We report the observation of the b-->d penguin-dominated decay B;{0}-->K;{*0}K[over ];{*0} with a sample of 383.2+/-4.2 million BB[over ] pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e;{+}e;{-} collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The measured branching fraction is B(B;{0}-->K;{*0}K[over ];{*0})=[1.28_{-0.30};{+0.35}+/-0.11]x10;{-6} and the fraction of longitudinal polarization is f_{L}(B;{0}-->K;{*0}K[over ];{*0})=0.80_{-0.12};{+0.10}+/-0.06. The first error quoted is statistical and the second systematic. We also obtain an upper limit at the 90% confidence level on the branching fraction for B(B;{0}-->K;{*0}K;{*0})<0.41x10;{-6}.


Rationale: Adenomyoma is a rare reactive, hamartomatous benign tumor-like lesion. Although adenomyoma can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, including the gallbladder, stomach, duodenum, and jejunum, it is very rarely observed in the extrahepatic bile duct and ampulla of Vater (AOV). The preoperative accurate diagnosis of adenomyoma of the Vaterian system, including the AOV and common bile duct, is significant to appropriate patient management. However, discriminating between benign and malignancy is highly challenging. Patients are frequently mistaken as having periampullary malignancy, thereby leading to unnecessary extensive surgical resection with a high risk of complications. Patient concerns: A 47-year-old woman visited a local hospital owing to epigastric and right upper-quadrant abdominal pain for 2 days. Diagnoses: Abdominal ultrasonography performed in the local hospital revealed suspicious of a distal common bile duct malignancy. She was transferred to our hospital for further evaluation and management. Interventions: After consulting with the patient, a multidisciplinary team, including a gastroenterologist, finally decided to perform surgery under the impression of an ampullary malignancy, and pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was performed without any complications. She was histopathologically diagnosed with an adenomyoma of the AOV. Outcomes: At the 5-year follow-up, she was well and did not develop further symptoms or complications. Lessons: Although adenomyoma is very rare, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of mass-like lesions of the AOV to avoid unnecessary surgeries.


Pandemic is a recurring event that causes a global recession and threatens human security. The Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia is predicted to have very high morbidity and mortality rate. The strategy has been implemented but the case is still high, so it needs to be evaluated of the management factor from task force and community health center. The research method used is descriptive qualitative, with purposive sampling and indeep interview of 16 main informants and 2 triangulation informants. The research results from the input aspect of man and money are sufficient, lack of material becouse of regulations, budgets, stock and information that cause negative stigma and inadequate movement of task force and inadequate mentoring methods due to weak coordination. The planning aspects consider community input (batoom up), fulfillment of guidelines and instructions from the health office or district task force (top down) with a system of changes to the Financial Budget. The conclusion is that the preventive and promotive roles of community health center management and task forces are not maximal in efforts to deal with a pandemic becouse of limited inputs and constraints in organization and implementation.


Abstract The cabbage stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus (Mrsh.)) (Col., Curculionidae) is a serious pest of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera Metzg.) in central and northern Europe. Although host-plant resistance is a key tool in integrated pest management systems, resistant genotypes are not yet available for this species. Resynthesized rapeseed lines (B. oleracea L.×B. rapa L.) are broadening the genetic diversity and might have potential as sources of resistance to pest insects. The host quality, of nine resynthesized rapeseed lines and six genotypes of B. napus to cabbage stem weevil, was evaluated in laboratory screening tests and in a semi-field experiment. In dual-choice oviposition tests, female C. pallidactylus laid significantly fewer eggs on five resyntheses and on swede cv 'Devon Champion' than on the moderately susceptible oilseed rape cv 'Express', indicating a lower host quality of these genotypes. Results of laboratory screenings were confirmed in a semi-field experiment, in which twelve genotypes were exposed to C. pallidactylus females. The number of larvae was significantly lower in two resyntheses and in cv 'Devon Champion' than in oilseed rape cv WVB 9. The total, as well as individual, glucosinolate (GSL) content in the leaves differed substantially among the genotypes tested. The amount of feeding by larvae of C. pallidactylus, as measured by a stem-injury coefficient, was positively correlated with the indolyl GSL compounds 3-indolylmethyl and 4-methoxy-3-indolylmethyl, and with the aromatic GSL 2-phenylethyl, whereas it was negatively correlated with 4-hydroxy-3-indolylmethyl. Thus, the composition and concentration of GSL compounds within the plant tissue might be a key factor in breeding for pest resistance in oilseed rape.


Traditional multicast protocol forms multicast trees rooted at different sources to forward packets. If the multicast sources and receivers are in different domains, these trees will produce a great number of multicast states in the backbone, resulting in poor scalability. Therefore, we propose a one WideSense Circuit Tree per Traffic Class based inter-domain multicast (WSCT-TC), in which a Wide-Sense Circuit Tree (WSCT) is established for a class of multicast traffic. The WSCT is established in the backbone, along which multicast packets are forwarded by label switching. The spec of WSCT can be reconfigured according to the QoS requirement of multicast applications. Simulating experiment shows that WSCT-TC behaves better scalability.


Questionnaires on age appropriateness were completed by 100 mental health professionals from 10 states. In general, the respondents were familiar with the concept and had learned about age appropriateness from a variety of sources. Age appropriateness was defined in terms of chronological age rather than mental age or the two concepts combined. Respondents viewed it as a particularly important component in treatment success, especially in working with people who have developmental disabilities, adolescents, and young adults. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research were provided.


Extracellular matrix (ECM) represents the major component of tumor stroma, which plays an important role in tumor biology. The hallmarks of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) include marked stromal fibroblast proliferation and deposition of ECM components, resulting in extensive fibrosis. 3-D volume-rendered MR microscopy provides a means of exploring changes in stromal connective tissue and its association with neighboring parenchyma and vasculature.

Pancreata of Pdx-1-Cre/LSL-KRas transgenic and control mice were examined using MR microscopy at 14.1 T. 3-D MR microimages were analyzed using volume rendering methods and volume fraction; thickness and compactness of ECM were calculated.

Extensive fibrosis, resulting in greater volume, thickness and density of ECM, was observed in the transgenic mouse pancreas. Image analysis revealed an ECM volume fraction of 36.9 % in the 17-months Pdx-1-Cre/LSL-KRas mouse pancreas, compared to 12.3% in the control. These data demonstrate that the PC-associated ECM remodeling reflected in the 3-D architecture of the pancreas can be detected by high-resolution 3-D MR imaging. Knowledge of the spatial and temporal progression of ECM alterations in PC is necessary for developing therapies that target stroma in PC.

Citation Format: Palamadai N. Venkatasubramanian, Paul J. Grippo, Gheorghe Iordanescu, Richard H. Knop, Alice M. Wyrwicz. 3-D MR imaging of ECM alterations in mouse model of pancreatic cancer (PC). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges; Jun 18-21, 2012; Lake Tahoe, NV. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B7.


NOTES ON ORIGIN OF IRON OCCURRING IN DOOGER OF SILESIA-CRACOV ANTICLINORIUM Well-known in the Dogger deposits of the Silesia-Cracow anticlinorium are sedimentary seams of iron ores in the shape of siderites and ironstones. The iron found in these deposits is of continental origin and - as results from the palaeo-geographical conditions - must have been supplied from a southern land which separated the European epicontinental sea from the·geosynclinal Carpathian sea during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. While the southern part of this land consisted, during the period of the Jurassic and Cretaceous. transgression, of rocks supplying great masses of clastic material rich in quartz, the northern part was built, during the Jurassic transgression of Palaeozoic limestones and dolomites arid of rare plutonic rocks, and - during the Cretaceous transgression - of Jurassic limestones. Since there are considerable quantities of iron compounds in the transgressive Jurassic deposits; whereas they are. absent in the Cretaceous deposits, it should be concluded that the iron must be derived from Palaeozoic rocks. It is true that iron is lacking in the plutonic rocks of the Krzeszowice region; but it does occur in the form of hydrothermal pyrites which recently have been disclosed in Palaezoic deposits of the discussed region. In view of the fact that, at best, pyrites might have supplied but scanty quantities of iron, it seems justified to assume that in the Palaeozoic deposits of this region there might occur hydrothermal strata of other iron ores. This theory seems to be supported by a distinct magnetic anomaly established in the Debnik region by J. Skorupa (1950).


Complex political decisions increasingly require scientific knowledge and expertise. But the exchange between actors from the political and the scientific systems is confronted by challenges. Science policy interfaces are needed in order to overcome the barriers to communication. This article analyses and discusses the importance of foundations as science policy interfaces. To this end, we will first present the salient features and functions of foundations as organisations in the framework of theoretical considerations and discuss their fundamental suitability as mediators of scientific knowledge in the political process. We will then identify the significance of foundations as science policy interfaces using a quantitative content analysis of references to foundations in the debates of the 18th German Bundestag.


This paper explains vocabulary development from two aspects of strategy and understanding. In order to enlarge vocabulary and strengthen learning effects, students must have a clear understanding of necessity of learning vocabulary; which words attract our attention and then we can form effective strategies for vocabulary learning. Keywords—learning strategies; English words; vocabulary development


Penaeid shrimps from nearshore waters in 5-12 m depth range are regularly exploited by plank built boats
locally known as murivallan which operate mini - trawl (cod end mesh size 15-20 mm) along Alleppey coast
in Kerala. Observations made for three seasons at Valanjavazhy (1994-97) and at Pallithode (2002-05)
indicated that 935 t (cpue 42 kg) and 145 t (37kg) of shrimps were landed by mini-trawl at these centres
respectively. The fishing season extended from September to MayIJune depending on the onset of monsoon.
Parapenaeopsis stylifera and Metapenarus dobsoni were the main contributors to the shrimp fishery. While
the former predominated (91%) the fishery at Valanjavazhi, both the species showed almost equal representation
at Pallithode. Species-wise details on size distribution, sex ratio, maturity and spawning season have
been indicated. In spite of discarding smaller P. stylifera (< 41 mm in total length), the commercial catch at
Valanjavazhy consisted more than 50% juveniles during many months in the observation period. I stylifera completes its nursery phase in the nearshore areas along the coast and fishing them at this stage is detrimental to the fishery of this species. The impact of mini-trawl operation on the shrimp resources off Kerala along with possible management measures is discussed.


