Sodium–glucose cotransporters are responsible for the accumulation of glucose and galactose in cells ranging from bacteria to man. They belong to a large gene family, the SGLT gene family, where a common function appears to be sodium (or proton) cotransport of substrates such as sugars, ions, amino acids and vitamins. We have previously proposed a cotransport model where ion–substrate cotransport occurs by ligandand voltage-induced conformation changes, and where the rate and direction of transport is a function of voltage and the concentration of the ligands on each side of the membrane. Our recent studies to test this model have focused on the structure and function of two family members, the human and Vibrio paraheamolyticus Na–glucose and galactose cotransporters, hSGLT1 and vSGLT. Both proteins have been expressed in E. coli and Xenopus laevis oocytes for functional studies and both have been purified to homogeneity from E. coli and reconstituted into liposomes for structural studies using electron microscopic and spectroscopic methods (Turk et al. 2000; Quick & Wright, 2002). Oocytes were harvested from frogs anaesthetized with Tricaine in accordance with UCLA and NIH animal welfare guidelines. In this presentation I will summarize our data showing ligandinduced global changes in conformation of vSGLT in proteoliposomes using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and H/D exchange (Le Coutre et al. 2002), and ligandand voltage-induced local changes in conformation in proteoliposomes and oocytes using extrinsic fluorescence probes covalently attached to designated cysteine mutants (Meinild et al. 2002). Freeze fracture electron microscopy demonstrated that both the functional cotransporters are monomers. ATR-FTIR reveals stepwise increases in helical content of vSGLT upon binding of sodium and D-galactose, and this is accompanied by stepwise reductions in H/D exchange. These experiments indicate discrete conformational changes in the protein during the catalytic transport cycle of the protein. Fluorescence studies of both vSGLT and hSGLT1 show that the conformational changes involve specific domain in helices 10, 11 and 12 and the extracellular linker between helices 10 and 11. These results support our kinetic model for transport and they are incorporated into a structural model.


BiHermitian geometry, discovered long ago by Gates, Hull and Roček, is the most general sigma model target space geometry allowing for (2, 2) world sheet supersymmetry. In this paper, we work out supersymmetric quantum mechanics for a biHermitian target space. We display the full supersymmetry of the model and illustrate in detail its quantization procedure. Finally, we show that the quantized model reproduces the Hodge theory for compact twisted generalized Kaehler manifolds recently developed by Gualtieri in [33]. This allows us to recover and put in a broader context the results on the biHermitian topological sigma models obtained by Kapustin and Li in [9]. Keywords: quantum field theory in curved spacetime; geometry, differential geometry and topology.


Within the renewable energy resources, biomasses play a crucial role. The year 2008, might be remembered as the time when the world understood the linkage and interdependence between food and energy. A number of factors including subsidies, high oil prices, increasing demand from emerging countries and lower yields in some countries, as well as lower levels of world food stocks, resulted in soaring food prices. As consequences, number of countries adopted the opportunity to boost the development of biofuel as a solution for energy insecurity, the threat of climate change and to enhance agriculture and rural development. In the Eu rural areas amount for 92 per cent of the EU surface but the per capita income is around the third less. Diversification of household income, aiming at revitalising and avoiding the rural areas' progressive degradation and abandonment is crucial. In fact agriculture can play several roles in addition to its primary function of producing food. The growing attention given to the non agricultural commodity outputs (particularly renewable energy) is a clear example. Rural is not synonymous with decline or with agriculture. The distinctions between rural and urban areas are obsolete and rural areas are not homogenous, with uniform bonds or same opportunity. This study analyses the dimension of renewable energy as a diversification activity in the European rural areas. The objectives of this study are to identify: the key added values of bioenergy production in rural area; the regions/areas benefitting or that might benefit from the promotion of bioenergy production; policies in the agricultural sector that could be designed to ensure benefits to rural areas from the production and provision of bioenergy; which stakeholders are mostly (positively or negatively) affected from the production of biomass.


Pathogenic variants in IQ motif and SEC7 domain containing protein 2 (IQSEC2) gene cause a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders, with intellectual disability as a uniform feature. We report five cases, each with a novel missense variant in the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of the IQSEC2 protein. Male patients all present with moderate to profound intellectual disability, significant delays or absent language and speech and variable seizures. We describe the phenotypic spectrum associated with missense variants in PH domain of IQSEC2, further delineating the genotype–phenotype correlation for this X‐linked gene.


Fe(III)/H2O2 system is an effective method for separating the organic compounds from aqueous solution, whereas it is often investigated under lower pH conditions. In order to improve performance of the system, a Fe(III)/H2O2-like system that was composed of iron-based coagulant and H2O2 was developed, which has the combined effect of flocculation and oxidation. The system when used for decolorization of an organic azo dye solution, Procion Red MX-5B, under wider pH range, indicated higher decolorization efficiency. Parameters affecting the decolorization such as coagulant dosage, H2O2 concentration, initial solution pH, temperature, and initial dye concentration were examined in this study. The results indicated that with appropriate coagulant dosage, H2O2 concentration, and pH, it was more effective for the decolorization, especially in a weak alkaline environment (pH = 7-8); the pseudo-first-order kinetics could express the azo dye concentration as a function of the reaction time. This study further illustrated that the azo dye solution was degraded to a degree with 53.22% TOC removal at an initial total TOC concentration of 14.92 mg/L. Overall, the established system in this study was favorable to the decolorization of soluble azo dye.


We present a large-scale dataset, ReCoRD, for machine reading comprehension requiring commonsense reasoning. Experiments on this dataset demonstrate that the performance of state-of-the-art MRC systems fall far behind human performance. ReCoRD represents a challenge for future research to bridge the gap between human and machine commonsense reading comprehension. ReCoRD is available at this http URL


Stochastic Resonance (SR) is a phenomenon in which noise improves the performance of a system. With the addition of noise, a weak input signal to a nonlinear system, which may exceed its threshold, is transformed into an output signal. In the other words, noise-driven signal transfer is achieved. SR has been observed in nonlinear response systems, such as biological and artificial systems, and this review will focus mainly on examples of previous studies of mathematical models and experimental realization of SR using poly(hexylthiophene)-based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). This phenomenon may contribute to signal processing with low energy consumption. However, the generation of SR requires a noise source. Therefore, the focus is on OFETs using materials such as organic materials with unstable electrical properties and critical elements due to unidirectional signal transmission, such as neural synapses. It has been reported that SR can be observed in OFETs by application of external noise. However, SR does not occur under conditions where the input signal exceeds the OFET threshold without external noise. Here, we present an example of a study that analyzes the behavior of SR in OFET systems and explain how SR can be made observable. At the same time, the role of internal noise in OFETs will be explained.


Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a very successful dimensionality reduction technique, widely used in predictive modeling. A key factor in its widespread use in this domain is the fact that the projection of a dataset onto its first $K$ principal components minimizes the sum of squared errors between the original data and the projected data over all possible rank $K$ projections. Thus, PCA provides optimal low-rank representations of data for least-squares linear regression under standard modeling assumptions. On the other hand, when the loss function for a prediction problem is not the least-squares error, PCA is typically a heuristic choice of dimensionality reduction -- in particular for classification problems under the zero-one loss. In this paper we target classification problems by proposing a straightforward alternative to PCA that aims to minimize the difference in margin distribution between the original and the projected data. Extensive experiments show that our simple approach typically outperforms PCA on any particular dataset, in terms of classification error, though this difference is not always statistically significant, and despite being a filter method is frequently competitive with Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Lasso on a wide range of datasets.


The present infrared brightness of a planet originates partly from the accretion energy that the planet gained during its formation and hence provides important constraints to the planet formation process. A planet cools down from a hot initial state to the present state by losing energy through radiative emission from its atmosphere. Thus, the atmospheric properties affect the planetary cooling rate. Previous theories of giant planet cooling assume that the atmospheric composition is unchanged throughout the evolution. Planet formation theories, however, suggest that the atmospheres especially of ice giants are rich in heavy elements in the early stages. These heavy elements include condensable species such as H2O, NH3, and CH4, which are expected to have a great impact on atmospheric temperature and thus on radiative emission through latent heat release. In this study we investigate the effect of such condensation on the planetary emission flux and quantify the impact on the cooling timescale. We then demonstrate that the latent heat of these species keeps the atmosphere hot and thus the emission flux high for billions of years, resulting in an acceleration of the cooling of ice giants. This sheds light on the long-standing problem that Uranus is much less bright than theoretically predicted and is different in brightness from Neptune in spite of the similarity in mass and radius. We also find that young ice giants with highly enriched atmospheres are much brighter in the mid-infrared than ice giants with non-enriched atmospheres. This provides important implications for future direct imaging of extrasolar ice giants.


