slopes were modeled as functions of Froude number, angle of divergence and inverse bed slope, using Artificial Neural Network. The accuracy of the model for estimating different hydraulic parameters was also verified. The results indicated that the model was capable of predicting hydraulic parameters with high accuracy. Furthermore, the weight of each parameter for estimating hydraulic characteristics was determined. Data Fit software was used to produce relationships between the parameters. The relationships found to be accurate enough to predict the hydraulic


Stocks of three Indian Chandipura virus (CHPV) isolates; one isolate from an adult febrile case in 1965 from Chandipura town, Maharashtra, and two isolates from two pediatric encephalitis cases from Andhra Pradesh, 2003 were inoculated in 10-day-old chick embryos by allantoic route. All three virus isolates replicated in chick embryos showing titre of log 10(12) to log 10(13) EID50. The results demonstrated that chick embryos are susceptible to CHPV and virus grows to high titres in this system. Therefore chick embryos can be used as an alternative host system for cultivation and isolation of CHPV as they are less expensive than laboratory animals and have several other advantages over cell cultures. Also this system can be used for the development of vaccine and diagnostic reagents.


Background: Esophageal variceal bleeding is a potentially fatal complication in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. In cirrhotic patients, endoscopic screening for esophageal varices (EV)is currently recommended at the time of diagnosis. The present study intends to find out correlation between platelet countspleen bipolar diameter ratio and esophageal varices in liver cirrhosis and prospectively validate its use for the noninvasive diagnosis of EV. Methods: This observational study was done at theDepartment of Gastrointestinal Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disorder, BIRDEM General Hospital, Dhaka, during the period of November, 2013 to October, 2014. A total 64 patients with cirrhosis of liver were included. Complete blood count, liver function tests, ultrasonographyof whole abdomenand endoscopy of upper gastro-intestinal tract (GIT)were done in all patients. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 16. Results: Among 64 study population EV were detected in 54 patients (84.4%). The platelet count/ spleen bipolar diameter ratio was significantly higher without EV compared with those with EV(1570 ± 493) and (688 ± 227), respectively; (p<0.001).Patients with EV had lower platelet counts (86799.84 ±27389.99/mm3, p<0.001), higher bipolar spleen diameters (127.94±15.14 mm, p<0.001) and lower platelet count/ spleen bipolar diameter ratios (688.79 ±227.13, p<0.001). In this analysis, by applying (ROC)curve the platelet count-spleen bipolar diameter ratio at a cut-of 908.5 maintained high sensitivity (100 %), Robust negative predictive value NPV (100%),specificity (55.6%) and PPV (85.4%), with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 87.50% for the prediction of EV.With advancing Child-Pugh (C-P) class the percentage of patients with varices increased, 33.3% in C-P class A, 85.7% in C-P class B and 91.6% in C-P class C. The presence of EVcorrelated significantly with the severity of liver cirrhosis (p = 0.03) as measured by Child-Pugh score. Conclusion: The identification of non-endoscopic, noninvasive methods that can accurately predict esophageal varicesin cirrhosis of liver has been addressed in several recent studies. This study was yet another attempt to achieve this goal. Predicting the presence of EV by noninvasive means would restrict the performance of endoscopy and reducing the number of unpleasant screening endoscopies Birdem Med J 2018; 8(2): 159-166


Purpose of review To provide a critical update of the literature linking depression and inflammation, together with possible underlying mechanisms and longer term risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent findings The current literature lends further support to the view that major depression is associated with a proinflammatory response, as indexed by elevation in C-reactive protein and cytokines such as interleukin 6 and tumour necrosis factor-α. Antidepressants suppress the inflammatory response, whereas electroconvulsive therapy acutely increases proinflammatory cytokine levels. Most, though not all, studies support a link between depression, inflammation and cardiovascular events. Summary Depression is an inflammatory state that may increase the risk of cardiac disease. Whether or not the immune system is an appropriate target for antidepressant development has yet to be established.


This essay argues that conceptions of gender greatly affected the way women experienced the early modern criminal justice system in Britain, particularly through convict transportation, an enigmatic process whereby convicts were forced into exile and servitude in both colonial America and Australia. It will explore working class women's agency in three primary contexts. First, it will demonstrate how gender impacted the types of crimes women committed in Britain. Once sentenced, it will then examine their experiences as transports. Finally, it will show how the different penal contexts affected the kind of resistance strategies utilized by women, depending on when and where they were transported to.