A series of monoclonal antibodies was used to characterize the nevomelanocytes and the inflammatory infiltrate of 11 halo nevi in different stages of resolution, employing an immunoperoxidase technique. Three of the 11 halo nevi histologically showed signs of mild or moderate nevomelanocytic atypia. It was found that the vast majority of the nevomelanocytes in halo nevi with a dense inflammatory infiltrate markedly expressed HLA-A,B,C antigens, while expression was not demonstrable in nevocellular nests not adjacent to the mononuclear infiltrate. No difference in expression of HLA-A,B,C antigens was found between the 3 cases with mild or moderate nevomelanocytic atypia and the other cases lacking atypia. Expression of HLA-DR (Ia-like) antigens was found on few nevomelanocytes in only 2 of 11 lesions. The cellular composition of the mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate showed a predominance of T cells (80% or more) with a relatively high proportion of cytotoxic/suppressor T cells. Most of the T cells showed signs of activation as judged by staining for HLA-DR antigens. These results demonstrate that the expression of HLA-A,B,C antigens on the nevomelanocytes and the cellular composition of the mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate in halo nevi are very similar to that in malignant melanomas and dysplastic neiv. These findings also indicate the expression of HLA-A,B,C antigens on nevomelanocytes is primarily dependent on the presence of T-cell immune response and not necessarily related to the presence of nevomelanocytic atypia.


Solid-state luminescent materials that are sensitive to external stimuli are of enormous importance due to their potential for application as smart responsive materials and devices. Here we report the changes in the photophysical properties of a novel benzimidazole-based chromophore upon the formation of an inclusion complex with DMSO molecules in the solid state, and the vapochromic properties of the co-assembly are explored. The chromophore is synthesised in a single step with a good yield. The compound is reasonably emissive in solution, however, it exhibits a red shift and quenching of emission in the solid state. Co-assembly with DMSO results in two distinctly emissive forms, with emission in the yellow (Y-form) and orange (O-form) regions of the visible spectrum. An enhanced emission is observed in the Y-form, while the O-form exhibits efficiency similar to the pristine solid. Various factors that stabilize the co-assembly and the basis of fluorescence enhancement are studied and substantiated by DFT investigations in a QM:MM framework. The crystalline co-assemblies can be reverted to a structure similar to the pristine form by vapours of polar protic solvents, which dramatically modify their photophysical properties. The new materials are therefore promising as vapochromic sensors for environmental monitoring.


Motor-oriented rehabilitation programs are of limited value in attaining the goals of the physically impaired poor in the cities. The location and the physical and social structure of the ghetto municipal hospital and the population served necessitate modification of rehabilitation methods. Patients must participate in decision-making. Staff must assist the patient in attempts to change the environment. In the process of working closely with patients towards non-motor goals, professionals learn to play the role of the advocate.


Recently it is strongly required to develop the better fuel economy as well as basic power performance based on strict emission legislation. This paper focuses on studies of the engine cooling and ancillaries system among fuel economy factors in the developing stage. Firstly through the analysis of the current specifications, it is assessed whether each components may be designed properly, not overdesigned. Secondly, it is predicted how the fuel economy of each components can be improved. Finally the results are confirmed by vehicle field test equppted with the updatedcomponents. This study found good agreementbetween the prediction and the field test on the vehicle fuel economy improvements of the heavy duty engine vehicle with updated components such as engine cooling and ancilliaries.


Allis shad (Alosa alosa) populations have shown an important decline throughout thelast few decades, and it is assumed that the species' distribution area has been restricted. In the Gironde-GaronneDordogne system (GGD, SW France), its decline leads to the adoption of a fishery moratorium in 2008. Despite this measure, locally no signs of recovery are observed. One hypothesis consists of the inefficiency of the recruitment process: young-of-the-year Allis shad are exposed to many pressures during their downstream migration, such as hypoxia. In the GGD system, hypoxic events are frequent in summertime (periods of several days with water O2 saturations under 30%). Those events are thought to become more severe andfrequent according to most climate change scenarios. Such low O2 availability could threaten young Allis shadby altering their migration success. If authors have suggested that 3-months old Allis shad show lower resistance to hypoxia at highertemperature, the abilities of younger development stages have never been studied. Here we meant to describe tolerance range of 10, 30, 60 and 90-days oldAllis shad to oxythermic stress by conducting behavioural analysis at an individual scale in decreasing water oxygen saturation conditions (from 100 to 30%), at four temperatures (18, 22, 26°C for 10, 30 days-old ; 22, 26, 28°C for 60, 90 days-old). By this study, we aimed to bring useful information on the importance of oxythermic conditions for Allis shad in both larvae reintroduction purposes and juvenile migration success


The particle size effects for oxygen reduction kinetics on highly dispersed Pt particles in acid electrolytes are discussed. It is suggested that the change in the fraction of surface atoms on the (100) crystal face of Pt particles, which are assumed to be cubo-octahedral structures, can be correlated to the mass activity (Ng Pt) and specific activity (J.LA/cm2 Pt) of highly dispersed Pt electrocatalysts. The reduction of oxygen on supported Pt particles in acid electrolytes is classified as a "demanding" or "structure-sensitive" reaction; the specific activity increases with an increase in particle size.


A method is proposed to calculate the thrust of a magnetic actuator that operates in the nonlinear magnetic region. The magnetic force expression of the Maxwell stress tensor is expanded to cover magnetic saturation by using a successive approximation of the surface force on the magnetizing curve. The resulting improved finite-element method (FEM) approximation is applied to calculate the thrust of an automotive solenoid valve which operates in the high flux density region near saturation. The calculated values obtained from the improved FEM are in better agreement with the experimental values than the usual linear approximation using the Maxwell stress tensor. >


Hyperpolarized 13C MR spectroscopic imaging can detect not only the uptake of the pre‐polarized molecule but also its metabolic products in vivo, thus providing a powerful new method to study cellular metabolism. Imaging the dynamic perfusion and conversion of these metabolites provides additional tissue information but requires methods for efficient hyperpolarization usage and rapid acquisitions. In this work, we have developed a time‐resolved 3D MR spectroscopic imaging method for acquiring hyperpolarized 13C data by combining compressed sensing methods for acceleration and multiband excitation pulses to efficiently use the magnetization. This method achieved a 2 sec temporal resolution with full volumetric coverage of a mouse, and metabolites were observed for up to 60 sec following injection of hyperpolarized [1‐13C]‐pyruvate. The compressed sensing acquisition used random phase encode gradient blips to create a novel random undersampling pattern tailored to dynamic MR spectroscopic imaging with sampling incoherency in four (time, frequency, and two spatial) dimensions. The reconstruction was also tailored to dynamic MR spectroscopic imaging by applying a temporal wavelet sparsifying transform to exploit the inherent temporal sparsity. Customized multiband excitation pulses were designed with a lower flip angle for the [1‐13C]‐pyruvate substrate given its higher concentration than its metabolic products ([1‐13C]‐lactate and [1‐13C]‐alanine), thus using less hyperpolarization per excitation. This approach has enabled the monitoring of perfusion and uptake of the pyruvate, and the conversion dynamics to lactate and alanine throughout a volume with high spatial and temporal resolution. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Green thinking that would have met with nothing but contempt
three decades ago is now firmly on the agenda of corporate
boardrooms. Green thinking is increasingly having a clear
impact upon how companies in a wide range of sectors across
diverse geographies formulate and implement their long-term
strategy and short- to medium-term tactics.


The one-electron reduction of bis[1-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetylribosyl)uracil-4-yl] disulfide, initiated by hydrated electrons in a radiation chemical study, has been shown to yield 1-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetylribosyl)-4-thiouracil as a stable molecular product. The reduction reaction leads, in the first instance, to a transient, albeit remarkably stable disulfide radical anion. This is characterized by a 2-center-3-electron bond with two bonding sigma-electrons and an antibonding sigma*-electron in the sulfur-sulfur bridge, (-S therefore S-)(-). It receives its stability from a sandwich-structure with the two uracilyl moieties facing each other (possibly further assisted by the 2',3',5'-tri-O-acetylribosyl substituents). A considerable lengthening of the original disulfide bridge from 2.02 to 2.73 A in the radical anion seems to facilitate the interaction of the heterocycles and leads to a gain in stabilization energy of 24 and 33 kcal/mol (100 and 140 kJ/mol) as evaluated by UMP2/cc-pVTZ and UMP2/cc-pVDZ calculations, respectively. The (-S therefore S-)(-) bonded radical anion shows a broad optical absorption band with lambdamax=450 nm, epsilonmax=6000 M(-1) cm(-1), and a half-width of 1.0 eV. It exists in equilibrium with the conjugated 1-(2',3',5'-tri- O-acetylribosyl)uracil-4-yl thiyl radical -S(*), and the corresponding thiolate, -S(-). The rate determining step for the disappearance of the disulfide radical anion appears to be protonation of both the radical anion and the free thiolate by reaction with H(+)aq. Absolute rate constants have been measured for these protonation processes, for the formation of the stable thiouridine product, and for the electron transfer from the disulfide radical anion to molecular oxygen. With the (-S therefore S-)(-) <--> -S(*) + -S(-) equilibrium lying very much on the left-hand side, the reduced disulfide system exhibits predominantly reducing properties whereas any oxidizing property of the conjugated thiyl radical has only little if any chance to materialize. Besides attaching directly to the disulfide bridge, the hydrated electrons react also, with about equal efficiency, with the uracil moiety of the investigated compound. This leads to a structurally totally different and electronically distinguishable species than that with the reduced disulfide bridge. In particular, there is no face-to-face interaction between the two heterocyclic moieties and no increased electron density in the S-S bond. The C-centered radicals resulting from the reduction of the uracil and possibly also generated from the ribosyl moieties initiate further cleavage of the S-S bond and thus contribute to the formation of thiouridine. The overall yield of the latter, as determined from steady-state gamma-radiolysis, indicates a small chain process (G=1.54 micromol/J). Possible mechanisms are discussed.


