Plasma membrane samples prepared from regressing rat corpora lutea were examined for production of the superoxide radical. A procedure was developed to purify membrane samples that were enriched approximately 15-fold with the plasma membrane marker enzyme, and superoxide radical levels were determined using electron spin resonance to measure Tiron semiquinone. During prostaglandin F2 alpha-induced and spontaneous regression, there was a significant increase in formation of superoxide radical that was not observed in plasma membrane samples from nonregressing corpora lutea. Plasma membrane incubation experiments indicated that the increase in production was temperature sensitive and reduced with inhibitors of phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase. Addition of superoxide dismutase or vitamin E abolished superoxide radical formation in vitro. Following the rise in superoxide radical levels during regression, there was also a significant decrease in the activity of the plasma membrane enzyme, Na+-K+ ATPase. These results indicate that the production of superoxide radical increases in plasma membrane samples prepared from regressing rat corpora lutea and that this increase is mainly due to the products of phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase activity.


Justification of the application of countermeasure options in the long term after the Chernobyl accident is presented exemplified by a number of rural settlements located in areas with different fallout density. Protective and rehabilitation countermeasures are ranked based on the criterion such as cost of 1 man.-Sv. Estimated are time periods when the need in countermeasures will persist for settlements located in areas with different contamination levels and internal dose contribution to the overall dose.


Background: The Janus‐associated kinase (JAK) proteins are a family of non‐receptor tyrosine kinases (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2) that play an important role in cellular survival, proliferation, and differentiation. A gain of function mutation (V617F) in the pseudo‐kinase domain of JAK2 is detected at high frequency in Philadelphia‐negative myeloproliferative disorders such as polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and idiopathic myelofibrosis. To further elucidate the role of JAK2V617F on cell growth in vivo we established and validated a novel xenograft model using the acute myeloid leukemia cell line, SET2, which is heterozygous for the mutation. Materials and Methods: SET2 cells containing stable doxycycline‐inducible JAK2V617F shRNA clones were generated by lentiviral transduction. Cell proliferation and viability were assessed by incorporation of 3H‐Thymidine or by ATP quantitation. Cell‐cycle and apoptosis markers were evaluated by Western blotting using antibodies against cyclin D1, PIM1, cleaved caspase 3 and 7 and PARP. Phospho‐STAT5 and total STAT5 were measured using both western blotting and ELISA. A SET2 shRNA clone was selected for in vivo growth in SCID beige female mice and treated with doxycycline or a JAK2 inhibitor (JAK2i). Plasma and tumor drug levels were measured by LC/MS. Results: Genetic knockdown using a doxycycline‐inducible JAK2V617F shRNA confirmed SET2 cells are dependent on this gain of function mutation for growth based on inhibition of cell proliferation in the presence of doxycycline. The latter was corroborated with a selective JAK2i (Ki= 4nM) that potently inhibited SET2 cell viability (EC50 = 355nM). The JAK2i rapidly suppressed phosphorylation of STAT5 (EC50 = 313nM) and induced cycle arrest at the G0–G1 phase based on downregulation of cyclin D1 expression. The JAK2i also effectively inhibited expression of PIM‐1 kinase, a STAT5 target gene, and activated cleavage of procaspase 3 and 7 and DNA‐repair enzyme PARP to induce apoptosis in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. A SET2 xenograft model was established by in vivo selection of a variant of the doxycycline‐ JAK2V617F shRNA parental cell line. Its dependence on JAK2V617F was confirmed by treatment with doxcycline and oral administration of a JAK2i, which resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition in vivo. Investigation of the PK/PD relationship underlying the activity of JAK2i provided direct evidence of phospho‐STAT5 suppression and induction of apoptosis for its antitumor effect in vivo. Plasma drug levels correlated with the duration and magnitude of suppression. Conclusion: A JAK2V617F dependent SET2 xenograft model has been established and validated by shRNA gene knockdown and pharmacologically with a JAK2i in vivo. JAK2V617F inhibition results in suppression of STAT5 phosphorylation, cell‐cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):A20.


Acknowledgments and Preface to Second Edition Chapter 1. Introduction Politics and Human Nature The Idea of Human Nature or the Human Good as 'Function': Normative Anthropology My 'Story' of Political Philosophy-and my Cast of Characters Enduring Issues in Political Philosophy Chapter 2. Classical Greek Political Philosophy: Beginnings Nature or Nurture? Protagoras' Democratic Traditionalism The Functionalistic Foundation of the Political Aretai in Nature (physis) Glaucon's Contractarian Political Theory Chapter 3. Plato: Government for Corrupted Intellects Socrates' Polis of Pigs The 'Republic' of Plato's Republic The Human Ergon and the Purpose of Political Organization Furthering Rationality by Means of the Polis? Why Should Anyone Return to the Cave? Plato and 'the Rule of Law' Chapter 4. Aristotle: Politics as the Master Art The Human Good: Intellectual and Political Acting Correctly (eupraxia) as a Grand End? The Polis as a Complete Community The Role of Politics: The Master Art? Concluding Thoughts Chapter 5. Cicero: The Cosmic Significance of Politics Cicero as Champion of the Res Publica What is Right (ius): The Rule of Law (lex) and Normative Anthropology Virtues, Duties, and Laws Chapter 6. Christianity: A Political Religion? The New Testament and Beyond Pauline Cosmopolitanism The Roman Empire Christianized The Advent of Tempora Christiana (the Christian era) Chapter 7. Augustine, Aquinas and Marsilius of Padua: Politics for Saints, Sinners, and Heretics St. Augustine The Two Rationales of Augustine's City of God The Two Cities Theoretical Political Consequences Christians as Good Citizens of Secular States? St. Thomas Aquinas The Human Function: Nature and Praeternature The 'Parts' of the Eternal Law: Divine, Natural, and Human Law Political Forms, Procedures, and Other Particulars Aquinas' Political Philosophy: Some Concluding Observations Marsilius of Padua The Autonomous but Coercive Regnum (Political Community) and its Law The Political Wisdom and Authority of the Whole Body of Citizens (or the weightier part thereof) Chapter 8. Hobbes and Locke: Seventeenth-Century Contractarianism Thomas Hobbes: Natural Law Simplified and Modernized Natural Law, Natural Rights, and the Human Function Law, Contracts, and the 'Leviathan' The Civil State: Sovereigns and Subjects Concluding Thoughts on God and Sovereigns John Locke: Divinely Mandated Autonomy, Natural Rights, and Property Moral Knowledge and Human Motivation The State of Nature and the Social Contract Property and Liberal Political Theory: Lockean Origins Chapter 9. Rousseau and Marx: Reaction to Bourgeois-Liberalism Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Autonomous Citizens for the true Republic The Intertwined Development of Civilization, Corruption, and Morality The Social Contract and the Emile: Republics and Republican Citizens Politics and the Human Function Karl Marx: Distortion of the Human Function within the Bourgeois-Liberal State Political Emancipation and the Bourgeois-Liberal State Alienation and the Human Function Historical Materialism and the Coming of Communism Concluding Thoughts: The Cook Shops of the Future Made Present Chapter 10. Mill and Rawls: Liberalism Ascendant? John Stuart Mill: Perfectionist Liberalism Mill's Liberalism Liberty and Government Democratic Republicanism Concluding Thought on Mill and Liberalism John Rawls: Political (and Non-Perfectionist?) Liberalism Egalitarian Justice as the "First Virtue of Social Institutions": Basic Assumptions Rawls' Two Principles of Justice: What they Apply to and Why Consensus, Public Reason, and the Distinction between Citoyen and Bourgeois The Ultimate Justification of Rawlsian liberalism? Epilogue Notes


Abstract. The environmental impacts of atmospheric particles are highlighted in remote areas where visibility and ecosystem health can be degraded by even relatively low particle concentrations. Submicron particle size, composition, and source apportionment were explored at Rocky Mountain National Park using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer. This summer campaign found low average, but variable, particulate mass (PM) concentrations (max = 93.1 μg m−3, avg. = 5.13 ± 2.72 μg m−3) of which 75.2 ± 11.1% is organic. Low-volatility oxidized organic aerosol (LV-OOA, 39.3% of PM1 on average) identified using Positive Matrix Factorization appears to be mixed with ammonium sulfate (3.9% and 16.6% of mass, respectively), while semi-volatile OOA (27.6%) is correlated with ammonium nitrate (nitrate: 4.3%); concentrations of these mixtures are enhanced with upslope (SE) surface winds from the densely populated Front Range area, indicating the importance of transport. A local biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA, 8.4%) source is suggested by mass spectral cellulose combustion markers (m/z 60 and 73) limited to brief, high-concentration, polydisperse events (suggesting fresh combustion), a diurnal maximum at 22:00 local standard time when campfires were set at adjacent summer camps, and association with surface winds consistent with local campfire locations. The particle characteristics determined here represent typical summertime conditions at the Rocky Mountain site based on comparison to ~10 years of meteorological, particle composition, and fire data.


The research is to known are there any impact of firm size to GCG mecanism, CSR disclosure and firm perfomance. and are there any impact of firm size, GCG mecanism, and CSR disclosure to firm perfomance. And this research is aim to proof GCG mecanism and CSR disclosure can be mediated the impact of firm size to firm performance. This research using questionnaire data for hypothesis testing and using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to find out the impact of firm perfomance through GCG mecanism and CSR disclosure as mediation variable. The result of empirical study proof that reward, trust, job satisfaction, and knowledge sharing predispose the employee performance. The result also proof that reward, trust, and job satisfaction predispose the employee performance. And the research proof that reward does not affect employee performance indirectly through knowledge sharing, while trust predispose employee performance through knowledge sharing, and job satisfaction does not affect employee performance through knowledge sharing indirectly. Therefore, the firm should intensify reward, trust, and job satisfaction which build a good knowledge sharing activity to intensify employee performance. The research apply institutional theory to propose the relationship of firm perfomance to firm performance and the mediation effect of GCG mecanism and CSR disclosure.


