The utilization of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells raises new hopes in treatment of diseases and pathological conditions, while at the same time bringing immense challenges for researchers, manufacturers and physicians. It is essential to consider all steps along the in vitro fabrication of cell‐based products in order to reach efficient and reproducible treatment outcomes. Here, the optimal protocols for isolation, cultivation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells are required. In this review we discuss these aspects and their influence on the final cell‐based product quality. We demonstrate that physiological in vitro cell cultivation conditions play a crucial role in therapeutic functionalities of cultivated cells. We show that three‐dimensional cell culture, dynamic culture conditions and physiologically relevant in vitro oxygen concentrations during isolation and expansion make a decisive contribution towards the improvement of cell‐based products in regenerative medicine.


This article argues that Dewey has a "progressive historicist" theory of ethics and social philosophy. That theory is here explicated with the notion of an "evaluative framework," which can be embodied both implicitly in practice and in explicit theories and judgments. Such historicism, in which each stage has overcome the deficiencies of the previous stage, has ample resources to avoid unconstrained relativism, in terms of three aspects: the "dynamic," the "dialogic," and the "historical." The article poses, however, a challenge for such "progressive historicisms": while there are determinate oughts within each stage of history before the inadequacies of that stage have come to the fore, it is indeterminate what one ought to do during the intermediate phases once such inadequacies have come to one's knowledge and before a new solution has been generally socially accepted and habitualized. The last subsection briefly outlines various responses historicism might give.


Although primary carpal tunnel release is usually successful, reoperation is needed in up to 3% of patients. Common indications of reoperation are previous incomplete surgery and postoperative fibrosis. Although most patients improve after reoperation, persistent systems are likely and failure is more frequent than after primary carpal tunnel surgery. Risk factors for failure following reoperation include the presence of an active Worker's Compensation claim, pain in the ulnar nerve distribution, and the absence of abnormality on preoperative EMG.


Objective:To address the question of whether individuals with chronic HIV-1 infection have a stable viral load set-point and to assess the influence of host and viral factors on the evolution of viral load in a subset of stable asymptomatic patients with a baseline viral load below 5000 copies/ml and CD4+ T-cell count above 500 × 106/l. Methods:Medical visits were performed at least every 6 months including routine blood analysis, viral load and CD4+ T-cell count. HIV-1 RNA was measured in frozen (−70°C) plasma samples using PCR. Patients were classified into three groups according to baseline viral load: group A, < 200 copies/ml (undetectable); group B, 201–2000 copies/ml; group C, 2001–5000 copies/ml. A survival analysis and a Cox regression model were performed to assess the influence of viral and host factors in the increase of baseline viral load. The endpoint was the time to increase viral load to a stable level > 0.5 log10 copies/ml above baseline viral load in groups B and C and to a stable detectable viral load (> 200 copies/ml) in group A. Results:A cohort of 114 patients with viral load below 5000 copies/ml was followed for a median of 12 months (6–42 months). Overall, 22 (19%) out of 114 patients had an increase > 0.5 log10 copies/ml of baseline viral load. Baseline viral load increased in two (5%) out of 37 patients in group A, four (12%) out of 33 patients in group B, and 16 (36%) out of 44 patients in group C (survival analysis, P < 0.002). Patients of group C had a eightfold higher risk of increasing baseline viral load than patients in the other two groups pooled together (hazards ratio, 8.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.78–38; P = 0.006). Patients with an increase of viral load to the virological endpoint had a threefold higher risk of decreasing baseline CD4+ T-cell counts > 100 × 106/l than patients with stable viral load (hazards ratio, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–14; P = 0.03). Conclusions:In our cohort of chronically HIV-1-infected asymptomatic patients with a baseline viral load < 5000 copies/ml and CD4+ cell count > 500 × 106/l, a true viral load set-point did not seem to exist. Patients with baseline viral load of 2000–5000 copies/ml had an eightfold higher risk of increasing the level of viral load than patients with a baseline viral load below 2000 copies/ml.


The article discusses comparative test results concerning two welding methods, i.e. SAW and MAG. The tests involved the making of welded joints in steel P460NL2, the verification of the chemical composition of supplied steel, the comparison of the quality of joints (in accordance with PN-EN ISO 5817) as well as the performance of macroscopic tests and the comparison of mechanical properties and hardness.


Tumors can be considered parasites that exploit the host's resources in order to promote their own growth. Tumors secrete growth factors and cytokines (tumor secretome) which recruit platelets, blood vessels, and bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) to promote angiogenesis and tumor progression. We have recently demonstrated that distant tumor growth can stimulate bone formation and BMDC mobilization prior to metastasis. However, the mechanism of communication between the primary tumor and the bone microenvironment remains unknown. Signals from the tumor to the bone microenvironment are likely transmitted through the circulation; nevertheless, these signals need to be protected from degradation or utilization prior to reaching their target. We hypothesized that platelets could function as regulated storage compartments for the tumor secretome. Using a murine platelet depletion model during tumor growth, we assessed the role of platelets in BMDC homing and bone remodeling. We demonstrate that platelet depletion prevents BMDC mobilization and recruitment into tumors. Further, platelet depletion inhibited tumor-induced bone formation. To determine which tumor-derived proteins in platelets were responsible for changes in BMDC mobilization and bone remodeling, we analyzed the tumor secretome components and found that 77% of proteins are enriched within platelets over plasma, and that these proteins regulate BMDC mobilization and bone remodeling. In addition, we discovered that tumor-derived proteins, specifically transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and matrix metalloproteinases, sequestered within platelets could stimulate osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in vitro . We also found that thrombospondin (TSP)-1 levels are increased in the platelets of tumor-bearing mice. Finally, we assessed the role of the TSP-1/TGF-β1 signaling axis in tumor-induced bone formation and BMDC mobilization. Tumors in TSP-1 null mice were larger, however tumor-induced bone remodeling decreased. Interestingly, in tumor-bearing mice, high levels of TGF-β1 were being retained in the platelets due to a lack of TSP-1 to activate and release TGF-β1. To examine the role of platelet TGF-β1 in the process of tumor-induced bone remodeling, tumors were implanted in platelet-specific TGF-β1 conditional knockout mice and the changes in tumor size and the bone microenvironment were assessed. In summary, our data show that platelet sequestration and secretion of tumor-derived proteins represent a cellular mechanism mediating communication between the bone microenvironment and the primary tumor. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Herein, we report a copper oxide-cobalt oxide/nitrogen-doped carbon hybrid (Cu2O-Co3O4/CN) composite for electrochemical water splitting. Cu2O-Co3O4/CN is synthesized by an easy two-step reaction of melamine with Cu2O-Co3O4/CN composite. The designed composite is aimed to solve energy challenges by producing hydrogen and oxygen via electrochemical catalysis. The proposed composite offers some unique advantages in water splitting. Carbon imparts superior conductivity, while the water oxidation abilities of Cu2O and Co3O4 are considered to constitute a catalyst. The synthesized composite (Cu2O-Co3O4/CN) is characterized by SEM, EDS, FTIR, TEM, and AFM in terms of the size, morphology, shape, and elemental composition of the catalyst. The designed catalyst's electrochemical performance is evaluated via linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The Cu2O-Co3O4/CN composite shows significant electrocatalytic activity, which is further improved by introducing nitrogen doped carbon (current density 10 mA cm−2, onset potential 91 mV, and overpotential 396 mV).


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the carcinoma of the colon and rectum in the gastrointestinal
system. CRC is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women
worldwide. The limitations of the currently available biomarkers and technologies for
CRC screening and surveillance have highlighted the necessity of finding novel
biomarkers. Recently, microRNA (miRNA)-based studies have rendered remarkable
contribution in the elucidation of mechanisms of carcinogenesis. miRNAs are short,
non-coding RNA molecules that act as regulators of gene expression through messenger
RNA (mRNA) degradation or translational inhibition. Blood miRNA expression
profiles offer great potential as non-invasive biomarkers. In the present study, the aims
were to characterise and correlate the tissue and blood miRNA expression patterns of
primary CRC patients, and establish the functional roles of the identified miRNAs in the
carcinogenesis of CRC. Firstly, the miRNA profiling study was divided into two phases:
(I) marker discovery by miRNA microarray using paired cancer tissues (n = 30) and
blood samples (CRC, n = 42; control, n = 18); (II) marker validation by reverse
transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) using an
independent set of paired cancer tissues (n = 30) and blood samples (CRC, n = 70;
control, n = 32). Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses
were applied to obtain diagnostic utility of the miRNAs. Seven miRNAs (miR-150,
miR-193a-3p, miR-23a, miR-23b, miR-338-5p, miR-342-3p and miR-483-3p) were
found to be differentially expressed in both tissue and blood samples. Significant
positive correlations were observed in the tissue and blood levels of miR-193a-3p, miR-
23a and miR-338-5p. These miRNAs were demonstrated as a classifier for CRC
detection, with a receiver operating characteristic curve area of 0.887 (80.0% sensitivity,
84.4% specificity and 83.3% accuracy). Next, these miRNAs were subjected to
functional and miRNA:mRNA target validation studies via miRNA mimics and
iv
inhibitors transfections. SW480 and SW620 CRC cell lines were utilised. Cell viability,
apoptosis, migration and invasion assays were conducted. Luciferase assays were
performed for the validation of target mRNAs. The expression levels of target mRNAs
and proteins in clinical CRC samples and cell lines were assessed using RT-qPCR and
Western blot. miR-193a-3p was identified to be involved in CRC cell migration and
invasion by targeting FOXO4. miR-23a was determined to possess apoptosis resistance
function by targeting APAF1. However, the transfection of miR-338-5p did not reveal
significant findings in the cell viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion analyses. In
conclusion, miRNA deregulation in the blood is reflective of that in the CRC tissue. The
triple miRNA classifier of miR-193a-3p, miR-23a and miR-338-5p may serve as
potential blood biomarkers for CRC detection. The miRNA:mRNA target validation
studies have highlighted the potential application of miR-193a-3p:FOXO4 and miR-
23a:APAF1 regulation axes in miRNA-based therapy and prognostication.