Summary
Human adenovirus types 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 16, and 21 failed to replicate beyond input titres in green monkey kidney (GMK) cells. Co-infection of the monkey cells with papovavirus SV40 stimulated replication of all the adenoviruses tested. Addition of the defective SV40 genome in the PARA particle carried by an adenovirus type 7 population enabled all the adenoviruses to replicate in the GMK cells. Growth kinetics of the adenoviruses in GMK cells co-infected with SV40 were similar to the kinetics of the virus following addition of PARA. A latent period of 16 to 24 hr was followed by an exponential increase in infectious virus between 24 and 48 hr after inoculation. Synthesis of the PARA component closely paralleled that of the adenoviruses. Both the adenoviruses and PARA remained largely cell-associated throughout the growth cycle. During the replication of the transcapsidants, the titre of the adenovirus was always greater than the titre of the PARA component. Ratios were generally in the order of 500 infectious units of adenovirus per infectious unit of PARA. These results differed from those obtained with the parent PARA-adenovirus type 7 population in which the adenovirus to PARA ratio was approximately 3:1.


BACKGROUND Anecdotal evidence from program directors and Mohs surgeons suggests that Mohs fellowships are becoming increasingly popular and competitive among dermatology trainees. OBJECTIVE To assess the characteristics and investigate the motivating factors of those pursuing Mohs fellowships. METHODS Anonymous surveys were distributed to recent dermatology residency graduates taking a board exam review course in years 1999–2002. RESULTS In 2002, 2001, and 1999, the percentages of recently trained dermatologists pursuing Mohs fellowships were 9.4%, 8.5%, and 8.8%, respectively. There were no significant differences between Mohs fellows and the rest of the recently graduated dermatologists in terms of debt levels, marital status, parenting status, and spousal employment status. The Mohs fellows were slightly more likely to be male than their non-Mohs counterparts. The factor considered the most important by both groups when choosing a job was location. CONCLUSIONS Further research is needed to discover potential factors that may be playing a role in the increased popularity of Mohs surgery. The number of Mohs surgeons is increasing and is likely to expand over time. It remains to be seen what effect the growth will have on the supply of Mohs surgery and whether it will outpace the increased demand for services.


[Mn(NH2CH3)6]Cl2 (1) and [Mn(NH2CH3)6]Se5 (2) were prepared by solvothermal reactions in liquid methylamine from MnCl2 at 150 °C for 1 and from a mixture of MnCl2, Rb2Se and selenium at 120 °C for 2. Both 1 and 2 were obtained in high yields as colorless and dark-red crystals and represent the first homoleptic methylamine complexes with coordination number six. Compound 1 crystallizes rhombohedral (R, Z = 3) and is built of only slightly distorted octahedral [Mn(NH2CH3)6]2+ cations and Cl– anions. Compound 2 crystallizes orthorhombic (Pnna, Z = 4) and is built of octahedral [Mn(NH2CH3)6]2+ cations showing a strong angular distortion and of Se52– anions in the form of chains in transoid conformation. DFT calculations reveal an almost undistorted ground state structure for [Mn(NH2CH3)6]2+ with N–Mn–N angular distortions of 1° from orthogonality, close to the structure found for the complex in 1. The calculated energy necessary for a distortion as found in the structure of 2 is rather low and amounts to 26 kJmol–1 which is in the range typical for hydrogen bonds. The N–Mn–N angular distortions of the complex cation in 2, observed in the range of 10°, is caused by cation-anion interactions in the crystal structure by N–H····Se hydrogen bonds.


The ability to predict the radioactive soil radon gas concentration is important for human beings because it serves as a precursor to earthquakes. Several studies have been conducted across the globe to confirm the correlation of radon emission dynamics and earthquakes, and concluded that the soil radon gas is the witness of anomalous behaviour before the occurrences of several earthquakes. This anomalous behavior can help to construct a better prediction model for earthquake forecasting. This paper aims at employing different ensemble and individual machine learning methods on real time radon time series data with different scenarios to predict anomalies in data caused by the seismic activities.The ensemble methods include boosted tree, bagged cart and boosted linear model while standalone machine learning methods include support vector machine with linear and radial kernels and k-nearest neighbors ( ${K}$ -NN). We tested the methods on a dataset recorded on the fault line located in Muzaffarabad. Time series data was collected over a period ranging from March 1, 2017 to May 11, 2018 including nine(09) earthquakes. The methods are tested in four different settings with 10 times 10 folds cross validation procedure over the time window of 1 to 4. The repeated 10 fold cross validation is performed to reduce the noise in the model performance estimation by replicating the 10 fold cross validation procedure 10 times. Statistical performance evaluation measures viz. root mean square error (RMSE), root mean squared log error (RMSLE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), percentage bias (PB), and mean squared error (MSE) have been calculated for the assessment of performance. In setting 1, the support vector machine with radial kernel performs better with the minimum RMSE score of 1381.023 when compared to other prediction models. In setting 3, it can be observed through different performance metrics such as RMSE, the value in the range [1262.864, 1409.616] which is minimum when other prediction models for predicting soil radon gas concentration dataset. For setting 4, the boosted tree model yielded the minimum RMSE and MAPE scores of 1573.174 and 0.056 respectively. Findings of the study shows that boosted tree and support vector machine with radial kernel proved to be better regression models for the prediction of anomalies in soil radon gas concentration during seismic activities. An important finding of this study suggests that by employing boosted tree ensemble method make us able to accurately predict soil radon gas concentration automatically from environmental parameters.


Climate anomaly has significant impact on rainfall and its pattern, whereas they were important factor in determining onset of wet and dry season. Changes in rainfall pattern need to antisipate with tailoring planting date for minimize harvest risk. This research purpose to analyse dry spell probability and its relation to drought risk on rainfed paddy at Kulon Progo District in Toposequence Perspective.Kulon Progo District was divided into three sequence, that were Fluvial as catchment area (i.e. Samigaluh); Freatik as conservation area (i.e. Kenteng, Kalibawang and Kokap); and Fluksial as user area (i.e. Gembongan- Sentolo, Sapon-Lendah and Wates). The aimed of this research was to analyze the drought periods and its relation with drought risks on rainfed rice plant at Kulon Progo district in toposequence perspective. The probabilities of 15 day dry spell at Fluvial area were 0,27 – 0,44 on May-September. On Freatik area, the probabilities of 15 day dry spell were 0,21 - 0,43 on April-Oktober at Kenteng, while at Kalibawang and Kokap the probabilities were > 0,2 on May-September. The probabilities at Gembongan-Sapon were> 0,2 on May-October, while at Wates the probabilities on May-September were 0,21-0,32. The distribution of probability show that the probability of 15 day dry spell were > 0,2 at May-October and the driest periods were August-September but with various dry level, that Kenteng and Gembongan-Sapon were the driest area. Based on that analysis, the planting periods should be started on November and the last planting should not over than January, especially at Kenteng, Gembongan and Sapon.


LUBKIN AND HUGHES,1in 1959, recommended the use of slender, crescentic methacrylate conformers, designed to shape the upper and lower fornices during conjunctival repair. These have proven valuable when a normal globe is present. They are particularly helpful when mucosal grafts are used, as they serve to stretch the grafts somewhat and prevent the formation of redundant folds, with their consequent thickening and even necrosis. About four years ago, two more fornix conformers were added to the armamentarium, for the lateral and for the medial fornices, respectively, (Fig 1). These have been extensively used, have proved their worth, and are herewith presented. The results of the use of fornix conformers in a 53-year-old woman presenting a variant of essential shrinkage of the conjunctiva with recurrent symblepharon and trichiasis are shown in Fig 2; this depicts the refashioning of the right lower fornix using the inferior conformer after synechiolysis of


A Cu-catalyzed method for the addition of Grignard reagents to 1-alkyl-3-hydroxymethylcyclopropenes and their MOM ethers is described. The face of addition is syn relative to the hydroxymethyl and alkoxymethyl groups. Excellent diastereoselectivity is observed for a range of alkyl, alkenyl, and alkynylmagnesium halides. The addition reactions create chiral all-carbon quaternary centers, and the cyclopropylmetals that are generated can be reacted with electrophiles to produce highly functionalized cyclopropanes.


In this paper, an Embedded solution for fast navigation and precise positioning of mobile robots by floor features is introduced. Most of navigation systems tend to require high-performance computing unit and high quality sensor data. They can produce high accuracy navigation systems but have limited application due to their high cost. The introduced navigation system is designed to be a low cost solution for a wide range of applications such as toys, mobile service robots and education. The key design idea of the system is a simple localization approach using line features of the floor and delayed localization strategy using topological map. It differs from typical navigation approaches which usually use Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technique with high latency localization. This navigation system is implemented on single board Raspberry Pi B+ computer which has 1.4 GHz processor and Redone mobile robot which has maximum speed of 1.1 m/s.


Contemporary group dynamics theorists and practitioners consistently highlight the importance of effective communication in facilitating successful team functioning (cf. Carron & Hausenblas, 1998). In this review paper, we explore how an understanding of Jungian preferences (cf. Jung, 1921/1971a) can provide an important theory-driven framework for those concerned with group dynamics in sport. As a basis for improved interaction, this model suggests that in order to effectively "adapt and connect" with other team members, one must first develop an acute understanding of self as well as the patterns of preferences that characterize those with whom one interacts. In this paper, we discuss the theoretical structure of this model and explain how the model can inform group dynamics interventions in sport.


