Latent nuclear tracks are damaged zones, created along the paths of rapidly moving ions in solids. They are stored indefinitely in many insulators and can be used to initiate a phase separation process by one of several procedures that remove, collect, or transform material along the latent track. The resulting two-step technique is based on separate inscription and development stages, similar to the lithographic techniques using visible light, uv, x rays, or electrons. In contrast to these other techniques, however, it is applicable even to mechanically very stable, chemically inert, radiation-resistant dielectric materials. The most common development procedure is track etching, which acts as a chemical ''amplifier'' that dissolves the damaged zone of the latent track preferentially, creating etch pits or channels that can be extremely fine. Etched track diameters start around 10 nm and increase linearly with the etching time. The most outstanding feature of the technique is that one single particle is sufficient to create a developable damage. This unique combination of recording and revealing properties makes possible a single-particle structuring tool with a very wide array of applications. With the advent of high-energy, heavy-ion accelerators, with ion ranges between micrometers and centimeters, large-scale application of the techniquemore » to the imprinting of structure onto solids has become possible. At present, most frequently random track arrays are employed to induce global property changes of the solid volume or surface. In the future, scanning ion microbeam technology will make possible local generation of oriented track structures with high precision. This ''ultimate'' microtool should provide the versatility of a computer-controlled mechanical lathe. This review describes the processes involved in track generation.« less


Purpose of review To review the surgical and critical care management of liver trauma; one of the most common abdominal injuries sustained due to its size and location. Recent findings Hepatic injuries range from negligible to life threatening: in the acute phase, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality is hemorrhage; however, severe traumatic hepatic injuries can also lead to biochemical abnormalities, altered coagulation, and ultimately liver failure. This brief review will review the classification of traumatic liver injuries by mechanism, grade, and severity. Most Grades I–III injuries can be managed nonoperatively, whereas the majority of Grades IV–VI injuries require operative management. Therapeutic strategies for traumatic liver injury including nonoperative, operative, radiologic will be described. The primary goal of liver trauma management in the acute setting is hemorrhage control, then the management of secondary factors such as bile leaks. The rapid restoration of homeostasis may prevent further damage to the liver and allow for deferred nonoperative management, which has been shown to be associated with good clinical outcomes. Summary A multidisciplinary approach to the care of these patients at an experienced liver surgery center is warranted.


Electrification can act as a catalyst in social progress. In some communities, grid connection is not possible. As such, microgrids are a viable alternative to provide access to electricity. Yet, progress can be impacted by challenges with insufficient energy supply. In such scenarios, it is important to understand the relationships between electricity supply and social development in managing available resources.
 We propose a framework to relate quality of life with power management, such that progress is not hindered when available energy is insufficient. In this paper, electrical loads for pumping water, powering streetlights, and powering household devices are examined. A compromise decision support problem (cDSP) is developed to balance the produced and consumed energy. We develop a set of power management options by exploring the solution space developed from performing the cDSP, anchored in quality of life. Organizations engaged in sustainable development can select the solution most appropriate for the community.
 A salient feature of the framework is the versatility. The formulation can be modified for different requirements, communities, and time periods. A test problem is used to illustrate the flexibility of the approach. This framework is constructed to support decision making for microgrid operation to continue to uplift communities.


When cells of Valonia macrophysa were placed in hypertonic sea water, the concentration of halide and of nitrate increased, and the sum of halide + nitrate became 0.05 M greater inside than outside, which is about the same difference as is found in cells in normal sea water. In ordinary sea water the ratio of halide to nitrate is 80,000 to 1. When this was changed by substituting nitrate for halide so that the concentration of halide was 1.75 times that of nitrate the rate of entrance of halide was 1.68 times that of nitrate in 276 hours and the ratio of halide to nitrate in the sap decreased from 38 to 18.5. No halide came out in exchange for entering nitrate. The retention of chloride may well be due to the fact that even when the halide concentration of the sea water is reduced as low as 0.4 M, there is still an inwardly directed activity gradient of sodium chloride.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) has been recognized as a cellular process by which epithelial cells undergo mesenchymal phenotype leading to increased motility and invasion in cancer cells. We recently have reported that sorafenib exerts a potent inhibitory activity against the EMT by inhibiting MAPK signaling and SNAI1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Large-scale clinical data on SNAI1 expression and the prognosis of patients with HCC was recently reported, and the overexpression of Snail and/or Twist was correlated with a worse prognosis. However, it remains largely unclear on clinico-pathological features of other EMT-related genes and whether these genes are overexpressed in HCC compared with paired non-cancer lesion of the liver.

Here, we examined the mRNA expression levels of EMT-related genes including SNAI1/Snail, SNAI2/slug, ZEB1/TCF8, ZEB2/SIP1, TWIST, CDH1/E-cadherin, CDH2/N-cadherin, VIM/vimentin and FN1/fibronectin in HCC. RNA was extracted from frozen surgical HCC samples (n=48) and their paired liver samples (n=14). Real-time RT-PCR amplification was performed. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPD) was used to normalize the expression levels in the subsequent quantitative analyses. E-cadherin was significantly downregulated in most of HCC (12/14) and those of 5 HCC were markedly downregulated below 25% of paired liver. Interestingly, we found that ZEB1 is tended to be upregulated in HCC, while ZEB2 was downregulated. Regarding EMT-inducible transcription factors, SNAI1, SNAI2, ZEB1, ZEB2 and TWIST, these expression levels were overexpressed in several HCC samples.

In conclusion, our findings indicate that some HCC subpopulation actually undergo EMT via upregulation of SNAI1, SNAI2, ZEB1, ZEB2 and TWIST. Evaluation of clinico-pathological features on these expression and analysis of additional HCC samples up to 100 cases are now under way.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3371. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3371


Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable success in various tasks, but concerns about their safety and the potential for generating malicious content have emerged. In this paper, we explore the power of In-Context Learning (ICL) in manipulating the alignment ability of LLMs. We find that by providing just few in-context demonstrations without fine-tuning, LLMs can be manipulated to increase or decrease the probability of jailbreaking, i.e. answering malicious prompts. Based on these observations, we propose In-Context Attack (ICA) and In-Context Defense (ICD) methods for jailbreaking and guarding aligned language model purposes. ICA crafts malicious contexts to guide models in generating harmful outputs, while ICD enhances model robustness by demonstrations of rejecting to answer harmful prompts. Our experiments show the effectiveness of ICA and ICD in increasing or reducing the success rate of adversarial jailbreaking attacks. Overall, we shed light on the potential of ICL to influence LLM behavior and provide a new perspective for enhancing the safety and alignment of LLMs.


room outside a new approach to garden design is available in our book collection an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our books collection saves in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the room outside a new approach to garden design is universally compatible with any devices to read.


What is going to be done at the operation? The most common operation we perform on the liver is to remove a part of it that has developed a tumour. This is called a liver resection (or a hepatectomy). The liver is made up of two halves called the right lobe and the left lobe. If the entire right lobe is to be removed, that is called a right hepatectomy, and if the left lobe is to be removed that is a left hepatectomy. Or the surgeon may just cut away the tumour, taking with it some surrounding normal liver tissue. If the tumour is near the gall bladder, or if the gall bladder is in the way, then the gall bladder is likely to be removed as well.


A set of movement feature values, called a Laban's feature value set, is proposed here in order to explain observers' impression of bodily expression. The design concept of the Laban's feature value set is based on Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), which is a proven theory in body movement psychology. In this paper, we adopt a Human Form Robot (HFR) as an agent of bodily expression because this is the type of a robot better adapted to Human-Agent Interaction (HAI). Relations between Laban's feature values and HFR's emotions (Happy, Angry, Sad and Relaxation) which are the subjects of this study were examined using the analysis of correlations. By the consideration of Russell's circumplex model of affect, we discussed the correlation in terms of each axial ("pleasure-displeasure" and "degree of arousal") characteristics. Next, principal component analysis was conducted to examine multi-dimensional correlations. Finally four estimated emotion equations are generated by using the Laban's features.


Senna rugosa (G.Don) H.S.Irwin & Barneby (Leguminosae) is a species from the Brazilian Cerrado commonly used for medicinal purposes. Chromosome variability (n = 14 and 28) described for this species indicates the occurrence of chromosome races and recent polyploidization in its evolution history. The aim of this study was to verify the relationship between ploidy level and occurrence of polyembryony in 5 accessions of S. rugosa. Cytogenetic analysis revealed the type of interphasic nuclei, chromosome number and morphology, and nuclear DNA content. Frequency of polyembryony was estimated by germination test. Pollen grain viability was estimated by different techniques. There was variability among the accessions of S. rugosa for interphasic nucleus type (semireticulate and nonreticulate), genome size (2.57 to 2.80 pg/2C), and polyembryony frequency (from 2 to 4 embryos). Pollen grain viability was 2.5% to 20%, depending on the technique used. Numeric chromosome variability was found among meristematic cells from each individual (2n = 28 to 2n = 112), with prevalence of 2n = 56. In mitotic metaphases with 2n = 56, all chromosomes were metacentric and of similar size. The data described, combined with previous descriptions of irregularities in chromosome pairing, suggest that S. rugosa is an autopolyploid facultative apomictic species, with interpopulation variability for level of apomixis expression.