Introduction: Quality of life (QoL) has been widely studied in the health area and chronic health conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) can interfere with functional capacity, independence and, consequently, QoL, by negative implication In the activities of daily living, emotional, social and cultural issues. Objective: To characterize patients with CKD in hemodialysis (HD) treatment of a clinic in the west of Santa Catarina, their relationships and sociodemographic variables, and their QoL. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study with 116 patients with CKD in HD. To collect data on the questionnaire sociodemographic and a intrument Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short - Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used. Results: There was a prevalence of the population aged> 60 years old, Caucasian (74.77%), male (54.31%), of professions related to middle and low class and reduced number of years of study. In relation to comorbidities, Systemic Arterial Hypertension prevailed (38.79%). Regarding QoL, limitations due to physical aspects had lower averages (29.09) and limitations in social activities (73.71). Conclusion: Negative QoL have personal, familial, and social repercussions due to the impact of the disease on the routine life activities of kidney patients


SIR,-We are somewhat perturbed by the pessimistic tone of the leading article on " Uterine Ischaemia and Preeclampsia" (Journal, September 10, p. 664), and particularly by your summary dismissal of the possible usefulness of studies on analogous syndromes in animals in increasing our understanding of human eclampsia. The experimental production in a suitable animal of a disease analogous to that in the human being has on numerous occasions been the starting-point for conspicuous advances in knowledge of the human disease. We believe that this may well be the position now in regard to human eclampsia and the syndrome of toxaemia of pregnancy in sheep. Although there are obvious differences between the diseases in the two species we cannot agree with your view that " toxaemia of pregnancy in animals differs fundamentally from the human type." The signs of some vitamin deficiencies vary greatly from one species to another, but no one would now argue that they are not the consequences of the same disorder. A comparison of the pathological physiology of toxaemia in man and sheep shows agreement in a surprisingly large number of particulars. In sheep, as in man, the disease occurs chiefly during the last third of pregnancy; it is much more common in twin pregnancy and in pregnancy complicated by hydramnios (hydatidiform mole is unknown in sheep); the disease may manifest itself in a form without fits comparable to pre-eclampsia and in a form with fits comparable to eclampsia. In rare cases a fulminating post-partum form with fits occurs; the disease in its less severe forms almost certainly ceases if pregnancy is terminated, when the animal makes an uneventful recovery; the death of the foetus occurs if toxaemia is severe and prolonged, but the mother may die without prior death of the foetuses.' Sheep which are allowed to make high weight during early pregnancy are much more prone to develop toxaemia during the last third of pregnancy and the attack rate of the disease can be reduced most 4ffectively by suitable antenatal care designed to prevent excessive weight in early pregnancy' as in the human disease3 4; while the pattern of the renal dysfunction with reductions in the glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow, and filtration fraction, which are unaccompanied by morphological change and probably completely reversible,5 is very similar to that reported in recent studies of human toxaemia,'8 although the massive proteinuria seen in man is rarely, if ever, observed in sheep. The main point of dissimilarity between the two diseases is the absence of hypertension in the sheep.' Although hypertension is nearly always present in human eclampsia and is indeed usually considered to be one of the diagnostic triad of signs, eclampsia can occur in normotensive women, and hypertension may yet prove to be a secondary manifestation, commonly accompanying the eclamptic process, but not essential for its primary development. Oedema of the limbs is also less pronounced in ewes than in women, almost certainly due to differences in anatomical structure, for oedema of the limbs is a very rare condition in sheep. The livers of affected sheep contain much fat, as do those of affected women, but the centrilobular haemorrhages seen in the human disease are absent. Placental lesions are not seen in the sheep disease; they are commonly present in human eclampsia, but their presence is variable and is not now considered to be an essential feature. While more comprehensive studies of the toxaemic syndrome in general may reveal greater differences between the disease in man and in the sheep, we consider that at the present time the similarities between the two diseases far outweigh the differences. As we are now able to induce toxaemia of pregnancy experimentally in a high percentage of sheep,9 it seems well worth while to use this experimental disease as a model for the study of the metabolic toxaemias of late pregnancy, in the hope that such studies will throw some light on the human disease as well as contributing to the control and prevention of the natural disease in sheep. -We are, etc., G. S. DAWES.


This paper presents a research on commemorative issues published by three centenarian newspapers of Rio de Janeiro on special dates of their existence. These special editions reveal how the longest lasting newspapers in the former federal capital inserted themselves in the temporal frameworks of different eras as vectors of progress. Despite the fact that progress can be understood as an idea which gave rise to a series of doctrines in previous centuries, especially in the mentality of the local elite, it is considered in this paper to be a certain perception of rupture with the past and giving direction for the future. This research attempts to analyze these commemorative narratives, showing how they articulate multiple temporalities, that is, socially shared notions of time. However, in a hegemonic way, the narratives of these centenarian newspapers lead to the future, configuring a demand for a radical rupture between past and future.


Abstract. Flood adaptation measures implemented at the household level
play an important role in reducing communities' vulnerability. The aim of
this study is to enhance the current modelling practices of human–flood
interaction to draw new insights for flood risk management (FRM) policy design. The paper presents a
coupled agent-based and flood model for the case of Hamburg, Germany, to
explore how individual adaptation behaviour is influenced by flood event
scenarios, economic incentives and shared and individual strategies.
Simulation results show that a unique trajectory of adaptation measures and
flood damages emerges from different flood event series. Another finding is
that providing subsidies increases the number of coping households in the
long run. Households' social network also has a strong influence on their
coping behaviour. The paper also highlights the role of simple measures such
as adapted furnishings, which do not incur any monetary cost, in reducing
households' vulnerability and preventing millions of euros of contents
damages. Generally, we demonstrate that coupled agent-based and flood models
can potentially be used as decision support tools to examine the role of
household adaptation measures in flood risk management. Although the
findings of the paper are case-specific, the improved modelling approach
shows the potential to be applied in testing policy levers and strategies
considering heterogeneous individual behaviours.


The persistent energy imbalance at the top of the atmosphere, inferred from satellite measurements, indicates that the Earth's climate system continues to accumulate excess heat. As only sparse and irregular measurements of ocean heat below 2000 m depth exist, one of the most challenging questions in global climate change studies is whether the excess heat has already penetrated into the deep ocean. Here we perform a comprehensive analysis of satellite and in situ measurements to report that a significant deep‐ocean warming occurred in the subtropical South Pacific Ocean over the past decade (2005–2014). The local accumulation of heat accounted for up to a quarter of the global ocean heat increase, with directly and indirectly inferred deep ocean (below 2000 m) contribution of 2.4 ± 1.4 and 6.1–10.1 ± 4.4%, respectively. We further demonstrate that this heat accumulation is consistent with a decade‐long intensification of the subtropical convergence, possibly linked to the persistent La Niña‐like state.


The following thesis will examine how a city library manages its multilingual facilities. I am interested to explore the challenges and problems librarians face, and how the library helps in integration. This has been studied through several qualitative interviews with librarians, major immigrant organization's representatives who use library multi-language services, as well as steering plans of the city library and international library of Stockholm. The results of the study indicate that the city library has ambitious plans for providing multi-language facilities to people from a range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The library has multi-lingual literature in more than 60 languages and is trying to reach out to people through a variety of programs including "cultural weeks" and "languages days". While it is always challenging for the library staff to buy literature in various languages, the library has started to acquire literature by creating user profiles and via a cross-referenced group responsible for such activities. The study also revealed that while user groups were positive about the library's ambitions for multi-cultural activities, they were critical regarding a lack of acceptable and useful literature in their own languages, especially for children. The analysis method for this study was Roth's theory of integration. The main aim of the library is to provide a platform for cultural exchanges between people of various ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, these results provided interesting insights if these activities are leading towards a positive vicinity, and distance between them or not. Nyckelord: Multicultural, Multilingual, Integration, Immigration, Immigrants, Identity, Library


A major challenge for theoretical simulation methods is the calculation of enzymic reaction rates directly from the three-dimensional protein structure together with some idea of the chemical reaction mechanism. Here, we report the evaluation of a complete free energy profile for all the elementary steps of the triosephosphate isomerase catalyzed reaction using such an approach. The results are compatible with available experimental data and also suggest which of the possible reaction intermediates is kinetically observable. In addition to previously identified catalytic residues, the simulations show that a crystallographically observed active site water molecule plays an important role during catalysis and an intersubunit interaction that could explain the low activity of the monomeric enzyme is also observed. The calculations clearly demonstrate the important catalytic effects associated with stabilization of charged high energy intermediates and reduction of reorganization energy, which are likely to be general principles of enzyme catalyzed charge transfer and separation reactions.