This study reports the electrochemical performance and stability of MnOx-multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite/Ni pseudocapacitor electrodes fabricated by a modified electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. The nanocomposite electrode consisting of highly dispersed manganese oxide on MWCNTs was synthesized by a redox titration method at room temperature. The electrochemical properties of the electrode were demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry. The mean specific capacitances at a constant scan rate of 100 mV/s of MnOx-MWCNTs nanocomposites without and with heat treatment at temperatures 150, 200, and 250 � C for 2 h are 378, 402, 445, and 469 F/g, respectively, which indicate an increase with increasing annealing temperature. During stability tests, the as-grown MnOx-MWCNTs nanocomposite electrode can preserve 80% of its original capacitance after 6000 cycles of operation which can be increased to 86% after annealing at 200 � C for 2 h. The EPD MnOx/ MWCNTs coaxial nanocomposite pseudocapacitors with manganese oxide ionized by H þ ion process exhibit high specific capacitance, fast reaction rate, high stability, and have high potential for practical applications. V C 2011 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3601862] All rights reserved.


This fMRI study investigates the effect of melody on aesthetic experience in listeners naive to formal musical knowledge. Using simple melodic lines, whose syntactic structure was manipulated, we created systematic acoustic dissonance. Two stimulus categories were created: canonical (syntactically "correct," in the Western culture) and modified (made of an altered version of the canonical melodies). The stimuli were presented under two tasks: listening and aesthetic judgment. Data were analyzed as a function of stimulus structure (canonical and modified) and stimulus aesthetics, as appraised by each participant during scanning. The critical contrast modified versus canonical stimuli produced enhanced activation of deep temporal regions, including the parahippocampus, suggesting that melody manipulation induced feelings of unpleasantness in the listeners. This was supported by our behavioral data indicating decreased aesthetic preference for the modified melodies. Medial temporal activation could also have been evoked by stimulus structural novelty determining increased memory load for the modified stimuli. The analysis of melodies judged as beautiful revealed that aesthetic judgment of simple melodies relied on a fine-structural analysis of the stimuli subserved by a left frontal activation and, possibly, on meaning attribution at the charge of right superior temporal sulcus for increasingly pleasurable stimuli.


A new approach of the combination of exergetic and economic analysis for the complex energy system has been proposed, that is, a general exergy and the corresponding cost balance equation which can be applied to any component of thermal system have been formulated. One of distinct features of this method is that the exergy of a material stream is decomposed into thermal, mechanical and chemical exergy flows and entropy production flow and that a unit cost exergy is assigned to each disaggregated exergy in the streams at any state. This methodology permits to obtain a set of equations w.r.t. the unit cost of various exergies by applying the cost balance equation to each component of the system and junctions. The monetary evaluation of various exergy (thermal, mechanical, etc) costs as well as the production cost of electricity of the thermal system are possible by solving the set of equations. The proposed exergy costing method has been applied to a 1000kW gas turbine cogeneration system. It turns out that the production cost calculated is same as that estimated from the overall cost balance equation, which is concluded as a reasonable result. Also the exergy costing method proposed provides some information on decision about the design and operation of the cogeneration system.


The synthetic unmethylated oligodeoxynucleotides with CpG motifs (CpG ODN) were shown to activate Toll-like receptor 21 (TLR21) and stimulate the innate and adaptive immune system. In this study we tested the expression of TLR21, interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-1β mRNA in the blood after subcutaneous and intraocular application of the class B CpG ODN in chicken. The relative expression of mRNA of TLR21, IFN-γ and IL-1β were quantified at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 72 h post-stimulation. The study revealed that IFN-γ mRNA expression was significantly upregulated 12 h after subcutaneous stimulation with a high and low dose of ODN CpG, whereas the IL-1β mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated 3 and 72 h after subcutaneous administration. After intraocular administration, the IL-1β mRNA levels were the highest at 24 h post-application, albeit not specifically. This data indicates that class B CpG ODN has the ability to induce TLR21 response in blood when administered parenterally in chicken. In contrast, intraocular administration of CpG ODN was not able to produce a significant increase in cytokine mRNA expression in blood. The data suggest that additional stimulus, e.g. the antigen, may be needed on the site of mucosal administration to activate systemic immune response.


According to the Federal Treasury, as of the period-end results for January–August 2015 the federal budget revenues contracted 1.6 p.p. of GDP, and expenditures went up 2.5 p.p. of GDP in comparison with the same period of the last year. Revenues and expenditures of the consolidated budget of the constituents of the Russian Federation as of the period-end results for seven months of the current year against seven months of the previous year went up 1.1 and 0.4 p.p. of GDP, respectively. The federal budget defi cit as of the period-end results for January–August 2015 amount-ed to 2.1% of GDP down 4.1 p.p. of GDP against the federal budget surplus over seven months of the last year. The consolidated budget of the constituents of the Russian Federation as of the period end results for seven months 2015 was executed with a surplus of 1.4% of GDP or up 0.6 p.p. against seven months of the previous year.


The most studied and cultivated microalgae have a temperature optimum between 20 and 35°C. This temperature range hampers sustainable microalgae growth in countries with colder periods. To overcome this problem, psychrotolerant microalgae, such as the snow alga Chloromonas typhlos, can be cultivated during these colder periods. However, most of the research work has been carried out in the laboratory. The step between laboratory-scale and large-scale cultivation is difficult, making pilot-scale tests crucial to gather more information. Here, we presented a successful pilot-scale growth test of C. typhlos. Seven batch mode growth periods were compared during two longer growth tests in a photobioreactor of 350 L. We demonstrated the potential of this alga to be cultivated at colder ambient temperatures. The tests were performed during winter and springtime to compare ambient temperature and sunlight influences. The growth and CO2 usage were continuously monitored to calculate the productivity and CO2 fixation efficiency. A maximum dry weight of 1.082 g L−1 was achieved while a maximum growth rate and maximum daily volumetric and areal productivities of 0.105 d−1, 0.110 g L−1 d−1, and 2.746 g m−2 d−1, respectively, were measured. Future tests to optimize the cultivation of C. typhlos and production of astaxanthin, for example, will be crucial to explore the potential of biomass production of C. typhlos on a commercial scale.


This study is an attempt to measure information versus propaganda in Swedish news paper editorials dealing with the question of Swedish nuclear armament. In order to categorize the content a schema was developed identifying the following content ele ments: 1) the possible defense alternatives; 2) the situation categorized into sixteen exclusive situation variables which may be affected by the choice of defense alternatives; 3) evaluations of alternatives or situations, dichotomized into good or bad; 4) general value concepts, called 'ideologies.' The sample consisted of four papers, three of which endorsed Swedish nuclear armament. The fourth did not take an explicit position. Propaganda was defined as selectivity in the presentation of factual decision premises, i.e. the descriptive statements about the situation variables. (The more propagandistic argumentation is thus uneven, with high frequencies of statements for some variables, and low for others.) We expected to find the argumentation of the uncommitted paper less propagandistic than the other three papers, but data gave no support for this hypo thesis. A closer study of the evaluations made of consequences of different alternatives dis closed two facts: 1) the uncommitted paper could be considered as an opponent of Swedish nuclear armament, as it tended to evaluate consequences of a Swedish nuclear armament negatively and consequences of other alternatives positively. 2) By dividing the material into three time periods, it was found that all the papers became totally one-sided in their evaluations during the last time period. That is, they exclusively made positive evaluations of their endorsed alternative and negative evaluations of other alternatives. Considering the fact that the 'uncommitted' paper could be classified as an opponent of Swedish nuclear armament, we investigated to see if we could find a tendency toward polarization. Did those who endorsed Swedish nuclear armament tend to stress some situation variables, while the paper that was against this alternative tended to stress other variables? A very slight tendency in this direction could be found. Because the sample was very small, no generalizations can be made regarding the Swedish press in general.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Targeted drugs have been widely used in the treatment of lung cancer, especially for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. NCCN guideline lists multiple drugs which are particularly effective in the subgroup of patients with specific gene mutation variants, including the fusion transcripts of ALK, ROS1 and RET, and the mutations of EGFR, KRAS, BRAF and HER2. Multiple techniques have been developed to detect fusion transcripts in tumor samples, such as FISH, IHC and PCR assays. FISH is the most accurate method for fusion detection currently. The split probe FISH assay, which does not require the pre-knowledge of what is the fusion partner with ALK for example, can detect unknown ALK fusion products as well. However, it fails to identify which gene is fused with ALK (or other oncogene) in the chimera products, therefore is not informative for the mechanism or drug resistance study. In addition, due to the limitation on the fluoresce dye, it is quite difficult to multiplex fusion FISH probes for different genes into one assay.

We describe here a next generation sequencing assay to detect a panel of fusion transcripts and mutations in one single assay. Our single assay can detect the fusion products of ALK, ROS1 and RET with any known or unknown fusion partners, together with the hotspot mutations in EGFR, KRAS, BRAF and HER2. Our assay can identify not only the exact sequence of the unknown fusion partners, but also any mutations within the full coding regions of ALK, ROS1 and RET. This information is critical for the resistance mechanism study and the next generation inhibitor drug development, since about half of the ALK inhibitor resistance was caused by the mutations in ALK gene itself. We have identified a novel ALK fusion gene with a never-reported fusion partner in a lung cancer patient. The xenograft model derived from this patient responds to crizotinib well in the in vivo study (published on Journal of Thoracic Oncology). We have demonstrated that our assay can reliably detect both the novel fusion and the well known EML4-ALK fusion from only 1-2 5um FFPE slides of the lung tumor tissues, together with other possible fusions and mutations as well.

Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.

