The quenching factor for sodium recoils in a 2-inch Nal(Tl) scintillating crystal has been measured at room temperature. The crystal has been exposed to 2.45 MeV mono-energetic neutrons generated by a deuterium-deuterium fixed target accelerator in the energy range 10 to 100 keV nuclear recoil energy. A BC501A liquid scintillator detector has been used to tag neutrons that scatter off sodium nuclei in the crystal. Cuts on pulse shape discrimination in BC501A and neutron time of flight have been performed on pulses recorded by an Acqiris DC265 digitiser with a 2 ns sampling time. A quenching factor of 25.2 ± 6.4% has been determined for 10 keV sodium recoils. Measured quenching factors range from 19% to 26% in good agreement with other experiments. From pulse shape analysis, the mean time of pulses from electron and nuclear recoils have been compared down to 2 keV electron equivalent energy. Photon reponse measurements with the same crystal have also been taken by exposing it to gamma-ray sources with a range of energies. In agreement with results from other experiments, a dip in the photon response is seen at energies coincident with the iodine K-shell electron binding energy. This is a direct consequence of the energy of the photoelectron emitted during photoelectric absorption. An attempt to measure the non-linear electron response is also made with the Compton Coincidence Technique. Implications of this result on the quenching factor for sodium recoils in Nal(Tl) are also discussed. The commissioning of passive neutron and gamma shielding, together with an active veto system, around the ZEPLIN-II dark matter detector is described. The preparation of neutron shielding has required the impregnation of paraffin wax with gadolinium, and the casting of this into cuboids. Tests of the veto trigger with source data yield gamma and neutron background rejection efficiencies of 21.13% and 50.44% respectively. The veto efficiency is 99.15%.


A study has been made of the optical and radiation damage properties of undoped and niobium doped lead tungstate crystals. Data were obtained on the optical absorbance, the intensity and decay time of the scintillation light output , and the radioluminescence and photohmi-nescence emission spectra. Radiation damage was studied in several undoped and niobium doped samples using 6oCo gamma ray irradiation. The change in optical absorption and observed scintillation light output was measured as a function of dose up to total cumulative doses on the order of 800 krad. The radiation induced phosphorescence and thermoluminescence was also measured, as well as recovery from damage by optical bleaching and thermal annealing. An investigation was also made to determine trace element impurities in several samples.


This paper sets out to locate Mauritian SMEs in the present context of global competition and more particularly to identify the extent to which they have adopted ICTs as a tool to meet the challenges which they now face. The essence of the argument that comes to the fore is that despite having an impressive number of SMEs which contribute enormously to employment creation in the country, the latter are in many ways ill-equipped to confront the challenges of global competition. The findings clearly show that the adoption of ICTs in SMEs is far from being an integral feature of Mauritian SMEs despite recent claims to be a cyber-island. Cost of communication and the lack of learning opportunities have been found as the major impediments in the adoption of ICTs. In turn this raises serious implications and challenges for the SMEs themselves and the Government in order to adapt to the requirements of globalisation.


Homer represents a new and diversified family of proteins made up of several isoforms. The presence of Homer isoforms, referable to 1b/c and 2a/b, was investigated in fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscles from both rat and mouse. Homer 1b/c was identical irrespective of the muscle, and Homer 2a/b was instead characteristic of the slow-twitch phenotype. Transition in Homer isoform composition was studied in two established experimental models of atrophy, i.e., denervation and disuse of slow-twitch skeletal muscles of the rat. No change of Homer 1b/c was observed up to 14 days after denervation, whereas Homer 2a/b was found to be significantly decreased at 7 and 14 days after denervation by 70 and 90%, respectively, and in parallel to reduction of muscle mass; 3 days after denervation, relative mRNA was reduced by 90% and remained low thereafter. Seven-day hindlimb suspension decreased Homer 2a/b protein by 70%. Reconstitution of Homer 2 complement by in vivo transfection of denervated soleus allowed partial rescue of the atrophic phenotype, as far as muscle mass, muscle fiber size, and ubiquitinazion are concerned. The counteracting effects of exogenous Homer 2 were mediated by downregulation of MuRF1, Atrogin, and Myogenin, i.e., all genes known to be upregulated at the onset of atrophy. On the other hand, slow-to-fast transition of denervated soleus, another landmark of denervation atrophy, was not rescued by Homer 2 replacement. The present data show that 1) downregulation of Homer 2 is an early event of atrophy, and 2) Homer 2 participates in the control of ubiquitinization and ensuing proteolysis via transcriptional downregulation of MuRF1, Atrogin, and Myogenin. Homers are key players of skeletal muscle plasticity, and Homer 2 is required for trophic homeostasis of slow-twitch skeletal muscles.


>Metal framework for windows and doors is made of aluminium profile with closed or open hollow chambers into which thermal set, hydrophilic adsorbent material is packed. The middle part of the framework is made of aluminium which has a stamped pattern (12, 13) in order to reduce the heat flow through it.


Theoretical and practical values of error coefficients useful in bounding the error in integrating periodic analytic functions with the trapezoidal rule are tabulated for various ranges of the parameters.


Central nervous system lesions in guinea pigs sensitized for chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis for between 18 and 36 months have been found to possess a small but probably significant degree of axonal involvement. Axonal identity was established by light and electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry. The axonal changes were restricted to white matter and consisted of massive (up to 95 microns) scattered axonal spheroids which displayed lateral branches and vacuoles; small groups of spheroids filled with a wide assortment of axoplasmic organelles; and deeper, more extensive collections of affected demyelinated axons and spheroids which frequently displayed abortive axonal regeneration into the Virchow-Robin space. Although accumulations of most axoplasmic organelles occurred in the spheroids and reactive axons, microtubules were relatively rare. These formations were never seen in adjacent unaffected white matter and spinal cord tissue from normal aged animals contained only the occasional spheroid. It is hypothesized that the disease process in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis may be more dynamic than previously described and that prolonged interruption in normal axon-glial relationships in chronically demyelinated (sometimes remyelinated) gliotic lesions might lead to a block in axoplasmic transport and a disruption of the axonal cytoskeleton. Although most affected axons appeared intact, some of the spheroids probably represented proximal stumps from which sprouting occurred, leading to neuroma-like formations. The implications of the findings are discussed in reference to long-term demyelination and multiple sclerosis where almost identical profiles have been documented.


We report a group of patients (pts) with indolent lymphoproliferative disorder who had both alleles for the immunoglobulin heavy chain genes rearranged (biIgH). This group of 17 pts consisted of 9 small lymphocytic lymphomas (SLL) and 8 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of clonal immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) rearrangement using the complementarity determining region III (CDRIII) constantly retrieved two distinct bands in all PCR informative samples of those pts. To rule out biclonality, we evaluated samples by fluorescein activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis and sequenced the PCR products. We were able to obtain both IgH sequences from 12 patients. FACS suggested biclonality in one case, which also correlated with sequencing results as both IgH rearrangements were in‐frame. Recently, we reported a patient who sustained transformation into an aggressive disease after biIgH was detected in the setting of monoclonal disease (Cerny et al., 2003b , Haematologica 88(05):ECR15 B.). We decided to compare clinical characteristics and prognosis of 17 pts with biIgH and 37 pts with monoIgH rearrangements. Although we found some minor differences in disease characteristics between both groups, these did not translate into a significantly different overall survival. Our findings suggest that true biclonal cases of CLL are rare. J. Cell. Physiol. 199: 217–226, 2004© 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The ideas of philosopher John Rawls should be appropriated for the information age. A literature review
identifies previous contributions in fields such as communication and library and information science. The
article postulates the following neo-Rawlsian propositions as co-ordinates for the development of a normative
theory of the information society: that political philosophy should be incorporated into information society
studies; that social and technological circumstances define the limits of progressive politics; that the right is
prior to the good in social morality; that the nation state should remain in sharp focus, despite globalization;
that liberty, the first principle of social justice, requires updating to deal with the growth of surveillance and
other challenges; that social wellbeing is a function of equal opportunities plus limited inequalities of outcome,
in information as well as material resources; and that political stability depends upon an overlapping
consensus accommodating both religion and secularism. Although incomplete, such co-ordinates can help to
guide policy-makers in the twenty-first century.


OBJECTIVE
Drawing on the Five-Factor Model of personality, the aim of the present study was to find out which personality traits predict health maintenance behaviors, reflected in routine participation in health screenings, over and above objective and subjective health status.

METHOD
Participants were 2,803 employed individuals (61% men), free of background diseases, who underwent a routine health examination and were subsequently notified whether they were healthy or at risk. These participants were invited to repeat the examination within the next few years, as is medically recommended.

RESULTS
Logistic and negative binomial regressions were used to predict participants' odds of returning for a second examination, within the next 7 years, as well as the number of consecutive visits, while controlling for sociodemographic factors, objective and subjective health, and length of follow-up. We found that both endpoints were positively predicted by Conscientiousness and negatively predicted by Extraversion and Openness. The association between Neuroticism and these endpoints followed a bell-shaped curve (i.e., individuals high or low in Neuroticism were less likely to return).

CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggest that personality traits should be taken into consideration in the planning and implementation of health-promoting interventions.