Originally published in the Proceedings of the EDU-COM 2006 International Conference. Engagement and Empowerment: New Opportunities forGrowth in Higher Education, Edith Cowan University, Perth Western Australia, 22-24 November 2006.This Conference Proceeding is posted at Research Online.http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ceducom/101


Gauge-Higgs grand unification is formulated. By extending SO(5)×U(1)X gauge-Higgs electroweak unification, strong interactions are incorporated in SO(11) gauge-Higgs unification in the Randall-Sundrum warped space. Quarks and leptons are contained in spinor and vector multiplets of SO(11). Although the KK scale can be as low as 10TeV, proton decay is forbidden by a conserved fermion number in the absence of Majorana masses of neutrinos.


We have developed one-channel high- d.c. SQUID heart monitoring system for non-invasive measurements in an unshielded environment. This system gives fast and reliable information about the heart condition of a patient, for example in an emergency case. Planar galvanically coupled thin film gradiometers and magnetometers with step-edge and bicrystal junctions have been prepared. These sensors were used to carry out magneto-cardiogram measurements in a magnetically shielded room with open doors as well as in an unshielded environment. The results of these measurements are presented and different filtering and averaging methods of the data discussed.


Fundamental understanding of quantum-mechanical transport is necessary as devices are scaled down to the order of the electron Fermi wavelength, AF. Electron waveguide devices, with both two-dimensional (2D) and one-dimensional (D) transport regimes, represent a particularly ideal system to explore the physics of transport in the quantum regime. Additional electron transport physics can be learned by studying the impact of a magnetic field on the conductance of an electron waveguide. This work explores magnetotransport of electron waveguides by examining the low-temperature magnetoconductance behavior of a split-gate electron waveguide fabricated on an AlGaAs/GaAs modulation-doped heterostructure. In the 2D regime, we experimentally verify the existence of three theoretically-predicted magnetic field regimes (low-field classical Hall regime, high-field classical Hall regime, and quantum Hall regime). In addition, the experimental conductance behavior in each of these regimes quantitatively agrees very well with theory. In the D regime, we also observe clear experimental evidence of three magnetic field regimes predicted by theory (low-field regime, magnetic depopulation regime, and quantum Hall regime) with a conductance behavior that agrees qualitatively with prediction. A quantitative analysis of these regimes, however, requires detailed understanding of the shape of the electrostatic potential that defines the waveguide and its evolution with gate voltage. Self-consistent Poisson/Schrodinger simulations show that this potential is complex and cannot be easily approximated by a simple analytical function. This makes quantitative analysis difficult. Thesis Supervisor: Jesuis A. del Alamo Title: Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering


Reliability of underwater snorkel counts of adult Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., was analysed in the tributaries of the River Teno, close to the spawning period. In small (width 5–20 m) rivers, the replicated total counts of salmon were reasonably precise (CV = 5.4–8.5%), while in the medium-sized river (width 20–40 m) the precision of the counting method was considerably lower (CV = 15.3%). Low precision in a medium sized river was also observed in an experiment using marked live fish where the observation efficiency varied between 36.4% and 70.0%. In a small river, the detection efficiency of artificial fish silhouettes (test salmon) was almost perfect in pools (98%), but decreased in rapids (84%). Separate counts of males, females, grilse and large salmon were usually more variable than total counts, indicating that divers were more capable of locating a fish than properly identifying its sex and sea-age. The behaviour of adult salmon was favourable to conduct snorkel counts, as fish normally stayed still, or after hesitating, moved upstream (>95%of the cases) when encountering a diver. The high observation efficiency (>90%) and precision, favourable behaviour of salmon and congruence between snorkel counts and catch statistics in small rivers suggest that reliable data on Atlantic salmon spawning stock can be collected by snorkeling provided that the environmental conditions are suitable and the divers are experienced.


The systems engineering Experience Accelerator (ExpAcc) is a research project in the early stages of definition and development that is focused on validating the feasibility of leveraging simulation technology to create a series of experiences that will accelerate the maturity of systems engineers. This paper leverages the approach being defined for the research project as the basis for a set of recommendations for developing systems engineering curriculum for the live classroom. The focus of the research project is to create a computer-based simulator prototype that provides an integrated, experience based learning environment intended to accelerate the learning of critical systems engineering competencies. However, the goal of providing realistic, emotionally engaging simulated experiences customized to the learner's specific needs can be applied not only to a computer simulation, but also to a live classroom simulation. In both cases, customization can be based initially on the learner's self reported assessment of their competencies and learning preferences, and subsequently on the learner's progression through the simulation. This paper introduces the research questions and research hypothesis being investigated on the research project; describes the approaches being used to create the simulator prototype that is still under development (not yet available for testing); and includes recommendations for developing systems engineering related experiences in the classroom that could potentially accelerate the student's learning of selected systems engineering competencies.


B cell maturation antigen- (BCMA) specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have shown efficacy in relapsed, refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Since the non-human originated antigen-targeting domain may limit clinical efficacy, we developed a fully human BCMA-specific CAR, CT103A, and report its safety and efficacy in a phase I trial. Eighteen consecutive RRMM patients, including four patients with prior murine BCMA CAR exposures, were enrolled. CT103A was administered at 1, 3, and 6 × 106 CAR-positive T cells/kg in the dose-escalation phase, and 1 × 106 CAR-positive T cells/kg in the expansion cohort. The overall response rate (ORR) was 100%, with 72.2% of the patients achieving complete response or stringent complete response (sCR). For the four murine BCMA CAR-exposed patients, three achieved sCR, and one achieved a very good partial response. At one year, the progression-free survival rate was 58.3% for all cohorts and 79.1% for the patients without extramedullary myeloma. Hematologic toxicities were the most common adverse events. 70.6% of the patients experienced grade 1 or 2 cytokine release syndromes. No immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome was observed. To the cutoff date, CAR transgenes were detectable in 77.8% of the patients. The median CAR transgene persistence was 307.5 days. Only one patient was positive for the anti-drug antibody. Altogether, CT103A is safe and highly active in RRMM patients and can be developed as a promising therapy for RRMM. Patients who relapsed from prior murine BCMA CAR T-cell therapy may still benefit from CT103A. (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1800018137).


Scene parsing consists in labeling each pixel in an image with the category of the object it belongs to. We propose a method that uses a multiscale convolutional network trained from raw pixels to extract dense feature vectors that encode regions of multiple sizes centered on each pixel. The method alleviates the need for engineered features. In parallel to feature extraction, a tree of segments is computed from a graph of pixel dissimilarities. The feature vectors associated with the segments covered by each node in the tree are aggregated and fed to a classifier which produces an estimate of the distribution of object categories contained in the segment. A subset of tree nodes that cover the image are then selected so as to maximize the average "purity" of the class distributions, hence maximizing the overall likelihood that each segment will contain a single object. The system yields record accuracies on the the Sift Flow Dataset (33 classes) and the Barcelona Dataset (170 classes) and near-record accuracy on the Stanford Background Dataset (8 classes), while being an order of magnitude faster than competing approaches, producing a 320 × 240 image labeling in less than 1 second, including feature extraction.


The analysis and synthesis of the fail-safe logical systems have been studied by many authors. They utilize logical elements with asymmetric failure. It is shown that by duplicating two identical systems in parallel it is possible to raise the reliability of the system considerably. If, for example, 0 is the safe value, the duplicate output (0, 1) or (1, 0) is regarded as 1. The output (0, 0) is regarded as 0, which cannot, however, be judged to be correct or to be incorrect.


This article proposes a binary tree of classifiers for multi-label classification that preserves label dependencies and handles class imbalance. At each node, the input data is strategically split into two subsets for its subsequent child nodes, keeping the label correlations intact. A novel approach of partitioning the data based on label-set proximity has also been proposed. Various data appropriate classifiers are trained to learn the binary partition at every internal node. The tree of classifiers grows iteratively depending on two parameters – multi-label entropy and sample cardinality, computed on the data at the current node. During training, the decision at any node is based on these parameters and the branching out is restricted, if deemed unnecessary. Specific classifiers at the leaf nodes perform the final classification task and assign appropriate label-sets to the unlabelled data. The proposed system aims to appropriately split the data and build the hierarchical structure such that the training and classification tasks become simpler. Also, the problem of class imbalance leads to the irregular splitting of data and excessive branching out of the tree which is handled through the novel use of suitable classifiers and parameters at the intermediate and leaf nodes. The proposed method has shown significant performance improvement on fourteen datasets against fourteen existing multi-label classifiers. Two-tailed Wilcoxon signed rank test statistics show that for $T_{Wilcoxon}(14,0.2)=31$ the proposed method outperforms all the other comparison models.


thousand references at the end of the book. The thirteen contributors are all past or present members of the MRC Mineral Metabolism Unit at Leeds. The title describes fairly accurately the emphasis of the book which is not primarily about bone, although inevitably bone physiology must figure prominently in a book on calcium and phosphorus metabolism. The topics covered include nutritional aspects of the minerals, their intestinal absorption and urinary excretion, the regulation of their plasma concentrations and kinetic considerations. There are also chapters on cellular calcium and calcium transport, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone and calcitonin. Two chapters are entirely on bone, one on the estimation of bone mass and another on bone histology. The final chapters are on diagnostic procedures and laboratory methods. The work reviewed is not always critically discussed; for example, no opinion is offered on whether the many attempts to assess bone mass have been really useful and, if so, which seems the most useful method. Some chapters which are very detailed and technical needed a summary at the end, for example, that on calcium kinetics. Inevitably some topics are ignored, possibly because they are outside the past and present interests of the Leeds Unit. There is no mention of placental calcium transport or fetal and neonatal mineral metabolism. The process of calcification in bone is dealt with only briefly in the chapter on histology, yet it would seem very germane to mineral metabolism in a clinical context. The work of Dr C R Scriver's group in Montreal on phosphate transport in the renal tubule is not discussed, yet it is very relevant to hypophosphatcemia in man and its genetic abnormalities. Whatever the shortcomings of the book it is a considerable achievement, and for those working in the field it is worth buying from the research funds. D P BRENTON Department ofHuman Metabolism University College Hospital Medical School