Infections in hospitals still have a high incidence and many of them could be avoided through better welfare standards. To try to overcome them, a strategy based on prevention is needed, but cleaning, disinfection and sterilization procedures are also a key tool. It is important to provide for all healthcare professionals a constant update and the creation of protocols that take into account the technical, scientific and economic aspects, but also specific operational needs, so that the proposed solutions can be applied in daily routines. The authors outline the mandatory duties to the doctors and hospital and underline the need to document in the clinical record the treatments performed. In case of infections occurred in hospital environment, the patient must demonstrate the guilty nature of the hospital's conduct, the existence of a harm and the causal connection. The hospital must demonstrate that asepsis measures were adopted according to the actual scientific knowledge and they must cover not only the treatment but also the diagnosis, all the activities prior to surgery and the postoperative phase. The sentences examined show that hospitals can avoid being accused of negligence and imprudence only if they can prove that they have implemented all prophylaxis measures contained in the guidelines and protocols. They must demonstrate that the infection was caused by an unforeseeable event. While some initiatives to improve the quality of hospital care have already allowed a decrease in the incidence and cost of these infections, much remains to be done.


This talk represents a crisis of principle. I have long held that a presidential address to a learned society should not belabor that society with laments or summonses, nor should it ask whither the discipline; rather, it should be a serious scholarly or interpretive effort. But it is an equally compelling principle with me that an after-dinner talk should suit the mood of relaxed good feeling that is likely to characterize the occasion. To answer both requirements is no easy task. In defining a genre new to the North American Conference on British Studies, my two predecessors have admirably fulfilled my criteria, combining the serious scholarship one would expect from their distinguished careers with the precise lightness of touch called for on such an occasion. I will not, I fear, follow their example in either respect. The grand, refractory subject I have chosen has interested me for many years, but I have not earlier addressed it in either research or writing: it has been rather like the unheard theme that Elgar said was present in his Enigma Variations . In now making the theme explicit, as Elgar wisely never did, I shall begin by calling attention to some concerns and perceptions among the English Unitarians over a hundred years, concerns and perceptions that I think reflect a crisis of authority. I shall then suggest ways in which that same analysis might be applied to larger, more important and familiar, segments of nineteenth-century intellectual life.


Recently, gonadotropin‐inhibitory hormone (GnIH) has emerged as an important regulator of reproduction in birds and mammals. This RFamide neuropeptide has neuromodulatory functions and controls the synthesis and/or release of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotropins. Although teleosts represent about half of all living vertebrates, scientific and technological advances on the Gnih system in fish are scarce, contradictory, and inconclusive. Research on the fish Gnih system appears necessary to better clarify its role in the neuroendocrine and environmental control of vertebrate reproduction. In this study, we cloned a full‐length sequence for the Gnih precursor of a flatfish, the Senegalese sole, coding for three putative Gnih peptides (ssGnih). We also generated specific antibodies against these ssGnih peptides, and used them to localize Gnih cells and their projections in the brain and pituitary. The expression of gnih was particularly evident in the diencephalon, but also in the olfactory bulbs/cerebral hemispheres, optic tectum/tegmentum, retina, and pituitary. The three antibodies used provided consistent results and showed that ssGnih‐immunoreactive perikarya were present in the olfactory bulbs, ventral telencephalon, caudal preoptic area, dorsal tegmentum and rostral rhombencephalon, and their fibers innervated the brain and pituitary profusely. Intramuscular injection of ssGnih‐3 provoked a significant reduction in gnrh‐3 and lh expression, whereas ssGnih‐2 treatment did not affect transcript levels of the main reproductive genes. Our results reveal the existence of a functional Gnih system in the sole brain, profusely innervating different brain areas and the pituitary gland, which could represent an important factor in the neuroendocrine control of flatfish reproduction.


Septic shock decreases preload, increases splanchnic blood pooling and edema formation, and induces hepatic dysfunction. We hypothesized that the hemodynamic effects of endotoxemic shock on the portal venous (PV) and hepatic arterial (HA) vascular beds contribute to this picture. Multipoint pressure-flow relationships were generated to evaluate the slope (resistance or conductance) and effective back pressure (Pback) in each bed in an intact porcine model of endotoxemia. Slope and Pback were determined during endotoxemia over 300 min (n = 8) and compared with sham-treated control studies (n = 5). At time (t) = 60 min, HA slope significantly decreased (P < 0.05) without a change in Pback. The HA buffer response (HABR), defined as a decrease in HA resistance produced by reduction in PV flow (Qpv), was abolished at t = 90 min. The PV Pback significantly increased without a change in PV slope. At t = 300 min, HA slope returned to baseline, and the HABR was present while PV slope and Pback increased (P < 0.05). Fractional flow (flow relative to cardiac output) was constant except for a transient increase in HA fractional flow at t = 60 min. Histological studies showed focal necrosis and hemorrhage without evidence of vasoconstriction or thrombosis. In conclusion, endotoxic shock leads to time-dependent impairment of Qpv with increased PV resistance, causing an increase in splanchnic blood pooling and subsequent decrease in venous return. The HA bed is dilated early with an absent HABR. Later an HABR is present but defined by increased HA resistance for a given Qpv.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


In this paper we investigate how copulas are to be analyzed within a framework assuming a predication phrase (PrP). It is discussed in the literature whether copulas move from a verb phrase to the predication phrase, or whether they are directly merged in the predication phrase. We present arguments in favor of both views and conclude that both options have to be allowed by Universal Grammar. We discuss the claim that copulas have semantic content in relation to our analysis, and we further discuss the consequences for our analysis of an important difference between predication mediated by copulas and "pure" non-verbal predication as to the licensing of argument positions.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the effect of out-of-pocket (OOP) cost on nonadherence to classes of cardiometabolic medications among patients with diabetes.

DATA SOURCES/SETTING
Electronic health records from a large, health care delivery system for 223,730 patients with diabetes prescribed 842,899 new cardiometabolic medications during 2006-2012.

STUDY DESIGN
Observational, new prescription cohort study of the effect of OOP cost on medication initiation and adherence.

DATA COLLECTION
Adherence and OOP costs were based on pharmacy dispensing records and benefits.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Primary nonadherence (never dispensed) increased monotonically with OOP cost after adjusting for demographics, neighborhood socioeconomic status, Medicare, medical financial assistance, OOP maximum, deductibles, mail order pharmacy incentive and use, drug type, generic or brand, day's supply, and comorbidity index; 7 percent were never dispensed the new medication when OOP cost ≥$11, 5 percent with OOP cost of $1-$10, and 3 percent when the medication was free of charge (p < .0001). Higher OOP cost was also strongly associated with inadequate secondary adherence (≥20 percent of time without adequate medication). There was no clinically significant or consistent relationship between OOP costs and early nonpersistence (dispensed once, never refilled) or later stage nonpersistence (discontinued within 24 months).

CONCLUSIONS
Cost-sharing may deter clinically vulnerable patients from initiating essential medications, undermining adherence and risk factor control.


Theories on the life cycle of firms combined with stage model theories of information technology adoption indicate that start-up firms may have different needs than mature firms. In particular, start-up firms' need for simplicity, development speed, adaptability, transparency and clarity often trump cost minimisation in the characteristics looked for in production planning tools. Here, a case study is presented of a start-up firm with geographically distant suppliers and geographically dispersed warehouses and customers. Production planning needed to move from Post-it notes to a formal system. A spreadsheet-based production planning system was custom built that allowed the firm to decide on purchases and have dynamically adjusted available-to-promise information to help the sales force.


Performance analyses of consultancy firms usually include man-hour analyses, schedule analyses and budget analyses. During the project management process, the project scope change makes it difficult for the management to control the project and predict the future trends. This research has developed a project performance measurement model based on the concepts of CAPP (Continuous Assessment of Project Performance) and PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), created by the Construction Industry Institute and PMI (Project Management Institute). Through data collection, analysis, and summary, this study establishes a historical database, reviews existing records, and selects major and significant performance evaluation indicators from the project data, as well as building of relevant models. Through an established Web-based project performance measurement system to identify the project implementation performance trend, it allows participants in various stages of the construction engineering life cycle to exchange and share engineering performance information and experience.


This presentation introduces an AD video interface circuit which represents an important advance in the integration of functions for digital video signal processing. The IC includes an 8-bit A to D converter (ADC), an input selector and a high-performance video amplifier with clamp level adjustment and automatic gain control (AGC). A DAC is not necessary for these control functions because they are performed digitally by the ADC outputs via three simple digital comparators in a time-controlled loop.


We describe two cases of spontaneously perforated pyometra (SPP) in elderly women treated with two different surgical approaches. An 88-year-old woman underwent emergency laparotomy for presumed diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) tract perforation. During surgery, SPP and a tumor of the sigmoid colon were identified. Total hysterectomy and sigmoid colon resection were performed. Despite exhaustive postoperative treatments, the patient died on postoperative day (POD) 189 due to peritonitis and pneumonia. A 93-year-old woman with acute abdomen was diagnosed with severe pyometra and primarily treated with transcervical drainage. Due to progression of generalized peritonitis, laparoscopic surgery was performed. Intraoperatively, scar from a uterine body perforation was identified, leading to the diagnosis of SPP. Only peritoneal irrigation and drainage were performed, in consideration of her advanced age. She improved and was discharged from the hospital on POD 35. The prognosis for SPP is sometimes poor, especially in older women. Minimally invasive surgical intervention might be considered for primary treatment in such cases.