Citation Format: Qiang Xu, Guan Wang, Bo Li, Maoxiang Qian, Douglas Fang, Lele Sun, Yundi Chen, Hongye Sun. A next generation sequencing assay to detect the fusion products of ALK, ROS1 and RET with any fusion partner genes and hotspot mutations in FFPE samples. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4668. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4668


This paper investigates the relationship between trade openness and real investment in Jordan, over the period 1976-2010. An Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach is employed in order to explore the association between investment and trade openness by estimating an investment function for the Jordanian economy and incorporating trade openness as a determinant of investment. The Empirical results provide strong evidence on the presence of a long-run stable investment function. In the short-run, trade openness has a positive and significant effect on real investment; a consistent result with the literature. Therefore, the results confirm the significant impact of trade openness on real investment found in the previous literature using a cointegration technique. This finding emphasises the importance of the trade liberalisation effects on real investment especially in the case of Jordan.


Objective: We have demonstrated a critical role of CNS G&agr;i2 proteins in sodium homeostasis and blood pressure regulation. These studies tested the hypothesis that increased total body sodium activates the afferent renal afferent nerves to evoke sympathoinhibition to facilitate sodium homeostasis and normotension, via a PVN signal transduction pathway involving G&agr;i2 proteins, in the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat. Design and Method: Conscious SD rats, having undergone sham or renal afferent nerve denervation (Renal-CAP) underwent an IV volume expansion (VE; 5% BW), HR, MAP, natriuresis and PVN neuronal activation were assessed (N = 5/group). Radiotelemetred naïve, Groups of sham or Renal-CAP treated Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a 0.6% (NS) or 8% NaCl (HS) diet for 21 days and MAP was continuously monitored. On day-21 plasma and renal NE content, PVN G&agr;i2 protein expression and NCC activity (peak natriuresis to IV hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ; 2  mg/kg infusion) was assessed (N = 5/group). Results: Afferent renal nerve ablation attenuated the natriuretic and PVN parvocellular activation responses to IV VE (peak UNaV [&mgr;eq/min]; Sham 43 ± 4 vs Renal-CAP 26 ± 6, P < 0.05, PVN neuronal activation [c-fos positive cells]; Medial parvocellular Sham 54 ± 8 vs Renal-CAP, 22 ± 5 P < 0.05) and evoked increased blood pressure (MAP 90 min post-VE [mmHg] Sham 118 ± 3 vs Renal-CAP 132 ± 4, P < 0.05). In Renal-CAP versus sham or naïve animals we observed significantly attenuated HS-evoked sympathoinhibition (P < 0.05), abolishment of PVN G&agr;i2 protein up regulation and down regulation of NCC activity (peak UNaV to HCTZ [&mgr;eq/min] naïve NS 9.2 ± 0.5, naïve HS 7.0 ± 0.4, Renal-CAP HS 10.3 ± 0.8). Conclusions: The renal afferent nerves mediate natriuresis and blood pressure regulation during an acute challenge to fluid and electrolyte homeostasis in conscious Sprague-Dawley rats. During HS intake the renal afferent nerves prevent the development of salt-sensitive hypertension via a mechanism involving increased activity of the renal afferent nerves to potentiate sympathoinhibitory pathways, which involves up regulation of PVN G&agr;i2 proteins, to facilitate natriuresis. Figure. No caption available.


Nicotinamide-nucleotide adenylyl transferase (Rv2421c) was selected as a potential drug target, because it has been shown, in vitro, to be essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth. It is conserved between mycobacterium species, is up-regulated during dormancy, has a known 3D crystal structure and has no known human homologs. A model of Rv2421c in complex with nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide and magnesium ion was constructed and subject to virtual ligand screening against the Prestwick Chemical Library and the ZINC database, which yielded 155 potential hit molecules. 3D-QSAR studies of the 155 drug molecules indicated five compounds with similar inhibitory efficiencies compared to known inhibitors of Rv2421c. Molecular docking validation and molecular dynamics simulation analysis of the top five compounds indicated that the identified inhibitor molecules bind to Rv2421c with comparable efficiency as the substrate DND. Subsequent in vitro testing of the five compounds identified Novobiocin sodium salt with activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis at 50 μM, 25μM and weakly at 10μM concentrations. Although, Novobiocin salt targets Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA gyrase B our studies suggest that it has the potential to be repurposed to inhibit Rv2421c. Subsequent in silico structural analysis of known Novobiocin sodium salt derivatives against Rv2421c suggest promising alternatives for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Author Summary Rv2421c has been shown to be essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth, shares no homology to known proteins in the human host, is conserved between various Mycobacterium species, is up-regulated during the non-replicative metabolic growth phase, making it an attractive drug target. It has a known 3D structure which has been exploited to screen for putative compounds within the Prestwick chemical library and ZINC database, resulting in the successful identification of 155 candidate compounds. Thereafter 3D-QSAR, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies were used to prioritize five potential compounds. Of the five compounds tested in vitro, only one, a Novobiocin disodium salt, showed activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis at 50, 25 and weakly at 10 μM concentrations. Novobiocin is known to target Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA gyrase B, but emerging resistance stimulated us to seek derivatives to target Rv2421c as alternatives for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Docking studies supported the higher binding affinities of Novobiocin derivatives to Rv2421c compared to DNA gyrase B. Future studies will involve testing these Novobiocin derivatives for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.


Maternal behaviour and lamb vigour are both considered major variables affecting lamb survival, but there are few data to describe their relative importance. To investigate the relationship between lamb vigour and maternal behaviour this study compared the behaviour of pure Scottish Blackface lambs with Mule (Bluefaced Leicester ♀. × Scottish Blackface ♂) lambs, all born indoors. Anecdotal accounts suggested a significant reduction in lamb vigour in Mule lambs, a matter also of significant practical importance given the current incease in Mule numbers. Observations on the grooming behaviour of 32 single or twin-bearing ewes, and on the general activity and udder-seeking behaviour of their lambs were made at parturition. In this study, neither ewe grooming behaviour nor general lamb activity were directly related to lamb sucking success. It was shown that, although Mule lambs had high birth weights and stood as quickly as Blackface lambs, they showed significantly fewer sucking attempts ( P v. 55 min for Mules). The inability of Mule lambs to suck successfully was due to their failure to show proper udder-directed behaviour. These results indicate the importance of considering the behaviour of both ewes and lambs as it would seem that it is not 'poor' maternal behaviour but inappropriate lamb behaviour that is a limiting factor in lamb survival in the Mule breed.


Treatment of respiratory infections in early childhood requires extensive use of direct action mucolytic drugs, which include derivatives of acetylcysteine. However, data on efficacy and safety of acetylcysteine in the treatment of both acute and chronic bronchopulmonary diseases in children during the first two years of life are few and contradictory. The article contains the authоrs' data on the use of granular acetylcysteine for the syrup preparation in the treatment of young children.


There are many instances where someone could be asked to write a report on an incident they were not directly involved in. This could be to obtain an objective overview of the incident or, as a manager of a unit, you may need to gather the views of a number of different people.


Newcastle disease (ND) remains one of the most harmful poultry diseases that threaten the poultry industry producers all over the world, thus the present work was planned to investigate the hematological, biochemical, and pathological changes in vaccinated and non-vaccinated broiler chickens naturally infected with ND. The study was conducted on 45 broiler chickens, 35-days-old, from a private farm in Damietta governorate and used in this work, 15 chickens were clinically healthy (Group I), 30 chickens with ND symptoms divided into 15 non-vaccinated (Group II) and the other 15 chickens (Group III) were vaccinated with La Sota strain of NDV with a titre of 106.5 EID50. The disease was diagnosed by hem agglutination test as ND. Blood and tissue samples were collected for clinical-pathological and histopathological examination. The infected broiler chickens showed cyanosis, nasal discharge, edema of eyelid and white pasty diarrhea with nervous manifestations. Furthermore, microcytic hypochromic anemia with leukocytosis was observed. Biochemical studies revealed a significant decrease in serum total proteins, albumin and A/G ratio, with significant increases in serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, and uric acid and glucose concentration in addition to several histological alterations were significantly seen in brain, intestine, liver and kidney of the infected birds. All these disturbances were less severe in the vaccinated group than the non-vaccinated one. In conclusion, La Sota vaccine can increase the bird resistant against Newcastle disease virus induced blood disorders and hepatic-renal insufficiency in broiler chickens.


BACKGROUND
Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous persons in the United States have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death from COVID-19, due to persistent social inequities. However, the magnitude of the disparity is unclear because race-ethnicity information is often missing in surveillance data.

METHODS
We quantified the burden of SARS-CoV-2 notification, hospitalization, and case fatality rates in an urban county by racial-ethnic group using combined race-ethnicity imputation and quantitative bias analysis for misclassification.

RESULTS
The ratio of the absolute racial-ethnic disparity in notification rates after bias adjustment, compared with the complete case analysis, increased 1.3-fold for persons classified Black and 1.6-fold for those classified Hispanic, in reference to classified White persons.

CONCLUSIONS
These results highlight that complete case analyses may underestimate absolute disparities in notification rates. Complete reporting of race-ethnicity information is necessary for health equity. When data are missing, quantitative bias analysis methods may improve estimates of racial-ethnic disparities in the COVID-19 burden.


When "woman‐the‐gatherer" was first proposed as a counter to "man‐the‐hunter," we were only beginning to understand the many faces of primate females. In ensuing decades we have learned about the skills and talents of female chimpanzees in tool using, hunting, and transmitting behaviors from one generation to the next as teachers, and across space as newcomers to neighboring communities. The perspective of evolutionary time highlights the continuity of female lives from the origin of mammals to the origin of Homo sapiens. The combination of behavioral, fossil, and archeological information aid in reconstructing key ingredients acquired by females along the way that contributed to the success of our species. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Although managers safeguard protected areas for migratory species, little consideration has been given to how migratory species might benefit parks. Additionally, whereas land‐sea connections are considered in management of protected areas, most effort has focused on reducing negative "downstream" processes. Here, we offer a proposal to promote positive "upstream" processes by safeguarding the seasonal pulse of marine nutrients imported into freshwater and riparian ecosystems by spawning migrations of Pacific salmon. Currently, high rates of fishing limit this important contribution to species and processes that terrestrial parks were designed to protect. Accordingly, we propose limiting exploitation in areas and periods through which salmon runs bound for terrestrial protected areas can migrate. Best suited for less commercially valuable but relatively abundant and widespread pink and chum salmon (O. gorbuscha and keta), our proposal thus considers ecosystem and societal needs for salmon. We conclude by outlining strategies to overcome socio‐economic barriers to implementation.


