The gut microbiome impacts bone mass, implying a disruption to bone homeostasis, yet significant uncertainty remains regarding the impacts of the gut microbiome on remodeling bone cells. The gut microbiome is thought to be essential for normal biomineralization, but the specific consequences of the absent gut microbiome on tissue mineralization and multiscale bone quality are not determined. We hypothesized that bone homeostasis and tissue-scale metabolism, tissue mineralization, and whole-bone biomechanics are altered in germ-free (GF) C57BL/6J mice. Further, because many characteristics of the gut microbiome are sexually dimorphic, we hypothesized that the gut microbiome would show important sex differences with regards to its impact on bone quality. Differences between GF and conventional mouse bone extended from bone tissue metabolism to whole bone biomechanics. Cortical bone tissue from male mice had a greater signature of amino acid metabolism whereas female cells had a greater signature of lipid metabolism. These sex differences were also present in GF mice and were indeed even more stark. GF increased cortical femur bone formation for both sexes and decreased bone resorption and osteoclast density only in females. GF similarly increased cortical femur tissue mineralization and altered collagen structure for both sexes but led to greater gains in distal femur trabecular microarchitecture for males. Whole femur strength was similarly increased with GF for both sexes, but males had a greater increase in modulus. GF did not impact fracture toughness for either sex. The altered bone quality with GF is multifactorial and is likely contributed to by differences in tissue-scale composition as well as lower cortical porosity. Together, these data demonstrate that the gut microbiome influences bone cells and multiscale bone quality, but that the specific relationships that underlie these effects to bone are different for females and males.


Abstract Background Until recently, metronidazole was the first-line treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection and it is still commonly used. Though resistance has been reported due to the plasmid pCD-METRO, this does not explain all cases. Objectives To identify factors that contribute to plasmid-independent metronidazole resistance of C. difficile. Methods Here, we investigate resistance to metronidazole in a collection of clinical isolates of C. difficile using a combination of antimicrobial susceptibility testing on different solid agar media and WGS of selected isolates. Results We find that nearly all isolates demonstrate a haem-dependent increase in the MIC of metronidazole, which in some cases leads to isolates qualifying as resistant (MIC >2 mg/L). Moreover, we find an SNP in the haem-responsive gene hsmA, which defines a metronidazole-resistant lineage of PCR ribotype 010/MLST ST15 isolates that also includes pCD-METRO-containing strains. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that haem is crucial for medium-dependent metronidazole resistance in C. difficile.


For experiments at the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) the Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) is under development. The particular requirements include a high dynamic range of 0, 1 to more than 104 photons of 12.4 keV per pixel within an XFEL pulse of less than 100 fs duration, and a radiation tolerance for doses up to 1 GGy for 3 years of operation. AGIPD is a hybrid-pixel detector system with a total of 1024 × 1024 pixels of size 200 μm × 200 μm. AGIPD will use 16 p+n-silicon sensors of 500 μm thickness. The nominal operating voltage is 500 V, however, for special applications operation close to 1000 V should be possible. Experimental data on the X-ray-dose dependence of the oxide-charge density and of the surface-current density have been implemented in the SYNOPSYS TCAD simulation program in order to optimize the design of the pixel and guard-ring layout. The methodology of the sensor design, the optimization of the most relevant parameters, and the optimized layout are described. Finally, the simulated performance, in particular the breakdown voltage, dark current and inter-pixel capacitance as function of the X-ray dose are presented.


Results of inspection of creep damage by magnetic hysteresis measurements on Cr-Mo steel are presented. It is shown that structure-sensitive parameters such as coercivity, remanence and hysteresis loss are sensitive to creep damage. Previous metallurgical studies have shown that creep changes the microstructure of he material by introducing voids, dislocations, and grain boundary cavities. As cavities develop, dislocations and voids move out to grain boundaries; therefore, the total pinning sources for domain wall motion are reduced.This, together with the introduction of a demagnetizing field due to the cavities, results in the decrease of both coercivity, remanence and hence, concomitantly, hysteresis loss. Incorporating these structural effects into a magnetomechanical hysteresis model developed previously by us produces numerical variations of coercivity, remanence and hysteresis loss consistent with what is measured. The magnetic model has therefore been used to obtain appropriately modified magnetization curves for each element of creep-damaged material in a finite element (FE) calculation. The FE calculation has been used to simulate magnetic detection of non-uniform creep damage around a seam weld in a 2.25 Cr 1Mo steam pipe. In particular, in the simulation, a magnetic C-core with primary and secondary coils was placed with its pole pieces flush against the specimen in the vicinity of the weld. The secondary emf was shown to be reduced when creep damage was present inside the pipe wall at the cusp of the weld and in the vicinity of the cusp. The calculation showed that the C- core detected creep damage best if it spanned the weld seam width and if the current in the primary was such that the C- core was not magnetically saturated. Experimental measurements also exhibited the dip predicted in emf, but the measurements are not yet conclusive because the effects of magnetic property changes of weld materials, heat- affected material, and base material have not yet been sorted out experimentally form the effects of creep damage.


The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing amendments to the electronic reporting requirements for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coaland Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units (also known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)). This action revises and streamlines the electronic data reporting requirements of MATS, increases data transparency by requiring use of one electronic reporting system instead of two separate systems, and provides enhanced access to MATS data. No new monitoring requirements are imposed by this final action; instead, this action reduces reporting burden, increases MATS data flow and usage, makes it easier for inspectors and auditors to assess compliance, and encourages wider use of continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) for MATS compliance. In addition, this final action extends the current deadline for alternative electronic data submission via portable document format (PDF) files through December 31, 2023. DATES: This final rule is effective on September 9, 2020. ADDRESSES: The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2018–0794. All documents in the docket are listed on the https://www.regulations.gov/ website. Although listed, some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically through https://www.regulations.gov/. Out of an abundance of caution for members of the public and our staff, the EPA Docket Center and Reading Room was closed to the public, with limited exceptions, to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID–19. Our Docket Center staff will continue to provide remote customer service via email, phone, and webform. For further information and updates on EPA Docket Center services and the current status, please visit us online at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Barrett Parker, Sector Policies and Programs Division (D243–05), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: (919) 541–5635; email address: email@example.com. For general information concerning MATS, contact Ms. Mary Johnson, Sector Policies and Programs Division (D243–01), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: (919) 541–5025; email address: firstname.lastname@example.com. For questions concerning the Emissions Collection and Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS) Client Tool and its implementation, contact Mr. Christopher Worley, Clean Air Markets Division, Mail Code 6204M, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 343– 9531; email address: email@example.com. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information in this preamble is organized as follows:


Ultrasonic phased array systems are becoming increasingly popular as tools for the nondestructive evaluation of safety-critical structures. The data captured by these arrays can be analysed to extract information on the existence, location and shape of defects. However, many of the existing imaging algorithms currently used for this purpose are heavily reliant on the choice of threshold at which the defect measurements are made and this aspect of subjectivity can lead to varying defect characterisations between different operators. To combat this, the work presented here uses the Born approximation to derive a mathematical expression for the crack size given the width of the pulse-echo response lobe of the frequency domain scattering matrix. These scattering matrices can be easily extracted from experimental data if the location of the flaw is known a priori and so the method has been developed exclusively for the objective characterisation of flaws. Due to the analytical nature of this work, conclusions can be drawn on the formula's sensitivity to various experimental parameters and these are corroborated using synthetic data. The sizing of a subwavelength crack is undertaken and it is shown that examination of the scattering matrix correctly captures the crack form of the defect and outperforms the standard TFM in this regard (the nature of the defect is obscured by side lobes in the TFM image). It is also suggested that the derived formulae could potentially be used to inform and optimise array design.


Abstract Isolated fallopian tube torsion is an uncommon cause of acute low abdominal pain in women. We present a case of 18-year-old virgin girl with isolated right fallopian tube torsion. She was admitted to the Emergency Department of our hospital with abdominal pain. Pelvic ultrasound revealed bilateral enlarged ovaries containig 4 cm and 3 cm cystic masses and some free fluid in the pouch of Douglas. An urgent laparoscopy was performed by a general surgeon. They revealed a dusky blue twisted right hydrosalpinx with a twist of the long axis of a necrotic right fallopian tube. Laparotomy was performed due to restrictions of laparoscopy in detorsion of the pelvic mass. A right salpingectomy was performed subsequently. In conclusion; surgical treatment should not be delayed for salvage the tube and preserve fertility in suspicion of tubal torsion. Keywords: Abdominal pain, fallopian tube, laparoscopy, salpingectomy


We found several juvenile hormone-responsive cDNAs in the bean bug, Riptortus clavatus, by using mRNA differential display (Hirai et al., 1998). One of them, a juvenile hormone-repressible cDNA, JR-3, was cloned, sequenced, characterized and identified as a transferrin (RcTf). RcTf cDNA encoded 652 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 71,453 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence showed significant homology with the transferin genes of several insects, Manduca sexta (43% identity), Blaberus discoidalis (43%), Aedes aegypti (43%), Drosophila melanogaster (36%), Sarcophaga peregrina (36%) and the human (25%). Antiserum was prepared by using recombinant RcTf protein expressed in Escherichia coli as an antigen. The antiserum reacted specifically with both the recombinant protein and the native protein from the bugs, with sizes of 70 and 75 kDa, respectively. The 75 kDa protein was partially purified from hemolymph of diapausing female bugs and the first ten amino acids were found to be identical to that of RcTf cDNA, indicating that the 75 kDa protein is RcTf. The tissue distribution of RcTf in the bug was examined by Western blot analysis. In diapausing animals, RcTf was detected in the fat body, hemolymph and ovary but not in the gut. In the post-diapause stage, RcTf was also detected in eggs, in addition to the fat body and ovary. These results indicate that RcTf is incorporated into the oocytes during vitellogenesis, and suggest that it may provide iron for the developing embryos.