Background and Objective: Liver diseases accompanied with growing of obesity in children. This study was done to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise and vitamin C intake on liver transaminases activities in 8-11 years obese girls. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 28 obese girls were randomly divided into four equal groups including control, exercise, supplement (500 mg vitamin C tablet, dailly) and combined (500 mg vitamin C, daily plus exercise) groups. Aerobic exercise was consisted of exercise movements at 50% to 70% maximal heart rate and 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected before and 48 hour after the last intervention. Serum transaminases activities were measured by enzymatic colorimetric method. Results: 8 weeks of aerobic exercise, vitamin C and the combined intervention were associated with a significant reduction in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities (P<0.05) whereas there was no effect on the Alkaline phosphatase activity. All these interventions were associated with significantly greater reduction in the ALT and AST activities ratio in comparision with control group. Combined intervention induced more reduction on percent of variables changes compared with other interventions (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems selected aerobic exercise and vitamin C intake may induce their protective effect in obese girls via improvement in liver function. _______________________________________________________________________________________________


Objective: To analyze the concordance of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA gene mutations detected in plasma and matched tumor tissues in colorectal cancer patients, in order to provide good evidences to support plasma could be a potential surrogate of tumor tissue for gene mutation test. Methods: One hundred and seventy-five cases of colorectal cancer were collected at the First Hospital of Jilin University, from October 2016 to October 2017.There were 101 males and 74 females, their ages ranged from 28 to 85 years,with median age of 59 years. The KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA gene mutations in the plasma and paired tumor specimens of all patients were detected by next generation sequencing. Results: The results of tissue samples test were gold standard. Comparison of the four genes showed that concordance rates between plasma and tissue samples were 81.1%(Kappa=0.543), 99.4%(Kappa=0.886), 99.4% (Kappa=0.886) and 97.7%(Kappa=0.714) respectively for KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA. The plasma detection rates of these genes were related to tumor stage(P=0.001), but not to gender(P=0.468) and age(P=1.000) of patients. Conclusions: The study shows a high concordance of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA gene mutations in plasma against mutation status in tumor tissue. In colorectal cancer, tumor tissue remains the best specimen for gene detection. However, patients from tumor tissue specimens cannot be obtained, especially those with advanced metastases, plasma can be used instead of tissue to detect the mutation status of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA to guide targeted therapy.


The third harmonic generation in plasma ionised by a high-power pump field is theoretically studied. The dependences of the harmonic generation efficiency on the electric pump-field strength and polarisation are found. It is assumed that the observation of the maximum of generation efficiency at the nonzero pump-field ellipticity is the universal property of the harmonic generation. This effect is nonlinear and has a threshold.


The project is dedicated to the development of experimental samples of hardware-software complexes for seamless positioning of objects inside and outside the buildings to ensure the implementation of the principle "always and everywhere". The work substantiates the need for developing a project dedicated to the creation of a hardware-software geo-information system for positioning objects. To achieve this goal, the analysis of shortcomings of existing technologies for object positioning is carried out. This analysis allowed identifying the main tasks that need to be addressed. A review of existing approaches to the development of geographic information positioning systems was held. The advantages of the developed geoinformation complex for object positioning are described. The main results and the effect of the project are characterized.


In order to understand unexpectedly erratic load measurements in the launch-pad supports for the space shuttle, the sensitivities of the load cells in the supports were analyzed using simple probabilistic techniques. NASA engineers use the loads in the shuttle's supports to calculate critical stresses in the shuttle vehicle just before lift-off. The support loads are measured with 'load cells' which are actually structural components of the mobile launch platform which have been instrumented with strain gauges. Although these load cells adequately measure vertical loads, the horizontal load measurements have been erratic. The load measurements were simulated in this study using Monte Carlo simulation procedures. The simulation studies showed that the support loads are sensitive to small deviations in strain and calibration. In their current configuration, the load cells will not measure loads with sufficient accuracy to reliably calculate stresses in the shuttle vehicle. A simplified model of the holddown post (HDP) load measurement system was used to study the effect on load measurement accuracy for several factors, including load point deviations, gauge heights, and HDP geometry.


Considers the concept of "employee child care" and argues that it is problematic for a number of reasons. An alternative approach is advocated, based on an integrated, coherent and multi‐functional system of early childhood care and education services for all children and their carers, which does not treat children of employed parents in isolation from other children; examples of this broad approach are given. In conclusion, argues that an opportunity has been wasted to review services in the context of a wider consideration of policies to promote the reconciliation of parental employment and caring for children and of the role of employers with respect to reconciliation. Instead, a decontextualized advocacy of "employee child care" has been able to develop, virtually unchallenged, in a climate dominated by labour market concerns.


Various magnetographic printers have been based on the use of micron-sized ferrofluid droplets to form images on paper. Pulsed laser photography is utilized to follow the droplet motion on ms to s time scales. The results agree with the predictions of a simple model. The only fitted parameter, the drop radius, has a value similar to the values found by other techniques. Results, combined with optical density measurements and the mist density, indicate that mist printing is basically a slow (0.1 to > 1 s) process.


The pharmacological activators of adenylyl cyclase (cholera toxin and forskolin) were utilized in the present study to determine whether they could bypass the inhibitory effects of flufenamate on cAMP production in rat hemipituitaries. During 2 hr incubations, 10 microM flufenamate inhibited gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-stimulated (25 nM) cAMP production. Flufenamate did not affect GnRH-receptor interactions as evidenced by its inability to significantly affect either the binding affinity or the binding capacity for GnRH. Additionally, flufenamate inhibited the cholera toxin-stimulated cAMP production, but was ineffective against forskolin-induced activation of adenylyl cyclase. These results indicate that forskolin can be used to restore cAMP production in the presence of flufenamate. Since GnRH and cholera toxin stimulate cAMP production via the GnRH receptor and the Gs protein respectively, and forskolin exerts its stimulatory effects via the catalytic component, the data are consistent with the possibility that flufenamate exerts its inhibitory effect at the level of the Gs protein.


Asthma patient rapidly have increase recently, but some of these patients do not react to known allergens in skin prick tests, which suggest the presence of unknown environmental allergens. Although Acanthamoeba are abundant in the environment (it also have been often found in human airway cavities) and possess strong proteases enough to elicit allergic airway inflammation, no study has been conducted to determine whether Acanthamoeba can elicit allergic reactions. We repeatedly inoculated Acanthamoeba trophozoites or excretory-secretory (ES) proteins intranasally into mice, and evaluated symptoms and airway immune responses. We found that Acanthamoeba trophozoites or ES proteins reproducibly elicited immune responses resembling allergic airway inflammation. After boiling, which removed protease activity, treatment no longer elevate Th2 related chemokine gene expression in mouse lung epithelial cells, allergic airway inflammation symptoms and Th2 immune responses were remarkably reduced by de-activating proteases. These responses might be not fully elicited through protease activated receptor 2. Furthermore, asthma patients were found to have higher Acanthamoeba specific IgE titers than normal controls. This study suggests that it might be possible to cause allergic airway inflammation by Acanthamoeba (or their products).


The immune system has the potential to selectively target and eliminate tumours cells. However, the induction of an immunosuppressive environment by factors released by tumours cells, or by the tumour stroma, in combination with difficulties in differentiating between healthy and malignant cells, contributes to inefficient or disabled anti-tumour immune responses. A variety of different immunotherapeutic approaches are being developed to tip the balance in favour of anti-tumour immunity. Many of these approaches are designed to stimulate improved activity of T cells with specificity for tumour-associated antigens.  This thesis explores how T cell-mediated responses are initiated and maintained in immunotherapy, with an emphasis on the role of antigen presentation by resident dendritic cells (DCs). An animal model was used in which a DC subset in the spleen that expresses the cell marker langerin could be selectively ablated during the course of therapy. As these DCs have been shown to be uniquely capable of acquiring circulating antigens and cellular debris, and have a heightened capacity for cross-priming CD8⁺ T cells, it was hypothesised that the function of these cells could play a significant role in determining the outcome of immunotherapies.  A model of adoptive T cell therapy was examined in mice challenged with an intravenously administered lymphoma that formed tumour foci in a variety of locations in the body. Treating established tumours by adoptively transferring in vitro activated effector CD8⁺ T cells significantly increased their symptom-free survival. The protection received by this therapy was dependent on a stimulus being provided by endogenous langerin⁺ CD8α⁺ DCs to the transferred T cells. In the absence of langerin⁺ CD8α⁺ DCs, the proportion and number of transferred anti-tumour CD8⁺ T cells was lower in the blood and spleen. However, no obvious differences in phenotype and function could be defined. Langerin⁺ CD8α⁺ DCs therefore contribute to the maintenance of an effective CD8⁺ T cell-based immunotherapy and the role of endogenous DCs should be taken into consideration during the design of immunotherapies.  To investigate the role of langerin⁺ CD8α⁺ DCs in initiating effector T cell responses, a novel whole-cell vaccine was developed for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This vaccine exploited the stimulatory functions of invariant natural killer T cells, and was therefore administered intravenously to access the large invariant natural killer T cell compartment of the spleen. The vaccine completely protected mice from developing leukaemia when challenged with AML cells after vaccination, with CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells mediating protection. The immune response generated by the vaccine was shown to be completely dependent on langerin⁺ CD8α⁺ DCs. In hosts with established tumours; however, the vaccine was ineffective. This may have been partially due to a reduced function of langerin⁺ CD8α⁺ DCs as their activation phenotype was significantly reduced in the presence of established AML; however, non-specific T cells could still be stimulated via these DCs. Reduced vaccine efficacy was associated with increased number and/or function of suppressor cells, including regulatory T cells and myeloid derived suppressor cells within the host. In addition, in leukemic hosts, the proportion of T cells in the spleen was reduced, and the function of AML-specific CD4⁺ T cells, but not CD8⁺ T cells, was impaired. Driving AML-bearing hosts into remission with chemotherapy prior to vaccination enabled the vaccine to protect the host from subsequent AML challenge. Langerin⁺ CD8α⁺ DCs are therefore responsible for initiating the vaccine-induced immune response in this model and their suppression may have contributed to the inefficacy of the vaccine in the presence of established tumours.