This article presents a literature review on the resin bond to zirconia ceramic. Modern esthetic dentistry has highly recognized zirconia, among other ceramic materials. Biocompatibility of zirconia, chemical and dimensional stability, excellent mechanical properties, all together could guarantee optimal therapeutical results in complex prosthodontic reconstruction. On the other hand, low thermal degradation, aging of zirconia as well as problematic bonding of zirconia framework to dental luting cements and tooth structures, opened the room for discussion concerning their clinical durability.The well known methods of mechanical and chemical bonding used on glass-ceramics are not applicable for use with zirconia. Therefore, under critical clinical situations, selection of the bonding mechanism should be focused on two important points: high initial bond strength value and long term bond strength between zirconia-resin interface. Also, this paper emphases the use of phosphate monomer luting cements on freshly air-abraded zirconia as the simplest and most effective way for zirconia cementation procedure today.


Abstract This article is based upon the transcript of a speech given at the international workshop on "Which accounting regulation for Europe's economy and society?" held at the European Parliament, Strasbourg, on May 20, 2015, in tribute to Mr Jérôme Haas (1963–2014), first chairman of the Accounting Standards Authority of France (ANC).


A experiment was conducted with a total number of 120 Cobb-400 strains of broilers were selected and subjected to four dietary treatments with 30 birds each having five replications per treatment. The birds of control group 1were offered standard broiler starter diet till 21 days and thereafter standard finisher diet up to 42 days. The birds of other groups were also offered the same diet as in group 1 along with black cumin seed powder supplementation at the rate of 1.0 (Group 2), 2.0 (Group 3) and 3.0 (Group 4) % of the diet. The values for average body weight, gain in weight, feed consumption,feed conversion efficiency, performance index and carcass weight per bird during the summer season had not shown any impact irrespective of treatments but it had significant (p<0.05) effect on haemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells, packed cell volume, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein and Cholesterol. There was no mortality and hence liveability percentage was 100 % in all groups. The dressing percentage, carcass yield and organ weight was found to be best in treatment groups than control. The haematological and biochemical parameters were found to have positive effect in the treatment groups than control. However, the control group had the highest net profit return than treatment groups. Hence, it was concluded that using of black cumin seed as herbal feed additive helps in the improvement of health condition of the birds.


When a large ship is advancing in waves, ship undergoes the hydroelastic response, which has influences on structural stability and the fatigue destruction etc. of the ship. Therefore, to predict accurate hydroelastic response, it is necessary to analyze hydroelastic response including fluid-structure interaction. In this research, a ship is divided into many hull elements to calculate the fluid forces and wave exciting forces on each elements using three-dimensional source distribution method. The calculated fluid forces and wave exciting forces are assigned to nodes of hull elements. The neighbor nodes are connected with elastic beam elements. We analyzed hydroelastic responses, and those are formulated by using finite element method. Particularly, to estimate the influence of forward speed on the hydroelastic responses, we use two different methods : Full Hull Rotation Method(FHRM) and Sectional Hull Rotation Method(SHRM).


Acute massive pleuroperitoneal leak-related hydrothorax is a rare, but life-threatening complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Hydrothorax develops right after the initiation of the CAPD or within a few days post-treatment. The late development of hydrothorax in patients treated with CAPD is quite rare. The interpretation of pleuroperitoneal leak-related hydrothorax as a volume overload and subsequent application of hypertonic peritoneal exchange worsen the clinical course and can lead to mortality. We here present the data from a patient who developed acute bilateral hydrothorax at the 16th month of CAPD treatment. J Med Cases. 2015;6(3):101-104 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2055w


Molecular structure and function studies of vertebrate ultraviolet (UV) cone visual pigments are needed to understand the molecular evolution of these photoreceptors, which uniquely contain unprotonated Schiff base linkages between the 11-cis-retinal chromophore and the opsin proteins. In this study, the Siberian hamster ultraviolet cone pigment (SHUV) was expressed and purified in an n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside suspension for optical characterization. Time-resolved absorbance measurements, over a spectral range from 300 to 700 nm, were taken for the purified pigment at time delays from 30 ns to 4.64 s after photoexcitation using 7 ns pulses of 355 nm light. The resulting data were fit globally to a sum of exponential functions after noise reduction using singular-value decomposition. Four exponentials best fit the data with lifetimes of 1.4 μs, 210 μs, 47 ms, and 1 s. The first photointermediate species characterized here is an equilibrated mixture similar to the one formed after rhodopsin's Batho intermediate decays into equilibrium with its successor, BSI. The extremely large red shift of the SHUV Batho component relative to the pigment suggests that SHUV Batho has a protonated Schiff base and that the SHUV cone pigment itself has an unprotonated Schiff base. In contrast to SHUV Batho, the portion of the equilibrated mixture's spectrum corresponding to SHUV BSI is well fit by a model spectrum with an unprotonated Schiff base. The spectra of the next two photointermediate species revealed that they both have unprotonated Schiff bases and suggest they are analogous to rhodopsin's Lumi I and Lumi II species. After decay of SHUV Lumi II, the correspondence with rhodopsin photointermediates breaks down and the next photointermediate, presumably including the G protein-activating species, is a mixture of protonated and unprotonated Schiff base photointermediate species.


Monitoring the attitudes of visitors has been an important but problematic task for destination marketing organizations (DMOs). Standard approaches have included tick box surveys and focus groups, in-depth interviews and other qualitative methods. The former are relatively cheap to administer but provide generally poor data, while the latter may provide rich data but can be expensive to implement. Consumer generated web content (including, but not limited to `blogs') may offer a way for destinations to monitor visitor attitudes. There may be particular value in a blog based market research tool because the content is provided in a less artificial setting than in surveys or interviews. The research examined different sources of consumer generated web content about travel to Australia's Northern Territory and evaluated the authorship and readership as well as the nature of the content itself. The findings suggest that valuable data can be drawn from travel blogs, but that locating and analysing relevant content is time consuming. The author proposes a targeted approach to monitoring blogs that takes into account the market segments likely to engage in blogging and the aspects of the destination likely to come under scrutiny.


Tin of Bangka has been exploited since the 18 th century. Exploitation throughout history has led to various debates over the subject on the right to access and control tin. After the New Order regime in 1998, the intensity of the controversy debates increased and escalated because the subjects were increasingly mapped, contested with a variety of interests, and creating a local "'fallacious"' state. Among the controversy debates, there is still room for another controversy.  How could ethnic minorities called the Lom tribe which known as traditional, full of mysticism, believed to be conservationists, could be trapped into the economic turmoil of illegal tin mining? This article tries to prove that the Lom Tribe is not entirely in a dark matter. The practice of small-scale voluntary, massive and extensive tin mining in customary forest, accompanied by efforts to create counter-territories and claims for customary autonomy is a form of struggle to maintain the continuity of access/control over tin and resistance against the expansion of private oil palm plantations. This kind of practice marks the emergence of a new local shadow state in the lowest village governance structure. Keywords: actor, counter-territory, resistance, shadow state, tin DOI : 10.7176/RHSS/9-4-02


Methods of measurement and analysis of components of a five-mile extra-high-voltage direct-current test line and associated facilities are described. This paper presents new methods of recording and analyzing data secured over a long period of time concerning radio influence, corona loss, insulator leakage, and surge currents. Information secured from these recordings and analysis will be important to the transmission engineer in designing the most economical high-quality EHV dc transmission line.


The article is based on the materials of the Fifth International Theoretical Scientific Conference "Communication trends in the post-literacy era: polylingualism, multimodality and polyculturalism as preconditions for new creativity", which took place at the Institute of Humanities in November 26–28, 2020. The authors analyze the main communication trends that have developed under the influence of the Covid-2019 pandemic in the sociocultural space in 2020. The main trend is the use of artificial intelligence in such areas of socioculture as communication, media, education. The concept of creativity is clarified, the creative possibilities and limits of human and artificial intelligence are considered, the threats and dangers of the artificial intelligence's development and its implementation in various spheres of human life are analyzed, such as education, socialization and inculturation, journalism and mass information, contemporary art, museum and exhibition activity. The conclusion is made about the need for further interdisciplinary research of artificial intelligence in the humanitarian sphere.


Increase in speed of new high-speed trains has led to new requirements for improvement of their aerodynamic properties. Aerodynamic properties such as drag, crosswind stability, aero acoustics noise and upraise of ballast due to flow have to be treated simultaneously in a multiobjective optimization procedure. This paper demonstrates an efficient optimization procedure that uses metamodels in form of polynomial response surfaces as a basis for search for optimal designs. Such simple models of objective functions make it possible to use genetic algorithms to explore design space. As a result of the suggested optimization procedure a set of so called Pareto-optimal solutions was obtained that helps exploration of extreme designs and finding tradeoffs between design objectives. Two examples are demonstrated for the purpose of the validation of the optimization procedure: optimization of a front of a train for the cross-wind stability and the optimization of passive flow devices (so called vortex generators) for drag reduction. Influence of turbulence models used in computer experiments on optimization procedure is explored. It was found that the choice of turbulence model influences the shape of the train with minimal lift force. Usage of Reynolds Stress (RSM) and RNG ε − k model was found to produce noisy data that prevented construction of response surface models.