Drowsy driving is a major cause of automobile accidents. Previous studies used neuroimaging based approaches such as analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) activities to understand the brain dynamics of different cortical regions during drowsy driving. However, the coupling between brain regions responding to this vigilance change is still unclear. To have a comprehensive understanding of neural mechanisms underlying drowsy driving, in this study we use transfer entropy, a model-free measure of effective connectivity based on information theory. We investigate the pattern of information transfer between brain regions when the vigilance level, which is derived from the driving performance, changes from alertness to drowsiness. Results show that the couplings between pairs of frontal, central, and parietal areas increased at the intermediate level of vigilance, which suggests that an enhancement of the cortico-cortical interaction is necessary to maintain the task performance and prevent behavioral lapses. Additionally, the occipital-related connectivity magnitudes monotonically decreases as the vigilance level declines, which further supports the cortical gating of sensory stimuli during drowsiness. Neurophysiological evidence of mutual relationships between brain regions measured by transfer entropy might enhance the understanding of cortico-cortical communication during drowsy driving.


Background Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is an emerging biomarker for selecting patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for immunotherapy. And many studies have revealed high-TMB may be significantly associated with response to PD-1 and PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy.Methods The RNA-seq transcriptome profiling, simple nucleotide variation and corresponding clinicopathological information of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We classified samples into the low-TMB group and the high-TMB group based on somatic mutation data from TCGA. KEGG pathways analysis was used to analyze the enriched pathways between two groups. Wilcoxon test was used to analyze the correlation between TMB and clinical pathology. CIBERSORT was used to calculate the immune cell infiltration among different risk groups.Result Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), missense mutation and C > A was most common in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. Top 10 most common mutated genes were TTN, TP53, MUC16, CSMD3, RYR2, LRP1B, USH2A, SYNE1, ZFHX4, KMT2D. High-TMB group conferred better one-year overall survival. KEGG pathways analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly involved in regulation of lymphocyte activation, lymphocyte proliferation, leukocyte proliferation and mononuclear cell proliferation. Infiltration levels of CD8 + T cell, M1 macrophages, follicular helper T cells and activated NK cells in high-TMB group were higher than that in low-TMB group.Conclusion High TMB correlated with positive one-year survival outcomes. With the development of tumor, TMB increased gradually. TMB might influence the immune infiltrates on patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma.


This research aimed at (1) discovering the EFL teachers' perception and practice of the notion of reflective teaching; (2) figuring out the levels of reflectivity the teachers reflect in their teaching practice; and (3) acknowledging the impediments that prevent teachers reflecting in their teaching practices.
 The subjects of this study were four teachers of English at four different Junior high schools in Maros. This research was a qualitative research. It was used in figuring out the phenomenon of each teacher related to reflective teaching practice. Open-ended questionnaire, observation, semi-structure interview, and teaching journal were the instruments in collecting the data and in analysing them, the researcher used qualitative data analysis.
The findings of this study show that the four teacher respondents recognize the notion of reflective practice in their teaching. How they define reflective teaching and recognize the characteristics, and the importance of being reflective teachers are related to their perception of reflective teaching. On the other hand, the teachers practiced reflective teaching by using several reflective teaching tools as suggested by Richard and Lockhart (1996). They also used action research, peer observation, teaching journal, students' feedback, and video recording as the tools in their practice reflective-in-action, on-action, and for-action as suggested by Schon, 1983; Killion and Todnem, 1981. Furthermore, by using Moon (2004)'s level of reflectivity, this study shows levels of reflectivity in the teachers' journal, two teachers were at the descriptive level, one teacher was at dialogic level, and last teacher was at critical level. Although they have practiced reflective teaching, they still face some impediments that prevent them to be reflective teachers. They claimed that they did not get the knowledge of being reflective teachers when they were students of university. They were also lack of time and heavy workloads. Moreover, in doing group-reflection, they still face difficulties in encouraging their colleagues who lacked of readiness and focus of being reflective.

Key words: Perception, Reflective Teaching, Levels of Reflectivity, Impediments.


Systemic radionuclide therapy is gaining popularity in the radiotherapy community and changing the management of painful osseous metastases. This form of therapy has two major advantages: (i) it addresses all sites of involvement; and (ii) selective absorption limits normal tissue dose. As a result, toxicity is reduced and the therapeutic ratio increased. The biokinetics, dosimetry, and clinical experience with these compounds are reviewed. To date, the best studied and most commonly used radionuclide is strontium-89. Large, prospectively randomized clinical trials have demonstrated its efficacy as a first-line therapy or as an adjuvant to external-beam radiotherapy. It is particularly useful when external-beam therapy options have been exhausted, and normal tissue tolerance has been reached. In metastatic prostate cancer, our recent survey suggests the formation of a new paradigm: local field external-beam radiotherapy to the painful index site in combination with prophylactic administration of systemic radionuclides for clinically occult metastases.


This study aimed to evaluate the correlation and agreement between Siriraj liquid-based cervical cytology (Siriraj -LBC) and conventional cytology. A total of 479 women who attended the Department of Obstetric and Gynaecology Siriraj Hospital for cervical cancer screening were enrolled. For each woman collection of cervical cells was performed using VCE technique. After smearing cells on a glass slide for conventional cytology, both broken ends of wooden spatula and cotton swabs were then placed into a plastic vial containing a specific preservative solution for Siriraj-LBC. All specimens were prepared and interpreted by experienced cytotechnologists at the Gynecologic Cytology Unit. Interpretations of the results from one technique were made without knowledge of those from the other technique. The results from both techniques were compared for agreement and correlation. Colposcopy or histology was used as the gold standard. The overall detection rate of abnormal cervicovaginal cells was higher by Siriraj-LBC than by conventional cytology (11.1% vs. 1.67%, P <0.001). These two techniques had high diagnostic agreement of 89.77%, and minimal to fair correlation with a Kappa of 0.128 (P<0.001) and a Spearman rho correlation coefficient of 0.394 (P <0.001). There were 49 cases whose Siriraj-LBC revealed higher cytologic grading than did the conventional cytology; there were no cases of the opposite result. The gold standard was available in 45 cases with abnormal cytology by Siriraj-LBC, revealing a positive predictive value (PPV) of 71.1% for Siriraj-LBC and 97.8% for conventional cytology, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 42.2% for the conventional cytology. In conclusion, The results from Siriraj-LBC and conventional cytology have high diagnostic agreement and minimal to fair correlation. The Siriraj-LBC increases detection rate of abnormal cervicovaginal cells with probable decrease in false negatives but increase in false positives from the baseline values by conventional cytology. Therefore the screening performance of Siriraj-LBC is not inferior to the conventional cytology and this approach may be used as an alternative screening method for cervical cancer.


We have studied the influence of bilateral carotid ischemia-reperfusion on the indices of the functional and morphological condition of the vascular endothelium of the brain hypothalamolimbic complex. It has been established that a decrease of the density of endothelial location in an early ischemic-reperfusion period in the control rats has a relative characterstipulated by edema of cells whereas on the 12-th day of observation an increase of the absolute density of cells takes place. During both periods of observation there is an increased content of the tjtal RNA in the capillary endotheliocytes of all the structures. An early reaction of the morpho-functional states of endotheliocytes to ischemic-reperfusion is absent in animal with diabetes mellitus, exept the vessels of the ventromedial hypothalamus while a late one is restricted by a growth content in RNA cells.


This research was carried out from December 2019 to January 2020 in Mata Air

Village, Kupang Tengah District, Kupang Regency. The aims of this researchwere to determine the performance of BUMDes INA HUK in generating a net profit after tax and the performance of BUMDes INA HUK in generating net profits with available capital. The research data were obtained through observations, interviews and documentation on 9 respondents. The location of this research was BUMDes INA HUK, which was intentionally

determined since it was one of BUMDes with active status.

The results showed that BUMdes INA HUK's net profit after tax from three business units in 2019 was Rp. 19,517,016 and the total capital available at BUMDes INA HUk was Rp. 250,000,000.00. The net profit after tax on INA HUK BUMDes was 19.13% with good industry standard valuation standards of 20%. BUMDes INA HUK's performance in increasing the net profit after tax with available capital was said to be not good at 7.80% with

an industry valuation standard of 40%.


We consider the minimization of composite objective functions composed of the expectation of quadratic functions and an arbitrary convex function. We study the stochastic dual averaging algorithm with a constant step-size, showing that it leads to a convergence rate of O(1/n) without strong convexity assumptions. This thus extends earlier results on least-squares regression with the Euclidean geometry to (a) all convex regularizers and constraints, and (b) all geome-tries represented by a Bregman divergence. This is achieved by a new proof technique that relates stochastic and deterministic recursions.


Summary We have analyzed transgenic mice carrying versions of a human T cell receptor (TCR) - (cid:100) gene minilocus to study the developmental control of VDJ (variable/diversity/joining) recombination. Previous data indicated that a 1.4-kb DNA fragment carrying the TCR- (cid:100) enhancer (E (cid:100) ) efficiently activates minilocus VDJ recombination in vivo . We tested whether the transcription factor CBF/PEBP2 plays an important role in the ability of E (cid:100) to activate VDJ recombination by analyzing VDJ recombination in mice carrying a minilocus in which the (cid:100) E3 element of E (cid:100) includes a mutated CBF/PEBP2 binding site. The enhancer-dependent VD to J step of minilocus rearrangement was dramatically inhibited in three of four transgenic lines, arguing that the binding of CBF/PEBP2 plays a role in modulating local accessibility to the VDJ recombinase in vivo. Because mutation of the (cid:100) E3 binding site for the transcription factor c-Myb had previously established a similar role for c-Myb, and because a 60-bp fragment of E (cid:100) carrying (cid:100) E3 and (cid:100) E4 binding sites for CBF/PEBP2, c-Myb, and GATA-3 displays significant enhancer activity in transient transfection experiments, we tested whether this fragment of E (cid:100) is sufficient to activate VDJ recombination in vivo. This fragment failed to efficiently activate the enhancer-dependent VD to J step of minilocus rearrangement in all three transgenic lines examined, indi-cating that the binding of CBF/PEBP2 and c-Myb to their cognate sites within E (cid:100) , although necessary, is not sufficient for the activation of VDJ recombination by E (cid:100) . These results imply that CBF/PEBP2 and c-Myb collaborate with additional factors that bind elsewhere within E (cid:100) to modulate local accessibility to the VDJ recombinase in vivo.


