value and -therefore any improvement in homoeossatic control would have been obvious during pregnancy. Thus our argument that the shape of the curve may be a more importa indicator of homoeostatc control than any actual level reached appears to be supported by these cases. It is probable that factors controlling fasting blood glucose concentrations are separate from those affecting homoeostatic control of a glucose load. Thus a curve indicating poor homoeostatic control can occur from a low as well as a high fasting concentration. The converse can also be true, but usually patients with a very high fasting concentration have curves of abnormal shape. It has long been appreciated that the fasting glucose concentration is lowered during pregnancy and this change appears to be independent of the orogressive changes in blood glucose concenitration which occur after an ingested glucose load.2 A1 that seems to have changed in the cases reported by Drs. Sheldon and Coleman is the fasting level; while this is a phenomenon worthy of further research, it would seem unwise to regard this change alone as indicative of "remission" during pregnancy, particularly if by this is meant a reduction of risk to the fetus.-We are, etc.,


Innovation has become increasingly central to corporate advancement. It underpins new ways of working, new targeted strategies, the creation of new products and lines of business. However, unlike most other commercial activities, for innovation there appear to be no dependable templates, rules, processes or even measures of success. In a sense, each act of innovation is a unique feat that can neither be reliably predicted nor guaranteed as repeatable. Yet in spite of this certain organisations are somehow able to devise and realise great ideas time after time. This raises the question: is there a common thread, an unspoken schema or set of rules-of-thumb that some companies instinctively develop to make inventive outcomes more likely? Using information synthesised from 73 managers of 62 successful technology-reliant businesses this book explores factors involved in shaping an organisation's potential for innovation. The framework it provides is directly applicable to enterprise leaders seeking to better understand - and more deftly manage - the practices and cultures that help transform human creativity into new products, services and approaches to doing business.


Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) is one of the preponderant egg parasitoids of Dendrolimus spp., which are important defoliators of coniferous forests. This parasitoid wasp has been widely released to control pine caterpillar and other lepidopteran pests, but its control efficiency needs to be improved. Sensory systems are crucial for T. dendrolimi to locate hosts, and immunity is probably involved after egg deposition in the host cavity; however, few reports have focused on the molecular mechanism of olfactory detection and survival of T. dendrolimi. It is necessary to identify these genes before further functional research is conducted. In this study, we assembled and analyzed the transcriptome of T. dendrolimi using next‐generation sequencing technology. The sequencing and assembly resulted in 38 565 contigs with N50 of 3422 bp. Sequence comparison indicate that T. dendrolimi sequences are very similar to those of another parasitoid Nasonia vitripennis. Then the olfactory, vision, and immune‐related gene families were identified, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with these genes from T. dendrolimi and other model insect species. Furthermore, phylogenetic tree with odorant binding proteins of T. dendrolimi and their host Dendrolimus was constructed to determine whether convergent evolution exists. These genes can be valid targets for further gene function research. The present study may help us to understand host location and survival mechanisms of T. dendrolimi and to use them more efficiently for pest control in the future.


We show that the count-based Script Induction models of Chambers and Jurafsky (2008) and Jans et al. (2012) can be unified in a general framework of narrative chain likelihood maximization. We provide efficient algorithms based on Association Rule Mining (ARM) and weighted set cover that can discover interesting patterns in the training data and combine them in a reliable and explainable way to predict the missing event. The proposed method, unlike the prior work, does not assume full conditional independence and makes use of higher-order count statistics. We perform the ablation study and conclude that the inductive biases introduced by ARM are conducive to better performance on the narrative cloze test.


Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase belonging to the Tec family of Src-related protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs). Btk is predominantly expressed in B-lymphocytes as well as in myeloid and erythroid progenitor cells. It has been shown that Btk plays critical roles in B-lymphocytes development, differentiation, and signaling. Mutations in Btk cause X-linked agammaglobulinema in humans and X-linked immunodeficiency in mice. However, the mechanism of activation and signaling of this enzyme has not been fully investigated.
 The peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) Pin1 is an important regulator of cell proliferation and DNA-replication. Recent report shows that pin1 is overexpressed in diffuse large B cell lymphoma.
 In both cell lines and Pin1 knock-out mice experiment, We identified that the Pin1 is a negative regulator of Btk, controlling its expression level by reducing its half-life, and the negative regulatory effect of Pin1 is dependent on a functionally intact Btk. We also found that pin1 interact with Btk in a cell cycle dependent manner, Phosphorylation of Serine 21 leads to Pin1 binding and regulation only during mitosis, whereas phosphorylation of Serinev115 leads to Pin1 binding and regulation specifically in the resting cells. Our results indicate that, a key regulator of Btk activity and half-life, Pin1 prolyl isomerase controls a critical non–receptor tyrosine kinase for normal B cell biology.
 This study was supported by the Swedish Cancer Fond, The Magnus Bergvall Foundation, the Wallenberg Foundation and the European Union Grant EURO-POLICY-PID.


The prismatic Domus is a technology presented to show an economic analysis referring to the use of natural lighting, where the sun is an efficient and safe source of energy. Relate this technology to the environment, considering the impacts and use of natural resources and the thermal comfort of the employees working in the area of the shed, considering its length, width, right foot and total area, in addition, showing the need for preventive maintenance and corrective technology, as well as the investment values, with their respective investment returns. The objective of this study is to demonstrate an economic analysis based on the use of the Prismatic Domus, which is a source of natural energy capture, in an industrial center company in Manaus, AM, as a renewable energy source instead of fossil fuel. The object of this analysis was a shed in the industrial pole located in the city of Manaus, where the dimensions of the building's shed were measured, regarding width, length and height. Thus, it started by collecting measures from the shed, which obtained 45 x 53 x 11m, respectively. Based on NBR 5413, which deals with the interior ́s illuminance and the data collection related to the shed, recorded in the dimensions of 45 x 53 x 11m respectively, a luminometrically study was carried out, where software, such as softlux in it is free version, are normally used, available to download free of charge, where you can record the information in each step of a total of 04 steps and choose from the preestablished options that meets the needs of each project. The data presented show that in the use of prismatic domus technology, the reduction with electricity consumption is 70.52% compared to the use of a lighting system that uses the utility energy. With the use of this system, using the prismatic domus, there is no concentration of light in a single point (hot spot effect), has ease of cleaning and low maintenance. Keywords— Economy, Energy efficiency Urbanization.


Dilution ventilation is the current basis of safety following a flammable gas leak within a gas turbine enclosure, and compliance requirements are defined for methane fuels in ISO 21789. These requirements currently define a safety criteria of a maximum flammable gas cloud size within an enclosure. The requirements are based on methane explosion tests conducted during a HSE Joint Industry Project, which identified typical pressures associated with a range of gas cloud sizes. The industry standard approach is to assess the ventilation performance of specific enclosure designs against these requirements using CFD modelling. Gas turbine manufacturers are increasingly considering introducing hydrogen/methane fuel mixtures and looking towards operating with hydrogen alone. It is therefore important to review the applicability of current safety standards for these new fuels, as the pressure resulting from a hydrogen explosion is expected to be significantly higher than that from a methane explosion. In this paper, we replicate the previous methane explosion tests for hydrogen and hydrogen/methane fuel mixtures, using the explosion modelling tool FLACS CFD. The results are used to propose updated limiting safety criteria for hydrogen fuels to support ventilation CFD analysis for specific enclosure designs. It is found that significantly smaller gas cloud sizes are likely to be acceptable for gas turbines fueled by hydrogen, however, significantly more hydrogen than methane is required per unit volume to generate a stoichiometric cloud (as hydrogen has a lower stoichiometric air fuel ratio than methane). This effect results in the total quantity of gas in the enclosure (and as such, detectability of the gas) being broadly similar when operating gas turbines on hydrogen when compared to methane.


Sustainability professionals believe their work has positive social and environmental impacts in the "real world," but they recognize that their impactfulness is contingent on a number of other factors, especially the willingness of other, typically more powerful actors to consider their findings and implement their recommendations. In this article, I develop the notion of "impact pathways" to think about the relationship between paths, maps, travelers, terrains, and ethics in the context of what my informants regularly refer to as the sustainability "landscape." I show how the interpretation of a map and the choice between different possible paths can be partially explained by an actor's particular ethical framework, in this case something I identify as the sustainability ethic.


The Authors report the results concerning the control of the presence of bacterial endotoxins in parenteral drugs, blood products and immunological reagents and drugs, by means of Limulus amebocyte lysate test. All the data suggest that Limulus assay is a simple, rapid, sensitive test, mostly when it is correctly performed.


A species–accumulation curve may represent a direct expression of β‐diversity, the rate at which diversity increases from local to regional scale. Patterns of variation in β‐diversity tend to be consistent when measured across lower levels of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (i.e. using species, genera or families). Our aim was to assess the relationships between species–accumulation curves and β‐diversity at different taxonomic levels and to combine the logic of species–accumulation curves with taxonomic surrogacy to provide a new approach for cost‐effective and reliable estimates of large‐scale species richness (γ‐diversity).