High-intensity human socio-economic activities pose a great threat to the ecological environment, thus resulting in the decline of biodiversity in ecologically fragile areas and serious problems over regional eco-security. The regional scale provides a reasonable spatial context for exploring the eco-security of mega-cities or metropolitan areas. However, the existing research lacks a comprehensive understanding of the influencing factors for biodiversity at a regional scale. Therefore, the study on landscape ecological planning represented by the theory of eco-security patterns has become increasingly significant. In this study, the "DPSIR-LM" model at a regional scale is adopted to analyze the positive and negative factors that affect the eco-security of Guangzhou's biodiversity, and obtain the spatial differentiation result of the eco-security assessment on Guangzhou's biodiversity. In terms of the conservation of Guangzhou's biodiversity, an innovative approach is taken to integrate ecological assessment into the construction of the eco-security pattern, so as to propose a novel method to construct the eco-security pattern. First, a holistic study on the urban eco-security pattern is conducted and the eco-security pattern of Guangzhou's biodiversity is established from the perspectives of government decision-making, socio-economic indicators and data, as well as the science and technology level. Then, the main geographical distribution and its causes are further analyzed to provide a corresponding protection strategy for each security pattern, contributing to the ecological space planning of Guangzhou's biodiversity conservation. The "DPSIR-LM" model given in this paper enhances the assessment of the positive and negative influences on biodiversity by quantifying the inner differences of the region, and it is more accurate and scientific in source selection, resistance evaluation and result optimization for the pattern construction. The research provides a valuable reference for the study and construction of eco-security patterns at a regional scale.


In this penetrating volume, Jeffery Webber charts the political dynamics and conflicts underpinning the contradictory evolution of left-wing governments and social movements in Latin America in the last two decades.

Throughout the 2000s, Latin America transformed itself into the leading edge of anti-neoliberal resistance in the world. But what is left of the Pink Tide today? What are the governments' relationships to the explosive social movements that first propelled them to power? And as China's demand for Latin American commodities slackens, is there a viable economic strategy based on continued natural resource extraction?

Webber approaches these questions through an analysis of capitalist accumulation from 1990 to 2015 in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela. He explains these countries' patterns of inequality through a decolonial Marxist framework, rooted in a new understanding of class and its complex associations with racial and gender oppression. He also discusses indigenous and peasant resistance to the expansion of private mining, agro-industry and natural gas and oil activities. The book concludes with chapters on 'passive revolution' in Bolivia under Evo Morales and debates around dual power and class composition during the era of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.


Bibliography of the conference promoted by the University of Florence, Ministry of Cultural Assets and Italian Library Association (AIB). The meeting's aim is to outline the problems and experiences on authority control


Partial functions of the kidney, i.e. renal blood flow, GFR etc, can be estimated with radionuclide techniques as safe and non-invasive methods. Many methods have been published to distinguish between obstructive and non-obstructive hydronephrosis. A simple and highly relevant technique is the diuretic radionuclide urography which should be done in all patients with questionable urographic or sonographic findings. The evaluation of split renal function is somewhat difficult because tissue absorption will influence uptake determination. In hydronephrosis this absorption cannot be predicted by sonographic measurement of the kidney's depth and mass. A solutions is to calculate the absorption in these patients by stepwise scintigraphy. Continuous quality control of the technique is emphasized.


Automatic speech recognition (ASR) results contain not only ASR errors, but also disfluencies and colloquial expressions that must be corrected to create readable transcripts. We take the approach of statistical machine translation (SMT) to "translate" from ASR results into transcript-style text. We introduce two novel modeling techniques in this framework: a context-dependent translation model, which allows for usage of context to accurately model translation probabilities, and log-linear interpolation of conditional and joint probabilities, which allows for frequently observed translation patterns to be given higher priority. The system is implemented using weighted finite state transducers (WFST). On an evaluation using ASR results and manual transcripts of meetings of the Japanese Diet (national congress), the proposed methods showed a significant increase in accuracy over traditional modeling techniques.


We have studied the phase behavior of blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC)-unfunctionalized nanoparticle (NP) blends. Two different types of NPs which have different anchoring properties have been studied. Interestingly, Silica NP doped BPLC blends have revealed a small but clear positive shift of the Isotropic-BP phase transition temperature for lower concentration of NPs whereas with higher percentage of NPs we have observed a mixed phase consisted with chiral nematic (N*) and BP. On the other hand, low concentration polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) NPs which have stronger anchoring force than Silica NPs have enabled BP to stabilize thermally. Our experimental results agrees with the recent theory predicted that NP-defect interaction strongly depends on the interfacial energy between NP and LC which may be responsible for the observed effects in unfunctionalized NP-BPLC composite system.


Considering the very recent interest in the flow between two sites on a percolation cluster it is obvious that an experimental study of such a problem requires local measurement techniques. Following this observation we report the first study of the voltage dependence of the images derived by contact-resistance atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) in general, and on a binary composite in particular. The results obtained provide an experimental map of the voltage dependence of the realized connectivity between a given pair of sites on a percolation cluster. Our measurements show that the two-dimensional cross-section images of a three-dimensional percolation cluster reveal a systematic behavior that can be described as a phase transition.


Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to treat arthritis but are associated with adverse gastrointestinal events. While the selective COX-2 inhibitors show fewer gastrointestinal complications than NSAIDs, they may not be suitable for all patients and one of them has been associated with serious thrombotic cardiovascular events. Furthermore, many arthritis patients are at high risk of coronary artery disease and take low-dose aspirin, which is also associated with adverse gastrointestinal events. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of gastrointestinal complications in this patient population. Recent randomized clinical trials have also shown that pantoprazole therapy is effective in the healing of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal damage. Several studies have also demonstrated that pantoprazole is effective in preventing the development of gastrointestinal lesions in patients with continuous NSAID intake. The use of PPIs in combination with nonselective NSAIDs has also been found to be beneficial in patients at high risk for rebleeding and reduces the incidence of dyspepsia. Finally, the combination of a COX-2 inhibitor with a PPI has shown promise in patients with previous NSAID-related gastrointestinal complications who are at high risk for reinjury.


The need to expand the resort and recreational potential in the Siberian Federal District is due to the growing need for sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation of the population. Balneological studies conducted in different regions of Siberia make it possible to position these territories as promising for resort and recreational activities.

OBJECTIVE
Comprehensive integral assessment of the resort and recreational potential of the treatment areas of the Republic of Tyva.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Taking into account the requirements of the guidelines "Bioclimatic passport of the medical and recreational areas" No. 96/226, approved by the Ministry of Health of Russia on February 7, 1997, an integral medical and climatic assessment of the territories of the medical and recreational areas of the Republic of Tyva was carried out. The assessment of the quality of water resources was carried out in accordance with the criteria of the methodological recommendations "Control of the quality and safety of mineral waters by chemical and microbiological indicators" No. 96/225, approved by the Ministry of Health of Russia on 07.04.1997. The typification of water resources is given in accordance with GOST R 54316-2011 "Natural mineral drinking waters".

RESULTS
The territory of the Republic of Tyva has the richest reserves of unique therapeutic hydro-mineral resources, and the existing features of landscape and climatic conditions determine the prospects for their widespread use. The surveyed areas are located on mid-mountain and low-mountain landscapes with favorable bioclimatic conditions for the organization of climate treatment and recreation, especially in the warm season. The prospects for the development of climate-balneological and climate-mud resorts in Tuva are shown, especially in terms of medical and health tourism.

CONCLUSION
A detailed database has been developed on the components of the resort and recreational potential (bioclimate, mineral waters, therapeutic mud) of the treatment areas of Tuva. The data obtained formed the basis of proposals for updating the register of resorts and health-improving areas of the Siberian Federal District, which is formed on the basis of the results of many years of research.


A 21-year-old female patient was treated with Uralyt-U for 3 months for a radiolucent kidney stone. During this therapy the stone increased significantly in volume. After treatment by ESWL, the stone was analyzed by a chemical method and by X-ray diffraction. Calcium phosphate and urate were detected by the chemical method and 2,8-dihydroxyadenine by X-ray diffraction. This case report emphasizes the importance of precise stone analysis for medical treatment is emphasized.


This current case report describes an elderly woman with pyometra that underwent successful vaginal hysterectomy and transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) bilateral adnexectomy after conservative anti-inflammatory drug treatment. The patient had a history of transvaginal delivery so this approach was considered the most appropriate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to investigate the use of vaginal hysterectomy and vNOTES bilateral adnexectomy in an elderly patient with pyometra. The necessary steps to the procedure are shown in a narrated instructional video.


CASE REPORT
We report a 59-year-old patient with difficulty in visual perception, difficulty reading and episodes of dyschromatopsia. The ocular examination was unremarkable. Structural neuro-imaging and neuro-ophthalmology tests were normal. Positron emission tomography scanning showed decreased metabolism in the parieto-occipital cortex bilaterally. Several months later the patient developed Alzheimer's disease.

DISCUSSION
Visual symptoms may be the first manifestation of Alzheimer's disease.


Research has found that in Iranian desert regions the unsurpassed way to deal with wind erosion might be bringing the detachment area's erosion to a halt. In addition to less cost of coping with wind erosion at the detachment area, the chance of success might be higher though some deposition areas have faced up with a high devastating force of wind shear that mitigation in these regions is of higher priority. Hence in the current work we are seeking to identify hazard zones of wind erosion in Zabol district and priority them. In order to identify hazard zones in Sistan plateau, source tracking of sand dunes in Iran (Ekhtesasi-Ahmadi proposed method) was conducted. This method considers influential factors in determining detachment regions and encompasses a regular and step-wise path to identify detachment, transportation and deposition zones of wind erosion. To track the source areas different criteria were regarded as field observatories and questionnaires, morphological analysis of sand dunes, and analysis of wind regimes to ascertain the prevailing winds. According to the studies this was concluded that Sistan plateau which spans over 15197 square kilometers encloses about 145303 hectares of hazard zones distributed mainly in Jazinak, Niatak and Tasouki-Rigchah. To priority them according to the infrastructures under effect Jazinak comes top and is followed by Niatak and Tasouki-Rigchah.