Purpose of Study Branching morphogenesis of the pulmonary epithelium is a highly regulated process that involves cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Signaling and transcription factors are known to play key roles in this process. For example, FGFs and in particular FGF10 stimulate branching morphogenesis, whereas TGF-beta inhibits it. Two important questions addressed by the following study were (1) what is the interaction between FGFs and TGF-beta and (2) whether the effect of TGF-beta is mediated through Smad3, one of its downstream transcriptional effectors. Methods Mesenchyme-free lung endodermal tissue from lungs of embyronic day 12.5 wild-type and Smad3(-/-) mouse embryos were isolated and used in Matrigel explant cultures in the presence or absence of various growth factors. At designated time points, explants were photographed and analyzed for growth and/or branching activity. Summary of Results FGF10 alone induced branching activity in wild-type endodermal explants. In contrast to FGF10, FGF7-treated explants underwent a process of generalized growth that resulted in formation of cyst-like structures instead of budding. Addition of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, or TGF-beta3 strongly inhibited FGF10-induced beanching activity. However, the inhibitiory effect of TGF-beta was significantly reduced in explants derived from Smad3(-/-). Conclusions We provide evidences that TGF-beta1 inhibits FGF10-induced branching activity in early lung endodermal explants. The inhibitory impact of TGF-beta is mediated to a large extent by the activation of Smad3. Supported by the Hastings Foundation, HL56590 and HL073471.


In this thesis, magnetic particle (MP) based sensing platform for oligonucleotide and PCR amplicon detection is reported. In the first approach, MPs served as separation tools. The binding between biotin-labeled DNA hybrids and streptavidin-coated MPs was achieved through the biotin-streptavidin affinity reaction and resulted in the formation of DNA-particle conjugates. These conjugates were then separated from the solution through magnetic separation process, and the signal changes in the supernatant were monitored by fluorescence and electrochemical measurements. The fluorescence detection part gave a proof-of-concept of the MP-based DNA detection approach, and a fluorescent label fluorescein was employed. The following content was based on the electrochemical detection, an electro-active intercalator anthraquinonemonosulfonic acid (AQMS), which could preferentially bind with double-strand DNA (dsDNA) was used. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was employed to monitor the electrochemical response in the supernatant. In the second approach, an enzyme-labeled electrochemical PCR amplicon detection platform was developed. Here, MPs were used both as the separation tools and the matrix for biomolecule immobilization. The biotin and an antigen digoxigenin (DIG) dually-labeled PCR amplicons were sequentially reacted with streptavidin-coated MPs and the anti-DIG modified horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to form protein-DNA-particle complexes. Then, substrate solution which contained 3,3`,5,5` -tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were added for enzyme-substrate reaction. After incubation, this mixture was attracted and confined onto the electrode, and electrochemical measurements were performed on the particle surface. The mechanism of this electrochemistry based measurement is that, TMB could be consumed in the enzymatic reaction; besides, TMB could also be electrochemically oxidized on the electrode surface. After enzymatic reaction, the remaining TMB would produce electrochemical signal, and the changes of the oxidation peak currents could be used for quantification of the enzymatic reaction, therefore could indicate the amplification of PCR amplicons. DPV was used for monitoring the electrochemical response.


A semi-quantal method is developed for treating the recombination of electrons and positive ions in a dense molecular gas. Extensive calculations are carried out relating to recombination in hydrogen, in nitrogen, in carbon dioxide and in damp mixtures of gases. This latter case is of special interest, recombination being greatly facilitated by the presence of quite a small amount of water vapour. A very high recombination coefficient is possible. For example in a nitrogen + hydrogen mixture which contains 20 % by volume of water vapour and which is at atmospheric pressure and at 2000 K the recombination coefficient is predicted to be between about 5.1 x 10-9 cm3 s-1 and 8.7 x 10-9 cm3 s-1: here the lower limit is calculated by the semi-quantal method assuming that the energy levels of the recombining system are hydrogenic while the upper limit is calculated by a purely classical method assuming that the energy levels of the recombining system form a continuum. Recombination coefficients have been deduced from measurements on the ionization in flames at atmospheric pressure. The values obtained lie satisfactorily between the predicted limits.


Religious Pluralism is one of many forms of pluralism in contemporary globalised world. Some others include ethnic pluralism, value pluralism, doctrinal pluralism, ethical pluralism, political pluralism. Religious pluralism is, however, one of the most important in contemporary society, considering globalization and the role of religions in many conflicts. It has its root in poltitical liberalism. Religious pluralism is a hot debate in social sciences and in Theology and Religious Studies. This paper argues that religious pluralism, which is an acceptance of plurality as normative, is not a monolithic theory. The different religious context in which it is being discussed, the different disciplinary and philosophical influences resulted in various and even contradictory types. However, this paper is a 'mapping' of the contour of contemporary discussions. Critically reviewing relevant literature, two major theories of religious pluralism were identified: identist and differential/complementary. Each of these also has subdivision.


Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a diversely manifesting group of lymphoid or plasmacytic proliferations found in solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients. PTLD occurs as a result of immunosuppression and is often driven by the Epstein Barr virus. Although most commonly of B-cell origin, similar to B-cell lymphomas, PTLD can rarely present as a plasmacytic process, resembling multiple myeloma. Although more common in adults, 8 cases of plasmacytoma-like PTLD have been reported in pediatric renal and combined small bowel-liver transplant recipients. Here, we present a rare report of a plasmacytoma-like PTLD case in a pediatric heart transplant recipient.


In order to meet the energetic demands of cell-to-cell signaling, increases in local neuronal signaling are matched by a coordinated increase in local blood flow, termed neurovascular coupling. Multiple different signals from neurons, astrocytes, and pericytes contribute to this control of blood flow. Previously, several groups demonstrated that inhibition/ablation of glutamate transporters attenuates the neurovascular response. However, it was not determined if glutamate transporter activation was sufficient to increase blood flow. Here, we used multiphoton imaging to monitor the diameter of fluorescently labeled cortical arterioles in anesthetized C57/B6J mice. We delivered vehicle, glutamate transporter substrates, or a combination of a glutamate transporter substrate with various pharmacologic agents via a glass micropipette while simultaneously visualizing changes in arteriole diameter. We developed a novel image analysis method to automate the measurement of arteriole diameter in these time-lapse analyses. Using this workflow, we first conducted pilot experiments in which we focally applied L-glutamate, D-aspartate, or L-threo-hydroxyaspartate (L-THA) and measured arteriole responses as proof of concept. We subsequently applied the selective glutamate transport substrate L-THA (applied at concentrations that do not activate glutamate receptors). We found that L-THA evoked a significantly larger dilation than that observed with focal saline application. This response was blocked by co-application of the potent glutamate transport inhibitor, L-(2S,3S)-3-[3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)-benzoylamino]benzyloxy]-aspartate (TFB-TBOA). Conversely, we were unable to demonstrate a reduction of this effect through co-application of a cocktail of glutamate and GABA receptor antagonists. These studies provide the first direct evidence that activation of glutamate transport is sufficient to increase arteriole diameter. We explored potential downstream mechanisms mediating this transporter-mediated dilation by using a Ca2+ chelator or inhibitors of reversed-mode Na+/Ca2+ exchange, nitric oxide synthetase, or cyclo-oxygenase. The estimated effects and confidence intervals suggested some form of inhibition for a number of these inhibitors. Limitations to our study design prevented definitive conclusions with respect to these downstream inhibitors; these limitations are discussed along with possible next steps. Understanding the mechanisms that control blood flow are important because changes in blood flow/energy supply are implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders and are used as a surrogate measure of neuronal activity in widely used techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).


BACKGROUND
A combination of synthetic porous materials and BMP-2 has been used to promote fracture healing. For bone healing to be successful, it is important to use growth factor delivery systems that enable continuous release of BMP-2 at the fracture site. We previously reported that in situ-formed gels (IFGs) consisting of hyaluronan (HyA)-tyramine (TA), horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide enhance the bone formation ability of hydroxyapatite (Hap)/BMP-2 composites in a posterior lumbar fusion model.

OBJECTIVE
We examined the effectiveness of IFGs-HyA/Hap/BMP-2 composites for facilitating osteogenesis in refractory fracture model mice.

METHODS
After establishing the refractory fracture model, animals were either treated at the site of fracture with Hap harboring BMP-2 (Hap/BMP-2) or IFGs-HyA with Hap harboring BMP-2 (IFGs-HyA/Hap/BMP-2) (n = 10 each). Animals that underwent the fracture surgery but did not receive any treatment were considered the control group (n = 10). We determined the extent of bone formation at the fracture site according to findings on micro-computed tomography and histological studies four weeks following treatment.

RESULTS
Animals treated with IFGs-HyA/Hap/BMP-2 demonstrated significantly greater bone volume, bone mineral content and bone union than those treated with vehicle or IFG-HyA/Hap alone.

CONCLUSIONS
IFGs-HyA/Hap/BMP-2 could be an effective treatment option for refractory fractures.


Endometriosis is characterized by unwanted growth of endometrial tissue in different locations of the female reproductive tract. It may lead to recurrent pregnancy loss, which is one of the worst curses for the reproductive age group of human populations around the world. Thus, there is an urgent need for unveiling any common source of origin of both these diseases and connections, if any. Herein, we aimed to identify common potential biomarker genes of these two diseases via in silico approach using meta-analysis of microarray data. Datasets were selected for the study based on certain exclusion criteria. Those datasets were subjected to comparative meta-analyses for the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), that are common to both diagnoses. The DEGs were then subjected to protein-protein networking and subsequent functional enrichment analyses for unveiling their role/function in connecting two diseases. From the analyses, 120 DEGs are reported to be significant out of which four genes have been found to be prominent. These include the CTNNB1, HNRNPAB, SNRPF and TWIST2 genes. The significantly enriched pathways based on the above-mentioned genes are mainly centered on signaling and developmental events. These findings could significantly elucidate the underlying molecular events in endometriosis-based recurrent miscarriages.


Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent and second most lethal form of cancer in the world. Consequently, CRC cancer prevalence projections are essential for assessing the future burden of the disease, planning resource allocation, and developing service delivery strategies, as well as for grasping the shifting environment of cancer risk factors. However, unlike cancer incidence and mortality rates, national and international agencies do not routinely issue projections for cancer prevalence. Moreover, the limited or even nonexistent cancer statistics for large portions of the world, along with the high heterogeneity among world nations, further complicate the task of producing timely and accurate CRC prevalence projections. In this situation, population interest, as shown by Internet searches, can be very important for improving cancer statistics and, in the long run, for helping cancer research. Methods This study aims to model, nowcast and forecast the CRC prevalence at the global level using a three-step framework that incorporates three well-established univariate statistical and machine-learning models. First, data mining is performed to evaluate the relevancy of Google Trends (GT) data as a surrogate for the number of CRC survivors. The results demonstrate that population web-search interest in the term "colonoscopy" is the most reliable indicator to nowcast CRC disease prevalence. Then, various statistical and machine-learning models, including ARIMA, ETS, and FNNAR, are trained and tested using relevant GT time series. Finally, the updated monthly query series spanning 2004–2022 and the best forecasting model in terms of out-of-sample forecasting ability (i.e., the neural network autoregression) are utilized to generate point forecasts up to 2025. Results Results show that the number of people with colorectal cancer will continue to rise over the next 24 months. This in turn emphasizes the urgency for public policies aimed at reducing the population's exposure to the principal modifiable risk factors, such as lifestyle and nutrition. In addition, given the major drop in population interest in CRC during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings suggest that public health authorities should implement measures to increase cancer screening rates during pandemics. This in turn would deliver positive externalities, including the mitigation of the global burden and the enhancement of the quality of official statistics.


BACKGROUND
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of 7-, 30-, 60-, and 365-day overall and cause-specific mortality following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.

METHODS
The National Health Insurance claims database in South Korea was the data source for this population-based cohort study. We enrolled all adult patients aged ≥18 years receiving intensive care unit ECMO support from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2018. The study population was divided into three groups based on the main diagnoses during ECMO support: 1) cardiovascular, 2) respiratory, and 3) other diagnoses group (all other main diagnoses rather than cardiovascular or respiratory diseases).

RESULTS
A total of 18,697 patients were included in the final analysis (64.5%, 10.9%, and 24.6% in the cardiovascular, respiratory, and other groups, respectively). The corresponding 7-, 30-, 60-, and 365-day mortality rates in these groups were 33.1%, 56.1%, 62.4%, and 67.7%. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that the median survival time was shortest in the cardiovascular group (12.0 days, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.3-12.7), with 31.0 (95% CI: 28.5-33.6) and 49.0 (95% CI: 44.4-57.6) day survival in the respiratory and other diagnoses groups (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Approximately one-third of patients died within 7 days, half of the patients died within 30 days, and two-thirds died within 365 days of ECMO support. Overall survival time was shortest in the cardiovascular group, followed by that of the respiratory group.


The bacterial resistance due to the abuse of conventional antibiotics is regarded as a major problem for bacterial-induced infections and chronic wound healing. There is an urgent need to explore alternative antimicrobial strategies and functional materials with excellent antibacterial efficacy. Herein, guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and glucose oxidase (GOD) were coordinated with copper ions to obtain a bi-functional hybrid nanoflower (Cu-GMP/GODNF) as a cascade catalyst for promoting antibacterial efficacy. Besides the efficient conversion of glucose to hydrogen peroxide, the produced gluconic acid by loading GOD can supply a compatible catalytic environment to substantially improve the peroxidase activity for generating more toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). So, the glucose-powered cascade catalytic reaction effectively killed bacteria. Moreover, H2O2 self-supplied by glucose can reduce harmful side effects of exogenous H2O2. Meanwhile, the adhesion between the Cu-GMP/GODNF and the bacterial membrane can enhance the antibacterial efficacy. Therefore, the achieved bi-functional hybrid nanoflower exhibited high efficiency and biocompatibility for killing bacteria in diabetes-related infections.


22 Background: 23 Anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions (ACLR) are frequently performed on young, 24 active individuals, and can result in persistent knee symptoms and activity limitations that 25 may impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). To date, there has been no systematic 26 review of HRQoL outcomes following ACLR. 27 28 Purpose: The objectives of this study were to report HRQoL ≥ 5 years following ACLR, 29 compare HRQoL outcomes with available population norms, and describe factors that may 30 impact on HRQoL in this population. 31 32 Study Design: Systematic review. 33 34 Methods: All studies reporting HRQoL ≥ 5 years following hamstring or patellar tendon 35 autograft ACLR were eligible for review. Common HRQoL outcomes were pooled using 36 random effects meta-analysis and compared with published population norms. Spearman's 37 rank correlation coefficient (rho) was used to identify variables associated with HRQoL 38 outcomes. Where insufficient data were available, outcomes were reported descriptively. 39 40 Results: 41 Fourteen studies were eligible for review and HRQoL was reported for 2493 individuals at a 42 mean 9 years (range 5-16) following ACLR. Pooling of knee-related quality of life outcomes 43 (KOOS-QOL) found impairments following ACLR when compared to population norms. In 44 comparison, studies using the SF-36 reported similar or better HRQoL compared with 45 normative data. KOOS-QOL sub-scores correlated strongly with KOOS-Sport/Recreation 46


The tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) with high-resolution digital output is widely used in military and civil fields. In this work we proposed a low-noise read-out circuit and a four-order fully differential sigma-delta modulator for TMR sensors. In the read-out circuit, we used symmetrical cascade for good matching. We used correlated double sampling (CDS) technique to improve the conversion accuracy of the modulator. In switched capacitor circuits we used time-division multiplexing to suppress charge injection and clock feedthrough. The high-precision application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip was fabricated by a 0.35 [Formula: see text]m CMOS process from Shanghai Huahong foundry. The TMR sensor was placed in an environment of three-layer magnetic shielding for test. The active area of the ASIC is only about [Formula: see text]. At a sampling frequency of 20 kHz, the TMR magnetometer consumes 77 mW from a single 5 V supply; the sigma-delta modulator for TMR can achieve an average noise floor of −141 dBV. The magnetometer works at a full scale (FS) of [Formula: see text], it can achieve a nonlinearity of 0.2% FS and a resolution of 0.15 nT/Hz[Formula: see text] over a signal bandwidth.


THIS is another contribution of high standard to the study of Venereal Diseases. The book is set out in an attractive manner in four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of the subject, the third and fourth parts dealing respectively with "other venereal and allied conditions" apart from syphilis and gonorrhoea, and "technique" in the various procedures necessary in venereology. It is difficult to pick out any special part for particular mention, but certain features of this book are of considerable interest. The introductions at the beginning of the sections on gonorrhcea and syphilis are very fine, and give a rapid general picture of the conditions, which are further elaborated in the corresponding sections, whilst the various stages of the diseases themselves are illustrated by an excellent series of reproductions. Several small but important points have not been overlooked, such as the danger of transmission of venereal diseases before clinical evidence of the diseases has become manifest, and the importance of care and tact in history-taking. The importance of correct interpretation of Wasserman results is again brought out, and a particularly interesting chapter is written about the causation, pathology, pnd treatment of jaundice during arseno-therapy-in; syphilis. The treatment of the various conditions is well set out, though not all venereologists' will agree with the dosage schemes suggested, especially in the chemotherapy of syphilis, whilst the suggested dosage of M.&B. 693 for the-treatment of gonorrhoea in the feniale outpatient seems rather inadequate, even in spite of the danger of minor toxic effects produced by larger dosage of the drug. The section on "Technique" is simple and to the point, the more elaborate procedures beyond the scope of the average practitioner being omitted. The Sociology of Venereal Diseases is stressed-in a timely word, the importance of gaining the patient's cooperation and the follow-up of' defaulters is pointed out and suggestions are outlined on possible means-of improving the sociological aspect of venereology. The newer methods of treatment of Venereal Diseases, such as penicilliri and massive arseno-therapy, have purposely 'been given only a passing word, only those methods being described in' detail which are within the reach and scope of the average medical practitioner. As a whole, this is another excellent and attractive book which can be recommended witlh complete confidence to both the medical student reading for his final M.B., or to the busy practitioner wvho wishes to revise his knowledge of …


Purpose
This study aims to generalize the research findings about the impact of individualism-collectivism, ethical idealism and inter-personal trust on ethically questionable negotiation tactics, such as pretending, deceiving and lying, in a Germanic culture, namely, that of Austria.

Design/methodology/approach
Survey questionnaires translated from English to German were collected from 304 respondents. A regression analysis was used to test the contribution of the independent variables to the explanation of negotiators' attitudes towards questionable negotiation tactics.

Findings
The research empirically corroborated a classification of three groups of negotiation tactics, namely, pretending, deceiving and lying, in Austria. Austrian negotiators who scored high on vertical individualism tended to score high on the endorsement of the pretending tactic; those who scored high on horizontal collectivism tended to score low on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; those who scored high on vertical collectivism tended to score high on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; and those who scored high on inter-personal trust tended to score low on the endorsement of the pretending negotiation tactic. Idealistic negotiators tended not to endorse the use of pretending, deceiving and lying negotiation tactics.

Research limitations/implications
The study investigated the respondents' perceptions, rather than their actual negotiation behavior. Findings are limited to Germanic culture.

Practical implications
The study provides negotiators in Austria with a tool that has the potential to predict the extent to which Austrian negotiators would use various ethically questionable negotiation tactics.

Originality/value
This is the first study to present a model of the antecedents of negotiation tactics in a Germanic cultural context, where negotiation studies are limited. This study validates in Austria three questionable negotiation tactics groups of varying severity, which had previously been studied only in non-Germanic cultures. This research significantly contributes to the generalization of a model of the antecedents of the endorsement of questionable tactics across cultures.