The gas-phase conformations of a series of cytosine/guanine DNA duplexes were examined by ion mobility and molecular dynamics methods. Deprotonated duplex ions were formed by electrospray ionization, and their collision cross sections measured in helium were compared to calculated cross sections of theoretical models generated by molecular dynamics. The 4-mer (dCGCG) and 6-mer (dCGCGCG) duplexes were found to have globular conformations. Globular and helical structures were observed for the 8-mer (dCGCGCGCG) duplex, with the globular form being the more favored conformer. For the 10-mer (dCGCGCGCGCG), 14-mer (dCGCGCGCGCGCGCG), and 18-mer (dCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCG) duplexes, only helical structures were observed in the ion mobility measurements. Theory predicts that the helical structures are less stable than the globular forms in the gas phase and should collapse into the globular form given enough time. However, molecular dynamics simulations at 300 K indicate the helical structures are stable in aqueous solution and will retain their conformations for a limited time in the gas phase. The presence of helical structures in the ion mobility experiments indicates that the duplexes retain "solution structures" in the gas phase on the millisecond time scale.


study the in vitro effects of imipenem, cefodizime, vancomycin, teicoplanin, imipenem- amikacin, imipenem-teicoplanin combinations and vitamin A at therapeutic concentration on phagocytic and intracellular killing activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in neutropenic children with acute leukemia were investigated. Twenty-one neutropenic children with mean age 7 were included in this study and were clinically divided in 3 groups. The first group included 7 nonfebrile neutropenic children not receiving chemotherapy; the second group included 7 febrile neutropenic children receiving chemotherapy; the third group included 7 nonfebrile neutropenic children receiving chemotherapy. PMNs were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation method. C. albicans ATCC 10231 was used to measure the phagocytosis and intracellular killing activity of PMNs. Consequently, in the 1 st group; the antibiotics used in our investigation and vitamin A significantly increased PMN's phagocytic activity, cefodizime showed immunomodulatory effect on the both PMN functions in the 1 st and 2 st group. Additionally, vancomycin had immunomodulatory effect on the both PMN functions in the 1 st group and only on the phagocytic activity in 3 rd group.


Significance
 TSMC has a market share of more than 50% in chip manufacturing, and makes the vast majority of cutting-edge chips. Securing chip supply is now an issue of national and economic security for the United States, China and other major countries, putting Taiwan's dominance into question.

 Impacts
 Chip shortages will not be solved until next year; all aspects of manufacturing will be affected.
 Most products only need lower-end chips and Chinese producers are likely to satisfy this demand by producing higher volumes.
 Companies will explore silicon alternatives and shift to cloud computing, where connecting devices can run on slower chips.
 Competition will intensify for talent necessary to run chip fabrication plants.


Introduction . To date, innovations have not had a significant impact on the Ukrainian economy, and at the same time the general macroeconomic situation does not contribute to the intensification of innovation in the business environment. Under the current conditions, Ukraine is forced to use and borrow production and management technologies from leading countries, to catch up with them in technological, innovative and technical development. In this regard, the country needs to focus on the continuous implementation of innovation as a priority of the country's sustainable development strategy. Purpose of the work is to consider the relationship and interdependence of innovation and sustainable development, to determine the impact of innovation on the economic, social and environmental components of development. Considerable attention is paid to identifying the features of innovation in Ukraine based on the analysis of the Global Innovation Index, the share of enterprises implementing innovations and the volume of sold innovative industrial products. Method (methodology). A systematic approach, methods of analysis and synthesis are used to identify the impact of innovation on the components of sustainable development. Historical and statistical methods are used in the analysis of the peculiarities of innovation in Ukraine. Results. Innovation processes and innovation activities affect the economic, social and environmental components of sustainable development. Impact on the economic component will reduce production costs, increase productivity, profitability and increase profits, improve product quality, create new sectors of the economy, increase GDP and increase the country's competitiveness, replenish the budget, increase the share of innovative products in general and in exports in particular . The impact on the social component will be manifested in better meeting the needs of society, improving the duration, quality and standard of living, improving the quality of education. Changes in the environmental component will take place under the influence of innovations in the form of conservation of natural resources and reduction of emissions into the environment. The analysis of the peculiarities of innovation activity in Ukraine showed that innovations in Ukraine are underdeveloped and need to be intensified to build sustainable development. The obtained results can be used in the development of a strategy for sustainable development of Ukraine and the implementation of its policy in economic life.


In the human, there are two glycoproteins, testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin (hTeBG) and androgen-binding protein (hABP), which bind testosterone. Although these two proteins have similar physicochemical properties, they can be distinguished on the basis of origin and lectin binding. hTeBG is made in the liver and exhibits high affinity for Concanavalin A (Con A), while hABP from the testes is only partially bound to this lectin. That is, when testicular extracts were applied to Con A-Sepharose columns, a portion of the testosterone-binding material showed no interaction with the lectin and eluted in the void volume (peak I), while the remainder interacted strongly and could be eluted with alpha-methyl-D-glucoside (peak II). These observations are consistent with the proposal that peak I contains only hABP, whereas peak II contains hTeBG and/or hABP with carbohydrate units that permit binding to Con A. To further study the properties of these binding proteins, a hTeBG RIA using a monospecific antiserum was employed to compare the proteins in testes and serum. The results indicated that the testosterone-binding activities in peaks I and II of testicular extracts could not be distinguished immunologically from hTeBG in sera of normal women. These findings suggested that hTeBG and hABP share common epitopes. We next determined whether hABP was secreted into the blood or amniotic fluid by fractionating these fluids in Con A-Sepharose columns. Unlike testicular extracts, male serum and amniotic fluid contained single immunoreactive and steroid-binding species which bound specifically to Con A. We conclude from these observations that hABP (peak I), peak II activity, and hTeBG have common immunodeterminants and that if hABP is secreted into the blood of men, then its carbohydrate chains bind to Con A, making it indistinguishable from hTeBG under these conditions.


Fish catch composition in 21 gill net samplings performed between 2014 and 2015 at Rhodes Island (Aegean Sea, Greece) was analysed, with the aim to contribute in filling scattered information on coastal fish assemblages in a Mediterranean region heavily impacted by biological invasions. A total biomass of 183 kg was collected comprising 1070 fish individuals, distributed along 43 native and six Lessepsian migrant species. The alien Siganus luridus prevailed in terms of frequency of occurrence, followed by the native Sparisoma cretense, which exhibited the higher abundance and biomass, followed by S. luridus, Scorpaena scrofa and Siganus rivulatus. Ratios between alien and native species as well as between their abundance and biomass are discussed.


The Canadian Society of Internal Medicine has a noble mission statement that bears repeating. The goal is to "go beyond simple transmission of information, and to make a lasting impact on the knowledge, skills and attitudes of clinicians and future clinicians; to narrow the theory-to-practice gap; to improve the health of our patients and of all Canadians." I agree wholeheartedly; in fact, I presume we all agree. How could you not? But the devil is always in the details. What does this really mean for how we prepare future doctors? More contentiously, what does this mean for duty hours? This (reactionary?) author believes it is worth routinely examining whether we live up to our lofty mission. If not, then we should accept a few inconvenient truths.


The thesis that economics is "performative" (Callon 1998) has provoked much interest but also some puzzlement and not a little confusion. The purpose of this article is to examine from the viewpoint of performativity one of the most successful areas of modern economics, the theory of options, and in so doing hopefully to clarify some of the issues at stake. To claim that economics is performative is to argue that it does things, rather than simply describing (with greater or lesser degrees of accuracy) an external reality that is not affected by economics. But what does economics do, and what are the effects of it doing what it does? That the theory of options is an appropriate place around which to look for performativity is suggested by two roughly concurrent developments. Since the 1950s, the academic study of finance has been transformed from a low-status, primarily descriptive activity to a high-status, analytical, mathematical, Nobel-prize-winning enterprise. At the core of that enterprise is a theoretical account of options dating from the start of the 1970s. Around option theory there has developed a large array of sophisticated mathematical analyses of financial derivatives. (A "derivative" is a contract or security, such as an option, the value of which depends upon the price of another asset or upon the level of an index or interest rate.)


Postmortal tissue digoxin concentration and prefinal and postmortal plasma digoxin concentrations from 9 patients were determined using the 125J-digoxin radioimmunoassay. The concentration of digoxin in the myocardium of the left ventricle was 61.44 +/- 45.17 ng/g. In the right ventricle the concentration was 36.78 +/- 33.11 ng/g. Higher digoxin concentrations were found in the right atrium (34.93 +/- 21.86 ng/g) than in the left atrium (25.43 +/- 14.57 ng/g). In plasma samples taken after death approximately 62% higher digoxin concentrations were found than in samples of patients in prefinal state. Histological examination revealed positive correlation between in the high varying digoxin concentrations and the pathological conditions of the tissue structure.


Heated tipping-bucket (TB) gauges are used broadly in national weather monitoring networks, but their performance for the measurement of solid precipitation has not been well characterized. Manufacturer-provided TB gauges were evaluated at five test sites during the World Meteorological Organization Solid Precipitation Intercomparison Experiment (WMO-SPICE), with most gauge types tested at more than one site. The test results were used to develop and evaluate adjustments for the undercatch of solid precipitation by heated TB gauges. New methods were also developed to address challenges specific to measurements from heated TB gauges. Tipping-bucket transfer functions were created specifically to minimize the sum of errors over the course of the adjusted multiseasonal accumulation. This was based on the hypothesis that the best transfer function produces the most accurate long-term precipitation records, rather than accurate catch efficiency measurements or accurate daily or hourly precipitation measurements. Using this new approach, an adjustment function derived from multiple gauges was developed that performed better than traditional gauge-specific and multigauge catch efficiency derived adjustments. Because this new multigauge adjustment was developed using six different types of gauges tested at five different sites, it may be applicable to solid precipitation measurements from unshielded heated TB gauges that were not evaluated in WMO-SPICE. In addition, this new method of optimizing transfer functions may be useful for other types of precipitation gauges, as it has many practical advantages over the traditional catch efficiency methods used to derive undercatch adjustments.