Background: Compared to the U.S. population, cervical cancer (CC) incidence is significantly higher among the CHamoru, Micronesian, and Caucasian populations in Guam. From 2008-2012, CC was the fifth most common cancer diagnosed on the island. Despite the prevalence of CC and low HPV vaccine uptake, there is a concerning lack of awareness and preventative behavior among young adults. This study was aimed at influencing college students' knowledge and awareness of CC, CC screening, HPV, and the HPV vaccination. Methods: We delivered a 30-minute educational intervention to a sample of 108 university students in a classroom setting. The effect of the educational intervention was measured through a pre-and post-test on CC and HPV health behaviors, knowledge, and awareness. Results were analyzed using SPSS and an exact McNemar's test was used to examine the difference in the proportion of correct answers to the tests. Two-way mixed ANOVA was used to examine between (gender, ethnicity, and class level) and within subjects (pre-and post-test) program effects. Results: Of the 108 participants, only 39 (36.1%) reported being vaccinated for HPV, 23 (21.3%) had not been vaccinated, and 46 (42.6%) did not know if they had been vaccinated for HPV. Only forty-one (60.3%) female participants had had a Pap smear. When comparing the pre-to-posttest responses, most questions had an increase in correct responses. Time also influenced CCA and HPV knowledge and awareness scores as there was a significant increase in scores from the pre- to post-test. Conclusion: The educational intervention was an effective tool for increasing knowledge and awareness of CC, HPV, and HPV vaccination among college students. While study results demonstrate the educational intervention's success as a baseline measure of knowledge, the inclusion of behavioral outcome measures, such as intent to get vaccinated or screened, could result in more robust future studies.


Transporting patients from the protective environment of the intensive care (ICU) unit to other areas of the hospital has become increasingly common since high technologic testing has become an integral part of health care assessment. The hazards of moving critically ill patients by ambulance or air transport are well recognized and standards of care have been developed based on delineation of these risks. Despite the existing evidence of hazards of interhospital hospital transport, less attention has been given to the potential hazards associated with the intrahospital transport of critically ill patients. A high incidence of serious hemodynamic or respiratory alteration is associated with the intrahospital transport of critically ill patients. In one third of critically ill intrahospital transports, technical mishaps (eg, i.v. disconnects, which could potentially lead to deleterious physiologic outcomes) may occur. As patient acuity increases, there is a greater risk of hemodynamic instability. The purpose of this study was to further investigate the patient complications during transportation to and from the ICU to a diagnostic or treatment site. The sample consisted of thirty-five critically ill patients from the Neuro/Trauma ICU who required continuous physiological monitoring and had an arterial catheter in place. The systemic blood pressure, heart rate and peripheral oxygen saturation were monitored at nine time points throughout the transport process. The incidence of defined technical mishaps that occurred when the patient was off the unit were also recorded. Transport factors examined included the length of time spent off the unit and the number and level of personnel accompanying the patient. A within-subject repeat measure design was used to examine the physiologic changes and mishaps that occurred. Results indicate that while the majority of patients experienced some physiologic responses as a result of transport, the responses were not of sufficient magnitude to be classified as a deleterious. Twenty-three technical mishaps, which included inadvertent ventilator and electrocardiogram disconnects, power failures, interruption of medication administration and disconnection of drainage devices were observed. Factors related to these occurrences of technical mishaps were the number of intravenous solutions and infusion pumps and the time spent outside of the ICU environment.


Skin cancer is caused by abnormal proliferation, gene regulation and mutation of epidermis cells. Compound C is commonly used as an inhibitor of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which serves as an energy sensor in cells. Recently, compound C has been reported to induce apoptotic and autophagic death in various skin cancer cell lines via an AMPK-independent pathway. However, the signaling pathways activated in compound C-treated cancer cells remain unclear. The present oligodeoxynucleotide-based microarray screening assay showed that the mRNA expression of the zinc-finger transcription factor early growth response-1 (EGR-1), which helps regulate cell cycle progression and cell survival, was significantly upregulated in compound C-treated skin cancer cells. Compound C was demonstrated to induce EGR-1 mRNA and protein expression in a time and dose-dependent manner. Confocal imaging showed that compound C-induced EGR-1 protein expression was localized in the nucleus. Compound C was demonstrated to activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. Inhibition of this compound C-induced ERK phosphorylation downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of EGR-1. In addition, removal of compound C-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) not only decreased ERK phosphorylation, but also inhibited compound C-induced EGR-1 expression. A functional assay showed that knock down of EGR-1 expression in cancer cells decreased the survival rate while also increasing caspase-3 activity and apoptotic marker expression after compound C treatment. However, no difference in autophagy marker light chain 3-II protein expression was observed between compound C-treated control cells and EGR-1-knockdown cells. Thus, it was concluded that that EGR-1 may antagonize compound C-induced apoptosis but not compound C-induced autophagy through the ROS-mediated ERK activation pathway.


This paper reviews the evidence for the efficacy of anticonvulsants in the continuation and maintenance phases of treatment of bipolar disorder, when there has been an episode of mania (Bipolar-I disorder). The evidence to be considered is primarily that arising from randomized controlled trials. A literature search was performed to identify all randomized controlled trials of anticonvulsants used as maintenance treatment for bipolar-I disorder. Placebo-controlled studies were preferred, however there have been relatively few of these and clinical practice must therefore be guided by evidence carrying a lower level of conviction. Valproate monotherapy lacks a convincing evidence base. The view that valproate is more effective than lithium in rapid cycling has not been borne out. Lamotrigine is effective in preventing depression after an episode of mania. As monotherapy, lithium appears superior to carbamazepine in bipolar patients not previously treated with either drug. The combination of lithium and carbamazepine may be superior to either drug alone, in certain treatment-resistant patients, but is associated with increased side effects. Other anticonvulsants lack evidence supporting their use in bipolar disorder except in treating co-morbid alcohol dependence, anxiety and bulimic symptoms. Valproate continues to be recommended by most current guidelines despite the lack of evidence.


