During the past decade countries in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region have lifted more than 50 million people out of poverty, yet half of the rural population in the region still lacks access to sanitation and approximately 20 percent to drinking water. In January 2012, policy makers, scholars, and practitioners from nine LAC countries came together in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to explore the opportunities and challenges of integrating in a more systematic and sustainable way the promotion of hygiene and sanitation behavioral change into water and sanitation investments. During the conference in Santo Domingo, it became evident that a common understanding is currently emerging from most countries in the sense that infrastructure by itself will not solve the global problems of inadequate access to improved sanitation and potable water, unless people adopt new behaviors. Therefore, there is a need to spread learning on best practices to implement cost effective water, sanitation and hygiene models, which bring about change at home and in the community at scale. This paper highlights key issues that arose in presentations and group discussions during the conference, which, can lead to substantial improvements in the provision of a multi-sector approach to hindering sustainable water and sanitation services for all.


https://doi.org/10.30574/gscarr.2022.10.1.0264 Abstract Forest species are very abundant in African ecosystems and contribute to the economy of households, through their use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and agri-food. Among these species, Vitellaria paradoxa (sapotaceae) is a tree that can reach about fifteen meters, which grows exclusively in wooded savannas in Africa. Its area of distribution is Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was to highlight the forms of valuation of shea butter in the food industry and in cosmetics. To do this, we carried out a literature review. The results revealed that shea butter is a fat extracted from the kernels of the shea fruit. It is obtained by shelling, drying and crushing the nuts. Crushed seeds and then mixed with water. Once immersed in water, the impurities will come out naturally from the butter and thus settle in the bottom of the container. Then, the butter that has remained on the surface is collected, and kneaded, to be cooked for a long time at a very low temperature. The water evaporates, leaving only room for the oil, which will be manually filtered through muslin and then conditioned. Once at room temperature, the butter (melted into oil) regains its solid and melting texture. This butter, for its properties, is on considerable importance in food industry and cosmetics. Thus, shea butter is used in cooking (edible oils), in pastry products, confectionery and in chocolate industry as a substitute for cocoa butter. In cosmetics, it is best known for its moisturizing and softening properties of the skin. It is also used as an excipient in cosmetic formulations such as ointments, shampoos, toilet soaps and in


Abstract Lipoprotein glomerulopathy (LPG) is caused by a mutation in the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) gene and is characterized by lipoprotein thrombi in glomerular capillaries. Here, we describe a case of LPG, the first to be reported from Canada and the first case of LPG in North America to be associated with the APOE Tokyo/Maebashi mutation (p.Leu162_Lys164del, traditional nomenclature 142_144del). A 49-year-old man of Chinese descent with a previous diagnosis of dyslipidemia and a new diagnosis of hypertension was found to have proteinuria on routine urinalysis. Renal biopsy showed markedly dilated glomerular capillaries filled with pale staining mesh-like material that stained positive for Oil-Red-O, consistent with lipoprotein thrombi. APOE gene sequencing confirmed the diagnosis of LPG. The patient was treated with fenofibrate and perindopril. His lipid profile normalized and proteinuria dropped to minimal levels. Repeat renal biopsy 2 years after the first showed resolution of lipoprotein thrombi but with rare residual granular densities by electron microscopy consistent with lipoprotein in the subendothelial space, supporting the hypothesis that this subendothelial material contains precursors to lipoprotein thrombi.


The Materials Adherence Experiment ("MAE") on the Pathfinder "Sojoumer" Rover will measure the dust deposition rate on space power solar cell arrays. By August, the Sojourner Rover on Mars Pathfinder will have completed its primary mission, and the experiment will have data on dust deposition during the first three weeks of operation on Mars. This paper present the initial data from the experiment. This is the first presentation of the results from the Pathfinder MAE experiment.


ABSTRACT Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), the biologically active form of thiamine (also known as vitamin B1), is an essential cofactor for several important enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, and therefore, it is required for all living organisms. We recently found that a thiamine-binding protein (TDE_0143) is essential for the survival of Treponema denticola, an important bacterial pathogen that is associated with human periodontitis. In this report, we provide experimental evidence showing that TP_0144, a homolog of TDE_0143 from the syphilis spirochete Treponema pallidum, is a thiamine-binding protein that has biochemical features and functions that are similar to those of TDE_0143. First, structural modeling analysis reveal that both TDE_0143 and TP_0144 contain a conserved TPP-binding site and share similar structures to the thiamine-binding protein of Escherichia coli. Second, biochemical analysis shows that these two proteins bind to TPP with similar dissociation constant (Kd) values (TDE_0143, Kd of 36.50 nM; TP_0144, Kd of 32.62 nM). Finally, heterologous expression of TP_0144 in a ΔTDE_0143 strain, a previously constructed TDE_0143 mutant of T. denticola, fully restores its growth and TPP uptake when exogenous thiamine is limited. Collectively, these results indicate that TP_0144 is a thiamine-binding protein that is indispensable for T. pallidum to acquire exogenous thiamine, a key nutrient for bacterial survival. In addition, the studies shown in this report further underscore the feasibility of using T. denticola as a platform to study the biology and pathogenicity of T. pallidum and probably other uncultivable treponemal species as well.


The neural correlates of inner speech have been investigated previously using functional imaging. However, methodological and other limitations have so far precluded a clear description of the neural anatomy of inner speech and its relation to overt speech. Specifically, studies that examine only inner speech often fail to control for subjects' behaviour in the scanner and therefore cannot determine the relation between inner and overt speech. Functional imaging studies comparing inner and overt speech have not produced replicable results and some have similar methodological caveats as studies looking only at inner speech. Lesion analysis can avoid the methodological pitfalls associated with using inner and overt speech in functional imaging studies, while at the same time providing important data about the neural correlates essential for the specific function. Despite its advantages, a study of the neural correlates of inner speech using lesion analysis has not been carried out before. In this study, 17 patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia performed inner speech tasks (rhyme and homophone judgements), and overt speech tasks (reading aloud). The relationship between brain structure and language ability was studied using voxel-based lesion–symptom mapping. This showed that inner speech abilities were affected by lesions to the left pars opercularis in the inferior frontal gyrus and to the white matter adjacent to the left supramarginal gyrus, over and above overt speech production and working memory. These results suggest that inner speech cannot be assumed to be simply overt speech without a motor component. It also suggests that the use of overt speech to understand inner speech and vice versa might result in misleading conclusions, both in imaging studies and clinical practice.


Today's youth thrive in informal participatory communities where they not only consume but also act as contributors or producers. In a participatory culture of learning, students' active contributions to their learning are stressed and peer assessment is considered as an important component. In this paper we investigate which user experiences should be supported in a playful peer feedback tool within a participatory culture of learning.


Objective: Collecting samples of Acinetobacter baumannii taken from different clinical cases of wounds, septicemia, and urinary tract infections. That was accomplished by taking (296) samples from Baghdad educational hospital and Ibn-al-Baladi hospital. Samples were cultured on solid media (McConkey and blood agars), and according to microscopical, cultural, and biochemical identification, in addition to using API 20-E system, (21) isolates of A. baumannii were identified and in percentage of 47.619, 9.523, 14.285, and 28.571 for wound, blood, sputum, and urine samples, respectively. Methods: detection of fimbriated bacterial isolates among 21 isolates, and all those isolated were fimbriae forming isolates; isolate number (9) was selected as an effective isolate in formation of fimbriae. Non-forming fimbriae isolate of Shigella flexneri is used as negative control. Results and Conclusion: the average of adherence of fimbriated bacterial cell with human epithelial cells was reached (50) adherent bacterial cell per epithelial cell compared with the average of adherence of control isolate (12) adherent bacterial cell per epithelial cell, the inhibition processes are performed: Inhibition of bacterial adherence by specific antibodies of fimbriae antigen showed inhibition effect of adherence in respect to fimbriated isolate A. baumannii 9 also the subminimum inhibitory concentration for four antibiotics (Gentamicin, Tobramycin, Cefepime, and Amikacin) inhibit the adherence of fimbriated isolate. The isolates (used in the study) have the ability to agglutinate Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human red blood corpuscles (RBCs). The study of effect of different fimbriae extract concentrations (25, 50, 100 μg/ml) on immune cells; consequently, reached to the following results: Concentrations of (25, 50, 100) μg/ml showed a negative effect on lymphocyte and PMNs viability which increased significantly (P≤0.05) with increasing of fimbriae extract concentration. On the other hand, concentrations of (25, 50) μg/ml of fimbriae extract caused a significant increase (P≤0.05) noticed in the average of T-cells forming the active T-Rosette (41.3, 54.3)% and the total (62, 81)% compared with control which reached (28.3, 40.6)% respectively. The present study results revealed an increase in phagocytosis of killed yeast cells by phagocytes. To our knowledge this is the first preliminary report in Iraq showed the role of fimbriated A. baumannii in adherence on epithelial cell and inhibition of this adhesion by specific antibody, also this report investigated the role of fimbrial antigen on some immune cell.