Given the move toward driverless cars, which includes the more short-term goal of driving assistance, what the appropriate shared authority and interaction paradigms should be between human drivers and the automation remains an open question until more principled research and testing has occurred. It is unclear at this time how robust driverless cars are to system failures (including human failures) and operations in degraded sensor environments. Automation onboard such vehicles is inherently brittle and can only account for what it is programmed to consider. Communication between what is technically a very complex system to a human population of extreme variability in driving skills and attention management will be difficult, since the driver will need to be appropriately informed of the state of the system, including limitations, and will need to build appropriate trust in the automation's capabilities (neither too much or too little). Further complicating this problem is the significant body of research demonstrating that automated systems can lead to boredom, which encourages distraction. This leaves operators unaware of the state of the vehicle (aka, mode confusion) and ill-suited to respond quickly and appropriately in case of a potential accident. Over time, operator skill degradation due to automation use can further reduce the human ability to respond to emergent driving demands, and will likely lead to risk homeostasis even in normal operations. Each of these issues are well-known to the human systems engineering community, but it is unclear that these issues are being considered by driverless car designers or that manufactures are conducting human-in-the-loop tests with representative members of the driving population. Until these tests show that the vehicles account for the aforementioned issues, driverless cars will not be safe for unrestricted access and use on U.S. roadways. Moreover, there are significant socio-technical considerations that do not appear to be a concern in the push to introduce this technology on a wide scale. The utilitarian approach quoted by many in the press, i.e., that driverless cars will eventually kill people but that this should be acceptable due to the likely reduction in overall deaths (which is not yet proven) demonstrates an insensitivity to a deontological perspective that causes many people to be uncomfortable with such a significant shift in responsibility and accountability to computers.


We present DASH, a C++ template library that offers distributed data structures and parallel algorithms and implements a compiler-free PGAS (partitioned global address space) approach. DASH offers many productivity and performance features such as global-view data structures, efficient support for the owner-computes model, flexible multidimensional data distribution schemes and interoperability with STL (standard template library) algorithms. DASH also features a flexible representation of the parallel target machine and allows the exploitation of several hierarchically organized levels of locality through a concept of Teams. We evaluate DASH on a number of benchmark applications and we port a scientific proxy application using the MPI two-sided model to DASH. We find that DASH offers excellent productivity and performance and demonstrate scalability up to 9800 cores.


Objectives: Heart disease is one of the chronic diseases that require adjustment and extensive changes in the patient's life. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation on the relationship between anger rumination and worry with adjustment problems to heart disease. Methods: A total of 327 patients with coronary artery disease (138 women and 189 men) participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Anger Rumination Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and Adjustment to Illness Scale. Results: Worry, anger rumination, and difficulty in emotion regulation showed a negative correlation with adjustment to heart disease. The results of path analysis indicated that the relationship between worry and anger rumination with adjustment to heart disease was mediated by difficulties in emotion regulation. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, management of worry and anger rumination, as well as emotion regulation strategies, should be implemented in regular medical treatments for patients with heart disease.


Generalized convolution symmetries of integrable hierarchies of KP and 2KP-Toda type multiply the Fourier coefficients of the elements of the Hilbert space $\HH= L^2(S^1)$ by a specified sequence of constants. This induces a corresponding transformation on the Hilbert space Grassmannian $\Gr_{\HH_+}(\HH)$ and hence on the Sato-Segal-Wilson \tau-functions determining solutions to the KP and 2-Toda hierarchies. The corresponding action on the associated fermionic Fock space is also diagonal in the standard orthonormal base determined by occupation sites and labeled by partitions. The Pl\"ucker coordinates of the element element $W \in \Gr_{\HH_+}(\HH)$ defining the initial point of these commuting flows are the coefficients in the single and double Schur function of the associated \tau function, and are therefore multiplied by the corresponding diagonal factors under this action. Applying such transformations to matrix integrals, we obtain new matrix models of externally coupled type that are hence also KP or 2KP-Toda \tau-functions. More general multiple integral representations of \tau functions are similarly obtained, as well as finite determinantal expressions for them.


A 72-year-old female operated for ascending colon cancer was histologically diagnosed as having co-existing goblet cell-like carcinoid and rosette-forming carcinoid. The tumor cells were positive for the argyrophil reaction, but negative for the argentaffin reaction. A few tumor cells had both argyrophil granules and sulfated acid mucin in their cytoplasm. Despite combination chemotherapy she expired 10 months after the operation. Autopsy revealed local recurrence and metastases to the liver, lung, pancreas, left adrenal and many lymph nodes.


This paper presents a new current control method for dual-boost power-factor-corrected (PFC) converters which avoids the need for sensing the ac input current. The control method is a generalization to the nonlinear average current control previously developed for boost PFC converters that has demonstrated better control performance and reduced sensitivity to noise. The generalized method for dual-boost PFC converters uses the dc rail return current as feedback signal, which is much easier to sense than any other current. A new PWM-based multiplier circuit is also presented as part of the implementation of the new control method to provide an alternative to linear analog multiplier or a mixed-signal control setup. Control characteristics and performance of the new method are analyzed using averaged models and verified by measurement results from a 500 W prototype. Operation of the converter with both 60 Hz and 400 Hz line is reported to demonstrate its control performance for terrestrial as well as airborne applications. Conducted EMI measurements of the converter are also presented to demonstrate the overall performance of the design.


: Physical attractiveness plays an important role in the formation and development of intimate relationships. Since individuals with higher ratings of physical attractiveness are perceived as having more socially desirable traits and better genes, they are regarded as having a higher mate value that can facilitate the establishment of intimate relationships. However, because of the dissimilarity in physical attractiveness, the less attractive partner tends to employ a range of mate retention, jealous, insulting, and sexual coercion behaviors. These behaviors contribute to an acceleration of the breakup of intimate relationships. Other studies have suggested that attractive men have a higher probability of not possessing good genes, which would be favorable to intimate relationships and women do not show a stronger preference for attractive men when in the hormonal states associated with high fertility. The viewpoint of "what is beautiful is good" is currently being questioned, the findings of which have been controversial and divergent. As a result, the relevant direct evidence needs to be further consolidated.


Background: The transformation of the global energy sector from fossil-based fuels to low/non-carbon fuels will reduce environmental pollutant load, which in turn will benefit human health. However, with upscaling of emerging renewable technologies and energy sources, it is important to identify the potential for unintended health impacts, and to understand where the knowledge gaps lie with respect to health. We aimed to identify these gaps by conducting a scoping review. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of Medline, Web of Science, PubMed and EMBASE. We used broad search terms to capture literature associated with energy transitioning to low/non-carbon energy sources or related technologies, combined with terms relevant to measuring or estimating health outcomes/impacts associated with environmental exposures. We included original epidemiological studies, reviews, health impact assessments (HIAs), life cycle assessments (LCAs), and modelling studies that examined health impacts. Results: The search identified 6933 papers of which 81 original research and review papers were included in the review. The majority of studies were based on modelling scenarios. There were few papers reporting empirical epidemiological studies, either observational or interventional. The principal foci of the studies were: alternative energy scenario modelling; biofuels; wind energy; photovoltaic cells; transport; and building energy efficiency. Within those studies the depth and breadth of the health impact research was limited. Conclusions: There is a need to determine the potential for unintended health impacts that may arise from each energy transition scenario, as an adjunct to consideration of environmental and social impacts. Conducting LCAs or HIAs associated with current and emerging transitions, technologies, energy interventions, and policy decisions are likely to be the best methods, currently, for determining the potential for health impacts. Such research needs to be multidisciplinary and iterative to keep abreast of developments in new energy technologies, modelling methods and policy shifts in energy transitions.


Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cause of arrhythmogenesis in humans yet the genetic cause of AF remains elusive. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported risk variants in four distinct genetic loci (4q25, 1q21, 16q22 and 16q13) which have been associated with AF. Among them, the most significant are 4q25 risk variants, which are located in the vicinity of the PITX2 gene. Given the key developmental role of Pitx2 during cardiogenesis and particularly its role in pulmonary vein deployment, it has been postulated that Pitx2 dysfunction might be the molecular link to AF. Experimental evidences in distinct laboratories, including ours, have demonstrated that Pitx2 loss of function predisposes to atrial arrhythmogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms driven by Pitx2 in this context remain somehow elusive, proposing either embryonic or mature gene expression defects. In order to get further insights into the molecular mechanisms driven by Pitx2 and their putative relation with novel AF GWAS associated genes, we have generated a new Pitx2 conditional mouse line, by intercrossing Sox2Cre and Pitx2floxed mice. Epiblast deletion of Pitx2 leads to the generation of heterozygous and systemic null Pitx2 null mutants, respectively. As expected, embryonic mortality and cardiac defects were similarly observed in Sox2CrePitx2 null mice as those previously reported for Pitx2 knock-out mice. Molecular analyses of the left atrial appendage in heterozygous Sox2CrePitx2 mice (20-30% reduction in Pitx2 expression) and atrial-specific NppaCrePitx2 null mice (60-70% reduction in Pitx2 expression) demonstrate that AF GWAS associated genes such as Zfhx3, Kcnn3 and Wnt8a are severely impaired while other such as Cav1, Synpo2l or Prrx1 are not. Surprisingly, beta-adrenergic signaling is not altered in these models whereas multiple calcium handling genes such as Serca2a, calsequestrin, phospholamban are severely impaired in atrial-specific NppaCrePitx2 null mice but not in heterozygous Sox2CrePitx2 mice. Functional assessment of calcium handling further underscores these findings. Importantly, neither Zfhx3 nor Wnt8a gain-of-function or loss-of-function experiments impairs Pitx2 expression, suggesting that Pitx2 is upstream of these genes. Furthermore, these data suggest a dose-dependent relation between Pitx2 expression and the susceptibility to display basal or only inducible electrophysiological defects. We are currently studying the hierarchical between Pitx2, AF GWAS associated genes and calcium handling, as well as to putative involvement of post-transcriptional modulators such as microRNAs.


Grant writing experience can be a valuable asset for students completing masters-level degree programs across a variety of disciplines. A service learning grant writing project was incorporated in a multidisciplinary program evaluation course as part of a writing requirement. Twelve students served as "ghost writers" and wrote grant proposals to foundations for community organizations. Projects were assessed by ratings provided by faculty across departments who served as judges. Qualitative data was collected from students and organizational sponsors that showed high levels of satisfaction from both groups and an awareness of reciprocity of benefit from service learning were observed in both groups. Benefits and limitations of the pedagogical technique are discussed.