In this study, we evaluated the anti-cancer activity and potential molecular mechanism of 70% ethanol extracts of the Berchemia floribunda (BF) which belongs to Rhamnaceae against human colorectal cancer cells. The treatment of BF decreased the cell proliferation in HCT116 cell and suppressed cellular accumulation of Cyclin D1 protein. Inhibition of proteasomal activity by MG132 attenuated BF-mediated Cyclin D1 downregulation and Cyclin D1 was decreased in the cell treated with BF. These findings indicates that BF-mediated Cyclin D1 downregulation may be result from Cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation. Additionally, BF-mediated Cyclin D1 degradation was blocked in the presence of LiCl, a GSK3β inhibitor, but not PD98059, SP600125, SB203580, Bay11-7082, LY294002 an ERK1/2 inhibitor, JNK inhibitor, p38 inhibitor, IκK inhibitor and PI3K inhibitor. Furthermore, BF phosphorylated Cyclin D1 at threonine-286 (Thr286), and LiCl-induced GSK3β inhibition reduced the BF mediated phosphorylation of Cyclin D1 at Thr286. These results suggested that BF may downregulate Cyclin D1 expression as a potential anti-cancer target through GSK3β dependent Cyclin D1 degradation. Therefore, this study provides that the extract of BF has anticancer activity against human colorectal cancer cells.


OBJECTIVES
We studied coronary vasomotion in patients treated with the Mistent(®) absorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (APSES) and in patients implanted with the Endeavor(®) zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES).

BACKGROUND
First generation (1st-gen) drug-eluting stents (DES) induce persistent vasomotor dysfunction in the treated coronary artery. It is unknown whether and to what extent the implantation of an absorbable polymer DES impairs coronary vasomotion.

METHODS
This sub-study of the DESSOLVE II trial included 19 APSES Mistent(®) and 10 ZES Endeavor(®) patients. Incremental atrial pacing and quantitative coronary angiography were used to assess vasomotion proximal and distal to the stent and in a reference segment at 9 months after implantation. Percent changes in vessel diameter with pacing versus baseline were calculated and compared. Vasomotor response of the APSES group was also compared with changes observed in a historical group of 17 patients implanted with a 1st-gen sirolimus-eluting stent (SES).

RESULTS
Normal vasomotion (vasodilatation) was preserved and of comparable magnitude in the APSES and in the ZES group both proximally (P = 0.34) and distally (P = 0.38) to the stent. This finding was not observed in the 1st-gen SES group showing marked pacing-induced vasoconstriction at both stent edges (P < 0.05 vs. APSES). The results were practically unchanged after excluding patients with absolute changes in vessel diameter <3% between baseline and maximal pacing.

CONCLUSIONS
The implantation of an absorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent is associated with preserved coronary vasomotion, comparable to that observed after implantation of the Endeavor(®) ZES, and distinct from 1st-gen SES which induce coronary vasomotor dysfunction.


People from rural Nepal struggle to get essential health services due to geographical and economic barriers. There is still a lack of awareness and stigmatization of people living with HIV in countries with poor socioeconomic status like Nepal. According to the National AIDS and STI Control Center (NCASC) factsheet 2020, there are more than 2900 PLHIV in Nepal. One-third of them are still not under treatment. There are still many incidents of social stigma and discrimination associated with PLHIV. I present a case of 20 years old male with a diagnosis of HIV responding well with ante retroviral therapy who committed suicide due to social isolation, stigma, and discrimination.


Many mathematical models of evolution assume that all individuals experience the same environment. Here, we study the Moran process in heterogeneous environments. The population is of finite size with two competing types, which are exposed to a fixed number of environmental conditions. Reproductive rate is determined by both the type and the environment. We first calculate the condition for selection to favour the mutant relative to the resident wild-type. In large populations, the mutant is favoured if and only if the mutant's spatial average reproductive rate exceeds that of the resident. But environmental heterogeneity elucidates an interesting asymmetry between the mutant and the resident. Specifically, mutant heterogeneity suppresses its fixation probability; if this heterogeneity is strong enough, it can even completely offset the effects of selection (including in large populations). By contrast, resident heterogeneity has no effect on a mutant's fixation probability in large populations and can amplify it in small populations.


We consider a model problem for the research of Earth's surface state caused by discharge of tectonic stress on the deep cracks in the earth's crust. Using the numerical method of bicharacteristics, algorithm is developed and solution of the problem of non-stationary dynamics of a homogeneous isotropic elastic half-space is built under plane strain when one resets the vertical stress on crack. Diffraction of waves on the surface is studied, pictures of wave fields and stress-strain state of the medium and the surface for different moments of time are built.