Abstract Objective. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is a therapeutic option for endoscopically unmanageable upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. We aimed to assess the efficacy and clinical outcomes of TAE for acute non-variceal upper GI bleeding and to identify predictors of recurrent bleeding within 30 days. Materials and methods. Visceral angiography was performed in 66 patients (42 men, 24 women; mean age, 60.3 ± 12.7 years) who experienced acute non-variceal upper GI bleeding that failed to be controlled by endoscopy during a 7-year period. Clinical information was reviewed retrospectively. Outcomes included technical success rates, complications, and 30-day rebleeding and mortality rates. Results. TAE was feasible in 59 patients. The technical success rate was 98%. Rebleeding within 30 days was observed in 47% after an initial TAE and was managed with re-embolization in 8, by endoscopic intervention in 5, by surgery in 2, and by conservative care in 12 patients. The 30-day overall mortality rate was 42.4%. In the case of initial endoscopic hemostasis failure (n = 34), 31 patients underwent angiographic embolization, which was successful in 30 patients (96.8%). Rebleeding occurred in 15 patients (50%), mainly because of malignancy. Two factors were independent predictors of rebleeding within 30 days by multivariate analysis: coagulopathy (odds ratio [OR] = 4.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–15.29; p = 0.021) and embolization in ≥2 territories (OR = 4.93; 95% CI: 1.43–17.04; p = 0.012). Catheterization-related complications included hepatic artery dissection and splenic embolization. Conclusion. TAE controlled acute non-variceal upper GI bleeding effectively. TAE may be considered when endoscopic therapy is unavailable or unsuccessful. Correction of coagulopathy before TAE is recommended.


This study is titled the progress of speech production in people with autism (case study in a girl named Aliya Salsabila Ramadhani). The study was conducted by Mu'thia Mubasyira, Zainal Rafli and Endry Boeriswati. To correspond the email used is firstname.lastname@example.com and the orchid number is 0000-0002-4084-3382. This study was conducted with the aim to find out how the progress of speech production in people with autism with the object of research on a girl named Aliya Salsabila Ramadhani who is now 9 years old. This study tried to analyze the primary data obtained by explaining the progress of language and Aliya speech production from the age of 3 months old until now. This research uses descriptive qualitative methods that seek to describe the progress of Aliya language and speech production with a short narrative and exposure to data retrieval techniques used through observation of video documentation of activities carried out and through questionnaires and interviews. In addition, this study also uses relevant references as study materials so that holistic and thorough discussion results are obtained. From the characteristics that seem to be known that Aliya is classified as experiencing mild austism. It is also obtained through the analysis of language development and how Aliya interacts with the environment and the surrounding people. Aliya also has abstinence from certain foods to suppress so that her behavior is not too hyper or excessive. Aliya's language progress and speech production made significant increasement  after she received developmental therapy and speech therapy and attended a special needs school. This research is expected to add to the treasures of science, especially those related to psycholinguistics with the study of language development and speech production in people with autism.


Abstract. Gas-phase oxidation pathways and products of anthropogenic
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mainly aromatics, are the subject of
intensive research, with attention paid to their contributions to secondary
organic aerosol (SOA) formation and potentially new particle formation
(NPF) in the urban atmosphere. In this study, a series of OH-initiated
oxidation experiments of trimethylbenzene (TMB, C9H12) including
1,2,4-TMB, 1,3,5-TMB, 1,2,3-TMB, and 1,2,4-(methyl-D3)-TMBs
(C9H9D3) were investigated in an oxidation flow reactor
(OFR) in the absence and presence of NOx. Products were measured using
a suite of state-of-the-art instruments, i.e. a nitrate-based chemical
ionization–atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometer
(nitrate CI-APi-TOF), an iodide-adduct chemical ionization time-of-flight
mass spectrometer (iodide CI-TOF) equipped with a Filter Inlet for Gases and
AEROsols (FIGAERO), and a Vocus proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer
(Vocus PTR). A large number of C9 products with 1–11 oxygen atoms and C18
products presumably formed from dimerization of C9 peroxy radicals were
observed, hinting at the extensive existence of autoxidation and accretion
reaction pathways in the OH-initiated oxidation reactions of TMBs. Oxidation
products of 1,2,4-(methyl-D3)-TMBs with deuterium atoms in different methyl
substituents were then used as a molecular basis to propose potential
autoxidation reaction pathways. Accretion of C9 peroxy radicals is the most
significant for aromatics with meta-substituents and the least for aromatics
with ortho-substituents if the number and size of substituted groups are
identical. The presence of NOx would suppress the formation of highly oxygenated molecules (HOMs) of C18 and enhance the formation of
organonitrates and even dinitrate organic compounds. Our results show that
the oxidation products of TMB are much more diverse and could be more
oxygenated than the current mechanisms predict.


The scatter fields experimentally observable at the image plane of an optical receiver are modeled in a way that is consistent with the concepts and notations of both radiative transfer theory and the probability-computing receiver. Transient response and Doppler effect are considered. Single-particle scattering and its relationship to multiple scatter as treated by radiative transfer theory are reviewed. The statuses of experimental data and a variety of approximate methods for predicting the channel are also discussed.


Ion‐pair formation between the dianionic drug sodium cromoglycate and dodecylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride has been found to alter the extent and rate of corneal penetration of both large ions upon their coadministration. Additionally, using a complex coacervate of the two large ions as the applied dose form (in which the complex is in equilibrium with the ion pairs), a change in the overall disposition of both large ions to the various components of the eye is observed.


Abstract : Claims by Iran that its current nuclear program is aimed at providing an additional energy resource to be used for peaceful purposes is not supported by their actions. Iran presents a threat to the Middle East region and the security of the United States, according to the 2006 staff report of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence under the U.S. House of Representatives. This is due to Iran's past and current activities involving threatening statements made by President Ahmadinejad, covert advances in its nuclear program, support of various terrorist organizations, and resistance to international negotiations concerning these activities. Iran has deliberately concealed its uranium enrichment program disregarding its agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability. Iran also possesses additional capabilities that threaten regional and international security to include its offensive chemical weapons research and development, biological weapons program, and the fact that it has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East. This last capability, coupled with the others, presents a serious threat to the region. In addition, Iran's continuing support of terrorist organizations, including the ongoing insurgency in Iraq with "funding, training, and weapons" is not reflective of the actions of a peaceful nation. On the subject of nuclear weapons, "Iran's willingness to endure international condemnation, isolation, and economical disruptions in order to carry out nuclear activities covertly, indicates Iran is developing nuclear weapons."


Slaughterhouse plays important role in pig value chain in Vietnam, not only for the functions it plays and economic added value it generates, but also for product quality relates to food safety standards that is much affected under slaughtering activity. The study is aimed to get a better understanding of structure, conduct, performance and economic viability of small scale slaughter houses in the pig value chain, and draw key implications for pig value chain development in Vietnam. Nghe An and Hung Yen are selected as study site. Data is collected from 51 small scale slaughterhouses in 18 communes. Descriptive and comparative statistics are employed with t-test for mean comparison. Results show that slaughterhouse plays multiple functions in the pig value chain, generate permanent jobs for at least 2 family labors, and provides an income of about 18 USD/working day for family labor, contributing about threefourths of total family income. Slaughtering activity generates an added value of 165 USD/one ton of live pig, accounting from 24%-44% total value added in the pig value chain. Upstream and downstream linkages of slaughterhouses in the chain are quite loose with no formal contract. The majority of small scale slaughterhouses do not meet the standards for pig slaughterhouse as required by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The setting up as well as slaughtering practices are perceived to contribute to exposure of meat to contamination that could lead to higher incidence of salmonella in pork, a common cause of foodborne illness for consumers. Rising concerns of consumers about food safety as well as increasing level of economic integration of Vietnam are factors potentially having great impacts on economic viability of small scale slaughterhouse in Vietnam. Several recommendations for upgrading slaughterhouse are proposed accordingly.


Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment promotes the electroporation of biological membranes, and if included as a pre-treatment, could improve the extraction of certain constituents therefrom. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal extraction conditions for extracting the flavonoid quercetin from dried onion skin and to establish whether the yield could be enhanced by combining PEF pre-treatment with an eco-friendly extraction method that uses subcritical water extraction (SWE). Samples of onion skin were treated with PEF under conditions of varying electric field strength (0.5–2.5 kV/cm) and duration (5–120 s). SWE was then performed with an extraction time of 15 min and at temperatures ranging from 105 °C to 185 °C. Among the conditions tested, the yield of total quercetin was the highest after pretreatment with PEF at 2.5 kV/cm for 15 s, followed by SWE at 145 °C for 15 min (yield 19.25 ± 0.77 mg/g dried onion skin, mean ± standard deviation). Pretreatment with PEF improved the yield of total quercetin extracted by 33.22% compared with the PEF-untreated samples. These findings demonstrate that pretreatment of onion skin with PEF has the potential to improve flavonoid extraction.


The 24 MJup brown dwarf 2MASS 1207-3932 has for some time been known to show clear signs of classical T Tauri-like accretion. Through analysis of its oxygen forbidden emission, we have discovered that it is driving a bipolar outflow. Blue- and redshifted components to the [O I] λ6300 forbidden emission line are seen at velocities of -8 and +4 km s-1 (on either side of the systemic velocity). Spectroastrometry recovers the position of both components relative to the brown dwarf at ~0.08'' (in opposing directions). A position-velocity diagram of the line region supports the spectroastrometric results. The Hα and He I λ6678 lines were also analyzed. These line regions are not offset with respect to the continuum, ruling out the presence of spectroastrometric artifacts and underlining the validity of the [O I] λ6300 results. The low radial velocity of the outflow and the relatively large offsets are consistent with 2MASS 1207-3932 having a near edge-on disk as proposed by Scholz et al. 2MASS 1207-3932 is now the smallest mass galactic object known to drive an outflow. The age of the TW Hydrae association (~8 Myr) also makes this one of the oldest objects with a resolved jet. This discovery not only highlights the robustness of the outflow mechanism over an enormous range of masses but also suggests that it may even be feasible for young giant planets with accretion disks to drive outflows.