The Ivex Packaging Corporation purchased a paper-recycling mill in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The 100-year old dam was constructed of masonry and timber cribbing, and had shown a history of wear in recent years. Seepage flows through the embankment and right abutment, and into the process building were a steadily increasing problem requiring constant attention. To combat this problem, a combination of grouting techniques was used, including sleeve port pipe grouting, and limited mobility grouting. Difficulties encountered during construction required close coordination with the plant personnel, grouting specialist contractor, and the engineers to adjust the hole pattern, grout materials, and injection methods as work proceeded. Following four weeks of grouting, seepage flows were stopped through the right abutment. This paper describes the process for development of a grouting plan adapted to the particular site conditions, and the field adjustments made during construction. These adjustments included modification of type of grout and grout placement methods, especially where significant flows were found to be untreatable using low viscosity grout.


Autophagy has been shown to play an important role in Parkinson's disease. We hypothesized that skin-derived precursor cells exhibit neuroprotective effects in Parkinson's disease through affecting autophagy. In this study, 6-hydroxydopamine-damaged SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with a culture medium containing skin-derived precursors differentiated into Schwann cells (SKP-SCs). The results showed that the SKP-SC culture medium remarkably enhanced the activity of SH-SY5Y cells damaged by 6-hydroxydopamine, reduced excessive autophagy, increased tyrosine hydroxylase expression, reduced α-synuclein expression, reduced the autophagosome number, and activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Autophagy activator rapamycin inhibited the effects of SKP-SCs, and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine had the opposite effect. These findings confirm that SKP-SCs modulate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to inhibit autophagy, thereby exhibiting a neuroprotective effect in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Laboratory Animal Center of Nantong University (approval No. S20181009-205) on October 9, 2018.


Decision making in most universities is taught within the conventional OR/MS (Operations Research/Management Science) paradigm.  This paradigm is known to be "hard" since it is consisted of mathematical tools, and normally suitable for solving structured problems. In complex situations the conventional OR/MS paradigm proves to be inadequate; decisions must be based on systems thinking which provides the decision maker(s) the opportunity to address the problematic situation in its full system context. The aim here is to develop a framework and a new course to teach "decision making through systems thinking" to industrial engineering students. The new course is to be taken after the existing course which covers the traditional OR/MS paradigm. It is believed that such an "extended" framework will help students to improve their skills in handling complex decision situations.


This study investigates whether asset use influences the relevance of fair value measurement. Specifically, I examine whether fair value is more relevant when it is applied to in-exchange assets than when it is applied to in-use assets. I test the framework on a sample of international firms that adopt International Accounting Standard 41. Using a difference-in-differences approach, I find that earnings information is significantly more relevant when firms measure in-exchange biological assets at fair value, but book value and earnings information is significantly less relevant when firms measure in-use biological assets at fair value. Consistent with these results, in cross-sectional analyses I find that investors discount the fair value of in-use biological assets and their associated unrealized gains and losses relative to the fair value of in-exchange biological assets. At present, the Conceptual Framework provides little guidance on asset measurement, resulting in inconsistencies across measurement standards. Thus, my findings may provide insight to standard setters and those interested in conceptually based asset measurement.


Structural health monitoring (SHM) is gradually replacing traditional manual detection and is becoming a focus of the research devoted to the operation and maintenance of tunnel structures. However, in the face of massive SHM data, the autonomous early warning method is still required to further reduce the burden of manual analysis. Thus, this study proposed a dynamic warning method for SHM data based on ARIMA and applied it to the concrete strain data of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB) immersed tunnel. First, wavelet threshold denoising was applied to filter noise from the SHM data. Then, the feasibility and accuracy of establishing an ARIMA model were verified, and it was adopted to predict future time series of SHM data. After that, an anomaly detection scheme was proposed based on the dynamic model and dynamic threshold value, which set the confidence interval of detected anomalies based on the statistical characteristics of the historical series. Finally, a hierarchical warning system was defined to classify anomalies according to their detection threshold and enable hierarchical treatments. The illustrative example of the HZMB immersed tunnel verified that a three-level (5.5 σ, 6.5 σ, and 7.5 σ) dynamic warning schematic can give good results of anomalies detection and greatly improves the efficiency of SHM data management of the tunnel.


Insight into the expanding themes of regenerative medicine is provided by the American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair's annual meeting. The 17th meeting covered a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, exploring methods to elucidate the currently unknown mechanisms behind the disorders, as well as possible treatments ranging from the use of growth factors, gene therapy to cell transplantation. The importance of growth factors, both as a contributing factor to a disease and as a possible treatment either solo, or as a consequence of, or in conjunction with, stem cell therapy, was highlighted. The potential for viral vectors was also explored either for cells prior to transplantation or as a direct treatment regime into the brain itself. Identification of biomarkers that would allow early detection of a disease is an important factor in our fight against disease. The ability to now perform whole genome analysis and biomolecular profiling provides hope that such markers could be identified which not only could identify this likely to suffer from a disorder but also could allow its progress to be monitored. A few preclinical and clinical cell transplantation trials were also introduced as potential areas of followup in the years to come.


1549 Environmental factors, such as diet, have been shown to play a key role in cancer induction. One compound which has drawn much focus in this regard is 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo-[4,5b]pyridine (PhIP), the most abundant heterocyclic amine in the human diet. PhIP is bioactivated by cytochrome P450 enzymes to its N-hydroxy intermediate, N-OH PhIP, which is further metabolized by acetyl and sulfotransferases into DNA binding metabolites shown to induce tumors of the prostate, colon, & mammary glands. We propose that diallyl sulfide will attenuate PhIP-induced alterations in the cell cycle and cell viability. Seven million cells were plated in T-175 culture flasks and treated for 24, 48 and 72 hours with PhIP (100uM), DAS (100uM) and N-OH PhIP (5uM). DAS pretreated groups were dosed with 100uM of DAS for 6 hours prior to dosing with PhIP (100uM) or N-OH PhIP (5uM). All samples were fixed in absolute ethanol and stained with propidium iodide for cell cycle analysis on the FACSCalibur flow cytometer. In addition, cell viability was assessed using the CellTiter 96® AQueousOne Solution Cell Proliferation Assay. Fifty thousand cells were plated per well in 96 well plates and treated in the same manner as the flow treated samples for 24, 48 and 72 hours. A 20uL aliquot of AqueousOne Solution was added to each well and incubated at 37°C for four hours. The plates were read on the Bio-Tek Ex800 microplate reader, where the absorbance at 480 nm was determined for each well. PhIP at 24 and 48 hours reduced the percentage of cells in the S phase by 9% and 13%, respectively. At 48 hours, DAS further reduced the PhIP-induced alterations in S phase from 13% to 39%. However, DAS pretreatment increased the percentage of cells in S phase at 72 hours. Similar results were seen with N-OH PhIP. PhIP reduced cell viability at 24, 48 and 72 hours by 16%, 8% and 17%, respectively. Pre-treatment with DAS attenuated reduction in cell viability only at the 72 hour time point by 9%. Similar results were seen with N-OH PhIP. N-OH PhIP reduced cell viability at 24, 48 and 72 hours by 21%, 30% and 33%, respectively and DAS pretreatment attenuated this reduction at 72 hours by 11%. We conclude that PhIP inhibits DNA synthesis at 24 and 48 hours to allow cells to repair DNA damage. DAS enhances this inhibition in DNA synthesis. At 72 hours, DNA synthesis ensues after the damage has been repaired in the DAS/PhIP treated cells. The same is true with N-OH PhIP. Further studies are underway to investigate these phenomena. This research was supported by NIH/RCMI Grant #G12 RR03020.


Active heat injection and temperature monitoring are methods that may be useful for the detection of anomalous seepage in embankment dams. The main objectives of this research were to investigate, using numerical simulation, the feasibility of using active heat injection and distributed temperature monitoring to identify anomalous seepage at the interface between earth embankments and concrete structures, and to quantify seepage rates for a hypothetical zone of enhanced permeability at the clay core-concrete interface. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed to simulate the injection of heat into a vertical borehole drilled within concrete with an orientation parallel to the clay core-concrete interface. Anomalous seepage at the interface was created by increasing the permeability in a 3 m thick zone and imposing a range of hydraulic gradients. For a borehole-interface separation distance of 1.5 m, the maximum temperature deviations within the heat injection borehole, due to the anomalous seepage, are less than 0.6°C. For borehole-interface separation distances of 1.0 m and 0.5 m, the simulations reveal deviations in the range of l.0-5.1°C during the heat injection phase, and less than l .2°C during the cooling phase. The temperature deviations are simulated to be less than l.0°C at a temperature monitoring borehole located 1.0 m down gradient of the heat injection location for the borehole-interface separation distances of 1.5 m and 1.0 m. These findings suggest that the heat injection and monitoring boreholes would need to be located less than 1.0 m from the interface to ensure maximum temperature deviations of l .0°C or greater. Provided the heat injection location is within 1.0 m of the interface, it is concluded that interpretation of temperature data collected prior, during, and following heat injection should enable the identification of anomalous seepage zones.