In clinical practice, eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection may be difficult due to medication side effects and the need for 2 weeks of therapy. Because therapies of shorter duration may improve patient compliance and reduce treatment side effects, we compared the efficacy and tolerability of two anti-H. pylori treatments of 1 week's duration. Patients with H. pylori infection were randomized to treatment with either (a) short-course triple therapy, composed-of bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.) two tablets four times daily, amoxicillin 1 g (two 500-mg tablets) twice daily, and metronidazole 500 mg four times daily on days 5-7 or (b) omeprazole 40 mg twice a day with amoxicillin 1 g twice a day for 1 week. At least 4 weeks posttreatment, efficacy was evaluated with either histological evaluation of antral biopsies for H. pylori or 14C urea breath testing. Patients who failed initial therapy were allowed to cross over to the alternative treatment regimen after a minimum "wash-out" period of 5 weeks. Patients completed a diary during therapy to monitor both compliance and side effects. Thirty-four patients completed the study, 10 receiving both treatment regimens. Treatment with the shortcourse triple therapy eradicated H. pylori in 78.3% of treatments compared with 38% with the high-dose omeprazole/ amoxicillin combination (p < 0.05). Patients were highly compliant with both treatments, and mild side effects, such as transient loose stools or abdominal pain, were common in both groups. This is the first report from North America confirming the success of the short-course triple therapy for the eradication of H. pylori. The high-dose omeprazole/ amoxicillin regimen's eradication rate was markedly inferior to that achieved by the short-course triple therapy regimen and should not be used. Comparative studies of the short-course triple therapy regimen with other 7-day anti-H. pylori treatment regimen therapies are indicated.


The spread of pathogens fundamentally depends on the underlying contacts between individuals. Modeling the dynamics of infectious disease spread through contact networks, however, can be challenging due to limited knowledge of how an infectious disease spreads and its transmission rate. We developed a novel statistical tool, INoDS (Identifying contact Networks of infectious Disease Spread) that estimates the transmission rate of an infectious disease outbreak, establishes epidemiological relevance of a contact network in explaining the observed pattern of infectious disease spread and enables model comparison between different contact network hypotheses. We show that our tool is robust to incomplete data and can be easily applied to datasets where infection timings of individuals are unknown. We tested the reliability of INoDS using simulation experiments of disease spread on a synthetic contact network and find that it is robust to incomplete data and is reliable under different settings of network dynamics and disease contagiousness compared with previous approaches. We demonstrate the applicability of our method in two host-pathogen systems: Crithidia bombi in bumblebee colonies and Salmonella in wild Australian sleepy lizard populations. INoDS thus provides a novel and reliable statistical tool for identifying transmission pathways of infectious disease spread. In addition, application of INoDS extends to understanding the spread of novel or emerging infectious disease, an alternative approach to laboratory transmission experiments, and overcoming common data-collection constraints.


BACKGROUND
Late trabeculectomy bleb leaks are a common complication after filtering glaucoma surgery. Although asymptomatic, late bleb leaks may lead to hypotony and are associated with bleb related infections.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of interventions for late trabeculectomy bleb leak.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 7), MEDLINE (January 1946 to July 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to July 2012), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 18 July 2012.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised and quasi-randomised trials in which any treatments for eyes with late bleb leak (interventional and non-interventional) were compared with each other.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study authors when additional information was needed.

MAIN RESULTS
The review included one multicentre trial based in the USA with 30 eyes of 30 participants. The trial compared two surgical procedures (conjunctival advancement and amniotic membrane transplant) to cover a filtering bleb leak. Conjunctival advancement has been shown to be more effective in sealing filtering bleb leaks.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Although a variety of treatments have been proposed for bleb leaks, there is no evidence of their comparative effectiveness.The evidence in this review was provided by a single trial that compared two surgical procedures (conjunctival advancement and amniotic membrane transplant). The trial did show a superiority of conjunctival advancement, which was regarded as standard treatment, to amniotic membrane transplantation. There is a need for more randomised trials to validate the findings of this single trial and provide more information on the different types of interventions, especially non-surgical treatments compared to surgical procedures. We recommend that any intervention should be compared to a standard procedure, which is to date conjunctival advancement.


In order to solve the engineering problems of a large number of low-quality flue gas waste heat recovery and acid dew point corrosion leading to failure of the device easily, a new kind of heat transfer component named a compound hollow heat pipe was proposed. Its structure and working principle was introduced. Its internal heat transfer mechanism is analyzed, and its start-up characteristics, isothermal temperature performance and heat transfer properties were studied. The results show that compound hollow heat pipe can start and work fast while the outer tube wall temperature is 30 ℃ within 2 min heating time. And in the natural air convection cooling conditions, it has good isothermal characteristics. The heat transfer coefficient of the compound hollow heat pipe increases with the cooling water Reynolds number. When the heating steam temperature is below 125 ℃ and the cooling water Reynolds number is 6650, the heat transfer coefficient of the compound hollow heat pipe is1350 W.m-2.℃-1. Experimental results of the compound hollow heat pipe provide the basis of engineering applications for heat exchanger.


The implementation of a pattern recognizer for power system diagnosis can provide great advancement in the protection field. The work reported in this paper demonstrates the use of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) as a pattern classifier for differential relay operation in the protection scheme for power transformer protection. The proposed relay takes care of maloperation due to inrush current, overexcitation, and ensures operation during internal fault. The off-line experimental result presented in this paper shows that a FeedForward Neural Network (FFNN) can be considered as an attractive alternative method to make the discrimination among normal, magnetizing inrush, overexcitation, and internal fault currents in a digital relay implementation. Results showing the performance of the protection scheme indicate that it is fast and reliable.


Wastewater of tempe is derived from the water used to wash and boil the soybean. This wastewater usually contains of high organic and nitrate matter. Therefore, it needs appropriate treatment system to reduce the content of wastewater. This research was aimed to develop a design for rough and splitted on the surface of discs as contactor in RBC. The method employed was to vary the parameter of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Suspended Solid (TSS). Then, rotor rotation was set in 7 rpm, and 40% disc was immersed into wastewater with a temperature around 27oC 29 oC; while the used pH was beween 6.52 – 7.84, neutral pH. The treatment would significantly remove the COD was varied 85.17% to 93.27% , the TSS removal ranged from 29.9% to 67.44% and nitrate removel range from 36.25% to 57%. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) in this process was varied from 3.5 to 4.2 hours, while the organic loading was varied from 11.91 to 43.18 gCOD/m2day. The identified bacteria dominantly grow in biofilm and were able to degrade the organic loads, Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp.


Asthma is a clinical syndrome recognized as chronic inflammatory condition of the airways that requires early pharmacological treatment and long-term management. Inhaled corticosteroids as anti-inflammatory agents are considered to be the first-line prophylactic treatment for patients with persistent asthma. For patients with a more severe disease and whose asthma is not fully controlled with daily dose of inhaled corticosteroid, therapeutic options advocate adding a long-acting inhaled beta2-agonist therapy, rather than an increase in the dose of inhaled corticosteroids. This therapeutic procedure improves the lung function and quality of life of asthmatic patients and reduces the number of exacerbations of asthma. Taking into account complementary effects and beta2-agonists of inhaled corticosteroids, the combination of these medicines in the same inhaler device has recently been introduced. Two such combinations: salmeterol/fluticasone (Seretide, Glaxo Wellcome) and budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort, Astra Zeneca) have been shown in clinical studies to be very effective in controlling asthma. It has been shown that budesonide/formoterol combination has a faster onset of bronchodilation than salmeterol/fluticasone.


Sugarcane smut is a serious disease caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, which causes significant losses to sugar industry. It is critical to reveal the molecular pathogenic mechanism of S. scitamineum to explore a new control strategy for sugarcane smut. Based on transcriptome sequencing data of two S. scitamineum strains with different pathogenicity, we identified the gene, SsCI51640, which was predicted to encode kynurenine 3-monooxygenase. In this study, we obtained knockout mutants and complementary mutants of this gene and identified gene function. The results showed that the sporidial growth rate and acid production ability of knockout mutants were significantly higher and stronger than those of the wild-type and complementary mutants. The growth of knockout mutants under abiotic stress (osmotic stress and cell wall stress) was significantly inhibited. In addition, the sexual mating ability and pathogenicity of knockout mutants was significantly reduced, while this phenomenon could be restored by adding exogenous cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). It is thus speculated that the SsCI51640 gene may regulates the sexual mating and pathogenicity of S. scitamineum by cAMP signaling pathway. Moreover, the SsCI51640 gene enhanced the sporidial environmental adaptability, which promoted sexual mating and development of pathogenicity. This study provides a theoretical basis for the molecular pathogenesis of S. scitamineum.