The results of the positron annihilation measurements and the calculations of the vacancy parameter carried out in single and polycrystals of Zn 1-x Cu x Cr 2 Se 4 spinel series are discussed within the framework of a two state trapping model. The single crystal values of the vacancy concentration remain almost constant with increasing copper concentration x. They are higher than the polycrystal ones (which linearly increase) suggesting, that the single crystals are more defected than polycrystals. The heat treatment influences the values of the vacancy concentration showing, that oxidation and adsorption behaviour of the spinels seems to be different on the zinc rich side (where the antiferromagnetic component dominates) as compared with the copper rich side (where the ferromagnetic component dominates). In particular, the results are in good agreement with the values of the vacancy parameter which is related to the vacancy concentration.


Microstructures near fracture surfaces of copper specimens were investigated using electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI) method. The purpose of the present study is to find a new criterion for analyzing fracture process instead of a conventional fractographic technique. In the present study, the ECCI observations were conducted on strip and center-cracked tensile specimens of a polycrystalline copper, which were fractured under monotonic tensile straining or fatigue loading. The ECCI observation revealed that the cell, the vein, and the ladder-like dislocation structures were formed near the fracture surface of the strip specimen fractured under fatigue, although no vein and ladder-like structures were found in the monotonically strained specimen. It is suggested that the distinction between the fatigue fracture and the monotonic tensile fracture can be achieved from the ECCI observation near the fracture surfaces. We also measured the sizes of the region which contained the cell structures at the fatigue crack propagating in the center-cracked tensile specimen. It is confirmed that the size of the cell-structured region increased with increasing stress intensity factor range ΔKI. By measuring the sizes of the cell-structured regions of the strip specimen, we could obtain the distribution of the ΔKI value along the fracture surface from the preliminarily-measured relationship between the cell-structured region size and the ΔKI value. This kind of the ΔKI distribution will give important information such as crack nucleation site and crack growth direction, which is required for a better understanding of fatigue fracture process.


This paper—which draws on inputs to, and discussions at, a methods development workshop—highlights the various concepts, methods, and tools that SoC researchers are considering to measure nutrition-relevant change in their respective countries. The focus is on nutrition-relevant policy and practice. These tools apply to 11 subthemes, which are to some extent sequential within policy/programming cycles: (1) assessing the nutrition problem, (2) stakeholder and institutional analysis/mapping, (3) understanding enabling environments for nutrition, (4) agenda setting and political commitment for nutrition, (5) policy formulation and policy processes, (6) multisectoral coordination, (7) implementation and vertical coherence, (8) scaling up, (9) assessing capacity, (10) assessing finance, and (11) monitoring, evaluation, and accountability. Examining these various methods and tools together allows for a holistic consideration of the processes that—while challenging to document and measure—play a key role in improving nutrition-relevant policy and practice, which, in turn, drives national achievement in reducing malnutrition.


The purpose of this paper is to present the new transonic, annular facility developed at the von Karman Institute to investigate the aerodynamic heat transfer performances of real size advanced aero-engine and gas turbine components at correctly simulated operating conditions. The facility operates under the principle of an Isentropic Light Piston Compression Tube. Its definite advantage over classical blowdown wind tunnels is to independently model the freestream Mach and Reynolds numbers as well as the gas/wall/coolant temperature ratios. Its running time ranges between 0.1 and 1 s. The first part of the paper describes the design, the manufacturing and the installation of the different components of the wind tunnel and the test section. The second part deals with the different measurement techniques applied for aerodynamic and heat transfer measurements; it also describes some examples of the flow quality obtained in this new facility.


The strengthening mechanism of 17-4 PH stainless steel is mainly due to the precipitation of copper particles in the martensitic lath matrix. The renowned steel grade possesses an exceptional combination of high strength and excellent corrosion resistance and hence is widely employed in high stress environments. In that case, under external loading, the movement and accumulation of dislocations are influenced by the nature of precipitation. Hence, the present study is based on the impact of precipitation on the dislocation induced hardening during compression of the heat-treated 17-4 PH stainless steel. Room temperature uniaxial compression test was used to evaluate the direct effect of precipitates and the dislocation interaction on the flow stress and strain-hardening behavior under the different heat-treated regime. Microstructural evolution during deformation and its influence on the strain-hardening mechanism were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A semi-empirical model was adopted to quantify the role of precipitate nature on the strain-hardening rate. The evaluated normalized microstrain and dislocation density from the XRD analyses were used to explain the observed variation in the mechanical property. Coarse particle precipitation was found to greatly affect the strain-hardening behavior of the steel alloy during compression deformation.


To investigate adrenergic control of blood vessels during aging, rats aged 6, 12, 20, and 27 months were studied using in vitro techniques. Accumulation of [3H]norepinephrine, one index of adrenergic nerve density, did not alter with age in the femoral or renal arteries or renal vein. In the femoral vein [3H]norepinephrine accumulation was greater at 6 and 27 months of age. Norepinephrine sensitivity was determined in both an innervated vessel, the femoral artery, and a non-innervated vessel, the carotid artery. In both cases, sensitivity to norepinephrine did not alter with age. In the renal and femoral arteries and veins, no significant changes in maximum responses to norepinephrine (10−5 M), potassium chloride, or transmural nerve stimulation were seen with advancing age. Furthermore, frequency response curves (2–16 Hz, 200 pulses) did not differ with age for any of the four vessels studied, with one exception. The response to stimulation at 4 Hz of the femoral vein from 6-month-old rats was significantly larger than responses at other ages. During nerve stimulation, the renal vein exhibited rapid contractions superimposed upon the maintained contractile response. This type of rapid contraction occurred only rarely (1 out of 5) in the renal vein from 27-month-old rats. In summary, neither adrenergic nerve density as reflected by [3H]norepinephrine accumulation nor norepinephrine sensitivity decline with age. As the net effect of various components, the ability of vascular smooth muscle to respond to adrenergic nerve stimulation is also maintained during advancing age.


Evaluation techniques and mechanical properties of silicon carbide composites (SiC⁄SiC composites) reinforced with highly crystalline fibers are reviewed for fusion applications. The SiC⁄SiC composites used were fabricated by means of the CVI method. The evaluation includes in-plane tensile strength by in-plane tensile test, transthickness tensile strength by transthickness tensile test and diametral compression test and shear strength by compression test using double-notched specimen. All tests were successfully conducted using small specimens for neutron irradiation experiment. As application technique, the novel tungsten(W) coating technique on SiC is reviewed. The W powder melted by high power lamp in a few seconds and formed coating on SiC. No thick reaction layers of WC and W5Si3, which are formed by the other coating methods, were formed by this method.


Abstract This study was conducted to find out whether or not it is effective teaching reading comprehension achievement through Request Procedure to the tenth grade students of SMA Negeri Olahraga Sriwijaya Palembang. The samples of this study were the tenth grade students of SMA Negeri Olahraga Sriwijaya Palembang in the academic year of 2013-3014. The primary data were collected by means of test and it was analyzed by match t-test. The results show that the students' reading comprehension achievement improved after treatment. The mean score of the students' pre test was 65.35 and post test was 77.39. The analysis of t-test calculation shows that the value of t was 10.684. Then the value of the t-table was 2.086 at the significance level of 0,05% with df  of 22.  The findings point that t-obtained was higher than t-table. It implies that Request Procedure was effective teaching reading comprehension to tenth grade students of SMA Olhraga Negeri Sriwijaya Palembang Key words : Reading comprehension, Request Procedure


To express the domain III gene of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and to learn the possibility of developing the Dil protein as a subunit vaccine, we amplified the JEV DIII gene by PCR and constructed the expression plasmid pET-JE DIII by inserting JEV DIII gene into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a(+). The domain III protein of the attenuated strain SA14-14-2 was expressed as a thioredoxin (Trx) fusion protein, which was unique in forming a large fraction of the soluble recombinant protein. We immunized the rabbits and mice with the purified protein, tested the antigenicity and immunogenicity of JEV DIII protein by ELISA, Western blotting, plaque reduction test and observed the protective efficacy on challenged weanling mice with JEV. Rabbits immunized with the purified JEV DIII protein generated 1: 7 x 10(5) anti-JEV specific antibody titers. BALB/c mice immunized with the purified JEV E DIII protein generated 1: 8.2 x 10(4) anti-JEV specific antibody titers. And the neutralized antibody titer can reach 1:256, the survival rate of the immunized weanling mice was approximately 75%. Overall, this study highlighted that recombinant JEV E DIII protein delivered in mice and rabbits can generate high antibody titers against JEV, and protect some mice challenged with JEV. These studies can provide useful information for further developing the domain III recombinant protein as subunit vaccine against JEV.


In an era marked by pronounced overcrowding, including an increasing number of offenders serving long-term sentences, correctional systems continue to search for innovative and effective treatments. Few jurisdictions have attempted non-Western approaches such as meditative practice to reduce stress, conflict, and rule infractions. The current study examined the psychological and behavioral effects of intensive ten-day Vipassana Meditation (VM) retreats in a maximum security prison. VM goals and practice are consistent with evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioral treatment and Risk-Need-Responsivity principles, as well as newer conceptions such as the Good Lives Model. Long-term offenders were followed over a one-year period. These included three retreat cohorts (n = 60) as well as an alternative treatment comparison group (n = 67). Pretreatment measures assessed mindfulness, anger, emotional intelligence, and mood states. Baseline rates of prison infractions, segregation time, and health visits were also recorded. VM participants achieved enhanced levels of mindfulness and emotional intelligence and had decreased mood disturbance relative to a comparison group. Both groups' rates of behavioral infractions were reduced at one-year follow-up. Clinically, VM holds promise for addressing self-regulation and impulse control, among other barriers to prisoner adjustment and community reentry. Additional study of VM across diverse offender groups is warranted.