REPORT OF A CASE R. R., an unmarried woman, aged 73, from the Calle farm at Penjamo, State of Guanajuato, had no hereditary taint. Her grandparents had lived to old age. Her father died of pneumonia and her mother of acute enteritis. She had two brothers and four sisters, one of the brothers dying at birth, which occurred while the mother was suffering from exanthematic typhus. The other brother died in old age of arteriosclerosis. Two of the sisters died insane. The third sister succumbed to malarial cachexia and the fourth died of generalized adenosarcomatosis. None of her relatives had suffered from Darier's disease. The patient had previously suffered from measles, tertian malaria, repeated attacks of amebic dysentery during many years, repeated attacks of erysipelas on various parts of the body including the face, fracture of the fibula which healed normally and, in 1920, severe atypical ambulatory typhoid fever. Aside


The small pelagic European sardine presents high commercial and ecological values. Due to its cold-temperate water affinity, stocks are affected by global warming. Water temperature rise may change primary productivity patterns, negatively affecting fish condition and increasing parasite incidence. In this context, sardine health status was evaluated through the annual cycle on the Catalan Coast using thermal regimes comparison. Morphogravimetric parameters, sex and gonadal stages were assessed; infection by nematodes was characterised, and body condition was estimated by the Le Cren Factor and lipid content measured using a fish fat meter. Significant statistical differences were observed in spawning dynamics, body condition, and parasite infection between thermal regimes. Sardines from the colder north area had better condition and an earlier spawning, with lower parasite incidence (in terms of total prevalence, mean intensity and abundance) than those from the southern coast. Hysterothylacium spp. was the most abundant nematode, while Anisakis spp. prevalence was null in the two locations. Seasonal differences in nematode load were observed along the Catalan Coast, with lower prevalence during the summer and higher in winter-spring. Although previous studies have underestimated parasite influence on sardine health status, parasite abundance and sardine condition were negatively correlated. Seawater temperature and primary productivity are the proposed factors promoting differentiation in nematode infection and fish condition throughout the annual cycle and between locations.


The electroreduction reaction of the zero-valent iron-2,2′-bipyridine complexes (Fe(bipy)2 and Fe(bipy)3) was studied in a hexamethylphosphoric triamide solution by polarography and ESR measurements. In the polarography, Fe(bipy)2 was first reduced at a very less negative potential (E1⁄2=−0.76V vs. Hg pool) than the first wave potential of free bipyridine (−2.37 V vs. Hg pool). In the presence of excess bipyridine, Fe(bipy)2was first reduced at −1.10 V vs. Hg pool corresponding to the second reduction step of the solution of Fe(bipy)2. The visible spectra of the solution of Fe(bipy)2 in the presence of excess bipyridine was different from that of the solution of Fe(bipy)2 only. The signal with hyperfine structure attributable to the anion radical of bipyridine was observed by means of ESR analysis of the solution electrolyzed at the potential corresponding to the second reduction step. From these results, it was concluded that [Fe(bipy)(HMPT)m] was reduced at the first step, and [Fe(bipy)2(HMPT)] was redu...


Two new nonlinear difference inequalities are considered, where the inequalities consist of multiple iterated sums, and composite function of nonlinear function and unknown function may be involved in each layer. Under several practical assumptions, the inequalities are solved through rigorous analysis, and explicit bounds for the unknown functions are given clearly. Further, the derived results are applied to the stability problem of a class of linear control systems with nonlinear perturbations.


Background: Chicago Black women are 62% more likely to die from breast (BC) cancer than White women. Previous data from 39 Chicago hospitals suggested significant quality deficits in breast cancer screening and treatment (Chicago Breast Cancer Quality Consortium, 2010). Patient tracking, follow up and referral practices may influence quality of care for minority women (Mojica et al, Cancer Control, 2007). Our goal is to evaluate tracking, follow up and referral practices during screening, diagnosis and treatment of BC at Chicago hospitals servicing Black women.

Methods: Using the framework approach of qualitative research, we conducted interviews with providers of BC screening and care from 20 Chicago institutions with Black patients averaging 50% of patient base (15 community, 3 academic and 2 public hospitals). Informants included surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, mammography technicians, internists, nurses, administrators, and patient navigators. Interviews were transcribed, and thematic and statistical analyses were performed (simple frequencies and Fisher's exact test).

Results: Six of the 20 sites (30%) follow up with patients who did not show for a scheduled mammography visit. Five of these sites (83%, 5/6) have a low "no-show" rate (below 20%), compared to 4 sites (29%, 4/14) with low "no-show" rates among the 14 sites without follow-up (p=0.05). Seven of the 20 sites (35%) direct diagnosed patients to their next step in care by providing referrals and guidance, while other 13 sites rely on a primary care physician or leave the patient without a clear care plan. BC patients at 6 of the 7 sites directing care (86%, 6/7) are referred to a mid- or high-volume surgeon (3+ BC surgeries / month), compared to patients from only 1 of the 13 sites not directing care (p=0.001). Nine of the 20 sites track diagnosed BC patients through their care. Five of them (56%, 5/9) also track survivors, compared to none (0%, 0/11) of the 11 sites who do not track patients (p=0.008).

Conclusions: Poor tracking, follow up and referral practices for breast cancer screening and treatment are associated with suboptimal care and may contribute to outcome disparities for Black women in Chicago.

Citation Format: Christine B. WeldonJimmie Knight, III, Julia R. Trosman, Danielle Dupuy, Betty Broggenkamp, Julian C. Schink, Jennifer M. Orsi, Anne Marie Murphy. Do patient tracking, follow up, and referral practices contribute to breast cancer disparities in a large urban area? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A89.


Proactive robot assistance enables a robot to anticipate and provide for a user's needs without being explicitly asked. We formulate proactive assistance as the problem of the robot anticipating temporal patterns of object movements associated with everyday user routines, and proactively assisting the user by placing objects to adapt the environment to their needs. We introduce a generative graph neural network to learn a unified spatio-temporal predictive model of object dynamics from temporal sequences of object arrangements. We additionally contribute the Household Object Movements from Everyday Routines (HOMER) dataset, which tracks household objects associated with human activities of daily living across 50+ days for five simulated households. Our model outperforms the leading baseline in predicting object movement, correctly predicting locations for 11.1% more objects and wrongly predicting locations for 11.5% fewer objects used by the human user.


Background As the proportion of visceral (VAT) to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) may contribute to type 2 diabetes (T2D) development, we examined this relation in a cross-sectional design within the Multiethnic Cohort that includes Japanese Americans known to have high VAT. The aim was to understand how ectopic fat accumulation differs by glycemic status across ethnic groups with disparate rates of obesity, T2D, and propensity to accumulate VAT. Methods In 2013–2016, 1,746 participants aged 69.2 (standard deviation, 2.7) years from five ethnic groups completed questionnaires, blood collections, and whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging scans. Participants with self-reported T2D and/or medication were classified as T2D, those with fasting glucose >125 and 100–125 mg/dL as undiagnosed cases (UT2D) and prediabetes (PT2D), respectively. Using linear regression, we estimated adjusted means of adiposity measures by T2D status. Results Overall, 315 (18%) participants were classified as T2D, 158 (9%) as UT2D, 518 (30%) as PT2D, and 755 (43%) as normoglycemic (NG), with significant ethnic differences (P < 0.0001). In fully adjusted models, VAT, VAT/SAT, and percent liver fat increased significantly from NG, PT2D, UT2D, to T2D (P < 0.001). Across ethnic groups, the VAT/SAT ratio was lowest for NG participants and highest for T2D cases. Positive trends were observed in all groups except African Americans, with highest VAT/SAT in Japanese Americans. Conclusion These findings indicate that VAT plays an important role in T2D etiology, in particular among Japanese Americans with high levels of ectopic adipose tissue, which drives the development of T2D to a greater degree than in other ethnic groups.


SUMMARY Continuous rice–wheat (RW) cropping with intensive tillage has resulted in land degradation and inefficient use of water in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of South Asia. Replacement of rice with less water requiring crops such as soybean in RW system and identification of effective strategies for tillage management could result in sustainable cropping system in IGP. A field experiment was conducted for five years on an annual soybean–wheat (SW) rotation in the northwest IGP of India to evaluate effect of tillage, raised bed planting and straw mulch on yield, soil properties, water use efficiency (WUE) and profitability. In soybean, straw mulch reduced soil temperature at seeding depth by about 2.5 °C compared with no mulch. Straw mulch also resulted in slightly reduced water use and slightly higher WUE relative to their respective unmulched treatments. During wheat emergence, raised beds resulted in higher soil temperature by 1.6 °C compared with flat treatments. Bulk density and cumulative infiltration were greater in no-tillage compared with conventional tillage. Soil organic carbon in surface layer increased significantly after five years of experimentation. Soybean and wheat yields were similar under different treatments during all the years of experimentation. Soybean and wheat planted on raised beds recorded about 17% and 23% higher WUE, respectively, than in flat layout. The net returns from SW system were greater in no-tillage and permanent raised beds than with conventional tillage. Both no-tillage and permanent raised bed technologies can be adopted for sustainable crop production in SW rotation in northwest IGP. However, more studies are required representing different soil types and climate conditions for making recommendations for other regions of IGP.


Based on an advertisement-AVON the Smartest Shop in Town, and cohesive devices and the stylistic characteristics reflected by its cohesion is analyzed. Three kinds of cohesive devices are applied in the advertising, that is, syntactic devices, lexical devices and phonological devices, which mirrors the text's language features, oral, informal, brief but persuasive.