The edge states which were observed on a linear edge of graphene may also persist on a curved edge. We calculate the elastic transport scattering cross section on a graphene nanohole supporting the edge states. Resonant peaks in the gate voltage dependence of conductivity of graphene with such nanoholes are obtained. Position and height of the resonances are determined by the localization depth of the quasibound edge states, and width -- by their lifetime. The scattering amplitude near the resonant energies has a strong valley asymmetry. We evaluate the effect of moderate edge rippling, inhomogeneity of boundary parameter along the edge, and Coulomb effects (charged nanohole) on the edge states and show that they do not affect the presence of the resonances, but can substantially influence their position, height and width. The local density of states near the nanohole also demonstrates a resonant dependence on gate voltage.


xMnO⋅(1-x)[3P2O5⋅CaO] glass system with 1 ≤ x ≤ 5 mol % was prepared and investgated in order to evidence the structural changes induced by the manganesse ions in the glass network. EPR spectra of these glasses have been recorded in the Xband (9.3 GHz) at room temperature. All the investigated samples exhibit resonance signals which are characteristic to the Mn ions. The shapes of the EPR spectra are also changed with the increasing of manganese ions content. IR spectra of these glasses put in evidence that main vibration bands for phosphate glasses because the MnO content is low. The intensity and frequency variations for the characteristic phosphate group vibrations: P-O-P bending and stretching, P = O stretching have been correlated with the changes of the structural units present in these glasses. Both investigation techniques inform about the structural effect of MnO on the calcium-phosphate glass matrix.


The long and active San Andreas fault was revealed by the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Strike-slip movement on a major crustal fracture was first established by that event. The elastic rebound theory was developed in an analysis of this earthquake. It was proposed in 1926 that cumulative horizontal movement on the San Andreas amounted to several miles, but such a great displacement was generally agreed to be unreasonable. In 1953, new evidence of cross-fault stratigraphic correlations of Pleistocene to Cretaceous rocks was presented which seemed to require tens to hundreds of miles of strike-slip displacement. Controversy and additional studies ensued, resulting in general acceptance of such movements by 1968. Since the 1965 proposal that the San Andreas is a transform fault, within a plate-tectonics mechanism, reservations about great horizontal movements of the Earth9s crust have been essentially eliminated. The single most important factor in delaying acceptance of miles of strike-slip on the San Andreas has been the long-continued confusion between fault separation and fault slip. Lawson, Noble, Taliaferro, Hill and Dibblee, Wilson, and a few others played the more leading roles in interpretations of the fault. Post-earthquake studies by Gilbert again confirmed his reputation as a great geologist. The San Francisco earthquake was the chief contributor to knowledge about the San Andreas, but now there are more questions than ever regarding the nature, geologic history, and significance of this important crustal structure. The present consensus about the role of the fault in local and global tectonics surely will be modified by revolutionary new conceptual models.


Abstract: Introduction: Emotional intelligence (EI) and empathy are two essential skills for person-centered Medicine. Objectives: To evaluate the association between EI and empathy and to assess whether sociodemographic factors and year at the medical school influence the level of EI and empathy. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in medical students from a private educational institution in the city of São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil. EI levels were assessed using the Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test and empathy levels were assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (student version). All volunteers signed the Informed Consent Form before inclusion in the study. The statistical analysis used mean values, standard deviation, frequency distribution, Student's t test, Pearson's correlation, and linear regression. A significance level of 0.05 was considered. Results: From August 5 to 30, 2019, 193 volunteers, corresponding to 85.8% of the total population, agreed to participate in the study. The total EI (129.8 ± 13.3) and empathy (121.2 ± 11.6) observed scores were high. EI scores were influenced only by age (padjusted = 0.018). Students attending more advanced semesters had higher total empathy scores (padjusted = 0.013). Students whose parents did not have a higher education degree also had a higher total empathy score (padjusted = 0.031). A moderate positive correlation was observed between the total EI and empathy scores ( ρ =0.304, p<0.001) and between the total empathy score and the EI domain Managing Others' Emotions ( ρ =0.300, p<0.001). A weak positive correlation was also observed between the total EI score and most of the empathy domains. Conclusion: A positive correlation between emotional intelligence and empathy was observed. The age influenced EI and the year of medical school and parental schooling influenced empathy.


Alexander Laban Hinton, ed. Annihilating Difference: The Anthropology of Genocide. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. A nthropologists have long been silent on the topic of genocide as have scholars from other disciplines (including my own, political science). What is unique to anthropology, however, is its troubling relationship to genocide. As several of the chapters in this volume show, anthropologists have acted as contributors and participants in a range of genocidal projects. It is anthropologists, after all, who have been at the forefront of developing and deploying the very concept that has made genocide, in the modern age at least, possible-the concept of "human difference." But as this volume, edited by Alex Hinton, demonstrates, this disturbing past gives anthropologists a unique vantage point from which to assess their own discipline's duplicity and makes their contributions all the more valuable. Indeed, the central strength of this volume is the trenchant self-critiques offered by several authors. Bettina Arnold, for example, examines the role that archaeology played in helping the National Socialist Party create a historical, material basis for a pure German race. Through specious interpretations of the archaeological record, buffeted by the discipline's own assumption that "pots = people" (Arnold, 93), Nazi ideologues were able to construct a history in which Germans "gave birth to themselves" (Arnold, 103). In a similar vein, Gretchen Schafft reveals the extent of involvement of anthropologists in the Third Reich's exterminatory campaign against Jews, Roma and other undesirables. Through ongoing support of a prominent American funder, anthropologists not only engaged in research on racial classification but also served as certifiers and judges on racial boards. Schafft's evidence is damning not so much for what she finds but for what she does not find-entire files missing from both the German and Rockefeller archives and any indications of concern on the part of Rockefeller officials about the anti-Semitic policies which their funded "research" helped to legitimate and realize. UIi Linke continues the theme of duplicity by examining how the New Left in West Germany has unwittingly reproduced Nazi tropes of nature, blood, and purity, through their use of exclusion/inclusion language in protest rhetoric and representations of the naked body. Finally, Scheper-Hughes's account of Alfred Kroeber's uneasy relationship with lshi, the so-called last surviving Yahi Indian (whom he befriended but later dishonored by allowing Ishi's brain to be removed from his body, an act of desecration that lshi feared), illustrates how one prominent American anthropology department remains indelibly shaped by its past. As Scheper-Hughes explains, the return of Ishi's brain (after languishing for 75 years in a Smithsonian Museum warehouse) prompted a statement of acknowledgement from the anthropology department at the University of California at Berkeley, where lshi lived his last years in a semi-carnival-like atmosphere, that fell short of formal apology. What links these examples is the level of collective denial that persists, as illustrated by the number of present-day scholars who resist or reject outright such lines of inquiry, and their reluctance to confront their discipline's involvement in past genocidal projects and current genocidal discourses. In addition to these self-critiques, the other key contribution of this volume lies in the insights offered about the nature of genocidal violence itself. For Nagengast, "Genocide is always a possiblity" (326) because of the multitude of symbolic forms of violence that occur, even in supposedly non-genocidal countries like the United States. …


High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) electromyography (EMG) recordings are essential for identifying and analyzing single motor unit activity. While high-density electrodes allow for greater spatial resolution, the smaller electrode area translates to a higher impedance and lower SNR. In this study, we developed an implantable and flexible 3D microelectrode array (MEA) with low impedance that enables high-quality EMG recording. With polyimide micro-cones realized by standard photolithography process and PEDOT:PSS coating, this design can increase effective surface area by up to 250% and significantly improve electrical performance for electrode sites with various geometric surface areas, where the electrode impedance is at most improved by 99.3%. Acute EMG activity from mice was recorded by implanting the electrodes in vivo, and we were able to detect multiple individual motor units simultaneously and with high resolution (SNR ≫ 100). The charge storage capacity was measured to be 34.2 mC/cm2, indicating suitability of the electrodes for stimulation applications as well.


Based on the Dynamic comprehensive logistics data in the intelligent logistics, various advanced technologies are combined to implement the real-time data collection and put forward the most reasonable and effective solutions according to specific needs. An intelligent logistics route selection vehicle distribution route hierarchical road network is designed in this paper and used as the initial road network pheromone. In view of the selection of intelligent logistics route, the design of multimodal transport dispatch model is combined to propose the route. In addition, the vehicle traffic situation in the distribution process, the issuance of delivery time and other data information are combined to carry out comparative analysis on the vehicle traffic database and the rationale for the use of model planning. The results of this study show that the route selected by the intelligent logistics distribution that is proposed by using the design of integrated multimodal transport dispatch model can provide the optimal real-time dynamic route planning for the intelligent logistics delivery driver.


Abstract The processing of emotional facial expressions is underpinned by the integration of information from a distributed network of brain regions. Despite investigations into how different emotional expressions alter the functional relationships within this network, there remains limited research examining which regions drive these interactions. This study investigated effective connectivity during the processing of sad and fearful facial expressions to better understand how these stimuli differentially modulate emotional face processing circuitry. Ninety-eight healthy human adolescents and young adults, aged between 15 and 25 years, underwent an implicit emotional face processing fMRI task. Using dynamic causal modeling (DCM), we examined five brain regions implicated in face processing. These were restricted to the right hemisphere and included the occipital and fusiform face areas, amygdala, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Processing sad and fearful facial expressions were associated with greater positive connectivity from the amygdala to dlPFC. Only the processing of fearful facial expressions was associated with greater negative connectivity from the vmPFC to amygdala. Compared with processing sad faces, processing fearful faces was associated with significantly greater connectivity from the amygdala to dlPFC. No difference was found between the processing of these expressions and the connectivity from the vmPFC to amygdala. Overall, our findings indicate that connectivity from the amygdala and dlPFC appears to be responding to dimensional features which differ between these expressions, likely those relating to arousal. Further research is necessary to examine whether this relationship is also observable for positively valenced emotions.


Abstract This research asked whether speakers are influenced by systematic semantic patterns in their language in forming new word meanings. We used the novel word mapping technique (Nagy and Gentner 1990) to test whether English and Spanish speakers would show effects of their differing semantic systems in inferring the meanings of novel motion verbs. We also tested for any language-specific effects in inferring novel nouns. Participants were given short passages containing either a novel noun or a novel motion verb, and were asked to infer the meaning of the novel word. The passages provided information about both the path and the manner of a novel motion event. Consistent with the semantic patterns in the respective languages, English speakers were more likely to infer a manner interpretation than a path interpretation and Spanish speakers showed the reverse pattern. Language-specific effects were not found for the meanings inferred for novel nouns.