The ambition of this project is to demonstrate the cultural and literary importance of the maritime supernatural of nineteenth century literature. Addressing literary manifestations of the experience of being haunted at sea, I both expand and adjust the work of key scholars of maritime literature and history, who prioritize adventure narratives over the supernatural and focus on what they argue is the "real" experience and impetus of sea-faring, ranging from labour to adventure to empire-building. However, ghosts, legends and the supernatural are equally indispensable to the "real" experience of sea-faring. This thesis traces the maritime supernatural as a response to the anxieties arising from the imperial, religious and technological formations of the nineteenth century. Chapter one constructs a theoretical framework based on shipboard life and labour and the uncanny. Working within this frame, chapter two considers three key elements of the maritime supernatural – supernatural actor, haunted space and haunting environment – demonstrating the particular ways in which this literary genre overturns maritime lore and challenges norms and conventions. This leads to analyses of works of three popular sailor-authors, Frederick Marryat (1792-1848), William Clark Russell (1844-1911) and William Hope Hodgson (1877-1918). These three authors, well-known in their own time, are now often overlooked in studies of maritime literature, mostly because their narratives do not have the literary quality of canonical works. However, their contemporary popularity does not only indicate their writings resonated with their audiences; their apparent lack of literary quality highlights the immediacy of their concerns. Frederick Marryat's The Phantom Ship, serialized between 1837 and 1839, seizes the supernatural element in order to interrogate Christianity. After a hiatus in the mid-nineteenth century when no new maritime supernatural narratives were published, William Clark Russell essentially revived the genre with The Death Ship in 1888. Russell's nostalgic tale both expresses a longing for the past and anxiety for the future of shipboard labour. By the early 1900s, William Hope Hodgson's early weird fiction gives a new spin to the genre, remythologising the sea into modern tales that reflect contemporary crises of maritime representation. This draws to a conclusion that complicates the notion of the maritime space as unproblematic site of nostalgia, modernity, religion or empire, and shows that a serious consideration of the maritime supernatural genre enriches the current discourse of maritime literature.


A new aerothermal test facility was constructed for the purpose of studying film cooling performance in an environment that accurately simulates conjugate heat transfer characteristics that exist in engine operation. This paper details the design of the facility and the plan for conducting steady-state film cooling experiments to improve the understanding of conjugate heat transfer scaling from laboratory to engine conditions. The test facility consists of two separate flow channels (hot gas/coolant) and each gas path has a flow conditioning section, a convergent nozzle and a test section/channel with viewports. Numerical simulations were conducted to predict flow field characteristics supporting the design of the flow loop facility. Preliminary experiments were conducted to characterize the flow field using velocity and temperature profile measurements. In addition, infrared (IR) thermography methods were developed to measure surface temperatures on the hot side of the test plate. The IR measurement methods including calibration of the IR camera is explained in detail. It was concluded that appropriate hot gas path flow conditioning could be achieved using a strainer-like tube, a perforated plate, and a honeycomb-mesh screen system upstream of the test section. Flow field measurements from preliminary experiments showed that the boundary layer profile follows the law of the wall.


The health services often struggle in their attempts to engage and support fathers. This paper describes the piloting of a small group for the fathers of children with a disability, in this case Down Syndrome. The group is described from conception to conclusion and limitations of the study are discussed. The group approach meets a need for a proportion of fathers who prove able to explore their experiences and feelings.


SETTING
Crowded townships of Cape Town, South Africa, where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence and tuberculosis (TB) notification rates are among the highest in the world.

OBJECTIVES
To determine age-specific prevalence rates of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among HIV-negative individuals, and the annual risk and force of infection during childhood and adolescence.

DESIGN
A cross-sectional survey using a standardised tuberculin skin test (TST) in HIV-negative individuals aged 5-40 years. A TST diameter of > or =10 mm was defined as indicative of LTBI.

RESULTS
Among 1061 individuals, only 4.7% had low-grade TST responses of 1-9 mm. However, the proportions of individuals with TST > or =10 mm increased from 28.0% in the 5-10 year age stratum to 88.0% in the 31-35 year age stratum. The mean annual risk of infection was 3.9% up to 5 years of age. The estimated force of infection (the rate of acquisition of LTBI among the residual pool of non-infected individuals) increased throughout childhood to a maximum of 7.9% per year at age 15 years.

CONCLUSIONS
Extremely high rates of infection in childhood and adolescence result in very high LTBI prevalence rates in young adults who are most at risk of acquiring HIV infection. This may be an important factor fuelling the high rates of HIV-associated TB in southern Africa.


To consider all aspect of Health Care Challenges one should  first consider the Big Three Problems of the world today. Global Warming : this will lead to atmospheric changes, storm, flood, forest fire will lead to mass casualties and disasters. Global Population : increase in number, increase in elderly population put big strain on social and economic situations. Degenerative, neoplastic and geriatric medicine have to be highlighted in training. Globalization : rapid media, communication and traveling will lead to comparison competition, challenge and  changing followed by high expectation, accountability and eventually high incidence of legal intimidation. To cover the Future Challenges in Health Care one has to attempt to answer the Big Three of these Global Problems in term of Economy, Social and Politics. These will affect both quantity and quality of Health Care Distribution. As a developing country one must rely on "Good Enough Policy". Emphasis must be on General Distribution. That is large some of money must go to large number of people. Avoid the policy of Excellence to the Privileged Few. General practice and geriatrics must be emphasized for coming future problems. Prevention and Promotion must be put to the real policy. Lastly Medical Ethics must strictly be preserved : Do your best Do no harm Do respect Do justice  (distribution, basic rights and legal)


The evolution of financial sector stability risks is a major cause of concern for central banks in democratic countries, the macroprudential approach being a top priority nowadays, amid efforts to overcome the current global financial crisis.The systemic risk management approach has a major impact on economic growth. It refers to financial, economic and social cycles as well. The analysis that reveals this evolution is based on the correlations between risk indicators and economic indicators. It is worth mentioning that the banking sector is the largest part of the financial system in Romania, while the equity stock market is relatively small. In this context, the paper presents the correlations between the main banking sector risk indicators, namely the solvency indicator, leverage and total risks, and key and derived economic and financial indicators. In addition, this paper presents a stress test that predicts the impact of macroeconomic shocks on financial soundness indicators, such as the domestic credit and its main components – governmental and, respectively, non-governmental credit – each of them having a different impact on economic growth. The stress test is based on an econometric model, i.e. the historical scenario. Finally, conclusions are drawn, emphasizing the essential role of prudential regulation, which diminished before the financial crisis that emerged in the United States in 2007. As a result, toxic financial assets could no longer be kept off markets, leading to the destabilization of the financial system and of economy of democratic countries.


PURPOSE
To investigate the influence of framework materials with different elasticity moduli on the biomechanical performance of fixed partial dentures (FPDs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A tooth-anchored three-unit FPD and surrounding tissues were modeled in two variants (veneered/full anatomical FPD) and loaded on the central unit. Three different framework materials (titanium, zirconia, high-performance polymer) were simulated.

RESULTS
The polymer framework resulted in reduced framework stresses and increased veneering stresses. Varying the framework material had minimal influence on the loading of surrounding tissue.

CONCLUSIONS
Using soft, novel materials as framework for dental FPDs does not negatively influence biomechanical loading of the involved biologic structures.


It is a great pleasure to publish here a special issue of the Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan titled, "Sustainable Chemical Engineering." This special issue has been planned by the voluntary members of the Division of Environment, Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan (SCEJ), and edited by the members as guest editors of the issue. The main purpose of publishing this special issue is to provide opportunities of publishing research and technical topics related to environmental chemical engineering for a wide range of authors and readers interested in this field. This issue includes 21 high-quality articles: 1 review paper and 20 research papers, selected out of 31 submissions through a strict reviewing process by distinguished reviewers. The issue finally covers a wide range of environmental topics from micro-scale to global environment. We believe this special issue is beneficial all the readers of the journal, and stimulate the research activities of the environmental chemical engineering in the future.


The core services in cloud computing environment are SaaS (Software as a Service), Paas (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Among these three core services server virtualization belongs to IaaS and is a service technology to reduce the server maintenance expenses. Normally, the primary purpose of sever virtualization is building and maintaining a new well functioning server rather than using several existing servers, and in improving the various system performances. Often times this presents an issue in that there might be a need to increase expenses in order to build a new server. This study intends to use grid service architecture for a form of server virtualization which utilizes the existing servers rather than introducing a new server. More specifically, the proposed system is to enhance system performance and to reduce the corresponding expenses, by adopting a scheduling algorithm among the distributed servers and the constituents for grid computing thereby supporting the server virtualization service. Furthermore, the proposed server virtualization system will minimize power management by adopting the sleep severs, the subsidized servers and the grid infrastructure. The power maintenance expenses for the sleep servers will be lowered by utilizing the ACPI (Advanced Configuration & Power Interface) standards with the purpose of overcoming the limits of server performance. Keywords—Server Virtualization, Grid Service, Grid Infrastructure, Power Efficiency, Cloud Computing