We examine the robustness of networks under attack when the attacker sequentially selects from a number of different attack strategies, each of which removes one node from the network. Network robustness refers to the ability of a network to maintain functionality under attack, and the problem-dependent context implies a number of robustness measures exist. Thus, we analyze four measures: (1) entropy, (2) efficiency, (3) size of largest network component, and suggest to also utilize (4) pairwise connectivity. Six network centrality measures form the set of strategies at the disposal of the attacker. Our study examines the utility of greedy strategy selection versus random strategy selection for each attack, whereas previous studies focused on greedy selection but limited to only one attack strategy. Using a set of common complex network benchmark networks, in addition to real-world networks, we find that randomly selecting an attack strategy often performs well when the attack strategies are of high quality. We also examine defense against the attacks by adding k edges after each node attack and find that the greedy strategy is most useful in this context. We also observed that a betweenness-based attack often outperforms both random and greedy strategy selection, the latter often becoming trapped in local optima.


Purpose: In this paper we evaluate both ex-ante and ex-post macroeconomic impact of EURO 2012 TM on Polish regions. Methodology: We start with modifying the Keynesian-style multiplier model to investigate the effects of Euro 2012-related spending on local economies. This specifi cation permits us, on the one hand, to easily investigate the impact on each demand component, and, on the other hand, to calculate the magnitudes of these multipliers in order to judge the credibility of potential regional welfare benefi ts. This analysis is strengthened by taking into account the regional supply constraints. The second part of our study is devoted to an econometric estimation of long-run macroeconomic impact. Findings: Our study does not provide a strong evidence of EURO 2012- specifi c effects. We fi nd the regional multipliers' values ranging from 1,13 to 1,33 for four hosting regions. This translates into an uncommon statement of rather evenly developed regions. The ex-ante study also testifi es of an importance of public expenditure in convergence process. In case of ex-post analysis, the estimates of regional production function reveal a modest positive effect of EURO 2012-related infrastructure spending. However, this effect is small, and there is no statistical evidence that hosting regions recorded an event-specifi c growth boost. Research limitations: Both ex-ante and ex-post studies are sensitive to regional data, therefore, some calculations may suffer from disaggregation error. Additionally, ex-post analysis needs to be repeated in order to gain more insights from historical data. Finally, authors plan to complement the analysis by the Ukrainian study. Originality: This is the fi rst paper to date addressing the EURO 2012 macroeconomic impact from the regional perspective.


In Navajo Nation v. U.S. Forest Service , 535 F.3d 1058 (9th Cir. 2008), cert. denied , 129 S. Ct. 2763 (2009), the Ninth Circuit seated en banc found that federal approval of a plan by a ski resort to make artificial snow with treated sewage effluent on Arizona's San Francisco Peaks, a mountain massif held sacred by the Navajo, Hopi, and four other claimant tribes, did not violate their religious liberty under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The court accepted numerous factual findings about sincere religious exercise, but found federal approval of the scheme did not constitute a "substantial burden" on religion; rather, it only "decreased spiritual fulfillment" of tribal members. Despite a spirited dissent, the Ninth Circuit narrowly interpreted RFRA's language of "substantial burden" by making reference to the Supreme Court's 1988 holding in Lyng v. Northwest Cemetery Protective Association , 485 U.S. 439 (1988). This article shows how conventional wisdom about individualistic, subjective, and protean "spirituality" and in particular about "Native American spirituality" equips the court to denature highly specific and collective religious claims about the mountain by plaintiff tribes, and in turn to naturalize those claims as merely spiritual. Misrecognition of Native religions as Native spirituality then troubles the substantial burden analysis. While Navajo Nation suggests courts may never fully understand Native claims to sacred sites, the Supreme Court's 2014 holding in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, Inc. , 134 S. Ct. 2751, 2759 (2014), opens the door to revisiting the interpretive posture spelled out in Navajo Nation , and the Ninth Circuit's interpretive approach to "substantial burden" bears revisiting.


English translation © 2008 M.E. Sharpe, Inc., from the Russian text © 2006 the author. "Sotsial'naia stratifikatsiia i bednost' v regionakh Rossii (k sostavleniiu sotsiokul'turnogo portreta regionov)," Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniia, 2006, no. 9, pp. 52–63. A publication of the Russian Academy of Sciences; the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, and Law, Russian Academy of Sciences; and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Liudmila Aleksandrovna Beliaeva is a doctor of sociological sciences and a lead science associate at the Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences. The article was prepared with the support of the Russian Foundation for the Humanities (Project No. 05-03-03075a). Translated by Kim Braithwaite. Russian Social Science Review, vol. 49, no. 3, May–June 2008, pp. 4–25. © 2008 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1061-1428/2008 $9.50 + 0.00. DOI 10.2753/SOR1061-0154470102


Three kinds of nonconjugated rigid perylene bisimide (PBI) derivatives based on a triptycene core were designed, synthesized and characterized. The unique three-dimensional (3D) conformation of triptycene could enable formation of polymer with the favorable morphology for organic polymer solar cells (PSCs) by relieving the self-aggregation of rigid PBI units. The low-lying LUMO energy levels of these compounds demonstrated that they are very suitable for use as acceptors in organic solar cells. A higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.15 % was obtained for the blend film using the compound with two PBI units (T-2) as the acceptor and commercial poly[[4,8-bis[5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophene-2-yl]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)-carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PCE-10) as the electron donor.


Abstract Assessment of dynamic functional brain connectivity based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data is an increasingly popular strategy to investigate temporal dynamics of the brain's large-scale network architecture. Current practice when deriving connectivity estimates over time is to use the Fisher transformation, which aims to stabilize the variance of correlation values that fluctuate around varying true correlation values. It is, however, unclear how well the stabilization of signal variance performed by the Fisher transformation works for each connectivity time series, when the true correlation is assumed to be fluctuating. This is of importance because many subsequent analyses either assume or perform better when the time series have stable variance or adheres to an approximate Gaussian distribution. In this article, using simulations and analysis of resting-state fMRI data, we analyze the effect of applying different variance stabilization strategies on connectivity time series. We focus our investigation on the Fisher transformation, the Box–Cox (BC) transformation and an approach that combines both transformations. Our results show that, if the intention of stabilizing the variance is to use metrics on the time series, where stable variance or a Gaussian distribution is desired (e.g., clustering), the Fisher transformation is not optimal and may even skew connectivity time series away from being Gaussian. Furthermore, we show that the suboptimal performance of the Fisher transformation can be substantially improved by including an additional BC transformation after the dynamic functional connectivity time series has been Fisher transformed.


BACKGROUND
Previous studies conducted in Australian hospital settings suggest high variability in assessments, investigations, and management of diabetic foot infections and poor adherence to widely accessible evidence-based protocols and guidelines. Diabetic foot complications require a multidisciplinary approach and often involve both medical and surgical teams during inpatient care.

AIMS
The aim of this clinical audit was to better understand the scope of diabetes-related foot complications, evaluate whether current assessment and management strategies are in line with best practice guidelines, and to formulate future models of care.

METHODS
A retrospective review of patients was carried out between 12 July 2012 and 11 July 2013. Recorded assessments of inpatient care, including risk factors, surgery, length of stay, interdepartmental referrals, and antibiotic administration were reviewed.

RESULTS
There were 24 admissions in 12 months (total patients n=19). Fifty-eight per cent of patients were admitted to the medical ward. More than one-quarter had evidence of osteomyelitis. While one patient required intensive care unit (ICU) management, there was no inpatient mortality. Two patients experienced significant delay to undergo initial surgical intervention presumably because of failed medical treatment. Clinical data was recorded poorly, especially regarding neuropathy, HbA1c, and clinical examination findings. Twelve per cent of patients did not undergo any follow-up. The average length of stay was 12 days. One-half of the cohort was not evaluated by the endocrinology department.

CONCLUSION
This audit highlights the need for improved care for patients with diabetic foot complications and better coordination among the multidisciplinary teams involved.


The train derailment accident occurs with a low incidence, but the damage due to train derailment can become quite big disaster. Recently, the derailment accident has often been occurring at home and abroad. The derailment protection facilities are being applied to minimize expansion of damage by train derailment in various countries operating railway of the world. In this paper, 3D finite element analysis model is developed to simulate collision behavior of derailed train. And numerical verification of the developed model is carried out about train derailment-collision behavior.


In humans, hormonal regulation is crucial for the preparation of uterine environment leading to either successful implantation or menstrual cycle. Estrogen is a pivotal female steroid hormone that regulates the uterine dynamics along with progesterone in the estrous and menstrual cycles in humans. Estrogen signals act via nuclear estrogen receptor or membrane-bound receptor. The membrane-bound estrogen receptor plays a crucial role in the rapid response of estrogen in the uterine epithelium. Recently, RASD1 has received attention as a novel signal transducer of estrogen in various systems including female reproductive organs. In this review, we discuss the regulation of estrogen and RASD1 signaling in the uterus and also provide insights into RAS as a novel signaling molecule in repeated implantation failure.