Objective. To study the role of influenza viruses in the development of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in patients admitted to Yekaterinburg hospitals during 2017-2018 epidemic season.Materials and Methods. A retrospective epidemiological analysis of influenza incidence in Yekaterinburg was conducted, 403 influenza and acute respiratory viral infections case sheets were studied, and PCR analysis of clinical samples from the patients for respiratory viral infections was performed.Results. During the epidemic period a total 27.0% of the Yekaterinburg population were reported with influenza and other SARI, with 1.8% patients hospitalized. 5.6% of the total number of patients admitted with influenza and SARI in Yekaterinburg hospitals were included in the study. The rate of the detection of influenza A and B viruses RNA in the clinical samples from the patients with SARI was 28.3%. The rates of the detection in PCR of influenza B/Yamagata, A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) were 46.5, 20.2 and 10.5%, respectively.Conclusion. The study results indicated that influenza viruses remain significant pathogens of respiratory infections that required hospitalization. Among patients with SARI the highest incidence was observed in children of a younger age group and was mainly associated with influenza B virus of Yamagata lineage and influenza A virus (H1N1)pdm09. According to the results of a molecular genetic study, influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 viruses belonged to clade 6B.1, carried characteristic amino acid substitutions in hemagglutinin S84N, S162N (with the acquisition of a potential glycosylation site) and I216T and were similar to the A/Michigan/45/2015 vaccine strain. The influenza B viruses studied belonged to the Yamagata lineage, clade 3. The influenza B/Ekaterinburg /RII-4723S/2018 virus differed from the reference strain B/Phuket/3073/2013 by two amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin gene M251V and L172Q.


Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is the most common cause of acute hepatitis in the world. It is not well established whether people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are more susceptible to infection with HEV than people not infected with HIV. Many studies have evaluated this relationship, although none are conclusive. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess whether patients with HIV infection constitute a risk group for HEV infection. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), to find publications comparing HEV seroprevalences among HIV infected and uninfected populations. The analysis was matched by sex, age and geographical area, and compared patients who live with HIV and HIV-negative individuals. The odds ratio (OR) for patients with HIV was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.74–1.03) in the fixed effects meta-analysis and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.70–1.11) in random effects, with I2 = 47%. This study did not show that HIV infection was a risk factor for HEV infection when compared with those who are HIV-negative.


OBJECTIVES: Dietary omega-3 fatty acids have been efficacious in decreasing serum cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the metabolic and molecular changes induced by the omega-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in linseed oil, are not fully understood. In this study, we showed a correlation between ALA and insulin resistance, inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). METHODS: We studied 40 male mice (C57/BL6) divided into 4 groups: a control (C) group, a control + omega-3/ALA (CA) group, a high-fat diet (HFD) (H) group and a high-fat diet + omega-3/ALA (HA) group. For 8 weeks, the animals in the H and HA groups were fed a high-fat (60%) diet, while the animals in the C and CA groups received regular chow. The diets of the CA and HA groups were supplemented with 10% lyophilized ALA. RESULTS: ALA supplementation improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance, as measured by intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests and the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, respectively. In addition, ALA reduced hepatic steatosis and modified the standard fat concentration in the liver of animals fed an HFD. Dietary ALA supplementation reduced the serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), increased the expression of important chaperones such as binding immunoglobulin protein (BIP) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and reduced the expression of C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) and X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) in hepatic tissues, suggesting an ERS adaptation in response to ALA supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary ALA supplementation is effective in preventing hepatic steatosis; is associated with a reduction in insulin resistance, inflammation and ERS; and represents an alternative for improving liver function and obtaining metabolic benefits.


Two decant oils (DO A and DO B) which produce coke with different optical textures were quantitatively analyzed before and at several stages of carbonization. The differences observed in mesophase development and sulfur incorporation in the semicokes were related to differences in the molecular composition of the two decant oils, including hydrocarbons and sulfur compounds. The analysis of the GC-amenable fractions of the decant oils showed that DO A contains an abundance of pyrene and substituted pyrenes, while DO B is dominated by high concentrations of polymethylphenanthrenes. In general, DO B has a much higher proportion of alkyl-substituted PAHs and a higher concentration of n-alkanes. The presence of more reactive hydrocarbons in DO B is considered to be responsible for the inferior texture development and rapid incorporation of sulfur in the semicoke. Extensive methylation/demethylation reactions appear to occur during the early stages of carbonization; the role of these reactions in mesophase deve...


This study investigates the two phenomena associated with the logophoric complementizer in Laz which is used to introduce the propositional complements of speech and thought predicates, namely the allomorphy based on the person and number features of the matrix subject and the indexical shifting observed for the pronominal elements in the embedded clause. We will argue that the allomorphy is the morphological reflection of the identity of the external speaker and the attitude holder and it cannot be analyzed as a case of phi-feature agreement. As for the indexical shifting we will adopt the operator account of Sudo (2010).


The antibacterial activity of fleroxacin (Ro 23-6240, AM-833), a new 6-fluoroquinolone, was determined against 149 strains of enteropathogenic bacteria (17 species) and 191 strains (28 species) of glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative rods (excluding Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and against 15 strains of Legionella pneumophila. The cumulative susceptibility of these groups of bacteria to Ro 23-6240 at the 2 mg/l level were 99.2%, 80.1 and 100% of tested strains, respectively.


For geneticists, autism is a vexing challenge. Inheritance patterns suggest it has a strong genetic component. But variants in scores of genes known to play some role in autism can explain only about 20% of all cases. Finding other variants that might contribute requires looking for clues in data on the 25,000 other human genes and their surrounding DNA—an overwhelming task for human investigators. So computational biologists have enlisted the tools of artificial intelligence (AI), which can ask a trillion questions where scientists can ask only 10. First, these researchers combined hundreds of genomics data sets and used machine learning build a map of gene interactions. They compared those of the few well-established autism risk genes with those of thousands of other unknown genes and last year flagged another 2500 genes likely to be involved in this disorder. Now they have developed a deep learning tool to find non-coding DNA that may also play a role in autism and other diseases.


The navigation in restricted waters imposes several challenges when compared to open sea navigation. Smaller dimensions, higher traffic density and the dynamics of obstacles such as sandbanks are examples of contributors to the difficulty. Due to these aspects, local experienced maritime pilots go onboard in order to support the ship's crew with their skills and specific regional knowledge. Despite these efforts, several accidents still occur around the world. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the events composing accidental sequences, this paper presents a hybrid modelling specific for restricted waters. The main techniques used are the fault tree analysis and event tree analysis. The former provides a framework to investigate the causes, while the latter allows modelling the sequence of actions necessary to avoid an accident. The models are quantified using statistical data available in the literature and a prospective human performance model developed by the Technique for Early Consideration of Human Reliability (TECHR). The results include combined estimates of human error probabilities and technical failure probabilities, which can be used to inform the causation factor for a waterway risk analysis model. In other words, given that the ship encounters a potential accidental scenario while navigating, the proposed models allow computing the failure probability that of the evasive actions sequence. The novelty of this work resides on the possibility of explicitly considering dynamicity and recovery actions when computing the causation factor, what is not a typical feature of similar works. The results obtained were compared with several results available in the literature and have been shown to be compatible.


Background Most of earlier studies in the field of literature-based discovery have adopted Swanson's ABC model that links pieces of knowledge entailed in disjoint literatures. However, the issue concerning their practicability remains to be solved since most of them did not deal with the context surrounding the discovered associations and usually not accompanied with clinical confirmation. In this study, we aim to propose a method that expands and elaborates the existing hypothesis by advanced text mining techniques for capturing contexts. We extend ABC model to allow for multiple B terms with various biological types. Results We were able to concretize a specific, metabolite-related hypothesis with abundant contextual information by using the proposed method. Starting from explaining the relationship between lactosylceramide and arterial stiffness, the hypothesis was extended to suggest a potential pathway consisting of lactosylceramide, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, and arterial stiffness. The experiment by domain experts showed that it is clinically valid. Conclusions The proposed method is designed to provide plausible candidates of the concretized hypothesis, which are based on extracted heterogeneous entities and detailed relation information, along with a reliable ranking criterion. Statistical tests collaboratively conducted with biomedical experts provide the validity and practical usefulness of the method unlike previous studies. Applying the proposed method to other cases, it would be helpful for biologists to support the existing hypothesis and easily expect the logical process within it.


Abstract Background Hepatic resections conducted for malignant tumors can be difficult because of the need to create cancer-free margins. Objectives To examine the outcome of hepatic resections after the introduction of a Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA). Methods A retrospective study of patients who underwent hepatic resection by a single surgeon between April 1999 to March 2013. Results We included 101 patients with 104 hepatectomies. Most hepatic parenchymal transections were performed using a CUSA under intermittent hepatic inflow occlusion (Pringle maneuver). Thirty-five patients underwent a right hepatectomy, 11 a left hepatectomy, 6 a right hepatectomy and segment I resection, 6 a right lobectomy, and 46 underwent segmentectomies, wedge resections, or other types of hepatic resections. Biliary-enteric reconstruction with a Roux-en-Y limb of the jejunum to a hepatic duct of the hepatic remnant was performed in 28 patients. Operative time was 90–720 min (median 300 min, mean 327 ± 149 min). Operative blood transfusion was 0–17 units (median 3 units, mean 3.9 ± 3.6 units). Twenty-one hepatectomies were conducted without blood transfusion. Thirty-four postoperative complications occurred in 30 patients with a 9% reoperation rate. Perioperative mortality was 6%. Age, operative time, operative blood transfusion, reoperation, and complications were significantly associated with mortality. Conclusion Careful preoperative diagnosis and evaluation of patients, faultless surgical techniques, and excellent postoperative care are important to avoid potentially serious postoperative complications and mortality. The CUSA is an effective assisting device during hepatic parenchymal transection with a concomitant Pringle maneuver, apparently reducing operative blood loss.