In this paper, we develop a novel hybrid control framework for addressing consensus problems for multiagent dynamical systems. Specifically, we present hybrid distributed controller architectures for multiagent coordination. The proposed controller architectures are predicated on system thermodynamic notions resulting in thermodynamically consistent hybrid controller architectures involving the exchange of information between agents that guarantee that the closed-loop dynamical network is consistent with basic thermodynamic principles. A unique feature of the proposed framework is that the proposed controller architectures are hybrid and can achieve finite-time coordination. The overall closed-loop dynamics under any of these controller algorithms achieving consensus possesses discontinuous flows since the controller algorithms combine logical switchings with continuous dynamics, leading to impulsive differential equations.


In the present study, the possible difference in visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectra of plasma in psychiatric patients compared to healthy control subjects was investigated. Mean Vis-NIR spectra of 60 psychiatric patients showed several specific peaks in the 630- to 930-nm region. Principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) were applied to manifest the spectral characteristics of each group. The PCA and SIMCA models demonstrated successful discrimination of the two groups using a score plot of the third versus fourth principal component and a Coomans plot, respectively. The PCA loadings were generally consistent with the discriminating power of the SIMCA model, indicating a specific pattern of Vis-NIR spectra in the plasma of psychiatric patients. The specific pattern possibly indicates altered superoxide, amine, and primary and secondary amides in plasma and may provide a possible indicator for the diagnosis of heterogeneous psychiatric disorders. This is the first step toward a clinical tool which has the potential to be applied in the diagnosis of psychiatric disease. Yet, there remain obstacles to its practical usage.


Acquiring the sounds of a language involves learning to recognize distributional patterns present in the input. We show that among adult learners, this distributional learning of auditory categories (which are conceived of here as probability density functions in a multidimensional space) is constrained by the salience of the dimensions that form the axes of this perceptual space. Only with a particular ratio of variation in the perceptual dimensions was category learning driven by the distributional properties of the input.


Emerging from the proceedings of the Twentieth Festival of Original Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 2014, Theatre and Learning presents an array of material mapping the "highly complex and potentially powerful relationship" between these two topics (xxii). Historically, education and drama have proved uneasy bedfellows, with accusations of instrumentalism on the one hand and subversion on the other. Movements such as theatre in education (TIE), forum theatre, and the burgeoning genre of theatre for babies have adopted, problematized, and developed these discourses, yet the legitimacy of hybridized modes of performance remains contested. Helen Nicholson's Theatre, Education and Performance (2011) provided an invaluable historical analysis of evolving principles and practices within theatre education up to the twenty-first century, but this text aims to provoke further questions around the purpose of both theatre and learning by focusing on the experiences of a range of contemporary practitioners. Delivery, practice, and intention are interrogated with honesty and humility, as authors reflect on current debates within pedagogy and theatre. Structurally, the book reflects and preserves the dialogic nature of the original event more closely than a traditional account of proceedings. Provocations sit alongside empirical research; reflective analyses are interwoven with practitioner interviews. This mixture of scholarly modes produces some fascinating dialogues between chapters, such as Helen Nicholson's examination of "the potency of affective encounters between people and things" (181), which enriches producer Rhona Matheson's subsequent discussion of ownership, performativity, and engagement in theatre for the very young. The book is divided into three sections, entitled Reflecting, Risking, and Re-Imagining, although two major themes resonate through all contributions: the importance of failure and the weakness of binaries. Numerous authors reflect on their experiences of breakdowns in communication, artistic flops, and struggles with resistance. From truculent rehearsal participants to underprepared undergraduates, the pedagogue–student relationship is wittily scrutinized. Mary Anderson's powerful account of a community theatre project in Tasmania demonstrates the potential for failure to generate rueful but practical self-reflection as part of a practitioner's own learning. Similarly, Antje Budde's wry description of her attempts to deliver a course in Chinese theatre at a Canadian university highlights the unexpected consequences that can ultimately derail any bid to challenge institutional or cultural hegemonies. In several chapters, traditional documentation's inability to capture the ephemerality of live performance is foregrounded and forces authors to question the traces left behind. For example, Cassandra Silver reframes the Boalian spect-actor as a cell-phone-wielding "textactor" whose digital interaction with a production by Praxis Theatre is preserved forever in


Hot-rolled plates of both acicular ferrite (AF) and ferrite-pearlite (FP) pipeline steels were reheated at approximately 600°C, named as non-quench aging in this paper. The experimental result indicated that the non-quench aging caused different effects in mechanical properties for different microstructural types of pipeline steels. AF pipeline steels could be greatly strengthened by non-quench aging while FP pipeline steels could not be. Role of non-quench aging on mechanical properties between AF and FP pipeline steels was analyzed. Strengthening for AF pipeline steels by a subsequent simple non-quench aging without any other change in chemical composition, TMCP and rolling equipment, etc., provides a lower economical cost approach for the development of high strength pipeline steels.


The severity of the depressive and apathy syndrome, which are factoranalytically derived from the AMDP-system is reported for 428 patients with a monopolar depression. The data are compared with the results from 79 patients with a bipolar depression, 192 with a neurotic depression and 89 with a depressive reaction. The percentile scores can be used for the evaluation of the severity of a depressive and apathy syndrome in comparison to a reference sample.


The aviation industry has been growing continuously over the past decades. To ensure sustainability and competitiveness for the aviation industry sector, a full understanding of the environmental impacts is required, not only during use phase but along the entire life cycle, including "Materials", "Processes and Resources", "Manufacturing and Production", "Lifetime Services" as well as "Reuse, End-of-Life and Recycling". Core engine components, such as integral rotors (Blisks), are comprised of high value metallic alloys that require complex and resource consuming manufacturing processes. This paper will introduce an approach for Life-Cy-cle-Inventory data acquisition during Blisk manufacturing as basis for a Life-Cycle-Assessment (LCA) according to ISO 14040. A particular focus will be set on the data quality and confidence level regarding measuring, acquisition, and analysis of in- and output flows within the Blisk manufacturing process chain in scope. This includes the stages of material generation, forming processes, heat treatments, machining, surface treatments and quality assurance. A greater emphasis is drawn to selected variations on mechanical machining processes. On this basis, first results of an LCA for Blisk-manufacturing will be presented.


All-about diaries-software platforms that record, in a browsable and machine-processable format, the everyday activities of people, communities, and objects-offer a wealth of application opportunities, but their full-fledge implementation will require overcoming several challenges.


Transformer models have emerged as the leading approach for achieving state-of-the-art performance across various application domains, serving as the foundation for advanced large-scale deep learning (DL) models. However, efficiently training these models across multiple GPUs remains a complex challenge due to the abundance of parallelism options. Existing DL systems either require manual efforts to design distributed training plans or limit parallelism combinations to a constrained search space. In this paper, we present Galvatron-BMW, a novel system framework that integrates multiple prevalent parallelism dimensions and automatically identifies the most efficient hybrid parallelism strategy. To effectively navigate this vast search space, we employ a decision tree approach for decomposition and pruning based on intuitive insights. We further utilize a dynamic programming search algorithm to derive the optimal plan. Moreover, to improve resource utilization and enhance system efficiency, we propose a bi-objective optimization workflow that focuses on workload balance. Our evaluations on different Transformer models demonstrate the capabilities of Galvatron-BMW in automating distributed training under varying GPU memory constraints. Across all tested scenarios, Galvatron-BMW consistently achieves superior system throughput, surpassing previous approaches that rely on limited parallelism strategies.


Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are rapidly replacing microsatellites as the markers of choice for genetic linkage studies and many other studies of human pedigrees. Here, we describe an efficient approach for modeling linkage disequilibrium (LD) between markers during multipoint analysis of human pedigrees. Using a gene-counting algorithm suitable for pedigree data, our approach enables rapid estimation of allele and haplotype frequencies within clusters of tightly linked markers. In addition, with the use of a hidden Markov model, our approach allows for multipoint pedigree analysis with large numbers of SNP markers organized into clusters of markers in LD. Simulation results show that our approach resolves previously described biases in multipoint linkage analysis with SNPs that are in LD. An updated version of the freely available Merlin software package uses the approach described here to perform many common pedigree analyses, including haplotyping and haplotype frequency estimation, parametric and nonparametric multipoint linkage analysis of discrete traits, variance-components and regression-based analysis of quantitative traits, calculation of identity-by-descent or kinship coefficients, and case selection for follow-up association studies. To illustrate the possibilities, we examine a data set that provides evidence of linkage of psoriasis to chromosome 17.


This paper is a report on the theoretical origins of a decolonizing research sensibility called Indigenous Métissage. This research praxis emerged parallel to personal and ongoing inquiries into historic and current relations connecting Aboriginal peoples and Canadians in the place now called Canada. I frame the colonial frontier origins of these relations – and the logics that tend to inform them – as conceptual problems that require rethinking on more ethically relational terms. Although a postcolonial cultural theory called métissage offers helpful insights towards this challenge, I argue that the postcolonial emphasis on hybridity fails to acknowledge Indigenous subjectivity in ethical ways. Instead, I present an indigenized form of métissage focused on rereading and reframing Aboriginal and Canadian relations and informed by Indigenous notions of place. Doing Indigenous Métissage requires hermeneutic imagination directed towards the telling of a story that belies colonial frontier logics and fosters decolonizing.