The incidence of poliomyelitis and neonatal tetanus in Ilorin Local Government Area was estimated using a 40-cluster, retrospective survey of neonatal tetanus deaths and lameness from poliomyelitis in March and April 1988. The survey identified 19 neonatal tetanus deaths among 1601 livebirths, giving an incidence rate of 14.9/1000 livebirths. Some 31 residual paralytic polio cases were identified among 4576 children aged five to nine years, giving a prevalence rate of 6.8/1000 children in this age group and an annual incidence rate of 38.3/100,000 general population. Immunization of pregnant women with tetanus toxoid, had a greater impact on mortality from neonatal tetanus than delivery in hospital or birth at home attended by a traditional birth attendant. Antenatal coverage with two doses of tetanus toxoid was 62.6%. Poliomyelitis and neonatal tetanus still constitute important causes of childhood morbidity and mortality in Ilorin and antenatal tetanus immunization coverage is not yet sufficient to control neonatal tetanus in this population. The target age for immunization with tetanus toxoid should be extended to include all women of childbearing age. Further retrospective surveys from other Nigerian states are needed to determine the magnitude of the neonatal tetanus problem throughout the country.


Objective: The pharmacokinetic properties of three newly synthesized retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonists were evaluated in rats to elucidate the structural factor influencing their pharmacokinetic properties. Material and methods: Three RXR agonists possessing a common 6-[N-ethyl-N-(3-alkoxy-4-isopropylphenyl)amino]nicotinic acid skeleton and side chain structures that are slightly different from each other were prepared as we previously reported (Takamatsu et al., ChemMedChem, 2008; 3:780–787). The plasma concentration profiles of these compounds were evaluated following the intravenous and intra-intestinal administrations. Their hepatic metabolism was characterized using rat liver microsomes. Results: Based on the plasma concentration profile, NEt-3IP (3-isopropoxy) was shown to have a distribution volume of 4.53 L/kg, and to be cleared from the body with an elimination half-time of 0.95 h. The bioavailability of NEt-3IP is 16.4%, whereas those of the isobutoxy analog NEt-3IB and the cyclopropylmethoxy analog NEt-3cPM are 46.5% and 22.6%, respectively. Subsequently, in the experiments using rat liver microsomes, the Km and Vmax values of NEt-3IP were determined as 7.85 µM and 0.48 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. This Km value is nearly the same as those of NEt-3IB and NEt-3cPM, but the Vmax value is noticeably smaller. Additionally, it was revealed that the CYP family mainly metabolizing NEt-3IP is different from those metabolizing the other analogs. Conclusion: Based on these findings, the pharmacokinetic properties of the compounds possessing this type of the skeleton seem to be largely influenced by a slight modification of the side chain structure.


ABSTRACT Rapid urbanization in China has led to an excessive urban expansion of built-up areas, which makes quantitative research on compact city important. We adopted density and the degree of mixed land use to measure the compactness of 160 Chinese cities. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was performed to identify spatial clustering patterns, and the relationships between compactness and five variables were explored through regression models. The result shows that in nearly half of the cases, the calculated values of two indices are less than the average. The high or low values of density and the degree of mixed land use tend to be spatially clustered. The hot spot regions of density and the degree of mixed land use lie mainly in the south of China, while the north present as cold spots or the insignificant regions. Urban compactness can be affected by multifaceted factors and the relationships between compactness and five variables are not consistent throughout the areas of analysis. The GWR model can identify this phenomenon and provides a better fit than the OLS model. This study proposed a new approach to measure the compactness, and the results of GWR analysis can conducive to appropriate policy-making based on different local conditions.


One of the major trends facing organizations today is the demands for ever-higher levels of responsiveness and shorter defined cycle times for deliveries of goods and services. The distribution system for new automobiles has remained unchanged for many years, with more emphasis on supplying customers from stock held at retailers. Despite high stocks, the performance of the supply chain has failed to meet customer expectations in terms of delivering the exact specification desired within an acceptable timescale. To overcome the uncertainties and to manage inventory in a supply chain, in this work emergency lateral transshipments are allowed as alternative actions in order to reduce the cost of shortage and surplus inventory after demands are realized and we present a simple and intuitive model that enables to characterize optimal inventory and transshipment policy for number of locations with products outfit by a single warehouse where stock is held to meet customers" demands. An analytical approach is urbanized on an Indian automobile manufacturing company for estimating the total expected costs (carrying, transshipments and lost sales) of the two policies i.e. with transshipment and without transshipment and the results have been compared with existing one. This provides a mechanism for choosing between the two policies for any given set of problem characteristics. It has been observed that the notion of lateral transshipments appears to have substantial appeal and the benefits of avoiding retail level shortages outweigh the additional delivery costs resulting from transshipments, customer service may be enhanced significantly, associated inventory cost reduces, without the burden of additional safety stocks.


The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was investigated in 327 patients suffering from diarrhea and in 36 animals (dogs, cats and chickens) owned by the patients that presented infection by Campylobacter in Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. Campylobacter spp. was isolated in 50/327 patients and in 12/36 animals, being Campylobacter jejuni the most common species. Resistance to ciprofloxacin (65 %) and tetracycline (32 %) was found among 35 isolates of human origin studied. Seven genetic subtypes were observed among 13 C. jejuni isolates by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Two subtypes grouped isolates belonging to patients and their respective dogs whereas another subtype grouped one isolate of human origin and two isolates from the patient's chickens. The results of this investigation highlight the need to strengthen surveillance of Campylobacter spp. not only in poultry, which is recognized as the main reservoir, but also in pets, which were shown to be asymptomatic carriers of the pathogen.


The results of studies on the use of sulfenamides in organic synthesis are systematised and generalised. The fields of industrial application of sulfenamides are considered. The bibliography includes 220 references.


An improved full scale bending magnet (E22-13) for the Energy Doubler was cooled down with a prototype satellite refrigerator and its characteristics were measured. We intentionally induced quenches on this magnet below 40 kG using a heater and the quench behavior was investigated from the viewpoint of system safety. The first self-induced quench of this horizontal magnet system occurred at about 41.7 kG. Due to high single phase pressure, we did not train the magnet to any higher field. The measurement of ac loss was done and the data showed some wire movement at about 20 kG. Transfer function was measured to be 9.81 (G/A). The magnetic field was measured using a harmonic coil. The field quality was found to be improved over the first full scale magnet (E22-1).


Evidence for the existence of grain boundary (GB) networks with different critical current densities has been obtained in YBa2Cu3O7−x coated conductor tapes, through distinct magnetic responses in AC susceptibility measurements. Percolating currents through GB networks of different quality may be distinguished by the appearance of modified dissipation contributions in the imaginary component of the AC susceptibility. The application of the Bean critical-state model to the AC susceptibility response of finite size samples has allowed us to properly quantify these critical current densities. AC susceptibility appears as a unique direct measurement of the temperature-dependent intergrain critical current densities with additional information about the current networks, which cannot be reached by transport measurements.


We measure the decay rate of the mid-IR luminosity from Type Ia supernova 2011fe between six months and one year after explosion using Spitzer/IRAC observations. The fading in the 3.6 μm channel is 1.48 ± 0.02 mag/100d, which is similar to that seen in blue optical bands. The supernova brightness fades at 0.78 ± 0.02 mag/100d in the 4.5 μm channel which is close to that observed in the near-IR. We argue that the difference is a result of doubly ionized iron-peak elements dominating the bluer IRAC band while singly ionized species are controlling the longer wavelength channel. To test this, we use Large Binocular Telescope spectra taken during the same phases to show that doubly ionized emission lines do fade more slowly than their singly ionized cousins. We also find that [Co iii] emission fades at more than twice the radioactive decay rate due to the combination of decreasing excitation in the nebula, recombination and cobalt decaying to iron. The nebular emission velocities of [Fe iii] and [Co iii] lines show a smaller blueshift than emission from singly ionized atoms. The Si ii velocity gradient near maximum light combined with our nebular velocity measurements suggest SN 2011fe was a typical member of the "low velocity gradient" class of Type Ia. Analyzing IRAC photometry from other supernovae we find that mid-IR color of Type Ia events is correlated with the early light curve width and can be used as an indicator of the radioactive nickel yield.


Background Between the conflicting requirements of clinic organisation, the European Working Time Directive, patient safety, an increasing lack of junior staff, and competitiveness, the development of ideal duty hour models is vital to ensure maximum quality of care within the legal requirements. To achieve this, it is useful to evaluate the actual effects of duty hour models on staff satisfaction. Materials and Methods After the traditional 24-hour duty shift was given up in a surgical maximum care centre in 2007, an 18-hour duty shift was implemented, followed by a 12-hour shift in 2008, to improve handovers and reduce loss of information. The effects on work organisation, quality of life and salary were analysed in an anonymous survey in 2008. The staff survey was repeated in 2014. Results With a response rate of 95% of questionnaires in 2008 and a 93% response rate in 2014, the 12-hour duty model received negative ratings due to its high duty frequency and subsequent social strain. Also the physical strain and chronic tiredness were rated as most severe in the 12-hour rota. The 18-hour duty shift was the model of choice amongst staff. The 24-hour duty model was rated as the best compromise between the requirements of work organisation and staff satisfaction, and therefore this duty model was adapted accordingly in 2015. Conclusion The essential basis of a surgical department is a duty hour model suited to the requirements of work organisation, the Working Time Directive and the needs of the surgical staff. A 12-hour duty model can be ideal for work organisation, but only if augmented with an adequate number of staff members, the implementation of this model is possible without the frequency of 12-hour shifts being too high associated with strain on surgical staff and a perceived deterioration of quality of life. A staff survey should be performed on a regular basis to assess the actual effects of duty hour models and enable further optimisation. The much criticised 24-hour duty model seems to be much better than its reputation, if augmented by additional staff members in the evening hours.