This presentation / performance tracks the story of a musical composition's unintentional capacity to mislead both its performers and its audience. At rehearsal, the first run-through of The Film Sextet produced an event that could only have been the result of multiple and continuing failures in a process that typically should have lead the work to a performance-ready status. This aimless, structure-less, emotionless and intention-less version of The Film Sextet bared no resemblance to the composer's idea of purposed control within a broader scheme of free agency for the performers.

For a work inspired by the performance-driven, improvised narratives found in John Cassavetes' films, this first take seemed to resemble the anti-language, non-narrative conceptual approach found in The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (Handke, 1970 – Wenders, 1972). The reasons for this generic "malfunction" are multiple: a partly instructions-based score, reliance on non-traditional performance practices, the ensemble is used to playing specific kinds of "new music", the performers expect a linearity in the score's presentation. As the composer listens back to the recording, there is a hopeless realisation: like any work, ownership ends at the performance, but how could one replicate this "failure"? How can one intentionally design the absence of intentionality in a musical performance?

The Film Sextet received a "successful" performance, now publicly available to view and listen to online. The viewing statistics are uncharacteristic for this kind of marginal work: a title similarity has exposed thousands of viewers to the wrong Film Sextet. What where they thinking?


Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) encompasses two conditions: central RVO, in which the major outflow vessel of the retina is obstructed, and branch RVO, in which a proximal branch of the central retinal vein is obstructed. In both conditions, there is increased intraluminal and interstitial pressure throughout the retina drained by the obstructed vessels, resulting in reduced arterial perfusion, which is exacerbated by preexistent arterial insufficiency, and in variable amounts of retinal ischemia. Retinal ischemia causes increased production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which causes vascular leakage and macular edema. High levels of VEGF also promote retinal hemorrhages and exacerbate capillary nonperfusion. Intraocular injections of a VEGF-binding protein reduce vascular leakage, resulting in improvement in macular edema, accelerate resorption of retinal hemorrhages, and prevent worsening of capillary nonperfusion. The ideal regimen has not been defined, but it appears that monthly injections early in the course control edema and may help to limit disease severity in a large percentage of patients. Over time, treatment should be individualized based upon timing and severity of recurrent edema and/or progression of nonperfusion. The role of adjunctive treatments is yet to be defined, but it is clear that VEGF antagonists provide excellent first-line treatment that has dramatically improved visual outcomes in patients with RVO.


Abstract Fifteen mycotoxins and two chemically modified toxins were tested for mutagenic ability in the His + revertant assay with the use of Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100. Bisfuranoid mycotoxins such as aflatoxin B 1 , aflatoxin G 1 , sterigmatocystin, and O -acetylsterigmatocystin were positive in the routine test method, and epoxide mycotoxins such as PR-toxin and crotocin were positive only when the test strains were preincubated with the mycotoxins in the presence of the fortified S-9 (supernatant fraction, 9000 × g for 20 min). Anthraquinoid hepatocarcinogens such as (-)-luteoskyrin and (+)-rugulosin; lactones such as citrinin, penicillic acid, and patulin; and chlorinated carcinogens such as chloropeptide and griseofulvin were negative in the routine and preincubation assay methods. Fusarium mycotoxins such as trichothecenes and zearalenone also failed to demonstrate mutagenicity. However, among the trichothecene mycotoxins, crotocin, a bis-epoxide trichothecene, enhanced the mutagenicity of aflatoxin B 1 . In vitro supplement of glutathione to the S-9 mixture enhanced the mutagenicity of aflatoxin B 1 , and prior administration of various hepatotoxic agents to rats reduced the S-9-dependent mutagenicity of aflatoxin B 1 . Organ and species variations of aflatoxin B 1 mutagenicity were examined and their microsomal oxygenase activities were discussed.


Achieving just outcomes in rape cases is difficult, but there are ways we can improve the investigation and prosecution of these crimes, now. We outline how targeting variables, within control of the criminal justice system, can improve the quality of information police obtain from interviews with complainants and suspects. We explore how, by preserving these accounts on video, the criminal justice process can better use this information to improve effective decision making from investigation through to criminal trial through to prevention.


We present the first formalization and metatheory of language soundness for a user-schedulable language, the widely used array processing language Halide. User-schedulable languages strike a balance between abstraction and control in high-performance computing by separating the specification of what a program should compute from a schedule for how to compute it. In the process, they make a novel language soundness claim: the result of a program should always be the same, regardless of how it is scheduled. This soundness guarantee is tricky to provide in the presence of schedules that introduce redundant recomputation and computation on uninitialized data, rather than simply reordering statements. In addition, Halide ensures memory safety through a compile-time bounds inference engine that determines safe sizes for every buffer and loop in the generated code, presenting a novel challenge: formalizing and analyzing a language specification that depends on the results of unreliable program synthesis algorithms. Our formalization has revealed flaws and led to improvements in the practical Halide system, and we believe it provides a foundation for the design of new languages and tools that apply programmer-controlled scheduling to other domains.


Cytokines are soluble mediators of the immune system that regulate the response to antigens and microorganisms. In patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) who have peritonitis, an inflammatory process exists that must be understood if susceptibility to, and the mechanisms of, complications such as fibrosis and others are to be understood. To that end, we studied 9 CAPD patients with peritonitis. The case series was conducted in Popayán, Colombia, at the RTS Cauca dialysis unit and the University of Cauca hospital, a tertiary health care facility. Peritonitis was diagnosed by standard clinical and laboratory criteria. Using flow cytometry, we measured the percentage production of intracellular cytokines [interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), IL-4, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in T lymphocytes from blood and peritoneal fluid. Among the studied patients, all (100%) produced high levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF alpha, IL-12, and IL-4 in both fluids (blood: 89% +/- 63% of cells; peritoneal fluid: 81.6% +/- 10.1% of cells). In blood, 25% of patients produced IFN-gamma (mean: 15.7% of cells), showing that 75% of patients had the TH2 pattern, and 25% were close to TH0. In peritoneal fluid, 34% of patients produced IFN-gamma spontaneously (mean: 24.5% of cells), indicating that 66% of patients were TH2, and 34% were close to TH0. After stimulation, expression of cytokines, including IFN-gamma (39% of T cells), was increased, and high production of IL-4 indicated that 25% of patients were TH2, and 75% were TH0. In peritoneal fluid, production of cytokines, including IFN-gamma, was increased, with high production of IL-4, indicating switching from TH2 (34% of patients) to TH0 (66% of patients). Of the studied patients, 35% had a CD4:CD8 ratio < 1.1 in blood, and also produced IL-12 (94.5% of cells) and IFN-gamma (30% of cells), as compared with patients in whom the CD4:CD8 ratio was > 1.2. Patients on CAPD who have peritonitis produce large amounts of pro-inflammatory and TH2 cytokines. More IFN-gamma is produced in peritoneal fluid than in blood, which suggests more inflammation. Immunodeviation TH2 is seen in blood and peritoneal fluid of CAPD patients with peritonitis. Patients with a CD4:CD8 ratio < 1.1 produce more IFN-gamma and IL-12, and are more able to switch from TH2 to TH0.


Abstract The effect of the roughness and topography of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) bearing surfaces on the microscopic contact mechanics with a metallic counterface was investigated in the present study. Both simple sinusoidal roughness forms, with a wide range of amplitudes and wavelengths, and real surface topographies, measured before and after wear testing in a simple pin-on-plate machine, were considered in the theoretical analysis. The finite difference method was used to solve the microscopic contact between the rough UHMWPE bearing surface and a smooth hard counterface. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) was used to cope with the large number of mesh points required to represent the surface topography of the UHMWPE bearing surface. It was found that only isolated asperity contacts occurred under physiological loading, and the real contact area was only a small fraction of the nominal contact area. Consequently, the average contact pressure experienced at the articulating surfaces was significantly higher than the nominal contact pressure. Furthermore, it was shown that the majority of asperities on the worn UHMWPE pin were deformed in the elastic region, and consideration of the plastic deformation only resulted in a negligible increase in the predicted asperity contact area. Microscopic asperity contact and deformation mechanisms may play an important role in the understanding of the wear mechanisms of UHMWPE bearing surfaces.


The weed suppression ability of different soybean varieties was studied in a field experiment in 2010. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design using a split-plot arrangement with 3 replicates. The main plots were either weedfree (hand weeding) or infested with the natural weed population (weedy). Six soybean varieties (Sari, Telar, Sahar, Hill, 032 and 033) were randomized within the main plots. The relative biomass total (RBT), relative crowding coefficient (RCCcw) and competitive balance index (Cb) were recorded and were regressed against crop traits under weedy conditions. The results showed a reduction in the maximum height of the soybean varieties under weedy conditions. No significant relationship was found between weed biomass and the canopy height of the varieties. Competition indices and the weed suppressive ability of soybean showed intergenotypic variation in competitive ability between the varieties tested. Weed pressure reduced the yield and yield components of al...