Background: Postmenopausal osteoporosis is common and is associated with stooped posture, loss of height, back pain and fractures. Objectives/methods: This evaluation is of clinical outcome trials with tibolone (Long-Term Intervention of Fractures with Tibolone) and strontium ranelate (Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic Intervention) in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Results: Although the Long-Term Intervention of Fractures with Tibolone trial established that tibolone decreased the incidence of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in postmenopausal osteoporosis, it also showed that tibolone caused a small increase in the incidence of stoke. The Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic Intervention trial established that strontium ranelate decreased the incidence of vertebral fractures, but had little effect on the incidence of non-vertebral fractures. Conclusions: As some of the bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate, zoledronic acid) have been shown to prevent hip fractures without increasing the incidence of stroke, they should be preferred to tibolone and strontium in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.


Patients with homozygous hypeicholesterolaemia are notoriously refractory to pharmacologic intervention, leaving regular long-term plasmapheresis as one of the most effective forms of therapy. In this situation we noted the universal development of anaemia; accordingly, its pathogenesis was investigated in a stable cohort of patients over a two year period. Radionuclide studies were carried out in 8 of the 9 available individuals: of these 3 who were not on treatment and 3 out of 5 on the apheresis programme had mean red cell lifespan below the lower level of our normal range. The creation of an arterio-venous fistula and subsequent performance of plasma exchange procedures every two weeks was followed by a falling haemoglobin concentration and the appearance of hypochromasia and microcytosis. The latter was the result of substantial loss of iron through venesection, in the discard plasma and by a transient peak of the iron in the urine: the last two compartments were studied using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Such depletion could not be compensated for by a dietary intake of iron that barely met the recommended daily allowance whereas the anaemia reversed readily on oral supplementation. This is the first report of extracorporeal haemolysis in this clinical setting and recognition of its pathophysiology directly influences management. Thus, oral iron supplementation should prevent anaemia and its symptoms whilst also circumventing the paradoxical hyperviscosity that might otherwise occur from iron deficiency.


The Secret History of the Mongols(Mongol-uun biguahc Tobchiyan) is the most famous book of Mongols. In reality, the history of the Monglian book counts more than 800years beginning with the epic of the Secret History of the Mongols. The Secret History of the Mongols, is the first literary historical work of the Mongols over written. This work is mainly a history of the establishmen of the Mongol Empire from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century. It is also a valuable resource of information pertaining to the social customs, laws, mythology, and migratory division of the Mongol People. In whole, The Secret History of the Mongols is a reserve of Mongol history, language, literature, and culture in one volume. But unfortunately, the auther(s) of the book is still uncertain and the original Mongol version was lost. Generally speaking, it is believed to have been written in the year A.D.1240. The version of The Secret History of the Mongols which has survived to today was written during the Ming Dynasty. This manuscript was written in Chinese characters, which were used to transcribe the sounds of the orignal Mongol language version, which was never found. It is from this Chinese character version that scholars were able to rewrite The History into the Mongol language. Today, The Secret History of the Mongols has been translated into most popular world languages and is being widely studied by scholars and fans worldwide. According to study and translation, it appears problem of Original Text and Dating the compilation of The Secret History of the Mongols. This thesis try to analysis of the various view of point for the Original Text and Dating the compilation of The Secret History of the Mongols.


Children with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are characterized by irritability and social difficulties. However, the mechanisms underlying these disorders could be different. This study explores differences in social cognition and executive function (EF) across DMDD and ODD and the influence of these factors and their interaction on social problems in both groups. Children with DMDD (n = 53, Mage = 9.3) or ODD (n = 39, Mage = 9.6) completed neuropsychological tasks measuring social cognition (Theory of Mind and Face-Emotion Recognition) and EF (cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory). Parents reported social problems. More than one-third of the children with DMDD and almost two-thirds of those with ODD showed clear difficulties with Theory of Mind. Most children with DMDD (51-64%) or ODD (67-83%) showed difficulties with EF. In children with DMDD, worse EF (β = -.36) was associated with more social problems, whereas in children with ODD, better EF (β = .44) was associated with more social problems. In those with ODD, but not in those with DMDD, the interaction between social cognition and EF contributed to the explained variance of social problems (β = -1.97). Based on the observed interaction pattern, enhanced EF may lead to increased social problems among children with ODD who also exhibit social cognition difficulties. This study suggests the existence of distinct neuropsychological mechanisms underlying the social issues observed in children with DMDD versus those with ODD.


Developing automatic emotion recognition by modeling expressive behaviors is becoming crucial in enabling the next generation design of human-machine interface. Also, with the availability of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have also conducted studies into quantitative understanding of vocal emotion perception mechanism. In this work, our aim is two folds: 1) investigating whether the neuralresponses can be used to automatically decode the emotion labels of vocal stimuli, and 2) combining acoustic and fMRI features to improve the speech emotion recognition accuracies. We introduce a novel framework of lobe-dependent convolutional neural network (LD-CNN) to provide better modeling of perceivers neural-responses on vocal emotion. Furthermore, by fusing LD-CNN with acoustic features, we demonstrate an overall 63.17% accuracies in a four-class emotion recognition task (9.89% and 14.42% relative improvement compared to the acoustic-only and the fMRI-only features). Our analysis further shows that temporal lobe possess the most information in decoding emotion labels; the fMRI and the acoustic information are complementary to each other, where neural-responses and acoustic features are better at discriminating along the valence and activation dimensions, respectively.