Abstract The effects of temperature and light on the dormancy of velvetleaf, common waterhemp, and giant foxtail seeds were studied under controlled growth chamber conditions. Seeds were either kept chilled at 4 C for 12 wk under wet conditions or nonchilled at 4 C in dry storage. Then, seeds were germinated under increasing and decreasing temperatures and under continuous red light (R) and far-red light (FR). In addition, chilled and nonchilled seeds were germinated in the dark after being exposed to alternating R and FR flashes. Velvetleaf germination was increased by exposure to high temperatures (36 C) immediately after exposure to low temperatures (4 C), but light had no effect. Chilling increased common waterhemp seed germination and sensitivity to light and temperature. R promoted common waterhemp seed germination, whereas FR inhibited germination and maintained dormancy. In addition, the effect of light was reversible. Therefore, common waterhemp dormancy was phytochrome regulated. However, high temperatures (36 C) promoted the germination of chilled seeds, even when exposed to FR. The germination of chilled giant foxtail seeds was reduced by FR. Giant foxtail seed dormancy was partially phytochrome regulated, but dormancy regulation was more dependent on mean temperature. Nomenclature: Common waterhemp, Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J.D. Sauer. syn. Amaranthus rudis Sauer. AMATA; giant foxtail, Setaria faberi Herrm. SETFA; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medicus. ABUTH.


There is a medical need of biomarkers for disease stratification in cholestatic liver diseases that come along with changes in hepatocyte polarity. Neighbor of Punc E11 (Nope) is an oncofetal marker that is lost after final differentiation and polarization of hepatocytes. We analyzed the expression pattern of Nope and connexin (Cx) 26 as markers of hepatocyte polarization during murine liver development as well as in adult liver with or without bile duct ligation (BDL) by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting (WB), and immunohistochemistry. Nope is highly expressed in fetal and postnatal liver but barely detectable thereafter. Cx26, however, is much higher expressed in adult than in fetal liver. Postnatally, Nope is directed to the sinusoidal membrane of early hepatocytes while Cx26 remains distributed over the whole membrane indicating limited polarization. In the adult liver, only Cx26 is detectable and restricted to the bile canalicular domain indicating fully polarized hepatocytes. After BDL, Nope is again >300-fold upregulated while Cx26 is reduced rapidly. By immunohistochemistry, Nope identifies a subset of hepatocytes with randomly distributed Cx26. In summary, Nope identifies depolarized adult hepatocytes after cholestatic liver injury resembling early postnatal hepatocytes. Therefore, Nope might be a valuable histochemical biomarker allowing stage-specific stratifications in cholestatic liver diseases.


It is often assumed that two heads are better than one, but reliance on decision aids is often inappropriate. Decisions to rely on an aid are thought to be based on a comparison between the perceived reliability of own performance and that of the decision aid. Unfortunately, perceived reliabilities are unlikely to be perfectly calibrated. This may result in inappropriate decisions to rely on advice. In a laboratory experiment with 40 participants, we studied whether calibration improves after practice, whether calibration of own reliability differs from calibration of the aid's reliability and whether unreliability of the aid is attributed differently. Under-trust in own reliability disappears after practice but under-trust in the aid's reliability persists. Unreliability of the decision aid is less likely to be attributed to temporary, external and uncontrollable factors. This asymmetry in attribution and calibration may explain under-reliance on decision aids.


Abstract The overall understanding of the sex differentiation cascade in vertebrates is still growing slowly, probably because of the variety of vertebrate models used and the number of molecular players yet to be discovered. Finding conserved mechanisms among vertebrates should provide a better view of the key factors involved in this process. To this end, we used real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to produce a temporal map of fluctuations in mRNA expression of 102 genes during sex differentiation and early gametogenesis in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We used these 102 temporal gene expression patterns as a basis for a hierarchical clustering analysis to find characteristic clusters of coexpressed genes. Analysis of some of these gene clusters suggested a conserved overall expression profile between the sex differentiation cascade in fish and mammals. Among these conserved molecular mechanisms, sox9, dmrt1, amh, nr5a1, nr0b1, igf1, and igf1ra are, for instance, characterized as early expressed genes involved in trout testicular differentiation as it is known or suggested in mammals. On the contrary, foxl2, fst, and lhr are characterized as early expressed genes during trout ovarian differentiation, as also found in mammals. Apart from this high conservation, our analysis suggests some potential new players, such as the fshb subunit gene, which is detected here for the first time, to our knowledge, in the female differentiating gonad of a vertebrate species and displays a specific overexpression that coincides in timing with the occurrence of first oocyte meioses, or the pax2 gene, which displays an early and testis-specific expression profile.


Hadoop is an open source data management system designed for storing and processing large volumes of data, minimum size being 64MB. Storing and processing of Small Files smaller than the minimum block size cannot be efficiently handled by hadoop because Small Files results in lots of seeks and lots of hopping between the datanodes.  A survey on the existing literature has been carried out to analyze the effect / solutions for the Small Files problem in hadoop. This paper presents the same and lists many effective solutions for this problem and further this paper says that there is a need to carry out lot of research on small file problem in order to attain effective and efficient solutions.


In this study, decision tree algorithms are used with promising results in a crucial and at the same time complicated classification problem concerning differential diagnosis of heart sounds. Decision tree structures are constructed, using data mining/distillation methods and then are used to classify heart sounds that were recorded from patients that have either aortic stenosis (AS) or mitral regurgitation (MR). Emphasis is given on the selection of the appropriate features that are adequately independent from the heart sound signal acquisition method. The differentiation capabilities and the classification performance of the fully expanded decision tree classifiers and the pruned decision tree classifiers are studied for this problem. For each constructed decision tree classifier the partial classification accuracies for the AS and MR auscultation findings are also estimated.


During last 65 years, Korea has achieved very rapid economic growth and social reformation including healthcare system. Many for-eigners have praised that Korea healthcare system is very good in the respect of ease accessibility to healthcare under the lowest cost among the industrialized countries. Whole population are covered by the National Health Insurance. Also utilizations of health-care among different income classes are even. However Korea healthcare system faced with several challenges, in terms of the an aging population and a rise in chronic disease problem, new threats of communicable disease due to globalization, the rapid in-crease of healthcare expenditure and high financial burden of patients even though they are insured. To cope with these challenges, we need reconsider the healthcare system as followings; to set up ideology of healthcare as normative public goods, to rebuild par-adigm of healthcare for 21 century, to reform public health for strengthening health promotion, to develop new method for health-care management including quality improvement and consumer responsiveness, to build new governance for health and to view new perspective on healthcare as a kind of industry.Keywords: Delivery of health care; Development of healthcare; Reconsideration of healthcare; Aging; Chronic disease; Governance; Health industry


On July 17, 1539, the evangelical preachers in the free imperial city Augsburg petitioned the town council to thoroughly evangelize the surrounding countryside. The clerics bemoaned the treatment of "the poor peasantry, which has been lamentably misled and left to flounder without the word of God. The peasants are very confused, for they recognize papal teachings as deceptive yet are robbed of the Gospel's healthy teaching." It was unnatural that "so many subjects in the countryside are separated, divided, and alienated from their divinely established magistracy in matters of faith." To remedy the situation, the pastors exhorted Augsburg's councilors to provide the villagers "with fatherly care" through "the preaching of the Gospel." They followed this injunction with a warning. If it took no action, "then truly the honorable council will have to answer before God, since the council collects tithes and taxes (zins und gult) from the poor people as its subjects, but it does not supply them with the food of souls."


The holotype of Wahlisaurus massarae is known only from a partial skull and postcranial skeleton from the Lower Jurassic, collected near Normanton on Soar, Nottinghamshire, UK. It is diagnosed relative to other ichthyosaurs on the basis of autapomorphies of the coracoid and a unique combination of characters. Here, we report a second specimen of W. massarae. The new specimen comprises a practically complete right coracoid that clearly shows the unique morphology of W. massarae. This specimen was collected in situ from a quarry in Somerset, from the base of the Blue Lias Formation, which corresponds to the Triassic–Jurassic boundary (uppermost Rhaetian or lowermost Hettangian), extending the geographic and stratigraphic range of the species. Furthermore, the coracoid of the new specimen is 20% anteroposteriorly longer than in the holotype, representing a larger individual. In light of preparation and the identification of additional fragments of the holotype, a redescription of the skull morphology of the holotype, as well as comparison with the skull roof of Leptonectes tenuirostris, is included.


In this paper, we present a complete framework and predict the Web page usage patterns from Web log files of a real Web site that has all the challenging aspects of real-life Web usage predict, including evolving user profiles and external data describing ontology of the Web content. Our Studies have been conducted on pre-fetching models based on Decision trees, Markov chains, and path analysis. However, the increased uses of dynamic pages, frequent changes in site structure and user access patterns have limited the efficacy of these static techniques. One of the techniques that are used for improving user latency is Caching and another is Web pre-fetching. Approaches that bank solely on caching offer limited performance improvement because it is difficult for caching to handle the large number of increasingly diverse files. For perform successful perfecting, we must be able to predict the next set of pages that will be accessed by users. The OFT Page Rank algorithm used by Google is able to compute the popularity of a set of Web pages based on their link structure. In this paper, a novel OFT Page Rank-like algorithm is proposed for conducting Web page prediction.. As the tool for the algorithm implementations we chose the ―language of choice in industrial world‖ – MATLAB.