The Santa Fé Ni-Co deposit is a major undeveloped lateritic deposit located in the Goiás State of Central Brazil. The deposit comprises two properties that together have indicated resources of 35.7 million tonnes (Mt), grading 1.14% Ni and 0.083% Co, and inferred resources of 104.3 Mt at 1.03% Ni and 0.054% Co. The laterite was derived from Late Cretaceous alkaline ultramafic lithologies that experienced an initial silicification from Eocene to Oligocene, followed by lateritization and partial reworking in Miocene-Pliocene. The deposit is characterized both by oxide- and phyllosilicate-dominated ore zones. In the former, Ni- and Co-bearing hematite and goethite dominate the supergene mineralogical assemblage, while ore-bearing Mn oxyhydroxides occur as minor components. In the phyllosilicate-dominated horizons the major Ni-carrying phase is chlorite.
 Multivariate statistical analyses (factor analysis and principal components analysis) conducted on the drill core assay database (bulk-rock chemical analyses) showed that significant differences exist between Ni and Co distributions. The Ni distribution is not controlled by any clear geochemical correlation. This is because the highest Ni concentrations have been measured in the ferruginous and in the ochre saprolite zones, where Ni-bearing minerals (chlorite and goethite) are mostly associated with reworked material and only in a limited way, with zones affected by in situ ferrugination. Cobalt has an atypical statistical distribution at Santa Fé if compared with other laterites, correlated not only with Mn but also with Cr in the majority of the laterite facies. From microchemical analyses on several potential Co-bearing minerals, it was found that the Co-Cr association is related to elevated Co contents in residual spinels, representing unweathered phases of the original parent rock now included in the laterite. This element distribution is atypical for Ni-Co laterite deposits, where Co is normally associated with Mn in supergene oxyhydroxides. In the case of the Santa Fé laterite, the Co concentration in spinels is likely related to magmatic and postmagmatic processes that affected the original parent rock before lateritization, specifically (1) orthomagmatic enrichment of Co in chromite, due to its high affinity to spinels in alkaline melts, and (2) trace elements (i.e., Co, Mn, Ni, and Zn) redistribution during the hydrothermal alteration of chromite into ferritchromite. The Santa Fé deposit represents a good example of how the prelateritic evolution of a parent rock strongly affects the efficiency of Co mobilization and enrichment during supergene alteration. Based on the interpretation of metallurgical test work, a fraction of total Co between 20 and 50% is locked in spinels.


Drive cycle simulations of longitudinal vehicle models is an important tool for design and analysis of power trains. On the market today there are several tools for such simulations, and these tools use mainly two different methods of simulation, forward dynamic or quasi-static inverse simulation. Forward dynamic simulation is capable of describing the dynamic behavior of a system to a high level of detail, but suffers from long simulation times. On the other hand, quasi-static inverse simulations are very fast, but lack the ability of describing additional dynamics in a good way. Here known theory for stable inversion of non linear systems is used in order to try to combine the fast simulation times of the quasi-static inverse simulation with the ability of describing the dynamics as in the forward dynamic simulation. The stable inversion technique together with a new implicit driver model forms a new concept, inverse dynamic simulation. Using this technique the need to develop dedicated inverse models is reduced, and it is shown that a large class of models that can be simulated in forward dynamic simulation also can be simulated in inverse dynamic simulation. In this respect, three powertrain applications are used that include important dynamics that can not be handled using quasi-static inverse simulation. The extensions are engine dynamics, drive line dynamics, and gas flow dynamics around diesel engines. These three cases also represent interesting mathematical properties such as zero dynamics, resonances, and non-minimum phase systems, i.e. unstable zero dynamics. The inversion technique is demonstrated on all three examples, and the feasibility of inverse dynamic simulation of these systems is shown. Moreover, using the three examples, inverse dynamic simulation is compared to forward dynamic simulation regarding simulation set-up effort, simulation time, and parameter-result dependency. It is shown that inverse dynamic simulation is easy to set up, gives short simulation times, and gives consistent result for design space exploration. This makes inverse dynamic simulation a suitable method to use for drive cycle simulation, and especially in situations requiring many simulations, such as optimization over design space, powertrain configuration optimization, or development of powertrain control strategies.


In a survey of nematode damage in groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea ) (Fabaceae) production areas in the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, a nematode was recovered and initially believed to be a member of the genus Robustodorus , i.e. , the species has a characteristic robust stylet with very well-developed teardrop-shaped (garlic bulb-like) basal swellings. The specimens were recovered in large numbers from damaged hulls and kernels of field-collected groundnuts and, after thorough morphological and molecular studies, were subsequently identified as Aphelenchoides arachidis . Molecular analysis based on near-full-length small subunit (SSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA genes supported the monophyly of A. arachidis , A. subtenuis and R. megadorus within the subfamily Aphelenchoidinae. Based on the typological characters observed in the present study compared with descriptions in the literature, these three species are considered as congeneric, i.e. , they share very well-developed basal swellings of the stylet. Accordingly, these two Aphelenchoides species are transferred to Robustodorus as R. arachidis n. comb. and R. subtenuis n. comb. In addition, the male tail characters of Robustodorus and Aphelenchoides are discussed.


We present in this paper a powerful low-cost method for real-time digital signal analysis and measurement based Discrete Fourier Transform. This measurement system needs understanding the mathematical background and the computational implementation, using the adequate cables, connectors, as well as having knowledge and experience for interpreting the results obtained. This paper tries to understand the fundamental concepts in DFT-based measurements, providing a better comprehension of the measured parameters, procedures, and interpreting the resulting data. We attempt to make this paper summarized as much as possible; at the same time, to treat the most important aspects showing the different stages implemented into the system developed.


Pressure transient analysis in fractured horizontal wells in unconventional reservoirs has received much attention in last two decades. A large number of microseismic data showed that many hydraulic fractures do not actually penetrate the entire formation, which means that 3D flow into the hydraulic fractures should be considered. However, there is limited work on analytical method based well-testing models for fractured horizontal wells with 3D flow. To improve this situation, a semi-analytical model for the horizontal well with partly-penetrated multi-state fractures are developed with considering 3D flow, based on fracture discretization. The new model proposed in this paper can describe more complex 3D flows in the multiple hydraulic fractures.
 With flow regimes analysis and field application, it is found that the pressure derivative curves of fractured horizontal wells with 3D flow are complex. The most obvious feature of the flow regimes is that the curve appears to drop after the linear flow. It behaves like a second "hump" occurs in the pressure derivative curve. This is due to the fact that fractures do not penetrate the formation completely, and a pseudo-spherical flow occurs at this stage. The pseudo-spherical flow is more obvious when the fracture height is small or the fracture is short. Evaluated results from field application are basically consistent with the overall understanding of the MH shale oil reservoirs, which demonstrates the reliability and practicability of the proposed model. The evaluated fracture conductivity is less than an ideal value, because the fracture conductivity declines rapidly with the high reservoir pressure. This work helps to better understand the pressure transient behavior and to facilitate fracture evaluation in the unconventional reservoirs.


Influenced by significant changes in the market, business expectations for the dental industry in Europe, for example, are cautiously positive, as leading dental manufacturers there anticipate single-digit revenue and profit growth for the next two years. Under these conditions, rising customer demand and highly innovative manufacturers, which will in turn drive growth from the supply side, are considered to be two main factors for growth.


Background: Several studies suggested that exercise training might improve myocardial perfusion by inducing coronary vascular adaptations or enhancing collateralization. However, these findings were obtained in patients with chronic coronary artery disease using thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. We evaluated whether a long-term exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) started early (9 ± 3 days) after ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) improves myocardial perfusion and left ventricular (LV) function, evaluated by gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Design: Randomized controlled study. Methods: Fifty patients with recent STEMI were randomized into two groups: 24 enrolled in a 6-month exercise-based CR programme (group T) and 26 discharged with generic instructions for maintaining physical activity and correct lifestyle (group C). All patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise test and gated SPECT within 3 weeks after STEMI and at 6-month follow up. Results: At follow up, group T showed a significant reduction of stress-induced ischaemia (p < 0.01) and an improvement in resting and post-stress wall motion (both p < 0.005) and resting (p < 0.05) and post-stress wall thickness (p < 0.005) score indexes. At follow up, group T showed an improvement in peak oxygen consumption (p < 0.0001), O2 pulse (p < 0.05), and in the slope of increase in ventilation over carbon dioxide output (p < 0.001). No changes in myocardial perfusion parameters, LV function, and cardiopulmonary indexes were observed in group C at follow up. Conclusions: Six months of exercise training early after STEMI reduces stress-induced ischaemia and improves LV wall motion and thickness. Exercise-induced changes in myocardial perfusion and function were associated with the absence of unfavourable LV remodelling and with the improvement of cardiovascular functional capacity.


This review examines the evidence for a central role of oestrogen receptor b (ERb or ESR2 as listed in the MGI Database) in folliculogenesis and hence reproductive biology. Knockout mouse models have been a valuable resource in this respect. The ERb-null mouse exhibits a granulosa cell phenotype associated with the partial arrest of folliculogenesis and ovulatory dysfunction. Phyto-oestrogens such as genistein, which preferentially activate ERb, have been shown to alleviate the ovarian phenotype of the oestrogendepleted aromatase knockout mouse. In normal adult mice, genistein has been shown to cause reproductive defectives following neonatal administration. Studies of ovarian cancer have also informed the literature. A decline in ERb levels in epithelial ovarian cancers has been hypothesised to be Journal of Endocrinology (2010) 205, 15–23 0022–0795/10/0205–015 q 2010 Society for Endocrinology Printed in Great associated with severity of disease and prognosis. Whereas the abundant expression of ERb in granulosa cell tumours (GCT) of the ovary and evidence that ERb signalling is transrepressed by the nuclear factor-kB pathway in GCT cell lines suggest a pathogenetic role for ERb in GCT. In recent years, studies into the impact of environmental oestrogens (either in the form of pesticides or plastics) on reproductive function have shown that ERb-selective toxins cause reproductive dysfunction and impair fertility. It remains to be established as to what genes are regulated by ERb in the ovary. Finally, ERb has been shown to be regulated by gonadotrophins, the pituitary hormones mediating ovarian function. Journal of Endocrinology (2010) 205, 15–23


We propose a new electron-emission-type infrared light sensor and imager, which uses the principle of electron emission from a ferroelectric material. Previously, we reported that the electron emission current was proportional to the incident infrared light energy and 30% of the pyroelectric current was emitted to the vacuum (Tomita, K. et al., Sensors and Actuators, vol.97-8, p.147-52, 2002). The electron-emission-type infrared sensor is improved by using a single crystalline LiNbO/sub 3/ and a secondary electron multiplying device. This type of sensor was proposed and demonstrated previously using Pb(Zr,Ti)O/sub 3/ (PZT). The response speed increased to 1.5 times that of PZT. On a pulsed infrared irradiation condition, this sensor achieved infrared light sensitivity of 41 nA/W without multiplication of the emission electrons. It is expected that electrons can be supplied to the surface from the comb-type electrode. The electron emission current was measured, and the peak current did not change during a continuous detection operation. In the low incident light condition, an emission pattern was confirmed by multiplication of emission electrons. This image was caused by the pyroelectric charge from LiNbO/sub 3/.