A method for urinary iodine diagnostics using a portable energy-dispersion X-ray fluorescent (EDXRF) spectrometer is proposed. The principle of the method consists in excitation of the sample atoms fluorescence by the energy spectrum intentionally formed from the spectrum of an X-ray tube using an optimized X-ray scheme. The optimization by the criterion of the minimum detection limit for L-series iodine fluorescence lines included the calculation of optimal atomic numbers for materials of a re-radiator and a filter, and their thicknesses, the collimation system parameters, and an X-ray tube voltage. Experimentally achieved detection limits were 45 and 75 μg/L by I-Lα and I-Lβ lines, respectively, at the theoretically extreme value 30 μg/L. This sensitivity is found to be sufficient for urinary iodine diagnostics in the range from 50 to 200 μg/L. The results obtained from different patients have shown the satisfactory convergence for the iodine concentration determination by Lα and I-Lβ fluorescence lines. The simple sample preparation procedure and comparably small sizes of the apparatus allows rapid researches directly in clinical settings.


The main aim of the study was to identify the career anchors of employees working in Islamic banks of Bahrain and to examine the similarities or differences, in the career anchor preferences of males and females, managers and non-managers, and among the three generations [baby-boomers, Gen X and Gen Y]. Edgar Schein's eight career anchors formed the basis of this study. The study revealed that there is no significant difference in the career anchor preferences of the male, female, managers and non-managers. The main anchor for majority of these categories was technical/functional competence, for the second majority of respondents it was general managerial competence. The career anchors preference of babyboomers and Gen X, and Gen X and Gen Y was somewhat similar. However there was a variation in the career anchor preferences of baby-boomers and Gen Y. Majority of the baby-boomers and Gen X preferred technical/functional competence as their main anchor, and Gen Y opted for general managerial competence. The preferred anchor for the second majority of baby-boomers was security/stability, for Gen X general managerial competence and Gen Y pure challenge. The findings of this study would facilitate Islamic banks in Bahrain to develop appropriate career development plans based on their employee preferences. For male, female, managers and non-managers, career plans based on career anchors like technical/functional competence, and general managerial competence need to be made. Whereas for baby-boomers, Gen X and Gen Y relevant career plans based on specific preferences need to be formulated.


National Social Security System (SJSN) is a method of social insurance implementation. In order to face SJSN implementation, hospital must prepare for credentialing with insurance provider (BPJS Kesehatan). This study aimed analyze the correlation of individual andorganizational readiness for SJSN implementation inBhakti Dharma Husada (BDH)General Hospital Surabaya.This research was analytical-observational researchwith cross sectional design. Sample was taken by proportional stratified random sampling. There were 72 person (10 doctors, 56 nurses, 6 midwifes) as respondent. Data was collected usingquestionnaires.Test showed that there was no correlation of individual and organizational readiness for SJSN implementation (p = 1; α = 0,1; phi = - 0,096).This research concluded that individual readiness did not correlatewith organizational readiness for SJSN implementation.


Background Cycling and chronic tumor hypoxia are involved in tumor development and growth. However, the impact of cycling hypoxia and its molecular mechanism on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression remain unclear. Methodology Glioblastoma cell lines, GBM8401 and U87, and their xenografts were exposed to cycling hypoxic stress in vitro and in vivo. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in glioblastoma cells and xenografts was assayed by in vitro ROS analysis and in vivo molecular imaging studies. NADPH oxidase subunit 4 (Nox4) RNAi-knockdown technology was utilized to study the role of Nox4 in cycling hypoxia-mediated ROS production and tumor progression. Furthermore, glioblastoma cells were stably transfected with a retroviral vector bearing a dual reporter gene cassette that allowed for dynamic monitoring of HIF-1 signal transduction and tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo, using optical and nuclear imaging. Tempol, an antioxidant compound, was used to investigate the impact of ROS on cycling hypoxia-mediated HIF-1 activation and tumor progression. Principal Findings Glioblastoma cells and xenografts were compared under cycling hypoxic and normoxic conditions; upregulation of NOX4 expression and ROS levels were observed under cycling hypoxia in glioblastoma cells and xenografts, concomitant with increased tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo. However, knockdown of Nox4 inhibited these effects. Moreover, in vivo molecular imaging studies demonstrated that Tempol is a good antioxidant compound for inhibiting cycling hypoxia-mediated ROS production, HIF-1 activation, and tumor growth. Immunofluorescence imaging and flow cytometric analysis for NOX4, HIF-1 activation, and Hoechst 3342 in glioblastoma also revealed high localized NOX4 expression predominantly in potentially cycling hypoxic areas with HIF-1 activation and blood perfusion within the endogenous solid tumor microenvironment. Conclusions Cycling hypoxia-induced ROS via Nox4 is a critical aspect of cancer biology to consider for therapeutic targeting of cycling hypoxia-promoted HIF-1 activation and tumor progression in GBM.


We describe a new mechanism for cloud computing enabling near-real-time monitoring of virtual disk write streams across an entire cloud. Our solution has low IO overhead for the guest VM, low latency to file-level mutation notification, and a layered design for scalability. We achieve low IO overhead by duplicating the virtual disk write stream as it passes through a managing VMM. We achieve low latency by performing semantic inference at as high a level as possible—file-level. We achieve cloud scale by layering our design allowing filtering of file-level mutations by each layer such that network traffic to centralized monitoring infrastructure is minimized. We assume this technique is used on pre-indexed virtual disks, most likely derived from a cooperating VM image library such as those used in clouds today. Our new cloud primitive enables system administration tasks that involve monitoring files—virus scanning, log file parsing, etc.—to be performed outside of the running VM instance, either on the VMM host, or shipped to a central monitoring agent. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number CNS-0833882, an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, an IBM Open Collaborative Research grant, and an Intel Science and Technology Center grant. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NSF, IBM, Intel, or Carnegie Mellon University.


The implications of alternative disturbance specifications in supply functions have been considered in recent theoretical work but little, if any, empirical evidence has been provided on such specifications. Any empirical investigation of the nature of a supply function disturbance is hampered by considerable uncertainty about the deterministic part of the function. Nevertheless, some progress might be made by considering alternative disturbance specifications in conjunction with a variety of deterministic specifications. Applying this approach to the supply of wheat in southern N.S.W., we find some empirical support for an additive disturbance and, surprisingly, for the use of price, rather than revenue, as an argument In supply functions.


The use of Surrogate Based Optimization (SBO) has become commonplace for optimizing expensive black-box simulation codes. A popular SBO method is the Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) approach. However, the performance of SBO methods critically depends on the quality of the guiding surrogate. In EGO the surrogate type is usually fixed to Kriging eventhough this may not be optimal for all problems. In this paper the authors propose to extend the well-known EGO method with an automatic surrogate model type selection framework that is able to dynamically select the best model type (including hybrid ensembles) depending on the data available so far. Hence, the expected improvement criterion will always be based on the best approximation available at each step of the optimization process. The approach is demonstrated on a structural optimization problem, i.e., reducing the stress on a truss-like structure. Results show that the proposed algorithm consequently finds better optimums than traditional kriging-based infill optimization.


To the Editor.— I would like the physicians who were involved in the recent Questions and Answers discussion of the accountant with massive hemorrhage without apparent cause to reconsider their analysis. 1 They are obviously overlooking an important issue that I believe represents the cause for this patient's sudden massive hemorrhage. According to the history, this 61-year-old man was taking nasal decongestants for 1 week prior to the hemorrhagic event. A number of reports document the association of intracerebral hemorrage with the use of nasal decongestants and similar over-the-counter products. 2-4 Phenylpropanolamine, a synthetic sympathomimetic drug, is available in over-the-counter nasal decongestants and cold preparations. The mechanism of the hypertensive effect of phenylpropanolamine is thought to be related to a combination of α-adrenergic receptor stimulation and release of norepinephrine from nerve terminals. Brain infarction, vasculitis, headaches, seizures, and psychosis are additional neurological complications that have been confirmed as caused


The aim of this study is to expand the application of the non-linear softened truss model for membrane elements on deep beams. The softened truss model employs three equations for equilibrium, three for compatibility and four equations for the constitutive laws of materials. The constitutive equations for both the concrete and steel are based on the actually observed stress-strain relationships. The model has two important attributes. The first is the non-linear association of stress and strain. The second, and perhaps more remarkable, is the softening of concrete in compression due to tensile strains in the perpendicular direction. The softened truss model is capable of predicting the entire load-deformation history because it takes into account all the equations governing the equilibrium condition, the compatibility condition, and the constitutive laws of materials. For deep beams, one of the most important factors influencing behaviour is the effective transverse compression, which is dependent on the shear-span-to-depth ratio. For a constant shear force, the more slender a beam is, the less effective the transverse compression will be. In this study, the softened truss model is expanded to take into account the influence of this important factor. In the revised version of the model, it is shown that the effective transverse compression is not only dependent on the shear-span-to-depth ratio but also on the horizontal shear reinforcement ratio and the yield strength of the reinforcement in the longitudinal direction and the size of the specimen. The improved softened truss model is applied on 80 deep beam tests. It is apparent from the results that the revised model gives very accurate predictions of the shear strength of deep beams and is an improvement on the existing version of the model.


Metacognitive strategy is described as a thinking strategy of gaining knowledge and comprehension by knowing what students know and what they do not know. Since college students struggle to be successful in their study, they should have an awareness of applying this strategy in learning, so it can empower them to think about their own thinking process, enhance their control over their learning, and increase their autonomy to reach the goals. Therefore, teachers should consider incorporating metacognitive strategies in designing a lesson plan. This study aims to investigate the students' perception toward metacognitive strategies used in class. It was done in two classes in D3 English Department. The participants consist of 49 students. Data was gained from distributing questionnaire to students after metacognitive strategies was applied in the class. There are two types of data, quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive analysis, the qualitative data was described in depth analysis and summarized. The results found that most of the students had positive perception toward metacognitive strategies in the class. However, they found some challenges in implementing the strategies in their study.