Medication nonadherence is associated with an increased risk of complications in hypertensive patients. We investigated behavioral factors associated with medication nonadherence in hypertensive patients in southern Taiwan. Using questionnaires, we collected data regarding clinicodemographic characteristics and nonadherence behaviors from 238 hypertensive patients. We assessed the self-reported prevalence of specific behaviors of medication nonadherence and investigated factors associated with each behavior using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The most common behavior of medication nonadherence was forgetting to take medication (28.6%), followed by discontinuing medication (9.2%) and reducing the medication dose (8.8%). Age ≥ 65 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.15–0.69) and male sex (aOR = 2.61, CI = 1.31–5.19) were associated with forgetting to take medication. The presence of comorbidities (diabetes, kidney disease, or both) and insomnia (aOR = 3.97, 95% CI = 1.30–12.1) was associated with reducing the medication dose. The use of diet supplements was associated with discontinuing the medication (aOR = 4.82, 95% CI = 1.50–15.5). Compliance with a low oil/sugar/sodium diet was a protective factor against discontinuing medication (aOR = 0.14; 95% CI = 0.03–0.75). The most pervasive behavior associated with medication nonadherence among hypertensive patients was forgetting to take medication. Age <65 years, male sex, comorbidities, insomnia, noncompliance with diet, and the use of dietary supplements were specifically associated with medication nonadherence.


How can a body act as a tool for decolonising performance? As an artist, my body has become a powerful space for my art practice and cultural heritage to come together, the past and the present. My Polynesian body is the genealogical vessel that collapses time and space, allowing our ancestors and the atua to have a presence in the Now. I live through them, and they live through me at the point of performance. In this, I follow the Ta/Va philosophy (Mahina, Wendt, Refiti, Tavita) as it has been vigorously circulated and exchanged for well over a decade within Polynesian academic, cultural and artistic circles. With this in mind (and body), I will present a visceral experience featuring aural, visual and performative elements, weaving in and out of spoken words, both academic and artistic, to demonstrate the power of the body as a vehicle to create works of VA'rt.


The immune system plays a central role before and during parturition, including the main physiological processes of parturition: uterine contractions and cervical ripening. The immune system comprises white blood cells and their secretions. Polymorphonuclear cells and macrophages invade the cervical tissue and release compounds, such as oxygen radicals and enzymes, which break down the cervical matrix to allow softening and dilatation. During this inflammatory process, white blood cells undergo chemotaxis, adherence to endothelial cells, diapedesis, migration and activation. Factors that regulate white blood cell invasion and secretion include cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor and interleukins. Glucocorticoids, sex hormones and prostaglandins, affect cytokine synthesis. They also modulate the target cells, resulting in altered responses to cytokines. On the other hand, the immune system has profound effects on the hormonal system and prostaglandin synthesis. In animals, nitric oxide has marked effects on uterine quiescence during gestation. At the same time, it plays an important role in regulating the vascular tone of uterine arteries and has anti-adhesive effects on leukocytes. Cytokines are found in amniotic fluid, and in maternal and foetal serum at term and preterm. Several intrauterine cells have been shown to produce these cytoldnes. Since neither white blood cells, cytokines nor nitric oxide seem to be the ultimate intermediate for human parturition, the immune system is an additional but obligatory and underestimated component in the physiology of delivery. Scientists, obstetricians and anaesthesiologists must thus be aware of these processes.


This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of techniques such as muscle energy technique and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in reduction of pain levels, improvement in flexibility of hamstring muscle and functional mobility, in patients with osteoarthritis of knee. An experimental study was carried out using a pre test and post test study design. The study was carried out in Krishna Hospital, Karad with a sample size of 36 individuals suffering from osteoarthritis of knee using a random sampling method. Individuals with Osteoarthritis of knee within the age group 40-60 years have been included. The collected data was analysed using paired and unpaired 't' tests. When the data was analysed, the results showed that the patients in Group A and B receiving PNF stretching and MET respectively, the pain levels measured using NPRS shows more improvement in group A(7.66 ±1.02 ) as compared to group B (3.44 ±0.92). Hamstring flexibility in group A (10.63 ±4.89) was also found to be higher than in group B (4.37±2.01) when Active knee extension test was performed as a measure for hamstring flexibility, when functional mobility was measured using Western Ontario and McMaster universities arthritis index, improvement seen in group A (27.21 ±12.31) was significantly higher than in group B (14.11±7.88). The primary finding was that the patients of group A receiving PNF stretching along with the baseline protocol showed better improvement in pain levels, hamstring flexibility and level of functional mobility as compared to the patients in group B receiving MET along. with baseline protocol


Purpose To estimate the impact of a U.S. inner-city medical education program on medical school graduates' intentions to practice in underserved communities. Method The authors conducted an analysis of secondary data on 1,088 medical students who graduated from either the joint University of California, Los Angeles/Charles R. Drew University Medical Education Program (UCLA/Drew) or the UCLA School of Medicine between 1996 and 2002. Intention to practice in underserved communities was measured using students' responses to questionnaires administered at matriculation and graduation for program improvement by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to compare the odds of intending to practice in underserved communities among UCLA/Drew students with those of their counterparts in the UCLA School of Medicine. Results Compared with students in the UCLA School of Medicine, UCLA/Drew students had greater adjusted odds of reporting intention to work in underserved communities at graduation, greater odds of maintaining or increasing such intentions between matriculation and graduation, and lower odds of decreased intention to work in underserved communities between matriculation and graduation. Conclusions Training in the UCLA/Drew program was independently associated with intention to practice medicine in underserved communities, suggesting that a medical education program can have a positive effect on students' goals to practice in underserved areas.


PURPOSE
This paper presents an analysis of surgical treatment costs for left colostomy, aiming to calculate a medium cost per procedure and to identify the means to maximize the economic management of this type of surgicale procedure.

MATERIALS AND METHOD
A retrospective study was conducted on a group of 8 patients hospitalized in the 4th Surgery Department,Emergency University Hospital Bucharest, during the year 2012 for left colic neoplasms with obstruction signs that were operated on with a left colostomy. The followed parameters in the studied group of patients were represented by medical expenses, divided in: preoperative, intra-operative and immediate postoperative (postop. hospitalization).

RESULTS
Two major types of colostomy were performed: left loop colostomy with intact tumour for 6 patients and left end colostomy and tumour resection (Hartmann's procedure) for 2 patients. The medium cost of this type of surgical intervention was 4396.807 RON, representing 1068.742 euro. Statistic data analysis didn't reveal average costs to vary with the type of procedure. The age of the study subjects was between 49 and 88, with an average of 61 years, without it being possible to establish a correlation between patient age and the level of medical spendings.

CONCLUSIONS
Reducing the costs involved by left colostomy can be efficiently done by decreasing the number of days of hospitalisation in the following ways: preoperative preparation and assessment of the subject in an outpatient regimen; the accuracy of the surgical procedure with the decrease of early postoperative complications and antibiotherapy- the second major cause of increased postoperative costs.


Evaluating hydraulic fracturing completion is critical for low porosity, low permeability unconventional reservoir development. In this study, we use low-frequency distributed acoustic sensing (LF-DAS) measurements to monitor the hydraulic fracturing in the Chalk Bluff field in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, Colorado. Interpreting fracture-hits from crosswell LF-DAS data yields insights into the fracture geometry and propagation across and within two targeted formations: Niobrara and Codell. We observe significant differences in hydraulic fracture propagation between the two formations; the half length of hydraulic fractures in the Codell formation is much longer than that in the Niobrara. In addition, hydraulic fracture propagates significantly faster in Codell than in Niobrara under the same pumping rate. The differences could be explained by higher natural fracture density and potentially lower stress anisotropy in the Niobrara formation. We also observed different fracture orientations between the two formations and inconsistent fracture orientations within Niobrara. Hydraulic fractures observed in Codell oriented at 100 degree consistently, while two group of fracture azimuths (110 and 240 degrees) can be observed in Niobrara. The difference in fracture orientations in Niobrara and Codell indicates stress regime changes between the formations. The inconsistency of fracture azimuth in Niobrara may be caused by the zipper fracturing sequence. Strong cross-formation fracture connections between the two formations can also be observed, with different up-going and down-going fracture propagation velocities. These observations help us better understand the complex fracture geometry in the DJ Basin and provide critical constraints on the optimization of the unconventional reservoir development.


Pierre Bourdieu and the Literary Field brings together leading specialists from across disciplines and national borders to reflect on the contribution of one of the twentieth century's pre-eminent sociologists to literary studies, and brings us up to date with developments in his wake. The authors examine and present Bourdieu's theory of the literary field, the mediations that occur between 'literature' and 'society', its re-applications to the field of Chinese literature and its extension to 'world literary space'. They also explore Bourdieu's approach to literature 'in practice', which sometimes deviates from his stringent methodological prescriptions -- shedding new light not only on Bourdieu's work on literature, but also on his sociology more generally. This book is of particular interest to researchers and students in the fields of literary studies, cultural studies and sociology. Key features of this book include: *An introduction to and critical assessment of Bourdieu's theory of the literary field. *A summary of the latest theoretical developments in 'Bourdieusian' research on literature. *A study and appraisal of Bourdieu's approach to literature 'in practice', including to writings by Flaubert, Faulkner and Pascal. *The first translation in English of Bourdieu's commentary on 'Automne malade' by Guillaume Apollinaire, with accompanying analysis.