This study examines the consumer decision-making styles with respect to shopping behavior among Indian adolescents. Specifically, Sproles and Kendall's Consumer Style Inventory was used to determine the various decision-making styles of the respondents. An initial sample of 250 school-going children completed the inventory, which was found to be unreliable. Further, a study was conducted on a sample of 283 students to develop a new scale using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Six decision-making styles of the original scale, specifically, Price Consciousness, Brand Consciousness, Fashion Consciousness, Hedonistic Orientation, Habitual Orientation, and Impulse Driven, were retained but five new styles, i.e., Reference Group Orientation, Convenience Seeking, Bargain Seeking, Socially Desirable, and Information Seeking, emerged which were found to be unique to Indian shopping behavior. Additionally, the Perfectionist style from the original scale split into two factors, Perfection Seeking and Quality Seeking, in Indian adolescents.

Keywords: Consumer Decision Making, CSI, Indian, Adolescents

To cite this document: Sumit Pillai and Arpita Srivastava, "Consumer Decision-Making Styles of Indian Adolescents", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.11, No.4, pp. 385-408, 2015.

#Correction of Authorship by Authors' Request
This paper was submitted to CMR in October 21, 2014. This manuscript was subject to editorial review and was held to be suitable for publication after revision, and was published in CMR Vol. 11, No. 4 (December 2015).
In April 2017, Sumit Pillai and Arpita Srivastava had submitted a request for correction of authorship, asking that Sumit Pillai should be added to the paper as first author and Arpita Srivastava should be the second author. After email communication, both two authors (Sumit Pillai and Arpita Srivastava) confirmed that they agreed the change in authorship.

Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.14181


Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) are a novel motivational construct which describe periods of highly motivated behaviour while working towards a well-defined and personally significant end goal (see e.g. Dornyei, Henry & Muir, 2016). Such periods of motivation are found in diverse contexts and directed towards varied outcomes, yet are uniquely recognisable by the highly positive emotionality exhibited by individuals, who during this time often surpass even their wildest expectations. To date, DMC research has focused on qualitative accounts of the personal experiences of DMCs, and while this has offered a wealth of comprehensive data, key research strands remain unexplored. In response to this, this thesis comprises two complementary studies, each looking at a novel aspect of DMC theory and application.

Study 1 takes a quantitative approach to research by addressing questions related to the recognisability of DMCs across continents and contexts, and considers basic questions such as how many people report having experienced periods of DMC-like motivation, what inspired them, and the durations they lasted. It additionally looks at the demographic factors of respondents to understand whether there are links between DMCs and either gender, age or nationality. The study uses a newly developed online questionnaire tool and involves a total of 1563 participants of 71 different nationalities. The results support the notion that DMCs are a well-recognisable and widely experienced motivational phenomenon in society, and indicate no significant links between DMCs and any demographic factors. In terms of language learning, the findings support the assertion that DMCs are found across a wide range of language levels and contexts.

Study 2 addresses the practical applicability of DMC theory to language learning and teaching. This classroom intervention study – conducted in collaboration with Jessica Florent and David Leach – aimed to purposefully facilitate a group DMC experience in a class of 16 business English language learners. The basis of this study stems from the observation that within a classroom context, group DMCs can be thought of as intensive group projects. The study was structured around an 'All Eyes on the Final Product' project framework (Dornyei et al., 2016), the end goal being the organisation of a large charity fundraising event. Data was collected throughout the five weeks from personal diary entries and Skype interviews with both students and teachers. Findings suggest the intervention was highly successful in creating a group DMC experience, and significantly, it was also found that students reported notable positive developments throughout the course, both in terms of their language learning and in other key skills.

The cumulative conclusions presented in this thesis are therefore highly encouraging, offering strong empirical support to the claim that DMCs are a well-recognised and widely experienced motivational phenomenon which transcends borders and contexts. Results equally suggest that the purposeful facilitation of DMC experiences with varied groups of language learners in diverse contexts – to achieve dual motivational and educational aims – might be a very real possibility. Although positive results are reported, both studies venture into previously unchartered research territory and, in light of this, the conclusions put forward require validation and confirmation through further empirical work. Suggestions for future research are made.


This management report examines the variables surrounding 2 performance appraisal systems in separate companies- Greenstar and Takeda. Both Hr had found problems with their respective appraisal systems in term of engagement of employees and management with the process. My research is concentrated on uncovering specifically why the problems of engagement with the process exist and what the organisations can do to alleviate the issues. My core objective being to uncover whether the issues both companies are encountering can be aided through the dissection so to speak of the performance appraisal formal meetings which would entail holding separate appraisal interview for administrative purposes and for developmental purposes thus seeking to ensure both organisation and its workers extract maximum value from the process.

During the course of the research the author has found that through the use of interviews and questionnaires that the appraisal systems in operation had many fundamental faults revolving around communications, objectivity and participation primarily.

The report suggests that both organisations can overcome these difficulties by introducing an appraisal by objectives appraisal system which is characterised by high levels of participation and mutually defined performance objectives. And this can be achieved but first it is recommended that management undergo external training on areas revolving the appraisal process while simultaneously a directive must be introduced by which management will be measured on their use of the process.


In this work, mesh fusion in MPP is successfully implemented in LSDYNA®. It has been demonstrated through benchmark examples that MPP mesh fusion can reduce the simulation time (25%) and make sure the accuracy (error within 2%) of the forming process. The result for the corresponding spingback analysis is slightly large (error within 10%) and can serve as a rough and quick estimation. INTRODUCTION To improve simulation efficiency, mesh fusion has been implemented in LSDYNA® for a while. However, the implementation was only available in SMP, and its usage was very limited. Recently, mesh fusion has been successfully extended to MPP, and it can be activated with the existing keyword *CONTROL_ADAPTIVE through appropriate parameters NCFREQ, ADPCTL, CBIRTH and CDEATH. The paper is organized as follows. The keyword to activate the MPP Fusion feature is first introduced. Numerical investigation with the NUMISHEET' 93 Benchmark is then conducted. Conclusion is drawn in the very end. The Keyword *CONTROL_ADAPTIVE Originally, adaptive fusion was implemented in SMP version. The MPP fusion feature was turned off with a warning message displayed at the beginning of any simulations that require fusion in MPP. As of Revision 113867, the MPP fusion is fully incorporated into the system. The following keyword is the input to use the fusion feature. *CONTROL_ADAPTIVE $ ADPFREQ ADPTOL ADPOPT MAXLVL TBIRTH TDEATH LCADP IOFLAG 2.00 4.0 2 3 0.0 70.0 0 1 $ ADPSIZE ADPASS IREFLG ADPENE ADPTH MEMORY ORIENT MAXEL 0.0000000 1 0 5.000 0.0 $ IADPN90 IADPGH NCFREQ IADPCL ADPCTL CBIRTH CDEATH LCLVL -1 0 2 0 8.0 0.00 70.0 In the keyword, NCFREQ defines the fusion frequency, ADPCTL defines the fusion criterion, CBIRTH and CDEATH defines when the fusion starts and ends. Livermore Software Technology Corp. September 2017 Numerical Investigation To test the performance of the new feature, a number of simulations were carried out using the NUMISHEET'93 Benchmark, as shown in Figure 1. For each case, a forming process is first conducted, followed by the corresponding springback analysis. The simulations are first carried out in MPP with number of CPUs being 10. The performance comparison of the code with and without fusion is conducted. Specifically, we would like to check the differences in the simulation CPU time in the forming process, results in final springback angle, maximum effective plastic strain and minimum shell thickness in the workpiece with different number of CPUs running in MPP for cases with and without mesh fusion. As an illustration, the final mesh sizes and shapes of the springback angles running with 10 CPUs in MPP with and without mesh fusion are given in Figure 2. The differences of the two final springback angles are calculated to be 8.1%. In addition, the contours of the final shell thickness and effective plastic strains are provided in Figures 3 and 4, respectively. The difference in the minimum shell thickness is 1.4% and in the maximum effective plastic strain is 1.7%. The simulation time reduction is around 25% (not shown in the Figure). To have a better view on the performances of the feature over different number of CPUs running in MPP, the forming process and springback analysis were carried out with the number of CPUs ranging from 1 to 35. Time costs of the cases with and without mesh fusion are shown in Figure 5(a), and the corresponding springback angles are given in Figure 5(b). Time reduction, differences in springback angle, minimum shell thickness and maximum effective plastic strain are shown in Figures 6(a), 6(b), 7(a) and 7(b), respectively. One can see that the overall time reductions in the forming processes are in general greater than or equal to 25%. The differences in springback angles are kept within 10%; the differences in the minimum shell thicknesses and maximum effective plastic strains are always kept within 2%, which means they are not affected significantly by the mesh fusion. CONCLUSION: The mesh fusion feature is successfully implemented in MPP and available for use. The fusion feature reduces the computation time notably (around 25%) and has little effects on formability analysis, such as thinning and effective strain predictions. The difference in the corresponding springback results is also found to be smaller than10%. The performance and accuracy studies can guide users in applying this new technology in a production simulation environment. Generally speaking, we should feel comfortable to use the fusion feature extensively in all formability related simulation since the leading indicators (shell thickness and effective plastic strain) affecting formability is little affected but one can achieve a speed-up factor of 25% in simulation turnaround. In springback simulation, however, one should approach it with caution. One can apply the feature if the springback results are to be used for a quick and rough estimation. However, if the results are to be used for compensating dies and in deciding how much tools are going to be re-machined, then its application may not be appropriate. The factor that people have higher expectation for springback simulation accuracy, now in the submillimeter when compared with physical scanned panel, should be taken into consideration when applying the feature in different scenarios. Livermore Software Technology Corp. September 2017 In addition, the CPU time reduction can be affected by different model size. Figure 1. NUMISHEET'93 Benchmark: The punch, die and blankholder are rigid; the workpiece is discretized into shell elements. A forming process is conducted, followed by a springback analysis. (a) No Fusion (b) With Fusion Figure 2. The final number of elements and springback angles of the workpiece running with 10 CPUs in MPP. Livermore Software Technology Corp. September 2017 (a) No Fusion (b) With Fusion Figure 3. The final effective plastic strain contours of the workpiece running with 10 CPUs in MPP. (a) No Fusion (b) With Fusion Figure 4. The final shell thickness contours of the workpiece running with 10 CPUs in MPP. Livermore Software Technology Corp. September 2017 (a) Simulation time (b) Springback angle Figure 5. Comparisons of the simulation CPU time and springback angles in MPP with different number of CPUs, with and without mesh fusion. (a) Time Reduction (b) Springback Angle Difference Figure 6. Time reduction and springback angle differences in MPP with different number of CPUs, with and without mesh fusion. (a) Min. Shell Thickness Difference (b) Max. EP Strain Difference Figure 7. Min. shell thickness and max. effective plastic strain differences in MPP with different number of CPUs, with and without mesh fusion. Livermore Software Technology Corp. September 2017 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The feature in this article was requested by BMW. Their valuable feedback during the development is highly appreciated. REVISION INFORMATION: MPP fusion feature is available starting in Revision 113867. Livermore Software Technology Corp September 2017 A 3D bond-based peridynamics model for dynamic brittle failure analysis in LS-DYNA® Bo Ren, C. T Wu Livermore Software Technology Corporation, 7374 Las Positas Road, Livermore, CA 94551