Abstract Background:Background: Coronary heart disease is a common manifestation of atherosclerosis. Various inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen play role in the development of atherosclerosis. Periodontitis is the inflammation of teeth supporting structures initiated by bacteria of the oral biofilm. Several studies have shown that periodontitis is associated with increased levels of serum inflammatory markers involved in atherosclerosis. Recently, there is an increasing number of trials investigating the effect of scaling and root planing on reducing level of systemic inflammation between periodontal maintenance visits in patients with coronary heart disease to decrease the inflammatory burden in this targeted population and the risk of secondary cardiovascular event. Objective:Objective: The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review to investigate the effect of dental scaling and root planning on reducing the serum levels of inflammatory markers in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Method:Method: Electronic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, World Health Organization (WHO) International Trials Registry Platform, and Google Scholar beta to identify randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of scaling and root planing on the level of serum inflammatory markers in patients with stable coronary heart disease to those who have coronary heart disease but received no treatment or simple oral hygiene measures only. Results:Results: A total of 358 studies were initially identified from the search; 4 studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this systematic review. All of the included studies have considered C-reactive protein as a main outcome measure. Only one study considered evaluating the effect on fibrinogen, another study on interleukin-6, and two studies on tumor necrosis factor-alpha. In general, the results of the included randomized controlled trials appear to support the effectiveness of scaling and root planing in reducing serum levels of inflammatory markers. However, most of the studies involved small sample sizes except for one study, and there was inconsistency between the studies in the time considered for assessing the change in the level of serum inflammatory markers. Conclusion:Conclusion: There is a low evidence from the current literature supporting the effect of scaling and root planing in reducing systemic inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Future research should include observational studies to assess the effect of scaling and root planing in reducing the inflammatory burden in this targeted population and the risk of secondary cardiovascular event. Various inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-  (TNF-  ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and fibrinogen play role in the development of atherosclerosis. Periodontitis is the inflammation of teeth supporting structures initiated by bacteria of the oral biofilm. Several studies have shown that periodontitis is associated with increased levels of serum inflammatory markers involved in atherosclerosis. Recently, there is an increasing number of trials investigating the effect of scaling and root planing on reducing level of systemic inflammation between periodontal maintenance visits in patients with coronary heart disease to decrease the inflammatory burden in this targeted population and the risk of secondary cardiovascular event. Objective: The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review to investigate the effect of dental scaling and root planning on reducing the serum levels of inflammatory markers in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Method: Electronic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, World Health Organization (WHO) International Trials Registry Platform, and Google Scholar beta to identify randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of scaling and root planing on the level of serum inflammatory markers in patients with stable coronary heart disease to those who have coronary heart disease but received no treatment or simple oral hygiene measures only. Results: A total of 358 studies were initially identified from the search; 4 studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this systematic review. All of the included studies have considered C-reactive protein (CRP) as a main outcome measure. Only one study considered evaluating the effect on fibrinogen, another study on interleukin-6 (IL-6), and two studies on tumor necrosis factor-  (TNF-  ). In general, the results of the included randomized controlled trials appear to support the effectiveness of scaling and root planing in reducing serum levels of inflammatory markers. However, most of the studies involved small sample sizes except for one study, and there was inconsistency between the studies in the time considered for assessing the change in the level of serum inflammatory markers. Conclusion: There is a low evidence from the current literature supporting the effect of scaling and root planing in reducing systemic inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-  (TNF-  ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and fibrinogen in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Future research should include observational studies to assess the effect of scaling and root planing in reducing the inflammatory burden in this targeted population and


PWM systems contain inherent nonlinearities which arise from their modulation scheme. Thus, for a legitimate study of stability, such systems must be treated as nonlinear sampled-data systems without initially resorting to linear approximations. For a nonlinear system whose dynamic behavior is described by a set of first-order difference equations, one of the theorems in the second method of Lyapunov gives, as a sufficient condition for asymptotic stability in the large, the existence in the whole space of a positive-definite Lyapunov's function V , whose difference \DeltaV is negative definite. Hence, by choosing a positive-definite quadratic form as V , the sufficient condition is reduced to the negative-definiteness in the whole space of \DeltaV . Upon this basis, a systematic procedure of obtaining analytically a sufficient condition for asymptotic stability in the large is developed for various types of PWM systems; the condition is stated as the negativeness of all the eigenvalues of three matrices associated with the PWM system.


A series of novel, fluorescent pyrido[1,2-a]quinoxalines have been synthesized with crystal structures obtained for several analogues. These heterocycles exhibit characteristic pH-dependent UV-visible absorption and fluorescence properties that may be utilized for in-situ pH-sensing in biological experiments. The pKa values for this series of compounds, ranging from 4.5 to 7.5, can be systematically varied by manipulating the substitutions on the quinoxaline ring. These novel fluorescent pH indicators are readily available in one synthetic step from commercially available starting materials therefore being significantly more straightforward and less expensive to synthesize than the current standard fluorescent indicators.


Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), which adopt mild aqueous electrolytes with high power density and safety, have received significant interest. As the most widely used cathode material for ZIBs, manganese-based oxide has poor rate performance owing to its low electronic conductivity and slow ion diffusion kinetics. In this study, using the synergistic regulation strategy of defect engineering and atomic composition tuning, a mesoporous Al0.35 Mn2.52 O4 with an ultrahigh surface area (up to 82 m2 g-1 ) is fabricated through Al substitution in the Mn3 O4 , followed by an Al-selective leaching process. During the entire process, numerous defects are obtained in the spinel structure by removing ≈30% of the Al cations. Al substitution can improve the material conductivity, while cation defects can weaken the electrostatic effect and promote ion diffusion ability. Therefore, the Al0.35 Mn2.52 O4 cathode of ZIBs exhibits a high reversible capacity of 302 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1 . Furthermore, the reversible capacity remains at 147 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1500 mA g-1 . This synergistic regulation of atomic composition tuning and defect engineering provides a new perspective for improving the performance of electrode materials in ZIBs.


Hepatic steatosis is one complication patients may experience following clinical islet transplantation (CIT), yet the cause and consequences of this are poorly understood. The purpose of this case-control study was to examine the relationship between hepatic steatosis, metabolic parameters and graft function in an Albertan cohort of CIT recipients. Hepatic steatosis was detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in n = 10 cases age-matched with n=10 MRI-negative controls. Progression/regression of steatosis was determined by ultrasound (US) in cases. Hepatic steatosis first appeared 2.8 ± 2.2 (mean ± SD) years post-CIT, and lasted approximately 4.6 ± 2.0 years. In five cases steatosis resolved, with recurrence in two cases during the follow-up period (8.5 ± 3.2 years). No evidence of CIT causing deleterious effects on long-term liver function or graft outcome was observed.


A 20-year-old woman was referred to our department for evaluation of multiple café au lait macules (CALMs), which had progressively developed since the first months of life. Her familial and personal medical history was unremarkable. The physical examination disclosed an apparently healthy woman with approximately 25 CALMs sparsely distributed on the trunk, head, and lower extremities, 6 of them larger than 15 mm in diameter. Bilateral axillary and inguinal freckling (Crowe sign) was also noted. No neurofibromas were identified, and slitlamp ophthalmologic examination ruled out the presence of Lisch nodules. A punch biopsy specimen from a CALM was obtained. Neurological examination and neuroimaging studies showed no abnormalities. Findings from abdominal ultrasonography and blood pressure values were normal. Orthopedic examination disclosed mild dorsal scoliosis. A comprehensive mutational analysis for the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene (OMIM 613113) was negative. Representative clinical and histopathologic features are illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3. What is your diagnosis?


This study aimed to evaluate the suitability class of land in the Timang Gajah Watershed Sub-district of Bener Meriah Regency for rainfed paddy fields. Based on a map of soil type and slope maps from maps generated from topographic, then be overlaid. This study using a survey method consisting of 4 stages: preparatory phase, preliminary stage, primary survey, and data analysis and presentation of result.The assessment of land suitability classes with appropriateness rainfed paddy fields. The result showed that the potential land suitability class LMU 2 is S3 nr-2,eh-1, LMU 5 is S3 nr-2, eh-1, LMU 8 is S3 rc-2, nr-2, eh-1, LMU 9 is S3 nr-4, eh-1,2, LMU 10 is S3 nr-2, eh-1, LMU 11 is S3 eh-1, LMU 12 is S3 eh-1, LMU 13 is S3 nr-2, eh-1, LMU 15 is S3 rc-2, LMU 16 is S3 rc-2, LMU 17 is S2 rc-1,2, nr-2, eh-1, dan LMU 18 is S3 rc-2. Potensial land area for rainfed paddy fields in the Timang Gajah Watershed Sub-district of Bener Meriah Recency is of 277,06 ha


We report on the axis, magnitude and direction of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction in the weak ferromagnet FeBO3. The latter relies on the determination of the phase of the magnetic x-ray scattering amplitude. We outline a new technique based on interference with forbidden quadrupole resonant scattering to obtain this phase information.


A catalyst-free tandem reaction for synthesis of 4-nitromethyl-chromenes has been established from accessible α,β-unsaturated ketones and CH3NO2. Target products were obtained in non-toxic solvent under catalyst-free conditions. Especially, the scope of substrates was expanded to tricyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones for the synthesis of tetracyclic heterocompounds in medium to good yields.