Abstract For a holistic characterisation of fine-grained unconventional reservoirs, our integrated approach utilises coherent, reproducible datasets and refined work practices carried out within a comprehensive quality management system. A typical reservoir characterisation includes integration of sedimentological, structural and pore-scale datasets, however, the specific work flow design depends entirely on the nature of the problem and the availability of appropriate data. This paper illustrates an example of unconventional reservoir characterisation of a fine-grained formation from the North Sea where the specific aims were to establish the depositional framework for recognising sedimentary environments, recommend sample locations to target specific queries within the sedimentological context for petrographical and geochemical analyses, to investigate what porosity types are present and to assess 'brittleness' of the rocks. First and foremost, high-resolution interpretative graphic core descriptions were carried out at 1:24 scale, utilising Badley Ashton's mudrock-specific lithotypes and depositional packages schemes. Lithotype characterisation uniquely captures very fine-scale attributes (bed to subbed scale), whilst upscaled depositional packages (bed-stack scale) provide a more holistic characterisation from core, as well as from wireline and image logs, where available. Plugs coded by the above descriptors were selected post-logging, for detailed petrographical and geochemical analysis including Rock-Eval pyrolysis within the sedimentological/structural context. Mineralogical data was acquired by whole-rock and clay-fraction XRD analysis, whilst pore-scale fabric/textural investigation were undertaken by conventional light microscopy and BS-SEM. A subset of the plugs was subjected to FIB SEM analysis to characterise any potentially organic matter associated pore system. All these different strands of data were then integrated to evaluate and link the depositional system/sedimentary environment, storage capacity and brittleness of the reservoir in order to assess the overall reservoir potential of the fine-grained formation.


Purpose: Racial difference in the femoral geometry may exist. Asian femurs may be more externally rotated. If anatomical differences in distal femur had existed between Caucasians and Asians, the group with 5° external rotation of the femoral component should have shown better results than the group with 3° external rotation of the femoral component have. Methods: 598 patients underwent total knee arthroplasty in our institution, among whom 83 patients (115 knees) who had postoperative computed tomography (CT) were studied retrospectively. Sixty-two knees were set in 5° of external rotation of femoral component relative to the posterior condylar axis (group A) while the others (53 knees) were set in 3° (group B). The femoral component rotation (FCR) was measured and compared using CT. The patellar tilting (PT) and the lateral patellar displacement (LPD) were measured to evaluate the patellar tracking using Merchant view. And postoperative clinical scores were compared. Results: The mean FCRs showed no significant difference between two groups (p > 0.05). The mean PT and LPD showed no statistically significant difference either (p > 0.05). There were no statistical differences in clinical scores. Conclusion: The difference in the patellar tracking between the two groups could not be demonstrated. There were no statistical differences in clinical scores either. We concluded there is no need to adhere to 5° external rotation.


In the present investigation optimization is classified into configuration optimization on one hand and optimization of the design and operating parameters for each configuration on the other hand. The process investigated is that of hydrogen production by steam reforming of higher hydrocarbons. Heptane is used as a model component for higher hydrocarbons. The proposed novel reforming process is basically a circulating fluidized-bed membrane reformer (CFBMR) with continuous catalyst regeneration and gas–solid separation. Composite hydrogen-selective membranes are used to remove the product hydrogen from the reacting gas mixture, thus driving the reversible reactions beyond their thermodynamic equilibria. Dense perovskite oxygen-selective membranes are also used to introduce oxygen for the exothermic oxidation of hydrocarbons and carbon. Four configurations are investigated, two of which relate to the catalyst regeneration before the gas–solid separation and the other two related to the catalyst regeneration after the gas–solid separation. The optimization of the performance of each configuration is carried out for a number of design and operating parameters as optimization parameters and under both non-autothermal and autothermal conditions. Results show that the autothermal operation with direct contact between cold feeds (water and heptane) and hot circulating catalyst can be the best configuration for efficient hydrogen production with minimum energy consumption. The maximum net hydrogen yield is 16.732 mol of hydrogen per mol of heptane fed, which is 76.05% of the maximum theoretical hydrogen yield of 22 when the final reforming products are carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Previous investigations never exceeded 70.82% of this theoretical value. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005


The target-decoy database search strategy is widely accepted as a standard method for estimating the false discovery rate (FDR) of peptide identification, based on which peptide-spectrum matches (PSMs) from the target database are filtered. To improve the sensitivity of protein identification given a fixed accuracy (frequently defined by a protein FDR threshold), a postprocessing procedure is often used that integrates results from different peptide search engines that had assayed the same data set. In this work, we show that PSMs that are grouped by the precursor charge, the number of missed internal cleavage sites, the modification state, and the numbers of protease termini and that the proteins grouped by their unique peptide count should be filtered separately according to the given FDR. We also develop an iterative procedure to filter the PSMs and proteins simultaneously, according to the given FDR. Finally, we present a general framework to integrate the results from different peptide search engines using the same FDR threshold. Our method was tested with several shotgun proteomics data sets that were acquired by multiple LC/MS instruments from two different biological samples. The results showed a satisfactory performance. We implemented the method in a user-friendly software package called BuildSummary, which can be downloaded for free from http://www.proteomics.ac.cn/software/proteomicstools/index.htm as part of the software suite ProteomicsTools.


Piston diagnosing approaches for segmented mirrors via machine-learning have shown great success. However, they are inevitably challenged with 2π ambiguity, and the accuracy is usually influenced by the location and number of submirrors. A piston diagnosing approach for segmented mirrors, which employs the breadth-first search (BFS) algorithm and supervised learning strategies of multi-wavelength images, is investigated. An original kind of object-independent and normalized dataset is generated by the in-focal and defocused images at different wavelengths. Additionally, the segmented mirrors are divided into several sub-models of binary tree and are traversed through the BFS algorithm. Furthermore, two deep image-based convolutional neural networks are constructed for predicting the ranges and values of piston aberrations. Finally, simulations are performed, and the accuracy is independent of the location and number of submirrors. The Pearson correlation coefficients for test sets are above 0.99, and the average root mean square error of segmented mirrors is approximately 0.01λ. This technique allows the piston error between segmented mirrors to be measured without 2π ambiguity. Moreover, it can be used for data collected by a real setup. Furthermore, it can be applied to segmented mirrors with different numbers of submirrors based on the sub-model of a binary tree.


Branchinecta packardi is a widespread, fast-hatching species of fairy shrimp found in desert ephemeral pools on the Colorado plateau that relies on a dormant cyst stage to temporally bridge periods of pool desiccation. Determining the factors that control B. packardi cyst bank density in dry basins and population dynamics during periods of inundation may be a fundamental step towards predicting community composition in these temporary aquatic ecosystems. I sampled soil from 45 pools and reared individuals in mesocosms in order to track individuals through an entire inundation cycle. I found that pool characteristics such as volume, temperature, soil quality, and the presence of co-occurring species could not predict the density of cysts that were embedded in the soil. In addition, by observing individuals in a physically controlled setting, I found that population sizes of hatched individuals are most likely not controlled intrinsically by physical attributes of pools but by biotic interactions. Survivorship and body size of B. packardi decreased significantly with increasing population density, providing clear evidence for density dependence. The presence of a co-occurring species of fairy shrimp found in the pools appeared to further intensify resource competition. These results suggest that B. packardi cyst bank size is determined by stochastic fluctuations and density dependent biotic interactions.


This paper describes the structure and use of the Portable Patient Problem Pack (P-4 Deck) as a clinical simulation and educational tool. Originally designed by Dr. Howard Barrows of McMaster University to present medical diagnostic problems, the deck has been adapted by the author for occupational therapy. This tool is described and its current use in this context and future trends are outlined.


A model of two interacting self-attracting, self-avoiding walks is proposed to study the critical behavior of two interacting chemically different linear polymers in a solution that may have different qualities for different chains. We solve the model exactly on truncated n-simplex lattices for 4\ensuremath{\le}n\ensuremath{\le}6 using the real-space renormalization-group transformation. Depending upon the solvent quality, the temperature, and the attractive interactions between interchain and intrachain monomers, the configuration of either segregation or interpenetration or zipping of chains may arise. It is shown that these configurations correspond to different fixed points of the renormalized-group transformation. The value of the contact exponent is calculated exactly at the tricritical points corresponding to the segregation-interpenetration and the interpenetration\char21{}zipped-state chain transitions. The phase boundaries of these states are shown on a plane of fugacity weight attached with a zipped step (i.e., a step in which both walks move side by side) and the Boltzmann factor associated with the attraction between unlike monomers. The phase diagram is shown to have different universality domains of critical behavior.


Sorption-desorption and moisture accumulation tests are simple and quick methods for the in vivo functional analysis of stratum corneum hydration kinetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hydration dynamics of the uninvolved and affected skin of children with atopic dermatitis and to compare them with the skin of healthy children. The study investigated 45 children. The dynamic tests were performed using the corneometer CM820. Numerical parameters were calculated. With the sorption-desorption test, eczematous skin showed lower water accumulation during the sorption phase, whereas water was released more slowly during the desorption phase. With the moisture accumulation test, increases in water accumulation velocity and in water accumulation were observed in atopic children. Dynamic tests showed that the stratum corneum of unaffected atopic skin was less hydrated but more easily hydratable than normal skin. Conversely, despite a lower absorption capability, eczematous skin showed a greater avidity to retain water. New functional parameters (water-sorption capacity and accumulated water decay) are proposed to describe more precisely the hydration kinetics of eczematous skin.