A 34-year-old woman with hypertension, obesity, and history of smoking presented with unstable angina and severe stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending artery. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed with stent implantation resulting in adequate expansion. She was treated with aspirin and ticlopidine for 1 month, then only aspirin for 1 month. One year after stenting, she presented with acute myocardial infarction and total occlusion at the stent. Balloon angioplasty was performed. She took ticlopidine and aspirin for 9 months. Two months later, she presented with acute myocardial infarction with reocclusion at the stent. Blood examination showed no manifest collagen disease or thrombophilia. This case of repeated late stent thrombosis occurred in a young woman not treated by brachytherapy.


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the death of upper and lower motor neurons. Recent studies have made it clear that although motor neurons are the primary targets of the degenerative process, other cell types play key roles in the death of motor neurons. Most notably, cells of the immune system, including astrocytes and microglia have come under increasing scrutiny, after multiple lines of evidence have shown these cells to be deleterious to motor neurons. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that astrocytes and microglia containing mutated SOD1 are harmful to motor neurons. Several studies on ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases have revealed that reactive astrocytes and microglia are capable of releasing pro-inflammatory factors such as cytokines and chemokines, which are harmful to neighboring neurons. In addition, it is believed that diseased astrocytes can specifically kill motor neurons through the release of toxic factors. Furthermore, in an animal model of the disease, it has been shown that the reduction of SOD1 in microglia may be able to slow the progression of ALS symptoms. Although the exact pathways of motor neuron death in ALS have yet to be elucidated, studies have suggested that they die through aBax-dependent signaling pathway. Mounting evidence suggests that neuroinflammation plays an important role in the degeneration of motor neurons. Based on these findings, anti-inflammatory compounds are currently being tested for their potential to reduce disease severity; however, these studies are only in the preliminary stages. While we understand that astrocytes and microglia play a role in the death of motor neurons in ALS, much work needs to be done to fully understand ALS pathology and the role the immune system plays in disease onset and progression.


A structurally-new, carbon-free hexadecanuclear Ni-containing silicotungstate, [Ni16(H2O)15(OH)9(PO4)4(SiW9O34)3]19-, has been facilely synthesized using a one-pot, solution-based synthetic method systematically characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and several other techniques. The resulting complex works as a noble-metal-free catalyst for visible-light-driven catalytic generation of hydrogen, by coupling with a [Ir(coumarin)2(dtbbpy)][PF6] photosensitizer and a triethanolamine (TEOA) sacrificial electron donor. Under minimally optimized conditions, a turnover number (TON) of 842 was achieved for TBA-Ni16P4(SiW9)3-catalyzed hydrogen evolution system. The structural stability of TBA-Ni16P4(SiW9)3 catalyst under photocatalytic conditions was evaluated by the mercury-poisoning test, FT-IR, and DLS measurements. The photocatalytic mechanism was elucidated by both time-solved luminescence decay and static emission quenching measurements.


The detection of gamma rays of energy greater than 300 GeV from the BL Lacertae object Mrk 501 demonstrates that extragalactic TeV emission is not unique to Mrk 421. During 66 hr of observations between 1995 March and July we measured an average flux of 8.1 +/- 1.4 x 10(exp -12) cm(exp -2)/s above 300 GeV, a flux that is only 20 percent of the average Mrk 421 flux. The new gamma-ray source has not been reported by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory as an emitter of gamma rays at lower energies. There is evidence for variability on timescales of days.


Abstract Aspergillosis is known for the variety of unusual presentations in immuno-suppressed patients. We report a patient in whom aspergillosis caused the superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome. A 37-year-old woman became febrile soon after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Chest radiography demonstrated a 5-cm mass extending from the right lung apex to the right supraclavicular fossa beside her Hickman catheter. She then developed SVC syndrome, which progressed despite treatment. Despite recovery of the white blood cell count, the patient continued to deteriorate, became comatose, suffered a cardiac arrest and died 31 days after BMT. Autopsy revealed Aspergillus infection at the apex of the right lung associated with innominate artery thrombosis.


Plasma sprayed coatings, thanks to their specific structure, are considered for applications with thermal shocks. Alumina, Alumina-Titania as well as less common spraying materials like mullite, forsterite and ilmenite were selected for testing. Carbon steel coupons were used as substrate. Flame-sprayed bond coats of Ni-Cr and Ni-Al under plasma sprayed ceramic coating were applied for comparison in selected cases. Two different regimes were used to simulate high and low temperature thermal cycling. Before the test and after given number of cycles coating's adhesion was tested by a standard tensile test (EN 582). After the test also the microstructure of samples was observed to evaluate the damage mechanism. It has been proved that Titania addition to Alumina improves the adhesion of coatings under thermal cycling, especially for the coatings without any bond coat. All materials had higher adhesion after each given number of cycles with bond coat than without. Cracking occurred dominantly on the boundary with the base in the case of pure Alumina and mullite while a cohesive cleavage is preferred in ilmenite and combination of both types is typical for other tested materials.


Frequently, the clinicians are addressed to decide between the preservation of Grade III furcation molar and the implant replacement, due to the increased access among the population to this therapy over the years and high success rate of the osseointegrated implants. This case series presents clinical and radiographic data collected from 10 patients who underwent 13 root amputations for the treatment of degree Grade III furcation in maxillary molars with follow-up until 16 years. The results showed improvements in probing depth, bleeding on probing, and radiographic aspects. The follow-up time indicates that root amputation is an effective long-term treatment solution, especially when the patient's local, systemic, or financial conditions make it difficult or impossible to implant placement.


An important question for the development of the East German labour market in the transition to a market economy is whether wage differentials by qualification, industry or region which were relatively small in the former GDR adjust to those in market economies which are more in line with differences in productivities and economic conditions. We estimate empirical earnings functions to quantify the contribution of various important factors shaping the earnings distribution in the East German transition process. Estimation is based on the first six waves of the Labour Market Monitor which is a representative panel data set of the East German workingage population covering the period 1990 to 1992. The specification of the estimated earnings functions is motivated by the various hypotheses of the development of the East German wage structure in the transformation process. Although we do find some similiarities with the existing wage structure in West Germany, the East German wage structure still differs in some important dimensions. Acknowledgement: We thank Michael Burda and the participants of seminars at the ZEW in Mannheim and at the the EALE meeting in Warszaw for helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper. The second author would also like to acknowledge financial support from the German Science Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) under the project "Arbeitsmarkdynamik, individuelles Erwerbsverhalten und Einkommensentwicklung im TransformationsprozeB".


The paper discusses rule-based design strategies that allow for the generation of spatial complexity based on simple principles and taking as well the parameters of construction into account. The presented case studies as part of the academic project "Simple Complexities" focused on the early integration of optimization parameters, regarding structural performance, physical properties and material specification as well as aspects of fabrication to inform the architectural design. The clear conception of a computation-process whose rules lead to certain formal and structural consequences is the necessary first step towards an architecture that is both structurally interesting and systematically coherent.


Background Octamer-4 (Oct4) is a well known regulator of self-renewal in embryonic stem cells; it has been detected in several human cancers and may play a critical role in carcinogenesis. Aims To assess the expression of Oct4 in epithelial ovarian tumours. Methods Expression of Oct4 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 460 cases of various epithelial ovarian lesions as well as 35 cases of normal fallopian tube epithelium. The association between Oct4 expression and various clinical pathological parameters was analysed. Results Oct4 expression was significantly increased from normal epithelium (both ovarian epithelium and fallopian tube epithelium) to benign and borderline cystadenoma to carcinoma in the serous lesion subgroup. Oct4 overexpression was associated with more advanced FIGO stage and higher histological grade in serous adenocarcinoma. Conversely, Oct4 expression did not differ among mucinous lesions or correlate with clinicopathological parameters in patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma. Conclusion Results suggest that Oct4 expression may contribute to the initiation, promotion and progression of serous ovarian carcinoma; it might be a useful biomarker for the diagnosis and outcome prediction of serous ovarian carcinoma.