A growing challenge in the transition of telecommunications provisioning systems from a closed architecture to a distributed open architecture is the need for effective system management tools that encompass not only network management, but also application management functionality. Networking the various provisioning system components resulted in a heterogeneous multivendor environment. At the time, the lack of industry standards in the communications as well as the systems management area gave rise to the development of proprietary communications protocols and network management solutions. This paper concentrates on the analysis of a proprietary total management system (TMS) designed to combine applications and network monitoring in a heterogeneous provisioning system environment. Bellcore's long-term strategic direction is towards implementing the open system interconnection (OSI) management standards model to provide a consistent management environment within provisioning systems. We discuss the transition strategy and an approach to integrating OSI defined CMIP/CMISE management protocols, the TCP/IP defined SNMP protocol and proprietary legacy network management systems to produce an open architecture total management system to complement our open architecture provisioning system strategy. We highlight our main point that neither network management nor application management alone is sufficient. However, the judicious combination of the two yields an unbeatable total management system solution.<<ETX>>


Metal loading for supported catalysts has a pronounced effect on the surface nature of the catalysts formed. 1wt % monometallics and bimetallics of copper and silver on both alumina and silica supports were prepared by impregnation. Characterisation was performed on the samples produced by surface analyses (nitrogen adsorption and porosity measurements) XRD, and TPR. BET measurement showed surface areas of the alumina supported samples to reduce from 105 to 97 m2g-1 from the pure alumina to the bimetallic supported respectively while the silica supported reduced from 247- 239 m2g-1 for the pure silica to the silver supported respectively. Pore volume and diameters also reduced with loading of the various metals on the supports. The XRD indicated no crystalline phases of the loaded metals to be present for the 1wt % catalysts, instead, the characteristics diffraction features of the supports employed were indicated, which is likely as a result of a good dispersion within the good surface areas supports. However, for a 5wt % sample, there were some diffraction patterns of the loaded metals indicated. Reduction peaks from TPR also revealed the presence of partially oxidised and dispersed metal atoms typical of reflexions at around 267 oC with shoulder at 297 oC (well dispersed Cu) while reflexions at around 111, 160 240 and 293 oC were indicated for small-sized AgO and Ag2O clusters inside the pores of the supports.  Keywords: monometallic, bimetallic, metal loading, impregnation, catalyst.


Identification of exogenous factors affecting spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) proliferation in vitro, provides worthy ways to study the basic biology of the cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a GnRH analogue (alareline acetate) on SSCs colonization in short-term co-culture with sertoli cells. Five, three-month old Holstein male calves were used to isolate spermatogonial and sertoli cells. Testicular germ cell collection was made by enzymatic digestion methods. The cells were co-cultured in a 15 day period and in vitro effects of various doses (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 μg/ml) of GnRHa on SSCs colonization were assessed. Effects of GnRHa on SSCs proliferation were dose dependent. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that 1 μg/ml GnRHa was the optimum dose for SSCs colonization in comparison with control group. The highest treatment dose (4 μg/ml GnRHa), negatively affected SSCs colonization in comparison with control group.


In this paper, we propose a two-scale fusion method for infrared and visible images using saliency and variance. The images are separated into two scales respectively: a base layer of low frequency component and a detailed layer of high frequency component. Then, these are synthesized using weight. The saliencies and the variances of the images are used as the fusion weights for the two-scale images. The proposed method is tested on several image pairs, and its performance is evaluated quantitatively by using objective fusion metrics.


Emerging evidence suggests that a high postprandial glucose level in plasma or blood is an important factor for the etiology of non-communicable disorders like the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. A high sugar content of the food naturally increases the postprandial glucose level. However, quite a few studies provided proof in the past that the physical properties like viscosity, temperature, and water content of the food we consume also may influence the level of this parameter. The aim of this study is to give a narrative review of present findings that showed the physical properties of consumed food influenced the postprandial glucose level. The online databases Medline, Pubmed, Google Scholar and Hinari have been searched for publications on "plasma glucose" and "temperature" or "viscosity" or "solubility" or "water content". All articles dealing with the influence on the postprandial glucose level in the blood have been included. Articles written in a language we could not understand or without a proper translation into English have been excluded. In general, most available studies showed that the physical properties temperature, viscosity, and water content of consumed food influenced the postprandial glucose. An increased temperature, increased viscosity and decreased water content of the food is generally associated with a higher postprandial glucose level in blood or plasma after consumption. Further detailed studies in both preclinical as well as clinical trials should be considered to obtain more detailed results regarding this.


Vitamins are the organic substances which are very essential for the biological process of life. Insufficient vitamins in the body leads to decreased biological capabilities of body, which may cause various serious health problems. The requirement of vitamins in body is fulfilled by the nature while the supplementary intake of vitamins causes toxicity in body. Vitamins deficiencies is a common problem in the people of developing countries. Vitamins and dietary supplements are readily available in different formulations in wide variety of retail outlets without any regulations. In the recent years there has been a great increase on interest about hypervitaminosis, the intoxication resulting from an excess intake of vitamin. Hypervitaminoses are primarily caused by fat-soluble vitamins (D and A), as these are stored by the body for longer period than the water-soluble vitamins. Hypervitaminosis is a uncommon but serious form which is manifested after mega dose substitute in addition to other sources as well. The management primarily focuses on reduced dietary intake with proper attention to hydration along with discontinuation of vitamin therapy. In this study authors are trying to focus in the urgent attention on toxicity of vitamins and unwanted uses of vitamins in daily life.


A tubeless siphon was created by sucking a 1% aqueous PolyoxPolyox is a registered trademark of Union Carbide. solution laden with particles from a beaker into a cylinder by moving a piston. The piston speed and particle concentration were varied. At very high rates of withdrawal, all the liquid could be removed before the siphon broke. In this case, the beaker was completely cleaned without a trace of liquid. The addition of small concentrations of small, nearly neutrally buoyant particles greatly enhanced the pulling power of the liquid, reducing the threshold speed of withdrawal at which the beaker was completely cleaned. At speeds of withdrawal smaller than the threshold not all of the fluid–particle mixture is pulled out of the beaker. The amount pulled out first increases, then decreases as the particle concentration is increased.


Background Bone mass loss and muscle atrophy are the frequent complications occurring after spinal cord injury (SCI). The potential risks involved with these changes in the body composition have implications for the health of the SCI individual. Thus, there is a need to quantitate and monitor body composition changes accurately in an individual with SCI. Very few longitudinal studies have been reported in the literature to assess body composition and most include relatively small number of patients. The present prospective study aimed to evaluate the body composition changes longitudinally by DEXA in patients with acute SCI. Materials and Methods Ninety five patients with acute SCI with neurological deficits were evaluated for bone mineral content (BMC), body composition [lean body mass (LBM) and fat mass] by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry during the first year of SCI. Results There was a significant decrease in BMC ( P < 0.05) and LBM ( P < 0.05) and increase in total body fat mass (TBFM) and percentage fat at infra-lesional sites. The average decrease was 14.5% in BMC in lower extremities, 20.5% loss of LBM in legs and 15.1% loss of LBM in trunk, and increase of 0.2% in fat mass in legs and 17.3% increased fat in the lower limbs at 1 year. The tetraplegic patients had significant decrease in arm BMC ( P < 0.001), arm LBM ( P < 0.01) and fat percentage ( P < 0.01) compared to paraplegics. Patients with complete motor injury had higher values of TBFM and fat percentage, but comparable values of BMC and LBM to patients with incomplete motor injury. Conclusions Our findings suggest that there is a marked decrease in BMC and LBM with increase in adiposity during the first year of SCI. Although these changes depend on the level and initial severity of lesions, they are also influenced by the neurological recovery after SCI.


In the present work biodiesel derived from non edible oil with diesel was used to study the performance of DI Diesel engine at 200 bar injection pressure and 1500rpm. Experiments were carried out with Pogamia Pinnata oil Methyl Ester (POME) and diesel blends in different proportions to reduce tail pipe emissions. Comparative study is conducted using diesel, bio-diesel and with various blends of biodiesel. POME is used (diesel, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100) with various percentages by volume for all loads (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12kg load). The performance of the engine is compared with neat diesel in respect of brake thermal efficiency, BSFC and exhaust emissions.


The anti-proximity effect, where the superconductivity in superconducting nanowires is suppressed or weakened when contacted by bulk superconducting electrodes, first revealed in arrays of Zn nanowires by tuning the electrodes from the superconducting to the normal state by means of an external magnetic field, has been confirmed in single crystal Aluminum nanowires. The critical current at zero magnetic field of an individual aluminum nanowire contacted by superconducting electrodes was found to be significantly smaller than that with normal electrodes showing that the effect is not a consequence of the magnetic field. of 'proximity effect' is much and well-studied 'anti-proximity


The article deals with the improvement of innovative forms as a tool for effective development of small business and as integral part of innovation in any enterprise, which strives to become market leader. Thus, the article aims at improving innovative forms of small business development based on the presented methodology. In the framework of set goal, it is necessary to consider the concept of small business innovation activity based on scientific approaches. This requires solving the following tasks: Presenting conceptual studies and publications in the innovation field; Considering the dynamics of small business innovation in the national economy as well as innovative activity of small business entities; Studying the dynamics of the global innovation index as well as the strengths and weaknesses of innovations in small business in Russia for 2016; By giving the recommendations for practical application and further improvement of innovative forms as a tool for effective development of small business, by involving the use of innovative state institutions.