When planning to do a port or a new road or when determine the turning traffic movements for any road, we must know the traffic movement on the road to determine the distribution and direction of the turning traffic, and we must know pedestrian traffic, parking and land uses adjacent because this will help to forecasting the magnitude of the changes in the movement of turning traffic in the future, which helps to determine the priorities of sustainable development required. The increasing population and the preparation of private vehicles of the most important factors that have helped to increase traffic congestion and transport problems and the growing proportion of traffic, causing accidents and pollution as well as large losses of the national economy. Pushing to put these problems to be addressed to search for the best possible means to be diagnosed and treated as soon as what can be achieved through the use of modern technology as a way analytical. It is no doubt that a GIS is one of the most important of these methods adopted in the world in support of the decision and personalized sites imbalance through adoption in identifying problems of traffic intersections and traffic streams through them and their sizes especially in the intersections of the main streets in large cities and neighboring land uses task scope regional service, such as universities and ministries. It also we can take advantage of modern technology through the use of Photographic technique and application of computer programs in the survey and analysis of turning traffic for these nodes to ease the pressure on those whom in charge of research


In contrast to mast cells and basophils, the high affinity IgE receptor (FcΕRI) on antigen-presenting cells (APC) shows structural and functional differences. It consists only of a minimal structure of one α- and two γ-chains and enables APC to efficiently take up and present antigen in IgE-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions that are thought to play a pivotal role in atopic diseases. However, recent studies of FcΕRI signal transduction and function on APC suggest additional mechanisms by which FcΕRI engagement on APC could affect inflammatory reactions. FcΕRI ligation is able to induce major signaling events like protein tyrosine kinase activation including p72syk leading to PLC-γ1 phosphorylation and consecutive calcium influx. Late signaling events like the activation of transcription factors such as NF-ĸB provide a link to the release of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, Th-polarizing factors such as IL-12 and the induction of antiapoptotic factors. FcΕRI-mediated IL-10 production in monocytes could also influence their differentiation. Since there are hints that in vivo a functional FcΕRI signaling pathway only exists in individuals from an atopic background, we suggest that these unexpected mechanisms may have an effect on inflammatory reactions in atopic diseases.


Background Tocilizumab, a humanized anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, was approved in 2008 for use in clinical practice in Japan. The efficacy of tocilizumab in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been demonstrated in several clinical trials as well as in clinical practice. Given the high efficacy and safety, few patients switch from tocilizumab to other drugs, and limited studies have been reported in this regard. Controversy exists as to whether tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or abatacept should be selected when switching from tocilizumab. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of two classes of biologics, TNFi and abatacept, after switching from tocilizumab therapy. Methods We performed a retrospective multicenter study of 40 RA patients who underwent 52-week biologic therapy after switching from tocilizumab therapy (Tsurumai Biologic Communication Registry). Patients were divided into two groups based on the biologic they switched to: TNFi (n=18) and abatacept (n=22). Changes in clinical parameters were examined at 0, 24, and 52 weeks after the switch: tender joint count (TJC) and swollen joint count (SJC) on 28 joints, general health on a visual analog scale (GH-VAS), and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Disease activity was evaluated at each time point using the 28-joint disease activity score with CRP (DAS28-CRP), as well as the clinical disease activity index (CDAI), which included data from the above-mentioned disease parameters. Results Patients at baseline had a mean age of 60.3 years, mean disease duration of 12.1 years, and mean DAS28-CRP of 5.1. There was no significant difference between the two classes of drugs at baseline, except in disease durations and oral steroid use (%). Retention rates for TNFi and abatacept treatment at 52 weeks were 78.6% and 80.1%, respectively (Figure 1). Discontinuation due to all unfavorable causes did not significantly differ between the two in hazard ratio-based evaluations (Table 1). DAS28-CRP levels were lower with TNFi compared to abatacept at 24 weeks (TNFi, 3.52; abatacept, 4.12, p=0.033), but no difference was found at 52 weeks (TNFi, 3.55; abatacept, 3.94, p=0.135) (Figure 2). Percentages of subsequent low disease activity of CDAI for TNFi and abatacept were 46.2%, and 22.2%, respectively. Conclusions This study is the first to compare the clinical efficacy of two different classes of biologics (TNFi and abatacept) after switching from tocilizumab using a multicenter registry system. Our results show that TNFi and abatacept are both effective, with no significant differences. When switching from tocilizumab, the characteristics of each drug should be considered to make an appropriate choice for each patient. References Nishimoto N, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009;68(10):1580-4. Kojima T, et al. Mod Rheumatol. 2012;22(3):370-5. Yamanaka H, et al. Mod Rheumatol. 2011;21(2):122-33. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Weed control in organic vegetable production systems is challenging and accounts for a large portion of production costs. Six methods to prepare a stale seedbed were compared on certified and transitional organic land in Salinas, CA, in 2004. Weed control operations occurred on raised beds 2 to 3 d before planting baby spinach or a simulated vegetable planting. A flamer and an herbicide application of 10% v/v of a clove oil mixture (45% v/v clove oil) at 280 L/ha (iteration 1) or 15% v/v of a clove oil mixture (45% clove oil) at 467 L/ha (iterations 2 and 3) were used to control weeds without disturbing the soil. Top knives on a sled, a rolling cultivator, and a rotary hoe were used to control weeds while tilling the bed top. A bed shaper–rototiller combination was also used, which tilled the entire bed. Broadleaf weed control was 36% with clove oil, 63% with the rotary hoe, and significantly higher (87 to 100% control) with the remaining treatments in iteration 1. Broadleaf weed control was consistently lower (72 to 86% control) with the flamer than all other treatments (95 to 100% control) in iterations 2 and 3. The difference between sites can probably be attributed to differences in weed size. The flamer and the clove oil herbicide had the lowest number of weeds emerging with the crop following stale seedbed formation. The most expensive technique was clove oil at $1,372/ha. The estimated cost of forming the stale seedbed with the remaining weed management tools ranged from $10 to $43/ha. Nomenclature: Spinach, Spinacia oleracea L. #3 SPQOL. Additional index words: Flaming, cultivation, weed emergence, irrigation, stale seedbeds, vegetables. Abbreviations: USDA-ARS, U.S. Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service.


Introduction Why study the poetry of an author whose meteoric rise to fame is due to his fiction? Fundamentally for three reasons. First and foremost, because some of the major themes of his novels and short stories are partially developed in his poems. Secondly, because, stylistically at least, Bolano's poetry is essentially narrative, which means that many if not all of his poems contain most of the elements of fiction. (1) In one of the earliest assessments of Bolano's poetry, critic and writer Alejandro Zambra states it as a paradox: "Bolano, como poeta, es un excelente narrador, pero no cabe duda de que como narrador es un magnifico poeta" (185). (2) And, thirdly, because he starts his literary career as a poet and celebrates poetry until the very end of his untimely death in 2003. In "Musa," a homage and also a petition to poetry and one of Bolano's most autobiographical poems, the poetic voice states: Era mas Hermosa que el sol y yo aun no tenia 16 anos. 24 han pasado y sigue a mi lado. Ah, Musa, protegeme, le digo, Nunca te separes de mi Musa, adondequiera que yo vaya tu vas. Te vi en los hospitales y en la fila de los presos politicos. Y aunque pasen los anos y el Roberto Bolano de la Alameda se haga mas tonto y mas viejo tu permaneceras igual de hermosa" (La universidad desconocida 438-40). (3) And in Amuleto, as Auxilio Lacouture, the novel' s protagonist, prophesizes the future of certain very well-known authors--James Joyce, Cesar Vallejo and Maiakovski, among others--she solemnly declares, "La poesia no desaparecera" (134). Bolano published five books of poetry: Reinventar el amor (1976), El ultimo salvaje (1995), Los perros romanticos (1995, 2006), Tres (2000), and Fragmentos de la universidad desconocida (1993). He also published Muchachos desnudos bajo el arcoiris. 11 poetas latinoamericanos (1979), an anthology which includes some of his own poems. (4) Posthumously, in 2007, Anagrama put out La universidad desconocida, a book which incorporates not only all of Bolano's poetry published during his life time but also poems which were found among his various notebooks and on the hard disk of his computer. This 2007 book also includes the entire set of texts from Amberes (1980), a hard-to-classify book which the author himself calls his "novela" in the prologue to the 2002 edition (9). (5) Chronologically speaking, Bolano's poetic output extends from the late seventies to the early-nineties approximately, which means that he consciously left out the poems he wrote during his very important stay in Mexico (1968-1977), (6) that is, the period of the infrarrealismo movement he contributed to found. In a recent article on his poetry, Luis Bague Quilez writes, "Desde entonces [i.e., from 1977 on], Bolano avanza en solitario y considera el infrarrealismo como un pecado de juventud del que no es necesario arrepentirse, pero que ha quedado sepultado junto con los ideales de un tiempo proclive a la utopia" (491). My goal in this study is to focus on an aspect of Bolano's poetry which bears a direct relationship to his fiction: the frequent allusion to detectives and policemen in many of his poems. (7) Unlike Bague Quilez, however, who centers his attention on the relationship between the author and the poetas detective and whose chief function is to reflect upon literature (496-97), or Adriana Castillo de Berchenko, who analyses only in passing what she calls the "poeta-detective" (45) in Los perros romanticos and Tres, I seek to provide a kind of overall protohistory of the detective genre in Bolano's poetic production. It could be argued, in fact--especially if one takes into account narrative texts such as Monsieur Pain (1982-1983; 1992), La pista de hielo (1993), Estrella distante (1996), Los detectives salvajes (1998), and, of course, 2666 (2004)--that the theme of the detective and its ancillary realities--such as a crime (real or not), a search, marginal spaces and people, among others--onstitute a kind of master trope of the author's total literary production. …