Subtle structural deformities of the cerebral cortex have been shown to be the cause of seizures in patients with refractory epilepsy. Brain imaging using high‐resolution focused protocols with standard head coils may not provide sufficient image quality needed for evaluating subtle cortical abnormalities. The authors describe the use of a readily available shoulder coil placed over a specific area of the brain that has been clinically determined to enhance the signal to noise and resolution of the cortical surface. Delineating the cortical surface using a shoulder coil can help to detect subtle areas of cortical thickening, blurring of the gray‐white matter junction, or focally abnormal gyral and sulcal patterns.


Peculiarities of topography, structure and injuries are responsible for the pathomorphological behaviour of the pleura. Its characteristical macro- and microscopic alterations are correlated with the typical cytological findings of effusions. Additionally to the pleural reactions in acute inflammation, the postpleuritic functional disturbances of pleura and lung are reported.


Simulations of JET and AUG HS with the GLF23 model show that the observed core confinement improvement can be partly explained by the beneficial s/q effect on the ITG driven transport while the effect of the ExB shear stabilisation is weaker than in H-mode plasmas. Strong stabilising effect of βe on the ITG turbulence has been found, but the transport reduction due to this effect can be limited by the onset of the KBM mode at high βe. The simulations of toroidal rotation in HS with the GLF23 model give an indication of the toroidal momentum pinch (Pr<1). Use of H-mode parameters in the GLF23 and BgB models results in the over-peaking of the density profile while the temperatures are sufficiently accurately predicted. Based on the performed analysis a retuning of the BgB [7] and GLF23 models which enables a more accurate prediction for the main heating phase of HS is suggested. An impact of the models modifications on the predictions for ITER HS is to be assessed. The current ramp up and ramp down [2] phases are satisfactorily predicted with the original Lmode version of the BgB model. During the main heating phase the pedestal height and width are in a good agreement with the EPED model [9]. The modelling of ITER HS based on the results presented here, as well as the scenario optimisation will be discussed in Ref. 14.


Genetic programming (GP) is an automatic programming technique that has recently been applied to a wide range of problems including blocks-world planning. This paper describes a series of illustrative experiments in which GP techniques are applied to traditional blocks-world planning problems. We discuss genetic planning in the context of traditional AI planning systems, and comment on the costs and benefits to be expected from further work.


Electromyography revealed the larynx crossed motor innervation in dogs. Unilateral transection of the inferior laryngeal nerve or its branches caused disappearance of electrical activity in the denervated inner laryngeal muscles as well as immobility of the vocal cord at the transection side and its paramedian transposition. Within 6 or more months after the transection, the periodic electrical activity occurring mainly in the abductor muscles in inhalation and in abductor ones in exhalation, was restored. The vocal cord remained in the same position. Transection of the inferior laryngeal nerve on the other side caused disappearance of the electrical activity not only in the laryngeal muscles innervated by this particular nerve but in analogous contralateral muscles where the nerve had been cut long ago, as well. Single electrical stimuli applied to the peripheral part of the cut inferior laryngeal nerve induced biphasic electrical responses in the inner laryngeal muscles on both sides. These findings suggest existence of the crossed motor innervation of the inner laryngeal muscles apart from their homolateral motor innervation.


Introduction Selective cannulation of the common bile duct (CBD) during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can be technically challenging. The precut technique is a tried and tested method of gaining biliary access when standard cannulation with either contrast or guidewire has failed. However, it does have a recognised higher risk of causing pancreatitis and when used it is currently advised to place a prophylactic pancreatic stent. A new technique, termed double guidewire, involves leaving a wire in the pancreatic duct to provide a "roadmap" for subsequent biliary wire cannulation. Objectives To report our initial experience for the success and complication rate of the double guidewire technique. Methods Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent ERCP between April 2010 to April 2012 at our institution. Observed differences were tested with the Fisher's exact test. Results 484 ERCP procedures, all having initial cannulation with either a single guidewire or contrast. Overall successful biliary cannulation for first ever ERCP was achieved in 95%. Attempted CBD cannulation was facilitated by double guidewire in 20 patients and precut in 19 patients. CBD cannulation was successful in 19/20 (95%) double guidewire patients and 15/19 (79%) precut patients (p = NS). Post-ERCP pancreatitis occurred in all procedures were 11/484 (2.2%), double guidewire 3/20 (15%) (p < 0.02), precut 1/19 (5.3%). Prophylactic pancreatic stents were placed in 2 double guidewire patients and no precut patients. In the double guidewire group, patients with pancreatitis stayed longer (mean 8 days) in the hospital when compared to precut group (mean 3 days). Conclusion Deep CBD cannulation could be equally achieved with the help of either the double guidewire or the precut technique. There was a significant increased risk of pancreatitis with the double guidewire technique presumably related to inadvertent and repeated wire cannulations of the pancreatic duct. We find that the double guidewire technique is technically easy and currently use it if pancreatic duct cannulation occurs on > 3 occasions. However, when used we now also place a prophylactic pancreatic stent at the end of the procedure. Conflicts of interest none Disclosure of Interest None Declared.


The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the performance standard for diagnostic x-ray systems and their major components by revising and adding requirements concerning computed tomography x-ray (CT) systems. CT systems are new medical diagnostic tools whose use in the United States has grown significantly in recent years. Because CT systems have many performance features that are unlike conventional x-ray systems, the current performance standard for diagnostic x-ray systems is not entirely appropriate for CT systems. The amendments to the standard address the special characteristics of CT systems.


The coarse porphyritic Aswan Granite used in many ancient Egyptian monuments has been held to intrude a tract of gneisses and schists. It is suggested in this paper that the granitic body was formed during a phase of granitization which followed the folding and metamorphism responsible for producing the gneisses and schists. A part of the granite retains mimetic structures inherited from the pre-existing rocks, but the southern part became mobile and developed a new structure. The intrusion of a magmatic granite in dykes and sheets followed the phase of granitization.


This paper retells some of the achievements and personal attributes of Sir Samuel Wilks, one of the great Guy's Hospital physicians and neurologists of the second half of the 19th century. He was a fellow of the Royal Society, president of the Royal College of Physicians, and physician extraordinary to Queen Victoria. A prolific author and original observer of clinical and pathological diseases, he was renowned for his Lectures on Pathological Anatomy, and his original descriptions of syphilis, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel diseases, and myasthenia gravis.


In this paper, a two-level switching algorithm of the deadbeat to control PWM inverter is proposed A modified algorithm of the deadbeat is suitable for the UPS system. Two levels in the pulse pattern are used. This scheme allows the use of higher switching frequency for a given computation time delay, which results in lower total harmonic distortion at the output The proposed control scheme is implemented using TMS320F240 DSP chip for controlling on inverter.


In the Internet of Thing (IoT) vision, Machineto-Machine (M2M) applications will be able to communicate with remote physical devices, being continuously updated as the status of things and monitored phenomena change. However, IoT environments have strict constraints concerning limited energy, low bandwidth, and limited computing capabilities. Thus, network congestion and scalability issues arise if many sensing applications with heterogeneous requirements demand state updates for the same resource too frequently. To address this problem, in this work we propose, implement and evaluate an application broker for heterogenous M2M applications. In particular, our application broker acts as the proxy between remote applications and constrained devices. Then, it dynamically regulates the frequency of resource state updates leveraging the measured transmission reliability of update notifications from that resource. A key feature of our proposed approach is the use of a max-min fair allocation procedure to obtain a more efficient utilisation of the limited network resources, without starving some applications. A prototype of our application broker has been developed for COAP, a standard web-based transfer protocol for IoT environments. The proposed approach is extensively evaluated through emulation and compared to a conventional proxy that is unaware of network congestion. Our results show that our solution can provide a significant improvement regarding network utilisation and energy consumption, as well as to better meet applications' requirements.


q-gram matching is used for approximate substring matching problems in a wide range of application areas, including intrusion detection. In this paper we present a tree based model to perform fast linear time q-gram matching. All q-grams present in the text are stored in a tree structure similar to Trie. We use a tree redundancy pruning algorithm to reduce the size of the tree without losing any information. We also use suffix links for fast q-gram search during query matching. We compare our work with the Rabin-Karp based hash-table technique, commonly used for multiple q-gram search. We present results of experiments on system call sequence data used for intrusion detection.


Grice in pragmatics and Levelt in psycholinguistics have proposed models of human communication where the starting point of communicative action is an individual intention. This assumption, though, has to face serious objections with regard to the alleged existence of explicit representations of the communicative goals to be pursued. Here evidence is surveyed which shows that in fact speaking may ordinarily be a quite automatic activity prompted by contextual cues and driven by behavioural schemata abstracted away from social regularities. On the one hand, this means that there could exist no intentions in the sense of explicit representations of communicative goals, following from deliberate reasoning and triggering the communicative action. On the other hand, however, there are reasons to allow for a weaker notion of intention than this, according to which communication is an intentional affair, after all. Communicative action is said to be intentional in this weaker sense to the extent that it is subject to a double mechanism of control, with respect both to present-directed and future-directed intentions.


In this paper, we perform an iterative decoding threshold analysis of LDPC block code ensembles formed by terminating (J,K)-regular and irregular AR4JA-based LDPC convolutional codes. These ensembles have minimum distance growing linearly with block length and their thresholds approach the Shannon limit as the termination factor tends to infinity. Results are presented for various ensembles and termination factors, which allow a code designer to trade-off between distance growth rate and threshold.


In re TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litig., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145935 (N.D. Cal. 2012) Even though many states have chosen to part company with federal antitrust laws by permitting antitrust…