Abstract : Environmental restoration is an area of concern in an environmentally conscious world. Much effort is required to clean up the environment and promote environmentally sound methods for managing current land use. In light of the public consciousness with the latter topic, the United States Air Force must also take an active role in addressing these environmental issues with respect to current and future USAF base land use. This thesis uses the systems engineering technique to assess human health risks and to evaluate risk management options with respect to depleted uranium contamination in the sampled region of Test Area (TA) C-64 at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB). The research combines the disciplines of environmental data collection, DU soil concentration distribution modeling, ground water modeling, particle resuspension modeling, exposure assessment, health hazard assessment, and uncertainty analysis to characterize the test area. These disciplines are required to quantify current and future health risks, as well as to recommend cost effective ways to increase confidence in health risk assessment and remediation options.


There are currently few ways to reliably and objectively assess olfaction outside of the research laboratory or clinic. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for remote olfactory assessment; in particular, smell training at home is a promising method for olfactory rehabilitation, but further methodological advances might enhance its effectiveness and range of use. Here, we present Exerscent, a portable, low-cost olfactory display designed primarily for uses outside of the laboratory and that can be operated with a personal computer. Exerscent includes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that are attached to odor stimuli and read with a MFRC522 module RFID reader/antenna that encodes the odor in order to provide adaptive challenges for the user (e.g., an odor identification task). Hardware parts are commercially available or 3D printed. Instructions and code for building the Exerscent are freely available online (https://osf.io/kwftm/). As a proof of concept, we present a case study in which a participant trained daily to identify 54 odors, improving from 81% to 96% accuracy over 16 consecutive days. In addition, results from a laboratory experiment with 11 volunteers indicated a very high level of perceived usability and engagement. Exerscent may be used for olfactory skills development (e.g., perfumery, enology), and rehabilitation purposes (e.g., postviral olfactory loss), but it also allows for other forms of technological interactions such as olfactory-based recreational interactions.


The Yoruba and the Hausa are among the largest, politically active and commercially inclined ethnic groups in Nigeria. While the Hausa live in the north of the country, the Yoruba dwell in the south western part. The trade in cattle and kola nuts brought many Hausa to settle in the Remo-Yoruba town of Sagamu. Over the years, this trade became an avenue for both ethnic groups to develop a cordial and harmonious relationship until the crisis of July 1999 broke out, bringing about a far reaching impact not only on the town of Sagamu but also on the hitherto existing peaceful relationship between the two ethnic groups. Indeed, some of the effects of the conflict have remained till today. This paper is an historical analysis of the Hausa/Yoruba conflict. It examines the causes of the conflict and discusses its character and nature. Unlike previous studies on the subject of conflict and ethnicity, this paper brings out the central importance of culture in the inter-relationship between two ethnic groups in Nigeria. It shows that the failure to respect the culture of one ethnic group by the other was the root cause of the Yoruba/Hausa conflict.


In this study, the content of the spiritual counseling and guidance service to be given to the prisoners in penal institutions was emphasized. Spiritual counseling and guidance service to prisoners and convicts in penal institutions is one of the important fields for those who work in this field. It is aimed to bring back the people to the society who regret the crimes they committed and decide not to commit similar crimes again. Prison preachers in Turkey also provide spiritual counseling and guidance services. But spiritual counseling and guidance is completely different from providing information or fatwa on religious matters. Therefore, the findings of many prison preachers working in the field both in the West and in our country ascertain that religion plays a very important function in the solution of crime and criminal problems and rehabilitation of criminals in prison environment. For this reason, it is important to review and organize the spiritual counseling and guidance services to be given to detainees and convicts in our country. Our study was conducted with five adult male convicts studying at İskilip Vocational School using the in-depth interview technique called 'Unstructured Interview 'or' Ethnographic Interview'.


A GC-MS method was developed for identification and determination of menthol in three traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and their compound formulation, a granule for treating colds. Volatile oil was simultaneously distilled and extracted into ethyl ether in a unique glass extractor. The separation was performed on an HP-5 MS column. The standard addition method was used for quantitative determination of menthol content in herbal materials and in the granule. A component in the samples was chosen as the internal standard. The contents were calculated with the ratio of peak area percentage. Menthol was identified as the main component in Mentha haplocalyx Briq., and also existed in spikes of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq., Folium perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. and granules. The quantitative calibration range was 0.21-10.5 mg/mL. Good precision was demonstrated by an RSD < 4.0%. The mean content of menthol in Mentha haplocalyx Briq., spikes of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq., Folium perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. and granules was 121, 0.234, 1.03 and 1.84 mg/kg respectively.


N -[2-[4-[[[(Cyclohexylamino)carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl]phenyl]ethyl]-5-methyl pyrazine carboxamide (glipizid) was explored as an electro-active material for preparing a polymeric membrane-based sensor selective to samarium ions. The membrane incorporated 30% poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), 53% benzyl acetate (BA), 11% glipizid and 6% sodium tetraphenyl borate. When coated on the surface of a graphite electrode, it exhibits Nernstian responses in the concentration range of 1.0 × 10^−5 to 1.0 × 10^−10 M, with a detection limit of 8.0 × 10^−11 M samarium. The electrode shows high selectivity towards samarium over several cations (alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions), and specially lanthanide ions. The proposed sensor has a very short response time (< 15 s), and can be used in a wide pH range for at least ten weeks. It was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of Sm(III) ions with an EDTA solution, and for determination of samarium in binary and ternary mixtures.


Thank you Dr. Murchison for your most excellent handling of today's session. My appreciation also to the Panel for their fine contributions. As we realized at the beginning of the Symposium, it would be a most difficult task to completely resolve these troublesome issues, but I think great headway has been made. My impressions of the results of the panel discussions and concensus opinions taken today are that the common rodent liver nodules which do not progress or regress should not be considered as indicators of hepatic oncogenic potential in man. Since a very small number of these rodent nodules do not appear to regress and may eventually become tumors, there still is no absolute means to differentiate between the reversible and non-reversible


The growth and health of street trees can be limited by the amount of water available under impervious urban surfaces. Two approaches for improving the growth of street trees are the installation of permeable pavements, which allow water to infiltrate through the pavement surface and into the soil, and the integration of underlying base layers to increase the water storage capacity of the pavement system. Permeable pavements with varying depths (0, 100 or 300 mm) of underlying base layer were tested to determine whether they affected the trunk diameter, height and canopy area of broad-leaf paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) trees in two soil types, sand and clay. Control trees were planted within conventional asphaltic concrete pavements without a base layer. We found that the pavement treatment effects depended on the soil type. In sandy soil, trunk diameter growth was greatest when permeable pavements were installed without a base layer. However, in clay soil, trunk diameter growth, height growth and canopy area were greatest when permeable pavements were installed with a 300-mm deep base layer. This study demonstrates that inclusion of a deep base layer may be important for maximising street tree growth when permeable pavements are installed over poorly draining soils.; ;


The aim of this study was to provide field outbreaks data with FAdVs in Ninevah governorate to emphasize the importance of the disease due to high mortality and production losses. A total of 729,500 broilers collected from 64 flocks at 14 different locations in Nineveh governorate during the second half of 2020. were included in this study. Histopathological changes of the liver in infected birds have been studied. Molecular identification of FAdV was accomplished by DNA extraction from liver samples using DNeasy Tissue Kit. Results reviled that there were 51892 mortalities representing 7.11%. It was noted that the broiler flocks were infected during their 2nd-6th weeks of age, being the highest in the 5th week of age. Decreased mortality was detected from July to December. being 11.3, 7.91, 7.08, 6.38, 5.94 and 4.95%, respectively. Microscopical examination of the liver manifested the pathognomonic presence of eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies related to the disease. PCR findings revealed positive results of FAdVs. It could be concluded that the environmental stress and immunosuppressive agents could contribute to the percentage and duration of mortalities in broiler flocks.


Maya blue is an organo-clay artificial pigment composed of indigo and palygorskite. It was invented and frequently used in Mesoamerica in ancient times (eighth to 16th centuries). We analyse in this paper one of the characteristics of Maya blue that has attracted the attention of scientists since its rediscovery in 1931: its high stability against chemical aggression (acids, alkalis, solvents, etc.) and biodegradation, which has permitted the survival of many works of art for centuries in hostile environments, such as the tropical forest. We have reproduced the different methods proposed to produce a synthetic pigment with the characteristics of the ancient Maya blue. The stability of the pigments produced using either palygorskite or sepiolite has been analysed by performing acid attacks of different intensities. The results are analysed in terms of pigment decolouration and destruction of the clay lattice, revealed by X-ray diffraction. Palygorskite pigments are much more resistant than sepiolite pigments. It is shown that indigo does not protect the clay lattice against acid aggression. We show that Maya blue is an extremely resistant pigment, but it can be destroyed using very intense acid treatment under reflux.


A self-consistent tight-binding method is used to investigate the screening effects of semiconducting and metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) when the water molecules and various charged ions pass through the nanotubes. The trajectories of ions and water molecules are obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. It is shown that metallic SWCNTs have much stronger screening abilities than semiconducting SWCNTs. Our results indicate that it is possible to distinctly identify different ions and also to differentiate between armchair and zig-zag nanotubes.