Deposition of amyloid‐beta (Aβ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau are known hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, neuroinflammation or microglia activation plays a role in AD pathophysiology and may be a potential driver of abnormal tau deposition. This study demonstrated the important brain regions where microglia activation, in addition to Aβ, is driving tau positivity in AD.


Uganda's oil and gas sector has transitioned from the exploration phase to the development phase in preparation for oil production (the operations phase). The extraction, processing, and distribution of oil require a great deal of infrastructure, which demands considerable acquisition of land from communities surrounding project sites. Here, we examine the social impacts of project land acquisition associated with oil production in the Albertine Graben region of Uganda. We specifically consider five major oil related projects that have or will displace people, and we discuss the consequences of this actual or future displacement on the lives and livelihoods of local people. The projects are: Tilenga; Kingfisher; the East African Crude Oil Pipeline; the Kabaale Industrial Park; and the Hoima–Kampala Petroleum Products Pipeline. Our findings reveal both positive and negative outcomes for local communities. People with qualifications have benefited or will benefit from the job opportunities arising from the projects and from the much-needed infrastructure (i.e., roads, health centres, airport) that has been or will be built. However, many people have been displaced, causing food insecurity, the disintegration of social and cultural cohesion, and reduced access to social services. The influx of immigrants has increased tensions because of increasing competition for jobs. Crime and social issues such as prostitution have also increased and are expected to increase.


Among the rich orc deposits present in Macedonia, the silicate minerals arc thc most numerous group. The great majority of these minerals appear as rathcr large and well formed single crystal aggregates in the nature. Sometimes, however, some of the mineral species appear in association with other minerals whose crystals are not well developed. Here an overview of the basic morphological, physico-chemical and crystallographic characteristics of the most typical silicates collected from various localities within the Republic of Macedonia is given. The mineralogical and petrological features of the localities where the specimens are collected from are presented as well. Also an attempt to identify the minerals using the Ff IR spectroscopy and to classify them according to their structural characteristics is performed. The identification of the minerals was based on the comparison of the infrared spectra of our specimens with the corresponding literature data for the mineral species originating all over the world. The coloured pictures of all studied silicate minerals are presented as well.


Introduction Nocturia is the commonest non-motor symptom of Parkinson's Disease (PD), having significant impact on sleep and quality of life. The cause for nocturia in PD is poorly understood; this study evaluates factors contributing to nocturia. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients with PD referred for nocturia. Information about PD and medications were collected. Factors contributing to nocturia were evaluated, and questionnaires assessing bladder symptoms, quality of life, sleep and a 3 day bladder diary measuring voided volumes were filled. Results 23 patients participated (mean age 68.5 years, mean duration of PD 10.1 years, mean Hoehn and Yahr staging 3.0). 21 (91.3%) had moderate to severe bladder symptoms and in all, symptoms had a significant impact on quality of life. Bladder diaries revealed that 18 patients (78.3%) had nocturnal polyuria (NP, defined as >33% of urine output at night) (range 17.8–81.1%, mean 46.9%). 8 (34.7%) produced >50% of their urine output at night. Patients with NP more often had longer duration of disease and severity. Of patients with orthostatic hypotension (n=5), four had NP. Patients with NP had less overall fluid intake, increased mean nocturnal voided volume, worse overall bladder symptoms, worse quality of sleep and greater impact on quality of life from bladder symptoms. Conclusion In this preliminary study, nocturnal polyuria is likely to be an important factor contributing to nocturia in PD.


In this effort we consider damage detection algorithms using thermal probes. The techniques proposed employ models derived from homogenization theory as the model solution in parameter estimation procedures for simulated data for heat flow in a porous medium. We consider data simulated from a model on a perforated domain with isotropic flow and data simulated from a model on a homogeneous domain with anisotropic flow. We report on ordinary least squares methods combined with the method of mappings to detect the presence of damage and to characterize the geometry of the damage.


Muscles undergo developmental transitions in gene expression and alternative splicing that are necessary to refine sarcomere structure and contractility. CUG-BP and ETR-3-like (CELF) family RNA binding proteins are important regulators of RNA processing during myogenesis that are misregulated in diseases such as myotonic dystrophy (DM1). Here we report a conserved function for Bruno 1 (Bru1, Arrest), a CELF1/2 family homolog in Drosophila, during early muscle myogenesis. Loss of Bru1 in flight muscles results in disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton leading to aberrant myofiber compaction and defects in pre-myofibril formation. Temporally-restricted rescue and RNAi knockdown demonstrate that early cytoskeletal defects interfere with subsequent steps in sarcomere growth and maturation. Early defects are distinct from a later requirement for bru1 to regulate sarcomere assembly dynamics during myofiber maturation. We identify an imbalance in growth in sarcomere length and width during later stages of development as the mechanism driving abnormal radial growth, myofibril fusion and the formation of hollow myofibrils in bru1 mutant muscle. Molecularly, we characterize a genome-wide transition from immature to mature sarcomere gene isoform expression in flight muscle development that is blocked in bru1 mutants. We further demonstrate that temporally restricted Bru1 rescue can partially alleviate hypercontraction in late pupal and adult stages, but it cannot restore myofiber function or correct structural deficits. Our results reveal the conserved nature of CELF function in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics in muscle development, and demonstrate that defective RNA processing due to misexpression of CELF proteins causes wide-reaching structural defects and progressive malfunction of affected muscles that cannot be rescued by late-stage gene replacement.


Neural networks constitute a class of functions that are typically non-surjective, with highdimensional fibers and complicated image. We prove two main results concerning the geometry of the loss landscape of a neural network. First, we provide an explicit effective bound on the sizes of the hidden layers so that the loss landscape has no spurious valleys, which guarantees the success of gradient descent methods. Second, we present a novel method for analyzing whether a given neural network architecture with monomial activation function can represent a target function of interest. The core of our analysis method is the study of a specific set of error values, and its behavior depending on different training datasets.


A device for the treatment of dental-jaw deformities with teeth in medio- disto- and transposition is proposed. The device is successfully applied for pushing of teeth, in medio- and disto-position, to their normal place along the dentition. A modification of an intraoral apparatus, the device proposed is a combination of a palatal plaque with a segment guaranteeing one-way pushing of single teeth medially or distally, depending of the deformity. It is distinguished for its light technological manufacture of materials with low prime cost. Its better effectiveness and applicability than the so far known orthodontic apparatuses have been confirmed on the base of data reported about clinical, paraclinical and X-ray studies of children with dental-jaw deformities--healed.


OBJECTIVE
To report partial esophagectomy (PE) as a treatment for esophageal sarcoma in dogs.

STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective study (2000-2002).

ANIMALS
Six dogs with caudal thoracic esophageal tumors.

METHODS
Medical records of 6 dogs that had surgical removal of esophageal tumors were reviewed. Signalment, medical history, physical examination results, complete blood count, surgical procedure, tumor classification, postoperative treatment, and complications were retrieved.

RESULTS
Esophageal masses were approached by thoracotomy and esophagotomy on the side opposite the mass, removed with 1 cm margins by full thickness excision, and the defects closed with a single layer of interrupted sutures. All dogs recovered rapidly without major complications. Tumors were fibrosarcoma (3 dogs), undifferentiated sarcoma (1), and osteosarcoma (2). Five dogs were administered doxorubicin chemotherapy after surgery. Good quality of life was observed postoperatively in 5 dogs until deterioration necessitated euthanasia; survival ranged from 2-16 months. The remaining dog was alive, 20 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS
Partial esophagectomy and closure using 1 suture layer, was an effective, simple, and safe technique for removal of sarcomas of the distal thoracic esophagus.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Removal of esophageal masses by partial esophagectomy can be used reliably as a method of esophageal surgery.


This paper describes the dynamical behavior of a nonlinear flexible beam (cubic nonlinearities considered) connected to a dc motor (responsible for the slewing motion) when the angular displacement of the slewing axis and its derivatives are considered to be of a harmonic type and the system is excited near a resonance (present due to the nonlinear contribution).


> "Laudator Temporis Acti"
>
> Praiser of times past (Horace, Ars Poetica 173)

To be afflicted by the 'withers', much favoured by Victorian writers, and to include a Latin tag, indicates that the writer is aged but may enjoy the possible advantage of recalling a superficial history of teaching in our specialty. In the immediate postwar years—I hurriedly add World War II—and well before the current epidemic of postgraduate courses and study days, there was little formal training to become a consultant neurologist, certainly not in the UK. The first hurdle was to obtain membership of the Royal College of Physicians, regarded as the gateway towards consultancy. This could be an expensive gamble. Few passed at their initial attempt. It was necessary to accumulate sufficient marks at each stage to pass to the next. First written papers, then a clinical examination of patients, then a 'path' viva and thence to the final viva. About 300 justifiably anxious candidates sat the papers. Only about 30 finally passed. The unfortunates regarded their repeated contributions to the College of Physicians as a guilt (sic)-edged contribution to the College coffers. There were no multiple choice questions and parts of the papers included obligatory language translations, either modern French or German texts, or classical Greek or Latin. The presumption was that only well rounded candidates, preferably with a classical education, should aspire to be members of the Royal College.