Eighty‐two patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease who were in apparent complete remission (CR) after receiving 10 courses of combination chemotherapy were systematically reevaluated for persisting disease. Occult Hodgkin's disease was found in 10 (12%) of these patients and was predominantly present in nodal sites (91%) which were known to have been involved at initial staging (100%). Repeat chest radiography, Gallium‐67 tumor scanning and lymphography were the most helpful procedures for detecting residual disease. Nine of the 72 (13%) patients felt to be free of disease after negative restaging subsequently relapsed within 8 months. Sites of early relapse, like the sites of disease found at restaging, occurred almost always in previously involved nodal areas. We conclude that systematic restaging should be incorporated into subsequent lymphoma trials in order to define more clearly complete remission and that every patient treated for lymphoma should undergo a careful restaging evaluation before therapy is discontinued. Cancer 42:1976‐1982, 1978.


There is a great variety of histological patterns of skin melanoma and, in particular, that of its metastatic patterns. Malignant melanocytes are capable of influencing tumor-associated antigen expression. As of now, several varieties of melanoma-associated antigens (MAA) have been identified: MART1/melan A, tyrosinase, MITF, gp100, members of MAGE family, S100, CD63 and CD146. Peptides isolated from such molecules can induce MHC-restricted response of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. It has been shown that level and nature of specific antigen expression caused by melanocytes correlate with tumor stage and a relationship between survival and MAA expression on tumor cells identified. Morphological features, growth pattern and proliferation rate varied in melanoma cell cultures used in our study. Our experiments involved evaluation of changes in the properties of antigens HLA (class 1 and 2), tumor tissue samples and cells isolated from them, which were capable of stable proliferative activity during passages 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35, and assay for MAA content. Levels of the antigens were significantly lower following long-term culturing melanoma cell melanoma cells in vitro. At initial passages (1-5), antigen profile in most cultures was similar to that in tumor tissue samples. Later on each cell population showed greater antigen expression heterogeneity matched by increased number of cells going through mitotic cycle; their nuclei were stained with antibodies to Ki-67. No HLF A/B/C molecule expression took place during tumor cell culturing: stained cells--in 68.9% of cultures (passages 1-5) and 36.3% (passage 35). However, HLA DQ/DP/DR molecule identification showed an inverse relationship: 44.1% (passage 5) while virtually all the cell lines did synthesize those molecules after passage 35. Hence, MAA and MHC (class 1 and 2) antigens expression in tumor cell should be monitored when they are used for preparation of autologuos and allogenic vaccines. In case of allogenic vaccine production, cell lines capable of stable production of MAA should be selected.


Introduction Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are a clinically applied anti-neoplastic treatment modality delivered via noninvasive application of low intensity (1-3 V/cm), intermediate frequency (100-500 kHz), alternating electric fields. In this study we evaluated the effects of in vitro TTFields application on dendritic cell (DC) properties that include maturation, phagocytosis, and migration. Methods Bone marrow cells were flushed from the femurs and tibias of 5-7 week old C57BL/6 mice to generate bone marrow-derived DCs. For the DC maturation assay, TTFields treated cancer cells were added at a ratio of 1:1 for 24 h. DC maturation was analyzed using flow cytometry to assess surface expression of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II), CD40, and CD80 activation markers. For the phagocytosis assay, CellTrackerTM Deep Red Dye, pre-stained TTFields treated cancer cells were added at a ratio of 1:1 for 2h and phagocytosis by DCs was evaluated using flow cytometry. DC migration assays were performed using a modified Matrigel coated Boyden chamber either with or without C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 19 (CCL19), utilized as a chemoattractant. Results TTFields treated cancer cells were effectively phagocytosed by DCs, while untreated control cells did not show similar outcomes. In addition, activation markers were found to be upregulated in DCs that were co-cultured with TTFields treated cells. This up-regulation was observed for all the costimulatory molecules analyzed. DC migration assays, showed no significant difference in migration rates between untreated and TTFields treated DCs, with or without the chemoattractant CCL19. Conclusions These in vitro results indicate that TTFields treated cancer cells promote DC elicited phagocytosis and DC maturation. Moreover, in contrast to previous studies reporting that TTFields show an inhibitory effect on cancer cell migration, we demonstrate that TTFields do not impair the migratory properties of DCs. Citation Format: Tali Voloshin, Shiri Davidi, Noa Kaynan, Rosa Schneiderman, Alexandra Volodin, Moshe Giladi, Uri Weinberg, Yoram Palti. Effects of tumor treating fields (TTFields) on dendritic cells functionality [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6662.


BACKGROUND
Diagnostic tests, such as amyloid-β positron emission tomography (PET) scans, can increase appropriate therapeutic management for the underlying causes of cognitive decline. To evaluate the full utility of this diagnostic tool, information is needed on whether results from amyloid-β PET scans influence care-partner outcomes.

OBJECTIVE
This study examines the extent to which previous disclosure of elevated amyloid (suggestive of Alzheimer's disease (AD) etiology) versus not-elevated amyloid (not suggestive of AD etiology) is associated with changes in care-partner wellbeing.

METHODS
The study used data derived from a national longitudinal survey of Medicare beneficiaries (n = 921) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia and their care-partners. Care-partner wellbeing outcomes included depressive symptoms (PHQ-8), subjective burden (4-item Zarit burden score), and a 3-item measure of loneliness. Change was measured between 4 (Time 1) and 18 (Time 2) months after receiving the scan results. Adjusted linear regression models regressed change (Time 2-Time 1) in each outcome on scan result.

RESULTS
Care-partners were primarily white, non-Hispanic, college-educated, and married to the care recipient. Elevated amyloid was not associated with statistically significant Time 1 differences in outcomes or with statistically significant changes in depressive symptoms 0.22 (-0.18, 0.61), subjective burden 0.36 (-0.01, 0.73), or loneliness 0.15 (-0.01, 0.32) for care-partners from one time point to another.

CONCLUSION
Given advances in AD biomarker testing, future research in more diverse samples is needed to understand the influence of scan results on care-partner wellbeing across populations.


The real-time observation of a power factor is going to be indispensable for the maintenance, control and stable voltage regulation of general three-phase power distribution systems in Japan. The voltage in the transmission lines is so high that its waveform must be measured with a static induction type of noncontact voltage sensor, which can be attached simply and at a reasonable price compared with other voltage sensors such as a photovoltage sensor. Since the sensor is constructed from a pair of electrodes, there is likely to be a problem in the discrepancy between the actual voltage waveform and the measured waveform in three-phase power distribution systems. The authors have investigated the cause of the problem in the phase shift between the actual voltage waveform and the measured waveform for the static induction type of voltage sensor. This paper presents the results of the electric field analysis concerning another influence of the overhead ground wire, i.e. that on the phase shift in three-phase power distribution systems.


Abstract Leiva Sánchez, A.: Notes on Cuban native palms. — Willdenowia 36 (Special Issue): 507–513. — ISSN 0511-9618; © 2006 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. doi:10.3372/wi.36.36148 (available via http://dx.doi.org/) A brief, updated account on the taxonomic history of Cuban palms is provided, together with a key for the field identification of the 14 currently recognized native genera. Four of the most interesting genera of Cuban native palms (Thrinax, Coccothrinax, Copernicia and Roystonea) are commented. The name Coccothrinax crinita is lectotypified.


With the belief that every college graduate should be globally literate with an education based on the liberal arts, Ramapo College incorporated international and multicultural education into its strategic direction in 1985. To implement this mission, Ramapo drew on its distinct strengths and opportunities, which includes f acuity expertise, student backgrounds, and neighboring international /inns. The lofty goals of international education are often beyond the reach of institutions, faculty, and students because of cost and distance. By using electronic means, students can learn about the world beyond the campus and beyond the borders of the United States. Audio conferencing is highly cost-effective, often costing less than a few hundred dollars per hour. Video teleconferencing is much more expensive, but new technologies are reducing the cost of this technology as well. With such tools available, there no longer is any excuse for a college to say that experiencing the world beyond the campus is beyond the reach of students. It now is possible to experience the world-electronically.


We present results from numerical calculations on the carrier capture efficiency in separate‐ confinement and graded‐index separate‐confinement multiple quantum well (MQW) lasers. We find that the capture time oscillates as a function of the well width as well as the barrier width between the wells, due to a changing overlap of the barrier wave functions with the bound states in the wells. We show that one order of magnitude improvement in the carrier capture efficiency can be accomplished by properly choosing the dimensions of the layers in the active region of the MQW laser.