Hydatidosis has become a real concern for health care institutions and animal rearers in Tunisia. The Tunisian endemicity is aggravated by the growing number of dogs and the difficulty of getting rid of contaminated viscera because of the lack of equipment in most slaughterhouses. Therefore, microscopic and molecular tools were applied to evaluate the role of slaughterhouses in canine infection and Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s. l.) egg dissemination. Exposure risk to E. granulosus s. l. eggs in urban and rural areas was explored in order to implant preventive and adapted control strategies. Microscopic examinations detected taeniid eggs in 152 amongst 553 fecal samples. The copro-PCR demonstrated that 138 of 152 taeniid samples analyzed were positive for E. granulosus s. l. DNA. PCR-RFLP demonstrated that all isolated samples belonged to E. granulosus sensu stricto (s. s.). An important environmental contamination index (25.0%) by E. granulosus s. l. eggs was demonstrated. The average contamination index from the regions around slaughterhouses (23.3%; 95% CI: 17.7-28.9%) was in the same range as detected in areas located far from slaughterhouses (26.0%, 95% CI: 21.3-30.8%). Echinococcosis endemic areas were extended in both rural (29.9%, 95% CI: 24.8-34.9%) and urban locations (18.1%, 95% CI: 13.0-22.9%). The pathogen dissemination is related neither to the presence/absence of slaughterhouses nor to the location in urban or rural areas, but is probably influenced by human activities (home slaughtering) and behavior towards the infected viscera.


When earthquakes and other natural hazards strike, it is not only humans that can become trapped in collapsed structures. This paper details current international practice of structural search markings used after disaster events. It also explores developing search markings to include markings for animals so that rescuers also take note of the presence and status of animals rescued from the location. Historically, companion animal owners have been known to consistently breach cordons to search for their animals. Currently, disaster search marking systems do not accommodate the rescue status of animals being removed or that are still trapped. An animal-specific search marking system is recommended and decision makers within search marking bodies should consider adoption or development of such marking systems. The availability of an animal search marking could reduce confusion during human-focused rescue efforts and contribute to the legitimisation of technical animal rescue as an independent discipline.


In this article the Lithuanian movement Army 777 is presented and analyzed. The movement unites Christian members of various "youth subcultures" (metal fans, goths, punks, bikers and the like). The movement has no formal leadership, and is based entirely on non-formal participation of members in Army 777 internet spaces, and associating themselves with ideas and symbols of the movement. The article presents main ideas of the movement and their visual representations, interpreting them in the context. Two main contextual fields for this Christian movement are indicated, namely – the situation of Christian youth during the Soviet times, and the reality of Western youth subcultures. The former created an urgent need for a translation of Christianity into more youth-like language and imagery, the latter provided visual and musical elements for Army 777. Thus in the movement subcultural elements (often stereotypically understood as having anti-Christian meaning) serve as genuine means of expression for the Christian values and views. In this way Army 777 is not just a paradox, but also a meeting space, where Christianity is in-sub-culturized, and subcultures are Christianized.


Cryo-electron microscopy was exploited to reveal and study the influence of pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) occupancy on the conformational states of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). Structures representative of PDC preparations with ≈40% and full E1 occupancy were determined after the electron microscopy images from each preparation were classified according to their sizes. The reconstructions derived from two size groups showed that the deposition of the E1 molecules associated with the larger complex is, unexpectedly, not icosahedrally arranged, whereas in the smaller complex the E1 molecules have an arrangement and architecture similar to their more ordered deposition in the WT bovine kidney PDC. This study also shows that the linker of dihydrolipamide acetyltransferase (E2) that tethers E1 to the E2 core increases in length from ≈50 to 75 Å, accounting largely for the size difference of the smaller and larger structures, respectively. Extensive E1 occupancy of its 60 E2 binding sites favors the extended conformation of the linker associated with the larger complex and appears to be related to the loss of icosahedral symmetry of the E1 molecules. However, the presence of a significant fraction of larger molecules also in the WT PDC preparation with low E1 occupancy indicates that the conformational variability of the linker contributes to the overall protein dynamics of the PDC and the variable deposition of E1. The flexibility of the complex may enhance the catalytic proficiency of this macromolecular machine by promoting the channeling of the intermediates of catalysis between the active sites.


This study was carried out to evaluate lamb weights and daily weight gains and to estimate genetic and phenotypic parameters to develop breeding strategies over the genetic improvement of growth traits in Sonmez lambs. Genetic and non-genetic parameters on growth traits of 574 Sonmez lambs sired by 12 rams over the years 2001-2004 were evaluated. Sex of lamb, birth type and year, age of dam and ewe weight were significant sources of variation for lamb body weight and gains. Estimates of heritability for birth weight, 2-months weight, pre-weaning, 4 months weight and post-weaning daily gains were 0.25, 0.36, 0.61, 0.50 and 0.61, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among growth traits were found significant. These findings show that there is an opportunity to improve Sonmez lambs based on the selection for the growth rate.


ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to investigate the impact of dual infections with stocks of Trypanosoma cruzi major genotypes on benznidazole (BZ) treatment efficacy. For this purpose, T. cruzi stocks representative of the genetic T. cruzi lineages, displaying different susceptibilities to BZ, belonging to the major T. cruzi genotypes broadly dispersed in North and South America and important in Chagas' disease epidemiology were used. Therapeutic efficacy was observed in 27.8% of the animals treated. Following BZ susceptibility classification, significant differences were observed in dual infections on the major genotype level, demonstrating that combinations of genotypes 19+39 and genotypes 19+32 led to a shift in the expected BZ susceptibility profile toward the resistance pattern. Analysis on the T. cruzi stock level demonstrated that 9 out of 24 dual infections shifted the expected BZ susceptibility profile compared with the respective single infections, including shifts toward lower and higher BZ susceptibilities. Microsatellite identification was able to identify a mixture of T. cruzi stocks in 7.7% of the T. cruzi isolates from infected and untreated mice (6.9%) and infected and treated but not cured mice (9.0%), revealing in some mixtures of BZ-susceptible and -resistant stocks that the T. cruzi stock identified after BZ treatment was previously susceptible in single infections. Considering the clonal structure and evolution of T. cruzi, an unexpected result was the identification of parasite subpopulations with distinct microsatellite alleles in relation to the original stocks observed in 12.2% of the isolates. Taken together, the data suggest that mixed infections, already verified in nature, may have an important impact on the efficacy of chemotherapy.


After taking into account the first names of «Nuevo Mundo» at the time of the discovery of 1498, the author points out that the Admiral stated at that time his age, now under consideration in according to his beliefs non only religiuos but also astrologic, marked by the number «seven» and «Friday» which, as he suggests, are reflected in all the most important moments of his age.


Background Cross-education (CE) describes contralateral muscle function gain following unilateral limb training. CE has the potential to reduce strength and power losses following unilateral limb immobilisation. Despite the potential for wider rehabilitative application, few CE studies have utilised home-based interventions. Objective Can unilateral home-based strength training elicit bilateral strength and power increases in the calf? Design A prospective, randomised controlled trial utilising single-blinding. Setting The Institute of Sport Exercise & Health, London Participants Thirty-five healthy participants (21.0±1.5 years) with no resistance training 6 months prior to the study were recruited; thirty-four completed the study. Intervention Participants were randomised to Intervention (n=20) or Control (n=15). Intervention completed 8 weeks of unilateral straight and bent-knee calf raises at-home, using resistance tubing. Load was self-progressed, sustaining a BORG CR10 score of seven. Main outcome measurements Concentric and eccentric calf peak torque was measured using isokinetic dynamometry at 30°/s. Power output was measured during a single-leg jump using ChronoJump® (Chronojump-Boscosystem). Measurements were taken PRE, MID and POST-intervention. Results The trained leg increased in strength PRE-POST for concentric (25.8±29.3%, p<0.01) and eccentric (19.5±17.8%, p<0.001) contractions. The untrained leg also increased in strength PRE-POST for concentric (20.5±25.6%, p<0.05) and eccentric (14.8±19.2%, p<0.05) contractions. Power increased PRE-POST in the trained leg (19.3±4.1%, p<0.01). The untrained leg displayed PRE-POST power increases (18.8±3.4%, p<0.01). Controls displayed no significant strength or power changes. In the untrained leg, strength increases were significant PRE-MID (16.3±16.9%, p<0.01) but not MID-POST (1.3±13.7%, p>0.05). The reverse was true for power with significant increases MID-POST (10.3±12.6%, p<0.01) but not PRE-MID (8.3±13.3%, p>0.05). Conclusions This study demonstrates that unilateral, home-based strength training elicits significant bilateral calf strength and power increases. Additionally, the CE of strength seen prior to power indicates that outcomes secondary to the training type require greater training durations to reach significance. These findings may have rehabilitative potential, however further work is required in clinical populations.


The Australian Cheese Technology Program is a research consortium formed in 2001 by cheese manufacturers, industry organisations and research organisations. Its mission to deliver an industry focussed research program in cheese science and technology is illustrated by examples of projects and knowledge that the ACTP has developed in the past five years. The projects have addressed industry needs for underpinning R&D in areas that are relevant to production for the export as well as the domestic market. Strategic focus areas and program selection mechanisms are important tools to maintain the continued industry relevance and to continue to expand on key competencies and technology platforms accessible to the program. The ACTP dissemination and technology transfer program is illustrated using the example of a project aimed at the increase of milk solid levels in cheese milk.