An early estimation of the exact number of fruits, flowers, and trees helps farmers to make better decisions on cultivation practices, plant disease prevention, and the size of harvest labor force. The current practice of yield estimation based on manual counting of fruits or flowers by workers is a time consuming and expensive process and it is not feasible for large fields. Automatic yield estimation based on robotic agriculture provides a viable solution in this regard. In a typical image classification process, the task is not only to specify the presence or absence of a given object on a specific location, while counting how many objects are present in the scene. The success of these tasks largely depends on the availability of a large amount of training samples. This paper presents a detector of bunches of one fruit, grape, based on a deep convolutional neural network trained to detect vine bunches directly on the field. Experimental results show a 91% mean Average Precision.


The symptom of fatigue is frequently described by patients attending the syncope unit with a wide range of conditions including vasovagal syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. It is possible that the presence of autonomic dysfunction provides the common pathogenetic mechanism linking neurally mediated hypotension and fatigue. Managing this debilitating symptom can often be challenging but, with a structured approach, immensely rewarding, and as a result improve how patients cope with their disease.


The state of the art in research on violence, aggression and conflict at school is reflected in this article, based on a document review and the construction of open, axial and selective categories using the relevance and opacity method. The review included 34 documents on research findings published in the last five years, which were tracked in scientific databases. The results show most of the research is focused on descriptive interests, using school children as the primary source of information. This makes it difficult to understand the dynamics that motivate these types of situations in the school environment.


In this study, we developed a gated recurrent unit (GRU)-based recurrent neural network (RNN) for dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning for nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) based on uniform-intensity radiation with equal angle intervals and investigated the feasibility and usefulness of this method for treatment optimization. One hundred twenty-four NPC patients were selected from a database containing clinical VMAT plans from 2015 to 2018; of these, the data from 100 patients were used to train the GRU-RNN, and the data of the other 24 patients were used for testing. For the prescribed doses to D95 (the absorbed dose for 95% of the planning target volume) of all the plans in 30 or 31 fractions, 70 Gy were delivered to PTV70 (the gross tumour volume with circumferential margin), 60 Gy were delivered to PTV60, 54 Gy were delivered to PTV54 and 66 Gy were delivered to PTV66 (lymph node gross tumour volume with circumferential margin). For each NPC patient, an equal-field-weight conformal radiotherapy plan was generated by a treatment planning system (TPS) to offer uniform-intensity radiation. By adjusting the field weights, the dose distribution induced by individual conformal beams was acquired, and the corresponding DVH was calculated. Direction-dependent DVHs were employed to predict the DVH for VMAT with the GRU-RNN, and the regenerated VMAT experimental plans (EPs), guided by the predicted DVHs, were evaluated by comparing them with the clinical plans (CPs). For the 24 test patients, the regenerated EPs guided by the GRU-RNN predictive model achieved good consistency relative to the CPs. The EPs resulted in better dose sparing for many organs at risk (OARs) while still meeting the acceptable criteria for the PTVs. Significant differences were found in the maximum/mean doses to the optic nerves, temporal lobes, lenses, mandibles, temporomandibular joints (TMJs), larynx and inner ears, with P-values of 0.03, 0.01, 0.01, <0.01, 0.02, 0.02 and  <0.01, respectively. On average, compared to the CPs, the maximum/mean doses to these OARs were altered by  −1.38 Gy, −0.92 Gy, 0.53 Gy, −1.19 Gy, −1.16 Gy, 2.39 Gy and  −1.71 Gy, respectively. The results showed the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed uniform-intensity radiation approach. The regenerated plans guided by the predictive method were not inferior to the manual plans, indicating their great potential for improved planning and quality control in clinical applications.


The simple configuration is described and used for computational and experimental investigations including thermal and mechanical fluid structure interactions for hypersonic flow conditions. The numerical modelling includes all relevant heat transfer mechanisms, takes into account the changes due to the heated and deformed structure and shows a good agreement with experiments.


Podosomes, which are formed by different monocyte derivatives, are small adhesion structures whose coordinated dynamics and cytoskeletal reorganization drive their motile and invasive features. Using live-cell microscopy, we explored the temporal molecular steps of the de novo assembly and disassembly of podosomes in cultured osteoclasts. We demonstrate here that the earliest visible step in podosome assembly is the local accumulation of the plaque protein paxillin, along with cortactin, which stabilizes actin networks, followed by robust polymerization of actin filaments and their association with α-actinin. Only then is a local increase in integrin β3 levels apparent in the podosome ring domain. Thus, local actin polymerization in cortactin- and paxillin-rich locations nucleates podosome assembly before the local accumulation of β3 integrin. We further show that actin polymerization is also important for the recruitment and maintenance of plaque proteins in the mature podosome ring domain. Our model implies that core bundle dynamics play a central role in regulating podosome stability.


Role of nuclear receptors in adverse anticancer drug reactions? Unwanted drug-drug interactions and the development of multidrug resistance are ongoing concerns in the treatment of cancer patients. A common factor that is shared by both phenomena is enzyme induction. Especially, the induction of enzymes involved in the metabolism and disposition of anticancer drugs can pose a major health risk. Since anticancer drugs have a very narrow therapeutic window, small alterations in the pharmacokinetic profile of these agents can have far reaching clinical consequences. Indeed, several well-known enzyme inducers such as the antibiotic rifampicin, the anticonvulsants phenobarbital and phenytoin, and the over-the-counter herbal antidepressant St.John'swort, have been shown to cause intoxications or loss of therapeutic efficacy when combined with anticancer drugs. These drugs were shown to mediate enzyme induction by activating the pregnane X receptor (PXR): a very promiscuous nuclear receptor involved in the regulation of cytochrome P450 3A4 and P-glycoprotein. Interestingly, we show that established anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel, tamoxifen, oxazophosphorines, but also the novel and very promising tyrosine kinase inhibitors erlotinib, gefitinib and nilotinib are activators of PXR as well. Upon activation by these anticancer drugs, PXR mediates the induction of CYP3A4 and Pgp and enhances the biotransformation of CYP3A4 substrates. Additionally, reduced cellular accumulation of Pgp substrates was observed. These results indicate that PXR plays an important role in pharmacokinetic (anticancer) drug-anticancer drug interactions. Furthermore, since induction of drug transporters, and to a lesser extent induction of drug metabolizing enzymes, is one of the main mechanisms by which cancer cells acquire resistance against multiple agents, the role of PXR activation in multidrug resistance was evaluated. Activation of PXR, and subsequent Pgp induction by tumor cells, results in reduced cellular accumulation of anticancer agents and renders these tumor cells resistant to anticancer drugs. Together, these results show that PXR is an important mediator of unwanted drug-drug interactions and plays a role in the development of multidrug resistance.


Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common symptomatic primary immunodeficiency. It can present at any age in patients with a history of recurrent bacterial infections, with or without a family history of other primary immunodeficiencies (PID), and shows a wide range of clinical manifestations and immunological data. Diagnosis is based on low IgG, IgM and/or IgA levels. Delayed diagnosis and therapy can lead to bronchiectasis and malabsorption. The aim of this study was to describe a paediatric population diagnosed of CVID and its evolution in the population. Memory B‐cell (MB) classification carried out in these patients was correlated with clinical manifestations and outcome. Clinical and immunological data of 22 CVID children under 18 yr treated at our centre between 1985 and 2005 are presented. Immunological studies included those for diagnosis and MB quantification. Differences in form of presentation, familial incidence and MB classification were reviewed. A statistical descriptive analysis was made. Infections were the commonest manifestation, affecting mainly respiratory (19/22) and gastrointestinal (10/22) tracts. Bronchiectasis was present in seven cases, and detected prior to CVID diagnosis in five. Replacement therapy led to a significant reduction in the number of infections. Severe complications appeared mostly in patients without MB. Patients of the same family share the same MB group. Family members had also been diagnosed of CVID in seven cases. Early diagnosis and therapy are essential to improve outcome in these patients. MB studies are useful in children to orient prognosis and further genetic studies.


Radiosondes are the most widely used method for studies of vertical atmospheric behavior, but the high costs associated, and the logistic limitations have forced researchers to look for alternative methods for atmospheric profiling, such as lidar and satellite measurements, or modeling. However, the assessment of the accuracy of alternative methods is recommended, especially in complex terrain, such as the tropical Andes. In this research, the atmospheric profiling of satellite data from AIRS and MODIS products, simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting model, WRF, and drone measurements are evaluated for a campaign of 10 radio soundings, between August 2021 and January 2022. Additionally, the capability to capture the planetary boundary layer height, hPBL, is studied. The measurements were conducted at Izobamba station near Quito, Ecuador. Temperature, T, Dew Point Temperature, TD, Mixing Ratio, Q, and Potential Temperature, PT, were evaluated from 0 to 300 m above ground level (magl.) for satellite, WRF, and drone data, and from 0 km to 15 km for satellite and WRF data. Additionally, the capability to capture the planetary boundary layer height, HPBL, was assessed. The results show that drone profiles best represented the magnitude of the analyzed variables showing mean RMSE of 0.79 for T, but the noise of the measurements caused a low correlation with radio sounding profiles, which was partially corrected with a quadratic fit on the profile. The WRF results achieved a positive representation in terms of correlation, but error metrics show that there are remarkable differences in magnitude in the first 300 magl., up to the tropopause height, which surpasses satellite representations for all variables. The MODIS profiles do not generally perform well due to their low vertical resolution and limitations with cloud coverage. However, AIRS data, despite its low resolution, show a better representation of vertical profiles than MODIS, for T and TD, surpassing WRF simulations in some dates. For the HPBL, the WRF results show that physical and atmospheric conditions limit its determination, and the methods and conditioning factors should be further analyzed.