Deep generative models such as Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Diffusion Models, and Transformers, have shown great promise in a variety of applications, including image and speech synthesis, natural language processing, and drug discovery. However, when applied to engineering design problems, evaluating the performance of these models can be challenging, as traditional statistical metrics based on likelihood may not fully capture the requirements of engineering applications. This paper doubles as a review and practical guide to evaluation metrics for deep generative models (DGMs) in engineering design. We first summarize the well-accepted `classic' evaluation metrics for deep generative models grounded in machine learning theory. Using case studies, we then highlight why these metrics seldom translate well to design problems but see frequent use due to the lack of established alternatives. Next, we curate a set of design-specific metrics which have been proposed across different research communities and can be used for evaluating deep generative models. These metrics focus on unique requirements in design and engineering, such as constraint satisfaction, functional performance, novelty, and conditioning. Throughout our discussion, we apply the metrics to models trained on simple-to-visualize 2-dimensional example problems. Finally, we evaluate four deep generative models on a bicycle frame design problem and structural topology generation problem. In particular, we showcase the use of proposed metrics to quantify performance target achievement, design novelty, and geometric constraints. We publicly release the code for the datasets, models, and metrics used throughout the paper at https://decode.mit.edu/projects/metrics/.


An analytical technique to determine the effects of finite ground plane on the radiation characteristics of a microstrip antenna is presented. The induced currents on the ground plane and on the upper surface of the patch are determined from the discontinuity of the near field produced by the equivalent magnetic current source on the physical aperture of the patch. The radiated fields contributed by the induced current on the ground plane and the equivalent sources on the physical aperture yield the radiation pattern of the antenna. Radiation patterns of the circular patch with finite ground plane size are computed and compared with the experimental data, and the agreement is found to be good. The radiation pattern, directive gain and input impedance are found to vary widely with the ground plane size. >


Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes papillomas (warts) on the skin and respiratory mucosal surfaces (laryngeal and oral papillomas) in addition to condyloma acuminata (anogenital warts). HPV has become one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in adults. Vertical transmission from mother to infant during birth is well recognized. Laryngeal papillomas are the most common tumors of the larynx in children worldwide, and recurrent lesions are common occurrences. Anogenital warts in children are problematic in that child sexual abuse is a potential means of acquisition, but many cases are acquired perinatally. Postnatal acquisition by nonsexual means also can occur. The likelihood of sexual abuse as the mode of acquisition increases with increasing age in childhood. The virus infects primarily epithelial cells, where it can exist as a long-term latent infection that can reactivate or persist actively (even subclinically), with resultant accumulation of host chromosomal mutations. The latter accounts for the oncogenic potential of a number of HPV types, and childhood infections may lead to neoplasia later in life. Regression of papillomas over the course of months to years is the usual natural course. Numerous treatments are available, but most do not prevent persistent infection or problematic recurrences. Multivalent HPV vaccines have been developed, and early results of clinical trials appear to be very promising.


This is a practical, hands-on book based around a fictitious case study VoIP Provider that you will build on a development server using OpenSIPS 1.6. The case study grows chapter by chapter, from installing your local development server, right up to the finished VoIP provider. This book is for readers who want to understand how to build a SIP provider from scratch using OpenSIPS. It is suitable for VoIP providers, large enterprises, and universities. Telephony and Linux experience will be helpful but is not essential. Readers need not have prior knowledge of OpenSIPS. This book will also help readers who were using OpenSER but are now confused with the new OpenSIPS.


Abundances of thirty-five elements were determined in two bulk samples and a white clast in the Allan Hills A81005 meteorite. High siderophile element content indicates that the sample is a regolith breccia. An Fe/Mn ratio of 77 in this meteorite eliminates parent bodies of known differentiated meteorites as the source of ALHA 81005. The incompatible elements are very similar to those found in most lunar highlands rocks, and provide very strong evidence that the sample is lunar in origin. The clast sample has the trace element pattern of a lunar anorthosite and is very low in KREEP and siderophile elements. It may be a fragment of a pristine lunar rock.


Mean platelet volume (MPV), measured using automated blood analysers, has been appraised as a potential biomarker in cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. The test, a useful tool in differentiation of thrombocytopenic states, has now been carried out for autoimmune disorders, but data are yet scarce. Controversial results have been obtained in systemic and organ-specific autoimmune disorders. Another test, the immature platelet fraction (IPF) reflects the amount of young, reticulated platelets. IPF is calculated by automated hematology analysis or flow cytometry, and it is usually high in patients with rapid platelet destruction. For both MPV and IPF, standardization of cutoff is a major need. In this review, we focus the current applicability of MPV and IPF as biomarkers in patients with autoimmune diseases.


Differential expression of the cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP), a likely component of the visual cycle, has been observed in the ocular ciliary epithelium, a bilayer of neurepithelial cells involved in the active transport of aqueous humor. Antibody probes raised to bovine ciliary epithelium were used to isolate a cDNA encoding CRALBP from a bovine ciliary epithelium cDNA expression library. Northern analysis of poly A+RNA isolated from three different regions of the neonate ciliary epithelium revealed a three-fold higher level of CRALBP expression in the most anterior portion of the pars plicata region relative to the posterior pars plana region. Western blot analysis using CRALBP-specific antibodies also demonstrated that the level of CRALBP expression was higher in the most anterior portion of the ciliary epithelium and gradually decreases toward the posterior region in both neonate and adult bovine eyes. Using indirect immunofluorescence and frozen-sectioned bovine ciliary epithelium, CRALBP was localized to the pigmented ciliary epithelial cell layer along the entire ciliary epithelium. In the nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cell layer, CRALBP was only detected in the pars plana region. Pigmented ciliary epithelial cells have also been cultured and CRALBP expression demonstrated for several continuous passages by Northern and Western analysis. These results raise questions regarding the physiological role of CRALBP in the ciliary epithelium and the involvement of the protein in the defining regional and functional boundaries with this tissue.


rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has completed the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. Majority of world's operators and vendors are already dedicated to LTE deployment, making the LTE market in the upcoming evolution to 4G wireless communication systems. One of the major tools in the toolbox of LTE as far as radio features are concerned is Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas. MIMO helps radio systems to gain significant performance gains by using multiple antennas at their transmitters and receivers. Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technologies introduced in LTE are such as spatial multiplexing, transmit diversity, and beamforming are key components for providing higher peak rate at a better system efficiency, which are necessary for supporting future broadband data service over wireless links. In this paper, performance of different MIMO techniques used in uplink and downlink are discussed.


We deposited amorphous silicon (a-Si) films below 150 °C with a custom-designed catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) system. The hydrogen content of the films was controlled at less than 1.5 at. %. Excimer laser crystallization was performed without the preliminary dehydrogenation process. Crystallization occurred at a laser energy density above 70 mJ/cm2. Thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated while the entire process temperatures were maintained at below 200 °C. We obtained a field-effect mobility of higher than 100 cm2/(V s) and a sub-threshold slope of 116 mV/dec. The a-Si film prepared by a low temperature Cat-CVD is a promising candidate for polycrystalline silicon TFTs of the active matrix display.


The term malware is coined to name any software with malicious intentions. One of the methods malware writers use for hiding their creations is executable packing. Packing consists of encrypting or hiding the real code of the executable in such a way that it is decrypted or unhidden in its execution. Widespread solutions to this issue first try to identify the packer used and next apply the corresponding unpacking routine for each packing algorithm. As it happens with malware obfuscations, this approach fails to detect new and custom packers. Generic unpacking is a technique that has been proposed to solve this issue. These methods usually execute the binary in a contained environment or sandbox to retrieve the real code of the packed executable. Because these approaches incur in a high performance overhead, a filter step is required to determine whether an executable is packed or not. Supervised machine-learning approaches have been proposed to handle this filtering step. However, the usefulness of supervised learning is far to be complete because it requires a high amount of packed and not packed executables to be identified and labelled previously. In this paper, we propose a new method for packed executable detection that adopts a well-known semi-supervised learning approach to reduce the labelling requirements of completely supervised approaches. We performed an empirical validation demonstrating that the labelling efforts are lower than when supervised learning is used while the system maintains high accuracy rates.


This perspective reviews recent developments in the synthesis, electrochemistry, and optical properties of gold nanoparticles, with emphasis on papers initiating the developments and with an eye to their consequences. Key aspects of Au nanoparticle synthesis have included the two-phase synthesis of thiolated nanoparticles, the sequestration and reduction of Au salts within dendrimers, the controlled growth of larger particles of well-defined shapes via the seeded approach, and the assembling of a variety of nanoparticle networks and nanostructures. The electrochemistry of thiolated Au nanoparticles is systemized as regions of bulk-continuum voltammetry, voltammetry reflective of quantized double-layer charging, and molecule-like voltammetry reflective of molecular energy gaps. These features are principally determined by the nanoparticle core. Interesting multielectron Au nanoparticle voltammetry is observed when the thiolate ligand shell has been decorated with redox groupings. Another development is that Au nanoparticles were discovered to exhibit unanticipated properties as heterogeneous catalysts, starting with the low-temperature oxidation of CO. Substantial progress has also been made in understanding the surface plasmon spectroscopy of Au nanoparticles and nanorods. The need to investigate the optical properties of metal particles of a single, well-defined shape and size has motivated the development of a number of new techniques, leading to the study of electron transfer and redox catalysis on single nanoparticles.