By 2012 HIV had infected about 1.6 million Kenyans and an estimated 58 000 had died due to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS rates in western Kenya are disproportionately high compared to the rate in Kenya as a whole. This study aimed to assess gender differences in participation in collective action in households affected by serious illness (e.g., HIV/ AIDS, TB) in western Kenya. We expected serious illnesses would reduce collective action due to a reduction in the number of adults and their ability to care for themselves and others. We used data from a mixed-methods study that used multiple-case embedded-case studies for rural households in western Kenya. The study investigated the relationship between collective action and households affected by serious illnesses. Household health was assessed from information about seriously ill members in 120 households. This information was compared with data about collective action activities and demographic data. Nearly half (48%) the households reported serious illness. More than 1 in 4 (28%) had HIV/AIDS, TB or AIDS-associated illnesses. Women engaged in a moderate level of participation in collective action groups and were statistically more likely to report serious household illness (OR=8.08, 95% CI 2.89, 22.56). Men, who were moderately (OR=3.24, 95% CI 1.27, 8.25) or highly involved in collective action groups (OR=15.43, 95% CI 1.30, 183.06), were statistically more likely to report serious household illness. Collective action groups may help households cope with illness and should be encouraged in communities hard hit with serious illness.


This paper investigates the welfare impact on all member countries when nonmember countries invest in a member of an economic region, in which capital is allowed to move freely. It is shown that the nonmember investment will affects the welfare of all members despite that some members do not receive such investment directly. In general, the results depend on the relative magnitude of the tariff revenue effect, the tax revenue effect and the capital returns effect. Specific conditions for welfare change in each member country as well as the criterion for a common external tariff which ensures welfare improvement in all the member countries are derived.


Performing Heritage is the first book to bring together the range of voices, debates and practices that constitute the fields of museum theatre and live interpretation. Inspiring and challenging in its scope and level of debate, Performing Heritage crosses the disciplines of performance and museum/heritage studies and offers remarkable and timely insights into the processes, outcomes and potential of this rich and rapidly developing practice - and in a variety of international contexts. The book productively brings together academic research and professional practice, and will be essential reading for all those interested in, and concerned with the future of, 'heritage' and its interpretation.


Study Objectives: To investigate (i) the prevalence and incidence of online and video gaming disorder in an African population, and (ii) whether gaming is associated with sleep disorders and psychopathological symptoms, including anxiety and depression. Methods: Data were collected in South Africa, Cameroon, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia, Gabon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Participants were students aged of 24 ± 2.8 years. Problematic gaming, sociodemographic items, insomnia, associated comorbities, depression and anxiety were measured. The effect of continuous gaming time (after 1, 6 and 12 months) on severity of sleep disorders and the distribution of gamers per country and per type of device were also calculated. Results: African gamers expressed a preference for online gaming more than video gaming. Men played video games for an average of 14 hours per week, and women for around three hours per week. The smartphone was the favourite gaming tool for both men and women. Effect of continuous gaming time on the decrease of sleep is significant (F (2.1) = 40.26; p < 0.001). After 1 month, participants has no clinical insomnia, but after 6 months they developed subthreshold insomnia and clinical moderate insomnia. Problematic gaming was not associated with anxiety and depression but was associated with an increased of musculoskeletal impairments. Conclusions: After 6 months of continuous gaming time, sleep is affected. Problematic gaming, regardless if it is video or online; induced a clinical insomnia. The more months a participant spent gaming, the higher the chance for experiencing sleep disorder symptoms.


Scar endometriosis is one of the rare cases of surgery, which specifically occurs in gynecological surgeries. It is important to do a correct diagnosis in such rare cases to have an efficient treatment. The disease is commonly observed in child-bearing women with clinical manifestations such as acute abdomen or chronic and cyclic pelvic pain. Herein we reported a case of appendectomy scar endometriosis.


Talaromycosis marneffei is a mycotic disease caused by Talaromyces marneffei which primarily infectimmunocompromised patient. This disease is endemic in Southeast Asia, and Indonesia consider as endemic area dueto a case of tourist who got the infection after visiting Indonesia. Diagnosis was made based on clinical suspicion withlaboratory confirmation. Clinical manifestations are not specific, such as fever, anemia, weight loss, lymphadenopathy,hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, respiratory disorder, and cutaneous manifestation. Histopathology and culture are themost common examination performed for diagnosis. In histopathology examination, fungi appear as fission arthroconidiacells which shape round to oval, with cross wall formation inside or outside macrophage and histiocyte. Thermaldimorphism characteristic can be observed in fungal culture. Fungi grows as mold at 25oC-30oC and as yeast at 37oC.Definitive identification of T. marneffei was done by molecular examination using primers derived from ITS region asprimary marker and beta tubulin region as secondary marker. Talaromyces marneffei is sapronosis, that transmitted viainhalation of conidia from environment.


Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are used to produce electricity utilizing two energy reservoirs. Despite the extensive research conducted on thermoelectric (TE) modules, their efficiencies are still low; therefore, any contribution to increase the efficiency of TE modules is valuable. It is known that the efficiency of individual TE modules depends on the temperature difference between their hot and cold faces. In practical applications employing an array of TE modules, the temperature distribution along the flow direction varies, which adversely affects system's efficiency. In this study, it is aimed to attain a homogeneous temperature distribution along a number of TE pieces by focusing on the structure of TEG heat exchanger. The proposed design includes an intermediate layer of liquid that plays a key role in keeping the temperature distribution homogeneous and at the desired temperature difference level. A three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed for analyzing the circulation of liquid layer and the thermal behavior in the system. Results show decrease in temperature deviation both on cold and hot sides of TE modules, while the decrease is more on the latter. With more homogeneous temperature distribution along the TE surfaces, it is possible to tune the system to operate TE modules in their optimum temperature differences. It is illustrated that the heat transfer rate is increased by 11.71% and the electric power generation is enhanced by 19.95% with the proposed heat exchanger design. The consumption of pumping power has taken into account in the efficiency calculations.


With the increasing complexity of robot systems, it is necessary to simulate them before deployment. To do this, a model of the robot's kinematics or dynamics is required. One of the most commonly used formats for modeling robots is the Unified Robot Description Format (URDF). The goal of this article is to understand how URDF is currently used, what challenges people face when working with it, and how the community sees the future of URDF. The outcome can potentially be used to guide future research. This article presents the results from a survey based on 510 anonymous responses from robotic developers of different backgrounds and levels of experience. We find that 96.8% of the participants have simulated robots before, and of them 95.5% have used URDF. We identify a number of challenges that complicate the use of URDF, such as the inability to model parallel linkages and closed-chain systems, no real standard, lack of documentation, and a limited number of dynamic parameters to model the robot. Future perspectives for URDF are also determined, where 53.5% believe URDF will be more commonly used in the future, 12.2% believe other standards or tools will make URDF obsolete, and 34.4% are not sure what the future of URDF will be. Most participants agree there is a need for better tools to ensure URDF's future use.


This paper presents the design and implementation of a novel progressive haptic guidance scheme and a similar visual guidance scheme for acquisition of a dynamic motor skill. The paper compares the schemes' performance to each other and to practice alone without any form of guidance. The target-hitting task is represented in a visual and haptic virtual environment and implemented in a training protocol that lasts eleven sessions over a two-month period. The progressive guidance controller employs as inputs two expertise-based performance measures, trajectory error and input frequency. The analysis of the experimental results demonstrates that while guidance is active, haptic guidance outperforms both visual guidance and practice alone (no guidance) until late in the protocol when all three groups saturate at the same level of performance. The results fail to show significant differences in training outcomes because the performance of all participants saturates toward the end of the protocol. The key implication of the experimental findings is that visual and haptic guidance presented in a progressive manner have no detrimental effects on performance. Our results confirm that haptic guidance, based on skill component measures, is effective early in the training protocol when participants are only beginning to understand the components of the task but should be progressively removed to avoid possible negative dependence on the guidance.


Background Donor-derived malignancy is sometimes unidentified at the time of transplantation, resulting in unanticipated donor-derived malignancy, which becomes a notable problem since the increasing use of marginal donors. Case presentation We first report three cases of donor-derived synovial sarcoma from a single multiorgan donor in China. The donor was died of respiratory failure caused by an intrathoracic tumor, which was diagnosed as a benign tumor at the time of donation. All of the three recipients developed synovial sarcoma within 3 months to 13 months after transplantation, proven to be donor-derived. Liver transplant recipient died of tumor metastasis. Two kidney transplant recipients survived from metastases by comprehensive therapy, including the first use of Anlotinib, exhibiting an effective anti-tumor activity.Conclusions This report highlights the importance of detailed donor assessment, close follow-up and timely treatment, as well as the need for establishing a post-transplant surveillance system for donor-derived transmission events. Whether to use organs from a donor with initial diagnosis of benign tumor needs to be cautious. Malignant potential of tumors needs to be excluded before transplantation, otherwise, the organs should be discarded.


Managing asset Integrity has been a long inconvenient issue to many ageing assets in Malaysian waters. As the Oil and Gas business grows and matured, so have the assets. Often time direct solutions are not available due to complexity of the problems. As asset operator, it is our responsibility to find life extension solution to keep the hubs full and remains competitive. With the advancement in technology and creative mindset, large system can be subdivided into smaller systems and solved one at a time before reintegrated into the larger system which forms the backbone of finite element analysis method.
 This paper will illustrate some of the asset integrity issues faced by shallow and deep-water platforms. The three selected asset integrity examples include a topside beam with cut-out, well casing material loss and stress joint fatigue life extension. A step by step fit for purpose solution along with the challenges faced and mitigation measures taken was documented in this paper. For beam with cut-out, the 2D beam model is compared against the 3D model concentrating on the stress flow pattern and stress concentration factor. For well casing material loss, discussion evolved on how strengthening can be minimized by simply repositioning the bolt location. For stress joint fatigue life extension, the limitation of an axis-symmetry model in capturing bending moment and the conservatisms of applying an equivalent tension load to simulate the bending action was discussed. Simplified solutions are often associated with conservative result which is not necessarily true. Simplified solution in this context is a method to break the complex system into simpler system and solve using minimum resources, time and cost. The aim is to share knowledges with fellow operators on ways to maximize the niche manpower to do less with less.
 In conclusion, by simplifying the complex system coupled with 3D advanced analysis tools, the integrity of the asset remained intact, reduces the need of periodic inspection/ parts replacement and opens-up opportunity for life extensions. The same concept can be replicated for other similar projects and be mindful that FEA do not solve all problem, but people do.