Formal lectures were occasionally given. The clinical neurology section of the Royal Society of Medicine held infrequent evening meetings in London, which were well attended by aspiring neurologists from all over England. However, most teaching took place at the bedside. Established consultant posts were few and highly competitive and usually held by men of great ability. There was great competition to be appointed to a teaching hospital and …


The recommendations define the principles of diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection according to the latest knowledge. The main goal of the treatment of HCV infection is to eliminate the virus from the body, which in turn leads to stopping the progression or causes the regression of previously formed changes in the liver. The current version of the guidelines prioritizes pangenotypic regimens and includes guidelines for special patient populations such as children, patients with cirrhosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, patients with renal failure, liver failure and lack of response to previous therapies as well as patients in the peri-transplant period.


Propolis is well known by its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of a hydro-alcoholic suspension of propolis daily consumed on caries using an infected rats model. With this purpose, Wistar rats were infected with a suspension of S. mutans (CCT1901) strain cells previously to the experiment baseline. Then the animals were divided in two groups: Control group (n=10) which were fed with a cariogenic diet (sucrose 56% and powdered skim milk 28%) and drinking water ad libitum. Experimental Group (n=10) were fed with the same diet and water containing propolis (1mg/ml). After 90 days, the animals were sacrificed and the molar teeth caries lesions were registered and analyzed (Chi-square test, α=0,05). Even though the number of caries lesions did not vary between groups, no lesions with score 3 (partial or total coronal destruction) in experimental group were observed, against 12 observed in control group. Although propolis did not avoid caries, it has influenced on caries process since the number of teeth with score 3 were not observed in experimental group which received propolis in daily diet.


This study investigated allelopathic effects of Solidago canadensis L. on Microcystis aeruginosa. The results showed that S. canadensis L. extracts could significantly inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa. The inhibition ratios of samples with 0·3 and 0·5 g l−1 extracts were over 90% after 7 days, and the transmission electron microscopy images showed the damage of M. aeruginosa cells during the incubation. In physiological and biochemical measurements, the membrane permeability and malondialdehyde (MDA) content rapidly increased with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the content of antioxidant molecules (ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH)) increased. Although the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT)) increased at low extracts concentrations, the effects were inhibitory when the extracts concentration increased. In conclusion, this study provided a new idea to utilize the detrimental weed S. canadensis L. to control harmful cyanobacteria. The alterations in physiology and biochemistry of M. aeruginosa cell were not in isolation, but with the stimulation of intracellular ROS that could play a fundamental role in inhibitory effects of S. canadensis L. extracts. It was inferred that terrestrial plants could have the same algistatic mechanisms as hydrophytes.


The complexities of compression failure are defined in terms of the three well known failure modes: yielding, cone failure, and axial splitting. The notion of compressive strength is shown to be useful only in the case of yielding. For compression cracking, where the stress at failure varies with geometry and manner of force application, compressive strength is not such a useful parameter. Therefore, new failure criteria are suggested for compression cracking based on the energy balance theory of fracture. These criteria explain why the force required for failure depends on the mode of cracking, on the fracture surface energy of the material, and on the geometry and elasticity of the specimen. Fracture surface energy, and not strength, is found to be the fundamental material property dictating compression cracking. These ideas are verified by detailed theoretical and experimental investigation of compression splitting in glassy materials. In particular, the effects of size on compression failure are interpreted, both platen and specimen dimensions influencing the fracture force. It is further shown that the mode of failure can change from brittle to ductile under certain conditions, for example, as the platens are widened or as the sample is reduced in size. Finally, the inhibiting effect of lateral forces on compression cracking is explained.


Abstract
 The Northern and Western Isles of Scotland were closely connected during the Norse period. Both were part of the Kingdom of Norway and the Archbishopric of Nidaros, and indeed, for extensive periods, all these islands were ruled by Jarls of Orkney, such as Sigurr the Stout and orfinnr the Mighty. The situation changed with the hand-over of the Hebrides to Scotland in the Treaty of Perth of 1266. The Hebrides were annexed to the Scottish realm, while the Northern Isles remained Norwegian. A cultural and political wedge was driven between the island groups, and connections between the two areas become much harder to identify in the record. However, connections there were, usually, but not always, in the form of violent raids waged against the Northern Isles. The modern folklore of both Orkney and Shetland still contains references to raids by Lewismen. A Lewis Scord (hill pass), where Lewis raiders were slaughtered and buried, can still be identified by locals at Scousburgh in Shetland today. In this paper, I have taken folklore seriously as an historical source. Folklore can be problematical as it is notoriously difficult material. It also raises justified suspicions in the minds of the critically schooled historian. However, there is an ulterior purpose: because in this case elements of folklore can be traced back to actual, recorded events, I wished to show that folklore should not be dismissed out of hand, especially where oral tradition is strong and other sources in short supply. The paper provides a small demonstration of the value of folklore, but it also shows how changes in folklore and errors in the transmission of the story can be traced through time. This paper focuses on the ramifications of a hitherto unremarked marriage between two of the most powerful figures in 16th-century Orkney and Lewis: Lady Barbara Stewart, widow of James Sinclair of Brecks, and Ruaraidh Mac Leod, Chief of the Sìol Torcail and Baron of Lewis. The reality of Scottish historiography is that scholars of the Northern Isles and the Hebrides have not always been aware of the history of each other's islands. So perhaps it is not surprising that this marriage has effectively slipped under the historians' radar. However, it could provide hitherto unrecognized evidence of intimate elite contact between Northern and Western Isles in the mid-16th century and a possible attempt to extend MacLeod Lordship to Orkney and Shetland.


We investigate the temperature dependence of the optical reflectance anisotropy (RA) of the Au(110)-(1 × 2) surface and find that transitions involving surface-modified bulk bands contribute to the RA spectrum. The RA peaks observed at room temperature at photon energies of 3.52 and 4.50 eV are assigned to the transitions and , respectively. The assignments are based upon a comparison between temperature-induced shifts in the energy of these RAS peaks and thermovariation optical spectroscopy results of the temperature dependence of transition energies between bands at the L symmetry point. The application of RAS to Au(110) can be seen as a model system for exploring surfaces in a range of environments including ultra-high vacuum, high pressures and at the solid/liquid interface. The results reported here further the understanding of the RA spectrum of the clean Au(110) surface.


The effect of low-calcium diet and vitamin D-3 on acid-base balance in young rabbits. Acta Physiol. Pol. 1975, 26 (1): 103-108. The effect of secondary hyperparathyroidism and vitamin D-3 on the acid-base balance was investigated in young rabbits. No metabolic acidosis was found in animals given vitamin D-3 in addition to low-calcium diet.


In 60 patients myocardial infarction size was determined by electrocardiogram (ECG) using Selvester's QRS scoring system. These values were compared with the size of infarction as determined enzymatically using gram equivalent isoenzyme MB creatine kinase (gEq) and using maximum values of isoenzyme MB-CK. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the size of anterior and inferior infarction determined by gEq (25.19 +/- 13.59 vrs 22.48 +/- 14.04; p = 0.12 NS) and by maximum MB-CK (125.5 +/- 76.0 vrs 98.4 +/- 60.7; p = 0.12 NS). The size of myocardial infarctions determined by ECG was significantly larger anteriorly compared with the inferior infarcts (9.6 +/- 2.9 vrs 4.5 +/- 2.6; p = 0.001). In patients with anterior infarcts good correlations between the size of infarction determined by QRS scoring system and by gEq or maximum MB-CK were found (r = 0.69; p = 0.004 and r = 0.72; p = 0.001). In patients with inferior infarcts the correlations between QRS score and gEq or maximum MB-CK were poor (r = 0.37; p = 0.02 and r = 0.45; p = 0.15). The causes of weak correlations in the results of described methods in inferior infarcts are discussed. Thus QRS scoring system provides new noninvasive and simple possibilities in determining the size of anterior and in inferior infarctions of the left ventricle.


The radiation-induced functionalization of ferroelectric P(VDF/TrFE) copolymers has been found to be effective in the production of polymer relaxors attractive for applications. We studied radiation-induced changes in the dielectric relaxation and pyroelectric response of radially oriented PVDF film irradiated with 1 MeV and 1.5 MeV electrons. Radiation damage to the samples was characterized by ESR and IR spectroscopy. The radiation-induced downward shift of the Curie temperature and the freezing temperature of segmental motions as well as the increase in the dielectric dispersion were related to the damage in all-trans conformation of the polymer chain and formation of polar regions


An effective decontamination methodology based on nucleophilic non-aqueous decontaminant has been developed against chemical weapons sulfur mustard and soman. This new formulation consists of non-aqueous solution of 2-aminoethanol (60%, w/v), potassium hydroxide (2%, w/v), and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (38 %, w/v) and detoxified more than 99 % of sulfur mustard and soman within a period of 30 min at -35 °C. It was found to be operable over a wide range of temperatures starting from -35 °C to +55 °C without losing its fluidity and detoxicant efficiency at sub-zero temperatures promising hassle-free application against chemical weapons. It degrades sulfur mustard to divinyl sulfide and 2-chloroethyl vinyl sulfide and converted soman into O-pinacolyl O'-(2-amino) ethyl methylphosphonate, which are relatively non toxic to humans. This formulation is environmentally benign, relatively non corrosive and has an improved capability to dissolve and decontaminate chemical weapons within 15 minutes at ambient conditions. This approach paves the way for efficient and rapid decontamination platform for chemical weapons and holds considerable promise for field application in near future.