Perinatal outcomes of patients diagnosed borderline gestational diabetes mellitus Objective: Although the effects of gestational diabetes mellitus to maternal and fetal health are well known, we have few data about maternal and fetal condition of borderline gestational diabetic pregnants who have gestational hyperglycemia not meeting gestational diabetes criteria. Considering this, we aimed to investigate perinatal and neonatal outcomes of patients who have borderline gestational diabetes mellitus in our hospital. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively examined maternal characteristics, obstetric and perinatal outcomes of pregnants whose antenatal follow-up and birth occurred in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Faculty of Medicine in Çukurova University between January 2009 and January 2013 and who have normal 50g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) but abnormal 100-g OGTT and have normal 50-g OGCT test results. SPSS v. 19.0 statistics software was used for data analysis. For the statistical significance level between results, p value was taken as <0.05. Results: A total of 239 pregnant women were included in the study. The study group consisted of 105 pregnant women whose 50-g OGTT results were abnormal but 100-g OGTT results were within normal limits and the control group consisted of 134 pregnant women whose 50-g OGTT results were within normal limits. Compared to healthy pregnant women, mean age of the women in the study group was found to be significantly higher (p=0.000). The duration of hospitalization in the study group was found to be statistically significantly higher compared to the control group (p=0.001). Mode of delivery, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, the presence of fetal distress and postpartum hemorrhage were analyzed in both groups. Only postpartum hemorrhage was found to be statistically significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group (p=0.049). There was statistically no significant difference in neonates between two groups for LGA, SGA, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, neonatal admissions to the intensive care unit and neonatal death. Conclusion: In our study, perinatal and neonatal outcomes of patients who have borderline gestational diabetes mellitus and normoglisemic condition are same except postpartum hemorrhage and hospitalization period. To acquire perinatal and neonatal outcomes of women with borderline gestational diabetes mellitus, we need further well-designed randomized studies with larger populations.


Objectives
Our previous study found positive associations between plasma levels of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and lung function, especially in current smokers. Given that plasma n-3 PUFA concentrations are driven by dietary intake, we extended our prior findings to a larger sample by studying dietary n-3 PUFAs, including DHA, DPA, eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and fish intake.

Methods
Nine cohorts from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology Consortium (N = 37,077 black and white participants) contributed dietary intake and lung function data. In each cohort and each ancestry, separately, associations of dietary n-3 PUFA/fish intake with lung function were estimated in linear regression models. Models were extended to test for n-3 PUFA/fish × smoking status interaction. Fixed-effects meta-analysis was used to generate summarized effect estimates across the cohorts and ancestries.

Results
Dietary DPA, DHA, EPA, and fish intake were positively associated with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). ALA had little to no association with these lung function parameters. Associations were similar for black and white participants, and consistent in direction and magnitude across most cohorts. For all participants, 1 standard deviation (SD) higher intake of DPA (∼30 mg/d), DHA (∼200 mg/d), and EPA (∼150 mg/d) were associated with 12-16 mL higher FEV1 and 10-15 mL higher FVC. The effect estimates for fish were in the same direction but smaller in magnitude. Smoking modified the associations of DHA and EPA with FEV1 and FVC; 1 SD higher intake of DHA and EPA were associated with 28-32 mL higher FEV1 and 24-25 mL higher FVC in current smokers, 17-21 mL higher FEV1 and 7-12 mL higher FVC in former smokers, and little to no association in never smokers.

Conclusions
Dietary DHA, DPA, and EPA, but not ALA, are positively associated with FEV1 and FVC, corroborating our previous findings for plasma n-3 PUFAs. This large cross-sectional meta-analysis shows that diets rich in marine n-3 PUFAs are associated with higher lung function, especially for current and former smokers.

Funding Sources
National Institutes of Health, NHLBI and NIDDK.


Abstract Thos article argues that granting citizenship rights to the minorities cannot help to instil a sense of confidence in them to participate as equal citizens in the public sphere. Rather the state has to create necessary conditions both through institutional mechanisms as well as through creating a democratic and egalitarian environment where those rights can be enjoyed. A liberal democracy can accommodate both individual as well as group rights and allow for legal pluralism by desisting from imposing any law that can result in the loss of identity for a minority group. But at the same time a liberal democracy is to ensure that individual rights are not jeopardised while safeguarding the minority rights. If particularistic demands do not conflict with basic individual liberty and dignity, they can and should be accommodated within the universalistic framework of citizenship.


Afifella marina strain ME (KC205142), a purple non-sulfur bacterium was isolated from mangrove habitats of Sabah. The effects of light intensities and photoperiods on proteolytic activity in Afifella marina strain ME (KC205142) were investigated. Secretion of proteolytic enzymes in Afifella marina was preliminarily assessed by skim milk agarose media. Subsequently, light intensities, such as, dark, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500 and 5000 lux were used to evaluate the effects on proteolytic activity in Afifella marina strain ME under anaerobic condition. After that, the effect of photoperiods on proteolytic activity was monitored under anaerobic light condition (3000 lux) at 0 h (0L/24D), 6 h (6L/18D), 12 h (12L/12D), 18 h (18L/6D) and 24 h (24L/0D) of photoperiod. The highest proteolytic activity of 74.67 U was recorded at 3000 lux illumination light intensity. The proteolytic activity in bacterium Afifella marina strain ME was positively associated with the dry cell weight. The proteolytic activity of 72.67 U in bacterium Afifella marina strain ME at 18 h (18L/6D) photoperiod is not significantly different (p > 0.05) from proteolytic activity of 74.67 U recorded at continuous light (24L/0D) condition. Light intensity of 3000 lux, culture period of 48 h and a photoperiod of 18 h (18L/ 6D) were the optimum parameters for proteolytic activity in bacterium Afifella marina strain ME.


'Health for all children' emphasises health promotion and parental involvement in child health surveillance checks. Heavy caseloads and the need to incorporate these principles in their practice prompted an Oxfordshire team of health visitors to introduce group health assessments. Here they describe the new approach and the response from parents.


An understanding of the problems of map projections, apart from the superficial, can only be gained by studying the mathematical nature of projections. An appreciation of the properties of map projections, and how their properties change, is an important component of the study program of tertiary students in surveying and mapping. The theory behind these properties is based on mathematical principles employed to derive equations linking latitude and longitude to Cartesian coordinates of map projections. This paper describes the development of 'Understanding Map Projections', a computer based simulation teaching package for students of mapping. Understanding Map Projections approaches the teaching of the concepts of map projections using visual methods to depict properties usually specified using mathematical formulae. It also explains how evaluations to test the effectiveness of computer-supported educational packages for the geospatial sciences will be undertaken.


The article aspires to delve into the question of whether the EU framework for water services can take sufficiently into account the multiple dimensions of water and regulate the competing interests in a balanced way. At first, the regulation of the three dimensions of water in International Law (environmental, social and economic) is briefly analysed. As regards the EU Legal Order, the regulation of water within the framework of the EU environmental legislation is at fist traced. Then, emphasis is placed on the classification and regulation of water services as Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI), the application of the State Aid and the Internal Market rules and the possible tensions arising with regard to the accessibility and the quality of the water services. Furthermore, the impact of Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as an example of the new Trade Agreements on the regulation of the water services is put under the spotlight. A central conclusion is that the various aspects concerning water services are addressed in a rather comprehensive manner in the EU Regulatory Framework, although tensions continue to exist. Moreover, CETA creates a new regulatory 'landscape' that may 'disrupt' the existing delicate balance concerning the regulation in this field.


This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soybean hulls inclusion in the silage of wet brewery waste. The experimental design was randomized in block, where the treatments were constituted by four levels of soybean hulls on the silage (0, 15, 25, and 35%), with three (silos) replicates per treatment. All data collected were subjected to ANOVA and subsequent polynomial regression at 5%. Soybean hulls inclusion caused a linear increase (p < 0.05) in the pH, dry matter, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber and total carbohydrates content of the silage. This inclusion also caused a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the effluent losses and percentages of crude protein, fats, hemicellulose, non-fibrous carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients. Thus, it was concluded that soybean hulls can be used as an additive in the silage of wet brewery waste. Up to 35% of inclusion, there was a significant reduction in the effluent losses, a little increase on pH and enrichment of nutritional content, especially in the dry matter.


By directly diagonalizing the Hamiltonian of the ladder model of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules, the density of states is obtained. It is found that DNA behaves as a conductor when the interchain hopping is smaller than twice the intrachain one, otherwise, DNA behaves as a semiconductor.


Computed tomography (CT) derived Monte Carlo (MC) phantoms allow dose determination within small animal models that is not feasible with in-vivo dosimetry. The aim of this study was to develop a CT-derived MC phantom generated from a mouse with a xenograft tumour that could then be used to calculate both the dose heterogeneity in the tumour volume and out of field scattered dose for pre-clinical small animal irradiation experiments. A BEAMnrc Monte-Carlo model has been built of our irradiation system that comprises a lead collimator with a 1 cm diameter aperture fitted to a Cs-137 gamma irradiator. The MC model of the irradiation system was validated by comparing the calculated dose results with dosimetric film measurement in a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) phantom using a 1D gamma-index analysis. Dose distributions in the MC mouse phantom were calculated and visualized on the CT-image data. Dose volume histograms (DVHs) were generated for the tumour and organs at risk (OARs). The effect of the xenographic tumour volume on the scattered out of field dose was also investigated. The defined gamma index analysis criteria were met, indicating that our MC simulation is a valid model for MC mouse phantom dose calculations. MC dose calculations showed a maximum out of field dose to the mouse of 7% of Dmax. Absorbed dose to the tumour varies in the range 60%-100% of Dmax. DVH analysis demonstrated that tumour received an inhomogeneous dose of 12 Gy-20 Gy (for 20 Gy prescribed dose) while out of field doses to all OARs were minimized (1.29 Gy-1.38 Gy). Variation of the xenographic tumour volume exhibited no significant effect on the out of field scattered dose to OARs. The CT derived MC mouse model presented here is a useful tool for tumour dose verifications as well as investigating the doses to normal tissue (in out of field) for preclinical radiobiological research.