Randomized controlled trials have shown beneficial responses to plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), but details about the first medical examination of patients with GBS and Fisher syndrome (FS) have not been reported. We investigated the period from first consultations to treatment after the onset of patients with GBS and FS. A questionnaire was used to collect informations on 247 patients with GBS and 125 with FS, all of whom had been referred to our neuroimmunological laboratory informations between January 2001 and October 2001 for serum anti-ganglioside antibody tests. A letter of inquiry was sent to the primary physicians; 150 (61%) patients with GBS and 72 (58%) with FS responded validly. Patients with GBS generally consulted an internist [58%, neurologist (21%)] or orthopedist (17%), those with FS an internist [52%, neurologist (26%)] or ophthalmologist (25%). Consultation with a neurologist usually came after one with a physician. We conclude that physicians should be aware that patients may have GBS or FS, and that such recognition is useful for early diagnosis and treatment of these syndromes.


The effects of fuel/air inlet diameter as well as air preheating on the flame stability, temperature distribution, pollutant formation, and combustion characteristics of a lab-scaled asymmetric vortex flame have been investigated. A three-dimensional steady-state finite volume solver has been used to solve the governing and energy equations. The solver uses a first-order upwind scheme to discretize the governing equations in the space. The semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations has been applied to couple the pressure to the velocity terms. Several turbulence models were applied to predict the flame temperature and it was found that RNG has given the best results in accordance with the experimental results. The results reveal that the inlet air diameter can enhance the thermal properties and reduce the emission while the inlet fuel diameter has less significant impact. Increasing diameters are accompanied with a pressure drop. It was found that preheating the air and fuel would significantly affect the flame temperature and emission with constant mass flow rate.


In the present research, the temporal dynamics of age-related subniche and some aspects of the reproductive biology of a Parachondria neglectus population, located in Manzanillo-Granma-Cuba, were characterized. Thirty expeditions were performed from December 2013 to February 2015. The comparisons between the length (t = 8.05, P = 0.007) and biggest diameter (t = 6.24, P = 0.0001) of the shells of truncated juveniles and the shells of full juveniles showed significant statistical differences, indicating that both groups represent two kinds of different ages. The comparison between the biggest diameter of the shells of truncated adults and the shells of full adults (t = 1.50, P = 0.16) showed that both groups represent the same kind of age in the population. The existence of significant statistical differences between the length (t = 19.45, P = 0.0003) and the biggest diameter (t = 13.19, P = 0.006) of the females' shells and the males' shells verify the sexual dimorphism in the species, proving to be the females of bigger dimensions in relation to the males. The whitish circular spot in the shells is a valid external morphological characteristic to differentiate the adult females already mated in previous occasions from the rest of the members of the population. The reproductive period was from July to December 2014. Copulations were observed from July to October 2014 and they were associated to conditions of abundant precipitations and high temperatures of summer. The recruitment period took place from September to December 2014.


In order to preserve cultural heritage, this paper proposes to develop a digital paintings visualization system. Our proposed system mainly consists of automatically extracting regions of interest (ROI) from a digital painting to characterize them. These close-ups are then animated on the basis of the painting characteristics and the artist's or designer's aim. In order to obtain interesting results from short video clips, we developed a visual saliency map-based method. The experimental results show the efficiency of our approach and an evaluation based on a Mean Opinion Score validates the proposed method.


Purpose: This study describes the incremental healthcare costs associated with retreatment among adults undergoing ureteroscopy (URS) or percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for upper urinary tract stones (UUTS). Patients and Methods: The IBM ® MarketScan ® Commercial Database was used to identify adults aged 18–64 years with UUTS treated with URS or PCNL between January 2010 and December 2019. Patients had 12 months of continuous insurance coverage before (baseline) and after (follow-up) the first (index) procedure. The primary outcome was total all-cause healthcare costs measured over the 365-day follow-up period, not inclusive of index costs. Generalized linear models were used to estimate the incremental costs associated with retreatment within 90 (early) or 91–365 days post-index (later) relative no retreatment. The models adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, stone(s) location, treatment setting, procedural characteristics (eg, 1-step vs 2-step PCNL) and index year. Results: Approximately 23% (27,402/119,800) of URS patients were retreated (82% had early retreatments). The adjusted mean total cost was $10,478 (95% CI: $10,281—$10,675) for patients with no retreatment, $25,476 (95% CI: $24,947—$26,004) for early retreatment ($14,998 incremental increase, p<0.01), and $32,868 [95% CI: $31,887—$33,850] for later retreatment ($22,391 incremental increase, p<0.01). Approximately 36% (1957/5516) of PCNL patients were retreated (78% had early retreatments). The adjusted mean total cost was $13,446 (95% CI: $12,659—$14,273) for patients with no retreatment, $37,036 [95% CI: $34,926— $39,145]) for early retreatment ($23,570 incremental increase, p<0.01), and $35,359 (95% CI: $32,234—$38,484) for later retreatment ($21,893 incremental increase, p<0.01). Conclusion: Retreatment during the first year following URS or PCNL was needed in 23% and 36% of patients, respectively, and was associated with an economic burden of up to $23,500 per patient. The high rate of retreatment and associated costs demonstrate there is an unmet need to improve mid- to long-term results in URS and PCNL.


The creation of a CAD tool that allows the design, revision and automated projection of different elements of reinforced concrete submitted to all type of solicitations, with correct safety and economic factors in accordance to the characteristics and requirements of the Cuban quality standards. It guarantees the durability of the elements without any resistance and stability failures; besides, it generates numerical information, creates graphics, and does the fractioning of the reinforcement as well as the volume of work in regards to the budgets assigned. AutoCad is a powerful tool for the creation of diagrams and drawings; however, it is not conceived for analysis or design of structures.


Objective: The purpose of our study is to determine either bacterial infection or poor outcomes among patients with Covid-19 caused by increased level of procalcitonin. Study Design: Retrospective/ observational study Place and Duration: THQ Hospital Khairpur Tamewali. Jan 2021-Jun 2021 Methods: In this research, there were a total of 190 patients of both sexes. Patients ranged in age from 20 to 85. Detailed demographics, including age, sex, BMI, residence, and literacy, were obtained from all patients. Association of comorbidities among cases was determined. All the patients diagnosed Covid-19 by nasopharyngeal PCR. Baseline level of procalcitonin was measured among all cases before hospitalization and patients were separated either had bacterial infection or not. Outcomes among all the patients were measured in terms of mortality and survivors. Complete data was examined using the SPSS 23.0 version for statistical purposes alone. Results: Among 190 cases, most of the patients were males 110 (57.9%) and 80 (42.1%) patients were females. Mean age of the patients were 52.13±13.44 years with mean BMI 26.14±11.54 kg/m2. 85 (44.7%) patients were from rural areas and 115 (55.3%) had urban residency. 100 (52.6%) patients were educated. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity found in 120 (63.2%), followed by diabetes 95 (50%), kidney disease found in 40 (21.1%) patients and asthma in 25 (13.2%) patients. Mean PCT among all cases was 1.4±6.13 ng/mL. Bacterial infection (positive blood culture) was found among 130 (68.4%) cases with procalcitonin. Severity of pneumonia was found among 123 cases of bacterial infection. Mortality among all cases were 102 (53.4%) with positive blood culture for bacterial infection. Mean PCT of died patients was 1.1±4.6 ng/mL significantly higher than that of survived patients 2.13±4.45. Blood urea nitrogen and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were also found a predictive value among died patients. Conclusion: According to our findings, procalcitonin was the only biomarker strongly associated with patient mortality and satisfaction in the intensive care unit. With increasing procalcitonin concentrations, death rates increased as quartiles of procalcitonin levels rose. This study shows that intensivists may use procalcitonin to guide the management of COVID-19 and the utilization of ICU resources.


Co-combustion of sludge with coal is proposed as an alternative option for sludge disposal instead of ocean dumping. Because the combustion of sludge can cause emissions of various air pollutants, it is important to understand the characteristics of sludge combustion flue gases. Especially, very few studies are found to investigate mercury emissions from the co-combustion of sludge with coal. In this study, coal and sludge samples were prepared with different mixing ratios. These samples were combusted in a bench-scale combustor, and their flue gases were analyzed. Due to higher mercury content in the sludge sample, higher mercury emissions were found with an increase in a ratio of sludge to coal. Compared to the combustion flue gas of the coal sample, higher levels of mercury oxidation were found in the combustion flue gas of the samples including sludge.


Research problem: Indirect communication is prevalent in business communication practices. For information systems (IS) projects that require professionals from multiple disciplines to work together, the use of indirect communication may hinder successful design, implementation, and maintenance of these systems. Drawing on the Speech Act Theory (SAT), this study investigates how direct and indirect speech acts may influence language comprehension in the setting of communication problems inherent in IS projects. Research questions: (1) Do participating subjects, who are IS professionals, differ in their comprehension of indirect and direct speech acts? (2) Do participants display different attention processes in their comprehension of indirect and direct speech acts? (3) Do participants' attention processes influence their comprehension of indirect and direct speech acts? Literature review: We review two relevant areas of theory-polite speech acts in professional communication and SAT. First, a broad review that focuses on literature related to the use of polite speech acts in the workplace and in information system (IS) projects suggests the importance of investigating speech acts by professionals. In addition, the SAT provides the theoretical framework guiding this study and the development of hypotheses. Methodology: The current study uses a quantitative approach. A between-groups experiment design was employed to test how direct and indirect speech acts influence the language comprehension of participants. Forty-three IS professionals participated in the experiment. In addition, through the use of eye-tracking technology, this study captured the attention process and analyzed the relationship between attention and comprehension. Results and discussion: The results show that the directness of speech acts significantly influences participants' attention process, which, in turn, significantly affects their comprehension. In addition, the findings indicate that indirect speech acts, if employed by IS professionals to communicate with others, may easily be distorted or misunderstood. Professionals and managers of organizations should be aware that effective communication in interdisciplinary projects, such as IS development, is not easy, and that reliance on polite or indirect communication may inhibit the generation of valid information.