Objective The aim of this study was to observe the effects of different frequencies of electroacupuncture (EA) on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the hippocampal CA3 region of cerebral ischemic rats. Methods Middle cerebral artery occlusion was successfully introduced to simulate cerebral infarction in 48 healthy male Sprague–Dawley rats. Totally, 48 rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, the EA 5-Hz group, and the EA 50-Hz group, 16 in each group. The rats in the control group were placed in an ordinary cage and fed normally without any treatment. EA treatment was given at a certain frequency 24 hours after surgery in the EA 5-Hz group and EA 50-Hz group. Morris water maze test was used to measure the learning and memory abilities of rats in each group after 14-day treatment with EA. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of BDNF- and NGF-positive cells in the ischemic hippocampal CA3 area of the rats. Results The EA 5-Hz group and EA 50-Hz group had significantly improved learning and memory ability compared with the control group according to Morris water maze findings (P<0.05). The number of BDNF- and NGF-positive cells in the hippocampal CA3 region of the ischemic hemisphere in the 5-Hz group and 50-Hz EA group was significantly more than that in the control group after EA treatment (P<0.05), and the difference in the 50-Hz group was more obvious than that in the 5-Hz group. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion EA stimulation of "Baihui" and "Dazhui" can promote the expression of BDNF and NGF in the hippocampal CA3 region of cerebral ischemic rats, and the 50-Hz EA stimulation effect is more obvious.


OBJECTIVE
The evaluation of various techniques to diagnose or exclude ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia has been a focus of much research. One such technique involves elastin fiber detection. It has been inferred from previous work that 40% potassium hydroxide preparations of respiratory secretions that demonstrate elastin fibers have a 100% specificity in diagnosing bacterial pneumonia in intubated, mechanically ventilated patients without acute diffuse lung injury. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain if elastin fibers might be detected in respiratory secretions in acute, diffuse lung injury in the absence of pneumonia (i.e., assess specificity).

DESIGN
An animal model using a standardized smoke inhalation protocol to cause acute, diffuse lung injury was used.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Respiratory secretions collected from the endotracheal tubes from eight sheep that underwent the standardized smoke inhalation protocol and were examined with 40% potassium hydroxide. Histologic data were obtained from autopsy to diagnose or exclude lung injury and pneumonia.

MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS
We found six (false) positive elastin fiber preparations in the absence of histologic pneumonia. Specificity was 0.25.

CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that seeing these results, given a true specificity of 0.99 inferred from previous work, is highly improbable with a probability of 2.74 x 10(-7). Thus, elastin fiber analysis is likely to be highly nonspecific for diagnosing pneumonia in the setting of acute diffuse lung injury.


Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) is the second enzyme in the glycolytic pathway and catalyzes an aldose-ketose isomerization. Outside the cell, PGI has been found to function as both a cytokine and as a growth factor. The human pgi gene was cloned and the expressed enzyme was purified to homogeneity. Isomorphous crystals were obtained under two conditions and belong to the P2(1)2(1)2(1) space group, with unit-cell parameters a = 80.37, b = 107.54, c = 270.33 A. A 94.7% complete data set was obtained and processed to a limiting resolution of 2.6 A. The asymmetric unit contains two hPGI dimers according to density calculations, a self-rotation function map and molecular-replacement solution.


Certain stilbene estrogens, in particular diethylstilbestrol, are established carcinogens in animals and in humans. The question is raised whether the formation of reactive metabolites is part of the carcinogenic mechanism of these compounds. Some aspects of the oxidative metabolism are briefly reviewed, with special emphasis on peroxidase-mediated metabolic activation. The interaction of the reactive intermediates with nucleic acids and proteins is described and examples of the induction of genetic damage in several short-term assays are given. From the available data it is concluded that metabolic activation may play a role in the process of neoplastic cell transformation induced by stilbene estrogens.


The interactions between native, thermally modified lactoferrin (LF) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) at pH 3.5, 5.0, and 6.5 were investigated. Turbidity, particle size, and charge of LF-EGCG complexes were mainly dominated by pH value and secondary structure of protein. At pH 3.5 and 5.0, LF-EGCG complexes were nanoparticles which had high ζ-potential, small size, and soluble state. At pH 6.5, they were submicrometer particles which exhibited low ζ-potential, large size, and insoluble state. The infrared spectra of freeze-dried LF-EGCG complexes showed that they were different from LF and EGCG alone. Far-UV CD results indicated that heat denaturation might irreversibly alter the secondary structure of LF and EGCG induced a progressive increase in the proportion of α-helix structure at the cost of β-sheet and unordered coil structure of LF at pH 3.5, 5.0, and 6.5. EGCG exhibited a strong affinity for native LF but a weak affinity for thermally modified LF at pH 5.0 and 6.5. An inverse result was observed at pH 3.5. These results could have potential for the development of food formulations based on LF as a carrier of bioactive compounds.


This paper looks for an interpretation of the phonetic factors causing consonant lenition and elision to occur through an analysis of intervocalic [j] in Majorcan, a dialect of Catalan spoken in the Mediterranean island of Majorca. Articulatory and acoustic data for several Majorcan Catalan speakers still producing the palatal glide in all word positions and segmental environments show that the consonant is lower and more variable in intervocalic position than word initially and word finally. Lowering is enhanced by the presence of contextual low and mid low front vowels, mostly so if stressed and placed immediately after the palatal glide. Inspection of [VjV] formant trajectories suggests that, in spite of undergoing articulatory reduction, [j] is produced with an independent articulatory gesture; moreover, coarticulatory effects between the palatal glide and the following vowel may render the former phonetic segment perceptually indistinguishable from the latter and thus prone to undergo elision. Strongly lenited variants of intervocalic [j] appear to be receding, and conservative speakers show specially low realizations of the palatal glide which may have been widely spread among the speaking population at the time that the intervocalic consonant underwent systematic elision in some areas of Majorca in the past. These findings are in support of the notion that the lenition and subsequent elision of intervocalic consonants are assisted by contextual and prosodic factors.


DiL HARKER commenced by indicating the necessity for the sound eletnentary scientific education of medical students, but at the same tizir he dwelt on the advantages of a real taste for nature, cultivated from student-life throughout the rest of a medical man's career. It gave training, foresight, and prevision for the healing art. The whole essentially progressive scheme of nature taught us to favour and live up to the idea that a true natural human aristocracy might yet be built up as the result of intelligent action, founded on knowledge. Dr. Harker then spoke of the physical characters of air and water, and of the impurities of the latter compound. The perfection of miroscopyhad enabled Dr. Dallingertodetect desmids measuring cubically one-millionth of an inch. The subtle character of invasion of his. tckicil elexients-by bacteria had been detected by the same advances in the use of the microscope. Even in the plant anacharis, a kind of-t bacteria-fever had been discovered. Dr. I). Astley Gresswell had studied the recrudescence of throat-symptoms in patients who had suffered from diphtheria; and it had thtu been discovered that the apecific germs of the disease were apt to lodge in the foLlicles of the fauces, and thus cause both recurrence and the infection of other per4ons. Bacteria theories required scrutiny; and Dr. Trsup in a "Note on 1acteriotherapy" in the JOURNAL of June 19th, showed that' the relatively innocent Bacterium termo did not kill the specific Bacillus, tuberculosis, as had been supposed. Dr. Harker then referred to a prnmitive method of purifying, suspected water, long carried out in some, parts of the country. The water was boiled and poured ever toasted bread; when cool, it was used for drindking purposes. Itsl hardness was taken away, and germs appeared to. be filtered away by the Xprocess. 4ference was then made to our advance in knowledge of the blood, and to the lectures of Dr. Osler, recently published in the JOuRDNAL. His researches indicated further fields for yet more important discoveries. The lecturer concluded by observing that there was for us in nature ary,elation even more sure and valuable than that which we had in tradition, venerable and revered though the latter might be. The w$*ess. of natture was always with us for verification. It was a teng learned from our surroundings, with which we must live in hirmony, or else wp should signally fail in our life and happiness. We should know ourselves as we were, and bow to the circumstances of our existence. We were taught to appreciate the beauty of natural object. We learn~t from the study of nature that certain foods were provided fos crtain creatures, not merely by adaptation, but also as provision. In th0case of man, certain fruits were for the north, as, for example, the-gooseberry-bwish, which, in southern regions, became an evergreen, and ceased to produce succulent edible fruit. On the other hand, the grape was for the sunny south. Nature taught intelligent man tho knowledge of good and evil by rewards and punishments. Evil bin in the mind, but remained not there, becoming apparent in the li So also did it8 converse, good ; and, in life, they each had their nide. This we were taught by witnessing the effect of each vice. Se ual infidelity and excess were punished by sexual disease. Taught by nature, we bejiey0d nqt in theepicureanism of the ancients. We, must develop and advance, or we should quickly retrograde. Purity and righteousness 4rought health and peace; dirt and vice brought, as a consequence, disease, misery,, and unrest., Matter was sufficient to aeqount for all we sow and knew. Yetwe1knew that the pure! speck of gold, and the spsrlkling diamond-crystal of carbon, to be as wonder.fuland as worthy of admiration.as were their various compoundsand combinations; aAd even, if at the base of all the elements we should at ogme future time lea;n that there was pure matter, our admiration w144, be but incrpas4, We were taught by design, by Providence, byd~ijnant righteousness, by eternal power. We were no Agnostics, a,pome who thought in many things so much in harmohiy with us styleW thsmselves,. but in sewrhing into the secrets of nature we found the knowledge of God. ON HOSPITALISM. Del,ivered at theAinnuual Meeting oathe Yorkshire Branch. By -DAVID iGOYDER, M.D., President of the Branch.