The objectives of this project were to quantify the maximum load requirements for disconnect boxes and signal heads and to develop test methods for product testing. Test programs for both flexure and tension were developed with the goal of producing repeatable test procedures. Tests were performed on each of the disconnect box and signal products on the FDOT-approved product list, recording maximum load and failure mode of each product. Tests were then performed using retrofit reinforcement in order to determine the strength improvement achieved using available reinforcement methods. Finally, tests were performed on a combined signal and disconnect system to evaluate behavior of individual components as compared to the system. Results did not strongly indicate that the available reinforcement provided significant strength improvement. Results also showed that the behavior of each component during individual testing was consistent with the behavior of the system as a whole. The results of testing, along with a consideration of failure modes, were used to develop recommendations for improved hurricane resistance.


The article presents some theoretical and experimental data on promising technologies, namely, the processes of obtaining artificial food materials such as spheres or "caviar". They are derived from molecular processes: solubilization, spherification, etc. Possible applications are the food industry, the food service industry, biotechnology, and others. There are different features of obtaining artificial products based on alginates. The peculiarities of the alginate structuring are that it is possible to form a gel layer-encapsulation and gel formation over the entire thickness of the product due to the special chemical properties of the fixing salt. Based on the theory of the molecular structure of biopolymers, molecular technologies for the synthesis of artificial food products were developed, using the example of molecular "caviar". As a result of our own experiments, we obtained a satisfactory encapsulated product from a biopolymer crosslinked with Ca2+ salts in terms of organoleptic and physico-chemical properties. The colloidal biopolymer solution for forming "eggs" was characterized using the method of rotational viscometry, which showed the features of the sodium alginate solution as a structured thixotropic material, which is characterized by" difficulty " of shear at low speeds of rotation of the viscometer rotor. Further on the rheogram, such material exhibits a predicted relatively stable flow. As a result, it can be used to produce semi-finished products of a given shape and texture as a food semi-finished product or product. If the technology is refined, it is possible to use colloidal systems based on alginates and other biopolymers in biotechnology, including the cultivation of microorganisms of various taxonomic groups.


Pulmonary blastoma is a rare tumor of the lung. Although it has been stated that this is predominantly a tumor of adults, a review of the 42 cases published to date reveals that it is a disease which occurs with some frequency in children. The tumor is relatively benign compared to pulmonary carcinosarcoma. Of the eight cases previously described in children, three are known to have survived and to be free of disease 10 months, 3 and 8 years after surgical resection. We report two additional cases of pulmonary blastoma in children followed for 34 and 26 months without any evidence of recurrence or metastases.


Alloy designing and evaluation of various properties of new α+β type titanium alloy with excellent cold workability, superplasticity, and cytocompatibility were conducted. Alloy designing was performed by investigations of the effects of O, Al, Mo, Fe, and Nb contents on cold workability of the alloy with a basic composition of Ti–4.5%Al–4.5%Nb–2%Fe–2%Mo. Use of β stabilizing elements such as V, Ni, or Cu was avoided for biocompatibility. Cold workability was evaluated on the basis of a critical rolling reduction for onset of cracking, hardness under as solution treated condition and hardness variations with a cold rolling reduction. Excellent cold workability was obtained by enhanced thermal and mechanical stabilities of β phase and by lowered hardness of α phase in the α+β two-phase microstructure. Newly developed alloy Ti–4.5%Al–6%Nb–2%Fe–2Mo showed the β transus of 1156 K, a critical rolling reduction over 60%, and yield strength in recrystallization annealing of 910 MPa. An extremely fine α+β two-phase microstructure with α grain size of approximately 1 μm was evolved by annealing at 1048 to 1073 K, and a superplastic elongation value of around 3000% was obtained by tensile testing at these temperatures. New alloy showed an excellent cytocompatibility in a cell culture test using L929 cells, yielding a higher value of cell viability over Ti–6%Al–4%V and Ti–6%Al–7%Nb alloys.


This paper suggests an improved internal standard method for the flame atomic absorption spectrometry of nickel in a steel sample. The variation of iron absorption was greatly compatible to that of nickel, and then iron-matching calibration standard solutions were conventionally required for precise analytical results. To correct for a varied concentration of iron in a sample solution, phosphoric acid was added into the solution. The absorption caused by phosphorus oxide was simultaneously measured with the absorptions of nickel and iron by using an atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a continuous light source and an echelle grating system. The improved method was used to quantify nickel in several steel samples containing about 85 to 98 mass % of iron.


Kwandang is a district located in the northern part of Gorontalo. The purpose of this research is to analyze the depth and magnitude earthquake zone that occurred in the district of Kwandang, Gorontalo Utara regency based on seismicity map. The astronomical research location is located at 0° 49' 39" S, 122° 55' 8" E. The method used in this research is seismicity map analysis. The earthquake that dominates in Kwandang, based on the value of its depth, namely shallow earthquake (0-70 km) and medium earthquake (70-300 km). This is caused by subduction activity in the direction of the subduction of the north arm of Sulawesi towards south of Tomini Bay. Whereas based on the strength of the earthquake in Kwandang sub-district is dominated by small earthquakes (-) with a light, mild earthquake. Based on the depth zonation, earthquakes mostly occurred in the west. Based on the magnitude, the earthquakes mostly occurred in the southwest.


Objectives: To explore whether Trifluoro-icaritin (ICTF) has anti-nociceptive effect on CFA-induced inflammatory pain and its potential mechanisms. Methods: Intraperitoneal injection (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg, i.p.) of ICTF to complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain rats once daily for 21 consecutive days. Pain-related behaviors were evaluated with paw withdrawal threshold (PWT), paw withdrawal latency (PWL), and CatWalk gait analysis. Hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining was applied to determine the morphological alterations in inflamed paw. Molecular docking was conducted to assess the possible targets for ICTF. Expression of pain-related signaling molecules in the spinal cord were detected using qRT-PCR, western blot assay, and immunofluorescence staining. Results:This results showed that ICTF(3.0 mg/kg) effectively alleviated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesiabut not 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg in CFA rats. Both paw edema volume and paw tissue inflammatory response were obviously reduced by ICTF. Subsequently, we further observed that ICTF dramatically decreased the mRNA and protein levels of HMGB1, NF-κB p65, and IL-1β but markedly enhanced α7nAChR and IL-10 expression in the spinal cord of CFA rats, and inhibitedthe co-expression of spinal α7nAChR with IBA-1 in double immunofluorescence staining,along with suppressing the alterations of gait parameters induced by CFA. Moreover, Intrathecal injection (i.t.) of α7nAChR antagonist alpha-bungarotoxin (α-Bgtx, 1.0 μg/kg) not only reversed the anti-nociceptive effect of ICTF on pain hypersensitivity, but also inhibited the down-regulation of HMGB1, NF-κB p65, and IL-1β as well as the up-regulation of α7nAChR and IL-10 protein expression induced by ICTF treatment.Conclusion: Our results illustrate that ICTF enables to alleviate CFA-induced inflammatory pain through α7nAChR-mediated inhibition of HMGB1/NF-κB signaling pathway in the spinal cord of rats, suggesting that ICTF may be exploited as a potential painkiller against chronic inflammatory pain.


Every year, over 1 million people with diabetes lose a leg due to diabetic foot disease. Most amputations are preceded by a foot ulcer. Causes for the development of foot ulcers are generally multifactorial and may include neuropathy, peripheral vasculopathy, abnormal foot mechanics and infection. Multidisciplinary approach to the patient with acute diabetic foot is mandatory and has been shown to reduce amputation rate. In our article we describe the establishment of a multidisciplinary diabetic foot team in a large tertiary hospital and its outcomes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This paper tries to answer the question on whether the acquisition of nuclear capabilities will serve the interest of the Greek state. The issue is approached by the exploration of Greek strategic constraints in correlation with the properties of nuclear weapons and the indexing and examination of the most important incentives and disincentives that influence a state's decision to develop nuclear capabilities. Then, the Greek case is analyzed through the theoretical framework that was presented by Nuno P. Monteiro & Alexandre Debs in 2014, in order to examine if the process of developing weapons is a worthwhile endeavor based on its effects on Greek security. It is concluded that the development of nuclear weapons would serve the Greek interests, but there are practical reasons that render it nearly impossible for the foreseeable future.


In the three-dimensional liver reconstruction, in order to decrease shrinkage and make up the lost important details in Laplacian smoothing, we make some improvements to revise the algorithm in this paper.The cost function after Laplacian smoothing process is constructed to make up the lost important details. When the value of cost function is minimum, the result is close to original liver volume. From the results, we can see that volume of the revised algorithm is more closely to the original volume compared with Laplacian smoothing algorithm.


In the 21st century, together with the development of society and economics, including technology, the importance of human capital as a production resource is not decreasing, on the contrary – it is growing. Today's situation in the EU countries (demographic and ethnic problems) makes us consider the leading role of population as human capital in the development of economics as well as evaluate human capital formation conditions. The aim of the research is to explore theoretical aspects of human capital concerning the mutual interaction of the fields of economics and education. In the economic theory, there have been hot debates regarding human capital, its formation necessity, costs and benefits from the state and individual's point of view. From the author's point of view, the role of employer being a moving force in forming human capital is underestimated. It is crucial to involve employers in the formation of the human capital, making a dialogue in relation to the implementation of professional and higher education programmes.