We present in this article a summary of the main research efforts and results produced by the Database and Information Retrieval group of the Universidade Federal do Amazonas in the last years. The main focus of the research carried out by the group is on the areas of Data Management, Information Retrieval and Data Mining applied to the context of the World-Wide Web.  The ultimate goal is developing cutting-edge technologies for a number of important Web applications. The complementary expertise of the researchers in the group allows the development of interdisciplinary work related to these three areas and gives the group a singular profile and a solid basis for providing high impact solutions to practical  problems in several research topics.


From a large number of different kinds of protective gloves currently on the market, 19 were selected for virus permeability testing using a special model. Most of the gloves tested offered poor mechanical protection against penetration of adenovirus and poliovirus, while vaccinia virus was found to traverse the gloves less freely.


Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with poor outcome of current treatments. Major contributors to therapeutic resistance in PDAC include Kras mutations, a dense desmoplastic stroma, and activation of feedback signaling pathways. STAT3 and Insulin Receptor Substrate 1/2 (IRS1/2) regulate tumor survival and metastasis, the crosstalk of the tumor and its microenvironment, and play major role in drug resistance. NT219 is a novel bispecific inhibitor of IRS1/2 and STAT3, leading to IRS1/2 elimination and STAT3 dephosphorylation. The purpose of this study was to assess NT219 activity in PDAC PDX models and define schedule and regimens and combinations to overcome resistance to optimize future clinical protocols. Methods: Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models of mutated KRAS pancreatic cancer were used to test the efficacy of NT219 in combination with gemcitabine, trametinib, and folfirinox. RNAseq was used to analyze the pharmacodynamic effect of NT219. Pharmacokinetic profile of NT219 was tested. Results: Chemoresistent tumors of 4 PDAC PDX models were exposed to NT219 with gemcitabine demonstrated reversal of pre-existing resistance. One of these models demonstrated complete response in 5 out of 10 mice upon addition of NT219 to gemcitabine. Similar results were observed when NT219 was combined with trametinib (a MEK inhibitor) and with folfirinox (chemotherapy). There was a correlative dose-escalation response of both plasma and tumor levels and the therapeutic effect. NT219 delivered prior to gemcitabine showed a much better response than the inverse schedule/drug administration. RNAseq analysis of the tumors revealed that the combined treatment with NT219 and gemcitabine lowered the levels of IRS1 to 20% of the control group. Similar reductions were observed for STAT3-regulated genes, as well as for Ki67 (a proliferation marker), cyclin D (prognostic marker), and TGFβ (driver of epithelial to mesenchymal transition). Conclusion: NT219 overcomes gemcitabine acquired resistance in PDAC. The combination of NT219 with modern chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer may enhance efficacy and delay acquired resistance in this fatal disease. Citation Format: Hadas Reuveni, Lana Kupershmidt, Neta Moskovits, Evgeny Solomonov, Salomon M Stemmer, Izhak Haviv. NT219, a novel bispecific inhibitor of STAT3 and IRS1/2, combined with chemotherapy or MEK inhibitor in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic tumors, induced tumor regression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Science and Clinical Care; 2019 Sept 6-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(24 Suppl):Abstract nr C45.


Introduction: Mesothelioma is an aggressive malignancy which spreads via local invasion. We have observed fine, long, non-adherent cable-like structures connecting mesothelioma cells in vitro which are consistent with tunneling nanotubes, an entity recently described in malignant as well as neuronal and immune cells. We hypothesized that tunneling nanotubes facilitate intercellular communication between distant and neighboring cells via transfer of intracellular components. Materials and Methods: Biphasic and sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells, as well as primary mesothelioma and lung cancer cells, were grown using medium of variable concentrations of serum, glucose, and cytokines at low or normal pH. Fluorescent lipophilic dyes were used to stain cytoplasmic membranes and mitochondria. Red and green fluorescent protein-expressing cells were examined following mixing of the two populations. Brightfield and fluorescent microscopy were performed, as was time-lapse imaging to determine time frames for transport via the nanotubes. To determine composition, nanotubes and cells were fixed and immunofluorescent staining was performed. Electron microscopy was also performed to elucidate nanotube structure and cell membrane insertions. Results: Nanotubes connected cells in close and distant proximity. The proportion of cells growing one or more nanotubes was highest in medium with low pH and/or low serum, high glucose, and cytokines. We have reproduced this finding in primary tumor cells from resected mesothelioma cells following surgery, as well as mesothelioma and lung cancer cells from pleural effusions. Brightfield and fluorescent microscopy revealed transfer of material (including mitochondria and proteins) between cells following nanotube formation, confirming the tubes are tunneling. Cells positive for both GFP and RFP and connected by nanotubes were observed, indicating protein transfer was bidirectional. Fluorescent immunostaining elucidated the presence of actin, vimentin, Zo-1, and fascin in nanotubes, supporting actin as a key component. Electron microscopy demonstrated the presence of early nanotubes and insertion of mature nanotubes into receptive cells. Conclusions: Tunneling nanotubes facilitate intercellular communication and trafficking between cells from cell lines and primary tumors. For the first time, we demonstrate that specific medium conditions can reproducibly promote increased growth of nanotubes to accelerate cell-to-cell communication via these structures, as well the ability to fix these sensitive structures for immunostaining. We also demonstrate that proteins and mitochondria are among cell components transported bidirectionally via nanotubes. Tunneling nanotubes provide a significant alternative for cell-to-cell communication between invasive cancer cells, as well as a plausible mechanism for tumoral resistance to therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4814.


Due to the rapidly aging population in Japan, the government has been attempting to link the healthcare delivery system with the long-term care delivery system. However, there are complex challenges that must be overcome to link the two systems. A new methodology should be used to organize complex community challenges and propose solutions. This study aimed to visualize the unique challenges and worldviews of interested parties in each community, using the soft systems methodology (SSM). We aimed to visualize issues and clarify challenges associated with linking the healthcare and long-term care delivery systems; in turn, clarifying the thought process behind solution proposals. We gathered information regarding those who are actively linking these systems in communities in a Japanese municipality (community care coordinators) and organized the information according to the SSM procedure. By organizing information using the SSM, we were able to summarize the present situations of the community healthcare and long-term care delivery systems, visualize issues, clarify challenges associated with linking these two systems, and propose solutions. The SSM may be useful in organizing complex community information and deriving solutions.


This article reviews the role that photogrammetry plays in evaluating the geometric quality of satellite products in connection to the long-term monitoring of essential climate variables (ECVs). The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) is responsible for defining the observations required for climate monitoring. Only satellite products are capable of providing high-quality observations of a particular subset of ECVs on a global scale. Geometric calibration and validation of these products are crucial for ensuring the coherence of data obtained across platforms and sensors and reliable monitoring in the long term. Here, we analyzed the GCOS implementation plan and the data quality requirements and explored various geometric quality aspects, such as internal and external accuracy and band-to-band registration assessment, for a number of satellite sensors commonly used for climate monitoring. Both geostationary (GEO) and low-earth orbit (LEO) sensors with resolutions between 250 m and 3 km were evaluated for this purpose. The article highlights that the geometric quality issues vary with the sensor, and regular monitoring of data quality and tuning of calibration parameters are essential for identifying and reducing the uncertainty in the derived climate observations.


Despite the well-documented benefits of political participation, few firms engage in politics. We argue that low levels of corporate political participation can be rationalized by financial incentives of employees and shareholders who are the ultimate source of corporate contributions. Since even large firm-level benefits are trivial for individuals with small equity-stakes, few people have sufficient incentives to contribute. This logic explains why corporate political contributions are relatively small and why firms seek alternative channels of political influence. Empirically, we document that corporate PACs are financially constrained and that financial incentives of individual contributors are a strong determinant of campaign contributions.


The recently proposed beam physics method was introduced briefly. The intense beam transverse density distribution is investigated and estimated with the quantum beam physical theory by solving the quantum beam dynamic equation of the proton intense beam in free space, It is shown that the estimating results basically agree with the experimental fact, and that the quantum beam dynamics is a new useful method for studying accelerator beam transmission.


ABSTRACT Although trisomy 16 is commonly detected in spontaneous abortions and accounts for over 30% of cases of autosomal trisomy detected after spontaneous abortion, trisomy 16 mosaicism is rarely detected by amniocentesis in the second trimester. Here, we report a case of level III trisomy 16 mosaicism (47,XX,+16[8]/46,XX[31]) diagnosed by cytogenetic analysis of independently cultured amniotic fluid cells. The female baby was delivered at full term with low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation, and interestingly, her karyotype was normal (46,XX). Given the difficulty in predicting the outcomes of fetuses with this mosaicism, it is recommended to inform the possibility of mosaicisms including this trisomy 16 mosaicism during prenatal genetic diagnosis and genetic counseling for parents.


The eye fixation patterns of human observers are a fundamental indicator of the aspects of an image to which humans attend. Thus, manipulating fixation patterns to guide human attention is an exciting challenge in digital image processing. Here, we present a new model for manipulating images to change the distribution of human fixations in a controlled fashion. We use the state-of-the-art model for fixation prediction to train a convolutional neural network to transform images so that they satisfy a given fixation distribution. For network training, we carefully design a loss function to achieve a perceptual effect while preserving naturalness of the transformed images. Finally, we evaluate the success of our model by measuring human fixations for a set of manipulated images. On our test images we can in-/decrease the probability to fixate on selected objects on average by 43/22% but show that the effectiveness of the model depends on the semantic content of the manipulated images.