Background: In type 1 diabetes (T1D) management, short-term glucose prediction can allow to anticipate therapeutic decisions when hypo/hyperglycemia is imminent. Literature prediction methods mainly use past continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) readings. Sophisticated algorithms can use information on insulin delivered and meal carbohydrate (CHO) content. The quantification of how much insulin and CHO information improves glucose prediction is missing in the literature and is investigated, in an open-loop setting, in this proof-of-concept study. Methods: We adopted a versatile literature prediction methodology able to utilize a variety of inputs. We compared predictors that use (1) CGM; (2) CGM and insulin; (3) CGM and CHO; and (4) CGM, insulin, and CHO. Data of 15 T1D subjects in open-loop setup were used. Prediction was evaluated via absolute error and temporal gain focusing on meal/night periods. The relative importance of each individual input of the predictor was evaluated with a sensitivity analysis. Results: For a prediction horizon (PH) ≥ 30 minutes, insulin and CHO information improves prediction accuracy of 10% and double the temporal gain during the 2 hours following the meal. During the night the 4 methods did not give statistically different results. When PH ≥ 45 minutes, the influence of CHO information on prediction is 5-fold that of insulin. Conclusions: In an open-loop setting, with PH ≥ 30 minutes, information on CHO and insulin improves short-term glucose prediction in the 2-hour time window following a meal, but not during the night. CHO information improves prediction significantly more than insulin.


No one better than people living in the region can know what is required for the development of the region. The modern government, oriented towards the development of an active civil society, should make this basic postulate the basis of a new management paradigm.


Documentation is a required component of a residency program, but can be difficult to collect and disseminate, resulting in minimal utilization by residents and faculty. The purpose of this work is to adapt a commercially‐available Web‐based medical residency management system to improve the learning experience by efficiently distributing program information, documenting resident activities, and providing frequent monitoring and timely feedback of resident progress. To distribute program information, program requirements and rotation readings were uploaded. An educational conference calendar was created with associated files and attendance records added. To document resident progress, requirements for over 37 different clinical procedures were added, for which the resident logged the total number of procedures performed. Progress reports were created and automatically distributed. To provide feedback to the resident, an extensive electronic evaluation system was created. Results are shown for the initial 21 months of program existence, consisting of a single resident for the first 12 months and two residents for the subsequent 9 months. The system recorded that 130 documents were uploaded and 100% of required documents were downloaded by the resident. In total, 385 educational conferences and meetings were offered, of which the residents attended 95%. The second‐year and first‐year residents logged 1030 and 522 clinical procedures, respectively. The residents submitted a total of 116 status reports detailing weekly activities, 100% of which were reviewed by faculty within an average of 11.3 days. A total of 65 evaluations of the residents were submitted. The residents reviewed 100% of respective evaluations within an average of 1.5 days. We have successfully incorporated a paperless, Web‐based management system in a medical physics residency program. A robust electronic documentation system has been implemented, which has played a central role in enhancing the training experience. PACS number: 01


Knowledge of the behavior of the stress field in the neighborhood of cracks and sharp corners is important for many theoretical and practical reasons. In an earlier paper the authors examined the behavior of the stress field near the edge of an elastic wedge of arbitrary angle with stress‐free boundary conditions prescribed on both surfaces (Karp and Karal, 1962). Other types of boundary conditions, such as those representing rigid and lubricated boundaries, were not considered. In the present paper these boundary conditions are now studied, and the behavior of the stress field in the neighborhood of the tip is determined. In addition, the stress behavior is examined when two different elastic media meet at a sharp edge.


When tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Noh drama, linked verse (renga), monochrome painting, and dry-landscape gardening are said to represent Japanese culture, it is usually assumed that they were produced and fostered by Zen Buddhism. If we are fully to understand these art forms, we must therefore make a systematic study of their relationship to Zen. The particular species of Zen diat is said to have produced and fostered these arts is the Rinzai Zen developed by Muso at the beginning of the Muromachi Period (1336–1573) when Zen first became a pervasive influence in the cultural history of Japan. Let us look, then, at the position of Muromachi Zen in the history of Japanese Buddhism.


Objective: To determine the bone mineral content in cancellous lumbar vertebral bone as a function of age and gender using Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) technique.
Methods: This non-interventional descriptive study was carried out at Radiology department of Military Hospital (MH) Rawalpindi from January 2002 to January 2003. The bone mineral densities of cancellous part of first three lumbar vertebrae were calculated by QCT using
the bone mineral density phantom provided by the manufacturer. Data was collected from a total of 145 cases, 130 males and 15 females. Patients presenting for CT scan examination having no chronic illness or any disease condition which may affect the bone mineral density (BMD) were selected.
Results: The mean BMD for the males was 166.4±35.8 mg HOA/cm3 (range 207.4). The mean BMD for the females was 154.6±47.1 mg HOA/cm3 (range 144.1).The highest mean value in males was seen in 20-29 year age group. For females the highest mean value was seen in 30-39 year age group.
Conclusion: The BMD of lumbar vertebrae was found to gradually increase in the initial years of life reaching a peak in second or third decade. A gradual decline in the values was noted in cases of males. In females there was a sharp decline around the age of menopause.
(Rawal Med J 2009;34:4-6).


Taxpayers sometimes die with a right to gross income that has not been received at the time of death and is not re-portable on the decedent's final or other pre-death income tax return, that is, with an entitlement to items of "income in respect of a decedent" (IRD). An estate with charitable beneficiaries that receives IRD will want a section 642(c) income tax charitable deduction for amounts of gross income distributed or distributable to or set aside for a charitable purpose to offset the gross income realized when the IRD is collected and re-portable in gross income. This is possible when the IRD is distributable to or set aside for the charity pursuant to the terms of the governing instrument.

This Article analyzes the potential application of the separate share regulations under section 663(c) and the income tax charitable deduction under section 642(c) when the estate has both charitable and non-charitable residuary beneficiaries. This Article concludes that a charity's interest in the residue of an estate is not a separate share within the meaning of the separate share regulations.

Next, this Article considers whether a direction in the decedent's will to distribute items of IRD to charity as a part of the charity's interest in the decedent's residuary estate satisfies the "economic effect" requirement found in the Treasury Regulations for section 642(c). This Article suggests that it does, but that the conclusion is not certain.

Finally, the Article suggests possible solutions to assure that the income tax charitable deduction is available for an estate when it pays over the proceeds from items of IRD to a charity.


Interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) is a transcriptional regulatory protein that mediates the transcriptional activation of the IFN-alpha and IFN-beta genes by viruses and IFNs. To characterize the mechanisms that govern the level of IRF-1 in cells, we isolated the IRF-1 gene and characterized the structure of its intronic and exonic domains and of its regulatory promoter region. A human placental genomic library was screened with an IRF-1 cDNA probe, and two clones that contained the IRF-1 gene and its 5' regulatory region were obtained. We used these clones to determine the complete nucleotide sequence for the IRF-1 gene, finding that the IRF-1 gene spanned 7.72 kb of DNA and included 10 exons and 9 introns. When the deduced amino acid sequences were compared among different species, the most conserved exons were exons 2, 3, and 4, in which the putative DNA binding domain for the IRF-1 protein is located.


Pyocin, a bacteriocin obtained from lysates of ultraviolet-induced cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was characterized in vitro and in vivo after 1,000-fold purification by chemical, column, and differential centrifugation procedures. Electron micrographs of negatively stained pyocin preparations contained rod-shaped particles which resembled the contractile tail protein of the T-even phages of Escherichia coli. Although two separate and distinct pyocin fractions were eluted from diethylaminoethyl cellulose (pH 7.5) during the purification procedure, the particles appeared identical. In addition, the two fractions exhibited a close correlation between their titers and the particle numbers as observed in the electron microscope. The particles were approximately 20 by 90 mμ with a core diameter of 5 mμ and a sheath length of 50 mμ. Neither intact phage nor ghosts were seen in any of the preparations, although ringlets of two different diameters, which appeared to correspond to the diameters of the sheath and inner core, were observed. Other studies indicated that, although crude preparations were stable to freezing and thawing, purified preparations lost all of their activity under similar treatment. However, the addition of 50% glycerol to purified preparations completely protected activity. Conversely, aged normal human or rabbit sera enhanced the antibacterial activity of pyocin approximately fourfold, although serum albumin and hemoglobin had no effect. In vivo studies indicated that purified pyocin was not lethal for mice when injected intraperitoneally in concentrations of 28,000 to 1,400,000 units (5.6 to 276 μg of protein), nor was 7,200 to 36,000 units dermonecrotic for rabbits.


Diffusion and transport of nanomaterials through mucus, is of critical importance to many basic and applied areas of research such as drug delivery and infectious disease. However, it is often challenging to interpret the dynamics of nanoparticles within the mucus gel due to its inherently heterogeneous microstructure and biochemistry. In this study, we measured the diffusion of densely PEGylated nanoparticles (NP) in human airway mucus ex vivo using multiple particle tracking and utilized machine learning to classify NP movement as either traditional Brownian motion (BM) or one of two different models of anomalous diffusion, fractional Brownian motion (FBM) and continuous time random walk (CTRW). Specifically, we employed a physics-based neural network model to predict the modes of diffusion experienced by individual NP in human airway mucus. We observed rapidly diffusing NP primarily exhibit BM whereas CTRW and FBM exhibited lower diffusion rates. Given the use of muco-inert nanoparticles, the observed transition from diffusive (BM) to sub-diffusive (CTRW/FBM) motion is likely a result of patient-to-patient variation in mucus network pore size. Using mathematic models that account for the mode of NP diffusion, we predicted the percentage of nanoparticles that would cross the mucus barrier over time in human airway mucus with varied total solids concentration. We also applied this approach to explore the transport modes and predicted fate of influenza A virus within human mucus. These results provide new tools to evaluate the extent of synthetic and viral nanoparticle penetration through mucus in the lung and other tissues.