We describe various issues caused by the lack of round-to-nearest mode in the gcc compiler implementation of the fixed-point arithmetic data types and operations. We demonstrate that round-to-nearest is not performed in the conversion of constants, conversion from one numerical type to a less precise type and results of multiplications. Furthermore, we show that mixed-precision operations in fixed-point arithmetic lose precision on arguments, even before carrying out arithmetic operations. The ISO 18037:2008 standard was created to standardize C language extensions, including fixed-point arithmetic, for embedded systems. Embedded systems are usually based on ARM processors, of which approximately 100 billion have been manufactured by now. Therefore, the observations about numerical issues that we discuss in this paper can be rather dangerous and are important to address, given the wide ranging type of applications that these embedded systems are running.


It is shown that a Hamiltonian system in the neighbourhood of an equilibrium
may be given a special normal form in case four of the eigenvalues of the linearized system
are of the form $\lambda_1, -\lambda_1, \lambda_2, -\lambda_2,$ with $\lambda_1$ and $\lambda_2$ independent over the reals, i.e., $\lambda_1/\lambda_2 \notin \mathbf R$. That is, for a real Hamiltonian system and concerning the variables $x_1, y_1, x_2, y_2$ the
equilibrium is of either type center–saddle or complex–saddle. The normal form exhibits the
existence of a four–parameter family of solutions which has been previously investigated by
Moser. This paper completes Moser's result in that the convergence of the transformation
of the Hamiltonian to a normal form is proven.


While the work of the "father of Roman Catholic Modernism" prior to his excommunication in 1908 has been extensively studied, Alfred Loisy's later career as professor of Histoire des Religions at the College de France has received less attention. This article examines his original contribution to comparative methodology for the interrelation between early Christianity and the pagan mystery cults. Loisy's explicit aim was to integrate the historical, sociological, psychological, and anthropological approaches of his time into an original and all-encompassing methodological framework.Our article pays special attention to Loisy's predominant yet hitherto unnoticed use of a model of analogy. Crucial to this interpretation are (a) the idea that the Christian mystery and the pagan mysteries are the result of a universal and independent, analogous evolution of religions, and (b) the theory that ritual precedes myth, adopted from the Cambridge Myth and Ritual School. We show that Loisy's novelty resided in the fact that he consistently applied these principles to both the pagan cults and to Christianity, but it will also become clear that his systematic approach entailed major problems for the individual features of the compared cults, problems which he tended to overlook. Loisy combined this analogical framework with a psychological interpretation of the genesis of the belief in Christ's resurrection and with a historical-genealogical explanation of Paul's knowledge and use of the mystery cults. The article also uses unpublished material from Loisy's correspondence with Franz Cumont.


Objective: To test the mechanism and upstream pathway of outer hair cell apoptosis in Cadherin 23 (Cdh23) gene mutant mice. Method: The mutant Cdh23(erl/erl)(erl) mice were collected as the study group, while the C57BL/6J (B6) mice were chosen as the control group. A total of 70 mice per group were used in this study. The study group and control group underwent auditory-evoked brainstem response (ABR) tests at the same age. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to detect outer hair cell(OHC) apoptosis. The qRT-PCR was conducted to test the expression of ER stress markers immunoglobulin-binding protein (BiP) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) mRNA. The expression and location of BiP and CHOP protein in OHC were detected by immunostaining. The expression of BiP protein in cochleae was identified by Western blot. The expression and location of CDH23 protein in OHC were discovered by immunostaining. Results: The ABR thresholds in erl mice were significantly higher than those in B6 mice at the age of 1 and 3 months (both P<0.05). The surface preparation with TUNEL staining confirmed OHC apoptosis in erl mouse cochleae which showed a higher TUNEL positive cell ratio than B6 mouse(t=11.291, P<0.01). The ER stress marker Bip and Chop mRNA were upregulated in the erl mouse inner ear, when compared with those in the B6 mouse(both P<0.05). The BiP protein extracted from the erl mouse cochleae was significantly higher than that of B6 mouse measured by Western blot (t=3.66, P=0.02). Immunostaining showed that BiP and CHOP were highly detected in the OHC in erl mouse cochleae, and was mainly detected in the perinuclear region of OHC. However, a bare BiP and CHOP signal were shown in B6 mouse cochleae. The CDH23 protein was specifically localized at the top of the OHC in B6 mice, indicating the localization of the tip links in hair bundle stereocilia. On the contrary, the CDH23(erl) protein was found to be localized from the top to the nuclei of the OHC in erl mice. Portions of the CDH23(erl) proteins failed to reach the top of the hair bundles and remained in the OHC cytoplasm. Conclusion: As the downstream response of the Cdh23 gene mutation, portions of the mutant CDH23(erl) protein was accumulated in ER lumen resulting in the increase of ER loading and ultimately triggered ER stress and hair cell apoptosis in erl mouse cochleae.


For their short-term payment obligations, savings banks hold substantially more liquid assets than the liquidity regulation requires. This paper investigates whether sight deposits, an important funding source for savings banks, help in explaining liquid asset holdings in excess of regulatory requirements. We analyze whether savings banks transform sight deposits in illiquid assets less intensively than is permitted because (i) the liquidity regulation underestimates actual withdrawal rates (underestimation effect) and/or (ii) savings banks are subject to limits in their lending to non-banks that they do not offset by, for instance, mediumterm interbank lending or fixed asset holdings (lending effect). In our sample, we do not find the underestimation effect to be applicable as actual deposit withdrawal rates are in most cases lower than the regulatorily specified rate. However, we find the lending effect to be at work: Savings banks with low shares of loans to non-banks do not transform sight deposits into illiquid assets as intensively as savings banks with high shares of non-bank loans. Our analysis does not only show that liquid assets positively depend on sight deposits, but also shines a light on how bank size and the individual bank's position in the interbank market affect liquid assets.


. clicking here colleagues, clients, or customers by , you can order high-quality copies for your If you wish to distribute this article to others . here following the guidelines can be obtained by Permission to republish or repurpose articles or portions of articles (this information is current as of March 19, 2010 ): The following resources related to this article are available online at www.sciencemag.org http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/291/5510/1952 version of this article at: including high-resolution figures, can be found in the online Updated information and services, http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/291/5510/1952/DC1 can be found at: Supporting Online Material http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/291/5510/1952#otherarticles , 8 of which can be accessed for free: cites 17 articles This article 26 article(s) on the ISI Web of Science. cited by This article has been http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/291/5510/1952#otherarticles 3 articles hosted by HighWire Press; see: cited by This article has been http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/collection/geochem_phys Geochemistry, Geophysics : subject collections This article appears in the following


Studies indicate that features such as prior stressful experience, strain, gender, and age can influence the behavior of rats in animal models of anxiety. In the present study, we examined the possible influence of competitive status (winner/loser) in three such models: the elevated plus-maze, the open field, and the social interaction test. One hundred to 135-day-old male Wistar rats were conditioned to traverse a straight runway tube to obtain food. Subsequently, two rats were placed at the same time in the runway tube and, being unable to pass each other, one of them pushed the other to the opposite end-box. The rats were categorized as winners or losers in this competition. One week after the straight runway tube test, the rats were submitted to the anxiety models, where it was observed that winner rats showed greater locomotor activity than the losers in the three models studied. Furthermore, winner rats showed less immobility and higher central and total locomotor activity in the open field and a greater duration of social interaction in the social interaction test. These results suggest that competitive status has an influence on the locomotor activity of rats in animal models of anxiety. However, whether competitive status influences anxiety as assessed in these models is unclear, and further investigations are warranted. Aggr. Behav. 28:164–171, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


We use a novel imaging biomarker to monitor treatment response to genotype-targeted therapy of a KRAS mutant metameric AVM with an MEK inhibitor. Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) have recently been reported to have a high incidence of somatic KRAS mutations suggesting potential for treatment with mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors. In this case report, we describe genotype-targeted treatment of a KRAS mutant metameric AVM in a patient with Cobb syndrome using the mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor trametinib. Therapeutic response was monitored with phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography to quantify AVM arterial inflow as an imaging biomarker. Treatment with trametinib resulted in a substantial decrease in blood flow to the AVM, with a >75% reduction in arterial inflow after 6 months of trametinib therapy.


The ground- and excited-state optical spectra of two U[sup IV] bis(porphyrin) sandwich complexes reveal features characteristic of porphyrins held within van der Waals contact. The photoexcited complexes exhibit ultrafast (approximately 1 ps) deactivation to the ground electronic state in a multistep process involving intersystem crossing into the triplet manifold and subsequent relaxation via ligand-field (f,f) excited state(s). This ultrafast and highly energetic electronic deactivation is followed by complex time-dependent spectral changes on the picosecond time scale that are ascribed to vibrational relaxation in the ground electronic state. 22 refs., 5 figs.


A simple method for long-term preservation of luminous bacteria is described. Cells of Vibrio fischeri, Photobacterium leiognathi and four strains of P. phosphoreum were suspended in a protective medium of low ionic strength (1% NaCl) supplemented with 15% lactose and 2% soluble starch, and lyophilized. The freeze-dried preparations were sealed under vacuum and stored at 4 degrees C. Luminous bacteria were resuscitated after six months by adding 2% NaCl up to the original volume. The rehydrated cells exhibited 16-28% of initial bioluminescence so that they could be used for a microbial test of toxicity (the Microtox test). This method is also useful for maintaining luminous bacteria in strain collections.


The behavior of cells and how they react to stimuli is critically important for drug development, drug delivery, and understanding the molecular basis of many diseases. However, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of these interactions, particularly in relation to drug delivery from nanoparticles. This Sensors Issues article discusses the importance of quantifying these interactions and highlights some key areas where advances in sensor technology have the potential to transform our understanding of drug delivery and cell biology.