Aim: To identify the characteristic pattern/parameter among diabetic post-covid mucormycosis patients which may further help in identifying such susceptible patients in a much earlier course of the disease. Materials and Methods: The study was done with 30 diabetic patients (21 males and 9 females) admitted in RIMS Ranchi during the second wave of Covid-19 for post-covid complications. Palm and fingerprint pattern was taken by ink and pad method to measure the qualitative and quantitative parameters. Result: Diabetic post-covid mucormycosis patients were found to have predominantly whorl pattern in males, loop in females, and C-line pattern absent in 36.6%. Proximal axial triradii with ulnar deviation was 76.6%. All the ridge counts (except ab ridge count of right hand) when compared with hypothesized value were found to be significant with P value (<0.005). None of the three angles measured were found to be significant. Conclusion: All the ridge counts (except ab ridge count of right hand) were found to be a reliable parameter for the diagnosis of diabetic post-covid mucormycosis. ATD angle known to be the most reliable parameter for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in dermatoglyphics is found to be nonreliable with respect to diabetes post-covid mucormycosis.


Iron is an essential element for living organisms. Most bacteria synthesize species-specific iron chelators, called siderophores, able to capture iron from their host or the environment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen, produces two endogenous siderophores but is able to acquire iron also via xenosiderophores, produced by other bacteria or fungi, using a set of conserved TonB transporters. ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for acute and chronic infections in immunocompromised hosts. This organism is known to compete efficiently against coinfecting microorganisms, due in part to the secretion of antimicrobial molecules and the synthesis of siderophore molecules with high affinity for iron. P. aeruginosa possess a large repertoire of TonB-dependent transporters for the uptake of its own, as well as xenosiderophores released from other bacteria or fungi. Here, we show that P. aeruginosa is also capable of utilizing plant-derived polyphenols as an iron source. We found that exclusively plant-derived phenols containing a catechol group (i.e., chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, luteolin) induce the expression of the TonB-dependent transporters PiuA or PirA. This induction requires the two-component system PirR-PirS. Chlorogenic acid in its Fe(III)-loaded form was actively transported by PiuA and PirA and supported growth under iron-limiting conditions. Coincidentally, PiuA and PirA are also the main TonB transporters for the recently approved siderophore-drug conjugate cefiderocol. Surprisingly, quercetin supplementation increased the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to siderophore-drug conjugates, due to induction of piuA and pirA expression mediated by the PirR-PirS two-component system. These findings suggest a potential novel therapeutic application for these biologically active dietary polyphenols. IMPORTANCE Iron is an essential element for living organisms. Most bacteria synthesize species-specific iron chelators, called siderophores, able to capture iron from their host or the environment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen, produces two endogenous siderophores but is able to acquire iron also via xenosiderophores, produced by other bacteria or fungi, using a set of conserved TonB transporters. Here, we show that P. aeruginosa is also able to use plant metabolites, like quercetin and chlorogenic acid, as siderophores. These metabolites possess an iron-chelating catechol group and are recognized and transported by the TonB transporters PirA and PiuA. Since these transporters also promote the specific uptake of siderophore-drug conjugates, P. aeruginosa exposed to these plant catechols becomes hypersusceptible to this novel class of antibiotics. This unexpected finding suggests a potential therapeutic application for quercetin and chlorogenic acid, which were mainly investigated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.


In Antiquity, original writing, copying and translating took place through dictation. It is likely that (parts of) the Septuagint was (were) committed to writing in that way. Traditions concerning the translation of Buddhist Sutras into Chinese help us to picture that process. The hypothesis that someone recited the Hebrew text, one translated orally and one or more scribes wrote the translation down contributes to LXX research. It explains (1) characteristic features of the Septuagint noted by Soisalon-Soininen, and (2) phonetic errors on both the Hebrew and the Greek sides. (3) It is compatible with the notion that learned scribes were involved but it lends no support to the "targumic origin" theory.


Traditionally used medicinal plants are the major resources of biologically active metabolites which are widely used for the cure of numerous diseases especially in developing countries where health facilities are rare. Many plants are in use for centuries but there is not enough scientific evidence and exploration. This research is focused on phytochemicals, antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activity analysis of one of the most commonly used ethnomedicine Tinospora cordifolia collected from the Kavrepalanchok district of Nepal. Phytochemicals analysis of methanol extract of T. cordifolia showed the presence of alkaloids, coumarin saponins, glycosides, reducing sugar, and triterpenes. Antibacterial activity performed by disc diffusion method exhibited the highest activity against Streptococcus with a zone of inhibition are 10.3mm, 8.5mm, 6.5mm, and 6mm at 200mg/ml, 100mg/ml, 50mg/ml, and 25mg/ml of concentration respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity increased with increasing concentration of extract. When compared with ascorbic acid at equivalent concentration, the extract shows a lower scavenging profile (56.07% for the extract and 98.01% for ascorbic acid at 320 ppm). Cytotoxicity was evaluated in terms of LC50 (lethality concentration). The result showed that the extract of T. cordifolia was found to be toxic with an LC50 value of 232.64μg/ml. The bioactive component present in the plants could be the result of its pharmacological effects that support the traditional use of plants.


The use of price earnings ratios and dividend-price ratios as forecasting variables for the stock market is examined using aggregate annual US data 1871 to 2000 and aggregate quarterly data for twelve countries since 1970. Various simple efficient-markets models of financial markets imply that these ratios should be useful in forecasting future dividend growth, future earnings growth, or future productivity growth. We conclude that, overall, the ratios do poorly in forecasting any of these. Rather, the ratios appear to be useful primarily in forecasting future stock price changes, contrary to the simple efficient-markets models. This paper is an update of our earlier paper (1998), to take account of the remarkable behavior of the stock market in the closing years of the twentieth century.


Delayed ambulation in young children presents a difficult problem to both parents and physician. It may be caused by neuromuscular disease. A child who is not walking by 18 to 20 months is considered to be delayed in ambulation. Assistance should be given in preambulation activities (e.g., sitting, crawling, creeping, standing) when such delay is anticipated. Balance and support are two requirements for independent walking. The use of aids, such as the tilt board, stand-up table, and parallel bars, sometimes supplies the necessary balance and support. These can be constructed inexpensively by the parents. Minimal bracing, crutches, and canes are additional ambulation aids. Disabled children usually exceed our expectations but may fall short of their parents' hopes.


In 1992 a law banned excavation, importation, production and trade of new asbestos-containing materials. Nonetheless the use of already made asbestos-containing materials hadn't been banned. Now it's time to think about the possible health impact on the Italian population, and workers in particular, for the prolonged permanence of asbestos-containing materials, in civil and industrial areas.


On this study, magnetic force versus input currents is analyzed by modeling taper plunger type proportional electromagnet of ISC valve using the permernce method. And, the reliabiliy of simulation is verified by comparing the experimental values with the calaulate magnetic force. From the result of this study, it is found that the taper angles at plunger and core, the length of air gap between plunger and yoke are the prumary factors in designing taper plunget type proportional electromagnet. Magnetic force is decreased as a whole according to increasing the air gap between pluger and yoke, and vise versa. But, the magnetic force is not proportional to current, when the air gap is very small. In case of decreasing the taper angle of pluger, the stroke range of plunger where magnetic force is proportional to current becomes farther from core.


liver metastases from non-colorectal non-neuroendocrine tumors. treatment in a hospital of second level introduction: Surgical treatment of liver metastases is broadly accepted for colorectal and neuroendo- crine tumors. However, the approach to liver metastases of other origins is not well established. The objective is the evaluation of factors that might be associated with better or worse perioperative outcomes (morbidity and mortality) and survival of patients with non-colorectal, non-neuroendocrine liver metastases (nCnnLM) treated surgically in a second level hospital. material and methods: A prospective study of patients with nCnnLM treated surgically or with radiofrequency was completed in San Cecilio University Hospital of Granada, between March 2003 and June 2013. The statistical analysis was made with IBM-SPSS version 21. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Survival data were analyzed by Kaplan-Meiers method. re- sults: Twenty-two patients with 26 surgeries were analyzed, 19 liver resections, 6 radiofrequency treatments and 1 combined case with surgery and radiofrequency. Operatory mortality was 0% and overage mortality was 23.1%. Univariate analysis only showed statistical significance in two of the factors, presence of positive lymphatic nodes during the surgery of the primary tumor and presence of extra-hepatic disease. Accumulated survival was 81%, 66% and 52% at 1, 2 and 3 years respectively. conclusions: Despite the fact of treating together in the same group several different tumors, the surgical treatment of nCnnLM (with or without radiofrequency) has an acceptable survival rate. Thus, they can be treated with safety when we use a multi- disciplinary approach to these patients.


Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an antiepileptic drug, with a structure similar to imipramine. In this study, chemical interaction of carbamazepine and 10,11 dihydroxycarbamazepine (CBZ-diol) which is one of the most important metabolites of carbamazepine with Fe(III) were investigated in in-vitro media in order to examine anemia owing to iron deficiency. The data are obtained via investigation of the compounds that form complexes with iron. As a result of spectrophotom etric investigation of the chemical interaction between CBZ and Fe (III) was found to occur in % 10 dioxane - water solvent medium, at the interval of pH= 2-3, at room temperature, in 5 min reaction time, when equal concentrations of CBZ and Fe (III) were used. The interaction reaction of 10,11CBZ-diol with Fe (III) was found to occur optimally in aqueous solution at room temperature, in 5 min reaction time, at the interval of pH=2-3 and concentration of CBZ two times higher than Fe (III) concentration. It is investigated that whether the interaction reaction of Fe(III)- CBZ and Fe(III)-CBZ-diol to make complexes according to Irwing-Rossot i method by potentiometry .The interaction between CBZ- Fe(III) and CBZ-diol- Fe(III) is a weak interaction reaction rather than being a reaction that forms complexes and this supports the results of spectrophotometric analysis.