Statement of context The effectiveness of early intervention for children with developmental disabilities is thought to be related to parental sensitivity and responsiveness. A brief relationship-focused occupational therapy intervention for Shelly, a young girl with cerebral palsy, and her mother, Jane, is described. Critical reflection on practice The distress of both mother and child at presentation compromised the ability of therapists to provide developmentally orientated interventions. Focusing on parent–child interactions enabled Shelly to make both emotional and physical gains, and facilitated ongoing interventions. Implications for practice Observations in this practice application demonstrate the need for further research into parenting interventions and developmental outcomes for children with cerebral palsy.


Intelligent Traffic Monitoring (ITMo) technologies hold the potential for improving road safety/security and for enabling smart city infrastructure. Understanding traffic situations requires a complex fusion of perceptual information with domain-specific and causal commonsense knowledge. Whereas prior work has provided benchmarks and methods for traffic monitoring, it remains unclear whether models can effectively align these information sources and reason in novel scenarios. To address this assessment gap, we devise three novel text-based tasks for situational reasoning in the traffic domain: i) BDD-QA, which evaluates the ability of Language Models (LMs) to perform situational decision-making, ii) TV-QA, which assesses LMs' abilities to reason about complex event causality, and iii) HDT-QA, which evaluates the ability of models to solve human driving exams. We adopt four knowledge-enhanced methods that have shown generalization capability across language reasoning tasks in prior work, based on natural language inference, commonsense knowledge-graph self-supervision, multi-QA joint training, and dense retrieval of domain information. We associate each method with a relevant knowledge source, including knowledge graphs, relevant benchmarks, and driving manuals. In extensive experiments, we benchmark various knowledge-aware methods against the three datasets, under zero-shot evaluation; we provide in-depth analyses of model performance on data partitions and examine model predictions categorically, to yield useful insights on traffic understanding, given different background knowledge and reasoning strategies.


Background—Cisapride, a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent, was recently withdrawn from the market because of its propensity to induce torsade de pointes (TdP) arrhythmias. The present study examines the electrophysiological actions of cisapride in the isolated arterially perfused canine left ventricular wedge preparation. Methods and Results—Transmembrane action potentials from epicardial and M regions and a pseudo-ECG were simultaneously recorded. Cisapride (0.1 to 5 &mgr;mol/L) was added to the coronary perfusate. Cisapride prolonged the QT interval and increased transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) at relatively low but not at high concentrations. TdP could be induced with programmed electrical stimulation only at a low concentration of drug (0.2 &mgr;mol/L), when TDR was maximally prolonged. Moreover, TdP could only be induced during epicardial (but not endocardial) activation of the wedge, which was found to augment TDR. At higher concentrations of cisapride, QT was further prolonged, TDR was diminished, and TdP could no longer be induced. Tpeak–Tend interval and Tpeak–Tend area provided reasonable electrocardiographic indices of TDR. Conclusion—Our data (1) demonstrate a biphasic concentration/response relationship for the effect of cisapride to induce long-QT syndrome and TdP, (2) show the value of the left ventricular wedge preparation in identifying drugs that pose an arrhythmic risk, (3) support the hypothesis that risk for development of TdP is related to the increase in TDR rather than to prolongation of the QT interval, and (4) indicate that epicardial activation of the left ventricle, as occurs during biventricular pacing, can facilitate the development of TdP under long-QT conditions.


This paper exploits optimal position of the mobile sensor to improve the target tracking performance of wireless sensor networks and simultaneously localize both of the static sensor nodes and mobile sensor nodes when tracking the human motion. In our approach, mobile sensors collaborate with static sensors and move optimally to achieve the required detection performance. The accuracy of final tracking result is then improved as the measurements of mobile sensors have higher signal-to-noise ratios after the movement. Specifically, we can simultaneously localize the mobile sensor and static sensors position when localizing the human's position based on augmented extended Kaiman filters (EKF). In the algorithm, we develop a sensor movement optimization algorithm that achieves near-optimal system tracking performance. We also presented an sensor nodes management scheme in order to deduce the computation complexity when localizing the static sensor nodes. The effectiveness of our approach is validated by extensive simulations.


We propose a fully practical numerical scheme for the simulation of the stochastic total variation flow (STVF). The approximation is based on a stable time-implicit finite element space-time approximation of a regularized STVF equation. The approximation also involves a finite dimensional discretization of the noise that makes the scheme fully implementable on physical hardware. We show that the proposed numerical scheme converges in law to a solution that is defined in the sense of stochastic variational inequalities (SVIs). Under strengthened assumptions the convergence can be show to holds even in probability. As a by product of our convergence analysis we provide a generalization of the concept of probabilistically weak solutions of stochastic partial differential equation (SPDEs) to the setting of SVIs. We also prove convergence of the numerical scheme to a probabilistically strong solution in probability if pathwise uniqueness holds. We perform numerical simulations to illustrate the behavior of the proposed numerical scheme {as well as its non-conforming variant} in the context of image denoising.