In Bangladesh, especially in the rural areas, education has been affordable only for the wealthy. In view of such a situation, the Bangladesh government instituted two incentive programs. One scheme provides wheat to parents of poor primary school boys and girls, and the other offers scholarship money to female secondary school students. Both programs eliminate school fees and provide free books. Aside from the above, a nongovernmental organization, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, administered another program for primary-school students that also provides books and stationery, as well as eliminates fees. This paper assessed the effects of these programs on various aspects of the boys¿ and girls¿ lives. Overall, findings showed that the three programs created significant influence on increasing the number of children who were attending a grade appropriate for their age, although impacts on the number of hours spent in school activities are different. With shorter hours spent in school, depending on grade, children still had the time to make significant contributions to the family economy. Finally, the research shows that the secondary school scholarships had an immediate effect in delaying marriage. If sustained, these delays can have considerable long-term implications for women's status, as early marriages have long been strongly associated with gender inequality.


Abstract Aim: The meta-analysis was conducted to estimate of the cardiovascular benefits of indiscriminate supplementation of omega-3 capsules. The results, expressed in terms of quality adjusted life years (QALY) intuitively understood by the general public, can be the basis for the (personal) decision on whether to take omega-3 supplements. Methods: The results of meta-analysis of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials are expressed in terms of QALY, using the Markov model and Monte Carlo simulations. Results: Omega-3 supplementation results in a 8% decrease of the risk of cardiac death, unless the patients are treated by statins. Results indicate that omega-3 supplementation may prolong QALY by about a month. Old people gain less, whereas DM-2 patients and people with history of CV events gain more. Discussion: Our analysis yielded an algorithm for estimating benefit from omega-3 supplementation, based on the age and the individual risk of CV events of the patient.


This study contributes to the understanding of violent conflict in Africa in two ways: First, I investigate the role of economic short-run fluctuations as a cause for conflict and, secondly, I examine the extent to which regional conflicts can be explained by spill-over effects. To this end, I construct a panel dataset of 742 African first-order administrative units covering the time period 1992-2008. Sub-national gross domestic product (GDP) data for Africa is either unavailable or of bad quality, which is why I, as suggested by Henderson et al. (2012), utilize night-time light data from satellites to predict GDP at the sub-national level. To account for the endogeneity of GDP, I adopt the identification strategy from Miguel et al. (2004) and instrument with rainfall. The dependent variable is a casualty estimate from the UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset (version 1.5). Preliminary results suggest that variations in output have a significant causal impact on violence, although small in magnitude, and spatio-temporal dynamics are important in explaining conflict. In fact, when omitting spatial and temporal lags the impact of income on conflict is over-estimated. Furthermore, there is evidence for substantial parameter heterogeneity across space.


Starting with an efficient mobility management scheme for heterogeneous wireless networks, this paper proposes a solution for AAA handling using a common database for storing user information. Regardless of the access technology selected, user@realm identities are used for authentication, authorization, and accounting. In particular, a new function is introduced in which port-based network access control is used in combination with dynamic host configuration protocol mechanisms for IP address allocation. This way, PPP-based and Ethernet-based access technologies are handled uniformly. Advantages with the proposed solution include: using only standardized mechanisms in the mobile node, as well as in the access networks. Only an additional plug-in in the AAA server (located in the access networks) needs to be deployed. The proposed AAA architecture has been implemented and evaluated in a live experimental environment. Results show authentication and authorization to perform efficiently and seamlessly.


Leaf extract of Manilkara zapota L has antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus at a base on potency test of 50%, where the bacteria are the cause of boils. Some of effort to facilitate the use and increase the activity of active substances, then ointments are prepared on a variety of ointment bases. This study aims to prepared Manilkara zapota L leaf extract into ointment formulations, and chosed the best of ointment base formulations that meets the requirements standards for good ointment preparations. The extract was obtained by maceration using ethanol 96%. Ointments are formulated with four different types of ointment bases, which are hydrocarbon base, absorbing base, water removed bases, and water soluble base. The ointment that has been produced is tested for the physical characteristics such as organoleptic test, homogeneity, pH, spreadibility, adhesion, and viscosity had been tested on manufactured ointments. The results of this study indicate that leaf extract of Manilkara zapota L can be formulated into ointment preparations, variations in the ointment base affect the physical characteristics of ointment preparations.


The web application D-Maps provides a user-friendly interface to researchers performing studies based on microarrays. The program was developed to manage and process one- or two-color microarray data obtained from several platforms (currently, GeneTAC, ScanArray, CodeLink, NimbleGen and Affymetrix). Despite the availability of many algorithms and many software programs designed to perform microarray analysis on the internet, these usually require sophisticated knowledge of mathematics, statistics and computation. D-maps was developed to overcome the requirement of high performance computers or programming experience. D-Maps performs raw data processing, normalization and statistical analysis, allowing access to the analyzed data in text or graphical format. An original feature presented by D-Maps is GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) submission format service. The D-MaPs application was already used for analysis of oligonucleotide microarrays and PCR-spotted arrays (one- and two-color, laser and light scanner). In conclusion, D-Maps is a valuable tool for microarray research community, especially in the case of groups without a bioinformatic core.


Abstract Objective This review aimed to explore and summarise available cases of delirium suspected to be associated with the use of macrolide antibiotics reported in the literature and the United States Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. Methods Electronic searches of the literature were conducted in four online databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Serbian Citation Index (SCIndeks). A search of FAERS database was also conducted to supplement the findings of the literature search. Descriptive statistics, narrative summation and tabulation of the extracted data were made. Results Cases of delirium which satisfied inclusion criteria were found for clarithromycin, azithromycin, erythromycin and telithromycin. Delirium was described in patients of various age groups, including children. Drug-drug interactions may have contributed to its occurrence in some of the cases. Average time to onset of delirium was 2.5 days for azithromycin and 3.3 days for clarithromycin. Conclusions Considering that these drugs may be a possible cause of delirium, clinicians should be aware that timely recognition of this possible side effect can lead to earlier discontinuation of the culprit drug, reduce time spent in a delirious state and improve patients' outcomes. KEY POINTS Cases of delirium which satisfied inclusion criteria were found for clarithromycin, azithromycin, erythromycin and telithromycin. Cases of delirium were described in patients of various age groups, including children. Drug-drug interactions may have contributed to the occurrence of delirium in some of the cases. Time to onset of delirium ranged from 2 to 3.5 days (mean: 2.5 days) for azithromycin and from 1 to 7 days (mean: 3.3 days) for clarithromycin. Cessation of the macrolide antibiotic seems to be the best management strategy, although some of the patients may, in addition, require antipsychotics.


Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) expands the possibilities of cost effectively producing large-scale, complex metal objects at high deposition rates. Austenitic stainless steel is a commonly used material and has many applications in the marine and nuclear industry due to its high toughness and corrosion resistance. Processes parameters such as heat input and interpass temperature can greatly affect the materials properties, part functionality and the economics of WAAM production. However, the effect of these process parameters is not well understood for WAAM of 316LSi. In this research, the effects of the interpass temperature and heat input process parameters on WAAM of austenitic AISI 316LSi stainless steel are experimentally analysed and evaluated. It was found that the heat input and interpass temperature influences the cellular/dendritic morphology and the formation of macro-scale grains within the microstructure. Additionally, use of higher heat input, resulted in a 28.7% improvement in average Young's modulus compared to lower heat input, although this remained lower than provided by wrought annealed material.


Full-length mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequence information from lobster phyllosoma larvae can be difficult to obtain when DNA is degraded or fragmented. Primers that amplify smaller fragments are also more useful in metabarcoding studies. In this study, we developed and tested a method to design a taxon-specific mini-barcode primer set for marine lobsters. The shortest, most informative portion of the COI gene region was identified in silico, and a DNA barcode gap analysis was performed to assess its reliability as species diagnostic marker. Primers were designed, and cross-species amplification success was tested on DNA extracted from a taxonomic range of spiny-, clawed-, slipper- and blind lobsters. The mini-barcode primers successfully amplified both adult and phyllosoma COI fragments, and were able to successfully delimit all species analyzed. Previously published universal primer sets were also tested and sometimes failed to amplify COI from phyllosoma samples. The newly designed taxon-specific mini-barcode primers will increase the success rate of species identification in bulk environmental samples and add to the growing DNA metabarcoding toolkit.


The objective of this study was to compare adolescent boys and girls on emotional intelligence. Male and female adolescents (N=100 each) were randomly selected from four high and higher secondary schools of Educational Zone Yaripora (District -Kulgam, Kashmir, India). Emotional intelligence scale by Hyde and his colleagues was used for the collection of data. "t" Test was used to analyze the data. After analysis of the results, the following were found. Adolescent boys and girls differ significantly so far as their self-motivation is concerned. Adolescent boys are found to be more responsible, better able to make intelligent decisions using a healthy balance of emotions and reasons. There is significant difference between adolescent boys and girls so far as their integrity is concerned. Boys are found to be more aware of their weakness than girls. Their belief is also found to be stronger than that of girls. Adolescent boys differ significantly from adolescent girls on "self-development" dimension of emotional intelligence. Boys are found to be more popular and better linked by their peers than girls. There is a significant difference between adolescent boys and girls so far as their value-orientation is concerned. Boys are found to be better in maintaining the standards of inte grity. Adolescent boys and girls differ significantly on composite score of their emotional intelligence. Boys are found to have higher level of emotional intelligence than girls.