Let n\geq 3 and $\Omega$ be a C^{2} ‐bounded domain in \mathbb{R}^{n} with 0 \in @. We consider \left\{\begin{array}{l} \triangle u+ $\lambda$ u^{p}+\frac{u^{2^{*}-1}}{|x|^{\mathrm{s}}}=0 \mathrm{i}\mathrm{n} $\Omega$,\\ u=0 \mathrm{o}\mathrm{n} \partial $\Omega$, \end{array}\right. (0.1) where 0<s<2, 2^{*}=\displaystyle \frac{2(n-s)}{n-2}, \left\{\begin{array}{l} $\lambda$>0 \mathrm{i}\mathrm{f} 1<p\leq\frac{n+2}{n-2},\\ 0< $\lambda$<$\lambda$_{1}( $\Omega$) \mathrm{i}\mathrm{f} p=1, \end{array}\right. and $\lambda$_{1} () is the first eigenvalue of -\triangle with the Dirichlet boundary condition. In this paper, we shall prove the equation (0.1) has a positive solution provided that \displaystyle \frac{n}{n-2}< p<\displaystyle \frac{n+2}{n-2} . If the mean curvature H at 0 is negative, then for each of the following cases, the equation (0.1) has a positive solution. 1. 1\displaystyle \leq p<\frac{n+2}{n-2}. 2. p=\displaystyle \frac{n+2}{n-2} and \left\{\begin{array}{l} 0<s<1 \mathrm{i}\mathrm{f} n=3,\\ 0<s<2 \mathrm{i}\mathrm{f} n\geq 4. \end{array}\right. If H(0)<0 , then we also prove the existence of a positive solution for the following equation: \left\{\begin{array}{l} \triangle u$\lambda$ u^{p}+\frac{u^{2^{*}-1}}{|x|^{\mathrm{s}}}=0 \mathrm{i}\mathrm{n} $\Omega$,\\ u=0 \mathrm{o}\mathrm{n} \partial $\Omega$, \end{array}\right. where $\lambda$>0 and 1\displaystyle \leq p<\min\{\frac{n}{n-2}, 2^{*}-1\}. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classication: 35\mathrm{J}60 (primary), 35\mathrm{B}33 (secondary).


This article explores the role of international development cooperation — or aid — in foreign policy and diplomacy. Based on his experience as a practitioner, Arjan de Haan makes the observation that the development debate, and in particular the search for effective aid, has neglected the political role of aid. Moreover, the high political symbolism that aid has obtained, particularly in the last decade, has received relatively little attention. A political perspective on aid is now rapidly becoming more important, especially because of the enhanced importance of global security in setting an aid agenda, and because the old ways of working are — or seem to be — challenged by the rise of China and other countries that were recently (and still are) recipients of aid. An understanding of the diverse political motives behind aid should inform the way that aid effectiveness is measured. The changing politics in which aid is embedded are illustrated with reference to the Netherlands, which used to have one of the most respected aid programmes because of its multilateral emphasis and 'untying' of aid, and because Dutch strategic interests have now been made one of the cornerstones of the Netherlands' new policy. The article hypothesizes that reinforcing progressive principles around international development can be a supportive element of a strengthened diplomacy in the globalized world beyond 2010.


Objective
To determine whether tofacitinib can be discontinued in patients with RA who achieve low disease activity (LDA).

Methods
RA patients with LDA after tofacitinib treatment in a phase III and long-term extension study were enrolled in this multicentre, non-randomized, open, prospective, observational study. The decision of discontinuation or continuation of tofacitinib was determined based on patient-physician decision making with informed consent. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who remained tofacitinib-free at post-treatment week 52. Clinical outcome was compared between those who continued and those who discontinued tofacitinib. The last observation carried forward method was used for patients who could not discontinue tofacitinib before week 52.

Results
Of 64 patients, 54 discontinued and 10 continued tofacitinib therapy. At post-treatment week 52, 20 of the 54 patients (37%) of the discontinuation group remained tofacitinib-free without disease flare. Disease activity at post-treatment week 52 was higher in the discontinuation group than the continuation group. Among the discontinuation group, the RF titre at baseline was significantly lower in patients who remained tofacitinib-free than those who did not (40 vs 113 U/ml). In fact, a higher proportion of patients with lower RF remained tofacitinib-free at week 52 compared with those with higher RF at baseline. In patients who could not achieve tofacitinib-free status, re-initiation of tofacitinib or other biologics improved disease activity.

Conclusion
It is possible to discontinue tofacitinib without flare in about a third of patients with RA. A low RF predicts maintenance of LDA after discontinuation of tofacitinib.


Conceptions of learning are seen as an important factor in shaping students' patterns of learning. However, conceptions are often implicit and difficult to assess. Metaphors have been proposed as a method to assess conceptions, because metaphors are closely linked to the conceptual system. Therefore, in our study we assessed which conceptions of learning are visible in students' metaphors of learning and examined whether these metaphors predict differences in students' learning patterns. Altogether, N = 91 students of educational science from a German university filled in a questionnaire on their personal metaphors of learning, their learning strategy use, epistemological beliefs, and their motivation. Four kinds of metaphors could be differentiated: regulation-related metaphors, learning as knowledge acquisition, learning as problem solving, or as personality development. A discriminant analysis revealed that students with personality development metaphors and with problem solving metaphors were more intrinsically motivated and more aware of the relativism of knowledge than students with regulationrelated or knowledge acquisition metaphors. Students with personality development metaphors differed from students with problem solving metaphors in their stronger use of deep processing strategies, their lower extrinsic motivation and their stronger rejection of a dualism of knowledge. The study demonstrates that metaphors of learning are a suitable tool for assessing students' conceptions of learning and gives new insights on using this innovative method as an assessment tool.


Phytoplankton play a central role in our ecosystems, they are responsible for nearly 50 percent of the global primary productivity and major drivers of macro-elemental cycles in the ocean. Phytoplankton are constantly subjected to stressors, some natural such as nutrient limitation and some manmade such as oil spills. With increasing oil exploration activities in coastal zones in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, an oil spill during nutrient-limited conditions for phytoplankton growth is highly likely. We performed a multifactorial study exposing the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (UTEX 646) to oil and/or dispersants under nitrogen and silica limitation as well as co-limitation of both nutrients. Our study found that treatments with nitrogen limitation (-N and–N-Si) showed overall lower growth and chlorophyll a, lower photosynthetic antennae size, lower maximum photosynthetic efficiency, lower protein in exopolymeric substance (EPS), but higher connectivity between photosystems compared to non-nitrogen limited treatments (-Si and +N+Si) in almost all the conditions with oil and/or dispersants. However, certain combinations of nutrient limitation and oil and/or dispersant differed from this trend indicating strong interactive effects. When analyzed for significant interactive effects, the–N treatment impact on cellular growth in oil and oil plus dispersant conditions; and oil and oil plus dispersant conditions on cellular growth in–N-Si and–N treatments were found to be significant. Overall, we demonstrate that nitrogen limitation can affect the oil resistant trait of P. tricornutum, and oil with and without dispersants can have interactive effects with nutrient limitation on this diatom.


The purpose of this study is to identify visual representations of Indonesian culture that are applied to the virtual character design of Hololive Indonesia (HololiveID) Virtual Youtuber (vTuber). To obtain data, qualitative research methods will be performed as well as observation. This cultural representation can analyze using narrative-visual analysis and semiotics. Through visual-narrative and semiotic analysis, the visual elements of the HololiveID vTuber character design will be identified and analyzed to classify the design of Indonesian cultural artifacts that the character is trying to adapt. As a virtual youtuber, the character design itself will represent their visual identity. The discourse on the visual adaptation of Indonesian cultural elements has become an interesting phenomenon to study. The impact on Japanese popular culture fans among Indonesian people can be seen from the enthusiasm that emerged when this was a trend. Cultural visual adaptation can be used as a media to introduce a traditional culture by the means of popular culture. From this analysis, it can be concluded how the HololiveID vTuber character design lifts and represents Indonesian culture into its visual identity. The result of this present research shows HololiveID generation two's character design is proven to have Indonesian cultural design as their visual Identity, mostly their design using batik to represent the Indonesian culture and requires a deeper level of understanding of the Indonesian cultural artefact itself.


No. Megestrol acetate (MA) is neither safe nor effective for stimulating appetite in malnourished nursing home residents. It increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, 2 retrospective chart reviews), but isn't associated with other new or worsening events or disorders (SOR: B, single randomized controlled trial [RCT]). Over a 25-week period, MA wasn't associated with increased mortality (SOR: B, single RCT). After 44 months, however, MA-treated patients showed decreased median survival (SOR: B, single case-control study). Consistent, meaningful weight gain was not observed with MA treatment (SOR: B, single case-control study, single RCT, 2 retrospective chart reviews, single prospective case-series).


OBJECTIVES: To present the clinical features and outcomes of outpatients who suffer from refractory ascites. METHODS: This prospective observational study consecutively enrolled patients with cirrhotic ascites who submitted to a clinical evaluation, a sodium restriction diet, biochemical blood tests, 24 hour urine tests and an ascitic fluid analysis. All patients received a multidisciplinary evaluation and diuretic treatment. Patients who did not respond to the diuretic treatment were controlled by therapeutic serial paracentesis, and a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was indicated for patients who required therapeutic serial paracentesis up to twice a month. RESULTS: The most common etiology of cirrhosis in both groups was alcoholism [49 refractory (R) and 11 non-refractory ascites (NR)]. The majority of patients in the refractory group had Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis (p=0.034). The nutritional assessment showed protein-energy malnutrition in 81.6% of the patients in the R group and 35.5% of the patients in the NR group, while hepatic encephalopathy, hernia, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, upper digestive hemorrhage and type 2 hepatorenal syndrome were present in 51%, 44.9%, 38.8%, 38.8% and 26.5% of the patients in the R group and 9.1%, 18.2%, 0%, 0% and 0% of the patients in the NR group, respectively (p=0.016, p=0.173, p=0.012, p=0.012, and p=0.100, respectively). Mortality occurred in 28.6% of the patients in the R group and in 9.1% of the patients in the NR group (p=0.262). CONCLUSION: Patients with refractory ascites were malnourished, suffered from hernias, had a high prevalence of complications and had a high postoperative death frequency, which was mostly due to infectious processes.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether several clinicopathological factors could be used as prognostic predictors in patients who have undergone radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder.