The long-chain polyenoic fatty acids alpha- and beta-paranaric acid form complexes with the 6-O-methylglucose polysaccharide from Mycobacterium smegmatis as demonstrated by an enhanced fluorescence emission of the paranaric acid. This interaction is eliminated by digestion of the methylglucose polysaccharide with alpha-amylase and glucoamylase, which removes four hexose units from the nonreducing end of the chain. Titration of the methylglucose polysaccharide with either paranaric acid isomer suggests formation of a 1:1 complex with a dissociation constant (K(d)) of 0.4 muM. The fluorescence emission of this complex is quenched by palmitoyl-CoA, which indicates that the paranaric acid can be displaced by the acoyl-CoA, a conclusion confirmed by gel filtration. The presumed polysaccharide/palmitoyl-CoA complex has a K(d) of about 0.1 muM. Acoyl-CoA derivatives with shorter fatty acid chains and free palmitic acid complete less effectively, indicating that they form weaker complexes with the polysaccharide. The methylmannose polysaccharides with 12 or 13 sugar units also complex paranaric acid strongly (K(d) approximately 0.4 muM), whereas the isomer with 11 sugar units complexes weakly.The methylglucose polysaccharide has been coupled to L-tryptophan methyl ester. The fluorescence emission spectrum of the attached tryptophan group is shifted to a shorter wavelength relative to N-acetyl-L-tryptophan methyl ester, and this effect is enhanced in the corresponding derivative made with the amylase-digested polysaccharide. The circular dichroism spectrum of the polysaccharide-tryptophan derivative shows three bands with negative ellipticity, in the 270-300 nm region, not observed in the amylase-digested derivative. These results imply that the tryptophan is in a more structured environment in the former than in the latter derivative. alpha-Paranaric acid binds to the polysaccharide-tryptophan conjugate and shows an enhanced fluorescence emission with partial quenching of the tryptophan fluorescence emission, suggestive of Förster energy transfer from tryptophan to paranaric acid.


The Southern African Development Community - Regional Food Security Training Programme (SADC-RFSTP) in collaboration with In- Service Training Trust (ISTT) developed and piloted a distance learning programme in grain management targeting small to medium scale grain traders. The overall objective was to address food security issues through access to knowledge by distance learning.

ISTT organised two planning workshops which were attended by twelve participants from training institutions in Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.

Subsequent to the planning workshops, the participants conducted a pilot programme in their respective countries. The programme was print based.

ISTT provided guidance and monitored the programme through review of progress reports, e-mailing and field visits. Lack of convenient and frequent access to telecommunication service was a major challenge faced by the collaborating training institutions.

ISTT in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) conducted another distance learning programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of front-line agricultural extension workers in Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Training workshops and online support facilitated the participants to develop print-based distance-learning materials, deliver, pre-test with prospective learners, revise, and pilot them in their countries.

The way forward is to replicate these programmes that are in demand across the SADC region.


The ligand 2-[(1-methyl-1H-Tetrazole-5yl)thio]–N'-[(1E)-4-methyl-1,3-Thiazole-5-yl)methylene] acetohydrazide Was synthesized and the complexes with metal chlorides such as Co(II), Ni(II) and Metal perchlorates of Co(II) were synthesized and charecterized on the basis of IR, and H NMR , UV-Visible molar conductivity, Cyclic voltammetric analysis and Magnetic susceptibility Measurements. Spectral data reveal that ligands chealated with metal through N-atoms. Magnetic susceptibility measurements favors octahedral coordination for Co(II), Ni(II) metal complexes.


The present work focuses on numerical investigation of impact on textile materials. An analytical model is proposed based on the theory of single yarn impact, to evaluate the energy absorbed by a fabric panel. This model is capable of evaluating the total absorbed energy and its components knowing the displacement time-history of the projectile. A numerical model is used to simulate the behaviour of a fabric panel under impact. This model approximates the fabric as an assembly of nodal masses attached to each other by means of string elements in the principal directions. A computer code is developed that is capable of modelling the impact of a blunt cylindrical projectile on rectangular fabric panels with various types of boundary conditions. The code predicts the time-histories of the nodal displacements, as well as forces in the string elements. Based on these, energy stored in the system in the form of strain energy in the strings and kinetic energy of inplane and transverse motion of the masses can also be evaluated. The numerical predictions are successfully compared with instrumented impact test results. Finally, a series of numerical experiments are performed to investigate the sensitivity of the response to different input parameters. The response is found to depend on many geometric and material parameters, emphasizing the importance of having an accurate knowledge of some of the input parameters. In particular, boundary conditions are found to affect the response significantly. It is also observed that increasing the elastic modulus or breaking strain of the yarns affects the energy absorption of the target favourably. Increasing the initial crimp strain is found to decrease the impact energy absorption, similar to increasing the gap between the layers of a multi-layer fabric.