With county and state structures in place this chapter focuses on the ways in which licensed midwives adapted to the regulations and supervision and the improvisation that was required to transfer the "new laws" into the community in the face of overwhelming poverty. Ensuring attendance at prenatal clinic and adequate preparation for delivery were hallmarks of the midwife's role, as were home demonstrations of the ideal delivery room. Using a deep foundation of trust and authority midwives were able to distance themselves from traditional practices that were no longer permitted, however evidence suggests that on occasion the regulations stipulated in the midwife manual were overlooked for a number of reasons. The chapter demonstrates how supervising public health nurses used the midwife's bag to monitor adherence to the rules and how it came symbolize the modern licensed midwife.


Metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) offers an inexpensive, massively parallel fabrication process for producing silicon nanowires (SiNWs). These nanowires can possess a degree of porosity depending on etch conditions. Because the porosity is often spatially inhomogeneous, there is a need to better understand its nature if applications exploiting the porosity are to be pursued. Here, the resolution afforded by micro-Raman and micro-photoluminescence (PL) is used to elucidate the effects of porosity heterogeneity on the optical properties of individual SiNWs produced in large arrays with MACE, while also determining the spatial character of the heterogeneity. For highly porous SiNWs, there is a dramatic reduction in Raman signal and an increase in PL near the SiNW tips. PL spectra collected along the SiNW length exhibit peaks due to leaky mode resonances. Analysis of the PL resonance peaks, Raman spectrum line shape, SEM images, and EDS spectra indicate that the SiNWs possess both radial and axial heterogeneity wherein, from base to SiNW tip, the SiNWs comprise a shell of increasingly thick porous Si surrounding a tapering core of bulk Si. This work describes how structural porosity variation shapes SiNW optical properties, which will influence the design of new SiNW-based photonic devices and chemical/biological sensors.


A micro determination of the renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1-hydroxylase activity was developed that uses as little as 1 mg of rat kidney tissue. The method was applied to the remaining portions of needle kidney biopsy specimens taken for diagnostic purposes from children who had asymptomatic proteinuria and/or hematuria (more than 1-year duration) but were otherwise normal in calcium metabolism and renal function. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1-hydroxylase levels of these children were found to be 66 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 per milligram of tissue per 20 min for an 11-year-old male, 117 pg for a 9-year-old male, and 89 pg for a 10-year-old female.


How do you help young children learn more about Native Americans than the cultural stereotypes found in children's books and in the media? "Lessons from Turtle Island" is the first complete guide to exploring Native American issues with children. The authorsone Native, one white, both educatorsshow ways to incorporate authentic learning experiences about Native Americans into your curriculum. This book is organized around five cross-cultural themesChildren, Home, Families, Community, and the Environment. The authors present activities, from children's books they recommend, to develop skills in reading and writing, science, math, make-believe, art, and more. The book provides helpful guidelines and resource lists for selecting appropriate toys, children's books, music, and art, and also includes a family heritage project. "[A] marvelous tool that should be in every American school."Joseph Bruchac, author of "Heart of a Chief and The Winter People"Guy W. Jones, Hunkpapa Lakota, is a full-blood member of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation. He is a co-founder of the Miami Valley Council for Native Americans in Dayton, Ohio.Sally Moomaw teaches at the University of Cincinnati. She is the co-author of the More Than . . . curriculum series published by Redleaf Press."


In this communication it is illustrated the technique used for the dipole moment measurement of a set of SmCo permanent magnets. These magnets have been used for the realization of a linear undulator for the ENEA-Frascati free electron laser device. The main results of the measurements are summarized. Some criteria for the assembling of the undulator are analyzed in order to minimize the effects of the differences between the magnets. The evaluation of experimental error measurement is included. Finally it is described the computer code that suggested the best configuration according to the above criteria.


Based on the resource investigation of Firmiana major found in Panzhihua Cycas National Nature Reserve, Sichuan province, the flowering characteristics, seed traits and sprouting ability were studied, and the status to endangerment was discussed. A total of 417 F. major trees were recorded in the investigation, which were multi-stem sprouting plants with 2 to 5 sprouted stems per plant, and the height of the trees was 1—3 m. No live seedlings were found in the survey area. The flowering period of F. major was from early June to mid-July, and the ripening period was from mid to late September. The 1000-seed weight was 227.18 g, the seed plumpness was 48.44%, the fresh seed germination rate was 31.9% in the field, and there was no germination ability after the next rainy season. After low-intensity fire, the above-ground parts of F. major gradually die, and many sprouting strips sprouted around the root diameter in rainy season of that year. It was found that the decline of genetic diversity and insufficient success rate of pollination led to the decline of fertility, the poor seed quality and loss of seeds led to low conversion rate of seeds to seedlings, and the lack of adaptability and weakened competitiveness led to the decline of population viability, which caused the difficulty of natural regeneration of F. major and important reasons for its endangerment. Under the harsh habitat conditions of the dry-hot valley, the regeneration of sprouting tillers was an important way to preserve and continue the wild populations of F. major.


Shortest path problem got a lot of attention from many researchers, in our case the distances between the nodes are represented by different types of uncertain numbers such as: interval numbers, fuzzy numbers, rough numbers and also some of them could be represented by classical real numbers. These heterogeneous types of numbers are forming a challenge in calculation the shortest path. In this work we propose a Unified Granular Number (UGN), that we call it G-Number to act as a general form for any uncertain granular number. G-Number represents higher level of abstract that hold only common properties of different types of uncertain granular numbers while ignoring some particular properties which are not necessary to be considered in such higher abstract level. The main benefit of using such a proposed G-number is the ability to represent all types of granular numbers using unified formality that greatly simplifies arithmetic operations.


In elastography, quantitative elastograms are desirable as they are system and operator independent. Such quantification also facilitates more accurate diagnosis, longitudinal studies and studies performed across multiple sites. In optical elastography (compression, surface-wave or shear-wave), quantitative elastograms are typically obtained by assuming some form of homogeneity. This simplifies data processing at the expense of smearing sharp transitions in elastic properties, and/or introducing artifacts in these regions. Recently, we proposed an inverse problem-based approach to compression OCE that does not assume homogeneity, and overcomes the drawbacks described above. In this approach, the difference between the measured and predicted displacement field is minimized by seeking the optimal distribution of elastic parameters. The predicted displacements and recovered elastic parameters together satisfy the constraint of the equations of equilibrium. This approach, which has been applied in two spatial dimensions assuming plane strain, has yielded accurate material property distributions. Here, we describe the extension of the inverse problem approach to three dimensions. In addition to the advantage of visualizing elastic properties in three dimensions, this extension eliminates the plane strain assumption and is therefore closer to the true physical state. It does, however, incur greater computational costs. We address this challenge through a modified adjoint problem, spatially adaptive grid resolution, and three-dimensional decomposition techniques. Through these techniques the inverse problem is solved on a typical desktop machine within a wall clock time of ~ 20 hours. We present the details of the method and quantitative elasticity images of phantoms and tissue samples.


Many physician practices and primary care networks owned by hospital-based healthcare systems have not been successful financially. By investing capital, time, energy, and management expertise in these networks, however, systems can dramatically improve their strategic advantage. A three-stage evolutionary process that is necessary to achieve this strategic advantage comprises practice acquisition, network development, and true integration. Although few primary care networks run by hospitals or systems to date have reached stage three, understanding the evolutionary process is a necessary first step toward success.


Abstract Properties and seasonal evolution of North Pacific Ocean subtropical mode water (STMW) within and south of the Kuroshio Extension recirculation gyre are analyzed from profiling float data and additional hydrographic and shipboard ADCP measurements taken during 2004. The presence of an enhanced recirculation gyre and relatively low mesoscale eddy variability rendered this year favorable for the formation of STMW. Within the recirculation gyre, STMW formed from late-winter convection that reached depths greater than 450 m near the center of the gyre. The lower boundary of STMW, corresponding to σθ ≃ 25.5 kg m−3, was set by the maximum depth of the late-winter mixed layer. Properties within the deep portions of the STMW layer remained largely unchanged as the season progressed. In contrast, the upper boundary of the STMW layer eroded steadily as the seasonal thermocline deepened from late April to August. Vertical eddy diffusivity responsible for this erosion was estimated from a budget analysis of ...


ADVANCE DIRECTIVES PROVIDE A LEGAL MEANS FOR PATIENTS to state treatment preferences in advance, should they later become unable to participate in decisions about their care. In 1990, Congress adopted the Patient Self Determination Act, which sought to increase the use of advance directives. However, a 1999 study of members of a health maintenance organization found that only one-third of patients aged 65 years or older reported having filed an advance directive. Although such decisions may later be made by others acting as proxies, their judgments of patients' treatment preferences may not be accurate. Through communication with their patients about advance directives, physicians can play a key role in making advance directives a more effective part of patient care. In the previously cited study, only 15% of patients reported having been asked about their advance care preferences by a physician or nurse, although patients were 3 times more likely to establish an advance directive if they have been asked about their wishes. Many physicians fail to initiate such discussions because they may worry about spending too much time on them, but in fact such discussions average less than 3 minutes in length. Physicians may also fear that patients are uncomfortable discussing issues surrounding their own mortality. In contrast to this assumption, one study found that 93% of outpatients and 89% of the general public were interested in discussing advance directives, with young and healthy individuals expressing as much interest as older, less healthy people. A retrospective study of decedents in a Midwestern community found that 85% had had advance directives, and suggested that the unusually high rate of use was the result of an extensive educational program on end-of-life planning. This implies that advance directives can be both widely used and effective, provided the resources exist to increase patient awareness. While increasing advance directives is an important goal, a greater challenge lies in modifying them to better reflect patient preferences. Advance directive forms that are standard in US health care facilities ask patients general questions, which may or may not be applicable to a patient's individual circumstances. In addition, patients often misunderstand their options to refuse or withdraw treatment or to choose palliative care. It is possible that even with an advanced directive in place, patients may not receive the care they would want. Patients must be educated about treatment options in order to make well-informed decisions about their future care. A simple way to accomplish this goal is to focus on the acceptability of potential treatment outcomes to the patient. A recent qualitative study of elderly individuals found they were more concerned with functional outcome than with the medical techniques used to achieve that outcome. One method of assessing the acceptability of treatment is to use scenario-based decision aids describing different treatment options and their potential outcomes. Assessing patients' understanding and willingness to accept potential treatment outcomes increases the likelihood of informed consent and enhances the utility of advance directives. In some cases, advance care decisions are made by someone other than the patient. The accuracy of proxy judgments can be enhanced when the patient and his or her proxy have discussed advance care issues. This is in accord with research demonstrating that patients consider planning advance care to be a social interaction between loved ones, rather than simply a matter of signing forms. Promoting collaboration between family members and loved ones may minimize the ambiguity often found in advance directives, and may better prepare surrogates to make treatment decisions. Physicians can take an active part in this process by encouraging their patients to discuss advance care issues with their chosen surrogates. Although systemic changes such as computerized reminders can encourage physicians to integrate advanced planning directives in their routine patient care, such discussions will still require meaningful communication with patients. Through such discussions, physicians have the opportunity to play a central role in increasing both the effectiveness and use of advance directives.