The aim of this paper is to examine whether there is a gender gap in monthly wage among recent graduates in eleven European countries and which variables can explain it. In the first part of the paper previous literature is presented and some limitations of existing studies are discussed. In the theoretical framework the gender wage gap is conceived as a function of five main factors: human capital, employment characteristics, working hours, work-family conciliation aspects and residual discrimination. Different types of decomposition after OLS linear regression and Heckman selection models are applied; data comes from REFLEX survey on tertiary graduates in 2000. The main results indicate that the raw gender gap is higher in Austria and Germany, while it is lower in Belgium and United Kingdom, with Southern and Nordic countries placed in the middle. There is great variability in the unexplained part of the gender gap, which is mainly imputable to residual discrimination. This is low in Nordic countries, followed by Continental and Southern Europe. Overall the most important factors accounting for the gender gap are employment characteristics, followed by working hours. Human capital, work-family conciliation issues and individuals' preferences matter in most countries, but their role is not prominent. There is also evidence of a correlation between several macro-institutional indicators (type of wage-setting institutions and welfare policies) and the extent of the gender gap, suggesting that wage determination is deeply rooted into institutional contexts.


117198, Russia AbstractIntroduction. The article provides latest data on modern methods of treating rosacea. The results of own clinical observations of patients with moderate to severe papulopustular rosacea receiving combination treatment and a comparative analysis of the efficacy of various therapy regimens are presented. Objective of the study. The aim of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the therapeutic efficacy of combination therapy using the ivermectin 1% topical drug combined with systemic therapy drugs (doxycycline, minocycline, isotretinoin). Materials and methods. We observed 37 patients with moderate to severe papulo-pustular rosacea subtype. The patients were divided into 4 groups (A, B, C, D). Patients in the control group received monotherapy with 1% ivemectin topical drug, patients in the other groups received combination therapy (1% ivermectin combined with low-dose doxycycline, minocycline and isotretinoin). The efficacy of the therapy was evaluated by measuring rosacea severity on the Scale for Diagnostic Assessment of Rosacea (SDAR), clinical manifestations according to the IGA (Investigator Global Assessment) criteria, and by assessing the patients' quality of life using the DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) questionnaire before and after дан-Results. The comparative analysis of changes in severity indicators of the skin process and quality of life in patients with moderate to severe papulopustular rosacea after topical and combination therapy showed that the results of the treatment in patients receiving combination therapy were more significant than those in the group receiving monotherapy. Conclusion. The concomitant use of 1% ivermectin and systemic drugs is most effective in patients with severe papulopustular rosacea subtype. The combination treatment tailored to the clinical forms and severity of rosacea allows to optimize the clinical results of the therapy, which significantly affects the patients' quality of life and opens up potential for an individual approach in the algorithms for the treatment of rosacea. Conflict


Primary objective: To assess the outcome of severe traumatic brain injury 1 year after trauma. Research design: Prospective study conducted at the neurosurgical department of a university hospital. Methods and procedures: A total of 24 patients were included. Outcome was assessed by means of Glasgow outcome scale, Barthel index, Functional independence measure (FIM) and Disability rating scale (DRS). Need of care and job ability were also evaluated. Experimental interventions: Patients received multimodal early-onset stimulation and continuous inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation therapy. Main outcomes and results: Six patients died, three remained in a vegetative state, six were severely disabled, six were moderately disabled and three achieved a good recovery 1 year after injury. Mean Barthel index was 68.9, mean FIM was 88.3 and mean DRS 27.7. The majority of patients still were at least intermittently dependent on care. Most of the trauma survivors were unable to work. Conclusions: Despite intensive rehabilitation treatment, severe traumatic brain injury is still burdened with significant mortality and morbidity.


At the beginning of the 15th century, stage machines were developed in Florence to set up the mysteries of the Annunciation, Ascension and Pentecost in some churches of the city. The architect-engineer Filippo Brunelleschi, according to Giorgio Vasari, perfected the structure. These apparatuses represented heaven in three dimensions, with God the Father and his angels personified by live singers and musicians who hovered in the air in a whirlwind of dances of lights and sounds. The aim of this essay is to show, on the one hand, that the function of these apparatuses was to offer the faithful an imaginary of heaven, inspired by the model of Dante's Comedy, which they had never seen before in the pictorial representations widespread in places of worship; and, on the other hand, that the image of heaven as a place of delight, light and infinite joy was intended to directly stimulate the emotional sensitivity of believers, encouraging them to behave as good Christians in order to enter it after death. In addition to the emotional impact aroused on the public by these stage sets, is taken into consideration the visual and kinetic suggestion that this new representation of heaven exerted on artists, both Florentine and non-Florentine, irreversibly influencing their figurative lexicon, as evidenced by the numerous iconographic sources examined. Finally, some examples of reworking of Brunelleschi's machines in non-Florentine contexts and for themes other than religious ones are analysed, as in the case of the Feast of Paradise, created in Milan by Leonardo da Vinci in 1490, and in various representations, sacred and profane, set up in Ferrara between the end of the 15th century and the first years of the 16th century.


ABSTRACT Background: It is unclear whether patients can be taken off suppressive antibiotics with infected retained instrumentation. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the perioperative course and antibiotic regimen that led to the clinical intervention of patients with infected spinal instrumentation. Methods: Consecutive adult patients with spine instrumentation who suffered surgical site infections (SSI) requiring debridement were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were grouped into 4 cohorts based on their clinical intervention: removal of instrumentation, reinstrumentation, retention of instrumentation with continued antibiotic suppression, and retention of instrumentation with no antibiotic suppression. Patient factors, infection factors, debridement, and antibiosis were compared. Results: Of the 67 patients with SSI after spine surgery and instrumentation, 19 (28%) had their instrumentation removed, 6 (9%) had their instrumentation exchanged, 25 (37%) had their instrumentation retained and were on antibiotic suppression, and 17 (25%) had their instrumentation retained without any suppression. Those who had their instrumentation removed had a later presentation of their infection averaging 85 days (range 6–280 days) postoperatively. There was an earlier presentation for those who retained their implants, with suppression averaging 19 days (range 9–39) and no suppression averaging 29 days (range 6–90 days) post operatively (P < .001). Conclusions: None of the patients with retained instrumentation without suppression had recurrence of infections after long-term follow-up. Lifelong antibiotic suppression may not be required with SSI that present early after early aggressive debridement. Patients with infections detected later are difficult to treat without removal of their original instrumentation. Clinical Relevance: This study presents the outcomes of surgical and antibiotic factors in patients with infected spinal instrumentation.


The blood-stream is the major disseminative route for metastasizing cancer cells, and metastases are generated when the cancer "microemboli" are trapped in the microcirculation. However, most circulating cancer cells are rapidly destroyed shortly before and/or after arrest. Traditionally, destruction is attributed to the cellular or humoral response of the host defense systems. A novel, non-exclusive mechanism for cancer cell destruction has been proposed by Weiss and Dimitrov in which friction or adhesion between circulating cancer cells and capillary walls causes local vascular blockage, and the blood-pressure differentials normally existing over the entire length of a capillary are consequently applied over the length of the cancer cell. In a simple model, this pressure differential is expected to cause expansion of the cancer cell membrane, resulting in increases in tension above a critical level, with consequent membrane rupture and cell death. In vivo and in vitro experimental tests of this hypothesis are outlined.


Since the conventional HMM (Hidden Markov Model)-based speech enhancement methods try to improve speech quality by considering all states for the state transition, hence introduce huge computational loads inappropriate to real-time implementation. In the Left-Right HMM (LR-HMM), only the current and the next states are considered for a possible state transition so to reduce the computation complexity. We propose a new speech enhancement algorithm based on LR-HMM with state sequence detection using LRT (Likelihood Ratio Test). Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the speed up with little degradation of speech quality compared to the conventional method.


Silicon photonics has become a promising technology for photonic integrated circuits. During the past few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the scale and complexity of silicon photonic circuits, which introduces many new design challenges and creates a need for efficient and standardized design flows. We have developed a complete design flow that combines mature electronic design automation (EDA) software with optical simulation software. This flow makes it possible to reliably design, simulate, layout and manufacture large-scale silicon photonic circuits in a unified environment.


OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of theophylline use on the vitamin B-6 status. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: Department of Geriatric Medicine of Nijmegen Academic Hospital and Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Vitamin B-6 status was determined by measuring pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) in whole blood (using a high performance liquid chromatography method, reference values: 35-107 mumol/l) in 141 patients from the Geriatric department (84 non-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 40 COPD patients without theophylline and 17 COPD patients with theophylline) and in 25 non-geriatric COPD patients on theophylline. RESULTS: Of the 84 geriatric non-COPD patients (mean age: 82 years; SD: 6) 56% had a subnormal vitamin B-6 status, of the 40 geriatric COPD patients without theophylline (82 years; SD: 6) 70%, of the 17 geriatric COPD patients on theophylline (80 years; SD: 5) 94% and of the 25 non-geriatric COPD patients on theophylline (62 years; SD: 11) 96%. CONCLUSION: In patients who used theophylline a higher prevalence of subnormal vitamin B-6 status was found than in patients who did not.