Hydrophobicity of natural organic matter (NOM) is one of its fundamental properties that influence the environmental fate of pollutants and the performance of many water treatment unit processes. In this study, a high-throughput method was developed for NOM hydrophobicity measurement based on the phase separation technique in the 96-well format. It measures the partition coefficients of NOM (KATPS,IL) in an ionic liquid (IL)-based aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). The ATPS was made of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole bromide solution and a salt solution containing potassium phosphate monobasic and potassium phosphate dibasic. The partition of NOM in IL-based ATPS is mainly affected by its hydrophobicity. log KATPS,IL linearly correlated with the commonly used NOM hydrophobicity scales, including (O + N)/C, O/C, and aromatic carbons. KATPS,IL provided a more accurate assessment of NOM hydrophobicity than spectroscopic indices. Furthermore, KATPS,IL can predict the organic carbon-water partition coefficients for hydrophobic organic chemical sorption to NOM based on the two-phase system model. The high-throughput KATPS,IL measurement and the two-phase system model can be applied to real surface water samples. Our results suggest that the proposed high-throughput method has great potential to be applied to monitor NOM hydrophobicity for environmental risk assessment and water treatment purposes.


Three patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in relapse were treated with intravenous infusions of one or more purified murine monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) specific for differentiation antigens on normal and malignant myeloid cells. Three of the MoAbs used were IgM immunoglobulins that react with glycolipids, while the fourth, an IgG2b, reacts with a protein antigen. Peripheral blood leukemia cell counts decreased significantly, but transiently, during treatment. Evidence of in vivo binding of each MoAb to leukemia cells was obtained, although two of the four MoAbs could not be detected in the plasma following infusion, perhaps due to circulating blocking factors. Antigenic modulation was not encountered in these studies. However, the induction of human antibody to murine MoAb was observed in one patient who was treated over a 70-day period. Toxicities encountered were minimal and included fever (3 patients), back pain (1 patient), and arthralgias and myalgias (1 patient). This is the first reported clinical trial of (1) IgM MoAbs, (2) MoAb therapy in patients with AML, (3) combinations of MoAbs directed toward different myeloid differentiation antigens, and (4) MoAbs directed to glycolipids. The relative lack of toxicity and the positive effects of MoAb treatment in the reduction of leukemia cell counts permit the continued study of more innovative approaches to the treatment of AML with MoAbs.


This paper reports on the process and findings of curriculum development towards a defensible EAP curriculum in the Department of Foreign Languages at Eskisehir Osmangazi University. In addition, it illustrates the evaluation of newly introduced innovations by the students. The study was designed as a curriculun development project which was based on Brown's needs analysis (NA) framework. The NA studies were conducted in 2016-2017 academic year with the students and the teaching staff employed in the department. Focus group technique was used to take the opinions of the teaching staff about the components of the curriculum, and the opinions of the students were taken through workshops. In 2016-2017 academic year, repeat students' opinions about the innovated curriculum were taken through an open-ended questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using thematic content analysis technique. The emerging themes in the NA study are (a) need for clarification of the program objectives, (b) need for revision of teaching materials, (c) need for improvement in teaching and learning practices, and (d) need for improvement in assessment practices. The emerging themes in the evaluation of the NA study based on the openended questionnaire are 'materials', 'assessment procedures', and 'overall structure of the EAP curriculum'.


In this paper we obtain an expression for the curvature tenser of the metric of the Grassmann image of an isometric immersion of Lobachevskii n-dimensional space in (2n–1)-dimensional Euclidean space. The main result is the following theorem: there is no C3 local isometric immersion of 3-dimensional Lobachevski space in 5-dimensional Euclidean space with constant curvature of the metric of the Grassmann image.


ABSTRACT The later Holocene spread of pastoralism throughout eastern Africa profoundly changed socio-economic and natural landscapes. During the Pastoral Neolithic (ca. 5000–1200 B.P.), herders spread through southern Kenya and northern Tanzania—areas previously occupied only by hunter-gatherers—eventually developing the specialized forms of pastoralism that remain vital in this region today. Research on ancient pastoralism has been primarily restricted to rockshelters and special purpose sites. This paper presents results of surveys and excavations at Luxmanda, an open-air habitation site located farther south in Tanzania, and occupied many centuries earlier, than previously expected based upon prior models for the spread of herding. Technological and subsistence patterns demonstrate ties to northerly sites, suggesting that Luxmanda formed part of a network of early herders. The site is thus unlikely to stand alone, and further surveys are recommended to better understand the spread of herding into the region, and ultimately to southern Africa.


We use high resolution laser spectroscopy and nonlinear optical techniques to perform sub-Doppler resolution measurements of atmospherically important molecules in the vacuum ultraviolet (/spl lambda/<200 nm). We present spectra for the Schumann-Runge band system of diatomic oxygen near the B-state dissociation limit (/spl sim/175 nm, /spl sim//spl nu/=18-22) where molecular predissociation is a major contributor to the transition width. Predissociation of molecular oxygen plays an important role in ozone formation, and consequently the predissociation rates derived from the transition linewidths and strengths are key inputs for atmospheric models.


Supercell self-consistent calculation of band structures of (ZnS)n/(Si2)n (110) (n = 2, 3, 4, 5) has been performed by means of linear muffin-tin orbitals method. The valence-band offset of such systems is calculated by frozen optential method and their Joint density of states has been computed by tetrahedron method. Our results show that the (ZnS)n/(Si2)n (110) superlattices have a large valence-band offset and their optical properties integrate exellent optical properties of bulk ZnS and that of Si.


A field experiment was established on Coto clay (Typic Eutrustox) to evaluate the use of chicken manure as fertilizer for papaya. Four manure rates (0, 5,10 and 15 t/ha) were evaluated in all possible combinations with four rates of inorganic fertilizer (0, 56, 112 and 224 g/plant/month of 15-15-15). Fresh and dry weight of papaya leaves (petioles and blades) increased significantly with manure applications, but no effect of inorganic fertilizer treatments was observed. Phosphorus and potassium concentration in papaya blades was higher in plots receiving 15 t/ha of chicken manure. Fertilizer applications increased K content in blades and decreased magnesium content. Both manure and fertilizer treatments increased fruit yield. The application of 10 and 15 t/ha of manure resulted in fruit yields of 42.19 and 54.76 t/ha. These yields were significantly higher than the yields obtained with the 0 and 5 t/ha treatments. The 0, 56,112 and 224 g/plant/month fertilizer treatments resulted in fruit yields of 28.11, 42.60, 37.22 and 38.25 t/ha, respectively. The yield of the 0 fertilizer treatment was significantly lower, but no significant difference was observed among the other fertilizer treatments. Chicken manure applications increased soil available phosphorus (Bray 1-P) from 16.57 to 28.64 mg/kg, and soil exchangeable potassium from 0.12 to 0.19 cmol c /kg. Fertilizer applications had no significant effect on these two parameters. A significant correlation was observed between papaya yield and Bray 1-P. A Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.65 was obtained when both manure and inorganic fertilizer plots were considered. The correlation coefficient increased to 0.82 when only manure-treated plots were considered, but decreased to 0.25 when only fertilizer-treated plots were considered. Manure applications were more effective in increasing soil available phosphorus than fertilizer applications. Manure applications apparently prevent phosphorus fixation on Coto clay, increasing soil available phosphorus and thus favoring higher fruit yields.


Clinical studies have demonstrated the anti-psoriatic effect of the LiangXueJieDu (LXJD) herbal formula. However, the systemic mechanism and the targets of the LXJD formula have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, a systems pharmacology approach, metabolomics, and experimental evaluation were employed. First, by systematic absorption-distribution-metabolism-excretion (ADME) analysis, 144 active compounds with satisfactory pharmacokinetic properties were identified from 12 herbs of LXJD formula using the TCMSP database. These active compounds could be linked to 125 target proteins involved in the pathological processes underlying psoriasis. Then, the networks constituting the active compounds, targets, and diseases were constructed to decipher the pharmacological actions of this formula, indicating its curative effects in psoriasis treatment and related complications. The psoriasis-related pathway comprising several regulatory modules demonstrated the synergistic mechanisms of LXJD formula. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of LXJD formula was validated in a psoriasis-like mouse model. Consistent with the systems pharmacology analysis, LXJD formula ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis-like lesions in mice, inhibited keratinocyte proliferation, improved keratinocyte differentiation, and suppressed the infiltration of CD3+ T cells. Compared to the model group, LXJD formula treatment remarkably reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines and factors, such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, Cox2, and inhibited the phosphorylation of p-P65, p-IқB, p-ERK, p-P38, p-PI3K, p-AKT, indicating that LXJD formula exerts its therapeutic effect by inhibiting the MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and NF-қB signaling pathways. The metabolic changes in the serum of psoriasis patients were evaluated by liquid chromatography coupled with orbitrap mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The LXJD formula improved two perturbed metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipid metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Overall, this study revealed the complicated anti-psoriatic mechanism of LXJD formula and also offered a reliable strategy to elucidate the complex therapeutic mechanism of this Chinese herbal formula in psoriasis from a holistic perspective.