Al2O3 foam is an important engineering material because of its exceptional high-temperature stability, low thermal conductivity, good wear resistance, and stability in hostile chemical environment. In this work, Al2O3 foams were designed to control the microstructure, porosity, and cell size by varying different parameters such as the amount of amphiphile, solid loading, and stirring speed. Particle stabilized direct foaming technique was used and the Al2O3 particles were partially hydrophobized upon the adsorption of valeric acid on particles surface. The foam stability was drastically improved when these particles were irreversibly adsorbed at the air/water interface. However, there is still considerable ambiguity with regard to the effect of process parameters on the microstructure of particle-stabilized foam. In this study, the Al2O3 foam with open and closed-cell structure, cell size ranging from 20 μm to 300 μm having single strut wall and porosity from 75% to 93% were successfully fabricated by sintering at 1600C for 2 h in air.


Population dynamics of the plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus), a highly social burrowing rodent, were studied in desert scrub habitat of central Argentina from 1984 to 1991. The viscacha population declined between 1984 and 1987 from 96 to three individuals, and all but one of eight social groups went extinct. Our data provide support for both food shortage and predation as important factors in the population crash.

During this study, rainfall was above average for the first three years and then fell below average. Vegetative cover, especially plant species consumed by viscachas, declined concurrently with the drop in rainfall. A decrease in body weights of adult viscachas and growth rates of young indicated that food was limited. Predation by mountain lions (Felis concolor) was high throughout the study. However, observations of mountain lions foraging in viscacha colonies increased during the decline of the viscacha population. Predation rates may have increased because viscachas spent more time searching for food, and they were in poor body condition.

Following the decline in the viscacha population and after a slight increase in rainfall, vegetation cover increased. However, the viscacha population did not recover except in areas that were burned subsequent to the population crash. Fire, a natural part of the ecosystem, may be necessary to reverse changes in vegetation that occur when viscachas are removed from the landscape, and to allow viscacha populations to recover.


This study attempts an empirical synthesis of employees' perceived relationship between motivation and job performance in Nigeria. It employed a survey research method in collecting data from Abia State Civil Service in Nigeria. A total of two hundred and fourteen (214) of the civil servants were sampled. Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistical tool was used to determine employees' perceived relationship between motivation and job performance in Nigeria. The result reveals that employee motivation has a weak positive and a significant relationship with job performance; intrinsic motivation has a moderate significant positive relationship with job performance; while extrinsic motivation has a weak significant positive relationship with job performance. The conclusion reached is that motivation of employees play a critical role in job performance and that indeed, the motivation of employees should not be overlooked because the long-term survival of any organization depends largely on the motivation of their employees be it intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. It is therefore recommended that efforts should be made by managers, leaders and administrators of Abia State Civil Service to learn about what their employees want from their jobs, or what is important to them should be given to them.


Abstract Although antimitochondrial auto‐antibodies are characteristically present in the serum of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), there is a discrepancy between the positivity for antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) and that for anti‐M2 auto‐antibody. In an attempt to explain the discrepancy, this study investigates the relationship between the AMA titre, determined by indirect immunofluorescence, and immunoreactivity to four inner mitochondrial membrance proteins (M2 proteins) with molecular weights of 70, 50, 47, and 40 kDa in 129 patients with PBC. Antimitochondrial antibody positivity was identified in 114 (88%) of 129 patients with clinically and histologically confirmed PBC. There were no significant differences between the AMA‐negative and AMA‐positive groups in clinical characteristics or histologically determined disease stage. Immunoblot analysis showed that all patients had anti‐M2 auto‐antibodies to one or more of the four M2 proteins. Nine (60%) of the 15 AMA‐negative patients had antibodies to only one M2 protein (either 70 or 47 kDa). In contrast, 34 (53%) of the 64 patients with high AMA titres ( 1: 320) had antibodies to all four M2 proteins. There was a significant rank correlation between the AMA titre and the number of antibodies to M2 proteins (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that the AMA titre is not influenced by the immunogenicity of M2 protein but by the number of M2 proteins that elicit an antibody response and that decreased immunoreactivity to M2 proteins may induce AMA negativity in PBC serum samples.


This paper demonstrates that a 1-DOF planar ball-throwing robot has the capability of controlling three kinematic variables of a ball independently: translational velocity, angular velocity, and direction. The throwing motion is modeled using two underactuated contact dynamics, called a finger-link contact model and a fingertip contact model, with a unidirectional transition from one model to another. A combination of a preliminary global search method and a search algorithm based on a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm provides joint torque commands for this highly nonlinear system. An experimental system with a 1-DOF planer manipulator has been developed that throws a disk (ball) in a frictionless plane. The experimental results confirm the validity of the contact models and the feasibility of independent control of the three kinematic variables.


L ast year, using ultracold dysprosium atoms, researchers created the first 2D supersolid—a weird quantum material that has the ordered structure of a solid but that can flow like a frictionless fluid. That 2D supersolid resembled a long, thin rhomboid, leaving open the question of whether 2D supersolids could be molded into other geometries. Now, Thomas Bland of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and colleagues give a positive answer to this question by theoretically and experimentally demonstrating a disk-shaped supersolid [1]. The team, which includes members of the group behind the earlier demonstration, says that such a 2D supersolid could be used to study quantum vortices, a key feature of supersolids' superfluid behavior.


The longest recorded recurrence of a frontal sinus cholesteatoma with involvement of the orbit, frontal bone, and floor of the anterior cranial fossa is presented. Radical surgery is required and often craniotomy is necessary. Bony reconstruction of defects should not be undertaken until recurrence has not been present for at least a year. A review of the literature and a discussion of the origin of cholesteatomas is given.


This paper documents, using county level data, some geographical features of the US business cycle over the past 30 years, with particular focus on the Great Recession. It shows that county level unemployment rates are spatially dispersed and spatially correlated, and documents how these characteristics evolve during recessions. It then shows that some of these features of county data can be generated by a model which includes simple channels of transmission of economic conditions from a county to its neighbors. The model suggests that these local channels are quantitatively important for the amplification/muting of aggregate shocks. JEL Classification: E32, R12


The paper is an attempt to bring nearer the central assumptions of the anti-natalist thought and thus to answer the question whether anti-natalism could be a solution to the problems of contemporary world. In order to achieve this, the roots of the movement, which stem from Eastern philosophy, are presented. Then, certain types of anti-natalism are examined. In the process the sources of inspiration for analysed thought are traced back to the philosophical and religious pessimisms, but it also becomes clear that anti-natalism displays many more inspirations both from western and eastern intellectual traditions. Next, the arguments for anti-natalism are presented and at the end of the paper it is argued, while answering the eponymous question, that anti-natalism view needs some modifications or must be interpreted in a certain way in order to render it helpful in solving our present-day problems.


Camera re-localization is an important but challenging task in applications like robotics and autonomous driving. Recently, retrieval-based methods have been considered as a promising direction as they can be easily generalized to novel scenes. Despite significant progress has been made, we observe that the performance bottleneck of previous methods actually lies in the retrieval module. These methods use the same features for both retrieval and relative pose regression tasks which have potential conflicts in learning. To this end, here we present a coarse-to-fine retrieval-based deep learning framework, which includes three steps, i.e., image-based coarse retrieval, pose-based fine retrieval and precise relative pose regression. With our carefully designed retrieval module, the relative pose regression task can be surprisingly simpler. We design novel retrieval losses with batch hard sampling criterion and two-stage retrieval to locate samples that adapt to the relative pose regression task. Extensive experiments show that our model (CamNet) outperforms the state-of-the-art methods by a large margin on both indoor and outdoor datasets.


For many university students, the commencement of university study is often fraught with difficulties. Whilst family and paid employment commitments sometimes compete with study time, some students worry that they do not have the wherewithal for tertiary study or that they may not be successful in their new venture. This paper sets out to investigate some of the concerns experienced by a group of first year students participating in a weekly context-specific support program. In contrast to the traditional approach of offering academic support to students, this program emphasises social support and the development of a learning community as essential to academic success. The notion of presence as a key indicator of quality of learning is applied to the critical reflections of students as they engage with tertiary study. In providing a time and a place for students to meet with a group of academics on a weekly basis, the program operates with no fixed academic agenda and positions students and academics as life-long learners. Through the adoption of an enabling pedagogy, authentic presence is achievable for academics and students.