Significant efforts have been made in building large-scale kinetic models of cellular metabolism in the past two decades. However, most kinetic models published to date, remain focused around central carbon pathways or are built around ad hoc reduced models without clear justification on their derivation and usage. Systematic algorithms exist for reducing genome-scale metabolic reconstructions to build thermodynamically feasible and consistently reduced stoichiometric models. It has not been studied previously how network complexity affects the Metabolic Sensitivity Coefficients (MSCs) of large-scale kinetic models build around consistently reduced models. We reduced the iJO1366 Escherichia Coli genome-scale metabolic reconstruction (GEM) systematically to build three stoichiometric models of variable size. Since the reduced models are expansions around the core subsystems for which the reduction was performed, the models are modular. We propose a method for scaling up the flux profile and the concentration vector reference steady-states from the smallest model to the larger ones, whilst preserving maximum equivalency. Populations of non-linear kinetic models, preserving similarity in kinetic parameters, were built around the reference steady-states and their MSCs were computed. The analysis of the populations of MSCs for the reduced models evidences that metabolic engineering strategies - independent of network complexity - can be designed using our proposed workflow. These findings suggest that we can successfully construct reduced kinetic models from a GEM, without losing information relevant to the scope of the study. Our proposed workflow can serve as an approach for testing the suitability of a model for answering certain study-specific questions. Author Summary Kinetic models of metabolism are very useful tools for metabolic engineering. However, they are generated ad hoc because, to our knowledge, there exists no standardized procedure for constructing kinetic models of metabolism. We sought to investigate systematically the effect of model complexity and size on sensitivity characteristics. Hence, we used the redGEM and the lumpGEM algorithms to build the backbone of three consistently and modularly reduced stoichiometric models from the iJO1366 genome-scale model for aerobically grown E.coli. These three models were of increasing complexity in terms of network topology and served as basis for building populations of kinetic models. We proposed for the first time a way for scaling up steady-states of the metabolic fluxes and the metabolite concentrations from one kinetic model to another and developed a workflow for fixing kinetic parameters between the models in order to preserve equivalency. We performed metabolic control analysis (MCA) around the populations of kinetic models and used their MCA control coefficients as measurable outputs to compare the three models. We demonstrated that we can systematically reduce genome-scale models to construct kinetic models of different complexity levels for a phenotype that, independent of network complexity, lead to mostly consistent MCA-based metabolic engineering conclusions.


The authors investigated 50 Yersinia enterocolitica infections during an outbreak of illness due to contaminated tofu (soybean curd) in Washington State between December 15, 1981 and February 22, 1982. The most common clinical syndrome (36 patients) was gastrointestinal infection for which two patients underwent appendectomies and one a partial colectomy. Of the remaining 14 patients, six had extraintestinal infections, two had fever alone, and six were asymptomatic. The patients with enteric infections were younger (median age three years) than those with extraintestinal infections (median age 28 years). In a case-control study of enteritis patients, illness was associated with ingestion of one brand of tofu (p less than 0.01). Ninety-two per cent of patients with gastrointestinal infections and 33% with extraintestinal infections recalled having eaten the implicated product. Y. enterocolitica serotype O:8, the most common serotype isolated from patients, was also isolated from tofu and the plant's untreated spring water. There was little clinical or laboratory evidence of secondary spread to family members who did not eat tofu. The outbreak demonstrates the transmission of Y. enterocolitica from nature to man and the potential of "natural" foods as vehicles for environmental pathogens.


OBJECTIVE
Skeletal myoblast transplantation is a promising strategy for treating end-stage heart failure. One potential problem in the development of functional, synchronously contracting grafts is the degree of intercellular communication between grafted myoblasts and host cardiomyocytes. Thus it is expected that enhancement of intercellular gap junction formation would result in improved efficiency of skeletal myoblast transplantation. In this study we investigated whether myoblasts overexpressing connexin 43, a major cardiac gap junction protein, would enhance this intercellular communication.

METHODS AND RESULTS
L6 rat skeletal myoblast cell lines overexpressing connexin 43 were generated by means of gene transfection and clonal selection. Connexin 43 overexpression of these myoblasts, which continued both in undifferentiated and differentiated states (up to 17-fold greater protein level in comparison with control-transfected myoblasts, as measured with Western blotting), was observed on cell surfaces where gap junctions should exist. Both dye microinjection and scrape loading with fluorescent dyes showed enhancement in intercellular dye transfer between connexin 43-transfected myoblasts compared with that found in control-transfected cells. Morphologically, these myoblasts fused and differentiated into multinucleated myotubes more rapidly, demonstrating a higher level of cellular creatine kinase activity as a marker of myogenic differentiation throughout the culture period compared with that of control-transfected myoblasts.

CONCLUSIONS
We have generated connexin 43-overexpressing skeletal myoblast cell lines that resulted in improved formation of functional intercellular gap junctions, which could be relevant to synchronous contraction of grafted myoblasts in the heart. In addition, these cells demonstrated more rapid differentiation, which would also be advantageous in a graft for transplantation to the heart.


Objectives:To investigate whether patterns of National Early Warning Scores (NEWS/NEWS2) in care homes during the COVID pandemic correspond with area-level COVID-19 death registrations from care homes. Study design: Longitudinal ecological study. Setting: 460 Care home units using the same software package to collect data on residents, from 46 local authority areas in England. Participants: 6,464 care home residents with at least one NEWS recording. Exposure measure: 29,656 anonymised person-level NEWS from 29/12/2019 to 20/05/2020 with component physiological measures: systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation. Baseline values for each measure calculated using 80th and 20th centile scores before March 2020. Outcome measure: Time series comparison with Office for National Statistics (ONS) weekly reported registered deaths of care home residents where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, and all other deaths (excluding COVID-19) up to 10/05/2020. Results: Deaths due to COVID-19 were registered from 23/03/2020 in the study geographical areas. Between 23/03/2020 and 10/05/2020, there were 5,753 deaths (1,532 involving COVID-19 and 4,221 other causes). The proportion of above-baseline NEWS increased from 16/03/2020 and closely followed the rise and fall in COVID-19 deaths over the study period. The proportion of above-baseline oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature measurements also increased approximately two weeks before peaks in care home deaths in corresponding geographical areas. Conclusions: NEWS may make a useful contribution to disease surveillance in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature could be prioritised as they appear to signal rise in mortality almost as well as total NEWS. This study reinforces the need to collate data from care homes, to monitor and protect residents' health. Further work using individual level outcome data is needed to evaluate the role of NEWS in the early detection of resident illness.


Headwater streams draining agricultural landscapes receive maize leaves (Zea mays L.) via wind and surface runoff, yet the contribution of maize detritus to organic-matter processing in agricultural streams is largely unknown. We quantified decomposition and microbial respiration rates on conventional (non-Bt) and genetically engineered (Bt) maize in three low-order agricultural streams in northwestern Indiana, USA. We also examined how substrate quality and in-stream nutrient concentrations influenced microbial respiration on maize by comparing respiration on maize and red maple leaves (Acer rubrum) in three nutrient-rich agricultural streams and three low-nutrient forested streams. We found significantly higher rates of microbial respiration on maize vs. red maple leaves and higher rates in agricultural vs. forested streams. Thus both the elevated nutrient status of agricultural streams and the lability of maize detritus (e.g., low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and low lignin content) result in a rapid incorporation of maize leaves into the aquatic microbial food web. We found that Bt maize had a faster decomposition rate than non-Bt maize, while microbial respiration rates did not differ between Bt and non-Bt maize. Decomposition rates were not negatively affected by genetic engineering, perhaps because the Bt toxin does not adversely affect the aquatic microbial assemblage involved in maize decomposition. Additionally, shredding caddisflies, which are known to have suppressed growth rates when fed Bt maize, were depauperate in these agricultural streams, and likely did not play a major role in maize decomposition. Overall, the conversion of native vegetation to row-crop agriculture appears to have altered the quantity, quality, and predictability of allochthonous carbon inputs to headwater streams, with unexplored effects on stream ecosystem structure and function.


University lectures are facing higher quantities of students showing increasingly heterogeneous knowledge, interest and intellectual capabilities. To prepare those student groups for a changing, interconnected world, basic knowledge teaching is not sufficient any more. Instead, to let them acquire 21st century skills, e.g. strong communication and collaboration skills, expertise in technology, innovative and creative thinking skills, it is necessary to change the methods of teaching. Blended learning and Flipped classroom are concepts that can be combined to achieve these goals. The questions the paper addresses are: 1.) Do these concepts provide benefits when dealing with student groups that are strongly heterogeneous in knowledge, personality, culture, background? And 2.) How effective are these concepts, and which factors cause or prevent success?The research team, consisting of real estate subject lecturers and instructional learning design experts, set up an introductory class of business administration in a blended learning format and used this situation as a "real life experimental" study. During the study, 'big data' was collected and analyzed, operationalizing up to 250 students' online behavior, their learning time slots as well as intermediary test results and direct feedback. The study was complemented by longitudinal surveys regarding the students' motivation, workload sentiment, expectations, knowledge and other dimensions Also, a comprehensive evaluation survey was analyzed quantitatively as well as qualitatively.Survey results showed a large variance of the appreciation of the learning concepts which can be explained by several reasons. However, the workload sentiment was a major issue. Rather minor changes are sufficient to adress this problem, while the general concepts of blended learning and flipped classroom can be kept as effective learning methods. Yet, for fully assessing the learning success regarding 21st century skills, further empirical studies are necessary.The study provides recommendations of what works and what was not effective in a blended learning/flipped classroom course, e.g. how an incentive system can be designed to engage students in a constant learning process and increase interaction during the semester. The originality/value of the study is its focus on large, heterogeneous groups and its design as an experimental real-life study combining the collection of big data with quantitative and qualitative methods.