METHODS
Between January 1985 and June 2000, 154 patients underwent radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for TCC of the bladder at a single institution. Their clinicopathological findings were analyzed based on the criteria of the Japanese Urological Association.

RESULTS
Histopathological examination revealed that the tumor grade was 1 or 2 in 22 patients and 3 in 132 patients; the pathological stage was pT1 or less in 30 patients, pT2 in 51 patients, pT3 in 53 patients and pT4 in 20 patients. Vascular involvement and lymph node metastasis were found in 85 and 33 patients, respectively. The cause-specific 5-year survival rate was 64.2% for all patients, 74.4% for patients with grade 1 or 2 tumors, 62.9% for those with grade 3 tumors; 90.9% for those with stage pT1 or less, 77.9% for those with stage pT2, 45.0% for those with stage pT3 and 29.2% for those with stage pT4 (p < 0.001); 83.2% for patients without vascular involvement and 42.0% for those with vascular invasion (p < 0.001); and 76.5% for patients without lymph node metastasis and 22.7% for those with lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed a strong independent correlation of the pathological stage and lymph node metastasis with poor prognosis and, furthermore, the incidence of lymph node metastasis was significantly related to the increase in pathological stage.

CONCLUSIONS
In this series, the pathological stage, lymph node metastasis and vascular involvement, but not tumor grade, were significantly useful prognostic factors in patients who have undergone radical cystectomy for TCC and among them only pathological stage and lymph node metastasis could be used as independent predictors for poor prognosis.


Shelf life of freshly prepared pineapple juice is short and requires refrigerated conditions of storage. Mild heat treatment remains the easiest way to prolong juice shelf life for small companies. This study was constructed to assess pineapple cv. Queen Victoria juice shelf life from a broad examination of its quality and to propose the most appropriate thermal treatment to increase shelf life without any perceptible decrease in quality. From 25 independent batches of pineapple, collected in different areas and seasons from Reunion Island, the variability of juice physicochemical and microbiological quality was determined. Juice pH values were the highest for fruit harvested in summer, but the juice acidity remained low enough to prevent pathogen spore-forming bacteria growth. During storage at 4 °C, color was modified, and yeasts and molds were the main microbial group exhibiting growth. Assessment of sensory quality resulted in the proposal of a shelf life comprising between three and seven days. Compared to higher temperatures, heat treatment at 60 °C was enough to ensure a good microbiological quality for 30 days, but sensory characteristics and color changes led to the proposal of a shelf life of seven days for pineapple juice treated at 60 °C.


Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is caused by the PRRS virus (PRRSV), which has brought huge economic losses to the pork industry worldwide since its first discovery in the late 1980s in North America. To date, there are no effective commercial vaccines or therapeutic drugs available for controlling the spread of PRRSV. Due to their unique advantages of high affinity and high specificity, nanobodies (Nbs) have received increasing attention in the process of disease diagnosis and treatment. Trans-activator transcription (TAT) can serve as a vector to carry specific proteins into cells by passing through cell membranes. In our previous study, a specific Nb against the PRRSV nucleocapsid (N) protein was screened using phage display technology. For this study, we developed a novel recombinant protein constituting a TAT-conjugated Nb, which we call TAT-Nb1. The target cell entry efficiency of TAT-Nb1 and its effect on PRRSV infection and replication were then investigated. Our results indicate that TAT delivered Nb1 into Marc-145 cells and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, TAT-Nb1 dose-dependently suppressed PRRSV infection and replication, where this antiviral effect was independent of PRRSV strain. Co-immunoprecipitation results revealed that Nb1 efficiently interacted with the N protein of PRRSV. Taken together, the presented results suggest that TAT-Nb1 can effectively suppress PRRSV replication, and it may be considered as a new anti-PRRSV candidate drug.


An extended discretized scheme is proposed to examine the convergence profile of a quadratic control problem constrained by evolution equation with real coefficients. With an unconstrained formulation of the problem via the penaltymultiplier method, the discretization of the time interval and differential constraint is carried out. An operator, to circumvent the cumbersome calculation inherent in some earlier schemes, such as the function space algorithm, is established and proved. An example is considered to test the effectiveness and superiority of this scheme as it compares to other schemes in terms of convergence profile.


Permanent magnet spherical motors (PMSMs) operate on the principle of the dc excitation of stator coils and three freedom of motion in the rotor. Each coil generates the torque in a specific direction, collectively they move the rotor to a direction of motion. Modeling and analysis of the output torque are of critical importance for precise position control applications. The control of these motors requires precise output torques by all coils at a specific rotor position, which is difficult to achieve in the three-dimension space. This article is the first to apply the Gaussian process to establish the relationship of the rotor position and the output torque for PMSMs. Traditional methods are difficult to resolve such a complex three-dimensional problem with a reasonable computational accuracy and time. This article utilizes a data-driven method using only input and output data validated by experiments. The multitask Gaussian process is developed to calculate the total torque produced by multiple coils at the full operational range. The training data and test data are obtained by the finite-element method. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated and compared with existing data-driven approaches. The results exhibit superior performance of accuracy.


A low birth weight (LBW, < 2500 g), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and preterm birth (PB, < 37 weeks of gestational age) are the most common clinical factors for an altered programming of nephron number and are associated with a greater risk for hypertension, proteinuria, and kidney disease later in life. At present, an indirect assessment of total nephron number based on postnatal markers is the most important approach to evaluate the risk for future kidney disorders in newborn infants with a LBW, IUGR or PB. Here we describe advances made in animal experiments and biochemical markers in humans, and the recommendations for the prevention of preconception kidney injury, including social factors and chronic diseases. According to the evidence, IUGR and prematurity alone can modulate nephrogenesis and kidney function, and, if occurring simultaneously, their effects tend to be cumulative.


Six women were given 1 g of piperacillin on the 2nd postpartum day and serum concentrations of the drug were measured at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h after infusion. The same women returned for an identical test 6 months later and hence served as their own controls. A second group of 6 women were treated identically except that they received the first dose of piperacillin on the 3rd postpartum day. The serum levels of antibiotic were consistently lower during the puerperium than at 6 months. The levels obtained at 2 compared to 3 days post partum were similar, but were about one half the levels obtained at 6 months post partum. These results indicate that antibiotic therapy for postpartum endomyometritis may need to take account of the fact that the altered pharmacokinetics of pregnancy persists into the puerperium. If used in this setting, the dose of piperacillin may need to be increased by 50% over the normal adult dose.


Somatic heart- and torpedo-stage embryos of the domesticated carrot, Daucus carota L., were severed at their midlengths to produce two halves termed apical and basal pieces. These pieces may be grafted or kept separate. Grafted embryos developed normally, with the exception that they tended to mature earlier than uncut control embryos. If kept separate, the apices grew at rates similar to grafted apices, while the basal ends, behaving as if they had been released from an inhibition of growth, rapidly elongated and matured (e.g. produced root hairs and a root cap) 3–4 days earlier than uncut controls. Grafted embryos treated with the transport inhibitor TIBA (2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid) had basal sections that behaved as if the sections had been kept separate. Additionally, resupplying IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) via a novel wick-bridge forced isolated basal pieces to behave as if the embryo apex were present. This apparent inhibition of root growth by the apex appears to be controlled by either the polar transport of auxin, and/or the accumulation of auxin at the root end. These experiments suggest that polar auxin transport has a greater influence on root, rather than on apex, development in these embryos.


ABSTRACT Conversational memory is subject to a number of biases. For instances, references which were reused during dialogue are remembered better than non-reused references. Two experiments examined whether speakers are aware that they are subject to such biases and whether they use information about reference origin (i.e., information about who said what) to determine which references are remembered better by their partner. Pairs of participants performed a map task followed by a questionnaire that assessed each participant's content memory as well as each participant's estimation of his or her partner's memory. In Experiment 1, the participants were unaware that they would perform a memory test after the map task, whereas the participants were mutually aware of the upcoming memory test in Experiment 2. The results revealed that participants did know that their partner was subject to memory biases and that their estimation of these biases was mainly accurate. The results prevented us from drawing any conclusions about the role of origin memory in this process. These results have important implications for subsequent dialogic partner-adaptation.


This thesis investigates a new bootstrap method, this method is called Nonparametric
Predictive Inference Bootstrap (NPI-B). Nonparametric predictive inference
(NPI) is a frequentist statistics approach that makes few assumptions, enabled by
using lower and upper probabilities to quantify uncertainty, and explicitly focuses
on future observations. In the NPI-B method, we use a sample of n observations to
create n + 1 intervals and draw one future value uniformly from one interval. Then
this value is added to the data and the process is repeated, now with n+1 observations.
Repetition of this process leads to the NPI-B sample, which therefore is not
taken from the actual sample, but consists of values in the whole range of possible
observations, also going beyond the range of the actual sample. We explore NPI-B
for data on finite intervals, real line and non negative observations, and compare
it to other bootstrap methods via simulation studies which show that the NPI-B
method works well as a prediction method.
The NPI method is presented for the reproducibility probability (RP) of some
nonparametric tests. Recently, there has been substantial interest in the reproducibility
probability, where not only its estimation but also its actual definition
and interpretation are not uniquely determined in the classical frequentist statistics
framework. The explicitly predictive nature of NPI provides a natural formulation
of inferences on RP. It is used to derive lower and upper bounds of RP values (known
as the NPI-RP method) but if we consider large sample sizes, the computation of
these bounds is difficult. We explore the NPI-B method to predict the RP values
(they are called NPI-B-RP values) of some nonparametric tests. Reproducibility of
tests is an important characteristic of the practical relevance of test outcomes.