Volatile flavor compounds determine the holistic, unique, sensory characteristic of fermented food. The characteristic volatiles across the fermentation process of Dongbei Suancai (DS) were investigated by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) combined with principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 19 representative flavor substances were identified in the samples. The differences of volatiles in naturally and inoculated-fermented DS from different fermentation stages were detected. Ethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl 3-methyl butanoate, acetone, butanone, 2, 3-butanedione, and dimethyl disulfide are important volatile substances in DS, which were all found to be formed in the prophase of fermentation. As fermentation proceeds, inoculated DS showed an improved flavor with ester aromatic substances becoming enriched, including propyl bytanoate and ethyl hexanoate. Furthermore, inoculated fermentation leads to a typical component, namely 3-methylbutanol, being generated after the addition of Lactobacillus Plantarum LND 399 as a starter. The PCA was subsequently conducted based on the signal intensity of the identified volatile substances and showed that DS samples were distinguished favorably in mutually independent comparative spaces. This study revealed that the combination of HS-GC-IMS and PCA is an effective tool for analysis of the characteristic volatiles in DS samples. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study has shown that the combination of HS-GC-IMS and PCA is an effective tool for analysis of the characteristic volatiles in DS samples. This will provide a useful method for the identification and classification of DS flavor.


Mental recruitment of previous technological experience in conceptualizations of non-technological phenomena constitutes a specific kind of unintended cognitive effect of human technological activity. This paper discusses particular conceptual takes on a significant epistemic challenge faced by people in the Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean: that of understanding the factors and dynamics governing and allowing the most important celestial body (the sun) to travel across the sky during the day. Textual sources, iconography and artefactual evidence in combination provide an outline of concrete conceptual solutions to this challenge, which centre on charioteering, i.e., the employment of light, horse-drawn vehicles for high-speed transport. These sources also inform on the actual, practical role played by this technological genre in the context of the eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age. The paper specifies a connection between the actual, mundane and social role of this form of vehicular technology in Bronze Age society, and the conceptualizations of an astronomical phenomenon to which it is recruited. This provides a specific case demonstrating how aspects of concrete, sensorimotor experience of technological activities, here the dynamics of vehicular transport, may ground associative conceptualization of empirically ill-specified phenomena. This, in turn, provides support for the general observation that the conceptual repertoires of individuals and collectives in particular historical contexts are influenced substantially by the experiential spectra associated with the specific ways of life into which they are born.


This commentary goes over the research on the sociogenesis of social representations of intelligence (SRI), following the hypothesis that representations tend to turn an unfamiliar thing or the unfamiliar in general, into something familiar. In the case of intelligence, the importance of its study in terms of SR is justified by reminding that it is a social object which almost everybody agrees in placing a positive value on it, but science may not be allowed the ultimate explication of it; furthermore SR of intelligence could be seen as having an impact on the development of child's intelligence, through the parents'/teachers' educational procedures. Four conditions are proposed as the sociogenesis of SRI: i) the functional necessity for specific categories of people to organize their own conceptions ii) because they are confronted with a given value-laden topic or a set of interrelated value-laden topics which iii) should be salient and relatively inexplicable for these people, for whom iv) the topics activate some identity problems and imply an unavoidable decision making. Several categories of women (mother, teachers, working mothers, housewives) have been chosen for testing the plausibility of this way of studying SRI. The role of relative inexplicability of intelligence has been documented as the origins of SRI in terms of a theory of naturally gifted inequalities. Over years this approach to SRI has been documented in more recent empirical investigations, different social categories of women and different cultural settings. Future perspectives are discussed to expand the study of sociogenesis of SR in different social subjects, focusing on the role of the relationships between the relative inexplicability of a subject, the conflict of identities, and the necessity of decision-making.


Glucocorticoids are indispensable in treating inflammatory diseases including asthma and hay fever. The antiinflammatory actions of glucocorticoids are mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). We previously found that alternative translation mechanisms produce multiple GR isoforms. To determine the functions of the translational isoforms of GR, we generated clones of Jurkat T cell lines expressing individual GR isoforms. Microarray analysis indicated that GR isoforms have unique gene targets. Realtime RT-PCR experiments confirmed that some genes are regulated by the GR-C but not by the GR-A isoform. These genes have a wide range of physiologic functions in T cell differentiation (eomesodermin, EOMES; and phosphoinositide-3-kinase interacting protein 1, PIK3IP1), proliferation (tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 8, TNFSF8, and B-cell translocation gene 1, BTG1), cell adhesion (junctional adhesion molecule 3, JAM3), virus-killing (interferon stimulated exonuclease gene 20kDa, ISG20), NF-B signaling (5-azacytidine induced 2, AZI2), and transcription regulation (runt-related transcription factor 2, RUNX2). Furthermore, we found that mitogens induced the GR-C but not other GR isoforms in purified CD3+ cells. Thus, GR-C selective genes may mediate glucocorticoid actions in activated T cells. These genes may also serve as biomarkers for selective GR isoform activation and provide new targets for the development of novel anti-inflammatory agents.


In this letter, we review an existing distributed least-squares solver and share some new insights on it. Then, by the observation that an estimation of a constant vector under output noise can be translated into finding the least-squares solution, we present an algorithm for distributed estimation of the state of linear time-invariant systems under measurement noise. The proposed algorithm consists of a network of local observers, where each of them utilizes local measurements and information transmitted from the neighbors. It is proven that even under non-vanishing and time-varying measurement noise, we could obtain an almost best possible estimate with arbitrary precision. Some discussions regarding the plug-and-play operation are also given.


Selecting the optimal cloud target to migrate SQL estates from on-premises to the cloud remains a challenge. Current solutions are not only time-consuming and error-prone, requiring significant user input, but also fail to provide appropriate recommendations. We present Doppler, a scalable recommendation engine that provides right-sized Azure SQL Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) recommendations without requiring access to sensitive customer data and queries. Doppler introduces a novel price-performance methodology that allows customers to get a personalized rank of relevant cloud targets solely based on low-level resource statistics, such as latency and memory usage. Doppler supplements this rank with internal knowledge of Azure customer behavior to help guide new migration customers towards one optimal target. Experimental results over a 9-month period from prospective and existing customers indicate that Doppler can identify optimal targets and adapt to changes in customer workloads. It has also found cost-saving opportunities among over-provisioned cloud customers, without compromising on capacity or other requirements. Doppler has been integrated and released in the Azure Data Migration Assistant v5.5, which receives hundreds of assessment requests daily.


The brain and other organs of a case of late infantile neuronal storage disease were studied by light and electron microscopy. At the ultrastructural level, aggregates of typical curvilinear bodies were found in neurons and cells of every organ examined. Striking features not well documented in previously reported cases included numerous, large curvilinear bodies in proximal renal tubules and granulomas in the spleen. These findings are discussed in light of other reports of neuronal storage disease.


By failing to consider the integrative impact of key morphological and neuromechanical factors within the anterior cruciate ligament injury mechanism, we consider the current injury prevention model to be flawed. Critical links between these factors continue to be identified, suggesting that a successful prevention model should entrench neuromuscular control strategies that can successfully cater to individual morphological vulnerabilities.


Mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii affected in N2 fixation in the presence of 1 microM Na2MoO4 (conventional system), 50 nM V2O5, or under Mo deficiency (alternative system) have been isolated after Tn5 mutagenesis with the suicide plasmid pSUP1011. These mutants can be grouped into at least four broad phenotypic classes. Mutants in the first class are Nif- under Mo sufficiency but Nif+ under Mo deficiency or in the presence of V2O5. A nifk mutant and a mutant apparently affected in regulation of the conventional system belong to this class. Mutants in the second class are Nif- under all conditions. An FeMo-cofactor-negative mutant (NifB-) belongs to this class, implying an involvement of nifB in both the conventional and the alternative N2 fixation systems. The third mutant class consists of mutants incapable of N2-dependent growth under Mo deficiency. Most of the mutants in this class are also affected in N2 fixation in the presence of 1 microM Na2MoO4, with acetylene reduction rates ranging from 28 to 51% of the rates of the wild type. Strains constructed by genetic transfer of the Kanr marker of mutants from this class into nifHDK or nifK deletion mutants showed N2-dependent growth only in the presence of V2O5, suggesting that growth in the presence of V2O5 and growth under Mo deficiency are independent phenomena. The only mutant in the fourth class shows wild-type nitrogenase activity under Mo sufficiency, but only 10% of the acetylene reduction activity of the wild type in the presence of 50 nM V2O5. The acetylene reduction rates of whole cells of this mutant are identical in Mo-deficient medium and in medium containing V2O5. The conventional nitrogenase subunits are expressed in this mutant even under Mo deficiency or in the presence of V2O5; however, the NH4+- and Mo-repressible proteins normally seen under these conditions could not be detected on two-dimensional gels. The Tn5 insertion carried by this mutant makes N2 fixation dependent solely on the conventional system and consequently abolishes the vanadium effect.


A simple external cavity is constructed to provide adjustable feedback to a gain-switched distributed feedback laser diode. A 27-dB enhancement in the sidemode suppression ratio (SMSR) and a 0.3-nm reduction in the spectral linewidth have been observed. The improvement shows a saturation behavior when the feedback power reaches about -16 dBm. We report on the evolution and the dynamics of the spectral improvement. The steady state can be achieved as soon as four round-trip feedback cycles are completed. Dependences of the speed of improvement and the SMSR on the feedback pulse arrival time are also investigated. The optimal result can be obtained over a sensitive time window of about 20 ps.