Within the framework of the research on high-gradient accelerating structures for future linear colliders, diagnostics of radio-frequency (RF) breakdowns is of great importance to support the understanding of the vacuum breakdown process. Measurements of RF and electron and ion currents emitted during and after a breakdown can be used to calculate the properties of any objects responsible for such power reflection and charge emission. Possible breakdown models, breakdown localization and a time-scale of the process are here discussed and compared to dedicated measurements. First results are presented.


BACKGROUND
Retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) is a surgically manageable condition that can recur locally after complete macroscopical resection. Managing patients at high-volume specialized healthcare centers has positive effects on treatment outcome. The present study aimed to preoperatively, perioperatively, and postoperatively assess patients who underwent surgery for RPS.

METHODS
Consecutive surgical resections of RPS performed at a single healthcare center between January 2011 and December 2018 were investigated retrospectively. Histological, radiological, and clinical data were collected. In addition to local recurrence rate of patients with complex tumor resection, existing symptoms, adjuvant treatment type, and 5- year overall and disease-free survival rates were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTS
Extensive complete tumor resection was performed in 25 (%100) patients operated in our clinic for retroperitoneal sarcoma between 2011-2018. The mean survival time in patients undergoing R0 resection was found to be significantly higher than that in patients undergoing R1 resection(p=0.001). No statistically significant difference was found between histological grading and histological types in terms of mean survival (p=0.63 p=0.36). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of mean survival between patients who did not receive additional therapy, received adjuvant chemotherapy, and those who received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. (p = 0.342) CONCLUSION: Although extensive complete resection is the gold standard in the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma, the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy is still under discussion. In our study, high mean survival rates were determined due to R0 resection, and the effect of tumor grade and histological subtype on survival was not observed.

KEY WORDS
Adjuvant therapy, Overall survival, Retroperitoneal sarcoma, Surgical resection.


Depression might be a prodromal stage of dementia. Many factors contribute to the etiology of depression and dementia, being inflammation one of those. The present work measured and analyzed immune molecules involved in the innate immunity on cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14+) monocytes trying to investigate any relationship among late‐onset depression (LOD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).


Patients' satisfaction is a key determinant of treatment adherence and persistence, for optimal management of T2D. ATOS, a 12-month prospective observational study conducted in Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, showed that initiation of Gla-300 in insulin-naïve people with T2D resulted in improved glycemic control with low rates of hypoglycemia. This analysis evaluated changes in treatment satisfaction and health status among participants. Data was collected using PRO questionnaires - Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status (DTSQs) and change versions (DTSQc) , EuroQoL 5-dimension scale version 3L (EQ-5D-3L) at baseline, Month 3, 6 and 12. Overall, 3931 participants completed the questionnaires. Mean ±SD age was 57.5 ±10.6 years, duration of diabetes was 10.1 ±6.2 years and baseline HbA1c was 9.3 ±1.0 %. Treatment satisfaction improved over time (DTSQs score of 21.7 at baseline to 29.8 and 31.3 at Month 6 and 12, respectively) and perceived frequency of hyperglycemia decreased over 12 months. DTSQc results were aligned with DTSQs. EQ-5D-3L results showed that proportion of people with better health status increased over time (Table) . Results showed that initiating Gla-300 in insulin-naïve people with T2D across multiple geographic regions improved treatment satisfaction and health status.

 N.Khan: None. G.R.Galstyan: n/a. A.Tirosh: Advisory Panel; Abbott Diagnostics, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Consultant; Bayer AG, DreaMed Diabetes, Ltd., Research Support; Medtronic, Speaker's Bureau; Eli Lilly and Company. A.Bhansali: None. H.Vargas-uricoechea: Advisory Panel; Sanofi, Speaker's Bureau; Abbott. S.B.Harris: Consultant; Abbott, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Other Relationship; Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer Inc., Dexcom, Eli Lilly and Company, HLS Therapeutics, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Research Support; Applied Therapeutics Inc., AstraZeneca, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) , Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, The Lawson Foundation. A.Roborel de climens: Employee; IQVIA Inc., Sanofi. M.N.Mabunay: Employee; Sanofi. M.Coudert: Employee; Sanofi. V.Pilorget: None.

 Sanofi


The loss of the 8p22 chromosome part and amplification of the 8q24 region (c-myc oncogene region) are the most frequent chromosomal aberrations observed in prostate carcinoma. We aimed to demonstrate the frequency of these chromosomal abnormalities and to assess how they correlate with the prognosis in patients with prostate carcinoma. From a set of 130 patients, we selected a group of 17 who died within five years after the diagnosis had been determined. Due to the lack of tumor cells in puncture biopsies, we managed to carry out in situ hybridization and assess the result objectively for 9 patients only. In seven cases, amplification of the region for c-myc oncogene was found; however, in five of them, polyploidy of chromosome 8 was manifested simultaneously. Deletion of the 8p22 chromosome part (region for the LPL gene) was found in five cases. A normal finding was detected in two cases. However, the analysis was carried out on a small number of cells gained from paraffin slices, so it was impossible to meet the requirement to examine 300 interphase cell nuclei. Therefore, we recommend to always determine whether the material taken is representative enough for this methodology and whether the tissue fixation is not inadequate or insufficient.


Pinky really wants to be an actor and is sure he'll get the lead in the school play. Rex, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with being on stage. She's afraid she'll forget her lines -- or worse. Everything changes when Pinky convinces Rex to go with him to the tryouts. Will Pinky and Rex still be best friends when the show is over?


Background Health behaviors developed in the college years tend to persist in adulthood. However, distinct changing patterns of food choices and physical activity (PA) and their predictors are still less clear among college students. The current study sought to explore changes of food choices and PA, as well as the effects of personal and interpersonal factors. Method Two-wave longitudinal data was collected from a sample of 431 Chinese college students (Mean baseline age = 19.15 ± 0.61 years; 45.7% male). A validated self-reported food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the frequency of food choices. The Chinese revised version of physical activity rating scale was used to assess physical activity. Latent profile analysis, latent transition analysis, and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results Two profiles of food choices, i.e., Avoiding staples (5.1% at Time 1) and Varied diet (94.9% at Time 1), were identified at both timepoints. 90.9% remained the same profiles over time, 63.6% participants in the Avoiding staples profile shifted to the Varied diet profile, and only 6.3% of those in the Varied diet profile shifted to the Avoiding staples profile. Negative body shape-related belief was related to the translation from the Varied diet profile to the Avoiding staples profile. Further, four profiles of PA, i.e., Inactives (51.0% at Time 1), Low activies (26.0% at Time 1), Moderate activies (15.3% at Time 1), and Activies (7.7% at Time 1), were identified at both timepoints. 50.8% remained the same profiles over time, 38.6% Inactivies shifted to the other profiles, and 48.5% Activies shifted to the other profiles over time. Participants with higher self-efficacy showed an increase in PA over time, and those with lower self-efficacy and lower peer support showed a decrease in PA over time. Conclusions Overall, most of college students remained the same food choices profiles, and body shape-related belief contributed to changes in food choices profiles. About half of college students experienced changes in PA, and the predictors of such changes were peer support and self-efficacy. The findings extend the understanding of the personal and interpersonal predictors of health behaviors among college students from a dynamic perspective.


Machine learning (ML) models deployed in many safety- and business-critical systems are vulnerable to exploitation through adversarial examples. A large body of academic research has thoroughly explored the causes of these blind spots, developed sophisticated algorithms for finding them, and proposed a few promising defenses. A vast majority of these works, however, study standalone neural network models. In this work, we build on our experience evaluating the security of a machine learning software product deployed on a large scale to broaden the conversation to include a systems security view of these vulnerabilities. We describe novel challenges to implementing systems security best practices in software with ML components. In addition, we propose a list of short-term mitigation suggestions that practitioners deploying machine learning modules can use to secure their systems. Finally, we outline directions for new research into machine learning attacks and defenses that can serve to advance the state of ML systems security.


Malaria, caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, represents a major threat to human health. Plasmodium's infection cycle in the Anopheles vector is critical for transmission of the parasite between humans. The midgut-stage bottleneck of infection is largely imposed by the mosquito's innate immune system. microRNAs (miRNAs, small noncoding RNAs that bind to target RNAs to regulate gene expression) are also involved in regulating immunity and the anti-Plasmodium defense in mosquitoes. Here, we characterized the mosquito's miRNA responses to Plasmodium infection using an improved crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) method, termed covalent ligation of endogenous Argonaute-bound RNAs (CLEAR)-CLIP. Three candidate miRNAs' influence on P. falciparum infection and midgut microbiota was studied through transgenically expressed miRNA sponges (miR-SPs) in midgut and fat body tissues. MiR-SPs mediated conditional depletion of aga-miR-14 or aga-miR-305, but not aga-miR-8, increased mosquito resistance to both P. falciparum and P. berghei infection, and enhanced the mosquitoes' antibacterial defenses. Transcriptome analysis revealed that depletion of aga-miR-14 or aga-miR-305 resulted in an increased expression of multiple immunity-related and anti-Plasmodium genes in mosquito midguts. The overall fitness cost of conditionally expressed miR-SPs was low, with only one of eight fitness parameters being adversely affected. Taken together, our results demonstrate that targeting mosquito miRNA by conditional expression of miR-SPs may have potential for the development of malaria control through genetically engineered mosquitoes.